Kingstar School and their needs!

Kingstar school was started by the selfless faith of a christian couple in Dar Es Salaam Tanzania. "Their dream was was o develop an educational program which strives to achieve and maintain high academic standards anchored on God's word of truth in an atmosphere of love." After spending 3 weeks in the school I can say, I believe they are well on the way to reaching the tops of this dream. But they need some help, and I believe this is why God called me to go to visit them this summer, and see what they are doing to help and teach these students.
Right now there are 66 students who are attending this school, and 6 of them are not being sponsored. They are not paying for their education,and as of right now that is okay, but in the future as the school continues to grow, the needs get bigger, they may not be able to keep the free education and will be asked to leave the school. These 6 students all come from families who can not afford to pay for school. They are also in need of new play toys. With 66 students a few tires, 3 swings, and 2 bikes is just not enough! Also, they are in need of some office and school supplies. Supplies that they just cant find in Tanzania, but are very important to the progress and success of this school.

66 students share this space to play. 

This is one of their bikes that they share

As you can see they have gotten every use out of it, and has worn thorough the tires. 

These are just a few pictures to show what they have. The kids are happy, and enjoy playing.. But I believe we can make it better for them, and be able to give them even more fun while they are at school! 

Also their biggest need right now is to finish the primary school! 

This is where they will move the pre-unit and standard classes

They are needing doors

And windows 

That is all they need to purchase before they can open the school. The school is needing to be opened as soon as possible because they are running out of room in the day school to hold all of the students! 

This is one of the class rooms, and where the students will be doing their studies! 

The faith i have seen in the owner and teachers is amazing. They trust and believe that God will provide all of their needs. I also have that faith and believe that in Gods timing he will provide! 

I also believe that we will provide for my dreams and plans as i look forward to helping them reach their goals at kingstar school. I love that school and i look forward to working with them again, through out the year! 

If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to ask me! 

Thank you so much for your love, support and prayers! 

Gods Mighty Plan

Glory be to God! 
The last four weeks of my life, have been nothing but amazing! My time here in Africa has been a time of blessings, spiritual growth, and Gods work! 
The first few days were very rough, adjusting to my new home and the culture that came with it was not easy. It was a battle, but my God provided the strength I needed to get through it. I began to adjust and honestly fall in love with my new life. Things were going great at the school, every moment with those kids were a blessing. I meeting new friends, and building relationships that will never be broken.
BUT my God has a perfect plan.. 10 days into my trip I got the desire to cut my trip short and go home early. I realized that while my presence and time here was great and such a gift for the people there. I realized that what this school really needed... I could not give them while In Africa. The school is in need of many things, I will be doing another blog discussing the needs that they need!
At first I feared that it was an idea brought on by my selfish wants to be home. But after hearing so rough news from home about my Grandfather... I knew it was all apart of Gods plan. 
God does things sometimes that we really don't understand.. and this is one of them! 

From the moment i got home early, God has been working on this big plan and idea! I am so excited to share with you in the future! But first i want to tell you all about this years trip! So continue to check back day, as i recap my trip!! :) 

Holy Spirit Come!

         I can't stop crying, I've been laying in my bed for the last 3 hours unable to breath. If you were to ask me what was wrong, I couldn't tell you. There isn't anything wrong.... Yes i have a few fears, that's to be expected, and they aren't big enough to cry over. Yes I am going to miss my friends and family, but honestly i have gotten all that crying out of my system, and I am ready for this adventure. I am so ready to go, my bags are packed and I am literally counting down the hours until I leave! I am so ready for this experience!
          So why am I cured up in my bed, bawling? I remember the hour before I left the house last year, I crawled up on the couch and just began to cry... just like now I couldn't explain what was happening, I just knew i needed to cry. It lasted all but about 10 minutes, I wiped my eyes, fixed my make up, and walked out the door!
           Could it be the holy spirit, preparing me for what I am about to go through. Could it be the lord, moving in my heart, getting me ready for what he has in store for my life? Yes I believe that is it! If this is just a gimps of what God has in store for me this summer, then i cant wait to write my blog when I get home! :)
4 more days!!

Gods Plans>>>Mine

I have come to realize that Gods plan for our life is so much better then the plan that we have set before us. If you read my first post you know a little bit of my story, and how God took my plans, changed it, and has given me this experience that I would have never believed! But tonight I want to break it down a little deeper and explain that although I am beyond excited about this experience, at the same time... this is the HARDEST thing i have ever had to do!

Tonight I left my best friends house(after having a complete boohoo session) , completely broken before the lord.. asking him why he had brought me to such a hard spot in my life. The answer, because then I wouldn't have been able to give you the amazing blessing you have now. I began to think about what I wanted, and the plans that I had for myself. I wanted to be a student at East Texas Baptist, coming home only once a month because my parents were making me. Out experiencing the world that exist out side of cedar creek lake. Making new friends, meeting guys and being a normal 19 year old girl. Yes when my plans first started changing, I was very bitter. Angry that I wasn't getting what I wanted with my life! But tonight I can honestly say I am beyond thankful that my God is bigger then my plans, and thankful for where he has brought me. 

