If we're honest ...

To say that this part of our journey is easy would be lying.

If we're honest, it's harder than anything that we have ever been through.

Don't get me wrong.  We have found deep joy & peace in this season.  We have seen God provide through willing hearts in ways that we would never have planned.  We have grown in our faith & we are truly more excited than ever!

But we have also had some hard days.  Really hard.

We have given up our lives  -  all we own, all we know, and all that we love  - to answer the calling that He has placed on our family.  It's more than a calling really.  It's a command.  We have abandoned comfort & everything that "makes sense".

Selling all that we had & walking away from all of the "things" that gave us a "full" life here.

Living with Daniel's parents ... all 3 together in one bedroom.  They have been more than amazing ... but there are times that it is just plain hard not having our own place to call home.

Not working jobs but constantly working.  Making phone calls, setting up appointments, traveling to speak, and doing all we can to contact others to share our vision.

Waiting day to day for the Lord to provide funds through those phone calls, visits, e-mails & even through people we haven't yet met.

We have faced criticism for the decisions we have made for our family in the most unusual & hurtful ways.

Those that are closest to us that we have known the longest have not been the most supportive or present in this process.  We are already beginning to feel the disconnect from life here ... and it's hard.

We have both been in this spot before in our lives individually.  The place of true surrender.  Often times, that is after The Lord has stripped you down to nothing but Him.  So this place is familiar to us but it's not easy.

We are having to continuously turn our eyes upon the One that is truly in control & remind ourselves that this is not about us.

Abandoning all has truly left us abiding solely in Him.  We have had to stop seeking our emotional support from others around us more than we are seeking power & strength from Him.

We have had to fully force ourselves to believe in Him as the provider & not the names on a list.

We have realized quickly that God's plans require God's power.

We know that God has fully fulfilled His promises & our assignment.

But, at the same time, we recognize that He is at work in the hearts of other people as He prepares us to GO.  He is leading them to give towards this ministry and partner with us while He is working in their lives.

I say all that in love but from a very transparent place.  We are so thankful to be loved and have the support that we have already been shown.  We just really want everyone to know that while we are excited, full of joy and ready for this adventure ... there is still an ache & really hard side of it, too.

So here we are ... one month into full time fundraising.  By the looks of it, we will not be making the cutoff to be in Costa Rica for language school in August.

We are sitting at 15% funded.  We have to reach 100% before leaving for language school.  We are trusting & believing God that we will be able to start the next trimester in January.

Our account may not be full.  But our hearts & lives are more full than they have ever been before.

Having less than we have ever had.  Experiencing joy as we are choosing to be content.

And in that, we are realizing more each day that we are able to do all things through Him because HE strengthens us.

Philippians 4:11-13

I don't say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am in.  I know both how to have a little and I know how to have a lot.  In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content - whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need.  I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Where did June go?!

We knew that the first two months of this new journey were going to be a whirlwind ... but WOW!

After Candidate Orientation Week in May in Denver, Daniel took off to Kenya for two weeks to visit our friends that are full time missionaries there.  It was a surprise visit for Jeremiah ... and he was overjoyed to see Daniel & our friend Mitch.  They had a great two weeks of laughs and encouragement & it was good for all of their hearts!

Daniel returned from Kenya & just 5 days later we boarded another plane to lead a team from our church to Honduras!  We were so excited to get back to Honduras this go round ... we knew it would have a completely different feel this time around since we have stepped out to start the process to live there full time. We had a wonderful two weeks there full of ministry & reconnecting with friends.  We were able to sit down to talk through our vision for our ministry ... and get even MORE excited about becoming a part of YFC Honduras & the community of La Entrada de Copan.

On our two week trip, we hosted VBS with over 200 kids, hosted a teen purity camp, visited several schools, served one morning at a boys' orphanage, & got to attend a praise concert in San Pedro Sula!  It was such a joy to be able to pack our two weeks full of different ministries & kids.  We are thankful to have served alongside such a great group of people from South Dakota & Brookhaven Fellowship!

To say that the months of May & June were hectic would be an understatement!  We are thankful that we were given the opportunity to do so much with different ministries ... but we were thankful to slow down a little & get our minds wrapped around our "new normal".

Now that we are back from Honduras, we have started our full time fundraising process!  We have been working hard to partner with individuals, partners, and churches that support our vision & believe that the Lord has called us to this.  We spend our days on the computer, making phone calls, and setting up appointments to share more about YFC & our vision.  We have been able to reconnect with so many people through this process.  It has been so fun to make connections and have so many others share in our excitement!

