Well, it's almost Christmas. Seems to come faster every year! This year with the house somewhat in disarray it's a little more difficult to get motivated to get decorations up. However, we did get the tree up and the kids decorated with their ornaments. There's now enough of their ornaments to fill the whole tree! (Our tradition is to give them each an ornament every year. Then when they move out.... yes.... they will move out someday!! they'll have some ornaments to hang on their trees.) Even though there are the same number of days between Thanksgiving and Christmas every year, it seems to go faster and faster all the time. We're trying to keep an even keel here before the craziness of all our visits starts.
So, this month we are continuing to work on completing all our paperwork. I have most of the forms filled out and about 1/2 of the big theological questionnaire done. The biggest piece I have left is to get everyone in for a physical. That will happen after the holidays.
Greg and I had the unique opportunity to meet the Asian Team Leader from RG a couple weeks ago. We had a very nice dinner and he gave us some vision for their proposed work in the Tokyo area. Exciting stuff! We're not sure yet where we would fit in or if we'll be placed on this team, but a couple of the things he mentioned sounded like exciting opportunities. We'll just have to see how God leads. Greg even got a little excited at the vision placed in front of him so that was nice to see.
I got to skype with my dear friends Luann and Shige this past week. It was SO good to see them and talk with them. 2 hours just flew by and it seemed we just got started. They are on my mind and in my prayers so much these days. I'm so excited to go visit them this next year. It will be so good to be able to hug them in person and spend some time with their precious children!
The other big development is that I have the opportunity to go to Belize on a mission trip with our church! Our church has taken other trips in the past, but with 4 young kids it was a bit difficult to be away. Now that the kids are older I feel like it's easier to leave for a week. So, Feb. 23-March 1 I will be in Belize! I'm hoping to organize a VBS for the kids. We're talking about going into the schools and possibly a children's home as well as a construction project and possibly visiting shut-ins. I'm so excited to spread my wings a bit on the mission field!
So..... for those of you who are following our journey to Japan... this is a little side tour to Belize! I know many of you have offered your prayer and financial support once we are ready to raise for Japan, but I'm hoping some of you may be willing to take a trial run with me to Belize? :-) The trip costs about $1400. I'm hoping to raise most if not all since we are putting so much money into our house to sell right now. I know it's Christmas and finances are tough, but if God is leading you to give it will certainly be put to good use in the Kingdom! Even more important than finances though, truly is your prayers. I know that's popular to say, but I really mean that. Our God is HUGE! To come up with $1400 is nothing for Him. I don't believe He will let money stand in the way of the work He wants to accomplish through us. So, I have faith that one way or another this trip will get paid for.
I've made a personal commitment to God that I would disciple at least one person this next year. (Started in Nov.) Not that I have to go to Belize to do that, but what an awesome opportunity I am afforded! Our book knowledge can only take us so far. I want to put legs to my knowledge and further God's Kingdom here on earth. My prayer is that God would be magnified through all we do there. That those who do not know Jesus, our Heavenly King, would see even just the smallest glimpse of Him in us. I'm confident that God will do great work to further His Kingdom on this trip and I'm honored to be able to be a part of it. Please pray for our whole team as we embark together on this adventure!
So.... that's the news this month! There are so many months things seem at a standstill.... wait for it, wait for it...... WHAM! Everything breaks open at once! Our God certainly has a sense of humor in His timing....
I hope you have had a chance this Christmas season to reflect on God's greatest gift to us, Jesus Christ. It's so hard to believe that our God would come to us in human flesh, all the time knowing His sacrifice was imminent. This little baby that we celebrate the birth of this month became the Godman who gave His life so that we might be saved from death. I pray that you know Him... if you don't, why not take this Christmas to learn a little about Him, you won't regret it!
Much love,
Robyn
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
November
Well, the weather has certainly turned here in MN. It is looking like winter more and more. I wish the gray clouds that cover us most days felt comfy like a blanket, but to me they don't bring comfort, rather a heaviness. I wish it weren't that way, but it is. Medicine is good this time of year for those who suffer seasonal depression!
I was just asked recently how our journey to Japan is going so here's the update.
We are still aiming for our paperwork deadline of January. I've tried to get a start on it now so when the holidays come I will not have to rush to get everything done. It's an interesting process putting your life down on paper!
Ever since we were re-directed to Japan, I've had a difficult time figuring out what God would want us to do once we get there. Not that I have to have it all figured out now, but I've been asking God..."So, what does ministry in Japan look like for our family?" Until this past weekend God was pretty silent. I had plenty of ideas of what I could do in China, but those ideas don't really mesh with Japan. So, I've just been praying and waiting for God to give me an answer.
True to His nature, He did answer my prayer and I have to admit it's much more simple than I would have thought. Lots of people who know me will laugh out loud at this next section, but this was truly my thought process!
So, ever since I was 5 I knew I wanted to be a teacher (and a mom). Never once did I consider anything else as I was growing up. Many told me "every girl wants to be a teacher (or nurse, etc.), you'll likely change your mind." But, I never did. I just always had this single vision when it came to what I'd do. Almost every job I have had revolves around children in one aspect or another.
15 years ago Greg and I helped to plant our church. It was such an exciting time and one I will treasure. It was tough and required a lot of time, but one of the most rewarding things God has used me for. Basically, my way of serving the church was to help organize and start our children's ministry. To this day, I've been involved in children's both in volunteer and paid positions.
I've dabbled in other ministry areas so I didn't want to have the expectation that God was calling me to work with kids in Japan. I mean, it makes sense to me, but I get in trouble when I assume... both with God and my husband! ;-) So, that brings us up to me praying for God to give me a vision for our ministry in Japan.
Last Sunday, Greg and I were talking in the kitchen before heading out to serve at church... me with the kids and him in the drama for the first time in a while. We were talking about some type of spiritual issue, but not Japan specifically. All of a sudden, in the midst of our discussion God tapped me on the shoulder (so to speak) and let me know His intention. It was kind of like when your child interrupts a conversation and you have to totally switch gears to hear him/her.... (not saying God is a child interrupting me, but well, you know what I mean if you're a mom!) So, pretty much God let me know He wants me doing the same thing I did 15 years ago for Crosswinds. Be involved in church planting and organizing children's programs. So simple! It was a wonderful peace that settled over me after that moment. God had answered my many months of prayer and I'm now quite excited for what that means.
The even better part was I sent a note to our dear friends in Japan (who we're hoping to be on a team with) and they just attended a Church planting bootcamp. My friend said that at her table there was a discussion on how they need more people dedicated to the children! And, this was also met with encouragement from another team member. It is such an amazing feeling to know God's hand is all over our whole journey. That thousands of miles away He is orchestrating events and opening hearts to His will, just as He is doing the same for me. We serve an amazing God!
Getting back to practical things... we have realtors coming this week to help us prioritize our household projects before we put the house on the market.
