Flight Delayed
We’ve had some of you ask if we are getting ready to board a plane for Kenya in a couple days. The answer is, “Not yet,” since we were not at our 100% support target in time for us to depart for Rift Valley Academy in July. Currently, we have 37% of our monthly support pledged but still working and praying to be in Kenya before school starts at the end of August . Sure, that would take a God-sized miracle. But as the RVA superintendent commented, “That’s His specialty!”
We still need $4,762 in monthly support. That seems daunting, doesn’t it? But look at it this way. If God raises up at least three more churches giving $250/mo., 30 individuals giving $30/mo., 20 individuals giving $50/mo., 18 individuals giving $75/mo., and just 12 individuals giving $100/mo., we will be 100% supported and plane tickets can be purchased for Nairobi!
Would you be willing to be a part of this God-sized miracle? First, pray! Second, do you think your church may be willing to hear about our ministry and perhaps let us share with the missions committee, a Sunday School class, or a small group? If you think that might be possible please let us know! If you want to check with your pastor or ministry leader first, a quick way to introduce our ministry to them is to give or point them to this brochure. Thank you!
We had someone recently comment to us how much easier it would be to go with an organization that provides all the funds for us so that we wouldn’t have to trust God to help us build a support team. That can sound really appealing, especially when you’re at 37% and needed on the field! However, the more we talked about it, the more we decided we wouldn’t want to trade what we get to experience for the convenience of a salary provided by an organization.
For example, we probably wouldn’t have gotten to experience the blessing of worshipping with and preaching at a church this morning in Lake Elmo, MN… making some new friends. We might not have gotten reconnected with some friends from college today and had the privilege of praying for some specific things in their lives. We probably wouldn’t have a context for realizing how many people are regularly praying for us. Every time we pull out the list of our prayer team to thank God for and pray for them, we are humbled and tremendously encouraged!
Yes, it would be a lot easier if we didn’t have to raise support. But we think our faith would be smaller and our lives poorer without the need to trust the Lord for the provision of you. [Update: We’re not saying God is not richly blessing missionaries who receive a salary without having to raise support from individuals and churches. God supports His work in so many ways. We’re just saying that God is using what many people view as a negative – raising support – as a unique work of grace in our lives.] So thank you for all you are doing to bless our lives and to help us fulfill the ministry we believe Christ is calling us to.
In addition to support-raising, much of our time over the next six weeks will be packing up our house before the closing date on August 15. We plan to stay around the Twin Cities until our departure, but not quite sure exactly where we’ll be staying. Thanks for praying!