I know what you are thinking.
“Memorization is hard. I can barely memorize one Bible verse; there is no possible way I can memorize 9 pages of that Connecting with God booklet! These Royal Servant people must be crazy.”
Future Royal Servant Let me tell you something: You’re right... at least two-thirds right. We are a touch crazy and memory work can be difficult. However, when it comes to your ability to memorize, you’re wrong. Dead wrong. The Hamilton soundtrack that you sing cover to cover in the shower each morning proves you wrong.
You see, we memorize that which is valuable to us. It may not always be easy or natural, but it is absolutely possible. And when it comes to the Gospel, nothing is more valuable or crucial. David understood this when he wrote, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
”We at Royal Servants don’t just believe memorizing Scripture is a nice idea if you have spare time, our Father commands us all to do it! Proverbs 7:2 says, “Guard my words as your most precious possession. Write them down and keep them deep within your heart
.”This summer you will spend a significant amount of time reading God’s Word, taking it in, and committing quite a few verses to memory. While this may seem daunting, I think you might be surprised by what you can accomplish with discipline and accountability.
Understand that we are intentional about everything we do. Having you memorize Join the Story is not just an exercise for the sake of an exercise. The JTS booklet is a valuable tool that will equip you to share your faith confidently; the verses you memorize will not only impact you this summer, but for the rest of your life.
So how do you begin?
Start now.
Set manageable goals - maybe working on one page each day.
Ask someone to hold you accountable to your objective.
Prioritize it. Memorization means sacrifice.
We believe in you! And we truly believe if you commit to your memory work, you will not regret it.
FORMS DUE!
Congratulations, we have booked the International Airfare! Next step, forms. Most of the forms that we sent you in your Prep Packet are due May 18th (that is next week). Make sure to look through the material you were sent to be sure you don't miss a thing; especially the Reference Sheet. Be careful to read through the forms and instructions carefully. Anything filled out incorrectly will be returned to you. If you have questions about any of the forms, please contact us and we'll be happy to help!
ManagedMissions - Checking your support & forms
By now you have been sent an invitation email to ManagedMissions.com (it was sent to the main email address you gave on your registration. Check your spam folder if you haven't seen it). ManagedMissions.com is the online financial reporting site that we use to let you know who has donated to you. The Finance Department will upload your support donations 2-3 times each week. This is not an automatic process. If you donate online today, you may not see it in your account for 2-3 business days. Once you log into your account you will be able to see the complete cost of the mission trip, who has sent a gift, and calculate how much is still needed to be raised. You will also be able to download donor information so thank you notes can be sent. If you need the invite email resent to access your ManagedMissions.com account, just let me know!
In the "Tasks" tab you will see a list of forms that we need. Please note, at this time of year we are getting a TON of forms in all at once. It takes us a few days to get the task marked complete once we receive the form. So please, once put your forms in the mail, give at least 10 days before calling to see if we received your form. If you are missing any of the forms we are requesting, you can download them from the MyMissionTrip page of the website, or email me and I'll send it to you again.
Packing Tips Here's my tip of the week. Fiber pills/drink mix/bars: Occasional constipation is very normal with the diet and climate changes that can happen on a mission trip. If you are prone to constipation (maybe even if you aren't), we suggest packing some fiber supplements. It's an easy and gentle way to keep your body working the right way! They're not just for old people. ;)
Missed a PreSummer Letter? No worries, click here to read all the ones you've missed.
If you have any questions about Royal Servants please email me at mandrus@reignministries.org. If you haven't already completed your Biography & Belief Questionnaire, please do that as soon as possible.