Quick update

Hi guys. I know I just wrote today but this is something we wanted to share with our prayer partners.  

Please read this report on the most recent terrorist attack in the UK and join us in prayer. 

The next few steps....

    These past few months have felt different, felt like preparation, you know the type of season right before big things happen.  We have seen God move in such mighty ways as He continues to mend together the path we are to follow to England. As He forever increases our heart and passion for the community in Somerset He is connecting us with people to encourage us and help us reach out to more people.

   We were so blessed to have an advocate meeting setup for us in Watertown where we were able to meet some amazing people who have such a heart for missions. It was so encouraging because as we prayed and fasted for the meeting we had no idea what to expect. When we showed up in the tiny coffee shop we were so encouraged. Not just by the number of people who showed up (almost double what we expected) but by their excitement and heart for the young adults in England and missions in general.  We were so encouraged after that weekend of fellowship.

  But God....   oh what a wonderful phrase that is, but God, it changes things, it magnifies things, it takes impossible and makes it done, it takes unimaginable and makes is done... that phrase changes lives and situations....  But God wasn't done encouraging us on this trip. On the drive home (not long maybe 2hrs) we planned to stop for lunch.  I fell asleep but when I woke up Eric asked where I wanted to eat. I saw a sign for Pizza Ranch. For those who know me well - you know I don't do pizza (yeah I am that type of person) unless it is like 11 at night and from a specific pizza place.  But that day I saw the sign for Pizza Ranch and it was all I wanted.  So we went (Eric really likes pizza!)

 It was in that simple action that God created a scenario to encourage us and strengthen us in our journey.
As we sat down at a table Eric went to get food and I got settled in. A nice lady walked by and got her purse caught on my chair. She said I looked familiar and we started talking. Eric and I got to spend the whole lunch sharing with this amazing couple, talking about our ministry, the need in England, and just the church in general. It was such an uplifting time for us. We were so encouraged that God would create that little blessing just for us.

Today I encourage you to be blessed by those little moments God puts in your life to encourage you.

Megan :)

I want to share a verse with you from Job. It comes at the end of the book - after Job went through the loss and pain; after he questioned his purpose and the meaning of life; it was after he listened to the nagging and complaining of his friends and wife; it came right after God revealed His character to him. In Job 42:2 we see Job come to a conclusion -  a fact that he could hold onto based on all he saw and experienced.

“I know that you can do all things,
    and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted."

Wow! What truth. Especially when we take into account everything Job lost, all his plans that fell apart, and how utterly hopeless and lost he felt. Sometimes I need to hear these words in the stillness of my own heart. I need to proclaim them through the loud noise of disappointment, fear, or loneliness. Sometimes I need to meditate on the truth of God's character so I can understand the power in this verse as I wait for His will to be done.

Do you need to hear this? Do you need to grasp the essence of the God who can do all things?

I remember I was getting ready to go on my first mission trip overseas. Only my second time on a plane, I was nervous. I had never flown on my own, let alone left the safety of this continent and family within a days journey. So I gathered my new passport, my printed tickets, and my list of numbers for the american embassy and stuffed them all in my new shiny passport holder. I was nervous about the two heavy suitcases I packed; one full of medical supplies for the orphans at the small orphanage I was to serve at and the other full of clothes and bug nets for the 5 week stay in South India. (That's right - to my parents fear I was leaving on my own for the first time to serve by myself in the south part of India, near Chitoor.). The Sunday before I was to leave I signed on to the plane's site and looked up the luggage restrictions. In doing so I learned something else that was very important. Apparently passports require visas for certain countries.  This was news to me, I didn't hear about it from the pastor I was going to serve with or the travel agent that helped me book all my tickets.  Instead I found out 6 days before my flight was to take off, which is around 2 months and 24 days less time than a rushed visa request would take. I talked to a number of embassies that night, racked up quite a phone bill, and found a place in Chicago I could drive to and hopefully try and expedite a visa.

Lets pause in this. Because before I tell you what I all did you need to know how I felt. Because I was at a loss - and everything that I thought was supposed to happen came crashing down. Nothing looked right.

