3 years

Today, Ashley and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary.  We were able to get together for lunch which is out of the ordinary.  We also went to the Phoenix Zoo to see the ZooLights.  Most of all we enjoyed spending time with each other remembering the things that we have gone through the last 3 years. 

We are so excited about what is happening in our lives in our fourth year of marriage.  I have attached a few of our wedding pictures just for fun. 

 

 Praise the Lord for marriage and for blessing ours over the last 3 years!     -M

Christmas

Yesterday we celebrated Christmas.  The coming of God, in human form, to earth.  It is amazing to think about how much Jesus gave up to come to earth.  I am so grateful and pray that I continue to remember this fact throughout this next year.

We got to spend time with friends and family this week, although we certainly did miss those family members we did not see.   We also know we will miss our family and our friends over the next few years, especially during Christmastime. 

At our Christmas Eve service at out church, we sang the song Emmanuel by Chris Tomlin.  I enjoyed worshiping our savior by singing this song.  Here is the chorus:

Emmanuel, Emmanuel
God incarnate, here to dwell
Emmanuel, Emmanuel
Praise His name, Emmanuel

I have enjoyed pondering those words over the last few days and hope you do too.    -M

Preparation

In the past month, Ashley and I have been doing a lot of prep work for support raising.  We are in the process of preparing.  We are doing 'stuff', so that we will be ready to do 'stuff' come January. 

It kinda seems like we aren't doing anything, but at the same time we are spending a lot of time preparing; preparing mentally and spiritually, as well putting together the physical supplies to share with you. 

Right now, we really want to be sharing with others our heart for the people of Honduras.  Instead, we are figuring out how to say what we feel.  We are putting our ideas onto paper. 

This doesn't seem (or feel sometimes) too important.  However, we will be able to share our calling and our ministry ideas and plans much better if we take this time and get our act together. 

The second weekend in January, our church, Covenant Community Church in Scottsdale, AZ, will be hosting their annual world missions conference.  Our prayer is that by that time we will be able to clearly communicate with others the excitement that we have about our call and the ministry in La Ceiba, Honduras!   -M

What a wonderful place to be!

I don't think I'll ever been in this position again.  I love where I am AND I love where God is leading...  It's Ashley writing tonight to say what an absolute joy it is be where we are now - not easy - but joyful.

WHERE I AM - Each day, I wake up and put on my "teacher hat".  I love teaching my 1st graders.  I laugh and smile every day at work.  I know this is a treasure.  This is my mission field.  I come home every evening to a smiling husband and more-than-adequate house.  We have so many comforts!  Mike and I spend most evenings together - sometimes Mike leads a small group and goes to deacon meetings every few weeks - I go to Bible study or worship practice on occassion.  Our two dogs greet me with licks and lots of energy each evening and I always enjoy my time at home.

WHERE GOD IS LEADING - For just over a year now, I have felt as though I was on the edge of a cliff - not yet encouraged to jump, but knowing there was so much up ahead - Anticipation.  When Mike said he'd like to start taking seminary classes in 2008, I was excited that this must be our "jump"... but there was a bit of hesitation.  Soon after beginning classes, Mike lost his job, we brought 5 children into our home to live with us, and I became the working mom and Mike, the stay at home dad.  Not the "jump" I'd expected.  Still, we felt God leading, preparing, guiding, prodding...

In June of 2009, Mike and I went to Honduras for 1 week.  Neither of us had any idea how God had prepared us to go - but He had fully equipped us to serve cross-culturally that week.  No, we barely knew the language, had never experienced the culture, and were WAY out of our comfy little American bubble... but God poured into us His love for His people - a love that we cannot explain or express.  Walking into our house when we returned from Honduras felt as though we were walking into a never-ending vacation.  We are so excited to return to La Ceiba, Honduras - where we so quickly found home in the hearts and lives of others so different from ourselves, and yet so lovely.

I love where we are NOW - Arizona, teaching, 2 dogs, nice house, 2 cars, my parents within a 5 minute drive, great church family...  Yeah...


