Happy 2015!!  This is the year we leave for Africa!!  This is one of those times where I literally feel like we moved into the next year and into a new season, a season I look forward to, as I also look forward to moving on from the season behind me!!  Yaaay for new seasons of life!  I know moving to Senegal (in 7 MONTHS!!!) is going to be hard, but I am looking forward to a different kind of hard if you know what I mean!

This past Sunday was our first Sunday being on the schedule for children’s ministry, and  actually getting to serve through teaching Ava and Penny’s Sunday school class!!  It feels good to be a part of the church in this way!

This week we made caramels and fudge for supporters on this side of the country and distributed them all (accept for 2), including some mailed and most just hand delivered. It always feels good to complete a project, especially one where we thank the people who stand behind us in prayer and money support so we can actually go and bring the gospel to an unreached nation! It’s hard to know how to thank all of those that are supporting us with prayer, because we don’t always know who is doing that. I do know that when money comes out of my account every month to support a missionary I am inclined to pray for them, so as we thank the financial supporters for giving we are also thanking them for support in prayer. If you are committed to praying for us, THANK YOU!!!  I 100% believe God is using you greatly in our lives because we need an army of prayer warriors as we walk into a literal battle ground of spiritual warfare!

Just the other day I was sharing with TJ some areas that I’m struggling with in the partnership development stage. One of the main things we’re doing right now is getting to know our home church family. I’m normally pretty good at jumping out there and getting to know people, but recently I have found that I am struggling and feeling uncomfortable and am loosing site of how we’re supposed to be doing this. Do I invite people over? Who do I invite over first?  What do we talk about?  Do we share our story like we normally do?  I’m afraid of talking too much about my self! What if everyone just thinks we want money?! (No we want God to do the burdening, and we just want to know you better)
Why am I coming up with all these things that I haven’t struggled with before?!

Granted it is hard to stick your neck out there and get to know people, but this time feels harder!!

So I stop.
Why am I feeling this way?! Maybe the enemy? Okay… Satan stop telling me lies! Stop telling me that my story isn’t important and that people don’t want to hear it!! Stop telling me that people don’t want to get to know me!! Stop telling me that we can’t do this!

So I am reminded once again, God has called us so specifically and clearly to follow Him to West Africa. He has made every step so abundantly clear! So as we are here and feeling doubt as to how to step forward, I am reminded to have confidence in the God who draws men to himself, in the God who burdens us for specific tasks, who WILL continue to burden people for us and for our ministry.

So I can confidently stick my neck out in our church and get to know people, but I would ask for your prayer, Warriors!! … That if there are walls up of confusion about who we are and why we want to get to know them, that those walls would be torn down, that they would also stick their necks out and that relationships would develop and be strong, so that together, as senders, prayers, spiritual encouragers, financial givers, and as ‘goers’ we can together reach a group of people with Christ that did not previously have the chance to know him!

The task is big, let’s not let the devil get in the way, because in our world and in our hearts he has already been defeated, he does not have a place here!