We have 6 church services in the month of July that we will be sharing in about our ministry!  God has really been showing us that He is going to provide in HIS way with specific people that He is already preparing & we could not be more excited to continue to watch this unfold.

• On July 3rd, we were able to share at Redemption Church in Hollywood, SC.  Everyone was very receptive & welcoming.  They are interested in partnering with us in the future & bringing their praise band down to serve at the camp!  We could not be more excited for that opportunity to share our love for Honduras with them & serve at the camp alongside of their praise band!

• On July 10th, we shared at two services at Latta Baptist Church in Latta, SC.  Brad & Anna Wise hosted us & could not have made us feel more at home!  We are so thankful that the Lord reconnected us with Brad & really enjoyed our time with them.  Our time in Latta was very encouraging.  Latta Baptist Church had several church members that have been involved with mission work in Honduras so speaking to them was exciting!  There is a group of people from their church that have already said they want to come next summer to the camp when we are planning to go.  We are praying that The Lord continues to prepare their hearts & that the trip will come together!

• This Sunday, July 17th, we will be speaking at our home church! Brookhaven has been more than supportive over the last several years as we have served & we are excited to share our vision with them this Sunday.  We know that this will be our core group of prayer support & the familiar faces that we have come to see us when we are on the ground there full time!

• The evening of July 17th, we will be sharing with First Emmanuel Baptist Church in Summerville!  We were married in that church so it will feel like "coming home" when we get the opportunity to go back to visit!  We are thankful for the opportunity to see old friends, meet new church members & share all that God has stirred in our hearts.  

• Finally, on the evening of July 24th, we will be speaking at First Baptist Church of Jedburg.  We would love to see familiar faces at these services so if you are in town and available, please come join us & hear about our ministry with Youth For Christ!

We are striving to do everything we can on our end to reach our budget so that we are fully funded  & able to leave for language school!  If we are not fully funded by August 1st, we will wait and leave in early January 2017.  We are excited to watch the month of July unfold as we share at churches, meet with families, and watch God provide!

If you or your church would be interested in hearing about our ministry, please contact us!  We would love the opportunity to share all that God has already done in Honduras & the vision He has given us for the future there.

Thank you for all of your prayers & support as we continue to take daily steps in response to God's calling on our lives.

Candidate Orientation in Denver

So much has been happening the last few weeks!

 

We moved out of our house mid-April & are living with Daniel’s parents until we are ready to leave for Language School.  This has been an awesome adjustment for our family … it could not be going any better!  Josie girl absolutely loves being at Nana & Papaw’s house & we are really enjoying our extra time with them, too!  We are getting more & more settled with each day that passes!

 

Daniel had his final day at work on April 29th.  We are so thankful for the time that he had at Stevens and the relationships that he formed while working there.  It was definitely a part of the preparation for what the Lord has next for him!

 

We flew out to Denver the morning after his final day at work for our week of Candidate Orientation with Youth for Christ.  We had to laugh because we definitely hit the ground running as soon as the Lord closed the door for Daniel’s job!  We were so excited to learn more about Youth for Christ!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were able to see some beautiful & breathtaking sights while we were in Colorado.  It was snowing when we first arrived & by the end of our week, it was 80 degrees!  What a drastic difference!

 

 

 

 

We had an amazing time at our Orientation.  We really got to take an in depth look at Youth for Christ as an organization and realized that we definitely felt like it was a good fit for us as a sending organization!  The staff in the National Service Center could not have been more accomodating, intentional and genuine!  We really felt like they were truly invested in us & willing to do whatever we needed to clarify information or make us feel comfortable.  It was truly an awesome experience & we walked away with some great new relationships!

 

At the end of our week, we were both asked to pick an object to symbolize what God is revealing to us in this journey.  

 

Daniel has been wanting to start making survival bracelets in blue & white (Honduran) colors to have for our mission team & at the camp.  As the week went on, the Lord showed Daniel an illustration in the bracelet to go along with our journey with YFC.  The bracelet is made of the two colors but each of the colors is made of single individual strands to make the united chord strong.  He felt like it was a great illustration … we make up one color & YFC is the other color.  Separately, each color is strong in and of itself but when braided together … they’re nearly indestructable.  Daniel shared with the group that the bracelet served as a reminder that if Christ is at the center of our efforts and we partner with YFC, there is nothing that we can’t accomplish through Him!

