We intended to start this blog a long while back in
April of this year. I even wrote the following as our first post:
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We have tried to “settle down” and raise a family. We have
tried for the last 9 years to do so. And we do indeed have a family, two
amazing, inspiring, full of life children who remind us daily that we can only
get through each day with God’s guidance and grace! The settling down part,
which I interpreted as buying a home, check! Getting a carrier job, Bryan and I
both found great jobs in Oklahoma City thanks to Mr. John Clark. I guess we did
accomplish the settle down and raise a family for a short while. However, that
phase refers to a long period in one’s life.
Most of you know our story. The Stories of two individuals
becoming one in Christ and Marriage thanks to Camp Lutherhoma! We worked for a
couple years at Camp Lutherhoma, then Camp Woodlands in Florida, completed our
College studies then for Bryan’s masters we became Peace Corps Volunteers in
Malawi, Africa. For three years we learned of a culture so similar yet so
different from our own. We learned to love life in a different manner, to lean
on our family, friends and churches to fund projects for people who needed the help.
To feel like you are truly out of your comfort zone and trusting in God to
provide even the most basic of things. And then we left that all behind returning
to Oklahoma.
Three jobs each later we found the secure jobs we where
looking for and had two children. All the while feeling called back to Africa,
but college debt and settling down held us in place. One of our Pastors
suggested a Mission trip, we jumped on board and found ourselves in Haiti.
Outside of Thomassique in the countryside on a goat farm up on the tallest
hillside overlooking the land, to be exact. God slapped us both, in the face!
Then he opened our eyes to His beauty, to His plans and all the possibilities.
There are so many places in the world that God is at work doing mighty things.
Those who accompanied us on the mission trip will tell you that they noted a
change in us both at that moment in time. We returned home to our children and
families! And took all the hugs we could from them! Then we went back to our
life, paying the bills, working, school for the kids. One night we both laid in
bed and I said to Bryan “We can’t do this anymore.” Bryan was like “What?” I answered,
“living life this way, this house, our life, we have to figure out how to do
missions, international missions!”
We prayed, talked with our Pastors, and family. We decided
that we should join Concordia Theological Seminary. We visited the two
different ones, we put our house on the market and it sold in the first 24
hours! We paid off some of our school loans, got them down to one, our
consolidated one from our time at OSU. We discussed that we do not want anymore
student loans or debt that if this was going to happen it would without further
debt. And God said yes, Seminary will be free…
I think my jaw dropped at this point. Okay then we will need to chip
away at our last debt so that we can have the freedom to do mission work
without the burden of debt! So, I need a job, and we need a place to live, and
the kids a school, and… God says SLOW DOWN, trust me I will provide, I always
have and always will.
Guys we sold our home, are quitting our jobs (those things
that provide steady regular income), moving far away from our Oklahoma families,
to a new place, and many unknowns. This is not easy, we don’t know where we
will live or what sort of income we will have, where the kids will go to school
or anything! But I do have Faith that God will provide for our every need just
as He always has.
We appreciate your love and prayers as we embark on this
Great Adventure.
Current Prayers Requests:
Find a place to live in Fort Wayne
Find a school for the kids
Find a Job for me
