Living LARGE in a smaller home!

Yes, it's been over a year since I've written here.  That's not for lack of trying!  I've sat down several times in the past year to update, but nothing has ever seemed right and I've deleted many entries.

This last year (actually the past 3 months alone) has been big for us.  After many years of "routine" and not seeming like things are moving ahead (from the outside that is) everything starts to happen at once!  The end of January we listed our home on the market.  This was a big step as it took us a year to finally get it on the market.  We signed to list on a Tuesday night.  We had 4 showings between Wednesday and Thursday and Friday we were accepting an offer!  Pure craziness!

We had seen a home we were interested in before we put our house on the market and this home was still available after our house sold.  So we headed over to see once again.  Yes, this still seemed like a very good house for us.  After seeing several other houses in the same price range we were looking in we just didn't see anything that compared to the first house.  We put an offer on the house and within a week we had sold and bought a home!

Over the course of several weeks we packed up our old house and prepared the "new" (1940!) house for our family to move into.  Lots of work was done within a 2 week span.  12-14 hour days at the house was the norm.... the great part was the kids got used to being at the house without having to sleep there right away.  The challenging part was the long transition time which wore on all of us after awhile.

Our big move happened March 22.  We had so many wonderful friends and family to help us.  It's always a big job, but our friends rallied and really made it a great day.  We had the beautiful gift of a meal provided for our workers for the day as well as some meals made for us right before we moved.  Words cannot express the gratefulness we feel for all the love showered on us during this time!

We just started to settle in and we went out of town for 1/2 a week to the homeschooling conference.  Just before we left I got a call from my mom that it was time to come and say "good-bye" to my grandma.  I think my sister said it best this past weekend, at grandma's memorial service, when she said my grandma is woven into our lives.  She's part of the fabric that makes us who we are.  We are glad she is released from the grip of dementia, however we will miss her.  She was much loved by all of us just as she loved us so much.

My hope is that we will once again enter a season of "routine" for awhile.  My hubby would laugh out loud at that!  I am the one who hates routine, but I have to say I'm ready for some!  It's really been a crazy past year... it seems one thing after another has come up and it's been a challenge to attend to daily life.

In the midst of all of this God is working within our family even more than what others see on the outside.  Our marriage has sustained quite possibly the most challenging year we have ever had.  The refining fire has burned continuous and as hot as ever.  We understand that God is doing a work in us that needs to be done.  He is creating us to be more and more like Him and doing that as a couple is one of the most challenging things I think we will ever do.  We've lived almost 19 years doing life pretty much individually.  That is not what God has in mind for us... and He is showing us that!  Sometimes we fight it, sometimes we surrender.  In the end, somehow we grow to depend more on our Savior and more on each other.  That's a good thing.

The children and I have been reading through missionary stories for the past couple years.  This is one of our favorite times of the day.  We are amazed at the way God chooses to work through people and what they are capable of as they surrender to God.  I would have to say though, I don't think any of our children will EVER ride on a ship!  Way too many stories of scary things happening on voyages on the water!  A sweet nugget was sent my way as one of our children realized God working in our life recently as she said, "That's just like..... from the missionary stories!"  Oh the joy of God teaching your children directly and not through you!  One of my greatest joys will be to see how God works in and through each of our children's lives as they grow.  I know in my heart each one is being prepared in a very special way to serve Him.

So, we are often asked, "How is Japan coming?"  That is such a tough question to answer in the few minutes these conversations often take place in.  From the outside about the only "new" thing is we have moved.  Smaller house, smaller mortgage.  Getting used to living in closer quarters as well as a place that will be easy to rent out at some point is part of our preparation.  All good things.  But no progress specifically directed at Japan.

I cannot even begin to express the work God has been doing within us this past year.  Lots of humbling.  Lots of tearing down of walls.  Lots of growing.  Lots of refining.  All tough, but all good.  Every day it seems more and more is revealed to us that we need to get in order.  We know the mission field is tough.  A good friend of ours, in his prayer request for the week, recently said, "No marriage.  No mission."  So right.  Not that we'll have everything together before we leave, but God is making sure we are far enough along that our marriage will not be compromised in the midst ministry.

Our next step?  (as I am often asked)  Well, as far as we can tell it is to settle into this new house, new routine and refine our budget and finances to fit our new situation.  We are excited to meet new neighbors and developing new friendships.  Moving to the other side of Rochester is *almost* like moving to a different town!  We are living close to the middle of town in a very eclectic area which is very different from where we've lived before.  It almost feels to us like a "trial run" of living a wee bit out of our comfort zone before we live A LOT out of our comfort zone! 

After this period our next step will be to choose a mission organization.  We have not firmly decided on an organization so we will need to finalize that decision and then start the process toward mission work in Japan.  An exciting prospect for sure, however after this move I have a better understanding of the enormity of the task ahead. 

