This is going to rock your world. I am about to TesTify.
As I mentioned in my inaugural post, it costs a modest fortune to get a family of five to Africa and back; our best guesstimate of how much money we would need was $18,500. Not long after we got our acceptance emails for the school, we contacted our home church in Ohio to see if they would be willing to let us run our finances through them. This way, our generous benefactors could get a tax write-off and it would provide us with financial accountability. Our other accountability option was written on the memo line of a check made out directly to Shawn: if you use this money for anything else besides Africa, I get to choke-slam you through a wall. We have pretty good friends...
Our church in Ohio said "yes" and encouraged us to come out for a visit to reconnect since we've been gone for two years. We don't need much of an excuse to pack the van and drive to Ohio, so we made plans to make a weekend of it. Well, a weekend turned in to a week when we found out that Georgian & Winnie Banov were speaking one Sunday and Bobby Conner was going to be there the next. And to make it awesomer, our friends told us that they were going to host a fundraising event for us while we were in town. I'll get back to the details on the fundraiser, but needless to say it was imperative to spend a week in Ohio.
This is when things start getting crazy. When we left our house on Saturday we had gathered about $2,000. This money came from a few people - most of whom we wouldn't have thought to ask for financial support from. Each of these has a longer story, but to sum up, we got money from a good friend (the choke-slam check), the people who own our house, a man Shawn met when he stopped by a car dealership to buy a truck (this guy ended up knowing one of our good friend's dad - this is a good story, but for another time), and another woman whom I've had coffee and conversation with a few times gave us money. Each person had essentially the same story: I have more than I expected to have and I just felt like I should give money to you. One of my good friends - part of the Ohio fundraising brain trust - told me to write those instances down on post-its to always remind me that God is in this adventure. She said, "He's moving the hearts of people to give you money so that you can follow the call of God on your life. That's proof right there that you're in the right place."
We got to Ohio and on Sunday morning the church prayed for us again (I'll never get enough of that!) and generously took an offering for us. These people definitely believe that there's always enough because we're not the only ones from the church that are going overseas and people didn't hesitate to give. If you ever find yourself in Powell, Ohio check out Zion Christian Fellowship (zionequip.com).
Then on Tuesday was the big fundraising event. Our friends worked crazy hard to put this together. These friends have walked with us every step of the way and have believed in the call God put on us from the beginning - they are just as invested in this adventure as we are. They pulled out all the stops to make sure the fundraiser was a success. When we got home from the event that night, we recalculated what we had raised and we had gone from $2,000 to $17,000!!! Did you just read that? I think I need more exclamation points! That kind of thing doesn't just happen - God moved Heaven, opened up his storehouses, and made quick work of our budget. Done. And the next day we bought our plane tickets.
Among the coolest of the cool ways God provided the money is this one. One of our friends is a college student and she felt like God gave her an amount to give. She kept this amount to herself, but went about raising it by telling friends, classmates, and I think some strangers what we are doing and then getting money from them. TOTAL strangers have given us money. It just gets better. Our friend is also a nanny and she told her employers what she was doing and they thought that was cool so they said they'd match what she raised. What?!? Other people she babysat for gave her money because she told them what we're doing and God moved their hearts. Someday I'm gong to find out the rest of their stories because whether they know it or not, God spoke to their hearts and they obeyed. They sowed into God's plan for our life and there is no way they won't get to enjoy the blessing that comes from that. I know that it will happen because I asked God for that. I don't know what it's going to look like, but they are going to be rocked! When we got home from the fundraiser she told us how much she had raised. $1,000! God told her to get $500 together and her employers matched it. Ca-Razy!!
