In three weeks time we leave the USA and head back to South Africa and will be there for the months of June and July. Over the next couple of weeks we will be packing up our little home and storing our belongings for when we return in August to find a fresh little home for the new season ahead.
We are so excited to return to South Africa to see family and friends that we have dearly missed. The talk about South Africa here is FULL of hope - people who have visited our country have come back bursting about what God is doing there.
Next year:
After Pete had been invited onto Steve and Wendy Backlunds team we found out that two of our best friends (fellow South Africans) have also been invited onto the same internship team (viva South Africa!!) and so the celebrations continued.
Steve Backlund runs a Church Leadership track (class) for second year BSSM students and Pete has attended this class in first and second year. He has loved it. Steve has asked Pete to lead the track next year. This is a huge honour as this particular track is known to be one of the more significant and impactful classes in the school. I know he will do a fantastic job.
Our hearts are feeling hopeful and excited about coming back to Redding for another year. We know that it is right and it is going to be a very important time for us. But while we celebrate and rejoice, we also have a sobering feeling that now more than ever, we need to lean in further and hear our Fathers voice about every step and every need.
A vision of HOPE
Slowly but surely we have been following Jesus as He gently led us to the shoreline of faith. Here I stand on the soft lapping shore facing the roaring ocean and I have realised that we had been walking on wet sand up until now. All this time I thought we were walking on the water!
This year we are stepping out into the waves and our eyes have to be locked onto His. What He says, we will say and what He does, we will do.
When we fix our eyes on Jesus and seek first His Kingdom and righteousness, the things of this world grow strangely dim and before we know it, all ‘these things’ have been added to us. Before we know it, we have crossed the sea into the promise!
This is our vision for the next season of our lives and something God has given us to hold onto when and if we panic. (we plan on NOT panicking ha ha)
And with this, we have decided to be children of obedience. Listening ‘fist time’ as I so often say to my girls :)
Money honey
The biggest faith journey for the year ahead is finances. Lets face it, without money we can’t survive. For the last two years, 'our stepping out in faith' looked like using all our savings as well as trusting God to provide for the last few months of this year. Although this required huge amounts of faith to do, we have realised that it was more like walking on wet sand because, for the most part, we knew the money was 'in the bank’. But now that our personal finances have run dry, we see that we are now truly stepping out onto the water. We have had moments of extreme excitement about this and moments of doubt and stress…and a few tears ha ha. But it must be said that we are absolutely sure that staying another year is what God is wanting for us as a family - and He has confirmed it. This is what gives us great hope.
What I do know, without a shadow of a doubt, is that we are safe. We are children of God and HE IS GOOD!
I don’t believe in a "bread line" Christianity, I believe that God provides everything we need to live and to give. I have always known God as a good provider. My parents are in full time ministry and still rely entirely on God for financial support. Growing up I saw my parents pray about every financial decision and trust God for every cent or penny. Money came in every time and we never lacked as a family. He is true and His word is true, His provision is unconditional and His resources are endless. The body of Christ defends, uplifts and supports one another - She is beautiful and healthy.
The vulnerable part :)
And so, through prayer and whilst looking into the eyes of Jesus to gain courage, we are being obedient to His voice.
Pete and I have felt to make our needs known through this blog (see ‘Support' page).
Vulnerability is scary and uncomfortable but I have seen how powerful it is - its a weapon of light, not humiliation.
Seeing ourselves through Jesus’ eyes has also shown us that we are worth investing in. What we carry is important and unique and its ONLY through His grace that we are who we are. Jesus is the reason, He is worthy of it all and so being humble doesn’t mean putting ourselves down or hiding ourselves and our needs. Humility means lifting our head and our hands and stepping up to the plate with a roaring “YES!!! I will go and I will do whatever it takes to make Him famous because our value and His love was worth Him dying on the cross.”
This has been a very open and honest blog and our heart is to share our adventure with you openly and honestly. I really want to thank every person that reads this and cheers us on. Jesus is why we do what we do!
We felt to make our journey and needs known for the up and coming year and to offer an opportunity to anyone who would like to share in our journey and invest in us as a family prayerfully or financially.
I have put together a “support page” on this blog with more specifics.
SEE YOU SOON SOUTH AFRICA!
