Well, it finally happened.

This is Scott writing.  Someone from my work heard our latest episode on "The Journey" on "A Place Missionaries Call Home."  We knew it was going to happen eventually and we trusted that God would handle whatever came out of it.  We decided not to initially share what was happening in our lives regarding our mission call with my employer.  I really do need to retain my job and one just never knows what the reaction will be when you tell your employer you are thinking of leaving at some point, no matter how far in the future that might be.

I committed to God that I would never lie about what was going on in our lives so when this Christian brother asked me today "What's your wifes name?  Is it Cindy?" I knew what was going on and I fessed up to him.  He was very understanding about what is going on in our lives.  He asked what the process was like and I explained about Send Int., the selection process and how we are now in the process of raising our funding.  He understood what that was all about and told me about the missionaries that his church supports.

I thank God for his faithfullness and protection in all things.  It doesn't matter how big or how small, he is looking out for us.  He guards our steps as long as we remain in his will.

An Encounter from the Past

God most definitely has a sense of humor! 

For those of you who know me, know that exercise does not rank in the top 1000 things I enjoy to do.  Couch potato is an excellent description of me and if it weren't for the 30 pounds I'd like to lose and the fact that I am afraid I won't have a car when we get to Spain and thus need to build up some walking endurance, i wouldn't be doing it now.  But, I gave Scott a gym membership for Christmas and then joined myself too.  I then decided a personal trainer was what I really needed.  So, I took all my Christmas money and bought 12 sessions.  And then God intervened!

I have a fabulous trainer.  She is soft spoken and encouraging, yet pushes me to do more than I would without her.  I have learned a lot.  If the saying "no pain no gain" is accurate, then I should be gaining a good deal (and not weight).  I am trying to figure out my finances to keep her for a little while longer - I really enjoy my sessions with her.

Through the weeks I have learned that she "doesn't do that church thing."  Isn't that just like God?  I hired  a trainer for the sole purpose of preparing to go to the mission field and he put it right in my lap.  Needless to say, there have been some interesting conversations.  Pray for me as I continue to live out my faith both in actions and words to my "captivated" audience.

But, that wasn't enough for God.  This past week a girl came up and started talking to my trainer.  My trainer tried to cut the conversation short so that it wasn't occurring during my paid time.  But I recognized the voice, but not the person.  As I continued to do exercises she kept talking and I kept trying to place who it was.  Finally she said to me, "you don't recognize me do you?  you have a daughter don't you?  about 15 or 16?  and an older son?  can't remember how old he would be?  yo had several miscarriages too, didn't you?"  By now I am beginning to feel like I have had a 20 year stalker and didn't even know it.  Then she said, "remember, we participated in Comfort at Women's Hospital together 16+ years ago?"

Comfort is a support group for families, although almost totally attended by women, who have had a pregnancy loss.  I attended and then later served as a counselor for the group around the time Hannah was conceived and then born.  She kept chatting and my trainer shared that I was at the gym to build endurance because I was moving to Spain to plant churches (remember, she isn't a believer).  This old friend then said "we probably haven't seen each other since my 2nd marriage and divorce (I had seen her a couple of times in the last 16 years) - he was a missionary and then came back to be a pastor.  But he should have stayed in the foreign country cause he was planting a whole lot more than churches.  So what kind of church planter are you going to be?" 

She didn't really want an answer.  She changed the subject to tell me of her kids and then said she'd see me around the gym later.  My trainer just stood there quiet through it all.  But a few machines later she said "you really lost 7 pregnancies?  how did you survive?"  My answer "the love and faithfulness of God." 

Only God could take someone who hates exercise, put them at the gym and impress upon them to hire a personal trainer, have them working with a non-believer trainer who also trained a friend from 16 years ago who had experienced life's hurts alongside them, and then orchestrate such an encounter! 

Sweet Sixteen

Today is Hannah's 16th birthday. I still have a hard time believing I am old enough to have a 16 year old and a nearly 20 year old. I surely must have had them when I was just a wee little child.

She is so much like me. I probably should have known what was ahead when she was two weeks late, following in my footsteps. She came home from the hospital sleeping through the night and was this content, sweet little thing until she encountered cold weather. Something snapped inside of her when she found something she did not like - being cold. (She still hates cold weather!) Since then she has always known what she did and did not like and has not hesitated to share it or get stuck in the mud regarding it.

People often say she is me on steroids - oh my! She cannot work in clutter, she is a rule follower and comes near to melt down when there is a gray area. She makes a list and sticks to the list - she even sometimes writes something on the list that she is already doing just so she can be sure something has been marked off. She has a plan for everything in life and when the plan doesn't work she freezes.

She is beautiful on the inside and the out. She has a servants heart and a tender heart. She would love to change the world. She loves preschoolers and they love her. She interacts with adults as an adult and then turns around and interacts with preschoolers on their level too.

She loves the Lord and it is exciting to see how she is growing in that relationship. She is going to Honduras this summer with me and had to pay her own way. It has been neat to see her prayers be answered in ways bigger than she expected!

Happy Sweet 16 Birthday Hannah!

come back tomorrow for a reflection on a friend I ran into at the gym last night - a friend from 16 years ago.

Missions and a Sanctuary

Last night we did things a little different at church.  (Cornerstone Baptist Church, Greensboro, NC)  The evening began at 5 with a fundraiser dinner for the short term volunteer missions teams.  Fourteen of us worked to serve dinner to 300+ people.  It was a good old fashioned cook out - hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, baked beans, home made potato salad, and all the fixings.  A girl scout troop who has been studying issues related to food and hunger sponsored a bake sale with many, many great looking treats.  The funds from the bake sale will also go to support the mission teams as they go to Honduras and have several opportunities to provide food for the homeless and hungry.  The Family Life Center was filled with great fellowship and laughter.   Lots of words of encouragement were offered to the teams who will be heading to either Honduras in July or Ukraine in September.

After dinner, the congregation picked up their chairs and moved outside.  We gathered as a congregation on the plot of land where we believe we will eventually build a new sanctuary.  We spent time worshiping God and praying and asking for God's wisdom and vision for Cornerstone.  We ended the evening with all 250+ people standing in a circle around the land and praying that we will move in the exact direction God has designed for Cornerstone.

Several things struck me when I got home last night. 

• Cornerstone is growing - not just in numbers but in relationship with our God.  The last two weeks sermons were on the power of prayer and I stood among 250+ people claiming that power and seeking to hear from God.  That is powerful!
• Cornerstone is growing - not just in a building but in a vision.  The congregation didn't stand there last night and ask God to give them a new building and cast everything else aside for a building.  They first supported two teams reaching people across the world for Christ.  I do not believe that God will bless the efforts of a congregation who make themselves more important than the lost.  As of today, even as we struggle to make budget each week, I have not seen Cornerstone cut a missions or outreach budget so that they could build a new building.  My prayer for Cornerstone is that they increase what they are giving "out" so that they may see an even great blessing on what they need for "in."
• I will miss them when we leave for Spain.  Sometimes the excitement and focus of what tomorrow holds clouds the reality of today.  Last night I realized it will be hard to say good-bye.

