Packing to go

Why have I not been writing more frequently?

For the last few months I have been packing in my spare time.

Because the packing piles are piling up!

Why don't I have time to update you anymore?

The day before we started yardsale my South African Visa arrived- Hooray!

Because I have had yard sale from sun-up to sun-down the last two weeks.

The yard sale crew being silly and all dressed up with yard sale items after the first week.
We were very tired!

When will I be leaving for South Africa?

My dad building the shipping crates.

 My flight to South Africa leaves on June 12th

(only 11 days left)!

This guy was trying to crawl into my shipping crates
(sorry, but I had to kill him).

 Satan, like this snake has reared his ugly head during this busy time of packing, paperwork, 

and all of the "last" events I get to do with family and friends before I leave. 

 Everyday we draw on God's power to get everything accomplished.

Shipping containers and packing stuff.

Now I have to figure out how to get all of this-

- into these!

Long-awaited Update

Dear Friends,
I am sure you have wondered if I have fallen off the face of the earth.  No, that has not happened.  Everyday seems to come and pass by so quickly filled with preparation for my departure.  We are still waiting to see that my South African VISA has been approved.  After that, my plane tickets need to be purchased.  So I have been overcome with packing, sorting (what goes to the mission field, what stays in the USA and what goes to the "Super Huge Yard Sale" this week and next).  On weekends I have been driving about 5-14 hours away for meetings.  Then I come home and work from early till late.  I cannot seem to get ahead, the work just continues to pile up.  I am however, resting in God's faithfulness and promises.  We are still planning for me to leave for the mission field on June 12th.  Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer for me. Our God's is faithful and always on time!
 Please continue to pray for: 1) my VISA paperwork to come through, 2) the needed $150 per month of support (to bring my support level to 100%),  3) me to have wisdom, strength & rest, 4) traveling safety, 5) for the Yard Sale to bring in some of the money for extra expenses.
Hopefully, very soon, I will be able to blog about some of the meetings that I have been to and what the Lord has been doing in my life.  For now, this is all I have time for.


In His Service,
Gina Frey

Traveling On My Knees

Last week someone gave me this poem:

     As I started my journey last weekend toward my next meeting, I thought about the church ladies I was going to see.  Over 2 years ago, I went to thier church to share my burden for South Africa.  

2 yrs. ago at Race Street Baptist Church

lunch with the ladies (2010)

     They all warmly received me.  After sharing what the Lord has asked me to do in South Africa, they also grew a burden of thier own.  That burden was to encourage and pray for this missionary to get to her mission field.  While reading that wonderful poem, these dear ladies come to mind. 
     Over the past 2 years I have received a multitude of letters from each of them.  They have told me of the prayers that they have prayed for me and the blessings they see as I do what God has asked me to do.  

lunch with the ladies last weekend (2012)

   As I spent time with them last weekend, I noticed that their sweet spirits have not changed.  Some things did change, however.  One of the ladies who wrote more frequently had been in an accident and her mind is not as sharp as it used to be.  I also noticed that more ladies have joined the group.  Each had love for the Lord and their own set of

burdens for others to be saved.

     It was such a delight to share my ministry again with their church, but also to fellowship once more with those dear ladies before I leave for the mission field. I know that they will be "traveling on their knees" on behalf of the Zulus in South Africa & me!

A Promise & Blessings

For over a month now one of my dear friends from a church in MD

 has been asking me to come back to visit her church before I leave for the mission field. 

 Her and "the girls" (what I call them) wanted us to all get a chance to spend some time together. 

 Last weekend, I did not have a scheduled meeting,

 so I attended their church (one of my supporting churches).

As I headed out to visit my praying supporters at Hunt Valley Baptist Church in MD, 

I rounded a corner and saw a beautiful rainbow.

God placed that in the sky for each of us that day.

How does God speak to you through a rainbow?

Rainbows always remind me of God's promises.

I asked the Lord, as I drove, "Lord, what promise can I claim from You today?"