 

Over the last several months, the Lord has really used arrows as a repeated symbol in my life.  Just through a variety of conversations, devotions, and things that I have come across, I have continued to see arrows as something that I kept making connections with & didn’t know the exact reason!  Throughout the week in Denver, the Lord really laid on my heart that I had been chosen & set apart very early on in my ife for “such a time as this”.  Like an arrow in the Archer’s hands, I have been chosen to be sent out.  The last several years with everything that we have faced, it has been like the bow has been pulled back and the tension has built up before God’s perfect timing for my purpose.  The pain has been part of the preparation!  The arrow serves as a reminder that I am being sent out, chosen, and directed by the One that has had me in His hands all along.

 

We were so humbled to be a part of the commissioning service with YFC.  It was such a blessing to be encouraged and prayed over by such a strong group of people with the same heartbeat for missions that drives our lives!

 

 

So what now?

 

Well … now the fun begins!  Since Daniel will no longer be working, we are both able to commit our time to full time fundraising for our monthly needs.  We will be coordinating with individuals, families & churches to partner together not only just financially or through prayer but also for potentional future short term mission trips to Honduras!  We are excited to watch the Lord connect us to several partners that share the same vision for the gospel to reach the nations.

 

This next month is full of plans (more to come on that soon!) and then we finish up the month of May with our short term trip!  We will be leading a group of 10 from our church back to Honduras for two weeks.  We are so excited to return HOME!

 

Thank you all for your love, encouragement & support as we have taken daily steps of obedience to get to this point in our journey.  We truly are so thankful for the messages, phone calls, and hugs that we have received from so many of you.  It really means the world to us to know that we have such an abundance of support!

 

More information on our budget & timeline to come soon …  We have a lot to share!

 

For now, please pray with us that the Lord will impress on specific hearts for them to partner with us & help our ministry vision happen in Honduras!  We are expectant for miracles and know that God is going to blow us away with the way that He provides!

 

 

 

 

Weekend of ABUNDANCE

On March 19th, we had our huge moving sale!  We spent two weeks getting things together & priced.  It was a very long two weeks to have piles and boxes all throughout our house.  Josie kept saying, "Mommy, this is a BIG mess!"  But, we pushed through and finally made it to Saturday!

We spent the evening before prepping & setting up with some friends.  We planned to hold the sale inside of the house because of the threat of 90% chance of rain.  We had things set up in the living room, dining room and guest room. At 3 am Saturday morning, I was wide awake & decided that I was believing The Lord for good weather.  So, I started setting up tables in the front yard at 3:30 am. I'm sure it was quite the scene!

Our friend Susana arrived around 4:30 am to help us finish setting up & also to help us pray the weather away!  At about 6:15 am, it started to drizzle on everything we had already set up outside.  We both started praying & within minutes the drizzle was gone!

We started the sale at 7:30 that morning ... little did we know we would end up having an almost 12 hour yard sale. The last couple left at 5:45 pm!

The day was full of emotions.  Not only was it hard to watch everything that we own get carried off ... but we had several unexpected friends show up that we had not seen in so long.  Friends from high school, Daniel's youth pastor, friends from our old church, and other amazing people that we have met along the way.  It was just incredible to see the Lord bring people back into our lives through this ... it definitely encouraged our hearts & showed us that the Lord has provided an amazing support system for our family!

Here are a few of the moments that stuck out to us from Saturday:

-Around 9 am, we had a lady show up to the sale and tell us that she saw the post on Facebook and had to come to support us because they have family friends that live in SC that are leaving in 6 months as missionaries to Honduras!  She gave us their information for us to be able to make contact with them in hopes that we can all serve together there someday!

- My best friend from high school's mom & brothers showed up later that morning.  It was very emotional to see them pull up and filled our hearts with so much joy to see them all again!  As we talked about how long it had been and how much we had all been through together, her mom shared that she was amazed even at the connection that her daughter had adopted her son two years ago who is Honduran!  We had no idea & had never heard his story.  Tears continued to flow and it was just so amazing to see God add another confirmation and connection to our day!  Just a short while later, my sweet friend & her beautiful family showed up so we got to meet her precious son.

- Later that afternoon, a soon-to-be teacher came with her mom to purchase an easel and some of Laura's teaching supplies.  As we talked, her mom asked about what our next steps would be in the process with Youth for Christ.  I told her that we would first be attending language school & she immediately lit up and shared with us that she has a best friend that lives in the same city that we will be living in!  She got our information and said that she is going to pass it along to her friend so that she can help us find an area in the city to live & a church to attend!