If I was on my own path, I wouldn't be working at Whatz-Up Family Fun Park, or be taking care of two of the most amazing teenagers in the world everyday after school!. I would have never meet, my Kensi, my Tk, my Twins, my Kailey, my Tim or any of the most amazing new co-workers. I wouldn't be this close to the old staff like Misty, Jordan and Crystal or even Mr. Dan and Dorothy. I wouldn't have the connection I have with my boys that I do! Clayton would just be one of the other workers at Whatz-up. Actually he would be known as the one who took my place. Hahaha But God, God knew what he was doing. He knew that I would need a group of friends to make me laugh every moment of my day, and a supportive best friend who is there for me in every moment of my life. I wouldn't have any of the major blessings I have today! 

They are what makes this trip so hard! Packing up and leaving behind a loving family, a great work staff, and an incredible best friend.... Its going to be hard. But I know God has a plan, and all I can do is trust that! 

Jeremiah 29:11

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

P.S. I love you guys so much! and I miss all of you already! 

The beginning

God has this crazy way of doing things that absolutely blows my mind.

            As humans we like to arrange our own plans right? We set goals and reach for things that we want, make plans to go and do things that WE want to do. Well let me start out my story by telling you this, even though we make these plans, and set these goals we never know what God is doing in the back ground.

God has this crazy way of allowing something to happen at one point in our lives so that later down the road he can allow something else to happen that will either lead to something else happening or just lead to his glory, and lead to him. I am a true believe that this is the way My God works. And I want to take today to brag and give praise to my God by telling you about all the little things that God has done to lead me to this moment right now and the reason for why I am speaking to you today.

1.                               November of 2000 sitting on my bed, with my daddy I asked Jesus to forgive me for my sins and come into my heart. 1 was 5, and in first grade I can remember going to school the next day and wanting to tell everyone in my class what had happened, most just looked at me like “Huh what?” While others where excited for me (even though I don’t know if they really understood what had happened to me) this was the first step God used to put me too where I am today. I honestly believe that God saved me at such a young age for a reason, and allowed me to make such a huge step so early in my life, for the fact that I can relate and know what it’s like to have that childlike faith. I learned from such a young age, how important and easy it is to just trust God with EVERYTHING to not worry, and just give it all to him. For some people it can be hard to learn how to not lean on your own understanding, and whole heartily  trust God.  So I believe that God allowed me to learn all of that at a very young age, because he knew that I would have to trust him in many and HUGE situations in my life.

2.                              I Grew up in church, and I can remember this one specific Sunday morning in Sunday school when my teacher was talking about how God has a plan for our lives and how we are all given a purpose in life I QUOTE looking around the room she would point to different kids “Some our supposed to be Dr's, some are made to me teachers, some are going to be preachers… and as she pointed at me she said.. Some are even supposed to be missionaries” Every time I hear someone call me a missionary, I think about that moment. At that time I didn't think about the fact that I might want to be a missionary, but today I know God allowed that to be a sign that I am really in his will and doing what he has called me to do.

                             Deanna Schelbach. As a 2^nd grader, there was this high school girl that I looked up to, she was everything I wanted to me. She was crazy, she had a tone of friends, she was involved in everything, and most importantly she was so in love with God, you could just see it, and you defiantly couldn't miss it! The summer before her senior year she went to Tanzania Africa with a man from our church. After hearing about her trip I knew I wanted to Go on the same trip as she went on.. Little did I know that when I went on that same trip.. it would change my whole life!

4.                              Growing up through the youth group I was given ,any opportunities for missions. Our youth group went on a mission trip every summer. The summer before my senior year, I went as a senior sponsor with the middle schooler’s to Mission Fuge. One night we were in worship and the pastor starts talking about ministry and God calling you into the ministry.  I cant really explain it, But simple as that God was like “Reba I want you to work for me, let me be your boss” I got up, went to my youth pastor and told him, he looked at me, smiled and said “Its about time”

             I believe God used that Summer to start me on the path to where I was today. I went my whole senior year, excited and looking forward to being a children’s minister.

              Here was the plan 4 years at etbu major in Christian studies and the find a church to minister to.

Simple right! BUT that is most defiantly not what God had planned God then began to put this idea of International teaching in my heart. But again I had no idea what he was talking about! But again God knew what he was doing. 

              Summer of 2012 I loaded up on a plan that took me 10,000 miles away from home, to the country of Tanzania Africa! Day one of my Africa trip, we got the chance to go to the Kingstar School in Kisota, Kingamboni!We drive up to see these sweet faces sitting quietly in these chairs, ready and waiting to see us! My heart jumped with joy!! KIDS!! <3 They then began to preform some songs for us, and to my amazement these young students were singing to us in English! Then the main teacher began to tell us that they are a English teaching school. The school opened in January of 2012 and from day one they have been teaching the boys and girls how to read and speak English! They also at the same time are a Christian school! So they are able to teach them about the love of God! ;) which makes everything that much better! Following her explanation of the school, this sweet little boy got up and read IN ENGLISH a thank you letter! Thanking us for coming! He was only 5 years old and had been coming to the school since the beginning of January! :) It Defiantly touched my heart... BIG TIME!! Then it was our turn, not really knowing the age of children we would be working with, we planned to teach them about God, by making salvation bracelets. Since they were all between the ages of 2-5 it turned into more of a color lesson! What color is this? And the cool thing was, they would respond in English! :)
              Soon after this the rest of my team went to play with the kids outside and I took that time to talk to the head teacher of the school. As we were talking she said a simple phrase that would change my life forever. She said "As a teacher at this school I get to teach them English to give them a better life, and teach them about God to give them a better eternity" It was in that moment I knew what it was that God wanted me to do for the rest of my life!