The promise that He brought to me was -

Matthew 28:20
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

"I am with you always"...

What a promise!

He is always with me,

as I make phone calls,

schedule meetings,

drive long distances,

make important, life changing decisions,

choose what to leave behind when packing for the mission field,

and today,

as I drove yet another distance

to attend a church pastored by my old youth pastor,

 attended by dear old friends and new ones...

What promises would He fulfill in my life today?

In my mind, I was going to update my praying friends 

on how my support was coming along,

get to catch up on how my friends are doing,

 and of course spend some quality time with "the Girls".

God had a better plan!

As soon as I got out of the car in the church parking lot, a dear little boy came running to me all excited, because he was getting baptized.

That is exciting!

I was blessed to be able to see, not only him, but 6 others baptized that day!

In the lobby, I found some dear friends to chat with.

Like me, they too were excited that I will be leaving soon for South Africa.

HVBC Missions Wall

One of my favorite young ladies was so excited to see me.

She asked how I was and chatted away to me 

(I believe God will use her in missions one day).

She informed me that they were having a special day in the bus ministry 

and she could not talk long because her mother needed her help.

To make a long story a little shorter,

I ended up helping a little with their bus ministry.

They were doing special breakfast treats for their special program

 and needed help pouring the juice.

What a blessing to have so many kids in one place!

I guess I feel more at home with the children 

and long for my new ministry among the Zulu kids in South Africa.

A great challenge was given from God's Word.

I think 4 kids responded to the invitation.

While my head was bowed, a hand reached up and tapped me on the shoulder,

"Would you come and talk with one of these girls?"

Would I ???  Of course!!!!

I had the priviledge to lead a young lady named Mackenzie to the Lord!

God's promise to be with me was true!

I don't know about you, but whenever I go through the Scriptures, 

while leading a child to Christ,

 I am always praying on the inside- "Lord, please help them 

to understand Your Word and to believe in their heart".

You know, Mackenzie was just so ready.  

She had been coming on the bus for a while now and knew she needed to be saved.

No, she does not understand everything in the Bible,

but she had the faith of a little child (Mt. 18:2-5; 19:13,14).

After Sunday School, I quickly went upstairs 

(a little late because of talking with Mackenzie).

I was blessed to sit in a pew with a new family

 (at least new since I had been there 2 yrs. ago).

It was great to hear Pastor Bottrell preach again and to be in a growing church.

the "Girls" at our picnic lunch

For lunch, "the Girls" and I went out to Oregon Ridge Park

for a picnic lunch.

We had a delicious spread, lots of laughs and blessed fellowship.

They are truly my "sisters".  I love the times we spend together!

Me & "the Girls"

It is always a delight to serve the Lord.

These ladies are also faithful servants at their church.

I guess that is why we like to spend time together, because we have alot in common!

The full outcome of my day was truly unexpected, but I saw the Lord work 

and His promises fulfilled.

Pappy's Bible

Pappy Frey's Bible

While visiting with my Great Uncle John & Aunt Floss, 

I was able to see and read my Great Grandpa Frey's Bible (who we lovingly call "Pappy Frey").

On the inside of his Bible he wrote this:

Uncle John told me that Pappy Frey and Mammy 

were saved at a special service at the local church.

Mammy was saved at morning service and Pappy was saved in the evening.

What an exciting day that was for our family!

The date is easy to remember because it is the day before my birthday (not the year though).

From now on I will always remember that my Great Grandparents

 were saved on February 17th.

Pappy, Mammy & some of the kids 

What were the events that led up to them accepting Christ as their own personal Saviour?

My Aunt Floss told me that Pappy Frey was known as the town drunk.

He also did some work in his garage and had some very bad pictures posted on his walls.

At that time, Mammy and Pappy had two children - Roy (my grandfather) and Hazel.

All the kids- Roy and Hazel are the two oldest (on the right)

My other Great Uncle, Paul (who we call "Amos") told my dad the other day about the events

 that led up to Pappy Frey attending that church service where he got saved.

