Whose Will?

Dear Friends, Family, and Neighbors,

God has told me to go to Cape Coast, Ghana, Africa. I will go, not because I am worthy or because I am good enough or smart enough, but because I was told to go. At first, I told God yes, excited and thrilled to be called. But then God started to reveal to me the steps He wanted me to take to prepare for the journey. With each step taken I have struggled, eventually giving in to God’s plan, knowing it is better than mine. It has not been easy for me. Writing all of you is one of those steps. Getting all my shots (about 10 of them) was not easy for me to do. Losing weight is not easy for me to do. Being disciplined enough to read God’s word everyday has not been easy for me to do. Obeying in all the small things God asks of me has not been easy either. Physically doing these things; getting shots, losing weight, reading the bible, writing letters to everyone, are not in themselves difficult things to accomplish. What has been difficult is getting over my own fear, lust, lethargy, and pride, in order to do them.

I have always been afraid. I was afraid of needles all my life, so I avoided them whenever possible. I needed to get all my vaccines up to date as well as get the ones I need for traveling to Africa. I now only have three shots left. I was afraid to let people know that I was going to Africa for God. Now that people know, I am watched more attentively. Everything I say and do is being assessed at a higher level, a higher standard than before. I am now accountable to more than just my church, but to everyone that knows or sees me. But God is my only Judge and the only one I need to be concerned about. If I am offending God, then I am doing wrong. If I am offending you by doing what God has asked me to do, then I should not be ashamed and I should not be discouraged by what you say or do if you are against me. (If I am not following God, reproach me. But even then it is not your place to judge me. Romans 14:4) I need to be only concerned with doing the will of God and everything else will fall into place.

I have always been lustful. I eat food for more reasons than to fill the hunger of my body. Chocolate, cookies, and peanut-butter are delicious and I eat them when I need to cry; allowing them to fill the void that God wants to fill. In choosing to eat healthier and lose weight for God, I have had to give up eating as a comfort for my emotional needs. I cannot hide behind fat. Being fat will not protect me from being raped. I was raped when I was skinny; size has nothing to do with lust. Being fat will not make me disappear. Being fat will not comfort me. Instead, it makes me uncomfortable; unable to wear bathing suits or any clothes in confidence, unable to climb stairs without losing my breath, and unable to feel truly beautiful. As I die to myself, choosing God and health each day, I become God’s woman, His beautiful bride. My mom put it this way, “Virtuous, not voluptuous”.

I have always been lethargic. Those of you that saw me growing up know that I slept hours beyond any reasonable person. I could sleep anywhere, anytime. I slept in the car, in the bathtub, on the floor, in the woods, in a tree, and even at school dances. In the summer while other kids were playing outside, I was sleeping the world away. Sleep was another escape. No one could hurt me if I wasn’t there. Dreams were what I made them and they were a reality that I preferred to have. I didn’t want to see life as it was, so I made my own world and went there instead. When I got depressed, sleep is where I went, not God. So you see now why God asked me to wake up and be with Him in the mornings?

I have always had pride. I felt I could do anything I wanted to and I could do it on my own. I wasn’t going to write letters asking for help. I was going to do this trip to Africa on my own. I went to Greece in 2006 with my Mythology and Humanities classmates. I really learned a lot about myself on that trip (more now than when I was actually there). I also took many photographs. I was going to sell those photos to get all the money I needed for Africa. I was going to do it all on my own. Well, God hasn’t allowed that to work as well as I had planned. I believe I am supposed to still sell them and have all the profit go towards Africa, but I am also supposed to tell you about my life and ask for your help.

