God you make me smile

I have been at this fundraising for my trip since October 2009. That was when I heard that life changing chapel from Kairos. That day I was introduced to the group Royal Servants and the idea of a life time. What if I went on a mission trip? From that day on all my mind could focus on was going on a Mission trip. So I picked the country (of course, i was drawn to the most expensive trip on the list). I wanted to go to Nepal. Then I began the support raising process. That first year I raised $920! Although I wasn't able to go that first summer, I knew I would do what I had to do to go the next summer. Now here I am, $3,580 more than I had (FINISHED!), 41 days away and supplies are nearly finished with getting!

I went to church a week ago and told them I needed $795 left. I think it was Tuesday that my school sent in $250 and on Friday I was given a total of $320 which brought my total down to $200 left to raise. So I went to church today and told them all that my total went from $795 to $107!! That morning, before I made my announcement, a friend gave me a check for $73 and the children's church gave me $20. Then, before I left church, i was given $107!! The rest that I needed! You could say that I was on cloud 9 for the rest of the day :)

So later I had a request from a friend that I should post my packing list on Facebook. So I did. 30 minutes later I got an email (by the way, during that 30 mins I was praising God and also asking Him to let people help by giving things on my list) the email was from a family from church. They were going to provide basically everything on my list (minus clothes!) How amazing and quickly does our God work!! And now I have been told that someone wants to take me clothes shopping! You can say that cloud 9 is in the stars right now :) I don't know how much clothes they can help me get but however much they do give, will be a blessing and I am truly thankful!!!

God has done a might work through all those who are helping me get to Nepal and I am super excited! I can't wait till June 25 when I get on that plane to go to Chicago for Training Camp then on July 7 when we actually start the flight to Nepal :)

PRAISE GOD!

My minute with the Master of Suspense!

Well tonight was an unforgettable night for me! I got to meet none other than the Master of Suspense, Ted Dekker! I got my picture taken with him and my copy of 'The Priest's Graveyard" signed by him. Sorry, this was the best pic that was taken. The man taking pictures didn't get one of either or us looking up. haha anyway. It was great. When he first got there I just happened to look beside me to see who was walking by and it was him!!! I like lost my breath haha. He even took a video of all the fans. Oh and did I mention that I was FIRST in line??? He talked about his book and the justice in it. "Everyone is twisted. I mean, come on! Who wants to be straight?" ~Ted Dekker. That line was the most awkwardly funny line ever! We all laughed it off and then he began his book signing. Oh and when he first got there, I teared up. Yes, I the girl who doesn't cry while watching the sad movie 'Soul Surfer' almost cried because Ted Dekker was standing less than five feet away! So I got to talk to him and I believe I told him I love his books. At least, I hope I told him. I had all this stuff planned out to say and didn't say any of it. Oh well. I am just glad I got to meet him.

Well this was was an answered prayer, how silly it may sound. I prayed for this. A few weeks ago Ted Dekker had this 'Share the Love event' and you could reserve and buy a bundle of buying copies of the Priest's Graveyard and you would get all this stuff for free depending on how many you bought. Well I almost did it. I almost bought 8 copies of the book so I could get a backstage pass to meet Ted Dekker! My heart literally flipped out and I was very close to actually doing it. Well then I began to think about my trip and if I bought all 8 books it would cost a lot of money that I didn't know if I would be getting back for my birthday or not. So in the end I chose to save my money. But in doing that I asked God that I would be able to meet Ted Dekker another time since this was a sacrifice for me. I mean Ted Dekker is my hero and I was ready to spend as much as I needed to meet him. So that was my prayer to God and I left it at that.

Well then last week I saw that he was coming to Atlanta for a public book signing!! I talked to my parents and we had it settled. I was going to meet him. And that was what I did! We got there are 5pm and the signing technically was going to start at 7pm but there was a change of plans and it started at 6pm. We got there at the perfect time and was first in line!

Tonight was amazing and I am so glad I got to meet him. He is my hero and inspiration when I write my stories. I only hope that one day I may have the honor of being as well known as him.

Ted Dekker

Here are some stuff from Ted Dekker about his new book "The Priest's Graveyard" which I am sure to be an AWESOME book!!