The Tensions of a Missionary Calling

The playlist below has the latest episode of  "A Place Missionaries Call Home."  This is the radio show that is following Scott and I on our journey to the mission field.  As I listened to the completed episode tonight I realized how many different ways people in our lives are pulled by our call to missions.  We are not walking this journey in a vacuum; it is a journey with a lot of passengers.  I am glad you are part of the journey.

Consider, first our family - even within our immediate family there is the tension between being a parent to Zach (almost 20 years old and will stay here in the states) as he tries his wings of adulthood and our desire to get to Spain as soon as possible.

The tension with Scott's mom and Cindy's parents as they want their children to be obedient to God's calling while at the same time want their grandchildren to at least be on the same continent as them (and maybe their children a little bit too).

The tension with our pastor as he considers it a privilege to help a family surrender to full time missions and yet at the same time is losing a staff member.   Or consider the tension he feels as serving as a trustee of one mission sending agency while one of his staff members and family has been appointed with a different agency.

The tension Scott feels as he is excited about where God is taking him and his family and yet as an employee to a secular company he is not free to discuss this change with excitement for the future.

The tension SEND International experiences as they receive repeated requests to place more families on the mission field and yet at times having to turn families away.

When we surrendered to missions no one prepared us for all the emotions that were ahead.  Thank you for your support and interest as we travel this journey.   We never know what is going to be around the next curve.

Calculus

Zach has his calculus exam today at 11 today - pray for him please. We made a contract with him regarding returning to school and he needs to do really well on this exam to meet his end of the contract and our help him return to school in the fall.  Pray for us as parents as we seek God's will in parenting an adult.  No one told it was going to be this hard!

Is there a SMALL gift?

Last night I was having a conversation with one of our financial partners.  She was asking the details of where we were in our progress and just talking about the range of emotions that we are going through, but also what they go through in sending a friend out as a missionary.  We were talking about the difference in being a part of sending an individual or family to the field directly and through gifts that go into a general fund to support a variety of missionaries.  It was a great conversation!

Then she said, "if people would only realize there is no small partnership gift, they all add up to the needed total.  I think people are hesitant to commit because they think their $25 a month won't make a difference and isn't needed.  If they can't give BIG gifts, then they shouldn't give."  Boy, she hit the nail on the head. 

We have partners at every level of commitment from $13/month to $500/month.  I cannot count the number of times partners have apologized for what they saw as a small gift or made comments that they weren't sure it was enough to help.  Every penny will help reach the people of Spain!  There are no small gifts!

Right before we started our partnership development a friend said to us, it will only take 525 partners at $25/month to send you to Spain.  We know of another couple who is headed to Alaska as missionaries and they have raised almost all of the last 25% of their support with $15/month commitments. 

Are you hesitant to become a partner because you think your gift is too small?  Don't be!  There is no gift too small or too big.  They are going to make a difference!  Hey, if you divide our present level of support by $25 we already have 53 of the needed 525. 

Zach has a Job!

In today's economy it is even more exciting to share that Zach has been offered 5 summer jobs as a camp counselor/lifeguard.  He has finally made a decision and accepted a job.  He will be working as a sailing instructor and life guard at Don Lee Center in Arapahoe, NC (don't worry, I had to google map that place too).  He is excited and we are excited for him.  Check it out at http://www.donleecenter.org/.

His exams began today and go through next pray.  Pray for him as he finishes up this semester and moves home.  Pray for the transition to living back at home for a few weeks (and that he gets the hang of living in a house that is on the market quickly).  Pray as we face some hard decisions regarding his plans for the coming semester.  But before you ask God for anything, remember to thank him for providing an exciting job in a Christian environment for Zach.

Till Death Do Us Part

Today I am celebrating my 23rd wedding anniversary.  There were days I was not sure I would see 23 years of marriage.  There have been times when I was sure I missed God's will and had married the wrong man.  We had decided from the beginning of marriage that divorce was never an option so there were days when I had conversations with God about death (and not always mine).  Now before you get all self righteous on me, laugh a little and admit you have probably had those same thoughts.

But today, I can truly say I can't wait to celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary! 

What caused the change?  Prayer.  The day that Scott asked me if we could begin praying together I knew that there were many, many more anniversaries ahead.  This morning our pastor preached on the power of prayer (James 5).  He talked about the power of prayer when you are having problems or pain.  I am here to testify that He is right.  Prayer has power.  Prayer changes lives.  Prayer may change circumstances, or it may give you God's grace to endure circumstances.

My advice to couples who are struggling to make it to their next anniversary?  Ask yourself, when was the last time you prayed for your marriage?  When was the last time you prayed for your part in the marriage?  And even bigger question - when was the last time you took your spouse's hand and came before the throne of God together and asked for God's grace in your marriage?  Men - wanna know the fastest way to your wife's heart - pray for her in front of her and do it out loud. 

I know, I know - some of you are saying "but,..." - I don't have all the answers to all the "buts," but I promise you there is more power in prayer than you can imagine.  Not prayers said to the wall, but prayers to a living God that are voiced by a believing, faithful servant.  Start where you are.  Unleash the power and stand back and watch what God can do!

Family Ministry Day

I am exhausted, but refreshed!  Today was the fourth Family Ministry Weekend at Cornerstone.  We had about 150 people working at six different sites today.  We were building a horseshoe pit at a nursing home, doing landscaping at a different nursing home, painting birdhouses with nursing home residents, painting rooms, doing landscaping at a home for mentally/physically handicapped adults, screening a cabin at a summer camp, and running electricity, installing a roof, cleaning up brush, painting porches, and hosting a fellowship at Siloam Missionary Homes.

It was a great day.  It was also a little strange.  You see Family Ministry Weekend has always been my project, yet this year I wasn't in charge.  Forrest, our new staff member, was in charge this year.  He did a great job!  He didn't do it my way, but he did just fine.  Whether I was leaving Cornerstone to go to the mission field or not, Forrest would have been in charge.  But knowing that I am leaving makes it seem a little strange.  It was the first task that used to be mine that has been handed over to someone else.  I know there are many more to come.  But it was a little bit of reality today.