I love where God is LEADING - La Ceiba, Honduras, loving, sharing, teaching, growing, maybe a dog or 2, a place to live, and the cutting edge of God's Word entering the lives of others...  Wow.


-Ash

Christmas thoughts

Yesterday, Ashley and I spent a few hours decorating for Christmas.  It was a lot of fun, just as it always is.  We got a tree and put some lights up on the outside of our house.  As I was doing it, I couldn't help but think of our future.  This will probably be our last Christmas in the US for a few years.

These are the types of things that I think I will miss most.  Christmas is a time of year when most of use spend time with family.  I know we will be this year.  That will not be the case for the next few years.  However, even though we will miss our Christmas traditions here, we will get to experience all new things in the years to come.

Next year we will be in Costa Rica at language school.  What types of traditions do they have there?  After that, it will be on to Honduras.  How will we celebrate Christmas there?

Wherever we are, it is awesome that we will be able to celebrate God sending His son, Jesus, to come and save His people.    -M

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

Math...

December, 2009 through September, 2010 is 10 months. 

100% divided by 10 months is 10% per month. 

So, if 100% is $5,700 in monthly pledges, then 10% is $570 in monthly pledges.

If you are sticking with me, that means that every month between now and the end of September (our goal for leaving the US) we need to raise 10% of our support, or $570.

That being said, we have received $600 in pledges this past week!!!  That means we are on (well, just a little ahead of) schedule.  Praise the Lord!

We would definitely love to leave earlier than Oct. 1, if that is what the Lord wants for us.  Ashley and I have a heart for the people of Honduras and to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them.  In our hearts, we are ready to be there now and will go if we are able to leave sooner.    -M

Timeline

So we are going to Honduras, but when?

Well, there are a few ways I can answer that.  First (the easy way), is that we will go when the Lord wants us to go.  That may sound like a somewhat lame answer, but it is true.  I am certain.  We are going because we feel the Lord is calling us to go.  Therefore, we will go when He is ready for us to go.

The second answer is somewhat easy as well.  We will go when we have the training MTW requires and when we have 100% of our financial support.  This also does not answer the question in the way I want it answered.  It is true that MTW will not let us go until we have completed a Living in Grace (1 week in June) training and our Pre-Field Training (the month of July).  These are both required and are things I am very much looking forward to.

In addition to the training, MTW will not let us leave the US until we have all of the financial support we need.  How much you ask?  We need to have monthly pledges that add up to $5,700 per month (for salary, housing, benefits, ministry budget...).  There is also a one-time amount for our trainings, travel, language school, moving expenses, etc, that we need before we can depart.  It is a pretty good amount of money, but we are confident the Lord will provide.

Did I mention that we have to learn Spanish before we get to Honduras?  We do.  We will be going to Costa Rica to a language school for missionaries before going to Honduras.

Ashley and I have thought and prayed a lot about going to Honduras and we feel strongly this is what the Lord wants us to do.  That is why we have set our "out of the country" goal as October 1, 2010.  This gives us about 10 months to attend the trainings and raise the support.  We know that we cannot do this without the Lord and without you and your prayers.    -M

Approved

On Wed. November 18, Ashley and I were approved by Mission to the World to join a team of missionaries in La Ceiba, Honduras.  Thank you, Jesus!  It was encouraging to receive confirmation of the Lord's call on our lives.  This was another step in this path the Lord has been leading us down for several years.  We are so excited and cannot wait to serve the people of Honduras.

Since we got back from our short-term trip where we served in La Ceiba, I have not been able to get the people out of my mind.  It is awesome how the Lord used a short week to spark a desire for us to leave what we know and what we have loved for a different culture, a different language, and a whole new set of unknowns.

Ashley and I will use this blog as a platform to communicate what is going on in our lives and in our hearts, especially that which is related to our ministry in Honduras.  We look forward to sharing this journey with any who are interested.  Thank you for your interest in where God is leading us on this exciting adventure ahead.    -M