A lot has happened since our last blog! My last day at work will be this Friday - March 2 - and Dave's will be March 30!
Thanks for the prayers! That was a huge answer to prayer - especially for Dave's retirement date as it wasn't clear previously....
Just today we received our first formal invitation to speak at a church! We are so excited to be able to share our hearts with others - pray for us that our thoughts and words will be clear and that we'll be able to share with others the passion that Jesus has planted in our hearts for the ministry assignments we have waiting for us in Ghana. Please pray for us that we have lots of opportunities to share in the upcoming months...
So, now we progress through our goodbye's to our friends in our respective workplaces - I've worked at my current employer for almost 19 years and Dave has been at his job for over 16 years - in that length of time you make a lot of friends and they become family - we are excited to move forward but a little sad to say goodbye...
Monday, February 27, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Moving Forward....
During the past year the Lord has opened doors and pushed us through those opened doors in the process of preparing us to move to Ghana, West Africa as cross cultural workers. Some of those opened doors can be best described in the timeline that follows...
We've made so many new friends - right here in the Atlanta metropolitan area as well as all over the world. Our lives are full and blessed. We are so thankful for the wisdom that is so freely shared and the gentle direction that we have received. We are so thankful for the team that stands with us and reminds us regularly that they are with us.
We are so thankful for family and forever friends that have walked with us - individually and as a couple - up til now and that will be with us as we continue to move toward the goal - a goal that for many years was only a dream and now is on the verge of becoming a reality.
God has been and continues to be faithful - He called us - now He is preparing us and soon, very soon! - He will send us. Oh how He loves us! We are hopeful that in January 2013 we will be on a plane headed for the destiny that is waiting for us...
Our plans are held loosely - we are wise enough to know that God plants dreams and visions in our hearts that propel us forward, however, in our finite minds we can't really comprehend what that will look like once we reach the other side...
We both have that "adventure" spirit - something you may or may not know about us is that as children we each longed to be a "Hobo" - not necessarily a homeless person destitute in spirit and circumstances, but a much more romantic concept of traveling light - moving around frequently - with the thrill and excitement of discovery as your constant companion. Isn't it amazing, wonderful and beautiful that God would put such a desire into two individuals only to keep that fire stoked as we matured and then put us together as husband and wife so that we can fulfill that longing with a wonderful, like minded, best friend?
The Lord planted in my heart that explosion of possibility in the course of a simple conversation with a doctor from India...He used Dave's parents working for a US company in Ghana to plant in him a love for the Ghanaian people and a sense of "home" - even as a college student visiting his parents on school breaks.
More recently the Lord has taken us to Ghana several times, created for us a Ghanaian family both here in the US and in Ghana - and planted in our hearts new dreams and visions. This time not just for adventure and discovery but also to fulfill part of His plans and purposes for our lives as well as the precious people of Ghana.
We became aware of the need for a faith based recovery program for alcohol and drug addictions and set out to find a program that has a history of success. We found several and are continuing to explore and be trained (both through twice weekly meetings and more formalized training).
We became aware of the ongoing issue of human trafficking - the Lord has emphasized to us the trafficking of children specifically focusing on the restoration of these children once they are rescued. Then the Lord created relationships - both Ghanaian and American - with others that are working in this area.
We have become more and more aware of the least reached peoples in the northern half of Ghana and the Lord has graciously provided for us training and relationships with others that will enable us to step out into this area of ministry as well.
Any one of these things is way more than we can do on our own - we have come to realize over and over that if what we were going to do - if what our plans centered around - was within in our own abilities to accomplish it would probably not be from God. If what we are looking at appears impossible - then that is exactly where God wants us to be - living in a posture of total dependence upon Him.
God is providing for all of our needs daily as we move forward - some of the events we have coming up over the few weeks and months are -
And in the midst of all these things - Dave's son Alex will be graduating from High School and going off with the Army. And we have a list of books to read and guided reading forms to be completed. Fortunately for me my last day of work will be March 2. We are still praying about when Dave's last day of work will be.
All of this would be overwhelming if it were simply a list of tasks to be performed - under our own strength with our own power. I won't lie that at times that is how we feel - but we know that none of these is too big for God - we know that He has called us - He has set our feet on this path - and He will be faithful to provide for us.
Sorry this is such a long update - it has been a while since we've shared anything and we are hoping that with the additional time that I have more regular updates will be forthcoming.
“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out–plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.
When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.
Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.
I’ll turn things around for you…You can count on it.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (The Message)
- In the Spring of 2011 we applied to be part of The Mission Society;
- In late summer of 2011 we were accepted for the Candidate Assessment Week in September;
- At the end of the Candidate Assessment Week we were approved to become part of The Mission Society family
- We attended Foundations Training in November
- We were blessed to be able to attend the annual Day of Prayer at The Mission Society offices in December
- Then were able to shoot down to Florida for 2 days of the Regional Meeting where we received more training and met cross cultural workers from all over the world!
What a joy and a thrill all of this has been!
We've made so many new friends - right here in the Atlanta metropolitan area as well as all over the world. Our lives are full and blessed. We are so thankful for the wisdom that is so freely shared and the gentle direction that we have received. We are so thankful for the team that stands with us and reminds us regularly that they are with us.
We are so thankful for family and forever friends that have walked with us - individually and as a couple - up til now and that will be with us as we continue to move toward the goal - a goal that for many years was only a dream and now is on the verge of becoming a reality.
God has been and continues to be faithful - He called us - now He is preparing us and soon, very soon! - He will send us. Oh how He loves us! We are hopeful that in January 2013 we will be on a plane headed for the destiny that is waiting for us...
Our plans are held loosely - we are wise enough to know that God plants dreams and visions in our hearts that propel us forward, however, in our finite minds we can't really comprehend what that will look like once we reach the other side...
We both have that "adventure" spirit - something you may or may not know about us is that as children we each longed to be a "Hobo" - not necessarily a homeless person destitute in spirit and circumstances, but a much more romantic concept of traveling light - moving around frequently - with the thrill and excitement of discovery as your constant companion. Isn't it amazing, wonderful and beautiful that God would put such a desire into two individuals only to keep that fire stoked as we matured and then put us together as husband and wife so that we can fulfill that longing with a wonderful, like minded, best friend?
The Lord planted in my heart that explosion of possibility in the course of a simple conversation with a doctor from India...He used Dave's parents working for a US company in Ghana to plant in him a love for the Ghanaian people and a sense of "home" - even as a college student visiting his parents on school breaks.
More recently the Lord has taken us to Ghana several times, created for us a Ghanaian family both here in the US and in Ghana - and planted in our hearts new dreams and visions. This time not just for adventure and discovery but also to fulfill part of His plans and purposes for our lives as well as the precious people of Ghana.
We became aware of the need for a faith based recovery program for alcohol and drug addictions and set out to find a program that has a history of success. We found several and are continuing to explore and be trained (both through twice weekly meetings and more formalized training).
We became aware of the ongoing issue of human trafficking - the Lord has emphasized to us the trafficking of children specifically focusing on the restoration of these children once they are rescued. Then the Lord created relationships - both Ghanaian and American - with others that are working in this area.
We have become more and more aware of the least reached peoples in the northern half of Ghana and the Lord has graciously provided for us training and relationships with others that will enable us to step out into this area of ministry as well.
Any one of these things is way more than we can do on our own - we have come to realize over and over that if what we were going to do - if what our plans centered around - was within in our own abilities to accomplish it would probably not be from God. If what we are looking at appears impossible - then that is exactly where God wants us to be - living in a posture of total dependence upon Him.
God is providing for all of our needs daily as we move forward - some of the events we have coming up over the few weeks and months are -
- twice weekly recovery meetings
- facilitator training for a recovery program
- cross cultural training in Peru
- facilitator training and international team meeting in California
- MTI training in Colorado Springs
And in the midst of all these things - Dave's son Alex will be graduating from High School and going off with the Army. And we have a list of books to read and guided reading forms to be completed. Fortunately for me my last day of work will be March 2. We are still praying about when Dave's last day of work will be.
All of this would be overwhelming if it were simply a list of tasks to be performed - under our own strength with our own power. I won't lie that at times that is how we feel - but we know that none of these is too big for God - we know that He has called us - He has set our feet on this path - and He will be faithful to provide for us.
Sorry this is such a long update - it has been a while since we've shared anything and we are hoping that with the additional time that I have more regular updates will be forthcoming.
Prayer Requests -
Focus, focus, focus - that we would keep our eyes on Jesus
Dave's retirement date
Preparation of and selling a house
On-going training
Relationship building and nurturing
Partnership development
“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out–plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.
When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.
Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.
I’ll turn things around for you…You can count on it.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (The Message)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)