No, none of this has been easy. No, I cannot do this on my own. I cannot go to Africa on my own and I cannot prepare for Africa on my own. I need help. I need God’s help every day to wake up and do as he has asked me to do. And I need your help. I need your prayers so I get up when I fall down and so I don’t get dragged away from God’s mission and purpose in my life. I need prayer that I will keep God’s armor on; that I will stay fighting in the battle, fully aware and awake to what I am doing. We are in a battle. This world is dying. We all see this and we are each choosing what we will do with it. I am choosing to see the black hole in my life and I am letting God fill that hole. I want to share this with as many people as I can so they too can see that God can fill the black hole in their lives also, if they would only allow it. Will you fight with me?
Ruth Dombrowsky

P.S. (Read Romans 12) Giving my body as a living sacrifice to God, doing all that God asks me to do, all that is pleasing to Him, is my reasonable service. I do not want to conform to this world, but be transformed by renewing my mind, my attitude, my ideas, for the things that are good and acceptable, that are the perfect will of God. I do not want to see myself as higher than I truly am, but to see myself through God’s eyes; to have a real, true picture of all that I am, that I do. I cannot live and breathe and function alone. I need the rest of my body, my hands, my feet, my lungs, and all parts of me. You are a part of me and I need you. I depend on you. We are a part of each other.

Specific Prayers:
*The money for the trip. $3300 per person (not including my shots)
*The micro clinic being ready and fully supplied when we arrive
*The physical strength and health as we are there traveling on foot
*Everyone having their vaccinations up to date and working in their bodies the way they should be
*For everyone to have the knowledge and discernment of what to pack and bring with them on the trip, what to buy and what to go without
*Each Christian being rooted firmly in God’s truth and ready for what’s ahead
*God’s guidance the whole way and our obedience to him the whole way-now, all the way through the trip, and even after

I will be going to Cape Coast, Ghana, Africa from May 18th, 2008 to June 10th, 2008 with Campus Crusade for Christ with about 30 other Christian students that I have never met before. The first week we will be on a college campus sharing Christ with students and sharing about the ministry of the Holy Spirit with them. The next week we will be in the community taking Health Surveys and letting people know of the availability of the Micro-clinic in their city. We will also share Christ as we do this. The third week, we will join Ghanan students and go into some rural villages to show the Jesus Film. It will be very rustic and we will each have just a backpack with us.

I am very excited about going and I would love to share the experience with you. As a newer member of Bridges International, which is a bible study for international students and is also part of Campus Crusade, I met Frank and Peter, wonderful Ghanan students here on my campus at UW-Stout. God led me to them and then he led me to this trip New Years Eve, while I was at a Christian conference with Campus Crusade in Minneapolis, MN. I am excited about the warm weather, the delicious food, the jungle experience, but most of all, talking to people about Christ and how He has changed my life.

For information on submitting a taxfree donation to Campus Crusade for Christ on behalf of my trip to Africa contact me at song_girl@hotmail.com.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Transition Time

I am back, alive, and glad my computer works. ^_^ I will never complain about a slow computer again. In Africa it takes a few minutes to go from clicking a button and waiting for a page to open and depending on where you sit, your space bar won't work. Yes I am relieved to be home and back in the land of comfort, but I also have been disgusted by what I have available to me. I have been blessed with many things and it is a lie to say that I have nothing. I have so much.
Africa is not what I thought it would be. It wasn't a jungle, but a city, people aren't starving everywhere, and they aren't all depressed and miserable either. People are people no matter where you go. Overall there was more openness, joy, and trust in Africa. But I had a warped vision of what I thought Africa would be and as I got closer to the workers of Jangels Hotel (where we stayed the whole time) I got to get a glimpse of the warped vision Africans had of us Brunies (white people).
There are many things I can tell you about what I have learned and what I have seen, but I think I should first give God the glory for what He has done. He has done many things that I could never record or fully understand and He crushed my heart the whole time I was there, but there are some things I can share that are tangible and won't take too much of your time to read about. (I filled an entire journal during my trip-I'll try to narrow this down as best as I can.)