I'm also excited to participate in a webcast on making disciples tonight. Seems perfect material to be learning before our journey. A prayer request given to me by our friends is for discipleship to grow in Japan. For people, such as us, entering Japan, but moreso for Japanese believers to step into discipleship roles.
Thanks for following our ongoing adventure! As we enter this season of Thanksgiving and Christmas there are so many things I am thankful for. Our family is most certainly blessed. We hope we are a blessing to others.
I was just asked recently how our journey to Japan is going so here's the update.
We are still aiming for our paperwork deadline of January. I've tried to get a start on it now so when the holidays come I will not have to rush to get everything done. It's an interesting process putting your life down on paper!
Ever since we were re-directed to Japan, I've had a difficult time figuring out what God would want us to do once we get there. Not that I have to have it all figured out now, but I've been asking God..."So, what does ministry in Japan look like for our family?" Until this past weekend God was pretty silent. I had plenty of ideas of what I could do in China, but those ideas don't really mesh with Japan. So, I've just been praying and waiting for God to give me an answer.
True to His nature, He did answer my prayer and I have to admit it's much more simple than I would have thought. Lots of people who know me will laugh out loud at this next section, but this was truly my thought process!
So, ever since I was 5 I knew I wanted to be a teacher (and a mom). Never once did I consider anything else as I was growing up. Many told me "every girl wants to be a teacher (or nurse, etc.), you'll likely change your mind." But, I never did. I just always had this single vision when it came to what I'd do. Almost every job I have had revolves around children in one aspect or another.
15 years ago Greg and I helped to plant our church. It was such an exciting time and one I will treasure. It was tough and required a lot of time, but one of the most rewarding things God has used me for. Basically, my way of serving the church was to help organize and start our children's ministry. To this day, I've been involved in children's both in volunteer and paid positions.
I've dabbled in other ministry areas so I didn't want to have the expectation that God was calling me to work with kids in Japan. I mean, it makes sense to me, but I get in trouble when I assume... both with God and my husband! ;-) So, that brings us up to me praying for God to give me a vision for our ministry in Japan.
Last Sunday, Greg and I were talking in the kitchen before heading out to serve at church... me with the kids and him in the drama for the first time in a while. We were talking about some type of spiritual issue, but not Japan specifically. All of a sudden, in the midst of our discussion God tapped me on the shoulder (so to speak) and let me know His intention. It was kind of like when your child interrupts a conversation and you have to totally switch gears to hear him/her.... (not saying God is a child interrupting me, but well, you know what I mean if you're a mom!) So, pretty much God let me know He wants me doing the same thing I did 15 years ago for Crosswinds. Be involved in church planting and organizing children's programs. So simple! It was a wonderful peace that settled over me after that moment. God had answered my many months of prayer and I'm now quite excited for what that means.
The even better part was I sent a note to our dear friends in Japan (who we're hoping to be on a team with) and they just attended a Church planting bootcamp. My friend said that at her table there was a discussion on how they need more people dedicated to the children! And, this was also met with encouragement from another team member. It is such an amazing feeling to know God's hand is all over our whole journey. That thousands of miles away He is orchestrating events and opening hearts to His will, just as He is doing the same for me. We serve an amazing God!
Getting back to practical things... we have realtors coming this week to help us prioritize our household projects before we put the house on the market.
I'm also excited to participate in a webcast on making disciples tonight. Seems perfect material to be learning before our journey. A prayer request given to me by our friends is for discipleship to grow in Japan. For people, such as us, entering Japan, but moreso for Japanese believers to step into discipleship roles.
Thanks for following our ongoing adventure! As we enter this season of Thanksgiving and Christmas there are so many things I am thankful for. Our family is most certainly blessed. We hope we are a blessing to others.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Progress?
Lots of you have asked about our progress toward Japan, so I figured it's time for an update! If you don't know us well, you will soon find out we don't move fast! Well, I should say, God has not moved fast with us in this endeavor (if you're aware of our meeting/engagement/marriage story it contradicts the moving fast thing!). He is taking His own sweet time, but behind the scenes much is going on.
Greg and I are pretty transparent with our friends that our marriage has been a constant challenge for us. I would say it has been more difficult than parenting four kids (not sure if Greg agrees or not?). We are currently watching clips from a message series Andy Stanley did on marriage with our small group. It is titled: imarriage. We figured out we have an "imarriage". Two big I's trying to make a we. It's been a constant struggle. But, in the past month we can both confidently say, by God's grace we are making good strides. We crossed another threshold and it feels very good. We have both come to new understandings about ourselves and each other. We both desire our marriage to reflect Christ. We are so far from that, but we long to be closer to that goal. God is slowly (we're both slow learners) moving us in that direction.
So, are we any closer geographically to Japan... no. But, we are much closer to a healthy marriage that will withstand the pressure of this life change we will experience. It's interesting for me to look back over the past several years. Since we first heard "China", God has brought me closer to Him than I've ever been (unfortunately many times it involved cutting me off at the knees, my fault, not His!) and in that same process of drawing me into Himself, He's drawing me closer into my husband's arms as well. It's a struggle for an independent German (read stubborn) girl to depend on God or her husband. It's a struggle to give up the way I know (think) it should be and surrender to God or my husband. It's a struggle to give up ideas of how I think God should act or what He should be doing for me/us. But through this struggle I have learned that my ways are not God's ways. Thank God! My stubborness is being chipped away, little by little and little by little I'm learning what it means to submit to my Lord as well as my husband. The lessons have been painful, but God's grace is sufficient and my prayer is His glory will be shown by our marriage testimony. God takes what Satan means for destruction and turns it into a beacon of His glory. How grateful I am for God loving Greg and I so much that He does not give up on us. Believe me, we've both done things that are worth giving up on us for!
So, we venture on. Things are by no means perfect, but we are making good progress. Even if we would never make it to Japan, all that God has brought us through in our relationship has been worth it. I wouldn't trade the troubles now that I can begin to see the reward. That reward is eternal... I will never have to give it up!
We've decided to try to make the January deadline for all our paperwork. Oct. just wasn't the right time. It really had nothing to do with the paperwork and everything to do with my paragraphs above. We're continuing to declutter the house (long process!) and are still aiming for putting it on the market in the spring. As far as traveling to Japan... we're not sure when, but we'll keep you updated. Hopefully sometime next year is what we're hoping.
I tend to get ahead of God most of the time, but I've been thinking about what we might do in Japan. I really have NO idea. I had an idea of what I would have liked to do in China, but not Japan. I'm sure that's a surprise only God knows right now. I told one of my closest friends today that thinking about going to Japan is like thinking about going to Heaven. I have absolutely NO idea what it will be like or what it could be like. I have NO picture of us there or what we would do. I'm guessing that's right where God wants me. My plans are not His plans and my thoughts are not His thoughts. Good thing.
