Update on where we are with Fundraising

Update on where we are at with pledges: As of current we need approximately $700 more pledged a month for us to book plane tickets and set a date. We would need this by the end of the week to make our goal of leaving by the end of November. Sometimes that number sounds small other days it’s a large wall with no entry. We thank you so much for all the prayers and words of encouragement we receive so much of.
Next week we will put out another financial report of our donations.
If you would like to give go to www.wycliffeassociates.org/links/donatenow. Put any part of the name (Janowiak or Mark and Leah) into the search box to pull up our name and click search. Enter your gift amount and click on the Add to Gift Cart button. Next click on the Continue to Check Out button on upper right. You will have the ability to set up the amount, date, frequency, and method of giving.

Pain and Pride

It’s safe to say in the last 2 weeks I have discovered Mark and I are getting older. My back pain has been slowing me down. It can feel crippling; pain of sin of pride is just like that. Pride outside of God is dependent on self performance, or others view of us; most of the time the latter. My back has been reminding me of pride. I think it's easy to struggle with because it's so very sneaky. You don’t know that there is a problem sometimes until it causes you pain. The whole process of going to Africa has caused me often to feel vulnerable and exposed. I too often wonder what others think of our trip and what we say. I am often hurt by other insensitive comments or judgments. Then the opposite problem occurs compliments and positive feedback never seems to cure the hungry of my pride. Only when I hand myself to Jesus, allow Him to tell me who I am does my pride seem to lessen control on my feelings. I think the pain is a reminder of when we need to adjust our thinking or behaviors to align it with Him.

Info on Cameroon

Here is some basic info that Wycliffe gave us on Cameroon:
SERVING IN CAMEROON
The Land and Its People
Cameroon is located in Western Africa along the Atlantic coast just above the equator. It covers an area slightly larger than California. The climate varies with terrain, from tropical along the coast to semiarid and hot in the north. Cameroon is often called "Africa in miniature" because of its geological and cultural diversity. Natural features include beaches, deserts, mountains, rainforests, and savannas. The highest point is on Mt. Cameroon, a 13,435-foot, active volcano.More than half of Cameroon’s population of almost 19 million lives in urban areas. About 40 percent of the people are Christian. The rest follow other religions or indigenous beliefs.
Official languages are English and French, but there are 24 major African language groupsin Cameroon.Cameroon enjoys relatively high political and social stability. It also has a more prosperous economy than most of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa, exporting raw materials such as oil and timber, as well as abundant agricultural products including coffee, cotton and cocoa.

Bible Translation Needs
The stability in Cameroon makes it an ideal location to support and prepare translators and translation teams for work among the many language groups of West Africa. One example of that support is the Cameroon Rain Forest International School (RFIS), which was founded in 1991 to help meet the educational needs of missionary families. In the beginning, the school served 19 students. Now there are about 125 children attending, and the school building, which was to be a temporary facility, is bursting at the seams and needs some serious improvements.
Wycliffe Associates volunteers are constructing a new facility for the children of our translators. This new facility is desperately needed to ensure that the children receive a quality education in a safe environment while allowing parents to focus on their translation projects, which can take 10 to 20 years to complete. Are you interested in volunteer work overseas? If so, you can help make this happen!

THINGS TO CONSIDER
Considerations When Traveling to Cameroon
Things to Remember When Choosing Items to Bring
Cameroon has rainy and dry seasons, and both can be extreme. The weather may be unpredictable in some parts of the country. You should bring boots and an umbrella and/or rain gear, especially if visiting during the wet season. A rugged flashlight is also important. Bring good sunscreen and a cool hat with a brim for protection from the tropical sun. If you bring a digital camera, bring sufficient storage for your photos, and consider a method to back up your data in case something happens to the camera. Electrical current in Cameroon is 220-240 volt and 50Hz.

Some reading for the day

"But in fact, our images of God are rather different from reality. We are finite being, and God is infinitely greater than any thoughts we can contain about divine reality in our wondrous but tiny minds. We are sinful beings, and God is different from what we conceive in our selfishness and pride. Finite and self-centered as we are, we often forget God's warning through the prophet Isaiah; "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thought than your thoughts" (55:9) When we forget that, we unwittingly reduce God's ways to our ways and thoughts to our thoughts. Our hearts become factories of idols in which we fashion and refashion God to fit our needs and desires." -Free of Charge by Miroslav Volf pg 22.

Walls Between Us and Cameroon

Leah and I have been reading Joshua for our joint devotionals in the past week. If you recall towards the beginning of Joshua we have the story of God leading the people of Israel around the city of Jericho and the walls coming down on the 7th day. After the Lord brings Jericho to the Israelites he requests one thing: burn all the stuff that are idols and items other than gold and silver. Instead a couple Israelites bring back "other stuff" and soon after we see the People of Israel fail to overtake the city of Ai. What is God showing his people in this story. What I see God doing is asking a simple question of the heart: do you trust he can provide EVERYTHING that you need? God had for 40 years provided Manna and now he completely brought Jericho's walls around the city down. God desires us and asks that we love and follow him with our whole being.

Also, in this story is that when you are in God's plan and if you walk with God he will provide and help you through to till his plan is fulfilled. Over these 9 months God opened the door for us to go to Cameroon and even if currently there are walls around our goal for being in Cameroon we know that as we continue to follow God we will in his perfect timing take us to Cameroon. I have faith and trust as I read this story and others through out the Bible that I know God will provide for Leah and I. Since September I have felt God was going to really open the doors financially and has so we are able to go to Cameroon. We are currently just below 65% of our monthly support and we trust that God is working on people's hearts to partner with us in prayer and financial (as they are able) support. I have never before felt the presence of being prayed for as I have since September.

Peace and Joy in Christ
Mark

Failing daily?

(Older post that wasn't posted)
Have you ever asked for God's presense, not to speak, but to just be near to God. I'm talking about peace, hope and love of God. I am noticing how when it all comes down to it, I don't really long for answers in my life now, I just long for the peace and presense of Jesus. What I hungery and thrist for more than anything is for miricles or impossible (Which God does this) but just to be with Jesus. I just feel beat down most days it seems. Most of which stems for feeling of failure. God used the day I got immunizations to just bathe me in a reality check. MOST PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY ARE FAILING. So i have just been praying for Gods love to bathe me in His presense and love.

Here is your reminder: Most everyone feels like they are failing, got uses them and blesses them still!

Status on where we are

In hoping to be as transparent as possible through our fundraising process below you will find our current financial status.

Pre Trip Costs: $3,400 (depending on cost of plane tickets)
Pre Trip Projected Raised: $3,266 (Based on current monthly donations)
Pre Trip Still Needed: $134

Monthly Support Costs: $2,200
Monthly Support Pledged: $1,265.5
Monthly Support Needed: $934.50

As you see we are still looking for more people to begin support before we can purchase plane tickets and visas and all together still looking for 29 people to support us or pledge $30 a month and we will be fully supported. Our goal is still to be fully funded by October and leave for Cameroon in November. If you’re able to support with less than $30 per month that is perfectly fine, we have just been using $30 per month as measuring unit. As a reminder, Wycliffe needs to see a couple of months before we leave to near our support goal so we can purchase our flight tickets and visas. If you prefer to begin supporting us once we leave for Cameroon please reach out to mrjanowiak@gmail.com or gracebyfaith@aim.com so we know what is being pledged and how often you plan on pledging that amount as we are unable to leave until our support is pledged or monthly amounts are coming in.