Not long after we were accepted to the school, Judah was praying for dinner and in his prayer he asked God if it was okay for us to go to Africa. He got quiet for a little bit and then finished his prayer. I asked him what God said and he answered, "God says it's 'okay' for us to go to Africa and he's fundraising for us." Mmmmhmmmm.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
No Worries
When I was younger I had a tendency to worry. I may be understating that a bit - I think I worried about everything even to the point of absurdity. My mom likes to tell the story of when I was in junior high in full-blown meltdown because I had gotten a "B" in gym class. I was so worried [read: hysterically crying] that that horrible grade was going to keep me from getting in to the college of my choice. As it turns out, throwing a football through a hula hoop was not part of the application process for any of the schools I was applying for. I sailed through college without ever having to throw a football. Or take out a student loan, for that matter. Take that junior high gym class teacher!
Anyway, on the drive home, with my shoulder throbbing and the kids putting the stickers the nurse gave them all over the van, I absolutely felt the peace that passes all understanding. My brain is quick to remind me that this is a crazy adventure we're on, one full of potential danger and logistical snafus. But, my spirit is confident that God is in this. I know that I know that I know that this is the next step on our journey with God. I am leaning my whole self into God, into his power, wisdom, and goodness. I know that whatever he has on the other side of this experience is worth everything. He is worth everything I am and have. That is where I have put my trust.
My dad always said that someday I would write him a letter thanking him. Well, consider it written, Dad. Thanks for hiding God's Word in my heart and thanks for teaching me how to sweep with one hand and hold the dust pan with the other. I'm going to change the world.
But there is a larger point here. During my career as a worrier, my parents did their best to talk me down. I vividly remember my dad coming to my room to pray with me on many occasions and, as he so often did, he used the truth of scripture to help bring guidance and peace to the situation. He always used Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything through prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make your requests known before God. All I could think was, "He just doesn't get it! I'm not anxious for this stuff to happen - I don't want it to happen." Eventually, I learned what the scripture meant - both the double meaning for anxious and how essential it is to "cast my cares" on God. Maturing is a process...
I have learned - ever so slowly - that worrying about something does not help it, fix it, change it, or keep it from happening. It doesn't even make that something easier to deal with. Even the Bible tells us to chill out, "...don't worry about what you're going to eat or wear; don't even worry about tomorrow because tomorrow has enough worries of its own." I think it was when Shawn and I were first married and had no money that we fell asleep one night saying this verse over and over - that's when I had a worry breakthrough. It wasn't so much that I learned not to worry, it was that I learned to trust.
On Thursday, we had our appointment at the Travel Clinic for a debrief on all the diseases we could pick up while in Africa and then to get vaccinated for any and all of those diseases. In case you are unaware, there are A LOT of diseases you can get in Africa. We were offered vaccinations for everything from typhoid to rabies. And for better or for worse, the kids are too little for some of the vaccinations so we just have to be careful that they don't eat poorly cooked food or get bitten by a monkey. I'll be honest, there was a wave of worry beginning to wash over me. This trip was suddenly getting a bit too real and I had been in an ignorance-is-bliss sort of mode (about getting sick and especially about spiders. I have purposed it in my heart not to think about the possibility of spiders until there is an actual spider) right up until the nurse slammed me with the double whammy of dengue fever and yellow fever. I don't mind putting myself at risk, generally, but putting my babies in harm's way is a whole other story. Because the kindness of God is unending, I felt him whisper, "Trust me. Just trust me." There are simply too many things that are out of our control - in life in general, but especially with this impending upcoming trip. We can do our best to plan and prepare, but when it comes down to it, if our trust is not firmly rooted in God, we will fall apart long before we print our first boarding pass.
I'm not making any medical recommendations here, but we walked out of there only updating our Hepatitis A vaccinations. We opted out of all the non-required shots, especially the rabies one, because even with the shot if you're bitten by something with rabies you still have to get more rabies shots. Why do they even offer that??
My dad always said that someday I would write him a letter thanking him. Well, consider it written, Dad. Thanks for hiding God's Word in my heart and thanks for teaching me how to sweep with one hand and hold the dust pan with the other. I'm going to change the world.