Greg and I are pretty transparent with our friends that our marriage has been a constant challenge for us. I would say it has been more difficult than parenting four kids (not sure if Greg agrees or not?). We are currently watching clips from a message series Andy Stanley did on marriage with our small group. It is titled: imarriage. We figured out we have an "imarriage". Two big I's trying to make a we. It's been a constant struggle. But, in the past month we can both confidently say, by God's grace we are making good strides. We crossed another threshold and it feels very good. We have both come to new understandings about ourselves and each other. We both desire our marriage to reflect Christ. We are so far from that, but we long to be closer to that goal. God is slowly (we're both slow learners) moving us in that direction.
So, are we any closer geographically to Japan... no. But, we are much closer to a healthy marriage that will withstand the pressure of this life change we will experience. It's interesting for me to look back over the past several years. Since we first heard "China", God has brought me closer to Him than I've ever been (unfortunately many times it involved cutting me off at the knees, my fault, not His!) and in that same process of drawing me into Himself, He's drawing me closer into my husband's arms as well. It's a struggle for an independent German (read stubborn) girl to depend on God or her husband. It's a struggle to give up the way I know (think) it should be and surrender to God or my husband. It's a struggle to give up ideas of how I think God should act or what He should be doing for me/us. But through this struggle I have learned that my ways are not God's ways. Thank God! My stubborness is being chipped away, little by little and little by little I'm learning what it means to submit to my Lord as well as my husband. The lessons have been painful, but God's grace is sufficient and my prayer is His glory will be shown by our marriage testimony. God takes what Satan means for destruction and turns it into a beacon of His glory. How grateful I am for God loving Greg and I so much that He does not give up on us. Believe me, we've both done things that are worth giving up on us for!
So, we venture on. Things are by no means perfect, but we are making good progress. Even if we would never make it to Japan, all that God has brought us through in our relationship has been worth it. I wouldn't trade the troubles now that I can begin to see the reward. That reward is eternal... I will never have to give it up!
We've decided to try to make the January deadline for all our paperwork. Oct. just wasn't the right time. It really had nothing to do with the paperwork and everything to do with my paragraphs above. We're continuing to declutter the house (long process!) and are still aiming for putting it on the market in the spring. As far as traveling to Japan... we're not sure when, but we'll keep you updated. Hopefully sometime next year is what we're hoping.
I tend to get ahead of God most of the time, but I've been thinking about what we might do in Japan. I really have NO idea. I had an idea of what I would have liked to do in China, but not Japan. I'm sure that's a surprise only God knows right now. I told one of my closest friends today that thinking about going to Japan is like thinking about going to Heaven. I have absolutely NO idea what it will be like or what it could be like. I have NO picture of us there or what we would do. I'm guessing that's right where God wants me. My plans are not His plans and my thoughts are not His thoughts. Good thing.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Knowing More? Or Less?
Most things become smaller the more you learn about them.
I was into photography for awhile. Still enjoy it, but not a lot of time for it in this season. The more I studied and learned about the art of photography (and photo editing) the more I understood and could grasp an understanding of light and how to work with it. Now, I'm no expert, for sure, but the world of photography is not so much a mystery to me any more.
I tend to be a person who likes to conquer things. I like to have a challenge in front of me, research it, figure it out and move on. There are a lot of things in life we can do this with.
However, God isn't one of them. I'm grateful for that! I've been doing some pretty intense studying that God is using to help me really solidfiy my grounding in Him. I have this burning feeling that I just need to know God more. The interesting thing about knowing God more though is that the more you know, the bigger God seems and the more you realize there is to know about Him. What else in this world is there that the more we know the more we actually don't? Crazy. No wonder people think we're weird! ;-)
As we begin to clean out our house... (I guess decluttering is the PC term for it, but really... it's like taking a bulldozer and having at it right now!) I have an eager sense of anticipation for what lies ahead for us. We don't know for sure when Japan will be a reality, but most likely within the next year moving to a smaller house here in Rochester will be a reality. It's almost a game I'm playing in my mind... how little do we REALLY need? Also very weird.
We're told by those who "know" that we can expect to only have about a quarter of the space our home currently has here once we move to Japan. That's about 700 sq. feet. Wow. And it will cost much more! Our goal over the next few months is to downsize A LOT! The neat thing is our kids are getting involved. Both the older two have attacked their rooms with their own bulldozers and they are making really good progress on unloading. They are giving a lot away. Our oldest is looking for things to sell so he can save money for a new laptop. We're trying to slowly get portable. Now, don't ask about the younger two... after a good effort Rylan has pooped out, Bryson never got his bulldozer started so the "Mommy-dozer" will be heading in this week to start shoveling out!
God amazed us this week by providing yet another family willing to support us financially... and we're still not even ready for that! Greg ran into a dear young woman who grew up in our church and has since moved away and gotten married. He spoke to her of our plans and right away she gave him her contact information and told him she and her husband would like to support us. Crazy! Our God is more than amazing!
I found this interesting quote to give you some brain food.... it's from AW Tozer... one of my new favorite teachers (well, new for me... he's not new... he died in '63!)
"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."
Chew on that one awhile... I am!
Prayer Request: This isn't actually for us, but for our friends who are currently missionaries in Japan. Praise that God has given them the start of a vision for a new ministry for them. They have been looking for direction for some time, waiting patiently for God's leading. Also, they need at least 30-35% more in monthly support (or one time gifts) to continue ministering in Japan. Please join me in prayer that God, who provides for all of our needs would raise up faithful people to support their mission to the Japanese people. Pray for an outpouring of generosity from people they don't even know. That those who know them would see God's glorious provision through the way He provides for His people.
We are looking to God to let us know when is the best time for us to visit Japan. We are thinking this could happen within the next year, but we're not clear as to when. Please pray for clear direction in this matter! There are some things going on in Japan in Nov. that we think would make it a great time to go, but we haven't received a confirmation on that yet.
I was into photography for awhile. Still enjoy it, but not a lot of time for it in this season. The more I studied and learned about the art of photography (and photo editing) the more I understood and could grasp an understanding of light and how to work with it. Now, I'm no expert, for sure, but the world of photography is not so much a mystery to me any more.
I tend to be a person who likes to conquer things. I like to have a challenge in front of me, research it, figure it out and move on. There are a lot of things in life we can do this with.
However, God isn't one of them. I'm grateful for that! I've been doing some pretty intense studying that God is using to help me really solidfiy my grounding in Him. I have this burning feeling that I just need to know God more. The interesting thing about knowing God more though is that the more you know, the bigger God seems and the more you realize there is to know about Him. What else in this world is there that the more we know the more we actually don't? Crazy. No wonder people think we're weird! ;-)
We're told by those who "know" that we can expect to only have about a quarter of the space our home currently has here once we move to Japan. That's about 700 sq. feet. Wow. And it will cost much more! Our goal over the next few months is to downsize A LOT! The neat thing is our kids are getting involved. Both the older two have attacked their rooms with their own bulldozers and they are making really good progress on unloading. They are giving a lot away. Our oldest is looking for things to sell so he can save money for a new laptop. We're trying to slowly get portable. Now, don't ask about the younger two... after a good effort Rylan has pooped out, Bryson never got his bulldozer started so the "Mommy-dozer" will be heading in this week to start shoveling out!
