Broken and Trusting

Lately all conversations within my household have been focused on the ebola threat in Uganda. My mom's kind of freaking out, which I can kind of understand with the whole "mom" thing and all. ;) But this whole epidemic has only spurred my love and desire to go to Uganda. Which really doesn't make much sense, people are dying due to an unknown disease with no cure..great LET'S GO! haha My first reaction was that isn't this when they would need our help more than ever?

My heart aches for Uganda, and I can't explain it. This beautiful country and their beautiful people have gone through pain that I cannot even begin to imagine. So much brokeness. So much hurt. They were finally on the mend, and now this? I know that they have had ebola threats in the past, but it just seems like one more thing they have to deal with. I don't understand what God is doing, but I know that He is good.

Whether I remain in the states or cross the Atlantic I trust that God will use me in Africa, if I'm praying at home or playing soccer with Ugandans He will use me. I've been asking God to grow my faith..I guess this is Him doing that? Anyways, through all of this my heart will sing no other name. :) God is SO good!

His Daughter,

Hannah Renee'

Uganda Update

Just thought I would give everyone the update on my Uganda trip. :)

~A lot of people have been asking about the Ebola threat (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19048998) I have not heard from AIM as to whether or not this will effect our trip to Uganda..so in the mean time I will continue to fundraise and prepare. Please be praying for the health and safety of all those in Uganda.

~Right now I have currently fundraised $4,020.55 meaning I have $1,429.45 to go.

**I have two weeks left to fundraise (August 13th deadline)..if you are going to send in any checks please do so ASAP (they take about two weeks to process)! Online donations need to be made 3 days before the deadline so they have time to process as well.

~Fundraising: Right now I'm selling tshirts through fundthenation. They are $15 apiece, sizes S-XXL. Let me know ASAP if you would like one:) P.S. Shirts need to be bought through me.

30 Days

30 Days.

Thirty days until I leave for training camp in Atlanta. Thirty days until my adventure begins. In honor of this momentous occasion I thought I'd come up with thirty interesting facts about the lovely country of Uganda. :)

1) There are 4 main ethnic groups in Uganda: The Bantu, The Nilotics, The NiloHamitics, and The Hamites.

2) Independence Day is October 9th. (1962)

3) It is twice the size of Pennsylvania..slightly smaller than Oregon.

4) Boda-bodas (small mopeds) are the most commontransportation.

5) Matoke (steamed bananas) is a popular dish.

6) Agriculture is the most common job.

7) Most who live there eat two meals a day:lunch and supper.

8) Queen Elizabeth (National Park) is known for its warthogs and hippos mowing the lawn at Mweya Lodge.

9) Gorilla tracking serves as a fun past time, but you need a permit first. ;)

10) Landlocked (completely surrounded by land).

11) Olio-tia means "How are you?".

12) Capital: Kampala.

13) Flag consists of six black, yellow, and red stripeswith a grey crowned crane in the center.

14) Is a male dominant society.

15) Is a world class rafting destination.

16) Each tribe has their own music & dance for most occasions.

17) Waragi (banana gin) is the national drink.

18) National Anthem: Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty!

19) Mzungu means "European/foreigner".

20) Life expectancy: 54.

21) Have hot summers & mild winters.

22) Religions: Roman Catholic 41.9%, Protestant 42%, Muslim 12.1%, other 3.1%, none 0.9%.

23) Coffee is the major export crop.

24) Klear Kut is one of their popular musical groups.

25) Tropical climate.

26) Grow crops such as coffee, tea, banana, mango, maze, groundnut, casava, soya, sweet potato, cabbage, onion, rice, etc.

27) 14 million of the country's 30 million people are under the age of 15.

28) Government Type: Republic.

29) Currency is Ugandan shilling.

30) Is called the "Pearl of Africa".

Last Minute God

Most of you know that I have been working like crazy trying to bring in the needed funds for my mission trip to Uganda. Over the last few weeks God has blown my mind and performed miracles, through friends and family over $3,000 has come in. So I thought that I'd share about how amazing our Lord truly is. :)

I had one week to make the $2,000 deadline, and I had only $100 in my account. Let's just say I was a little stressed considering my letters were sent only seven days ago. I knew that if God wanted me to go to Africa He would get me there, but I didn't understand what exactly He was doing, why He was waiting until the last minute. Throughout the week I received about $300, which was amazing, but I was also still $1,700 short. I received a message from my cousin throughout all of this chaos, and his encouragement was exactly what I needed. "Money is nothing for Him! He is all powerful. Just rest in Him. He will do the rest. He is a last minute God. It grows our faith." So one day prior to the deadline I fasted and texted, emailed, and called everyone I could think of begging for prayers. It really doesn't make a lot of sense, but I could literally feel the prayers and through it the faith to know our God never fails. Over the next few hours through family members and some bonds I received as a child the deadline was met. What a blessing! I was so unbelievably relieved..until I got a message from AIM saying I couldn't be for sure guaranteed a ticket unless I could manage to get another $700-800 by the end of the weekend. Oh boy, Iwas so upset! I had just been relieved from this huge stress and now it was back! Throughout the weekend I received $200 which I was extremely grateful for, but I still had $700 to go. My mom said she could put in about $100, but it still wouldn't be enough. Sooo I decided to open my Bible and let the Lord do a little talking. I stumbled upon a little notecard that I had written a verse on from the previous summer (from Kingslove), the original plan was to give it to somebody but for some reason I felt the Lord telling me to hold on to it..I guess it was for this very moment. On the card was Isaiah 26:8, and I know it sounds so cliche' but it was exactly what I needed to hear.

