And so it begins.

Hello friends, family, supporters, and brothers and sisters in Christ!

This past month has been quite eventful. Of course, I've been preparing for my trip to Jamaica, but also finishing college applications and handling school at PCC. Through all of it I'm so thankful for God's faithfulness. This was especially seen in the fundraising for this trip. Together, we raised more than $3700; the excess funds will support YMI and the missionaries it sends. Thank you!

As of this writing, I'm on a plane to Orlando, where I'll meet with my whole team as we prepare and launch the trip. We'll be heading to Jamaica on Sunday, departing at about 10 am Pacific time. It's preparation, not vacation. :)

Here's how you can pray for me:

There are nine people on the team: the leaders (a married couple), myself, and six others. Those six others happen to all be girls, which is going to make for a unique experience. I love meeting new people, but I'm very introverted, so long periods of time with people that I don't know, especially girls, can be draining. You can pray that I will get to know my teammates which will make the week more manageable, and also that I will maintain strength and sanity while being the only guy (besides the leader).

Here's how you can pray for the team:

As I mentioned in a previous post, our team is coming from many parts of the U.S., and we need unity, which is only possible through Christ. Pray that we will work together, amplifying each other's strengths and exercising humility in our actions. Pray that we will always be ready to do what our team leaders and the missionary need while being living representatives of 24/7 Jesus.

I won't be able to post here for the next week, but if you want updates you can go to http://www.missiondifferently.com/stories

I appreciate all of you and am excited to see God work mightily!

John Micah

{be real, be ready}

Hurdles are for Jumping

Psalms 121:1 says: "I lift my eyes to the mountains– where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." That couldn't be truer; my help does come from the Lord. It comes from Him through the Bible. It comes through friends. It comes through teachers, mentors, and pastors. It comes through every blessing He gives. And especially, His help comes through my important, loving, and good-looking supporters.

I want to first say that my trip cost is more than expected. This is because the plane tickets from Portland to Florida and from Florida to Jamaica were more expensive than anticipated. (The cost is $2752, for the curious.) This may sound like another hurdle to clear, but I think it's another way for God to show his omnipotence. I say that because my beautiful supporters have raised just over 100% of my trip cost. Through God's power we've raised $2770. I'm so overjoyed and in awe of what's been done, and so I want to say thank you!

My trip leader explained Phillipians 3:12-14 when we met in November for a training weekend. That passage states how we are not to hold on to past successes or failures, but instead keep straining on to the goal of Christ. I still have many hurdles to clear, from forms and prepatory assignments to personal responsibilities like school, work, and my role in the youth group. Another hurdle yet to be cleared involves my friend Emily Myhre. While I have reached 100% of funds raised, she is still trying to raise funds. If you haven't and were planning to support me, you can perhaps support her and help her reach 100% support raised.

Once again thank you, and may God Bless you!

Your friend,
John Micah

Behold, Blessings!

Hi friends! The last weeks of school have been both exhausting and exhilarating! I have seen God's blessings in a real and marvelous way, in addition to seeing the generosity of my family's friends. Out of the $2500 goal, an amazing $1800 has been raised. Wow! That's a lot! That leaves $700 to be raised, and I am trusting God for support.

Over and over and out, friends!

The road to Jamaica

Hi friend!

Guess what? I'm going to Jamaica next Spring! I need your help to get there. No, not just your money, but your support.  This is a huge leap for me, since I've never gone overseas. I'm going to Jamaica with YMI (http://www.ymimissions.org/), an organization that focuses on training youth to follow Acts 1:8 and live that out in their lives. I can't wait to go, and I'd love to tell you more about it! 

To get a formal letter via snail-mail, email me your address at johnmicah.vinkemulder@gmail.com (I'll only use it for this) or hit me up with any questions! I'll also be updating this blog with little snippets of my journey, so check back here or give me your email so I can notify you when I make an update.