First of all, I want to thank you for following this blog. It's going to be a long, bumpy road filled with adventure, but it will all be well worth it!
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Amy Daugherty. I'm one of the ten members of the South Africa Mission Trip team departing for South Africa in a little more than 24 hours from the moment I'm writing this.
Wow, what a surreal thought. I have to admit, though, I don't think it has truly sunk into my mind yet. It all seems to be happening so fast, but I know God has everything completely under control.
Tomorrow (Thursday the 23rd) we'll leave the church around 4:00pm, board a 17-hour flight to Johannesburg where we'll stay overnight, then catch another plane the next day to George, where we will meet up with our hosts, Pete and Fran Laughren. We will stay in George until Sunday afternoon, then we will travel by van to Graaf-Reinet to another host house, where we will be helping out with Vacation Bible School for the remainder of the week. As the blogger of this trip, I will gladly keep you, our followers, updated as the events take place. Hopefully I'll even be able to update every day with stories of our adventure!
For our first real entry to this blog, I felt that I should introduce you to each member of our amazing team. I know that every member of this team has been chosen by God to make this trip, and God has already done so much to bless each and every one of us. So here's a short introduction from every member of the team.
Stefanie Broom
My name is Stefanie Broom and I am the leader of this Short Term Mission trip to South Africa. I went on a trip to South Africa five years ago to help Pete & Fran lead a VBS. Pete & Fran are the missionaries that are in South Africa. I am very excited about the opportunity that God has given me to lead a trip this year. I have been praying for this trip for 8 months now. I know that God is going to do an awesome work in South Africa. I know that God has knit this team together. God has also helped us raise $30,000 in three months! How awesome is that! This will be my 6th mission trip out of the country. Thank you for your prayers and support. We hope to make a difference in the lives of many children in South Africa!!Wanda Brewer
I have been at McDonough Christian Church for a little over 6 years now. I am a singer on the worship team, in the choir, and I am on the Creative Arts Team. For the last 6 months I have been Co-leading worship during the search for a new worship minister and have served on the search comittee for the new leader. I was told about the trip to South Africa last November and I prayed really hard about it. This was not necessarily a trip that thrilled me. The long plane ride is not something that I wanted to do. However, God continued to encourage me to go. I prayed that if He wanted me to make this journey that he would provide because I could not afford it on my own. Immediately the funds began to pour in. I was able to raise the full amount very quickly and it left no doubt in my mind that God wants me to go on this trip. I am very excited about the possibilities. I wait with anticipation to see what God wants me to learn and how He will use me on this trip. I have already learned that if you pray that God will use you, He will open up the doors like floodgates. Thanks to everyone for their prayers and support. I can't wait to share everything that God does in South Africa.Sandy Johnston
I am married and have 3 adult boys and 8 beautiful grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. I have spent my entire adult life working in a social work field with children and their families. I have always had a passion and enjoy being around children. Since I was a teenager, I have wanted to go on a mission trip. I have used lots of excuses over the last 30 plus years not to go, but when this opportunity presented itself, I knew God was calling me to go. I am very excited and appreciative to join Pete and Fran and my mission team from MCC to meet and work with the children inSouth Africa
I am married and have 3 adult boys and 8 beautiful grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. I have spent my entire adult life working in a social work field with children and their families. I have always had a passion and enjoy being around children. Since I was a teenager, I have wanted to go on a mission trip. I have used lots of excuses over the last 30 plus years not to go, but when this opportunity presented itself, I knew God was calling me to go. I am very excited and appreciative to join Pete and Fran and my mission team from MCC to meet and work with the children in
Ashlyn Zook
I’m Ashlyn Zook, 14 years old and the third of four children in our family. I have been actively attending MCC since I was five years old. Over the past nine years, I have been involved in the children’s and youth programs, and have served in the children’s and drama ministries. I also served on a previous two week mission trip with my family to the country of Panama in 2003. During my free time, I like to play soccer and volleyball, but, most of all, I enjoy photography. I feel like God was telling me to go on this mission trip when a lot of things I saw and many people I talked to, said something about Africa. I knew it meant something when no one else around noticed its meaning. I am excited about seeing the kids at the VBS and being able to serve the Lord in another country.
I’m Ashlyn Zook, 14 years old and the third of four children in our family. I have been actively attending MCC since I was five years old. Over the past nine years, I have been involved in the children’s and youth programs, and have served in the children’s and drama ministries. I also served on a previous two week mission trip with my family to the country of Panama in 2003. During my free time, I like to play soccer and volleyball, but, most of all, I enjoy photography. I feel like God was telling me to go on this mission trip when a lot of things I saw and many people I talked to, said something about Africa. I knew it meant something when no one else around noticed its meaning. I am excited about seeing the kids at the VBS and being able to serve the Lord in another country.