-  Out of all of the awesome ways that the Lord showed us His hand that day, the MOST incredible thing was the weather.  Not only did it NOT rain on a day that was predicted as 90% chance of rain ... but it was HOT.  The sun was BEAMING down on us & it was just the greatest feeling.  We know that He heard and answered our prayers for the weather that day!

It is so comforting to know that the Lord has shown us in so many ways that we are in His will. Those moments were ways that He showed us that He was in each and every detail!

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So ... why call it a weekend of abundance?  Sounds silly, right?  To sell everything you own  ... yet walk away feel more fulfilled and satisfied?

The world would measure abundance with a number  - how much of something that you have.

If we looked at our weekend through the eyes of someone on the outside, abundance would be the last word that we would use to describe what happened.  We sold 2/3 of everything that we own.

But with everything thing that sold & with every step we take away from the world's concept of abundance, we are taking a step towards what the Lord considers to be abundance.  He has really shown us over the last month that He is the ONLY One that can truly fulfill.  THAT is where abundance can be found.

It doesn't matter how many people we had help us set up, how many showed up, how many helped clean up or how many have genuinely walked this journey with us step by step.  In the ones that have come alongside of us, an abundance of love, help, and encouragement has been given & we have been so thankful.

We are learning daily that abundance is not a number.  It is more about depth.

After everything was finished, we enjoyed a yummy dinner with friends & reflected back on all that God did throughout the day.  Josie girl fell asleep early but woke up around 9pm upset, so I went in to lay down with her.  While I was putting my sweet girl back to sleep, our sweet friends Sarah & Christine cleaned up our kitchen and did the dishes.  Such a simple task that truly meant the world to me ... to have friends that love us enough to take even a few small things off of our plate!

As the day came to an end & everyone left, Daniel & I stood in the middle of the dining room and looked around at what was left in the house.  We had prepared ourselves to feel torn & unsettled for a few days ... but we were surprised that those feelings were no where to be found.  Turned out that we didn't feel like we were missing anything.  We both agreed that we felt more content and fulfilled than when the day had started.  We found ourselves closer than ever to living an abundant life.

So, as we finish out our last few weeks in our house before moving in with Daniel's parents ... we are praying for the Lord to continue to show us more about finding abundant life in Him.

We are choosing to accept & not expect.

Accept all that He provides and chooses to give us.

Accept what others are willing to do to support us & praise Him for those that are willing to be with us every step of the way!

Accept HIS timing and not ours.

Walking away from the world's view of abundance ... leaving all expectations of others behind.

Embracing & accepting His abundance as we abandon.

That is what He has promised.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 

John 10:10

If you would like to support us as we journey towards abundant life in Christ, visit our giving page at: https://yfc.givingfuel.com/32216  

MOVING Sale!

Our MOVING sale is right around the corner!  We look forward to seeing family & friends come out to support our family as we take this giant step of faith.

As we have been going through all of our belongings, it has really been awesome to look back on the last 13 years and see how much we have been through, how much we have overcome because of HIS strength, and how faithful the Lord has been in every season.  We are overwhelmed with emotions but we are at peace knowing that we are abandoning ALL for the glory of His name!

A worship song that has really been speaking to me lately says:

 "I cant believe the price You paid for me.
What You did not owe so that I could know You.
How can it be?  You chose someone like me.
To declare Your praise for the glory of Your name"

That is EXACTLY how this part of our new chapter leaves me feeling.  I am in awe that the Lord has chosen us to declare His praise for the glory of His name in other parts of the world.

We are excited to see what the Lord has next!  Hope to see you at the MOVING sale!

Our LEAP Year!

It's FINALLY time.

For the last four years, we have experienced the greatest joy, pain, and healing that we could have ever imagined.   We have watched the Lord restore relationships, rebuild trust, and reveal His plan for our family.  It was not until full surrender happened that we have finally come to a place of renewal, restoration and have received peace.  All that has happened in the last year can not be explained by any efforts on our own but only by the immeasurable grace and power of our God!

In July 2015, we were given the opportunity & blessing to serve as the Children's Director & Youth Pastor at our church.  Since then, we have grown & learned more than we ever imagined possible.  It has been a time of growth individually and as a family.  We know without a doubt that the Lord has specific reasons for having us at Brookhaven & He has done great things in our time there.

But we know that now - He is sending us somewhere else for the next season of our lives.