The other thing today that was a little bit of a "slap of reality" was that we fellowshipped with 10+ missionary families that are living at Siloam.  They are there on medical leave or furlough.  Most are in the process of raising their support so that they can return to the mission field.  They are where we are in regards to support, and where we hope to be in four years - home from our first term.  At first it was exciting, and then it was "ahh."  Can't actually put the feeling into words.  We really are heading to the mission field, aren't we?

Continue to pray for the sale of our house.  Activity has slowed down on it and we know that the longer it takes to sell it, the harder it gets.  Pray for us to wait on God's timing, but to also hear his direction.

We have raised a little more than 13% of our financial support.  We mailed out 25 church packets hoping to connect with churches both to be financial and prayer partners.   We need to line up churches and appointments to share our journey.  Pray for doors to open and for both us and those receiving the packets to be open to partnership.  Pray that we have time to follow up with each church that we reached out to.

Sorry for the lapse in writing, been a crazy week or two!

Life Changing Business

Christ is in the life changing business!  I know that is obvious, but often forgotten.  Oh, I don't mean in the eternal sense of life changing.  That is really hard to forget.  But what about the everyday life changing work that He does!

This week my co-workers and I were having a conversation about how many changes we have seen in a member of the congregation.  We were describing the new peace that he exhibits, the new countenance we see in him, and just how different he is.  Later it hit me.  Why were we all so surprised?  He is a strong believer in Christ and of course Christ is going to change him.  Made me start thinking of other changes in other people:

• a friend who trusted the Holy Spirit's nudge and is teaching SS and having a blast
• a parent who speaks to her children with a tone of love, even at times of discipline
• a couple who I saw holding hands as they walked down the hall
• a single mom who has found a life style that pleases God
• a family that has totally changed their financial patterns
• a teenager who speaks with confidence

What about me?  Can I say that God is in the life changing business in my life.  Most definitely!  But he has a lot more changing to do.

A Beautiful Spring Day

Scott and I spent the day together enjoying the beautiful day!

Pilot Mountain

An old barn along the side of the road.

A Sense of Urgency

I love to blog hop.... read a blog I am following and either click on a blog they are following and read it and keep going or use the "next blog" button at the top of blogspot.  Amazing the things that are on the Internet!

Tonight instead I entered Spain, missionaries, blogspot into a google search.  I was heartbroken by what was returned from my search.  Listing after listing for Mormon missionary websites.  The Mormon blogs out numbered the evangelical blogs by many times.  I've heard all along that the time is now to reach Spain for Christ, but thanks to technology my eyes have been opened even wider. 

It is urgent that Christians share the love of Christ with Spaniards.  They need to hear the truth and they need to hear it now!  They are hearing the lies of the world and believing them because they have not heard the true story. 

Oh how I pray that God will move quickly in our lives as we prepare to go to Spain to share his love.  There is no time to wait - people are dying every day believing lies.  There is an urgent need for the love of Christ to be shared!  May God hasten the process for us as we prepare to go and may he equip and refresh those who are already in Spain proclaiming the fact that He is Alive!

House Decisions

I do believe everyone who reads this blog will be able to hear me celebrating when the house sells, without the use of a computer!

We have had two showings this week.  One did not like the house, the other we have not heard back from yet.  But we did hear that a short sell house in the neighborhood dropped their price again yesterday.  It is now below our house and will most likely sell for even less than it is listed for, especially if it goes into foreclosure.  Now we have to make a decision.  It's been on the market for six months and we still own it.  We've done all kinds of things to make it more sellable (is that a word?) and yet we still own it. 

I was teaching my last Fit For Health Bible Study class yesterday and we did a lot of talking about being able to grasp that God really does care and is truly interested in the things we think aren't so spiritual - weight loss, houses selling, ... - but do we really grasp that.  Each area of our life He desires to be involved in and in control of.  Do we really know that that looks like?  Do we really believe that?  I say it.  I want to believe it with all my heart.  But am I there yet?  I don't think so and I think the sell of our house is a daily reminder.  If I really got it would I be bringing the house back to God every day?  Would I have a pit in the bottom of my stomach about the decisions we need to make regarding the house?  What about you?  Do you really get what it looks like to believe, really believe, that God wants to be involved in every aspect of your life and that there is nothing too little to bring to him?

How do YOU measure success?

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday regarding success.  I left the conversation with a lot to think about.  I had said some things they didn't agree with and they pointed out that from their perspective I was looking at a situation wrong, then they shared some of their frustrations.  We are both in similar situations but see them from very different view points.  So, I walked away from the conversation with a lot to ponder.

The bottom line of the thought process has become, how does one measure success when they serve in ministry.  What is success for a missionary is where my thoughts ended last night.  I'd love to hear some of your comments as to the answer of that question.

When I taught school I worked with special needs children.  Each child had an individualized education plan with their goals for the year.  At the end of the year I had a black and white measuring stick to determine if I had succeeded as a teacher.  When I sold Pampered Chef I had a paycheck and an incentive program that determined if I was successful.  When I was a stay at home mom success became a little more fuzzy to determine, but there were days when I called it successful if the house was still standing the children were still alive at the end of the day.

But what about in ministry?  In a church setting there are some things that can be used to measure success, although that is where I am struggling at the moment.  Is success a building for your ministry?  Is success a senior pastor who repeatedly lets you know you are doing a good job?  Is success overflowing Sunday School classes?  Is success having the population you work with represented in each baptism service?  Is success being loved by the people you work with?  I know, I know - success is reaching people for Christ and discipling them into mature believers.  Boy does that sound like a true "churchy" answer.  But at the end of each day when I look back on my ministry how do I know if I am succeeding? 

And if I think it is difficult to define success in ministry when serving in a church, what will it be like on the mission field?  Will success be the fact that I bought groceries on my own and actually got the food I was intending to buy?  Will success be that in all the stress of a new environment we all got along for the day?  Will success be making a new friend?  A lady who once served in Spain as a missionary said that it takes as much as 8 years to bring a Spaniard to the point that they understand their need for God.  If that is still true, I hope success is not only measured in terms of people I have said the sinner's prayer with.

I wonder what the congregation I serve would say determined success?  According to God, what is success?  I have a lot more thinking, praying, and studying to do today.  What about you?  What would you say determines success in your life?  In the ministry of those around you?  In a missionary?

Hmmm... a lot more thinking for the day.

Its My Birthday!

It's my birthday and I actually share the date with several dear friends from church - Cassy, Joy, Emily, and little Mallory.  My cousin had his first child yesterday and missed sharing this special day with me by just a few hours.  It's interesting how as the years pass what is important for the celebration changes.  I remember not too many years ago when what I got was so important, but today I found more joy in the facebook birthday wishes than in any gift.  I am slow, but I am finally learning that life is so much more rich with lots of relationships and few things.  Thanks to all my friends that remind me how blessed I am.