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Africa day 2

I am in Ghana!!! There are people everywhere, active during the night and day! Woman and men carry baskets and bags on their heads, people are out walking their goats, people cross the roads at any point and the cars stop and let them go through-I thought we were going to run some people over today! It is so different and amazing! Every color is so much more vibrant- the trees are greener, the orange flowers on the trees are a deep orange, the people are so open and so friendly. I was crying today because I have never experienced getting this much attention-it is overwhelming. When we first landed the the plane and crammed like sardines onto our bus (with overloaded luggage on the top of the bus) we got a lot of stares and a lot of people approaching us with their goods to sell. The traffic was stop and go and go and we would be appeoached while we were stopped. I felt like I was put into a discovery magazine.

The food is amazing; rice comes with everything. We've had chicken, fish, coleslaw-their style, some veggies, and their bread. It may sound like American food, but it has more flavor, less sugar. The people are amazingly friendly. I am starting to learn their language, twi, and am enjoying the heat and humidity. It hasn't rained yet-but it will soon.

Today was the first day for us to go on campus here in cape coast. A lot of people accepted Jesus Christ already. These people have been so kind and have so much joy. I am amazed at how dedicated the people here are to everything they do. I am writing as quickly as I can because I am limited on my time. Just the first two days and I am already in-love with these people and this place! I am already being stretched. Gotta go!! Medasi! Goodbye

Sunday, May 18, 2008

As I am leaving in the morning, I wanted you to remember something before I go, something God has reminded me. I am not chosen becasue I am great or worthy, but because I am foolish and it will be obvious that God is working in me, that it is nothing I am doing on my own strength. I do not have the power to save, God does. I do not have the power to heal, God does. I have faith and believing and I love God more than I love myself. (More than I ever have before.) I am a fool and I don't act the way people always expect me to act and I am fine with that. School is not #1 in my life and neither is my family and neither is any man or any other thing that I used to put before God. God is number one. Pray that I am not arrogent, that I don't loose my head, but that it stays firmly attached ot my shoulders. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

I'll be flying tomorrow morning. Goodnight.

Thank you so much!!!!

I must tell you some things. I don't know how available it will be for me to update this blog while I am in Africa and I would like to totally submerge myself into their culture, so you won't hear from me until I get back June 10th.

Almost all my support money came in; just $280 left to raise.
All my shots and pills have been paid for and have been injected into me.
All my bills for June have been paid.
I am now completely moved out of one apartment into another.
A good friend borrowed me a camera and I have a journal with me.
I have good sturdy shoes; leather boots and sandles.
And I have left Menomonie with no regrets. I have asked for forgiveness. I have given my love.

You have all been a blessing to me. Thank you for everything!! Thank you for praying for me, for encouraging me, listening and giving advice. Thank you for rides to local stores, to the hospital, to Minneapolis. Thank you for helping me move my things and for adding supports to my bookshelf. Thank you for financially suppoorting me. Thank you for everything!!! I would not be here in a hotel on my way to Africa without you. You have been believeing with me. Please continue to pray for me and my team. Your prayers are working. Thank you!!!

Friday, May 2, 2008

Crazy Busy

God is Good!! And my life is so crazy right now. I have a lot to share with you, but I need to run right now. I just wanted to let you all know where I am as far as financial support goes. First off, thank you so much for supporting me in your prayers, encouragement and with money. THANK YOU!!!
I have recieved financial help moment by moment- what I mean by that is, bills are due, shots need to be paid for and I have no money right now at all and the very moment I need to pay up, my brothers and sisters in Christ are there for me. You don't even know how much God is using you day to day. Thank you!!! Thank you for being a part of God and a part of me. I love you all and am so blessed to know you and to know I get to spend an eternity with the coolest family in the whole world! Anyway, time is flying. I currently have $950 for the trip. I have had donations go just to me of $580, which helped cover some of the cost of the pills. I have all the pills and shots now (Malaria pills alone are $262! Yikes. And I am waiting on my bill to arrive from my doctors visit for the Yellow Fever Vaccination and the Typhiod. I will let you know the exact breakdown on how much pills cost when I get those from the Health Center Monday.) That's that for now. I gotta run. I'll update you further soon!! My mom is coming this weekend to help me move out of my apartment. I have 2 days to pack everything I own and move it out. Have a blessed weekend, Ruth Dombrowsky