Monday, March 7, 2011
No Plan B
I had intended on naming this whole blog "No Plan B," but that blogspot name was already taken. Ironically, I was able to come up with something else...
While I was packing up our house in Ohio, without any idea of what we were going to do next, I told God, "We have no plan B. It's you or it's nothing. All we can do is trust you and know that you are good." We had just experienced a major financial kick-in-the-pants which necessitated all the packing and moving. Both Shawn and I felt like we were just to trust God and wait - don't pursue the money, pursue God. In the back of my head I was sure - I just knew - we were going to get one of those "eleventh hour" saves - someone would leave a stack of cash on our doorstep, we would strike oil, or something - something spectacular would happen. But, things didn't work out like that and we loaded all of our stuff into a trailer and left it at Shawn's parents' house. At that time, God spoke to my heart the verse in Psalm 121 -...where does my help come from? My help comes from you, the maker of Heaven and Earth. I needed to remember - to hang on to for dear life - the truth that my help, my salvation, is God and nothing else.
That's how it is for me, it's got to be God. If God isn't there, I don't want to be there either. So imagine the hot mess I became as I'm chipping my way through the stack of required readings for Harvest School when I get to page 11 of one of Heidi Baker's books.
Since moving to Mozambique, we have learned to depend on God for everything. If God does not show up there, we are dead. We need to be totally dependent on God showing up. We need his pure presence. If God doesn't show up, no one else will either. If God does not heal, we will be dead. If God does not deliver, demons torment the people to death. We have no back-up plan if God does not take care of our children and provide for our needs. We can't and won't go on.
~ Compelled by Love, Heidi Baker
We have a long list of books, articles, and sermons to read before we get to the school and everything I've read so far is something I can't wait to pass on. Judah was asking about all the books I was reading and I taught him the word "required." Later, I found this stack of books on the counter.
While I was packing up our house in Ohio, without any idea of what we were going to do next, I told God, "We have no plan B. It's you or it's nothing. All we can do is trust you and know that you are good." We had just experienced a major financial kick-in-the-pants which necessitated all the packing and moving. Both Shawn and I felt like we were just to trust God and wait - don't pursue the money, pursue God. In the back of my head I was sure - I just knew - we were going to get one of those "eleventh hour" saves - someone would leave a stack of cash on our doorstep, we would strike oil, or something - something spectacular would happen. But, things didn't work out like that and we loaded all of our stuff into a trailer and left it at Shawn's parents' house. At that time, God spoke to my heart the verse in Psalm 121 -...where does my help come from? My help comes from you, the maker of Heaven and Earth. I needed to remember - to hang on to for dear life - the truth that my help, my salvation, is God and nothing else.
That's how it is for me, it's got to be God. If God isn't there, I don't want to be there either. So imagine the hot mess I became as I'm chipping my way through the stack of required readings for Harvest School when I get to page 11 of one of Heidi Baker's books.
Since moving to Mozambique, we have learned to depend on God for everything. If God does not show up there, we are dead. We need to be totally dependent on God showing up. We need his pure presence. If God doesn't show up, no one else will either. If God does not heal, we will be dead. If God does not deliver, demons torment the people to death. We have no back-up plan if God does not take care of our children and provide for our needs. We can't and won't go on.
~ Compelled by Love, Heidi Baker
We have a long list of books, articles, and sermons to read before we get to the school and everything I've read so far is something I can't wait to pass on. Judah was asking about all the books I was reading and I taught him the word "required." Later, I found this stack of books on the counter.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The First One
*Disclaimer: The blogosphere is new to me and I'm not familiar with blogging protocol. So bear with me as I make one faux pas after another.
So, then. Here it is: a blog to keep connect in the coming months. I figure that since there are so many people we want to keep updated on our upcoming journey (and the journey to get to that journey) why not use the internet for what it was intended? Groupons. No, a place for anyone to say anything about anything. Plus, I'm hoping to get so many followers that Oprah will have to invite me on her show. Or her network. Or give me a show on her network.
