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.

We Are Home

We left Michigan yesterday around 1:30 yesterday and kept going back and forth in our discussions as to whether to stop along the way or drive all the way home.  The forecast was for a major winter storm to hit home so we decided to go as far as the roads allowed.  Thank you to all the friends who kept us up to date on the roads ahead and helped us as we would decide to go just a little further.  We had snow off and on in Virginia and at one time was wondering if we were making the right decision, but kept on going.  We hit the heavy stuff 20 miles from home.  The worst part was the road before our neighborhood. 

God was good!  He went ahead of us and with us through the entire trip.  The traffic was minimal.  There was only one delay on the interstate and we were toward the beginning of it and only sat still for about ten minutes.  We stopped for gas and to grab a sandwich to eat in the car and kept on moving. 

We made it home in about 11 hours.  We were grateful to crawl into our own beds last night (where I stayed for 10 full hours!).  And even more grateful we decided to keep on coming when we looked out the window this morning - more than 8 inches of snow had fallen and now we are having some ice.  We would have had a horrible time getting home today.

Now to try to get our kids home - we left them where they were staying last night in case we didn't get home.  So they are 15 minutes away and snowed in.  We are going to try to drive over there this afternoon.  I am ready to see them and I know

Hannah is definitely ready to sleep in her own bed.

Covenant Signing

We are official!  Today we signed our Spiritual Covenant with SEND.  It was an exciting time.  The personnel team chair is an associate pastor of a local church.  He shared a devotion entitled "Strive for the Towel."  It was a title that made Scott and I both to look at each other and say "Huh?"  But after the sermon that is my goal.

He took us to the passage where Jesus is washing the feet of the disciples in the upper room.  Jesus didn't strive to be greatest in title or in job description.  He didn't declare who he was and expect everyone to be ready to bow down at his feet and serve him.  Instead he picked up the towel and began to wash the feet of the disciples.  He became a servant not so that he could crow about how humble he was, but instead because it was who He was.

Do I do "servant' work so that people talk about how hard of a worker I am or so that I get recognition for my humility?  Or do I take up my towel and "wash other people's feet" with a heart and attitude that matches the motivation that Jesus had that night? 

We have a few more logistic sessions in the morning and then hope to be on the road around 3:00 tomorrow afternoon.  We are leaving Michigan where it is bitter cold (5 degrees F tonight before the wind chill) and heading into a forecasted snow storm in NC.  Pray for our safety and wisdom as we drive home.

We had a 2nd showing on our house today.  It is the family's favorite choice, but they still have a home in another state to sell.  Their house is showing so as you pray for the sale of our house, add them to your prayer list too.

Being Deliberate about the Essentials

"The most important thing we do is who we are." 
Eugene Peterson

Take a few minutes and think about what that really says. 

Today in our Spiritual Discipline time we were given the following few paragraphs by Scott Shaum of Barnabas International to read.  Don't rush through them.  Savor them.  Ponder them.  Do they speak to you like they spoke to me today? 

"Above all else, God is about relational intimacy.  In a seminal teaching to His disciples before He died, Jesus said, 'He that abides in me and I in Him will bear much fruit.  For without me you can do nothing (John 15:15).'  In my results focused western culture, we always gravitate toward the fruit.  We want to see results.  I see multiple problems with that being our initial focus.  I will list two.

First, Jesus tells us to focus on abiding, not thee fruit.  My responsibility is to abide; stay close to Christ at all costs.  It is the Vine that provides the fruit-bearing power through the various branches.  If we are more concerned about ministry numbers and programs then we are concerned about the wrong thing, as good as they may be.  Jesus' command is clear:  abide.

Second, all this focus on results is a major distraction to what God is really after in us.  Eugene Peterson in an interview stated, "Our primary problem is distraction.  And for those of us in ministry it is the distraction of the work."  God's primary desire is our character transformation into the image of Christ.  Peterson declares, "The most important thing we do is who we are!

So with all this distraction and busyness all around us, we need to be deliberate about the essentials.  What are the essentials?  How about leisurely time over the word in depth study (not mere devotions or ministry task accomplishment - like preparing for teaching)?  Or unhurried chunks of time in prayer?  And 2-3 hours a week set aside for reflection on what is really going on in our life?  A true Sabbath?  If we neglect these essentials we are taking part in the cancer of distraction and busyness that will eat out the heart of who we are and erode intimacy with God.  And we will certainly lack true spiritual authority.

Each of us must determine what these essentials look like in our lives - time, place, focus.  But they are not optional.  I encourage you to take a pause for a time of reflection and planning.  How can you deepen your prayer life and add times of personal, deep study in the word?  Most importantly, how will you take deliberate steps toward deepening your intimacy with your Father in the coming months?  It is my firm conviction that these are truly non-negotiable, especially for a leader."

It has been a good time here.  We have begun to accomplish some things and are beginning to feel like we have an idea of what is ahead of us.  Tomorrow we will have a formal ceremony appointing us as missionaries (still trying to get used to saying that).

Also - the house is being shown at 11:30 tomorrow.  Say a prayer that this might be the one.

Thanks again for your support!

The Journey Continues on the Radio

In the midst of all the craziness last week we took some time out and recorded the next episode of the radio show with Siloam Missionary Homes.  So, scroll on down to the bottom of this page and listen to the three segments of the radio show entitled The Journey Continues.  Ignore the segment names and remember I am technically challenged.

Today was good.  We designed our prayer cards and cannot wait to begin to share them with people.  It was nice to finally check something off the to do list instead of add to it.  We then met with our coach and discovered the level of financial support we are going to have to raise.  Oh my!  We have prayed from the beginning that God would do a God sized work in this journey and this financial support is definitely a place that He will have to do it!  I can't wait to look back and share what God has done!