Alex just came in as I was typing and asked when I was going to open my presents.  I told him I didn't get anything and he proclaimed "we'll have to change that."  Then he came back and asked what I wanted.  Well, I thought of two things - our house to sell and to raise our support.  So, if anyone is looking to give me a birthday gift today :) feel free to either buy our house or make a donation at http://www.send.org/missions/hunterfamily.  

Enjoy your day!  I am off to spend it with friends and family!

House Update

Have had several people ask about the house, so here is a quick update.... we still own a house.  Activity on the house has slowed down, but we did have a showing yesterday and a few people stop by for our "inpromptu" open house.  Keep praying.  We have no choice but to trust that the day for selling it is fast appraoching.

What in the world is an "outgoing expense" account?

Question #3:  In addition to monthly commitments, you are having to raise an out "outgoing expense" account.  What in the world is that?

Answer #3:  In simple terms, it is all the onetime expenses that we will incur between now and our arrival in Spain.  In a little more elaborate answer, here is a list of some of the expenses that this account will cover:

• Training before we leave
• Partnership Development expenses (newsletters, traveling to speak at churches, ...)
• Airfare (too far to swim)
• Visa applications
• Freight - we won't take a lot, but airlines only allow one bag per passenger nowadays, so what we take will have to be shipped
• Set up costs in Spain - things such as apartment deposits, utility deposits, furnishings, ...
• Language School - we will be in language school for the first 12 - 18 months
• First month's salary - we don't get to pull from our monthly commitment funds until we complete our first month on the field
• A car - we won't get our licenses for awhile, but when we do we will need a way to purchase a car
• Immunizations and physicals

It is amazing how fast these expenses add up! 

As I type this I begin to dream about what our first apartment in Spain will look like and cannot wait until I get to see it!  Thank you for your support!

How do we know the financial gifts we send go to you?

Question #3:  We want to be sure that any gift we give to SEND for your use you get.  How do we make sure that happens?  How do you know that we have given?

Answer#3:  On the bottom of every partnership form there is a six digit number 195902.  This is our number.  When you submit a partnership form they see that number and know it goes to us.  Also, once you make a commitment or send a gift, you are given a donor number.  That donor number is attached to us.  This enables you to send in additional gifts, even if you don't have the form because of the numbers being attached.

We can regularly log in to the SEND system and see all donations and commitments that have been received.  We can get an up to the minute update on where we are financially.  Also, if someone indicates on their partnership form that they would like to be a prayer partner, we get an email.  SEND stays in constant communication with us regarding our partnership development.

If you are ever concerned that a gift wasn't received or may not be allocated to us, please do not hesitate to send us a note and we will check into it for you.

Are you going to get rich as a missionary?

Continuing yesterday's theme with answering some frequently asked questions...

Question #2:  $10,000+ per month?  That's more than anyone I know makes in a month!  Why do you need to raise so much per month?  Is that all salary?

Answer #2:  No, it is not all salary and no, we are not going to get rich as a missionary.  In fact, as Scott and I both step down from professional type jobs we will take a major pay cut, but we can't wait.  So, if it isn't all salary, what is it?

Here is a brief outline of where the money will go..

• Salary - we will receive a monthly salary that is to cover our living expenses - clothing, utilities, food, furnishings & house operations, taxes, telephone, non-business transportation, health & personal care needs, reading & recreation, financial planning & savings, tithe/offering/giving ... pretty much everything your take home salary presently covers except housing and some school expenses
• Housing - we will receiving a monthly housing allowance and the amount is based on the number of children that will be living in our house
• Retirement - we will need to continue to plan for retirement and they figure what minimum percentage of our income we need to put aside based on our age (and the fact that there is no one adding to this account except us).  SEND is very conscious of the fact that a day will come when we are ready to retire and will need to have planned for a way to come home.
• Insurance - medical insurance is very expensive and remember there is no employer helping with the cost as an employment benefit.  More than 10% of our monthly support is to cover insurance.
• Schooling - we now have to send our children to private school as they are teenagers and do not speak Spanish.  There is an allotment to help with these costs.  Also, we will have one child still here in the states in college and another one less than two years from returning to the states for college.
• Travel - we are expected to put aside some money each month to prepare for the need to fly home at some point.  Also, we will get a travel allowance to allow for ministry needed travel.
• Ministry - all the supplies needed to do ministry comes out of this monthly support and both Scott and I will be actively involved in ministry.  Everything from a new bible for someone, a bible study, crayons, and more comes out of this support.
• Administrative Support - we are blessed and grateful to be serving as missionaries with a solid mission organization and not just being send "to the wolves" on our own.  They provide substantial administrative support and training to us.  A percentage of our monthly needs is to enable this support to continue.

And after they projected those costs a financial wizard looked at projected cost of living changes and exchange rate trends and came up with a figure that represents needed income both today and in five years.  The $10,378 figure is the projected mid point need.  That allows for the fact that for the first 2 1/2 years our account will have a little more money in it than is needed to be distributed and for the last 2 1/2 years our account will have a little less money coming in than needed to be distributed.  This figure should keep us from having to panic half way through our first term because of economy changes.  (that does not mean that like you, we won't have to tighten our buckles with economy changes, but it should keep us from starving during the 2nd half of our first term)

So, back to the original question.... are we going to get rich as missionaries?  Absolutely not, but we will be provided for and able to live a comparable life as those we are ministering to.  We will be able to be comfortable and know that the bill collector is not around the corner waiting to pounce. 

Once again, thank you for your continued support and encouragement.  This is continuing to be one wild ride!

Why become a partner now if we aren't going to Spain for a year?

As I have begun to talk with people regarding our future plans and timeline I get the same questions repeatedly, so I figure there are others out there with the same questions... so for the next couple days I am going to try to answer some of the questions.

Question #1:  So, if we are not planning on going to Spain until at least early 2011, why is it important for people to become monthly partners now? 

Answer #1:  In worldly terms, because it gets you the "biggest bang for your buck."  Let me explain how this financial partner stuff works.

We have to raise two types of financial support - 1) our outgoing expenses, which includes one time expenses required to get the four of us to Spain, and 2) our monthly partners, which keeps us in Spain and provides for ministry.  Tomorrow I'll answer the question what does all that include, but back to today's question.  We cannot receive any monthly funds until we are in Spain, but the outgoing expenses have already begun.

When you give a gift to our outgoing expenses it goes straight to that "pot" and can be used for one time expenses but is not calculated at all into our needed monthly support.  When you make a monthly commitment that begins now, it goes into both categories.  Your commitment is calculated into our monthly requirements and your money goes into the outgoing expense pot until we are actually gone.  Confused yet?

Let me give you an example.