Since 2012, we have developed a passion for serving & giving.  After four summers of serving with Youth for Christ in Honduras, we have continuously felt Him nudging us towards more than just sacrificing a few weeks each year.

Tegucigalpa Summer 2014

Daddy & Josie at YFC Camp

Mommy & Josie at YFC Camp

Learning Early!

Now, we feel Him calling us to GO.  We know that the Lord is asking us to step out in radical obedience to Him.  Our "comfort zone" at home is now uncomfortable because we know it is not where He wants us to be.

We have started the process to serve full time in Honduras with Youth for Christ!

We have set our eyes on Christ - the author & perfecter of our faith - and believe that He is continuing a work in us that He started several years ago.  He is perfecting our faith in Him day by day as we abandon all that we know to abide in Him and embrace the unknown.  At the end of our lives, we won't have to wonder "what if" and we will know that we gave it all to the only One who is worth losing it all.

We ask for prayers & support as we take this LEAP into His arms & step into His perfect plan for our family.  Our greatest desire is to be in the center of His will & fulfill the purpose that He created us to fulfill.

So what is next?

Right now, we have completed the application & interview process with Youth for Christ.  We will be traveling to Denver for Candidate Orientation Week in May.  While we are there, we will be in difference classes & training as we learn more about Youth for Christ, our plan & budget for Honduras, language school, and other important information to move forward in full time fundraising.  Once we are fully funded, we will take off to attend language school as a family before heading to Honduras!

If you are willing to join us in this journey, here are some ways that you can partner with us!

- Prayer :  We really need prayers for all of the changes & excitement!  We have such a great peace since stepping out to begin this process but we know that there will come days that will be harder than others.  Please pray that the Lord would continue to prepare us!  Pray also for financial provision for each step in this process!

- Support:  If you are interested in supporting us, our giving site can be found at https://yfc.givingfuel.com/32216 .  It will require support for us to attend Candidate Week in Denver, attend language school & then also monthly support to sustain us in Honduras. Any amount of support is so greatly appreciated.  We know that The Lord will provide exactly what we need & we are excited to see who He lines up to join in this journey with us!

- Yard Sale:  On March 19th, we will be having our first "life" sale!  We will be selling just about everything that we have so you will really find some great things at the sale.  If you aren't able to attend but you are local, sharing any of our FB posts about the sale would really help to spread the word!

We plan to use this blog to keep everyone updated about this journey. This is the same blog that we used our first summer that we spent two months in Honduras so if you are interested in seeing some of the ministries that we have served with or reading about our experiences there, feel free to look back in the archive of posts!

Thank you for your love, prayers & encouragement as we ABANDON all & ABIDE in Him!

A month has gone by ...

It's hard to believe that we have been home for a little over a month.

 The time has flown by.  Four days after we got home, I started with training and working in my classroom.  Daniel started right back up with his landscaping business ... before we knew it we were right back into our lives here.  We didn't have much down time or time to debrief from what we had just gone through.  The first few weeks - I was going through the motions and found myself in survival mode.  I was doing what had and needed to be done ... with little time to catch my breath.

I can not really put into words what the past month has left me feeling like.  There are days when I go throughout the day and find myself falling right back into place in my life here.  Going to get  groceries, cleaning the house, responsibilities at work piled a mile high, and going through the motions.

There are more days where I am stuck trying to search to find who I am now- because I am not the gal that left this life behind in May. 

I feel like I am different from the inside out - I process differently, I think differently, and I live differently.  Things that never crossed my mind before Honduras now flood my mind.  When I find myself wanting something that I think that I need, I realize just how centered I have been on the things of this life that do not even matter.  When I don't want to finish my food or find myself throwing food away, my mind races directly back to the faces that are engraved on my heart from the City Dump and La Roca.  The faces of those men, women, and children that I know would rejoice over what I find to be disposable.

It has been a rough transition back to everyday life for me.  I catch myself thinking about the kiddos that I left my heart with and wondering what they are doing.  I wish so badly that I could hear their voices or feel their hugs.  School just has not been the same for me the last two weeks.  I have not felt the way that I have the last 5 years in my classroom.  The pictures that I have put up of our trip help to get me through the day but I truly feel like something is missing or just not quite right.

It's been a difficult month ... but I am so thankful that it has been rough.  I would not want to return from Honduras unchanged or unmoved by what we experienced.  This month has allowed me to reflect on my two months in Honduras and realize the Lord's purpose in that trip.  It made me more like Him - and after all - that's what this life is all about.