God amazed us this week by providing yet another family willing to support us financially... and we're still not even ready for that! Greg ran into a dear young woman who grew up in our church and has since moved away and gotten married. He spoke to her of our plans and right away she gave him her contact information and told him she and her husband would like to support us. Crazy! Our God is more than amazing!
I found this interesting quote to give you some brain food.... it's from AW Tozer... one of my new favorite teachers (well, new for me... he's not new... he died in '63!)
"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."
Chew on that one awhile... I am!
Prayer Request: This isn't actually for us, but for our friends who are currently missionaries in Japan. Praise that God has given them the start of a vision for a new ministry for them. They have been looking for direction for some time, waiting patiently for God's leading. Also, they need at least 30-35% more in monthly support (or one time gifts) to continue ministering in Japan. Please join me in prayer that God, who provides for all of our needs would raise up faithful people to support their mission to the Japanese people. Pray for an outpouring of generosity from people they don't even know. That those who know them would see God's glorious provision through the way He provides for His people.
We are looking to God to let us know when is the best time for us to visit Japan. We are thinking this could happen within the next year, but we're not clear as to when. Please pray for clear direction in this matter! There are some things going on in Japan in Nov. that we think would make it a great time to go, but we haven't received a confirmation on that yet.
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Moving on along....
"I don't want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit. I want people to look at my life and know that I couldn't be doing this by my own power. I want to live in such a way that I am desperate for Him to come through. That if He doesn't come through, I am screwed."
--Francis Chan
Forgotten God
This is my favorite quote from a book recently lent to me by a friend of mine. Ironically, as a college student, she is in a similar position in her life that us "old people" are right now in our early 40's! If you haven't read Forgotten God, put it on your list. I promise you won't be the same after reading it.
So, "unexplainable" has become the theme of our lives lately. Just last night Greg was trying to explain to someone WHY we are doing this. "Because God told us to" is our only answer. Some people are trying to make sense of it. We tried that. Hasn't worked for us... let us know if you come up with anything!
The best part of "unexplainable" is we don't have to rationalize anything. We don't have to justify anything. We don't have to um... well, explain anything. God is busy doing His thing. We are busy obeying. That's all there is to it.
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So, I needed to keep this quote in mind as we told our children this past weekend that Greg and I decided we need to sell the house. I had an encounter with God during my quiet time on Thursday morning and felt the deep need to sell the house and move somewhere more affordable until we leave for the most expensive place to live in the world! Heh... only God! Greg and I talked and we both agreed this is what we need to do.
So, we sat the kiddos down Sunday night and explained to them we are going to start decluttering (basically getting rid of everything we don't really need) and preparing the house to put on the market most likely late winter/early spring.
I don't know how I expected the kids to react, but 3 out of the 4 cried and the 4th one succumbed to tears the following day. This one was a tough one for them. First, they need to give up a lot of their stuff. Stuff is important to kids. We're trying to help them see God doesn't want us to worship our stuff... I think we started out with a bang on that lesson...
Second, Jayden was 3 when we moved here. That means basically all 4 kids only remember this house. (Jayden has select memories of our other house, which mainly consist of being afraid at night in the basement where his room was.. which is one of the reasons we moved!)
It's interesting, as a mom, to see my kids start to operate independent of me. I realize our oldest is almost 12, but this is really just hitting me now. When they are babies and young children, they seemed to just echo their dad and I. If we were angry about something, they would be angry. If we were happy, they were happy. If we were sad, they were sad. However now, they are individuals. They have their own feelings and reactions. I'm feeling the need more and more to trust God with them. There is so much I can't do for them that they need a sovereign God for.
I want them to learn as we do "unexplainable" things (most parents want to give their kids MORE, not LESS... bummer they got stuck with us! ;-) for God... that He will come through for us. He will be our ONLY explanation so that others may know Him. In our case, there's 124,000,000 (give or take a million) Japanese people who need to know Him. He needs to be our only explanation.
Being more sentimental about "stuff", Greg is leaning more toward the kids side. I think I'm the lone ranger in my feelings. I've never been real attached to stuff. I don't know why... just not my thing. I am a thrower, not a saver. Photos are important to me, but thankfully those are very portable now that everything is digital! Yes, our house has a lot of great memories, but the people that made those memories here are coming with me, so I really don't feel a lot of loss. (Disclaimer: Friends/extended family not included in that... that's a whole other issue for another day. However, if you feel the calling to Japan..... :)
Maybe I will feel different the more "real" it gets, but maybe not.... if this is what God wants us to do, who am I to question? That's the great thing about unexplainable. Why are you selling a big beautiful house and renting something small and not as nice? "Because God told us to." Unexplainable without the Holy Spirit.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13
--Francis Chan
Forgotten God
This is my favorite quote from a book recently lent to me by a friend of mine. Ironically, as a college student, she is in a similar position in her life that us "old people" are right now in our early 40's! If you haven't read Forgotten God, put it on your list. I promise you won't be the same after reading it.
So, "unexplainable" has become the theme of our lives lately. Just last night Greg was trying to explain to someone WHY we are doing this. "Because God told us to" is our only answer. Some people are trying to make sense of it. We tried that. Hasn't worked for us... let us know if you come up with anything!
The best part of "unexplainable" is we don't have to rationalize anything. We don't have to justify anything. We don't have to um... well, explain anything. God is busy doing His thing. We are busy obeying. That's all there is to it.
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So, we sat the kiddos down Sunday night and explained to them we are going to start decluttering (basically getting rid of everything we don't really need) and preparing the house to put on the market most likely late winter/early spring.
I don't know how I expected the kids to react, but 3 out of the 4 cried and the 4th one succumbed to tears the following day. This one was a tough one for them. First, they need to give up a lot of their stuff. Stuff is important to kids. We're trying to help them see God doesn't want us to worship our stuff... I think we started out with a bang on that lesson...
It's interesting, as a mom, to see my kids start to operate independent of me. I realize our oldest is almost 12, but this is really just hitting me now. When they are babies and young children, they seemed to just echo their dad and I. If we were angry about something, they would be angry. If we were happy, they were happy. If we were sad, they were sad. However now, they are individuals. They have their own feelings and reactions. I'm feeling the need more and more to trust God with them. There is so much I can't do for them that they need a sovereign God for.
I want them to learn as we do "unexplainable" things (most parents want to give their kids MORE, not LESS... bummer they got stuck with us! ;-) for God... that He will come through for us. He will be our ONLY explanation so that others may know Him. In our case, there's 124,000,000 (give or take a million) Japanese people who need to know Him. He needs to be our only explanation.
