March 5, 2013

• JOY….and then OH MY GOSH!

  Last week was a week of day after day miracles. We added so many financial supporters that we were given the green light by Students International to buy our plane tickets! As of Sunday, we have completely raised what we need for our start-up costs, and are only $240 short of what we need for our monthly support. We are still needing 6 more people to support us $40 a month, but SI said we can finish that from the field…but we are praying we have it before we leave. One thing we did a few weeks ago to decrease what we needed for monthly support was to take off our furlough costs from our monthly budget. So instead we are also trying to raise $3,600 to come home for 4 weeks in December to see family and visit our supporting churches. We already have just over $1,000 of that covered and have a meeting with a church tomorrow as well as a meeting at a church Thursday (that will be about us/ we won’t be there) through which we hope to get the remaining $2,600 taken care of.

  
  

  Thank you so very much to everyone who has prayed for us. And thank you to our support team who has made all of these miracles happen for us!

  Yesterday we bought our plane tickets. We are leaving March 18th. Beyond, beyond exciting! 2 weeks!!!

  

  And now we feel the paradox…. the excitement FOR SURE – but then the “OH MY GOSH WHAT ABOUT……”

  1. Where are we going to live right when we get there?
  2. What are we going to drive?
  3. Does Blake still know how to drive a standard because I sure as heck don’t!
  4. We have to eat like 2-3 times a day from the day we get there and we have no idea where to shop, we won’t have Guatemalan money yet, oh and we don’t speak the language!
  5. Once more…We don’t speak the language!…..yet.
  6. How on earth do we sign up for language school?
  7. Do we have to get new drivers licenses?
  8. Will someone pick up up from the airport?
  9. Will they have room for our 12 check-ons and 8 carry-ons?
  10. Will the language school let us bring our kids with us?
  11. Oh yeah we have kids…they must be schooled….by me!
  12. Will I feel safe enough to let my children stay in a different room than me? Or will they be mine and Blake’s roommates for who knows how long?
  13. How long after I get there will it take for me to do something out of ignorance that is culturally offensive?
  14. Dear God, please give us that honeymoon phase they talked about at our training!

  
  

  All the questions are overwhelming, but my faith is steadfast because God has done GREAT THINGS to bring us to this point and I have no doubt His greatness will continue to sustain us.

  We took our seniors indoor rock climbing last year, and we learned how to spot people. I think they called it “spot” but I am probably wrong. As a spotter you would attach the rope of the climber’s harness to the rope on your harness and then you would lean back to support them. I have this mental picture of all of you that have prayed for us and are financially supporting us doing that for us…clasping our harness to yours as we get ready to leave. It brings me peace and gives me strength. Thank you.

  
  

  • 9:54 am
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