[Latin Dancing Meets Kenya]

"The Zumba® program fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves to create a one-of-a-kind fitness program that will blow you away. Our goal is simple: We want you to want to work out, to love working out, to get hooked. Zumba® Fanatics achieve long-term benefits while experiencing an absolute blast in one exciting hour of calorie-burning, body-energizing, awe-inspiring movements meant to engage and captivate for life!"

Wanna exercise and help Open Door Ministries at the same time? Come to Zumba! Lynn Nagel, a local fitness instructor, will be teaching a Zumba class every Saturday at 9AM at Harvest Baptist Church. It is opened to anyone who wants to get their groove on [Note: No rhythm stills is required!] The class itself is free, but we will be accepting donations that will go directly to Open Door Ministries and its future ministry in east Africa!

Harvest Baptist Church is located at 1301 Navajo Tr. in Wapakoneta, OH 45895. Again, it is every Saturday at 9AM. Feel free to join us once or every Saturday!

[ Waiting ...some more! ]

Patience is definitely something that I have never been well at. I am glad that the Lord is helping me work on this by having me wait a little bit longer on the next step in this journey. For me, it has been over a year when I began my search for a mission organization that will allow me to teach in Nairobi, Kenya. Not many, if any, mission organizations go to Nairobi to work in the slums for EDUCATION. Without a doubt I want to teach in Nairobi and I have 110 percent faith that the Lord knows how to get me there! :) When the time is right, He will open the door for me.

Currently, I have a full doors creaking open and am led to sit and be patient. I am awaiting to hear from a few places still. With the holidays it adds more waiting time. But again, I have faith that God knows what He is doing! After all, HE IS THE ONE WHO MADE ME!

Thank you for your continuing support and prayer. I hope to have some official news very soon. I always say that, but this time I am serious! It is time!

In Christ,
melissa a. brown

EMAIL: melissa.a.brown@live.com

[ my heart ]

My heart beats to Africa.

Not a day goes by that I do not think of the children of Africa.

I pray everyday that a mission organization will accept me so that I can teacher in Nairobi, Kenya. I truly believe that God will lead me to the correct mission and to the correct school. My heart's desire is to share God's word and to teach children. And I know it is God's too!

Please be praying as I hope to find a mission so that I can began teaching in July of 2010 overseas! This is what Open Door Ministries is: my personal vision God has given me to teach in a school in Africa!

May God have all the glory!

[ Prayer ]

As the year draws closer to an end and a new year is beginning, my heart burns more and more as the day becomes closer when I can finally be back home. Home, that is, Africa. I am still awaiting to hear from a few different mission organizations on acceptance to their mission. In addition, I have also been speaking with quite a few schools directly in Nairobi, Kenya. I have been received very very well from these schools. I know that I will not have a problem finding a position in a school, it is the mission organization acceptance that I am currently waiting on.

What does a mission organization do? Well, that is a good question! Basically the mission organization holds onto your money while over seas, making sure it is in a safe place. In addition, they do the paperwork for your visa/work permit, airplane tickets, and international health insurance. The paperwork is quite tedious, so it is much easier for a mission organization to take care of that. In addition, they contact the schools and host families for you. Usually mission organizations take between 10 to 14 percent of all of your funds for the cost of paperwork and organizing. This does seem like a big percentage, but when it comes down to it, they are saving time for missionaries so that they can do more field work.
This is a big deal to make sure that I pick the correct one.
Without a doubt, I have full faith in God that He will direct me to the right place to begin this wonderful vision He has set upon my heart. I pray constantly that His Will shall be done and not my own. Please be in prayer with me for God's direction in my life and God's direction in yours as well!

Thank you for your ongoing prayers!

In Christ,
melissa a brown

It's All You Can Eat!

A small group (Sommer's Wheat Group) from Harvest Baptist Church and KAH Meats of Wapakoneta put together a fantastic fundraisor through flipping pancakes and cooking sausage! This spectacular group of people got up early to make pancakes and sausage to support Open Door Ministries (raising money so that I can teach in a school in Africa!). (right: Mike Sommers)

It was a wonderful turnout and there was at least a couple hundred people who came out to support me and God's future ministry in east Africa. It was quite overwhelming to watch crowds come walking through the door who were willing to donate time and money to further God's kingdom.

