The Not So Fun Part

I am learning that just because God calls you to something, it is not always easy. Randy and I have both had a hard week this week. The stress of actually getting 6 people to Mozambique - booking flights, PAYING for flights, transferring money from savings and watching it disappear in a swipe of the debit card is just plain hard. Realizing that keeping our home long-term is not practical - hard. Knowing that we will dismantle a home and all of our belongings in a few months - hard.

I know God is doing a major work in both of us. He is stripping away EVERYTHING that we have clung to for security and provision. He is putting us in a place of total dependence on Him. And, He is doing all of this because He loves us. I am realizing that what He is wanting to do in us and through us will require a vulnerability that I have never wanted to walk in. There is a selfishness in me that can't be there anymore if He is to be glorified.

Many of our friends are only a few years away from retirement. We are using a lot of our retirement savings just to go to country we have never been before and do a job we have never done before. We are leaving life-long friends to be with a people foreign to us. We are leaving some of our own precious children for months at a time to minister to other children half a world away.

I am really not angry or upset, but just being honest about our journey. People ask us daily how to pray for our family. Pray that we become dependent and vulnerable. Pray that we are changed forever. Pray that God has His way with our family and with the people of Africa. Pray that we learn how to handle "hard" with a joy that cannot be explained. And know that when this walk with the Lord seems hard, He is showing His faithfulness and love with every step.

Prayer Requests

We are now only 6 weeks away from leaving family and friends and flying to Mozambique. We still have travel agents "duking it out" for the best ticket prices, but all of our passports are in and ready to go. We are thankful that you are part of our journey!

Please join us in praying for these things:
* that God will be glorified in all that we do here and in Africa
* that our family will be comforted when we leave
* that we will have a clear direction about what to do with our home
* that God will show up in a big way and cover every need
* safe travel to and from Pemba
* that we will not return home the same way we left - I want God to do a major heart-work in me
* that our Mason will hear and speak
(This portrait of Mason was painted by our friend Michelle Bauman - so beautiful!!!)

The next few weeks will be busy as we confirm (and pay for) our airline tickets, apply for our visas, and move Matthew home for the month of May. He will be going to Pemba with us, and it is just easier to do all of the planning and packing with him here. Sweet friends are loaning us their mountain cabin for a long weekend (woo-hoo!), and then we will travel to Arkansas to see out precious Missy and Dan before we leave. Oh, and I think there will be little packing in there somewhere - ha!

We love each of you and covet every prayer.

Welcome!

We are getting closer to our departure to Mozambique, and we are feeling blessed and overwhelmed at the same time. Sadness at leaving our family and friends comes in waves, but so does the excitement that God has an amazing plan for our family half a world away!

We will use this blog for several purposes. We will post prayer needs, answered prayers, pictures of our family and information about the ministry God is calling us to. And we would LOVE to hear from you in return!

We will have internet access in Pempba, but not on the mission base. We will go into town 2 or 3 times a week and post from there. We will also be able to text as soon as we buy a phone and SIM card in Mozambique.

We will leave for Pemba the last week in May and return home the third week in August. We think we will be home for another 2-3 months before we return to Africa. We have a lot to do before then, and we covet your prayers as we decide what to do with our home, cars, etc..

We are excited and humbled! Thank you for being part of our journey.