As many of you know, we were accepted to Harvest School 14 in Pemba, Mozambique (check out www.irismin.org for all the nitty gritty details) and will spend 10 weeks soaking in the presence of God and pouring out his love. I can think of worse ways to spend June & July.
We looked into Iris Ministries almost 2 years ago after we left Ohio and took ourselves on the road trip of a lifetime - me, Shawn and two of the sweetest little kids imaginable (now we have three of the sweetest kids imaginable) in a truck. We literally criss-crossed the country driving wherever we wanted and for one week in April, we were in Redding, California. We met with two of Iris Ministries' staff while we visited Bethel Church and we got the low down on what it would take to work with Iris. Well, obviously we didn't take the leap then - not that Shawn didn't already have our passports out just waiting to be stamped. In the following two years, we moved back to Minnesota, had happy Asher, and knew we wouldn't be satisfied with our status-quo. For me, specifically, and that is the benefit of being the typer, it was a now or never kind of deal. I have said "no" to a lot of opportunities we've been given or made up ourselves because either I was sensitive to the Spirit and knew it wasn't right for us or (and this just me being honest) I didn't want to do it because it would be hard. This time, I had to say "yes." For all kinds of reasons, but mostly because if I didn't do it now I might never do it and in 40 years there's a good chance I'd be kicking myself (literally, because I plan on being in good shape at 70).
In the last year we've had a few standout God moments that have really given us direction and peace about attending Harvest School. In June of last year, we were back in Columbus for a supernatural conference with Kevin Dedmon (out of Bethel Church in Redding, California) and at the end of the conference he prayed with us and gave us the scripture II Thessalonians 1:11-12. Here it is, so you don't have to open another window and google it yourself: ...We constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling and His every gracious purpose of goodness, and with power may complete your every effort prompted by faith (faith which is leaning of the whole human personality of God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness). Thus may the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified and become more glorious through and in you and may you also be glorified in Him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Amplified) Yes. Please.
We were in back in Ohio in December for yet another conference this time headlined by Chad Dedmon - Kevin's son. On Sunday morning during church, the pastor of our church honored us by calling us up for prayer and prophecy. People who didn't know us prophesied over us what we have heard many times before - a call to the nations, the gift of healing, etc. They didn't really say anything new or exactly specific (like, you're going to apply for Harvest School, be accepted, go to Mozambique, return to America and be on the Oprah Show...), but for some reason I was undone by this. In the natural, I heard the words and understood what they were saying, but since it was still a little vague (c'mon, you know how the prophetic can be) it should have been like any other time someone prayed for us. However, I was a wreck - crying, holding on to Shawn so I wouldn't collapse, and only occasionally thinking about the mascara running down my face. My spirit totally knew what was going on. My spirit connected to God and was eating it up, soaking in the promise and provision of God, and at some point, when I'm actually in the middle of what God was taking about, my natural mind will get on the same page with my spirit and then I'll really get it. I'm looking forward to that.
And finally, we were at church in Minneapolis two months ago and George - one of the leaders - had been talking about prophecy and how some people are content just knowing that they have a calling and chase prophetic words to confirm their calling, but they don't ever step into the being chosen - going and doing - part. He said something to the effect of, "...you might be called to missions, but instead you spend time building a business that's going to take 20 years to build..." Ok. I get it. I think I filled out the application that night.
So, anyway, now we're X-ing our way through a massive to-do list. I'm grateful because this time our transition has come with a 3 month prep period AND we know what we're preparing for. We wisely had gotten Judah and Luciana's passports last year and just had to get one for the little guy. A friend shared with us a picture she had of our family standing on a diving board about to jump off and that's exactly what this feels like. And I'm doing my best not to look down.
It's time to go big or go home.