Toju Mikie
My name is Toju Mikie. I am 16 years old and have a 12 year old brother, Temi. I like to play soccer. I have been attending McDonough Christian Church for about 2 years & 1 month now. This trip to South Africa will be my first mission trip. I want God to help me to make the right choices in South Africa. It is a blessing to be able to go on this mission trip. Thank you all for your support and prayers.
Elizabeth Mikie
My name is Elizabeth Mikie. I have been married for 18 years with two lovely boys, 16 and 12 years old. I just received my license as a Registered Nurse about a month ago. I have been attending MCC for 2 years with my interesting family. This trip to South Africa will be my first mission trip, same with my oldest son, Toju Mikie. I am very excited and I thank God for this privilege and opportunity of going on my first mission trip. It has been my prayer and desire to be used by God always, as his instrument in every way he chooses to use me for his glory. I know it will be awesome, because God has already amazed us as individual and as a group throughout the preparation for this trip. Thank you very much for all your prayers and support, and I can't wait to see God's hands throughout!!!
Andy Daugherty
I am a husband, father, and church leader. My wife Terri and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this year. We have two children, Amy and Matthew. The whole family is going on this mission to South Africa. I am also a church leader. I teach a Bible study for adults on Sunday mornings, co-lead a small group on Wednesday nights and am an elder at McDonough Christian Church. I work for Equifax as a technical instructor. For leisure, I enjoy jogging, hiking, and volleyball. I am passionate about my Lord, my family and my church. I also enjoys writing and leading informal Bible studies. I have felt a calling to go on a short-term mission trip for some time now but the timing has not seemed right with other demands. The timing of this trip, along with our relationship with the Laughren’s, made this mission a good fit. I am very excited to see what the Lord will do through us as the team from MCC serves alongside the Laughren’s in South Africa.
Terri Daugherty
I’m Terri. I’ve lived in Georgia my whole life. This is my 2nd trip to South Africa and I’m very excited to get to go with my family this time. I’m a very outgoing person who is passionate about the things I love which are: Jesus, my family, working with youth and kids at church, music and Disney. I love Disney so much, I am currently training to become a travel agent who specializes in Disney! I love to sing, mostly with kids which is what I’m doing in South Africa. I get to share the love of Christ in a way that brings me joy – which is my favorite fruit of the spirit. I’ve been married 25 happy years (as of yesterday) to Andy. I can’t wait to see what God will do through us with Pete and Fran!
Matthew Daugherty
My name is Matthew, but you can call me Matt. I love the Lord, and I try to follow His guidance with all that I do. In my spare time I like to work with electronics. I make lasers, sub-woofers and a few other things out of broken electronics. I also do a lot of things with electronics such as the sound and video system in my church, and many other things. The only sport I play is airsoft, which is similar to paintball. I plan on being a youth minister when I'm older and possibly join the military also. I'm excited to go to South Africa to have fun with the kids and teach them about God. Plus I'm excited about hanging out with Denzil Laughren again and catching up.
I’m Terri. I’ve lived in Georgia my whole life. This is my 2nd trip to South Africa and I’m very excited to get to go with my family this time. I’m a very outgoing person who is passionate about the things I love which are: Jesus, my family, working with youth and kids at church, music and Disney. I love Disney so much, I am currently training to become a travel agent who specializes in Disney! I love to sing, mostly with kids which is what I’m doing in South Africa. I get to share the love of Christ in a way that brings me joy – which is my favorite fruit of the spirit. I’ve been married 25 happy years (as of yesterday) to Andy. I can’t wait to see what God will do through us with Pete and Fran!
Matthew Daugherty
My name is Matthew, but you can call me Matt. I love the Lord, and I try to follow His guidance with all that I do. In my spare time I like to work with electronics. I make lasers, sub-woofers and a few other things out of broken electronics. I also do a lot of things with electronics such as the sound and video system in my church, and many other things. The only sport I play is airsoft, which is similar to paintball. I plan on being a youth minister when I'm older and possibly join the military also. I'm excited to go to South Africa to have fun with the kids and teach them about God. Plus I'm excited about hanging out with Denzil Laughren again and catching up.
And finally, my name is Amy Daugherty. I'm a 20-year-old junior at Georgia State University, working on my major in Psychology. I've been attending MCC for nine years now with my amazing family, and am deeply involved in both the student and children's ministries there. This trip to South Africa will be my second mission trip, but my first time on an international trip, so I am very excited and nervous all at the same time! Leaving the U.S. for two whole weeks with limited communication with my friends and boyfriend of 3 years will definitely push me out of my comfort zone, but I'm excited to see what God is going to do while we're there. Thank you so much for your prayers and support, and I can't wait to begin this adventure!
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