Isaiah 26:8 "Lord, we show our trust in You by obeying Your laws; our heart's desire is to glorify Your name."

I went on to read the rest of Isaiah 26, which felt like God was literally speaking to me, so..amazing. This is now a chapter I will read everyday. :) Anyways after reading that I knew without a doubt that the Lord would provide if it was in His will. So I decided not to tell anybody, because I knew my God would come through and in the end be glorified. The next day I received a phone call from an old friend in Washington asking if his online donation for $500 had come through. I almost dropped the phone, especially considering I had never mentioned anything to him. God was so so good!!! My mom put in another $100 and I got to my deadline, actually I went over by $50. Throughout this past two weeks God has completely blown my mind with His love and faithfulness. What an amazing King we serve! Considering I haven't even left America yet and God has been working wonders now I'm SO pumped to see what all He has in store for me and my team in Africa!!! Right now I have $3,525, meaning I have $1,925 left to raise but I know that God will provide without a doubt. Our God is such a good God, and I'm so blessed to call Him my king.

His Daughter,

Hannah Renee'

Across The Pond

My heart has always belonged to Uganda. Most don't understand how I can have such a deep love for a country and its people without ever stepping foot within its boundaries, but God has always caused me to have such passion for other cultures. Lately He has grown my heart for the United Kingdom. I have always been fascinated with European culture, being that that is where my ancestors are from. But lately my desire to learn and hopefully even move to the UK has sky-rocketed.

~A Few Facts About The UK ~

-Made up of four countries. (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)

-Population is over 60 million

-An Englishmen drinks more tea than any person of any other nation

-Is an extremely diverse nation.

-Is the birthplace of Newton, Shakespeare, Darwin, and the Beatles.

-"The Tear Fund Survey in 2007 revealed 53% call themselves Christian but only 7% are actually practicing Christians." (OM International)

-Manchester United is the world's richest football (soccer) club.

-Currently, alcohol and drug abuse are extremely big issues there.

I'm not sure where God is going to lead me, but in the mean time I'm going to allow the Lord to grow my heart for Him and His beautiful people. I am so excited to see how He moves me and my heart for missions this coming fall in Africa.

His Daughter,

Hannah Renee'

With All My Heart

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

Proverbs 3:5 is one of those verses that almost everyone seems too know, and yet trusting with everything in us is just too difficult. It's weird, because I have seen God provide for my needs all my life. I've even seen Him perform miracles. He has NEVER failed me, and yet, I still sometimes doubt that He will come through. The last few weeks God has definitely been teaching me about the importance of trust. By July 13th I have to have $2,000 in my account for Adventures In Missions. I currently have $455.00. But thankfully my God is much bigger than dollar signs, and I HAVE to trust with all my heart that if He wants me serving in Uganda this fall that He will provide the funds without a doubt. So I cry out that He is holy and worthy of being glorified whether the money comes in or not, and I trust with everything I've got that He has me right where He wants me.

The bridge in Desert Song by Brooke Ligertwood really describes where I long for my heart to be, that no matter where God takes me (Uganda or right here in Cleveland) I will still worship Him and trust in Him with all my heart purely because He is my God.

All of my life in every season

You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

His Daughter,

Hannah Renee'

Mission Trip Letter

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope this letter finds you well! I wanted to share some exciting things that are occurring in my life. Three years ago I was able to learn about the country Uganda through an organization called Invisible Children, and since then God has given me such a deep love and passion for this beautiful country and those who live there. I am so excited to share that the Lord has called me to missions, and upon my recent graduation from Strongsville High School I made the decision to serve as a missionary overseas before attending college!

I will be serving as a missionary through an organization, Adventures in Missions, in their Passport program. Passport is AIM’s college-age program where individuals learn how to serve God’s kingdom and become secure in who they are in Christ. From August 29th to December 19^th I will be serving in Uganda, where I will be assisting in children’s ministries, HIV/AIDS education, hospital and prison ministries, as well as many other opportunities. 

I am so grateful for this opportunity that God has given me, and I have every confidence that He will provide for my needs! I am writing to ask if you would consider partnering prayerfully and financially with me in my ministry. I must raise $5,500 in order to go on the Passport Mission which covers my flight from Atlanta to Uganda and all my expenses on the field. In order for me to go on the trip a minimum payment of $2,000 is due by July 13^th and the rest is due by August 13^th. Please be praying that the Lord provides and that His will be done. 

I am inviting you to share in this ministry, which you may do this by donating online. In order to do so first go to http://adventures.org/, just click “Mission Trip Participants” under the “Donate” tab at the top of the page. Next to “Choose Program” click The Passport and next to “Participant Full Name” type Hannah Apelt.

I am so excited to see how this coming fall God grows me and uses me in the lives of others for His glory. My prayer is to not only be a blessing to those I serve, but also to you. I would be honored to go as your representative to bring Jesus Christ to the country of Uganda. I would also like to thank you in advance for your prayers and financial support. May God bless you as you prayerfully consider supporting me.

Joyfully,

Hannah R Apelt

To Donate Online: http://www.adventures.org/give/donate.asp?giveto=partFund

For AIM's Donation Policies: http://www.adventures.org/policies/policies.pdf