I'm so grateful that God only asks me to focus on today.  That He gets to take care of tomorrow.  That's comforting.  I'm happy to lay that at my Jesus' feet.  His burden is never too large.  Sometimes I feel like a child clutching my burdens in my hands such as a small child who has picked up sand in both hands and wants to pick up a toy, but cannot hold anything else.  It is these two fist fulls of sand I must lay at my Master's feet.  He is happy to pick up that sand (and more)... and for that I am grateful!

Please continue prayers for our family... for our marriage, for our kids to settle into a new routine in a new home as well as for us to know clearly when the time is right to pursue a mission organization.  We are blessed to be surrounded by so many of you who care for and love us!  Thank you!

Love,
Robyn

Feb/March

I'm drawing the line at 3 months in my titles!  I'll hurry up and try to get this posted by the end of March.

Kylie with Miracle
(Pastor's daughter on right)
 and her friend.

Our Belize trip was absolutely amazing!  We met so many nice people, the kids were warm and friendly and excited to be with us, we worked (and sweated) hard and got the entire foundation dug, rebarred and cement poured.  We held health clinics, including the local nurse in the clinics so she could do follow ups.  We ran a VBS and did Bible studies with local people as well as visited shut-ins who have a difficult (impossible) time getting to church.  It was a hot week (even by Belize standards!) and we all came home with chigger bites, but I think every one of us would do it all again!  God worked amazingly through us.

Working on the foundation for
a church expansion.

Mid way through the week we took a morning out to visit some Mayan ruins (actually, in Belize they are called "temples", not ruins).  This was a fun outing and gave us a little break from our hard work.  We even got to sample local "mints" in the form of termites straight from the tree!  And in fact, they do taste minty!   It was amazing to be walking through an actual rainforest.  Until that point I had only read about them in books.  At the end of the week we rode a water taxi out to Caye Caulker, a tourist island about 45 min. boat ride from coast of Belize.  It was really odd to be outside of the village.  I much preferred village life, however we did relish the shower and beds!!!  We felt like kings and queens.

Kylie and Elonni were inseparable!

We experienced a little bit of "third world" living when the owner of the property we stayed on turned off our water source because his cistern had only a foot of water left in it!  We gave up showering and flushing for awhile until the cistern could refill to a safer level.  Belize is in it's dry season so no rain means no water!  It sure made us many times grateful for the blessing we have of clean running water and excellent sewer systems!  Amazing the things we take for granted each day.

We got to take a "Howling Monkey" tour at the wildlife refuge we stayed at.  The guide (Robert) took us out into the jungle and howled for the monkeys to come down.  They did and a couple people even got a monkey to sit on them!

Sweet baby!

Eustace

The best part of my week was our last day.  Not that the rest of the week wasn't great, but really what topped it off for me was being invited back to Eustace's house.  The kids and my flight left a bit later in the day than the rest of the group so we had some time to kill.  Our trip leader was kind enough to arrange for us to visit with Eustace and his wife, Dell.  Eustace is a Praying Pelican's staff member and was a leader on our trip.  We drove back with him to his house and met his wife and darling 5 month old granddaughter.  She is just this hunka chunka little girl who is so sweet!  Dell let me hold her and help dress her, do her hair and then I even got to rock this precious little one to sleep.  I still think there's nothing better than a baby falling asleep on you!

In a restaurant in Caye Caulker.  While
the kids stuck with burgers/fries, I
tried the Barracuda steak.  Yummy!

Once she woke up we brought lunch that Dell had prepared to their 8 year old son's school to serve as birthday lunch.  I met his teacher (one of Dell's older daughters) and then she took me to be introduced to the principal.  This is a government Christian school.  Yes, I did say "government!"  After introductions the principal right away asked for prayer for her school.  Within moments I was standing with the principal and 2 teachers praying for their teachers and students.  Amazing.  God is amazing!

After a yummy typical Belizian lunch (chicken, rice (with a "gravy") and coleslaw) we sang Happy Birthday to Eustace's son and passed out cake.  It was then time to pack up and leave.  We visited a bit more with Eustace and Dell in their home and then were driven back to the airport.

Jayden and Kylie did great on the trip.  They worked hard and got to experience a very different way of life.  I was really glad we've taken the kids camping as it really felt like that.  It was a joy to be able to experience this with the kids.  We all want to go back sometime and see all the wonderful friends we made.  I think there will always be a little piece of my heart in Belize.

Jayden made a new friend, Jaheed.

Back home we are ramping up our efforts on the house.  The basement is pretty much finished.  New paint and new carpet is all laid.  It looks great.  I moved our school area downstairs and we're excited to be in that new space this next week.  I actually really like it down there.  Much easier to be down there with new carpet and brighter walls.  I feel a little spoiled!

The next thing we need to attack is painting the kitchen/dining room and then getting the wood floor finished.  Then 2 bedrooms remain to be painted and the rest of the carpet laid.  I'd love to get the house on the market in May.... we'll see.

God and I had some important time together the last morning in Belize.  I'm feeling some nudges in some new directions in my job with church as well as some ideas with mission work.  I don't know where any of it will go, but I figure all I need to do is follow God one day at a time.  It is comforting to know I don't have to figure it all out.  I just need to obey.

