Ready for the Ride!

 

Hold on for the Ride!!!

 

This picture of a roller coaster and the ride ahead, kind of describes our weekend. 

 

So you know that we have been assigned to the DRC program and living in Uganda, and over the past few months we have been researching the countries, looking at schools for the girls, what housing looks like, what we will need to bring with us and what we don't.   In the process we've become attached to the idea of what life will look like for us in Africa.  Everything has been moving along smoothly for our departure in May.

 

Then we got a call Saturday morning from the MAFC office and those who are instrumental in placing our family.  The information shared with us, was that the program in Tanzania is changing and many of the missionaries there will be moving to the Uganda program.  Meaning that there would be less work for Nathan in Uganda, and would we therefore consider a different location.  Possibly serving in Kinshasa, West DRC or in Lesotho ( southern Africa) ?

 

Wow, we did not expect this at all.  It was like the big plummet on a rollercoaster as it sails down the rails.

Even though we had always known that needs change within MAF as political and civil situations can change almost over night in some of these countries.  

 

We spent Saturday and Sunday, looking up both Lesotho and Kinshasa, wrapping our mind around a year of language training in France as well as a change of schooling for the girls.  Lots of questions, lots of prayer and holding fast to the Sovereignty of God.  Knowing that He has always been faithful, no matter the trial, and remembering that we had said 'yes' to God to serve wherever we were needed.   There is a reason for all that He takes us through and He would be refining us through this new challenge.   I can't say I had fully come to peace about either location but I was warming up to the idea and even the perks of spending a year in France.    We were holding on tight, and in for the ride.

 

Then Monday morning, we received another phone call.  Again from the MAFC office and those who are instrumental in placing our family.  They had been in contact with the East DRC team in Uganda that morning, who are requesting that our family continue on the initial track and join their program in Kampala, as originally planned.   There will still be some changes for the Tanzania program but it won't affect us in our assigned location.   Wow,  we were heading back to plan A, which was our first choice all along, but still willing to go where we were needed. 

 

Why did we have to go through this crazy weekend?  Not sure, but it definitely reminded us that we are to fully rely on God for strength and wisdom in all situations.  We are called to obey Him, no matter what.  So for now it looks like the rollercoaster ride has come to a stop, back at the beginning and we will continue to prepare for life in Kampala. 

 

Saturday, just after our phone call, I received this on my Facebook wall. 

 

He's Always been Faithful  by Sara Groves

 

Morning by morning I wake up to find...
The power and comfort of God's hand in mine
Season by season I watch Him, amazed
In awe of the mystery of His perfect ways
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me

 

I can't remember a trial or a pain
He did not recycle to bring me gain
I can't remember one single regret
In serving God only, and trusting His hand
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me
 
This is my anthem, this is my song
The theme of the stories I've heard for so long
God has been faithful, He will be again
His loving compassion, it knows no end
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful, He's always been faithful
He's always been faithful to me

 

Yes, He is faithful and I can't imagine going through life with out knowing Him.

 

 

The Countdown Is On!!!

We have made the jump, into the final 10% of our MAF ministry support which is so fantastic.  This weekend we had a number of people partnered with us monthly which gave us a real boost and we are still waiting on the final number from our event at Ash's.  Thanks to all who came out and enjoy some great food and made it a fun day.

With 6.3% remaining we can't stress enough the importance of not putting it off, to partner with us today, in this incredible ministry of reaching the people in the DRC with the love of Christ and the message of salvation.  We have said it before, but every monthly gift of $75 move us 1% closer to complete funding.  Every $20 monthly or $240 yearly, covers us for a day of service and fills in one more date on our calander.  Only 23 days left to fill.

Back in September during our visit to Alberta, we were encouraged to set a hard goal of when we thought our funding would be complete.  As eager as were were to say Oct, we knew realistically, end of February would be a good goal.  Having this date in our mind, renewed our ambition and approach as we headed into the final months of the year.  God moved in amazing ways and brought a steady support increase each week and at the end of 2014 we were at 77%.  We were thrilled to be in the final quarter.

Now as we look to the end of February, being only 2 1/2 weeks away, we are almost giddy with anticipation of how God is going to move to bring in the final %.  Nothing is impossible for Him.   It might even happen in the next week.  We will keep sharing our story but it is God who will do the work in peoples hearts. 