Say Sally wants to give $500 to us to help for outgoing expenses and then intends to also support us at $50 per month once we depart for Spain, which we hope is in approximately 10 months or less.  She can do this in several ways:

• Send a check today for $500 to SEND and wait to hear from us that we are actually close to leaving and then make the monthly commitment - but remember we can't leave until the monthly commitments are also made.  OR
• Send a monthly commitment for $50/month now and indicate it begins in January, 2011 and send the $500 check to SEND now and have it applied as a special contribution (our outgoing expenses) OR
• Send a monthly commitment for $50 that begins now and include the $500 check to cover the 1st 10 months of commitment, which will automatically be applied to our outgoing expenses because we can't draw monthly funds yet as we are still here, but her commitment will also be applied to our monthly funds we are having to raise.

Are you confused?  Basically, any monthly commitments made now go into both financial categories and thus help in both areas of needed financial support, whereas, special contributions go only into our outgoing expense category.

Both categories are necessary and every gift and commitment is valued.  We have been overwhelmed, honored, humbled, and more by the people we have had become a partner.  We are amazed daily by the people who are expressing their support of our calling.  We are still in awe that God is allowing us to share His love with the people of Spain and that He is calling others to join alongside of us.

Thank you for every prayer, word of encouragement, and financial gift.  I cannot wait to see where God moves next!

A Thousand Questions

This video is a little lengthy, but it is challenging.  How will you answer the question?

Solution for Sleepless Nights

I cannot figure out my body!  How come when I am so exhausted I cannot sleep?  I just knew when I fell into bed last night I would not remember my head even hitting the pillow.  I was tired physically, mentally, emotionally, ...  just totally worn out!  But guess what?  I remember my head hitting the pillow, Scott's head hitting the pillow, the kids going to bed, the bugs singing, the cat settling down for the night, the clock numbers changing one by one and a whole lot more.  Eventually I got up and tried sleeping somewhere else.

But sleep still evaded me.  So, as any good list maker and type A personality would do, I decided to take full advantage of my being awake.  First I thought through what I needed to do today.  Then when I was sure I had my day filled I decided to get "spiritual."  Maybe if I spent time with God I would sleep.  So I started in with God on my list - praying about the kids, for some friends who need a special touch, for the house to sell, for our partnership development, and a whole lot more stuff.  Guess what - I was not only still awake, I was no more relaxed and ready to fall asleep than I was when I worked on my to do list. 

Then I remembered about a year ago reading an article about not being able to sleep and decided to give it's method a try.  Just use the hours of the night to spend time with God for who God is.  Not for what He can do or you need Him to do, just for who he is.  Spend time resting in His arms and praising and thanking him for being God.  The article offered several strategies but the only one I could remember was alphabetical.  Shoot - it was the middle of the night, I was exhausted, and sleep was nowhere to be found - so why not give it a try.  And so I began...

• A - God you are amazing, almighty, all powerful, all knowing, ...
• B - God I praise you for being my God, the blessings you have bestowed on me, ...
• C - your creation is beyond anything words can express, thank you for the cross, ..
• D - your death Lord was the cost of my salvation and I thank you...

Somewhere around E or F I began to feel myself totally relaxing and the last thing I remember is telling God that I praise Him for my life that will be lived eternally.

This wasn't a gimmick, it was relationship that gave a peace that passes all understanding.  By just spending time with God and remembering what kind of God He was I not only relaxed physically, but mentally and emotionally and was able to drift into a peaceful sleep knowing who holds my life and all the details in it in his hands.

And the rest of the night was filled with sleep..... until the cat decided she needed to be under the blinds in the window - but at least it was morning at that point.

What's keeping you awake at night?  What do you do to when you can't sleep?  Is it working?  Maybe remembering your ABC's will work for you too.  May tonight be filled with peaceful, restful sleep!

I'm Tired...

Isaiah 40:27-31 (The Message)

Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,

or, whine, Israel, saying,

"God has lost track of me.

He doesn't care what happens to me"?

Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening?

God doesn't come and go. God lasts.

He's Creator of all you can see or imagine.

He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath.

And he knows everything, inside and out.

He energizes those who get tired,

gives fresh strength to dropouts.

For even young people tire and drop out,

young folk in their prime stumble and fall.

But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.

They spread their wings and soar like eagles,

They run and don't get tired,

they walk and don't lag behind.

 

But Praise God... He is not and does not get tired!

A Long Night and a Gentle Reminder

I just wanted to take a moment and say how thankful I am for friends.  Last night I had the opportunity to minister to a friend who had a relative at the hospital.  We spent several hours together in the emergency room just chit-chatting and passing the time.  And although today I awoke after a very short night (although not as short as hers) still wishing to be in bed, I was reminded of how powerful relationships are.  As crazy as it sounds, I had a good time with her last night.  Not because of the circumstances, but because of being together.  I was blessed to be able to drop everything and spend time together (although last night was the night I had decided I would beat the laundry pile and quit getting dressed in the garage where the clean laundry is stashed until I get it all ironed, foleded, and put away -thus today I had to gather clothes from the garage again).  When I got to the hospital she told me she had wanted to ask me to come, but figured she could get through it without someone and she didn't want to inconvenience someone else.  Today I am so glad she allowed me to come.  Today I am thankful not only for her friendship and the chance we had to spend time together, but I am greatful that God created us to need friends!

Can you imagine life if God had not given us the need for relationships?  Ultimately, we would be lonely people who not only walked the earth alone, we'd miss every blessing of the relationship with God.  What a miserable life that would be!

I am also reminded that my days with my friends in NC are slowly coming to a close.  I pray that I never lose the relationships, but distance will definitely change them.  But I also realized that we aren't promised another day even without going to a foreign country.  I pray that I will seize every moment of time we have together here and for the new friends I will have in Spain.  Friends are definitely a gift from God!

On another note, I went to the hospital because the Holy Spirit nudged me.  I read between the lines of a text message and knew I needed to go and I was blessed beyond measure (although the laundry pile is still there).  I wonder how many times the Holy Spirit has nudged me and I've ignored it for a "to do" list.  I can only imagine all the things I have missed out on.  May I become more and more sensitive to the Holy Spirit's nudging.  It's me who is missing out on being a part of God's great plan for relationships when I ignore Him.

Another excerpt from Humility

In Humility by C J Mahaney you find the following quote by Leon Morris describing our humanly unalterable condition in this way:

God created man, created him to be His own... God set him in Eden to live in fellowship with Him, but man sinned.  Man became the slave of evil.  He cannot break free. Thsi is precisely the situation that the ancient world saw as calling for an act of redemption.  We who belong to God have gotten into the power of a strong enemy from we cannot break free.  If I can say it reverently, God, if He wants us back, must pay the price.