          In my head I had ruined all of God's plan and nothing was going to work.

But if I would have listened to Job - I would have remembered that God's planned can not be thwarted.
In this moment I wish I would have leaned on the understanding that God is bigger than my mistakes, that He doesn't overlook the details. If I could have kept that in my line of vision - I could've spent the next week being amazed at God's provision instead of scared for my planning.

God did come through - My dad and I drove the 4 hours to get to the visa office, turned in my passport and were told that with out a doubt I should cancel my flight. Never have they had a visa come back in a week. The next day I got a call to come pick it up!

God is good, yes, but He is also big and in control. Remember that today, that He is in control and can do all things. Do you really live out your life believing that He is in control enough that what He plans can't be interrupted?  This is what Eric and I are learning to do every day as we wait for His plan to come together so we can leave. It is in our nature to feel like it is all up to us - and we have to help God. But he is in control and He can do such amazing things in your life.

<3

Learning to Wait

       

         Not getting to do something is hard, not getting to do something you really want to do, when you want to do it is even harder... just watch any two year old who hears the word 'no'.  As we grow up we accept that sometimes we can't do what we want.. like petting the raptor at the museum exhibit. Sometimes though something happens that is harder than hearing no. Sometimes we here wait.

Waiting is hard... as people we don't like to wait. It is normally seen as something negative. To a generation that enjoys microwaving over slow roasting we think waiting for something is a waste of time.

I disagree... or at least I am learning to disagree.

We were blessed to have a chance to go on a vision retreat for our marriage and ministry. During the trip we took time to seek God. Our big question .... what month will you send us in.  His answer...  Well lets say I felt a lot like Job when God spoke to him saying 'Who are you to question me' then went to describe exactly who He is. But of course God does it with more love and grace than I can put into this blog.  He took us through Job and Genesis (funny enough since our trip was to the Creation museum) and showed us how He laid the foundation of the earth and tells the waves when to stop. That only he can control the animals and knows the stars, Then He reminded us of the truth that He is our creator and provider. That His ways are more than ours but in them he will care for us.


    We were blessed to have a chance to go on a vision retreat for our marriage and ministry. During the trip we took time to seek God. Our big question .... what month will you send us in.  His answer...  Well lets say I felt a lot like Job when God spoke to him saying 'Who are you to question me' then went to describe exactly who He is. But of course God does it with more love and grace than I can put into this blog.  He took us through Job and Genesis (funny enough since our trip was to the Creation museum) and showed us how He laid the foundation of the earth and tells the waves when to stop. That only he can control the animals and knows the stars, Then He reminded us of the truth that He is our creator and provider. That His ways are more than ours but in them he will care for us.

Our heart and passion is to be in England today.. but God is saying wait till I send you.. just a little longer... but in this season of waiting don't despair.

The best part of being a Christian is that when we are waiting for God to take us to the next step, we are never waiting alone. We are not, though it may feel like it, waiting alone for God to come back and remember where He left us. Instead He is with us in our waiting, showing us what we can learn and need to know before we can move on.

So we are approaching this season of wait - as a season of grow. We are so excited for everything God is teaching us during this time...

Holding the Rope

Hello our dear friends - 

We have spent this past month of January praying over our ministry, the people in England, our peace, and you - our partners. Whether in prayer or financial, or both. We are so blessed and encouraged each time we get to share our heart and passion with someone new. It is always exciting to answer questions, hear prayers being lifted up, and keep in contact with our partners. We had a great opportunity in January to join Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Green Bay for their service and to have a chance to present our hope for England during their education hour. We are so grateful that God keeps opening doors, even when we can't see them yet. 

Our table @ Good Shepherd Church. 

Getting to use our slide show. 

 In 1972 William Carey came under a burden for the unsaved masses of the world who were not being reached with the Gospel. Carey, a pastor of a small rural church in England, is now known as the father of modern missionary movement. It saddens me to see how changed a country can be, from starting a missionary movement to desperately needing missionaries themselves because they have lost the understanding of who God is. Now the masses of people who don't know the Gospel are right in Carey's backyard. 