Being more sentimental about "stuff", Greg is leaning more toward the kids side. I think I'm the lone ranger in my feelings. I've never been real attached to stuff. I don't know why... just not my thing. I am a thrower, not a saver. Photos are important to me, but thankfully those are very portable now that everything is digital! Yes, our house has a lot of great memories, but the people that made those memories here are coming with me, so I really don't feel a lot of loss. (Disclaimer: Friends/extended family not included in that... that's a whole other issue for another day. However, if you feel the calling to Japan..... :)
Maybe I will feel different the more "real" it gets, but maybe not.... if this is what God wants us to do, who am I to question? That's the great thing about unexplainable. Why are you selling a big beautiful house and renting something small and not as nice? "Because God told us to." Unexplainable without the Holy Spirit.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13
Sunday, July 8, 2012
GodSPEED?
If
there's one thing I've learned in the past 3.5 years, it's that God
does not move fast. There are times when things seem to speed up a bit,
but most of the time he moves like a turtle. Or maybe even a snail.
I, on the other hand, am a rabbit or maybe a gazelle. I like to go
fast. I like fast roller coasters, I like to drive fast, I liked to go
fast down the alpine slide in Taylor's Falls last weekend. I like to
think fast and talk fast. Fast is good, slow is... well.... s l o w.
I think one of the hardest things God has asked me to do in this whole process is wait. Of course, waiting doesn't mean not doing anything, but waiting often entails not doing what **I** want to be doing. It means keeping my ears and eyes open for what God wants me to be doing today. It means slowing down to at least a turtle speed (I think moving at a snail's pace would actually kill me!)... letting the rabbit go ahead without me. It means not missing what God is teaching me today because I'm too focused on the future.
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31 ESV
I like the ESV version of this verse. NIV says, "but those who hope in the Lord..." I rather like the word "wait". When I wait for the Lord (instead of plowing ahead doing my own thing), people are able to see Jesus instead of me. That's a really good thing! ;-)
Saturday, June 23, 2012
First Supporters!
I love it when God works through others to bless His people. Sometimes we are the blessee and other times we are the recipients of that blessing. For some people it's more difficult to be the recipient than it is to be the vessel.
Greg and I have decided that we are going to approach financial support for this whole endeavor by trusting in God to provide what we need at each juncture. Our efforts will focus on praying in support and not soliciting. Not that we won't do what need to do to make people aware of our needs, but we are going to let the Holy Spirit work to move people to give.
Our first financial goal is to raise money to be able to visit Japan in Oct. We are looking to God to be faithful to provide.
I had an interesting interaction with a dear sister in Christ. I offered her something that she needs to pursue what I would call a career, but she may consider a hobby... (she's that good!) and asked that she not pay me, but consider contributing to our "Watts to Japan in Oct. fund". Amazingly she responded that her family would rather not give a lump sum, but give on a monthly basis. I giggled when she asked if we are prepared to accept that and thought... gee, we haven't even gotten there yet!
God is so faithful He is already preparing people's hearts to contribute the work He wants to do through our family. I'm very thankful to these dear family friends... they are most certainly a family always desiring to do the best for their Lord. Just having them pray for us will be exciting! I have heard story upon story from this dear family of how God has always provided for them when they need or even want something. They are faithful to ask, God is faithful to provide.
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15
Greg and I have decided that we are going to approach financial support for this whole endeavor by trusting in God to provide what we need at each juncture. Our efforts will focus on praying in support and not soliciting. Not that we won't do what need to do to make people aware of our needs, but we are going to let the Holy Spirit work to move people to give.
Our first financial goal is to raise money to be able to visit Japan in Oct. We are looking to God to be faithful to provide.
I had an interesting interaction with a dear sister in Christ. I offered her something that she needs to pursue what I would call a career, but she may consider a hobby... (she's that good!) and asked that she not pay me, but consider contributing to our "Watts to Japan in Oct. fund". Amazingly she responded that her family would rather not give a lump sum, but give on a monthly basis. I giggled when she asked if we are prepared to accept that and thought... gee, we haven't even gotten there yet!God is so faithful He is already preparing people's hearts to contribute the work He wants to do through our family. I'm very thankful to these dear family friends... they are most certainly a family always desiring to do the best for their Lord. Just having them pray for us will be exciting! I have heard story upon story from this dear family of how God has always provided for them when they need or even want something. They are faithful to ask, God is faithful to provide.
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15
Application process
I remember talking to a friend from college whose family are career missionaries. They've been in the ministry for over 10 years. We were talking a bit about the process to become a missionary and she joked with me that she doesn't know if they would be accepted now days because the process of selection has become more involved. I don't know if I agree with her on that, but I do agree the process is a bit overwhelming!
We have two applications sitting in front of us on the computer for two different agencies. They are both very involved! It's not the type of thing you can just sit down and whiz through. There is a lot of info. they want to know and many "essay" type questions. All is necessary, but it's a good thing the deadline for one of these applications is not until October!
Not only do we have a lot of paperwork to complete, one of the organizations we're considering wants us to visit Japan as a family before they will interview us. We agree this would be a good idea as we have never traveled internationally as a family. None of us have been over-seas either! So, our next step is to trust God for the finances to be able to afford to travel to Japan.
It would be wonderful if we could make this trip the latter half of October. A team we potentially could work with will be meeting to set a new direction in Oct. It would be very exciting to be there when they come together to plan their next steps. We have a possibility of somewhere to stay thanks to our friends in Japan. That would be very helpful! We are now looking to God to provide our transportation over there. (Mounting on eagle's wings sounds very exciting and cheap right now! Anybody raise eagles?) I am confident that if God wants us there in Oct. it is nothing for Him to provide what we need. Our friends are already busy researching some projects we could be involved in.
In the meantime, we continue to trust for God's provision!
Phil. 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
We have two applications sitting in front of us on the computer for two different agencies. They are both very involved! It's not the type of thing you can just sit down and whiz through. There is a lot of info. they want to know and many "essay" type questions. All is necessary, but it's a good thing the deadline for one of these applications is not until October!
Not only do we have a lot of paperwork to complete, one of the organizations we're considering wants us to visit Japan as a family before they will interview us. We agree this would be a good idea as we have never traveled internationally as a family. None of us have been over-seas either! So, our next step is to trust God for the finances to be able to afford to travel to Japan.
It would be wonderful if we could make this trip the latter half of October. A team we potentially could work with will be meeting to set a new direction in Oct. It would be very exciting to be there when they come together to plan their next steps. We have a possibility of somewhere to stay thanks to our friends in Japan. That would be very helpful! We are now looking to God to provide our transportation over there. (Mounting on eagle's wings sounds very exciting and cheap right now! Anybody raise eagles?) I am confident that if God wants us there in Oct. it is nothing for Him to provide what we need. Our friends are already busy researching some projects we could be involved in.