And the great teaching of the New Testament is that God has paid the price.  He has redeemed us.  Christ became our Redeemer....To release the slaves of sin He paid the price.  We were in captivity.  We were in the strong grip of evil.  We could not break free.  But the price was paid and the result is that we go free.

We do go free!  We're ransomed...liberated...forgiven of our sins. 

Consider for a moment...Where would YOU be today if HE hadn't ransomed you, if He hadn't liberated you? 

What Other People Think Part 2

Wondering what the picture has to do with this post...keep reading and you'll find out.

....So what else in my life am I so worried about what people are watching that I am not doing what I know I should be doing? 

Our surrender to missions has involved a lot of hesitations at times due to being worried about whether other people are watching or not.  When we first surrendered to missions I was very worried people would think we were just following the Judys (a family in our church who we were friends with who had just recently left for the field).  I worried that people would think we were being copy cats instead of really being called to missions.

When we received our first "no" I worried what people would think of us instead of wondering what God wanted to teach us.

When we decided to go through a 2nd organization outside our denominate I worried what people in our church would think.  I worried what our pastor would say.  I worried what my parents would say.  I worried what our other missionary friends would say.

When we were finally appointed as missionaries to Spain I worried about what people would think of the idea that we were going to Spain and not some "real" mission country.

What did all this worrying about other people get me - a loss of peace that God wanted me to have.  I took my eyes off God and put them on people and I missed out on the blessing that God was waiting to give me.  When I finally and repeatedly reached the point to focus on what I knew I was supposed to be doing and not what other people were doing there was a contentment that was beyond description.  The excitement returned and replaced the anxiety. 

I wonder, what else in my life am I missing out on because I worry about what other people would think.  How about you?  My first resolution is ballroom dancing class.  When Bible Drill (class times conflict) is over I am heading to the gym to take Ballroom Dancing.  I have always wanted to take a dance class with Scott and they offer it at 4:00 on Sunday afternoons.  I will probably be a goof at it and we will probably look pretty silly together, but who cares. 

What Other People Think - Part 1

Ever realize how much time we (or is it just me) worrying about what other people think?  Ever think about how much time we spend in decision making wondering what someone else is going to say?  How many things in life have we let pass us by because of what other people might think?

Tonight at the gym I met with the personal trainer.  Makes me sound really athletic doesn't it?  Do not be fooled - it is called I need to lose weight and build up some endurance before I have no car in Spain and find myself walking everywhere.  Right after we got started I saw a friend there.  We spoke and then my mind began to run ninety miles an hour.  Are they going to think I was goofing off?  Was I working hard enough for their standard?  Did I look really goofy in the pants and shirt I was wearing?

Later, as the trainer and I were walking laps around the gym we passed the exercise classroom.  I commented to her that I had not tried any classes yet because I wasn't sure I was coordinated enough.  She of course encouraged me to try one and said I would do fine.  I then admitted the real reason - I was afraid of how foolish I was going to look in the class.  Her response was a chuckle.  But the words that followed were true words of wisdom - nobody is looking at you.  The people who are here tonight are here for their own exercise.  They really don't care if you are sweating enough, balanced enough, or working as hard as they are.  Nobody is watching you.

Ooo!  So maybe next week I'll try a class.  But even more so, maybe next time I'll just do what I know I should be doing and not worry about who I think is watching.

And perhaps this lesson has meaning in even more of my life....

Weekend Schedule

Just a quick update (and a way to avoid  mopping and running the vacuum)...

After a week of crying out to God and asking if He was really hearing me in regards to the sell of our house and He repeatedly reassuring me that He was, we have two showings today, one showing tomorrow, and open house tomorrow. 

Many people have asked why the rush on the house.  If you don't think you are going to Spain until January wouldn't it be easier to just stay in your house until then?  So, let me take a moment to answer these questions.

1)  Why sell now?  With today's housing market you can no longer do everything that is required to sell a house, put it on the market at the right price, and expect it to sell in 30 days.  That still does occasionally happen, but it isn't the norm.  It is taking months to sell houses, so we need to start now (or actually we started 4 months ago)

2)  Why sell now?  One of the requirements we must meet before we can leave for Spain is to be 100% debt free.  We made a lot of stupid decisions in our lives in years before and are still paying the price for them, literally.  We have debt.  With the sell of the house we will be able to pay off the majority of our debt.  We will then find some place to live with much lower housing cost and be able to even more aggressively pay off the rest of our debt and save some money too. 

3)  Why sell now?  We live 20 minutes from the church where I work and we all worship and 25 minutes from Scott's work.  With Scott in seminary and working full time I am carrying a larger load of the parenting duties right now (that is not a complaint - Scott and I make a great team and he did this for me years ago when I was in seminary).  There are many days that we make 2 or 3 round trips from our home to Greensboro.  At 40 to 50 minutes per round trip a lot of time is spent in the car.  We have added new tasks to our days by now being in the support raising journey and this time returned to us would be more valuable than can be described. 

4)  Where are you going to live?  Thank goodness God knows the answer to that question.  We have friends who have offered to help in the answer to this question, but we are waiting to actually sell the house before we answer this question in a concrete way.  I can honestly say this is probably the least of our concerns when it comes to selling the house.  Isn't it strange how we can rest in God's ability to take care of some of the details in our lives while we struggle and fight to let Him have control of others?

5)  And one last, why sell now?  Because if you have ever had a house on the market with children you know how much stress it can be to have to always have the house clean and picked up and to constantly be rearranging your schedule to accommodate lookers.  We have been blessed with a good deal of activity on the house, but if I had it my way, God would say it is going to sell to Mr. and Mrs. Smith on such and such date and it is ok to turn down all the other requests for showings.  But since I am not in control of the world, we will leave our house spic and span and find things to do to kill time while each looker comes through and trust that eventually the one who is supposed to buy our house will come through.

Pray at these showing times that God may answer our prayer regarding the sell of our house:

10:00 - 11:00 Saturday, February 27
1:00 - 2:00  Saturday, February 27
12: 00 - 1:00 Sunday, February 28
2:00 - 4:00 Sunday, February 28

Humility: True Greatness

I began a new book last night and just thought I'd share a few insights from it.  It's entitled Humility: True Greatness by C J Mahaney.  Now I have to say, I had mixed feelings about reading a book entitled humility.  Sounds like a toe stepping type of book.  And besides, who wants to humbled?  I'd like to live with humility, but I don't necessarily want to go through the process of becoming humbled.  Been there, done that - do I really want to do it again?  But, regardless, I picked it up and started to read.  Join me as I work my way through it, you might decide you want to read it too.