He said that Pappy was passed-out drunk in a ditch somewhere,

 when a friend of the family came along and found him.

This dear friend took Pappy home with him and sobered him up.

 When Pappy was sober, he invited him to come with him the next day to the special church service.

He made Pappy promise that he would come with him.

The next day, Pappy's friend came to pick up Pappy for service.

Pappy was not ready and said that he did not remember promising him that he would come.

Mammy and the kids went to church with their family friend and as you read in the entry from Pappy's Bible,

 Mammy was saved that morning.

When that friend came along to pick them up for church service that night, Pappy went along.

That evening, Pappy accepted Christ as his personal Saviour.

My Great Grandpa, "Pappy Frey"

As a Christian, Pappy Frey was differant than before.

The town drunk, no longer lived in that community.

Pappy tore down all of the bad posters on his garage wall. 

One of my Great Uncles told me that he put up pictures of great Christians instead 

(like Spurgeon and R.A. Torrey).

After salvation, Mammy and Pappy Frey gave thier children

 Bible names like: David, Samuel, John, and Martha.

The old man had passed and the new man was alive in Christ.

Pappy Frey working on oil burners

Pappy was a hard worker.

He taught his children to work hard, obey God's Word, and be kind to others.

One of his sons told me that he would come downstairs early in the morning 

and find Pappy on his knees in prayer.  

Many times the children would hear thier names being uttered in prayer.  

Pappy and Mammy prayed for thier children. 

 Many times the boys would come back in from the morning milking

 to find thier father still on his knees in prayer.

Mammy did her part in raising the kids to honor the Lord.  

Aunt Floss told me that she remembers coming to dinner while she was dating John.  

Mammy would have each of the kids recite a memory verse before they could eat thier dinner. 

My Great Uncle John is a pastor.  

He said that most of the Scripture that he has committed to memory

 is from his childhood, because of Mammy.

Below are some of the notes that I found while paging through my Great Grandpa's Bible:

Was he thinking of the wretched life he used to live, before he found Christ?

I am thankful to God for the godly heritage I have because of Pappy Frey.

I believe he would be proud of his sons and daughters as they serve the Lord in thier homes, 

at thier jobs, churches, and some even in ministry.

I can't wait to get to Heaven to talk to him about the people that God

 has led me to minister to in South Africa.  

I believe he would be proud!

Reading Pappy Frey's Bible

On Sunday morning, before going to church with Great Uncle John & Aunt Floss, I did my personal devotions out of Pappy Frey's Bible.  What a treat!

My Bible with Pappy's Bible

Pappy's Bible contained a story. 

His story started on the first page with his and Mammy's date of salvation.

God's Word contains the same story for each of us.

The story of God who loved us so much that He sent His Only Son to die for our sin.

The Bible shows each of us how we can be a new man, with old things passed away.

A heritage of faith can be passed down to our children,

 grand children, and great grand children.

The story of salvation can be shared by a loving family friend, 

who desires for others to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

This story of God's love, is the same story that I will take to the Zulus in South Africa.

What a story!

Travel Journal: March 17 & 18, 2012

SATURDAY: This morning I did my usual morning walk and then left Michigan to drive toward home.  At one point during my journey home the GPS kept saying "Bridge to Canada 1 mile".  I was getting a little concerned when hardly anyone else was driving on the highway with me except those with Canadian license plates.  If you didn't already know this, my GPS has taken me to some odd places in my travels.  Most of the time it is very useful and I am thankful for how helpful it is, but that day I was getting a little concerned that it might take me to the border and I didn't have my passport with me.  Needless to say, it did not take me to Canada, Whew!!!!   

Driving was not too bad on Saturday morning.  After I got halfway to my destination, I stopped at a Rest Area to stretch my legs and to get a little work done.  After a few phone calls, it was very clear that the Lord's will was not for me to go to my original destination for Sunday service.  After talking to my dad a while, he reminded me that his Uncle John and Aunt Floss (my great aunt & uncle) were living in Sharpsville, PA, right on the edge of the OH/PA line.  I called them and asked about coming to attend the church that Uncle John was preaching at (my Great Uncle John has pastored some very productive churches and is now interum pastor at a small Baptist church in the area).  They invited me to stay the night with them.

