April's Thoughts

Adam and I wanted to let everyone know how God has been leading us and about our plans to move to Diego Suarez, Madagascar, on October 5 of this year. The preparation for me began years ago as God obviously knew I would need much preparation before I was ready. After the 2004 tsunami, I felt an overwhelming call to take a short-term mission trip to India. My heart was so broken for the people there considering the great loss of life and knowing there were many who didn't know Jesus. Emma was very young and I didn’t want to leave her, but couldn’t get away from it; I would even wake up at night with dreams about it. After four months of praying and struggling, I surrendered to the Lord and God provided all the money I needed for the trip. I was fully intent on going until three different trips were cancelled or postponed because there weren’t enough going.

For a while, I couldn’t understand why God didn’t put it together. During the worship time at church one day, I even had a vision of myself ministering to ladies of different countries. I was then at peace, confident that God wanted to use me someday, somehow, somewhere in foreign missions, I just had no idea of the details. Adam felt really burdened about overseas missions last spring (2010) and couldn’t get away from it for long after that. We really began to discuss and pray about whether international missions is what God had for us. I had a great desire to serve those in physical need and those who don’t know about Jesus, but at first, I had a hard time thinking about going overseas for an unknown amount of time and was very concerned about leaving my mom.

We found out about the 2+2 program through Southwestern Seminary, which is essentially where seminary students to two years of their MDiv studies on campus, and then finish up their course work while serving on the mission field. (Adam’s situation is a bit different, but he can explain that part later). Thinking of serving in another country for a two year term was something I could actually wrap my mind around so we pursued that and felt strongly that it was what the Lord was directing us to do.

It took me a little while to work up the courage, but I finally told my mom and she responded surprisingly well. She said it would be hard, but she wants us to do what God wants us to do; she even said she wasn’t that surprised and had thought we might end up going overseas. (I was very thankful to the Lord for this since I had prayed He would prepare her heart.) Since our discussion, I have been at peace and excited to go serve the Lord in another country. We began talking to the International Mission Board last fall about going overseas with them to share Jesus' love with people who don't know about him. (And yes, we know there are HUGE needs in our own country, but this is something God has clearly put on our hearts and we want to be a part of the nations knowing and worshiping God.) We really didn't have a specific place to which we felt called, but we did tell the IMB of several countries we were praying about, including Africa. Not long after they called to tell us about Diego Suarez, Madagascar—labeled a “high priority" job—we began to pray and feel at peace about moving there.

As I look back over the years of how God has prepared me to serve people in great spiritual and physical need, I can see how it began long ago in my early years as our family struggled financially. Even later in life, I can see how God used the time that Adam thought we would go to serve in Austin as preparation to pull away from our very settled situation in our home in Alabama. I can also see how the time living with Mom and Alex was beneficial as it gave us the opportunity to get out of debt, and it prepared me for our move to Texas. Most recently, God has used our time in Texas to grow me into a more spiritually strong woman and He has taught me to be okay with having less and living in a small space. (Our washer and dryer are in a washroom outside, we have no dishwasher for the first time in my life, and our apartment is 624 square feet). It's amazing what God uses to mold and shape us.

We plan to move some things to Alabama the first week in July, which is where we will be until we go to training in Richmond, VA, for eight weeks (starting July 25). We will then fly to Madagascar on October 5th, 2011; we will visit our city for a short time, then go to Antsirabe, Madagascar, for language training for four to six months.

We ask that you will please pray for us, specifically for:

-Our preparation to go. (We will have a yard sale soon to get rid of some things and store some other things at my mom's.) It will be very hard to say goodbye to our friends here in Fort Worth. We have really enjoyed our time. It will also be hard to say goodbye to all our friends and family in Alabama.

-The missionaries already in Diego Suarez- Michael and Michelle; and the Berry family, who are in language school in Antsirabe now, but will be moving to Diego soon.

-The Antankarana people to see Jesus' love through the missionaries there and believe in His truth for salvation from their sins.

-The few new believers to continue to grow in Christ.

-For our eight weeks of training in Virginia; we desire for this time to be beneficial.

-Our language study.

-Emma and Corinne to adjust well to having much less toys, no air conditioner, living in a different country, making new friends, and seeing family on Skype rather than face to face.