Not only were there people from this small group, but a variety of other volunteers from the church who came early to help set up tables and chairs. It was remarkable! It truly touched my heart to see others join with me as part of this team. In the end, we are all taking part of God's purpose through serving! (Below: Sommer's Wheat Group)


With help the help of all these amazing volunteers, members of Harvest Baptist Church, and the Wapak community, they raised over $1500! I sincerly felt like my knees were going to give when we added up the grand total. I want to personally thank everyone who came out to support me and God's vision! You all are truly a blessing and I assure you that you will be blessed in return for blessing others!

MAY ALL THE HONOUR AND GLORY GO TO OUR GREAT GOD!

[ journey entry ]

Below is a journal entry from my last trip to Africa. This entry was the day after my birthday.

August 2, 2009

Last night we went to "African Footprints" for my birthday and it was completely amazing. The people on staged portrayed their culture through upbeat dancing and singing. It was purely fantastic. It helped me not forget how truly beautiful this country is. And made me realize how at home I feel here. The girls I went with started singing the birthday song to me on the way out of the theatre and before you knew it the whole crowd was singing happy birthday. It was one of the best birthdays EVER. Coming back to our cottage seemed so normal, and so homely. I am so glad that God has blessed me with a heart for this continent. Its exactly where I want and am suppose to be. I am total denial that I will be going back to the States this month. I really want to stay longer...

[ the feeling ]

I was awaken with a smile on my face today as the dream the night before began to slowly permeate my mind. And my heart quickly became warm with joy. My dream took place in Africa, in my classroom. The children were gone for the day except for a few who were reading with each other. It was the end of the first day of school and I was calling my mother to let her know I was fine (mothers are always uneasy, especially when you are thousands of miles away!). Even though nothing major happened in the dream, the feeling was beyond comparable. The feeling of being home, of having a heart that is whole and complete, was something that I could never describe. An immense joy and peace was in my heart and soul.

I am and will be forever grateful for the calling that the Lord has given me to Africa. I pray that you as well have a feeling inside your heart that is incomparable to anything, because of the calling He has given you. And if you do not know God's calling yet, be patient! He will give this to you at the right timing. As Dori says in 'Finding Nemo' "Just keeping swimming...just keep swimming..."

When it comes to finding an organization, my life is up in the air in that direction. I do believe God is telling me that same thing I am telling you, "Just be patient!" He has opened a few more doors when it comes to finding the right mission organization to go with, but I believe He wants me to wait. I am not sure why, but I will just do it and not ask questions! All I know, God has an amazing plan for me JUST like He has an amazing plan for you! :) Never forget that!

[ the search begins ]

As summer comes to an end, the school year begins! Trying to find the time for fundraisors is quite difficult in between full-time graduate classes, student teaching, and substitute teaching for a few extra dollars. Thankfully, a few more people seem to be interested in Open Door Ministries and God's journey He is taking me on in the future so the hard work pays off!

Harvest Baptist Church's Jr. Church hosted a "Penny Challenge" in which each grade level from preschool to fourth grade competed to see who could bring in the most change. The fourth graders wiped out all the other grades by hundreds of dollars! The Jr. church brought in a grand total of $763.62! Boy, what a NUMBER. I about fell over when I read the grand total. Thank you Jr. Church for your hard work and dedication. (left: 4th grader Victoria)

In addition to the Penny Challenge, Harvest Baptist has been collecting pop cans over the past month. Pepsi cans, Mountain Dew cans, Sunkist cans, I receieved them all of every kind! The church collected over 35 bags of pop cans! Thank you Harvest Baptist for your donation! When the aluminum prices go up, I hope to turn them in! As I become more knowledgeable in support raising, I am learning that every penny counts!

As the year comes close to its end, I am becoming more and more nervous on making sure I find an actual place to go! Without a doubt I know the Lord is leading me to Nairobi, Kenya for my beginning ministry work as a missionary. So the search for applying to christian organizations that help cover missionaries. There are hundreds, even thousands of organizations that missionaries can apply to. These organizations usually take care of airplane tickets, health insurance, financial organization, and placement direction. Although, missionaries themselves could manage to do all this themselves but it is an immense amount of work and time. And time is of the essence! Please pray for me in my search for the correct organization. Currently, I have narrowed it down to a few. I hope to have this accomplished by the end of the year.

Thank you again for all of your prayer and support as the Lord molds my vision into His vision. May all the glory go to our Great God!