What a blessed time we had of catching up 

and of sharing all that the Lord has been doing in our lives.

I am just so blessed to have family who love God and are serving them with their whole heart.
In a later post I will share with you some of those blessings, but for now I just want to catch you up on my Sunday meeting.

Pastor & Mrs. Frey

SUNDAY: Today, I was given the Sunday School hour at my Great Uncle's church.  The people were so receptive as I showed my DVD and shared testimony about all that the Lord is doing.  I know there will be people who support prayerfully and financially from this church.

My Great Uncle is an excellent preacher 

and my Great Aunt is just a joy to be around.  

The Lord has given her a true love for people.  

She is like a breath of fresh air!

I will tell you more about them later and about who this Bible belongs to 

(look for it in my next post).

After a delicious lunch and Great Aunt Floss's Raspberry Pie - YUM!!!  I was off to another church for evening service.  My plan was to stop at a church in Bedford, PA on the way toward home.  My parents often go to Bedford to visit Antique shops and Flea Markets and are always telling me to visit some of the churches in that area.  Since it is almost a 4 hour drive I had not yet been able to do that, but this time had a chance since I was heading right through.  

I visited a friendly church, where the ladies just made me feel like I was part of their family.  The pastor asked me to stand and give a testimony and to tell who I am and where I am going.

I left feeling loved and blessed.  The Pastor's message was kind of a conclusion of this whole trip.  He preached about how one of the benefits of being saved is the believers around you.  God has certainly used His people to encourage, support, and bless me!

 Ps 68:19 

"Blessed be the Lord, 

who daily loadeth us with benefits, 

even the God of our salvation. Selah."

Travel Journal: March 15 & 16, 2012 - Sterling Heights, Michigan

On these days I will be atending a Missions Conference 

at Covenant Baptist Church in Sterling Heights, Michigan.  

THURSDAY:  Tonight, I had dinner with the pastor, my hostess, an other missionaries to the conference.
After Dinner, we went to the church for coffee, cookies, & fellowship with the church people.  
After fellowship, service started.  I gave my mission presentation with a great interest from the people.
The church ladies made each of the missionaries a sewing kit and gave us a bag full of goodies.  What a blessing!  They very carefully chose what to put in the bag.  It contained gift cards for gas, food, and supplies.  Other necessities were included like: bottled water, hand sanitizer, tissues, stationary, gum, mints, and- DUCT TAPE!  I know, if you are a true Red Neck, you are cheering!  Duct tape comes in handy for EVERYTHING!  How thoughtful!!!

Janice was a great host!

After service and my whole stay, I had some great times with the widow lady I was staying with.  She truly made me feel at home.  I was again reminded about how God cares for His people.  When I thanked her, she said to me, "I am just obeying God".  She was right.  God tells us in the Bible that it is our responsibility to care for God's people.  I was certainly well cared for.


FRIDAY: This morning, I worked more on some of my VISA paperwork, correspondence & of course walked around the neighborhood.  After lunch, the pastor's wife, Donna, invited me over to stamp.  If you know me, you know how much I love rubber stamping.  If you didn't know that, you can check out some of my stuff on my craft blog- http://willingworkinghands.blogspot.com/

Donna & I in her stamp room

As we stamped, she shared how the Lord has used this hobby to help her through the failing health and finally the death of her father.  She also uses stamping as a way to get to know her church ladies better.  They come over and help make cards for the missionaries (which is what we did while I was there).  I know that I am hoping to use stamping in my ministry among the young ladies in South Africa.  We had a wonderful time!

Service on Friday night was very good!  The messages I have been able to hear were very challenging and encouraging.  Tonight, I said goodbye & thank you to everyone.  
Tomorrow, I move on!