The Road Ahead

I'll probably regret this tomorrow, but I figured since I couldn't go to sleep I'd work on the blog.  Tonight was our first night of work at home in preparing to go to Spain.  We hand wrote notes to friends that we haven't seen in years and stuffed the first 40 newsletters.  It was fun and exciting to actually begin work on the journey.  For many friends or family we are the first missionaries you know that are going with an organization that requires the missionary to raise their financial support, so I thought I'd take today's post to explain what the road ahead will hold.

Prayer Support
We will begin to create a prayer support team.  We are asking people to commit to pray regularly for us, both while we are here in the states preparing to go to Spain and then after we arrive in Spain.  SEND requires us to have a prayer team with a minimum of 30 members.  Believing that prayer will be our lifeline, we are praying for a prayer team that is much greater than 30 members.

Monthly Financial Support
Our monthly expenses - which include so much more than a salary (housing, kid's schooling, insurance, retirement, self employment tax, ministry supplies, travel expenses, ....) must be committed.  SEND will calculate a monthly requirement that takes into account exchange rates and inflation over the next 5 years (the length of our first term).  We will have to be at 100% committed support before we can leave for Spain.

Outgoing Financial Support
There are many onetime expenses to get the Hunter family to the field - VISAs, training, language school, airplane tickets, freight, immunizations, apartment and utility deposits, vehicle, and more.  The financial wizards at SEND will calculate a final estimate of what they expect this total to be.  Before we can leave for Spain we will have to have received this amount in donations.  Monthly commitments that are received before we leave for Spain will be added to this account.

Personal
We will have to go through all our personal belongings.  Beginning with the house, we will sell things that are not sentimental and have value, give away things to Goodwill, and store other things at Scott's and my parents house.  Anybody interested in helping with this task, let me know - I will have coffee and chocolate ready and will be working on this task every Friday.  We will all have health evaluations that need to be completed, beginning with Scott's physical tomorrow.  We will have legal work to do, including new Wills, Power of Attorneys, and more.  We have to be 100% debt free before we can leave so don't look for me at the store.  There is so much more to do that I can't even think of all that is ahead of us.

So How Do we Do It?
Over the next months we will use every free moment we have to accomplish all these tasks while continuing with our full time jobs as spouses, parents, and employees.  We will be writing and sending out newsletters and prayer letters, sharing with churches the need in Spain, meeting with Christian owned businesses, meeting one on one with those who want more information, and taking every opportunity we can to talk about the need in Spain (watch later this week - I'll share the need in Spain here).  Our television may get a little dusty because our evenings are going to be filled with going through boxes or stuffing envelopes. 

We are praying that we reach our financial and personal goals in time to be on the field in January, 2011.  This is a God size goal (SEND said the average time is 18 months), but we believe this is what God has told us to work towards.  We will diligently do our part and then trust that God is in control. 

Would you like to be a part?

• Pray with us regarding the whole journey ahead of us
• Send us an email that you would like to be a part of our prayer team
• Send us an email that you would like to receive our newsletter
• Pray about becoming a part of our financial support team and send us an email asking how to get involved
• We would love to share with your church, Bible Study group, small group, business,.... Send us an email so that we can set it up
• Join me on Fridays as I work through boxes that were once in the attic that are now in the garage - especially if you love consignment sales - I have boxes and bags full of clothes - I can only imagine how much is actually out there

The leg of the journey is only beginning, but I can't wait to see what God in store for us!

Email address:  scott.cindy.hunter@gmail.com