When I asked a child yesterday what he thought humility was he told me never taking credit for something good they had done.  He described people who were humble as always saying "it's no big deal" when someone said they did something good.  My personal definition of humility was pretty close to his - never wanting to take credit for what I had accomplished but always giving others credit.  Dictionary.com defines it as 1)  not proud or arrogant; modest: to be humble although successful. 2) having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience, etc. 3) low in rank, importance, status, quality, etc.; lowly: of humble origin; a humble home. 4) courteously respectful or 5) low in height, level, etc.  No wonder we don't want to be humble!

Mahoney defines humility as "honestly accessing ourselves in light of God's holiness and our sinfulness."  Ouch!  do I really want to evaluate myself in light of God's holiness?  I'm not sure I am going to like what I see.  So why would I want to put myself through this?  I mean, don't we have enough problems with self image as it is?  Do I really want to come face to face with the reality of my sinfulness?  And as any good American would ask, what's in it for me if I do?  The answer  - read Isaiah 66:2.

"For My hand made all these things,  Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. "   (New American Standard)

The English Standard Version says "I have made everything; that's how it all came to be.  I, the LORD, have spoken. The people I treasure most are the humble-- they depend only on me and tremble when I speak"

Humility draws God's gaze to you.  Humility draws God's attention to you.  You become treasured by becoming humble.  James reminds us that we receive God's grace by being humble.  I don't know about you, but I could use all the grace of God I can get, especially if I am going to stop measuring myself by worldly terms and compare my sinful life to God's holiness.

So, on with the book I'll go.  Perhaps I do want to be humbled.

As for daily life - we have open house on Sunday.  We have had nearly 100 hits on the open house flier that was sent out via the internet on Tuesday.  Pray that those looking on the internet will come to look in person.  Pray that all the upgrades we did to the kitchen last week will be the key to one of them falling in love with the house.  Pray for all the emotions that go with having a house on the market. 

Scott and Hannah will be speaking and sharing at Northwoods United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, North Carolina on Sunday.  Pray for them.  This is the church that Scott grew up in and his mom is still a part of.  Pray for their safe travel and words that they will share.

House Didn't Sell

Well, we are still the proud (but not so happy) owners of a house.  We just knew the house was going to sell yesterday to the family who has now seen it three times.  We have done everything we can do and yet God still says "not yet."  Tears have flowed while I wrote this note which is why I choose not to trust my emotions in making decisions.  I know without a doubt in my heart that God has called us to Spain and I will choose to remember that.  But, at the same time, I am a little disappointed and a little discouraged. 

"Oh Lord - your timing and plan is more perfect than anything I could imagine.  Hold us close today as we struggle with disappointment.  Be our comforter and our encourager.  You are God and we ask that your presence fill our spirits today.  Be the light in front of our path.  Do not let us sway to the left or to the right.  Do not let us allow Satan to get a single toe into this journey.  We love you Lord."  Amen.

The Day After

Can you tell a difference?

It took all day, but we made it through all the boxes in the middle of the floor.  You could actually park a car in the garage!  I kept less than one box and I shed no tears! 

I am definitely blessed with wonderful friends.  Michelle and her sweet little ones showed up and had a will of iron.  She was not bothered to say it was time to let things go.  She took home a car full of stuff that will be stored in her garage until we can find a way and a day to have a garage sale!  Kellie attacked the boxes of books and then helped Michelle with ALL the clothes.  When the bags and boxes had finally been sorted Kellie took a car full of "valuables" to Goodwill and then kept Alex for the afternoon so that decisions could be made regarding stuff without an 11 year old's help.  Perry and Susan showed up in the middle of it and jumped right in.  Susan helped to continue sort clothes (yes there was a lot of clothes to sort) while Perry loaded boxes and bags into the various cars and truck.  He then delivered the dishwasher to it's new owner.  Pam then came and replaced all the handles on the cabinet doors and washed down all their fronts.  She then attacked the counter tops and wrestled the couch cover.  And in the middle of it while I was feeling a little overwhelmed, Kim called and made me laugh (she's in Arkansas so she couldn't help with the boxes). 

I just wonder how people make it in this world without Christian friends!  Thank you to everyone who helped today by either being here, or calling, or praying.  It was a good day!

And.... the house is being shown tomorrow morning at 10 to first time shoppers and at 1:00 to a family who has already seen it twice... could this be it?

The Day Before

Tomorrow we begin to attack the garage.  I have promised to not be mad at any of my dear friends who have volunteered to come help get rid of the "junk" in the garage, but I have not promised to not cry.  I realized last night one of the reasons I haven't cleaned out the mess is it is going to be hard to let go of all of it.  I know it is only stuff and I know most of it has no value, not even sentimental, but disposing of all the stuff makes our journey to Spain a little more real.  So pray tomorrow for me as I let go and pray even harder tomorrow for the friends who are coming to help.

Here's the before picture - can you understand why the realtor says it has to be cleaned out?

How Did I Get Here?

As I was finalizing the PowerPoint Presentation for Sunday night (we will be sharing with Cornerstone Baptist in Greensboro) I began to go through disc after disc of pictures from previous mission trips.  What memories and emotions they brought back! 

Every now and then I have to stop and take a deep breath and reflect on how I got to the place that I am going with my family as career missionaries to Spain.  God has been preparing me my entire life through the people and experiences he allowed into my life.  Each one has led to this day.  I am not here by accident, I am here because God knows the plans He has for my life - plans to draw me closer to him in ways that I could never have imagined.

Today I heard from the mom of one of my best friends growing up.  We were always together until she moved when we were in high school.  We went to church together (actually, her dad was our preacher).  I remember the days we hung out in her house and acted like teenage girls.  But even more than that, I remember the grace and strength that her mom demonstrated.  She was convinced that God was good all the time and faithful to always be God, regardless of the circumstances (her son was killed in a car accident just a short time before I met her).  I learned much about facing life form her example.

I will never forget the day that her daughter (my friend) challenged my mom regarding fears.  My mom was teaching a Bible study to the teenagers about fear and my dear friend challenged my mom regarding her fear of escalators.  Although it was a little shocking at the moment, my mom faced that challenged and saved us a lot of walking through stores to find the elevator.  I learned at that moment I should question those who are teaching me scripture - do they teach what is scriptural or their own theology and do they live what they teach.  Powerful lessons for a teenager.

In looking through the pictures I also realize that the privilege of being a part of short term mission trips was a huge part of getting me to this point in my life.  If I had known that my very first mission trip to Ecuador was going to lead me to being a career missionary I am not sure I would have ever gone (isn't it good that only God can see into the future?), but each trip has special memories and plays a part in getting us here. 

If I could have my way I would require every Christian to participate in a mission trip, not because of what you can do for the people you minister (although you may do great things); but because of what will change in your relationship with Christ.  You will never be the same. 

