I'm asking for your help...

Hello friends! As most of you know, I'm going to Central Asia this summer. I'm on a team with some pretty amazing women and our plan as of now is to work in an orphanage over there. I cannot wait to see how God will use this experience to further His Kingdom, but I know He has a plan.

In order to participate in this amazing opportunity, I need to raise just under $3,000. Half of this money is due by February 11th. I'm asking you all to partner with me on this. It is true, I need major amounts of financial support, but more than that we need prayer support. So, here are some (of the many) ways you can pray for my team and I even before we leave for Central Asia...

1. That our team will remember to keep God in our foremost thoughts as we prepare for this project.

2. That God will bring our team together and give us strength.

3. That we are reminded daily to be flexible as plans change.

4. That the hearts of those in Central Asia will be softened and prepared to hear what we have to share about God's love for the world.

5. That we will be kept safe in our preparations and our travel.

If you would like to donate financially to my team, you can follow the link below and donate through CBU's secure server. Under category for the donation, select International Service Projects (ISP) and then in the comments section, type in "Central Asia: Orphans B - Jessica Tracy."

Donation link... https://dlq4.donatelinq.net/qv10/Donation.aspx?MerchantID=calbaptist

Thank you all so much!

The Beginning of a New Year

I love starting a new year because it brings a sort of fresh start. And while most people resolve to "lose weight" or "exercise more" (which are important, but are also things people never stick to) I decided to think of things about myself I want to work on personality-wise.

1. Don't be lazy! So many things encompass this, including laying off the snooze button on my alarm... just get up the first time it goes off. This also fits into not being such a big baby and waking up 20 minutes earlier so I can spend time in the Word to start my day off right. Laziness is one of my biggest flaws and is the root of my second resolution.

2. Stay on top of things! I say this every semester. I won't wait until the last minute to read or study... Yeah, yeah, yeah. Same old story. But this semester I'm trying some new things in order to keep myself organized and on-track school-wise. So, hopefully they work!

3. Sarcasm... let's take some time apart! I'm a sarcastic person. End of story. But, when people can't tell that you're kidding or you accidentally offend someone you know you've gone too far. And while I don't think I'm offending people on a daily basis, I could stand to be more kind and genuine on a daily basis. So, I'm on a sarcasm-light diet as of now.

4. Stay positive! Believe it or not, I'm generally a pessimist and no one wants those people around. So, we're gonna work on not complaining about things that quite frankly don't matter. Along with being positive, the whole "slow-to-speak" thing is generally a foreign concept to me. So, I'm going to be more intentional in my conversations and how fast I speak my mind.

5. Be bold! This is the one I'm most excited and terrified to work on. I am not shy by any means, but just like anyone else, I love my comfort zone. But, I know I've become too comfortable there. So, this year, I'm stepping out of the little cozy bubble I've placed myself in. I'm going to have conversations I, in the past, have been too nervous to have. I'm going to be more intentional and not be afraid to bring up my faith in everyday conversations. And I'm going to Central Asia, which I know will help me step out of my comfort zone.

I cannot wait to see what happens in 2011. I know God has big plans in-store and I get butterflies just thinking about it. :)