Here is a review for the book :

http://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=4648877&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Here is an interview with Ted Dekker himself!!

http://fictionaddict.com/2011/04/11/ted-dekker-interview-4-11-2011/

Open my eyes

I sent this to my team that is going to Nepal and I hope it helps not only them but maybe some of you as well :)

There are a few times in the Bible where men’s eyes were opened to the glory of the Lord. Such was the case in Genesis 21:19, Numbers 22:31, 2 Kings 6:17 and Luke 24:30-31. In the wonderful devotional book “This day with the master” by Dennis F. Kinlaw, he writes a three day devotional called “Opened eyes” (March 3-6). On the first day of the devotional he talks about a missionary friend who had a burden from God to feed thousands of widows and orphans but all he had was the dream to do it. God “opened his eyes” and showed him how to fulfill his calling and this man was able to feed eighteen thousands of widows and orphans each day. At the end of the devotional, Kinlaw says this, “Has God given you a burden? Somewhere there are resources for you to meet that responsibility. You must have his quickening touch on the eyes of your imagination so you can see the resources that are available to you.” Now I read this at a time not too long ago that I was having some real doubts. I knew God called me to go to Nepal but I didn’t know how I could get the money for it. I had people that were not really meaning to but ended up sowing seeds of doubt in my heart and it didn’t feel good to me. After I read this I prayed (every time I remembered) that God would open my eyes to the resources He has planned for my trip. And I promise you, every time I prayed that and truly felt 100% into that prayer, God showed up and had if not one, but multiple people tell me they were going to send money for me. And today, it happened again! I prayed that prayer and I had someone tell me that they (and friends) would be able to give me a minimum of $500 and up to $700!! What makes that even better was that a few months ago they told me they might be able to get me $400 and that number grew to $500-$700!! Can I get an amen?? Haha!! Also today my school told me they would be able to give $200! Once this money gets in, along with three other checks I am expecting to get in soon, I will have over $3,000 for my trip! God is doing so much that I could never have expected back in January 2009!! So I just wanted to share this encouragement with all of you who are still struggling. I know what it is like because last year, that was me. I encourage all of you to pray the prayer and ask God to open your eyes to the resources He has planned for all of our trip! Good luck and God’s speed to you all!

Oh and if you don’t have a daily devotional book, I really think this is an amazing devotional book that is worth taking a look at!

Want to donate?

Here is how you can help me raise $4,495 for my mission trip!

Follow this link :

https://www.egsnetwork.com/gift/gift.php?giftid=987CB98F-8E54-49C1-A741-DB61173F489F

Search for my name (Beka Kopenski) through the box that is after the "designated as:"

And fill in the information!

Amid the silent corpses a baby cried out—and Japan met its tiniest miracle.

On March 14, soldiers from Japan's Self-Defense Forces went door to door in Ishinomaki, a coastal town northeast of Senda, pulling bodies from homes that had been flattened by the earthquake and tsunami. More accustomed to hearing the crunching of rubble and the sloshing of mud than sounds of life, they dismissed the baby's cry as a mistake. Until they heard it again.

They made their way to a pile of debris and carefully removed fragments of wood and slate, shattered glass and rock. And then they saw her: a 4-month-old baby girl in a pink woolen bear suit.

A tidal wave literally swept the baby from her parents' arms when it hit their home on March 11. Afterward, her parents — both of whom survived the disaster — took refuge in their wrecked house, worried that their little girl was dead. Soldiers managed to reunite the baby with her overjoyed father shortly after the rescue.

"Her discovery has put a new energy into the search," a civil defense official told a local news crew. "We will listen, look and dig with even more diligence after this." Ahead of the baby's rescue, officials reported finding at least 2,000 bodies washed up on the shoreline of Miyagi prefecture. How the child survived drowning — or being crushed by fallen trees and houses — remains a mystery.

A mystery? I have a theory...God. Our awesome, mysterious and amazing God who is in control of everything! And I wonder if He has an awesome plan for this precious little baby girl..

I just thought I would share. This is such an awesome story!

The door will shut

In chemistry class we have been watching a musical movie on Noah's ark. I have learned a lot about how things might have been for Noah and his family and how difficult it was to leave everyone behind to die. We just finished the scene where Noah and his family entered the ark and were trying to convince people to join them last minute. But no one new entered and God shut the door blocking them from ever entering the ark.

It reminded me of death. Death is God's way of shutting the door. Noah couldn't reverse and open the door. It was shut. That is what death will be like. The door will shut and no one can change their lives.

We have one life to live. Our life is our once chance to live for God. Once we die, there is no going back and opening the door.