I have at least one more trip that I will be leading while on staff at Cornerstone.  I'd love to take the entire congregation with me, but since that is impossible, I pray that perhaps this trip will be a piece of one of the team members experiencing God in a brand new way.

YEAH!!

We have 6% of our financial partners and 17% of our prayer partners (although we want more than the required numbers).  I know that this process may become hard, but right now it is a lot of fun! 

A special thank you to all who have put up with listening to me talk and talk and talk about Spain and our move.  At a meeting this week another participant was sharing in a new venture he has begun.  He said "its kind of like your newborn child, you can talk and talk and talk about them and think they are the most special child ever born."  Thanks for letting us share.

I Serve an AMAZING God!

Some would think after being raised in the church all my life I would get used to the fact that God is so very good.  But I am continually amazed at how AMAZING God actually is.  Why do I (and maybe you) find it so hard to believe that He is going to provide and take care of us in ways better than what we could ever plan for ourselves?  Why are we surprised when He does what He says He will do?

We have begun to share with people about the partnership development we are preparing to undertake.  We have mailed out the first round of newsletters (don't be insulted if you didn't get one yet, they are all coming - or send me a note and I'll be sure you get one right away), I wrote a post about the process, and we talk about it every opportunity possible.  Nothing formal has begun yet.  But I guess I didn't believe God was going to get involved from the beginning.  Because if I had believed that, I would not have been so surprised when last week two people in the same day asked to be financial partners.  If I had believed it I would not have been in shock when two additional people emailed me and asked to be put on the prayer list.  And I would have been expecting God to work yesterday when yet another family asked what they needed to do to become both prayer and financial partners. 

God is teaching me a lot through this process, but the thing I have learned repeatedly this last week is that I don't always believe what I say about God.  I mean really believe it.  Not just believe it on the surface, but instead believe it all the way down to the core.  Believe it in such a way that the belief impacts my thoughts and actions.  When I grasp that God is really who He says He is, then instead of my being surprised at God when He does something amazing , I will be looking and expecting God to be present in amazing ways.

Windmills in Spain

Home School Mom?

So, after four weeks of not having time to catch up with Hannah's school work, we sat down today to work on it.  I majored in Special Education and minored in higher math (don't ask... no idea how I thought I would use those together) so I should be able to handle 10th grade classes.  US Economics was ok but then we hit Algebra II.  First, my brain is old and all I learned a long time ago is definitely gone.  Second, I should never have waited four weeks to catch up on math.  It took us four hours to review her math.  It took four hours to go over four weeks of work.  Never again!  Then my brain was too exhausted to cover the rest of her subjects, so tomorrow school will resume.  But tonight, we went to the movies.  We saw Extraordinary Measures.  It was fabulous.  There are a few incidents of language, but no sex, nudity, or violence.  It was a wonderful movie!

Now, all that sounds like a complaint - but don't take it that way.  If I could live my life over again, I'd homeschool all three of them.  I'd live in a cardboard box if necessary and teach them all.  I am amazed at what I have learned from Hannah's classes and I am so grateful for the Christian perspective Hannah is getting.  I love the control we have over her life instead of the school having control. 

It was another one of the many journeys in our lives that led us to the decision to home school Hannah.  It was actually her pushing us to do it.  She wasn't happy at school.  She was stressed and thus she was making us miserable at home too.  She said she had prayed about it and this was what she wanted.

One day I may learn to listen to my children a little longer (she was also the one praying for a Spanish speaking country for our mission placement from the beginning).  She has such a strong walk with God.  I am so proud of her.  I pray that she will stay focused on her relationship with God.  I pray that my other children will stay close to God too.  And my advice to other parents, listen to your children.  That doesn't mean they always get what they want, but really listen.  They may know more about what they need than you do.  They may even be walking a little closer to God than you are and have some things to share there too (I know mine did).

Tomorrow Hannah and I will go eat lunch with Zach.  It's been a month since I saw him and we miss him.  We pray that this new school environment is growing him into the man God has intended him to be.  Alex wanted a ski trip with his daddy for Christmas and he and Scott are skiing tomorrow.  I pray that they both come home all in one piece.  

May God continue to be real and alive in my children's lives!

Can I go to Spain Today?

Ok - forget partnership development.  Forget selling the house.  Forget cleaning out the garage (which houses all of the items that were in my attic).  Forget strategic plans.  I am going to Spain today!

You ask why?  Well, at midnight (their time) it was 51 degrees!  It is 36 degrees at my house and the snow that came last Friday and Saturday is still on the ground.  Alex finally went to school today, albeit two hours delayed.  But tonight we sit braced for the next winter storm - ice, freezing rain, and of course, more snow.  School is already cancelled for tomorrow (although there is nothing coming down from the sky yet).  Ugh!  The poor kids will have no spring break left at this rate. 

I am done with winter!

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

One Foot In Each Land

I looked for a picture from my 2nd Ecuador mission trip - but who knows where it is, so I'll just describe it.  The equator runs through the middle of Quito, Ecuador.  The team of 12 of us stood straddling the equator.  Half of our bodies are in the Northern Hemisphere and half of our bodies are in the Southern Hemisphere.  It was a fun shot and something fun to tell stories about.  Something we'll never forget from that trip.

But today I think Scott and I find ourselves straddling another kind of line - half of us are in tune with all that needs to be accomplished to allow us to go to the field in Spain and the other half of us has returned to life as normal.  I realized last night how easy it would be to let life return to normal and never make it to the mission field.  For the last two weeks we were surrounded by people whose total focus was preparing us to go to Spain.  We ate, drank, slept, and lived missions.  Now we have returned to Kernersville and we are surrounded by people whose total focus is daily life.

And where are we....trying to straddle both lands - missionary land and routine.  A friend in Greensboro said to me while we were in Michigan that Greensboro will not be the same when you return.  They were painting our office suite at work and assumed that was what he meant, but today I realize it has a much deeper meaning.  Where exactly do we belong?

A friend already serving on the mission field reminded us that Satan would love to steal the plans God has for us.  Pray with us as we try to find a way to straddle the line.  We have to continue with day to day life here and yet we have to be moving more and more to the Spain side of the line or we will never get there.  How will we do this?  We do not know the magic answer.  We do know it is going to require a lot of prayer, time in God's word, discipline, planning, and intentionality.  We also pray that it involves a lot of our friends joining us on the preparation side of this line.

Will you pray for us as we try to figure out how to do all that needs to be done - as parents, spouses, seminary students, chemists, children's ministers, friends, appointed missionaries, and more?  Will you join us in all the work that needs to be done to get to Spain?

Check back in a few days and I'll write about the things we must accomplish before we can go to Spain and perhaps you'll find a place to become a partner with us.  But for today, just pray that we do not allow Satan to take the every day routine and schedule and distract us from God's call on our lives.