In the meantime, we continue to trust for God's provision!
Phil. 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Quentin
I love how God can be so quiet and then all of a sudden He bursts out and you can't help but notice Him!
We have many smaller "God moments" in our family life. Often times these are little whispers of God to Greg and I or the kids. Neat little gems that we can tuck away and know that God listens and cares for us. But sometimes we have huge God moments. This is one of them....
Back a month or so ago we had a funeral at our church. We did not have the pleasure of knowing Johnny when he was alive, but after his funeral I wish we did. Greg and I both had the thought independently that we should attend the funeral even though we didn't know Johnny. Greg actually heard from God that he would be rewarded if he went to the funeral. (I wondered out loud to someone as I was telling her this story... why is it that Greg gets to hear God speak and not me? She giggled and said, "Because He knows you don't need it!") I guess that's true! ;-)
Anyway, we both decided to go to the funeral and it really was a lovely funeral. Our pastors do a great job of speaking "real" of the person who has passed away. When the funeral is over everyone can say... yes, that is the person I knew! They also allow for open mic. time when family members and friends come up to share stories and memories of the person who has passed away. This is my favorite time. Sometimes we laugh together sometimes we cry together, but the stories are wonderful to hear. I've always been a lover of people's stories.
After the funeral, Greg and I were helping set up tables for the lunch. Greg ended up talking to a young man named Quentin. He was talking to him for quite a while before I joined them. Quentin introduced himself and continued his story he was telling Greg. He's a believer in a rough place. I invited him to come back to church with us and asked him if he needed a ride. Yes, he did. Where can we pick you up? Well, that stumped him. Currently, he was homeless. So, I looked at Greg... and proceeded to ask Quentin if he would like to come home with us. He accepted!
We headed home quick to tell the kids and get a few things ready. I went back with 2 of the boys to pick up Quentin from church and take him to get his things. The boys took an instant liking to him. When we got home Jayden and Kylie had made a huge banner reading, "Welcome Quentin" with added little words... we love you! welcome to the family! #1! Kylie also made him a card with the whole family on it (including the dog!) with Quentin right there in the middle.
Quentin was greeted with hugs and welcomes. Kylie gave him a hug and said, "I love you already!" Bryson was his little shadow the first couple days following him everywhere!
Since that first weekend, Quentin has been in and out. The kids are always asking if I know when he'll be back. Whenever he visits all the kids come running to greet him! He's been very gracious to us and is grateful for our help during a tough time in his life. I really feel like our only purpose right then (and now) is to show him the love of Jesus. It's been amazing to see how God's love and acceptance has flown through our children. We know that this was a divine appointment with Quentin. God's rewards are unsurpassable!
We have many smaller "God moments" in our family life. Often times these are little whispers of God to Greg and I or the kids. Neat little gems that we can tuck away and know that God listens and cares for us. But sometimes we have huge God moments. This is one of them....
Back a month or so ago we had a funeral at our church. We did not have the pleasure of knowing Johnny when he was alive, but after his funeral I wish we did. Greg and I both had the thought independently that we should attend the funeral even though we didn't know Johnny. Greg actually heard from God that he would be rewarded if he went to the funeral. (I wondered out loud to someone as I was telling her this story... why is it that Greg gets to hear God speak and not me? She giggled and said, "Because He knows you don't need it!") I guess that's true! ;-)
Anyway, we both decided to go to the funeral and it really was a lovely funeral. Our pastors do a great job of speaking "real" of the person who has passed away. When the funeral is over everyone can say... yes, that is the person I knew! They also allow for open mic. time when family members and friends come up to share stories and memories of the person who has passed away. This is my favorite time. Sometimes we laugh together sometimes we cry together, but the stories are wonderful to hear. I've always been a lover of people's stories.
After the funeral, Greg and I were helping set up tables for the lunch. Greg ended up talking to a young man named Quentin. He was talking to him for quite a while before I joined them. Quentin introduced himself and continued his story he was telling Greg. He's a believer in a rough place. I invited him to come back to church with us and asked him if he needed a ride. Yes, he did. Where can we pick you up? Well, that stumped him. Currently, he was homeless. So, I looked at Greg... and proceeded to ask Quentin if he would like to come home with us. He accepted!
We headed home quick to tell the kids and get a few things ready. I went back with 2 of the boys to pick up Quentin from church and take him to get his things. The boys took an instant liking to him. When we got home Jayden and Kylie had made a huge banner reading, "Welcome Quentin" with added little words... we love you! welcome to the family! #1! Kylie also made him a card with the whole family on it (including the dog!) with Quentin right there in the middle.
Quentin was greeted with hugs and welcomes. Kylie gave him a hug and said, "I love you already!" Bryson was his little shadow the first couple days following him everywhere!
Since that first weekend, Quentin has been in and out. The kids are always asking if I know when he'll be back. Whenever he visits all the kids come running to greet him! He's been very gracious to us and is grateful for our help during a tough time in his life. I really feel like our only purpose right then (and now) is to show him the love of Jesus. It's been amazing to see how God's love and acceptance has flown through our children. We know that this was a divine appointment with Quentin. God's rewards are unsurpassable!
Telling family/friends
The process of telling our family/friends has been somewhat ongoing. A few people have known from the beginning and we've been telling others along the way as circumstances permit. I would say the overwhelming response has been shock. I don't think 40 somethings with 4 kids are supposed to be planning to start a new life when we "have it all".
We have a wonderful family, many many friends, a nice house (more house than we need!), great jobs, great church.... basically we have everything I have ever dreamed of. But, somewhere in the midst of all of those blessings, God is calling us to MORE. More of Him. We are too comfortable and God knows it. This calling is not for everyone, but we indeed feel it is for us. Some have had trouble understanding this. That's my first clue we are really following God! ;-)
Family and friends have been supportive, even through their shock. We aren't at the place where things are moving quickly so I think it's easier to put it on the back burner for those who love us. I know the concerns that have been raised by some are only because they love and care for us. The great thing about following God is HE is the one who will provide for our every need. He's the one asking us to do this, so HE will provide. We do a lot of things "differently" than mainstream families and many of our friends have commented that NOW they understand why God has led us to do certain things.
The hardest thing for me is when people ask us a lot of questions... when? why? what will you do? how long? We don't know the answers to any of these questions! We are on a "need to know" basis with God and apparently we don't need to know any of those answers yet! ;-) We are just taking one step at a time and doing what God asks us to do. Then, we take another step. God reveals to us in His timing what He expects of us. (This has taken me 3.5 years and lots of angst to learn!)
Part of my reason for this blog is to show God's faithfulness to us. When He gives you a mission He provides you the tools.
At the very beginning of our journey I thought a lot about Abraham....