  One minister told Carey that there was a 'gold mind in mission [in India] but it seemed as deep as the center of the earth'. When asked 'who will venture to explore it'  Carey's response was "I will go down, but remember you must hold the rope". 

   Today I would be willing to say that we see a 'gold mind of mission in ENGLAND, but it seems as deep as the center of the earth. We want to give the same response as Carey when asked 'who will go?'  "WE are going, but YOU must hold the rope" 

We can't do this alone, in fact that is the opposite of what the body of Christ is.The enemy wants us to attempt ministry on our own. Because then when things get tough we feel isolated and weak. Instead we are called to go together - to be a cord not easily broken. 

Thank you to holding the rope, please remember the importance you have in holding it tight. we are always so blessed by our partners and want encouraged by verses, prayers, and questions sent out way. We look forward to continuing to involve you as we continue to prepare to leave for the field. 

We are now at 23% (that is a 6% higher than our last report) !!!!!  

We continue to share at churches and meet with friends and families. We are continuing to pray for God's guidance in funding and timelines. We are preparing to stay here in the states during the summer to finish fundraising and training and hope to be able to leave by fall. We are learning though, every month, to trust God and His plan. After all it is His ministry - we jut get to serve in it :) 

The reasons why

       It is my hope that you have had a great time celebrating with family and friends. That you are settling into your new year, your new routines, or your old. Now as we look ahead to the new year and are hopeful for all the exciting possibilities and the resolutions we may have already broken.

         Today I was reflecting on the reasons why my heart breaks when I think of England. I was pondering the encounters with people, the experiences, and the moments that made it clear for me how much God's heart breaks for them.  I asked God to show me his longing for the people in England, the young ones who are growing up and making daily choices that can and will affect the rest of their lives, and eternities. 

  

        Later I was scrolling down the posts on facbook and saw this posted on the wall of a young person we met while in England.  I sat there realizing this is how they see God... unknowable, unreachable, uncaring. They see him as judgmental, cruel, and out of reach...  

Posted on the facebook page of a young guy we got to meet in England.  

       I want to scream that He is extremely distinguishable from every other 'god'. That He is the King of all Kings. That He shows himself in the complexity of a flower, the innate design of the bumblebee. That even how we are created and function reflects who He is and how much He loves us. 

        The problem with this is there are nuggets of truth (we will suffer for eternity if we follow other gods/ God does love us so much) but the rest of the picture is distorted. 

        I want to invite you to start this new year off in prayer. Specifically in prayer for the ministry in Somerset. Please pray for the youth, the ones who are receiving the distorted message instead of the truth that will set them free.  The church we will be working with the most, Gospel Tabernacle Church (GTC), is holding 50 prayer meetings in the month of January. They started 2 weeks ago and will continue holding more than one meeting a day to lift up the young adults in their area. They are praying specifically for a young adults ministry to take root and hearts to be ready to grow.

So this is Christmas....

        The tree is up, the gifts are wrapped, the cookies baked, fudge is made, and the work parties are almost done.  The Christmas cards were mailed, some even twice! This is Christmas, right?

@ botanical gardens

     As Eric and I opened day 20 on our advent calendar the song that came on the radio was "So this is Christmas". It made me nostalgic for those years as a kid where everything was so magical and so big. Where you counted every day till Christmas came. Now I can't believe it is already this weekend, I still think it is only the 12th of December. Somehow, in the business of what it means to 'be Christmas' I lost a week of time.
 
    This past night Eric and I took some time to enjoy 'Christmas". With believing this may be our last Christmas in the states for a while we have decided to try and hit every family Christmas, plus our own little family one. That being said it was such a blessing to take those 20 minutes yesterday and have that peace of enjoying Christmas. Whether it is curling up under a blanket and watching a classic (our favorite White Christmas), staring at the twinkling lights on tree, sipping hot cocoa after playing in the snow, or dancing to some Bing Crosby. What ever way you find the peace of the Holidays - take the time to enjoy it a little this week. Because soon, before we know it, it will be passed.

   So we wish you, our family, friends, partners, a very Merry Christmas!