Closed Doors or Hurdles? Hope for the Aspiring Missionary (like me).
By Dave If you have read our most recent newsletter, you know that upon arriving in France we realized that the school that we chose is not going to work out. I have to admit, it was pretty bewildering. I mean, we found cheap plane tickets, got our visas on time, received a free ride to the airport, survived 12 hours in the air with four young children, all of our bags made it to France…and the school is closing and cannot offer the hours they promised. How does that happen? You might think we should be discouraged. And to…
The (New) Day-to-Day
By Stacey Well the new theme to our lives right now is…humility. Not vey exotic or exciting being that we are living in France and all, but there is nothing more humbling then opening your mouth and not having any words come out. Unless perhaps it is more humbling to have a child stare at you mouth agape when all you said was ‘Bonjour’ (I mean, I didn’t think my pronunciation was thatbad). Or maybe it’s more humbling when you open your mouth and words do come out….but based on the expression of the person you are talking to, you…
Husbands: Be Thankful in the Promised Land
by Dave How is being a husband like living in the Promised Land? I do not think that is a question asked very often of the biblical text. And yet, when I was reading about the Promised Land a while back I was struck by some similarities. Take Joshua 24:13 for example, “I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.” So, in this passage God reminds his people that as they…
We’ve Arrived in France!
By Stacey Our new home Well we have arrived and are settled-ish here in Chambery, France. To those who have prayed for us, we really cannot thank you enough. We have relocated our family across the globe and, thanks to your prayers, the transition has been overall very smooth. Here are a couple highlights: I was in line to check-in at the Dallas airport and a man asked me where we were going. I told him that we are going to Cameroon to translate the Bible, but would be spending a year in France first. There was a long…
Day 14 of Praying the Impossible: That we would Take Cameroonians to Heaven with Us
Revelation 5:9-10 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Pray that the Cameroonian people would be made a kingdom of priests to God and that they would rule and reign with Christ on the new earth. Pray that the Gospel would give us brothers and sisters in…
Leaving Everything but Possessing More than Everything
By Stacey Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1 Well this is it. 9 years of preparation, hundreds of prayers answered, lots of goodbyes, and finally the mission field is here. Our bags are packed and we are leaving for France tomorrow. When people ask us how we feel about leaving, we often respond that we are apathetic and just so in the zone of all the logistics that surround moving a family overseas. But here and there when the dust has settled a bit, and in the quiet…
Day 13 of Praying the Impossible: That we would be Faithful Parents and Spouses
Ephesians 5:22-28 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle…
Day 12 of Praying the Impossible: That our Faith would be Vibrant even when Surrounded by Darkness
Colossians 1:11-14 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. That our faith would be strengthened with all power, for all endurance and patience with joy, and always giving thanks to the Father. That we would not grow discouraged when surrounded by…
Day 11 of Praying the Impossible: That Signs and Wonders may be Performed in the Name of Jesus
Acts 4:29a-30 Grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus. That our ministry would look similar to that of Christ and of the early church as recorded in the book of Acts. Namely, that the Lord would evidence his power over sickness, idolatry, and darkness through signs and wonders.
