This is Why I'm Going

You guys all know how much I love a certain East Asia country and how Danny, Noah and I have served there together the past two summers. My life has not been the same since that first trip. God is teaching me a lot about Himself through missions and I am eager to keep learning. Most of you also know how I dream of taking the whole family to serve in the orphanage. Don’t worry, I’m not about to ask you to fund that trip. That will be another year! ☺

What I want to tell you is that I have been invited back this spring for a different kind of trip. I will go through North Point Ministries’ Globalx Missions with 5 other women to focus on prayer and intercession. Please take a minute to read about the details of this trip and what your involvement would mean.

Our first stop will be the city and orphanage you helped send me to the last two summers. We will connect with the believers who spend their lives loving the forgotten. We will be praying and looking into God’s Word with the staff. We will pray over the children and facilities. We will pray through the streets and community. Why are we doing this? These “underground” believers are our brothers and sisters in Christ. NP/GlobalX supports them financially. We want to encourage them personally and learn how we can serve them as we strive to support them spiritually as well.

Our next stop will be to an area still feeling the effects of a natural disaster. We have partners here who are helping to rebuild lives. We will connect with student and community ministries to help plan prayer and discipleship strategies for the upcoming school year. One great aspect of this portion of the trip is that, upon our return, we will be sharing what we learn with our church and student ministries in the States. The goal is to connect believers on different continents through an ongoing prayer movement.

There are two very important reasons I am asking you to support this trip with your dollars and prayers. Two of the women on our team spent six years serving in missions in other countries. They tell me how vital it was to have people support them by taking time out of their lives to come all the way across the world to serve and encourage them. Can you imagine being tired and lonely and wondering if your work is bearing any fruit? If anyone back home remembers where you are? I know it would make a difference to me if people came to pray for me, listen to me, love me. I want to play a small part in showing believers in EA that people in America love and care about them and their work in that country.

The other reason I am asking for your involvement is because of the power in prayer. There is something very real that takes place in the spiritual realm when we physically step into the country for which we are praying. Prayer is such a mystery. It shakes loose strongholds in dark places like nothing else can. When I have been to E. Asia in the past and seen with my own eyes the work being done, clasped hands in prayer with people whose words I cannot decipher but whose heart I understand, God’s power is alive and active. Prayer is that “thing” that connects us. My eyes are opened, my heart is stirred by what stirs the heart of God. I am moved with passion for people I’ve just met. Together we pray differently and strive to see God’s Kingdom advanced. It’s the coolest thing! Don’t you want to go with me??? Please pray about giving to what God is doing in this part of the world. Your involvement is such an important part of this trip!


Here are some details:
*Travel dates are April 1st through April 11th.
*The trip itinerary covers three cities in EA that I will gladly tell you about in person. As you are probably aware, it is a restricted area so I cannot list those destinations here.
*I need raise $3,200 to cover 10 nights and 7 flights.
*You can mail a check to me written to North Point Ministries and write EA Connection Cindy Stephens in the FOR space.
* You can give here. When giving on-line, please choose the East Asia Connection Trip 4/1 – 4/11. There will be a place for you to type in my name.

I will keep you updated with photos and names of our team members and our prayer needs on the trip. Thank you so much for taking time to read this letter and consider being a part of this mission.