Tomorrow we have to do our practice church presentation.  Scott and I learned a lot today as we planned it about how to blend our two personalities and two speaking styles.  Now we just pray that it goes well. 

Thanks for your prayers and support.  We are so very blessed!

A year is a very short time...

Job 17:11 My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart.

On January 21, 2009 our hearts were broken, our plans were shattered and we just didn't know if we could go on.  Cindy and I were certain we had heard a call from God into missions but a sending organization had told us that because of many issues we were not a fit for them.  What we heard at the time was a resounding "NO!"  It caused us to doubt ourselves, our calling and even God for a while.

After a period of time I became angry at that group of humans that had gotten between us and our calling.  After much prayer the anger faded and we became convinced that what we had heard wasn't a "NO!" but rather a gentle "Try a different way."

Our family began the process of application for membership with SEND International in the Fall of 2009.  We began filling out paperwork...we filled out more paperwork....yeah, even more paperwork.  We completed multiple applications, medical forms and doctrinal statements.  We had a home visit from Betsy Wambach (we were very apprehensive but she turned out to be a sweetheart!)  Eventually we were accepted for the Candidate Orientation Program in Michigan.  We spent a week doing testing and evaluations and interviews.  On January 22, 2010 we were informed that we had been appointed as SEND missionaries to Spain.  It was only after a dear friend (Hi Marsha!) pointed it out to us that we realized that it had been a year and a day since that low point.  My how far we had come.  How the Lord had blessed our family in just a year.  We were in a place that was beyond our human expectations. 

The situation has changed with that first sending organization.  Times are tough for them right now.  It probably wasn't the right place for us at that time.  God knew what was best for our family but we couldn't see it in the midst of the circumstances.  He knew that SEND was going to be the right place for us.  He knew how much we were going to need to grow in the intervening year.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God has a plan for you and your life.  If you can't see what that plan is right now, be assured that it is there.  If you are devastated by disaster, rely on God.  If you can't see what God is doing in your life right now trust his character.

Odds and Ends

Today has been a day of reflection and thought and processing life as know it today and wondering what it will hold for tomorrow. 

• We visited a church here in Michigan with a SEND coach and her husband.  She repeatedly introduced as newly appointed missionaries.  The first time she said it I actually looked around to see who she was talking about it.  It still doesn't seem quite real, but it is getting there.
• It's been an emotional week - I did not expect it to be this way.  We had made a decision and that was it.  But between the tests, interviews, constantly being "on," the death of a missionary kid while we were here, a family now moving on in the process and more there have been a lot of tears and emotions. 
• We are tired - physically (not sleeping in our own beds), emotionally, mentally (see the Bible Knowledge post) - but not spiritually.  We have encountered God in more ways than I can count this week.  He has been faithful!
• I remember when Tim and Marsha went to Ukraine sharing that one of the adjustments they were having to make was being together all the time.  It's only been a week, but I understand.  We are in a hotel type room and are together non-stop all day.  I have discovered this is a lot different than a vacation together - this has way too many stresses and we process them differently.  It is going to take some adjustment when we arrive.
• There is a lot to do at home.  I have had to practice discipline already to not let me mind go to the things at home that can be overwhelming and only focus on the task at hand today.  But, when we return home next week there is a lot of work ahead of us.  We will be looking to friends and family for help - another humbling part of this process.

It's been a good day.  We worshiped with fellow believers, enjoyed hospitality at the home of a SEND family, got a great afternoon nap in, shared an international dinner with the other newly appointed missionaries, and Scott got to watch the football game while I got some one on one girl time with the lady who has held our hand through this process.  God has been good today as I know He will continue to be.

The Day After

Last night we had a chance to talk with lots of friends and family and realize how loved we are.  Thank you to everyone who commented on my facebook and left voice mails and emails encouraging us along.  We are very blessed to be part of such a great network of friends and family.

Today was another day of crazy emotions.  We got the chance to sleep in this morning and I took full advantage of it - cracking my eyes open near 9:00.  It was wonderful!  We then spent the rest of the morning beginning to work on our first newsletter and presentation.  It still seems strange to be actually planning towards going to the field.  Maybe tomorrow it will feel real.

This afternoon we had to say goodbye to some fellow candidates who are not going forward in the process.  Once again a roller coaster of emotions as we remembered when we reached a dead end in the process.  Pray for this family as they travel home and mourn this stage of their journey.

Tonight several of us went out to dinner together at a favorite restaurant from our Michigan days - BD's Mongolian Barbecue.  It was great food and great fellowship and a little bit of celebration.  It was a much needed time to just sit back and laugh and share stories.  We are now part of another family.

Tomorrow we will be going to church with a family from SEND and then enjoying lunch with them.  Then we will get serious about finishing our paperwork and assignments that are due on Monday. 

Thank you again to each person who is praying for us as we travel this journey.  Today I can think of no other place that I would like to be than here.

APPOINTED!

We were officially appointed as

SEND International Missionaries

to Spain today!!!

What does that mean?  That means that we have taken a major turn in the journey and are now officially missionaries. 

Where are we going?  We have been appointed to Spain.  We will begin outside of Madrid for language school and then wait to see where God sends us next.

When are we going?  We will spend the next months raising our financial and prayer support.  Once we reach 100% support level we will leave for Spain.

Who is going?  Hannah and Alex will join us and Zach will stay at Averett University for college and join us on his breaks.

Why are we going?  Spain is culturally Catholic but has less than one percent evangelical presence among the ethnic Spanish population.