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country[b] and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”[c]
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Genesis 12:1-4
Now, I realize the promise here is for Abraham, but the fact that God called him away from his home and he just went impressed me. He didn't question (at least as far as the Bible account shows). He believed God would do what He said He would do. I also love the fact that God tells Abraham WHY He is sending him. "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed". We are one of those families! The reason God sent Abraham to Canaan was not for Abraham's sake. It was for the sake of God's people that He loves. Abraham was just the instrument God used. Our journey to Japan is not for our sake... it is for the sake of 98% of the population of Japan who do not know and trust Jesus as their savior. We have been blessed so that we may bless.
And did you notice he was 75 years old! How glad I am God chose to send us in our 40's! Much easier to carry those suitcases! :-)
We have a wonderful family, many many friends, a nice house (more house than we need!), great jobs, great church.... basically we have everything I have ever dreamed of. But, somewhere in the midst of all of those blessings, God is calling us to MORE. More of Him. We are too comfortable and God knows it. This calling is not for everyone, but we indeed feel it is for us. Some have had trouble understanding this. That's my first clue we are really following God! ;-)
Family and friends have been supportive, even through their shock. We aren't at the place where things are moving quickly so I think it's easier to put it on the back burner for those who love us. I know the concerns that have been raised by some are only because they love and care for us. The great thing about following God is HE is the one who will provide for our every need. He's the one asking us to do this, so HE will provide. We do a lot of things "differently" than mainstream families and many of our friends have commented that NOW they understand why God has led us to do certain things.
The hardest thing for me is when people ask us a lot of questions... when? why? what will you do? how long? We don't know the answers to any of these questions! We are on a "need to know" basis with God and apparently we don't need to know any of those answers yet! ;-) We are just taking one step at a time and doing what God asks us to do. Then, we take another step. God reveals to us in His timing what He expects of us. (This has taken me 3.5 years and lots of angst to learn!)
Part of my reason for this blog is to show God's faithfulness to us. When He gives you a mission He provides you the tools.
At the very beginning of our journey I thought a lot about Abraham....
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country[b] and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”[c]
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Genesis 12:1-4
Now, I realize the promise here is for Abraham, but the fact that God called him away from his home and he just went impressed me. He didn't question (at least as far as the Bible account shows). He believed God would do what He said He would do. I also love the fact that God tells Abraham WHY He is sending him. "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed". We are one of those families! The reason God sent Abraham to Canaan was not for Abraham's sake. It was for the sake of God's people that He loves. Abraham was just the instrument God used. Our journey to Japan is not for our sake... it is for the sake of 98% of the population of Japan who do not know and trust Jesus as their savior. We have been blessed so that we may bless.
And did you notice he was 75 years old! How glad I am God chose to send us in our 40's! Much easier to carry those suitcases! :-)
Telling the Kids
For 3.5 years we didn't say anything to the kids about missionary work over-seas. It's a weird thing to have something so big in our future, yet to the kids, life went on as normal. About May 2012 we decided it was time to share with the kids.
We gathered them together for a "family meeting". We don't do this very often so everyone knew something was up! First question was, "Mom, are you pregnant?" Heh, heh... nope.
Greg shared with the kids the whole story. The reactions from the kids were pretty much what I expected. Jayden was excited. Kylie was quiet. Rylan (after interrupting the story with a million questions) cried and asked if they would want to kill us in Japan. (I guess we've read too many missionary stories that don't end well!) And Bryson rolled around on the floor during the entire annoucement and then proceeded to ask as soon as we were finished if he could play video games!
The next morning Rylan came rushing down the stairs to find me. First thing he asked me if there are waterparks in Japan. He had a dream last night that he was at a water park in Japan. I told him I'm not sure and let's look. So we hopped on the computer and searched and we found out, yes! There are! I pulled up a photo of one and Rylan exclaimed, "MOM! That's the waterpark that was in my dream! I think God is trying to tell me, "Chill out dude, everything is going to be okay!"
How sweet to hear our 8 year old get a message from God. Calming his fears in one night! From then on Rylan has been excited about Japan.
We gathered them together for a "family meeting". We don't do this very often so everyone knew something was up! First question was, "Mom, are you pregnant?" Heh, heh... nope.
Greg shared with the kids the whole story. The reactions from the kids were pretty much what I expected. Jayden was excited. Kylie was quiet. Rylan (after interrupting the story with a million questions) cried and asked if they would want to kill us in Japan. (I guess we've read too many missionary stories that don't end well!) And Bryson rolled around on the floor during the entire annoucement and then proceeded to ask as soon as we were finished if he could play video games!
The next morning Rylan came rushing down the stairs to find me. First thing he asked me if there are waterparks in Japan. He had a dream last night that he was at a water park in Japan. I told him I'm not sure and let's look. So we hopped on the computer and searched and we found out, yes! There are! I pulled up a photo of one and Rylan exclaimed, "MOM! That's the waterpark that was in my dream! I think God is trying to tell me, "Chill out dude, everything is going to be okay!"
How sweet to hear our 8 year old get a message from God. Calming his fears in one night! From then on Rylan has been excited about Japan.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Preparing
"How is God preparing you?" That's one of the questions we have to answer on an application to a mission organization. Wow, how do I answer that in 200 words or less? I think I could write a book! The past 3 years have been very challenging for Greg and I. Learning to work through the differences in our personality, in how we act out our faith, man/woman differences and husband/wife differences. Never has our relationship been so tested, but now on the other side of things never has our relationship been stronger. Notice I said "stronger" not "more perfect!" We are still two selfish individuals trying to live together (and trying to get 4 more little selfish individuals to live together with us!), but God has taught us both a lot about what it means to follow Him as well as what it means to love each other.
There are some practical ways too that God is preparing us. Take our diet for one. We've always strived to eat healthy. Some periods of our lives have been healthier than others, but for the most part we try hard. Well, due to some health issues with Rylan and I in particular, we have had to drastically change our diet. What did we change to? How about whole foods/no sugar/low grain. Hmmmmm... wonder how we might eat in Japan? Our kids (and us) have had to get used to a lot of new foods and old foods prepared a different way. As we adjust to a new food culture I'm sure these lessons we're learning now will come in handy!
Isn't great that God led us into homeschooling? We will begin our 5th year and the kids (and I) really do love it. Again, it's not "perfect", but when it comes down to it, homeschooling allows our family to focus on the things God wants our particular family to focus on. A great benefit in this is that in the midst of all the changes we will go through, the children's schooling can stay the same. They will have that anchor to let down in an ocean full of unknowns. Not to mention the fact that we can tailor our education to our children's particular needs... such as learning Japanese!
A year and half ago, Greg and I took Financial Peace University. This is a 13 week course designed by Dave Ramsey to help people get control of their financial situation. We were not in consumer debt so that wasn't our issue... really we just needed focus on trying to stay in budget each month. That class drastically changed the way we operate with our finances. I believe God was giving us a format to manage our money well. This will be a key skill as we seek to use money other people supply us with to do Kingdom work. We now have been trained to be diligent about our finances.
