We're Off...Almost

One month left. It’s hard to believe we’ve lived in Georgia for 2 years, and now that time is coming to an end. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been entrusted with the most precious of gifts - - the means and ability to move overseas to minister to another people group and have the opportunity to share an even more precious gift - - the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Some people think of missionaries as antiquated lone individuals, walking about in long monk robes with a basket of bibles to liberally distribute to the masses along with a loaf of French crusted bread. That’s not exactly the way we do missions. We do want to meet people where they are, help meet their felt needs, establish meaningful friendships, and in effect, earn the right to share what we believe. We are in the business of relationships. Christ Jesus, fully man and fully God, was our perfect human example, and he majored in relationships.

I care about people and I care about where their souls will spend eternity. Some might question the need to leave this country when there are so many hurting, needy people right here. Well, yes, I would agree. There are. And there are already many individuals reaching out to meet those needs. God’s plan for our family is for us to take the message to those who, though their culture is steeped in tradition and religious practices, might not have heard the simple message of the gospel. Modern America has had the privilege of all out access to evangelical Christianity and is therefore, now without excuse for the loose moral standards she brazenly espouses. Christians don’t need to sit in a defensive position, but rather we need to attack Satan’s stronghold of depravity for we have the ultimate victor on our side.

I could go on and on, but I won’t.

In one month we head back to Texas to share sweet time with our families before heading out for 6 months of training, even before we even reach our final destination.

As such, there are several prayer requests I would specifically ask of you to remember and intercede on our behalf:

1.) Our marriage: Satan would love to see our marriage disintegrate so we lose our witness.
2.) Our children: they will easily adjust, but there are many transitions coming for them before we finally arrive in Spain.
3.) Our health: that God would protect our mental, physical, and emotional well-being so we will be effective and able to perform our daily tasks.
4.) Our ability to learn the language quickly: Jeff already has a working knowledge of Spanish, but I only know my food, in Tex-Mex.
5.) Our spiritual lives: that Jeff and I will be able to maintain the healthy disciplines we’ve already been practicing – our prayer lives, our Scripture study and memorization – that we’ll be consumed and motivated by our love for Christ, but that our hearts will stay pure before God, and that the task and busyness will not precede the people for whom we leave to serve.