We also had some great discussions with people in the office this week and we are ready to change gears slightly and begin departure preparations, working through required vaccines and shipping logistics.
Thank you for your continued prayers as we head to the finish line of ministry support raising and step into preparation mode.

Ephesian 3:20

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

 

Upcoming Events

The momentum is building!  Only 14% to go in our ministry support.

We want to keep you informed on some upcoming events. 

Coming up quickly is our Restaurant Day. Ash's has graciously offered to donate a portion of all sales on February 8, 2015, to our MAF ministry.  We invite you come for any meal that day and enjoy some great food as you support a great cause.  Ash's is open 7am -9pm that day.

 

 

Also in the works is a trip to Toronto area, Feb 10 - 12, 2015

 

At this point it is mostly the north of Toronto area but can expand out.  We are also flexible to shift those dates down to include the weekend if needed.  We will be getting together with some folks over coffee to share more about our MAF ministry and would love to meet up with you too.  If you live in the area, and want to visit, send us a quick note and we will work something out to get together with you.

 

 

And as always, we are open to any opportunity to share that comes our way.  Small groups, church meetings or Sunday school classes, we enjoy sharing about how God is at work in our lives and in reaching people with the Gospel through the work of MAF.

Heading to the Finish Line

Yes, the Finish Line is so close, we can see almost see it.
 
Our excitement is building as we realize that only 16% remains in our monthly ministry support needs. We are overwhelmed by the many who have encouraged us, prayed for us and partnered with us financially.  This journey has had it's ups and downs, but we serve an unchanging God, who's perfect timing and plan is always best.

We are still pressing on to complete our funding in the next few weeks.  We have some exciting things planned and want to invite you to be a part of it.  With only 16% to go, don't wait to give and miss out on being apart of this ministry with us and bringing real hope to remote communities.

Coming up February 8, a local restaurant owner in Forest, has graciously offered to give a percentage of all sales to our MAF ministry.  Come for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner at Ash's Restaurant, 58 King Street East on Sunday, February 8th.  Treat yourself to lunch out and support our ministry as well.  It's a win win!

Also, we want to share some clarifying information with you.  As we have come through this year of ministry team building we have learned some things as we go, and want to be sure we have made them clear to each of you.  We continually share our need for monthly supporters, but did you know that a yearly gift is essentially the same thing!  If you have given a one time gift but plan to (or would like to) give this gift yearly, then as long as we know this, we can add it into our monthly support.  It is that simple, just let us know.  Everyone likes to budget differently and we can appreciate that, so we want to be sure that we have the giving options for you.   Our biggest request is that you let us know your intentions so we can account for it properly and our support goals reflect what is actually happening.

In the up coming weeks we will be sharing in Petrolia as well as in Forest and have a trip to the Toronto area in the works for mid Feb.  It is building up to be a busy time, as we finish up our ministry support raising and continue to purge and plan for the upcoming move.  Join us in praying for all the details that need to fall in to place and for our family as we move through these coming weeks.  We value you all, as people whom God has called to be a part of this ministry with us.



 

One Year Later

It has been one year since we officially began our ministry with Mission Aviation Fellowship. One year of learning, growing, being stretched out of our comfort zones and seeing God work in amazing ways. A year ago we looked at December 2014 and anticipated being fully funded and well on our way to serving overseas, but God had a different plan. A better plan. A plan that has involved us being able to travel around Ontario and even out to Alberta, meeting people that we may not have met if our ministry support had come in our timing. A plan that has helped us to learn more of our weaknesses and strengths as we accomplish tasks and share our story.
In the first 6 months we saw God work in amazing ways and our one time outgoing amount was fully funded. At 8 months our monthly support was at 50% and we celebrated again.  Now at 12 months we have been blessed with over 200 ministry partners who are behind us financially and in prayer and we have reached 75% of our monthly ministry support.  Wow.  God has moved in mighty ways and we thank each of you for listening to His call and giving to our MAF ministry.

What's next?

As we approach Christmas we have been sharing on our Facebook page the 12 Days of Christmas.  You can catch all the entries here as well, by clicking the tab at the top of the blog "12 Days of Christmas"  We have been highlighting some of the many reasons why MAF flies and are inviting you to considering giving these as gifts this Christmas.  We all have those hard to buy for people on our list so we want to make it easy for you.  By partnering with us in our MAF ministry for any monthly amount, you are giving an even greater gift to countless isolated communities around the world. Click the donate tab today to finish your Christmas shopping, all with out having to wait in long line ups.

