A Big Hello!!

Wow!!! We are so excited to hear back from you guys. As you can see I am a fairly new blogger and I can't believe how many old friends we have contacted in just a few days. You have been so encouraging. I thank God everyday for His many blessings, even small ones like these.

We have decided to go thru Baptist Bible Fellowship Int (BBFI). Our pastor from Orlando has really stepped up to the plate and taken us under his wing. The idea is for Andy to go to BBC
in Springfield and receive a Masters of Arts in church ministries with a missions emphasis. This will take about a year and half, about half as short as a Masters of Div. would take. When we went to MO to check out the school we realized it will most likely take us longer because there are a whole lot of other requirements. Ha!! (Tricksters.. we didn't read the fine print). Honestly I left the meeting thinking "this is goinig to be so stinkin hard, this seems impossible... now I also have to take 5-6 courses, Andy will have to do some sort of year long internship, I will be working UGH, UGH!!! God are you sure?...there I go again!!!"

As always things seem to iron themselves out right before I have my conniption fit, thankfully, or I would have been institutionalized by now. Ha! After talking to some advisors it turns out some classes I took at Clearwater Christian will be substituted, so I will not have to take as many as originally thought. Anyway we have all our stuff packed and will be moving on AUG 7th. Our pip-squeeks Justin 13, Madi 7 and Brady 5 will all start school AUG 16. They are thrilled because Andy and I have been talking it up as if we were moving right into Cinderella and Prince charming's castle, in fact, they think it's probably much better.

Again thanks for your encouraging comments, I will try to remain faithful in keeping everyone updated.

Half-Way Around the World

Half-Way Around the World

We left for Nairobi on June 20 o6oo, yes military time. Twenty-three hours later we arrived, looking and feeling as if we had been drugged and beat. Stinky also, but alive. The aromas of different countries just wake you up and make you feel alive (Ha! You world travelers know what I mean!!). In my mind I was going to an exotic, adventurous place where we would be helping the helpless. Oh, but God, well you know what God does when we feel like we have it all figured out? We have all all these plans and expectations, well if you don't know or have never expierenced this first hand-- he totally trashes it!!!

Well I was in for a big surprise. My first night I cried and cried and cried. I mean snotty nose, swollen eyes, and unable to finsh sentences without hiccuping crying. The craziest thing was that Andy (for those of you who don't know he is my prince in shining armor) was sleeping like a baby. Funny thing how God works, Andy is usually a very light sleeper- but this night God knew he needed to rest, he did not need to be part of my emotional devastation.

So- I pleaded with God "Okay Lord this is all going to work out great, when we get back to the states we will buy a little house, Andy nor I will quit our jobs, the kids will remain in school and things will return to normal, I mean I can serve you anywhere, right? I'm sure I can volunteer at a clinic in the U.S., or yes help feed the homeless, countless ways to serve you right there from my own backyard!!" And so there I was rationalizing my miniscule faith with God. It was at that moment that I felt God say to me, okay my child here is your life you can have it back and do as you want with it!! The horror, the shock, and loneliness I felt at that point sent me back running into my father's arms. It felt like... well you know when a parent tells a toddler in the playground "it's time to go" and the child kicks and screams. Then the parent says okay I'm leaving and pretends to leave the child. And what does the child do? After maybe thinking about it for half a second runs toward the parent and jumps on the parents leg and holds on as if his life depended on it. Once I was back in my saviors arms the peace I felt was amazing. I finally surrendered....

The days went by and I fell in love with the kenyans, never did I feel so loved and encouraged. These people are amazing. It is amazing to meet brothers and sisters in christ that live on the other side of the planet and feel as though we've known each other all our lives. At this point we are still uncertain where God wants us, but I know wherever he sends us I'll go.