We have been involved in our church for 15 years. We helped start it from the ground up. We are so greatful for the church God has provided for us. I truly believe God has used the community around us to build a love for the lost. Our church does not focus a lot on foreign missions, (guess we'll change that a bit!), but has taught us how to be local missionaries. How to serve God to the best of our ability right where we are. This has helped to give us a heart for those who God is still waiting on to come to Him. Our church reaches out to people who probably wouldn't step a foot inside a traditional church. We have all walks of people... rich/poor, black/white, advantaged/disadvantaged, churched/unchurched... all of us sinners needing redemption. We affectionately refer to ourselves as "The Island of Misfit Toys". That's who we are... and we're proud of it!
There are so many more things I could mention, but I'm sure I've hit the 200 word mark! I can rest easy knowing God will prepare us in all the things He would like us to be prepared in... and the rest.... gee, guess we'll have to trust Him! :-)
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
In the Beginning.....
If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would be authoring a blog such as this, I would have said you were crazy!
Our adventure starts in Sept. 2008. It actually just started with Greg. He had trouble going to sleep one night and had this horrible feeling he was about to "hear" something he didn't want to hear. He tried to fall asleep, but the dog had to go outside so he had to go down and let her out. On his way back to bed he heard a message from God telling him He wants our family to enter the mission field. Greg (not really wanting to know) asked "Where?" And God answered... China. Greg was overwhelmed and really not all that happy about that plan. It took him several weeks to even tell me.
Once Greg told me I was very excited and ready to board a plane. Greg, on the other hand, wanted to be as far away from any plane heading anywhere that he could be. We went through a rocky time in our family and marriage as we both struggled through the next 3 years of knowing this is on the horizon, but not really knowing what to do. We can look back now and see God has done so much work that was needed to be done on Greg and I individually as well as our marriage and family. The work is by no means done, but we've had some major refining along the way.
In December 2011, Greg came to me and said he felt it was time to pursue moving forward. I had finally given up trying to convince Greg of anything and said I wouldn't mention China ever again unless he brought it up. The only time I did bring it up was about 2 weeks or so before he came to me in Dec. I had sent him an email. God had given me the thought that maybe Greg was not supposed to be the "up front" missionary. Maybe that's my role and he plays a more supporting role. Greg later told me this was the first thing that actually made sense to him. Isn't it amazing that when God is really working in our lives things don't always make sense? Why would someone "want" to give up part of their income to help the poor? Why would anyone invite a stranger into their home? Why would we uproot our family and comfortable lives to enter an unseen future? Often times I find the way God works is very non-sensical to me.
So, I proceeded to call a couple mission organizations. We are still in contact with both the organizations we contacted. We haven't decided yet which is the better fit. We had some phone conversations and filled out some preliminary applications. Somewhere along the line I decided to email our good friends who had been missionaries in Turkey, now stationed in Japan. They are prayer warriors and deeply devoted to Jesus, so I just knew their prayer support would be invaluable. I sent one email with our prayer request for direction and such.
I heard back from them right away the next morning. They, of course, said they would pray for us. But, they also wanted us to know of an opportunity to serve in Japan. They did not want to misguide us at all, but as I later found out my friend had a burning desire to mention this position to us. We know it was the Holy Spirit leading her to tell us. I got very excited after reading that email. What you don't know is that Greg has had an interest in Japan ever since he was a child. In fact, many of his discussions with God early on in our "China" adventure had to do with "Why couldn't you have said JAPAN?" My immediate thought was that because of Greg's faithfulness in following God to China (even though he didn't want to go there), maybe God was giving him the desire of his heart... to go to Japan.
So, we prayed about it to make sure we weren't disobeying and have come to the conclusion that God is leading us to Japan. I have to admit, that was a little adjustment for me. I had set my heart on China and was thinking up things in my head that I wanted to be invovled in. All of them noble ventures, but my guess is God wanted more control over what I would do than what I was wanting to give Him. I have NO idea really what we would do in Japan. The position we were made aware of is an option, but God has not set my heart on that. I believe it was just God's way of redirecting us to Japan instead of China.
So that is the beginning, but certainly there is no end to this story! This blog is intended to document God's amazing work in us as He prepares us for a new chapter in our lives! I'm hoping you'll join us in our journey to Japan!
Our adventure starts in Sept. 2008. It actually just started with Greg. He had trouble going to sleep one night and had this horrible feeling he was about to "hear" something he didn't want to hear. He tried to fall asleep, but the dog had to go outside so he had to go down and let her out. On his way back to bed he heard a message from God telling him He wants our family to enter the mission field. Greg (not really wanting to know) asked "Where?" And God answered... China. Greg was overwhelmed and really not all that happy about that plan. It took him several weeks to even tell me.
Once Greg told me I was very excited and ready to board a plane. Greg, on the other hand, wanted to be as far away from any plane heading anywhere that he could be. We went through a rocky time in our family and marriage as we both struggled through the next 3 years of knowing this is on the horizon, but not really knowing what to do. We can look back now and see God has done so much work that was needed to be done on Greg and I individually as well as our marriage and family. The work is by no means done, but we've had some major refining along the way.
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| The red areas are people groups unreached with the gospel. Notice Japan is RED! Less than 2% of the population in Japan are believers in Jesus! |
So, I proceeded to call a couple mission organizations. We are still in contact with both the organizations we contacted. We haven't decided yet which is the better fit. We had some phone conversations and filled out some preliminary applications. Somewhere along the line I decided to email our good friends who had been missionaries in Turkey, now stationed in Japan. They are prayer warriors and deeply devoted to Jesus, so I just knew their prayer support would be invaluable. I sent one email with our prayer request for direction and such.
I heard back from them right away the next morning. They, of course, said they would pray for us. But, they also wanted us to know of an opportunity to serve in Japan. They did not want to misguide us at all, but as I later found out my friend had a burning desire to mention this position to us. We know it was the Holy Spirit leading her to tell us. I got very excited after reading that email. What you don't know is that Greg has had an interest in Japan ever since he was a child. In fact, many of his discussions with God early on in our "China" adventure had to do with "Why couldn't you have said JAPAN?" My immediate thought was that because of Greg's faithfulness in following God to China (even though he didn't want to go there), maybe God was giving him the desire of his heart... to go to Japan.
So, we prayed about it to make sure we weren't disobeying and have come to the conclusion that God is leading us to Japan. I have to admit, that was a little adjustment for me. I had set my heart on China and was thinking up things in my head that I wanted to be invovled in. All of them noble ventures, but my guess is God wanted more control over what I would do than what I was wanting to give Him. I have NO idea really what we would do in Japan. The position we were made aware of is an option, but God has not set my heart on that. I believe it was just God's way of redirecting us to Japan instead of China.
So that is the beginning, but certainly there is no end to this story! This blog is intended to document God's amazing work in us as He prepares us for a new chapter in our lives! I'm hoping you'll join us in our journey to Japan!
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