I'm excited for our future.  Greg and I are finally in a "sweet spot" in our marriage.  We have gone through so much, but God is faithful and has guided us through.  In no way is our marriage perfect, nor will it ever be, but by God's grace we are two sinners learning to live together.  We are now experiencing "sharpening and refining" in other areas of our lives.  These trials are never easy, but so important to building our faith in our Heavenly Father.  A dear friend made a comment to me today at church.  She said we say we don't see God work miracles anymore.  But, do we ever put ourselves in a position where we need to rely on God to work one?   She has a great point.

We had about 50 kids attend
VBS which was quite good considering
the kids are still in school.

Pastor Floyd's house with eating area/food shelf
in the area below.

The classroom at the government Christian
school we visited.

General store just down the street
from where we stayed.

Our sleeping arrangement.  Some learned
early on NOT to put luggage on the floor
as fire ants overtook their bags!

Our accommodations at the
Wildlife Refuge.

Bermudian Landing Church
Building.  In the front of the photo
is the place we dug out the foundation.

Health Clinic

Sweet ladies we visted
in the village.

Snorkeling with sharks and stingrays!

In the rainforest near the ruins.

Pastor Floyd's sweet wife Dalia.  She and ladies from the
church fed us well during the week!  I really enjoyed the
short time I had to talk with Dalia.  I think we'd be good
friends if we lived in the same country!  

On the water taxi heading to the island.

Ms. Hilda is a dear sister in the church. 

I just got done reading "Kisses from Katie".  It's a story of a 19 year old young woman who drops her comfortable life in the US and heads to Uganda to minister to the poorest of the poor.  She adopts 14 girls in the first year she is there and sets up a non-profit to support 150 more children with food and schooling!  It is an amazing story of this young woman's faith.  She is in a position to see miracles and she does.  In the midst of daily death, sickness, famine and filth she witnesses many miracles.  Things only God can do.  This is the place I so desperately desire to be.... on the edge, hanging on, expecting great things from our Great God!

**Some photos courtesy of Beky Smith who was our amazing photographer for the week!  Thanks Beky!

Jan/Feb Update

Sorry it's been awhile since the last update.  Here's where we're at right now....

We ended up not making the January paperwork deadline.  I won't go into too much detail on that.  Deadlines come every 3 months so I'm not sure yet when we're planning on having the paperwork done.  Will keep you updated on that.  In the meantime we've been working on getting the house ready to sell.  Right now I'm not quite sure where we are with that either, but God's timing is perfect and despite the fact that I don't know what the time table is, God does and that has to be sufficient for me.

I've had several correspondence with our dear friends in Japan and I just wish there weren't so many miles between us.  Most of the time I want to jump through the computer and hug them!  They are a family on the front line of ministry.  This does not go unnoticed by the Enemy, yet more comforting, they are not unnoticed by our Supreme God.  I'm longing to support them in the front lines, but until then I pray diligently for my two dear friends and their precious four children.

We've seen many instances of God moving in the past couple months.  The children and I have a daily habit of Bible study and reading through missionary biographies.  We very much enjoy this time together and have learned so much about who God is and how He works.  I didn't know just how important this time was until our children wrote a letter to a struggling new Christian friend.  It was then that I learned these missionary readings have actually served to noticeably build our daughter's faith.  (Not that they haven't effected everyone, but Kylie particularly mentioned these stories.)  I feel so blessed to be able to have such a direct influence in our children's education.  God is preparing them in the best way for the service He has in mind for them.

Even though our Japan plans aren't moving as fast as I'd like, God moved mightily fast this month on another front.  Someone gave me a call a week ago and said they would like to sponsor Jayden and Kylie going to Belize with me!  I am not left speechless very often, but I would have to say I was.  This past week was a flurry of paperwork, scheduling plane tickets and applying for passports.  We are praying they come in time!   The children are so grateful and excited to go.  I'm pleased to be able to share this experience with the both of them!

When we told Jayden and Kylie they were both very surprised.  Kylie said to us, "When you told us we couldn't go to Belize (we contemplated the kids going early on, but decided against it due to finances) I just prayed that if we were supposed to go God would make it happen."  How fun it is to see God answer a 10 year old's prayer with a "yes!"

We leave in less than two weeks!  We are all excited and starting the packing adventure.  VBS plans are pretty much done except for teaching details on my part.  We have a few more craft supplies to gather and some sports equipment.

Thank you to those of you who are supporting us both by prayer and financially!  Here is a link to the Praying Pelican's website where you can get a daily update on what our team is doing once the trip starts.  I will not be able to communicate with anyone in the States while on the trip so until we return the trip journal is the place to find updates once the trip has started.

prayingpelicanmissions.org/journals?tripid=2694

Thanks for following on our adventure!  I'll update again after our trip to Belize!

Love,
Robyn

Belize and more

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

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.

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.

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.

"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