April Update
Hi Everyone! And Happy Mother's Day to all the mother’s reading this newsletter! Thank you all so much for everything you do! Ministry “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 ESV While I was hoping to have gotten a call from the embassy that my visa was approved before the end of the month that wasn’t God’s plan. The visa process has taken a lot more time than I ever anticipated, which I believe God has been using to teach me patience and trusting his timing not my own. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as… Read more
Through the Highs and Lows
I’ve been looking back at the pages of this past month and If I’m being honest, the journey has taken me through some high-intensity terrain—a real season of spiritual warfare that felt just as heavy in the ministry as it did in my own heart. But as I write this, I’m realizing that the hardest parts of the journey are often where the most important stories are written. I want to be honest about the weight of it, but also give glory to the Lord. Looking back, I can see how He’s been navigating for me every step of the way. One moment this was clear was over Easter weekend. A friend from… Read more
“Your prayers are not in vain.”
A few weeks ago, I found myself asking God, “Are my efforts in vain? Are my prayers in vain?” I felt disappointed and discouraged because I wasn’t seeing the progress or the fruit I had hoped to see as a result of my efforts. Although I try to love and serve the women we work with well, their situations are so complicated and the economic reality in Ecuador is so hard that the feeling of helplessness made me doubt whether it was really possible to make a difference. I felt the same way about fundraising for the ministry Despite my efforts, we don’t count on the financial support or… Read more
“Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.”
Just a few days ago, my wife and I finally bought tickets to go to our country! We are very excited to go to the Middle East and serve, yet we would be lying if we said we didn't share any of our supporters' concerns. The state of international affairs has been better than it is now. That's not something to ignore. And yet, we still trust that it is our God who told us to go to this place. He knew long ago that Iran would want nuclear power and that the US would try to make sure that didn’t happen. He knew that these things would be occurring at the same time as our travel plans, but He… Read more"Worth all...it Cost"
Their quest had been worth all the pains it cost. (Jill’s reflection in C. S. Lewis' The Silver Chair) I’m getting ready to leave to tithe my career: two whole years halfway across the world from my home! It’s time to get ready to say goodbye. And it’s not just me who counts the cost. My choice means that my family has to say goodbye, too. I was on a call with my teammates from Cambodia who I call “Uncle Gil” and “Aunt Ruth” the other day, sharing about my plans and getting advice from people who had been on the field for decades. Uncle Gil reminded me that “there’s a cost to going, but… Read more
Year One Reflections
It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for a full year! Thinking about this milestone, I put together five questions to help me reflect on the things that really define what the Lord has done and where he is leading me next. 1. How have you changed most between day one and today? Comparing day one to today, the biggest change is a deeper sense of security in my identity in Christ. The joys and challenges of this year have matured me, shifting my focus from my own capabilities to resting in Him alone. That spiritual maturity has naturally grown my patience and love for the people I serve… Read more
One Year Reflections
This month, I celebrated my one year anniversary of being overseas! This has been the most stretching and challenging year of my life. I have a lot I could write about, but here are just three ways I’ve grown in the past year: Resilience: Willingly starting over to build a new life in a brand new place builds a special type of resilience! No one told me I had to move overseas, but outside of God’s direction and leading, this is something I chose to do. I feel like I had a vague idea of what I was getting into, but now that I’ve actually lived overseas for a full year, I have realized how… Read more
"All Narnia shall be Renewed"
And now all Narnia shall be renewed. But come. We have no time to lose. (Aslan, from C. S. Lewis' Prince Caspian) This is one of my favorite scenes in The Chronicles of Narnia. Lucy meets Aslan, who seems to have been absent for so long, with a sweet reunion. In Narnia the trees have fallen asleep, evil men rule, and many Narnians live in fear for their way of life. Many have begun to lose hope that Aslan is real, or that he cares. Lucy expresses her confusion: "I thought you'd come roaring in and frighten all the enemies away---like last time." (Chapter 10) Aslan's plan is not to come… Read more