Thanks to all who have partnered with us and for those who are yet to.  We are filled with gratefulness as we look back on the past year and filled with excitement as we look forward to the coming weeks when we will be able to finish this phase of our journey and prepare for serving the people of the DRC.

PPP-LEASE SSS-ENDDD US TTO AFFFF-RRR-ICCC-AA!!!

 

It was a great trip to Timmins but it was cold. Saturday night temperatures went down to -17C plus wind chill. The drive there was great but then it started to snow. The kids thought it was great fun as the first snow fall always is....

..... but later that Saturday evening we went to watch the Timmins Christmas parade that our friends were part of and it was soooooo cold. The wind was wild and whipped down the street. Lauren's outer mitts had a bit of moisture in them from not being completely dry after the morning snow fun,  they froze stiff and she couldn't even bend them. I was very glad I had put 2 pairs on her, but it still wasn't enough to keep her warm until the end of the parade. We stayed long enough to see our friends float and take home some candy, then we headed back to the van. Wow, that was a true welcome to the North. Sunday we shared our ministry and calling with the wonderful people of First Baptist Church who warmly welcomed us and encouraged us. This was the main stop of our trip north and we were grateful for the opportunity to share. Monday we headed to Kirkland Lake to spend the day with friends and take a tour of their newly renovated school turned church, in Swastika. An amazing testimony of God at work in this little church plant.
 We spent the night Monday in Kirkland Lake and headed out early Tuesday morning in hopes of beating the big storm of snow and freezing rain that was headed their way. Already Tuesday morning there was 6 inches of snow on the ground and more arrived after we left.

We were very glad that we were able to drive home away from the storm and grateful for God's provision of clear roads as we travelled.

So what's up next? A full weekend ahead with an opportunity to share at First Baptist Goderich on Sunday, Nov 16 and then a Co-Pilot Coffee and Dessert night at our friends in Forest on Monday night, Nov. 17. We are grateful for every door that is open before us to share about our ministry with MAF. We are excited to be progressing through the final 40% and are thankful for all those who have partnered with us thus far. There is always room for more, so if you haven't already done so, consider being a monthly or yearly partner and help ........

                                              .....SEND US TO AFFF-RRR-ICCCC-AAAA.

What a week!

Songs can have a big impact on our lives and for me this week I had a song that kept running through my head.  It was The City Harmonics song "Praise the Lord"  here are some of the lyrics;


"Praise the Lord when it comes out easy
Praise the Lord on top of the world....

Praise the Lord with the world on your shoulders
Praise the Lord when it seems too hard....

 Praise the Lord ‘cause in every moment Jesus Christ is Lord
Even in the middle of the long, dark night
There is always grace enough today to
Praise the Lord.....

 Won’t you praise the Lord?
There is grace for today so praise the Lord"


Wow,  that was just what I needed to hear.

 I begin the week by doing a number of follow up calls to churches and contacting some new ones, hoping to line up some new opportunities to share about our ministry with MAF.  Some were positive but a number already have their missionaries they support and were not looking to expand.  Don't read this wrong.  We are always excited to see churches involved in missions and passionate about reaching out to the world with the Gospel, supporting missionaries in their work around the world.  It's just hard when that is the most common response when we too are looking for support.
But this song kept playing through my head.

"Praise the Lord when it seems to hard..
There is grace for today so praise the Lord"

Yes even though it can be discouraging at times as we seek out new ministry partners, we are to praise the Lord in every circumstance.  And that is what I did.  Praise Him for what He is teaching me through this process, Praise Him for those who have already a part of our amazing sending team.  Praise Him that even when we are discouraged, He is faithful and in control.

Then today we received our weekly report from the MAF office notifying us of new donors this week.  And I was blown away with the amount of new ministry support.   Again the song came to mind, but this time the words, "Praise the Lord when it comes out easy, Praise the Lord on top of the world...."

So it has been a good week.  But it would have been a good week, even if it had only been the hard times, because instead of wallowing in the discouragements I chose to praise the Lord.  That perspective makes any week great.  

  "Praise the Lord 'cause in ever moment Jesus Christ is Lord" 

~~ Sarah