BTW
If you want to help us get to Mozambique you can send tax deductible donations to:
Zion Christian Fellowship
10405 Sawmill Road
Powell, OH 43065
Please put Mozambique 2011 in the memo line
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
So, then. Here it is: a blog to keep connect in the coming months. I figure that since there are so many people we want to keep updated on our upcoming journey (and the journey to get to that journey) why not use the internet for what it was intended? Groupons. No, a place for anyone to say anything about anything. Plus, I'm hoping to get so many followers that Oprah will have to invite me on her show. Or her network. Or give me a show on her network.
As many of you know, we were accepted to Harvest School 14 in Pemba, Mozambique (check out www.irismin.org for all the nitty gritty details) and will spend 10 weeks soaking in the presence of God and pouring out his love. I can think of worse ways to spend June & July.
We looked into Iris Ministries almost 2 years ago after we left Ohio and took ourselves on the road trip of a lifetime - me, Shawn and two of the sweetest little kids imaginable (now we have three of the sweetest kids imaginable) in a truck. We literally criss-crossed the country driving wherever we wanted and for one week in April, we were in Redding, California. We met with two of Iris Ministries' staff while we visited Bethel Church and we got the low down on what it would take to work with Iris. Well, obviously we didn't take the leap then - not that Shawn didn't already have our passports out just waiting to be stamped. In the following two years, we moved back to Minnesota, had happy Asher, and knew we wouldn't be satisfied with our status-quo. For me, specifically, and that is the benefit of being the typer, it was a now or never kind of deal. I have said "no" to a lot of opportunities we've been given or made up ourselves because either I was sensitive to the Spirit and knew it wasn't right for us or (and this just me being honest) I didn't want to do it because it would be hard. This time, I had to say "yes." For all kinds of reasons, but mostly because if I didn't do it now I might never do it and in 40 years there's a good chance I'd be kicking myself (literally, because I plan on being in good shape at 70).
In the last year we've had a few standout God moments that have really given us direction and peace about attending Harvest School. In June of last year, we were back in Columbus for a supernatural conference with Kevin Dedmon (out of Bethel Church in Redding, California) and at the end of the conference he prayed with us and gave us the scripture II Thessalonians 1:11-12. Here it is, so you don't have to open another window and google it yourself: ...We constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling and His every gracious purpose of goodness, and with power may complete your every effort prompted by faith (faith which is leaning of the whole human personality of God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness). Thus may the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified and become more glorious through and in you and may you also be glorified in Him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Amplified) Yes. Please.
We were in back in Ohio in December for yet another conference this time headlined by Chad Dedmon - Kevin's son. On Sunday morning during church, the pastor of our church honored us by calling us up for prayer and prophecy. People who didn't know us prophesied over us what we have heard many times before - a call to the nations, the gift of healing, etc. They didn't really say anything new or exactly specific (like, you're going to apply for Harvest School, be accepted, go to Mozambique, return to America and be on the Oprah Show...), but for some reason I was undone by this. In the natural, I heard the words and understood what they were saying, but since it was still a little vague (c'mon, you know how the prophetic can be) it should have been like any other time someone prayed for us. However, I was a wreck - crying, holding on to Shawn so I wouldn't collapse, and only occasionally thinking about the mascara running down my face. My spirit totally knew what was going on. My spirit connected to God and was eating it up, soaking in the promise and provision of God, and at some point, when I'm actually in the middle of what God was taking about, my natural mind will get on the same page with my spirit and then I'll really get it. I'm looking forward to that.
And finally, we were at church in Minneapolis two months ago and George - one of the leaders - had been talking about prophecy and how some people are content just knowing that they have a calling and chase prophetic words to confirm their calling, but they don't ever step into the being chosen - going and doing - part. He said something to the effect of, "...you might be called to missions, but instead you spend time building a business that's going to take 20 years to build..." Ok. I get it. I think I filled out the application that night.
So, anyway, now we're X-ing our way through a massive to-do list. I'm grateful because this time our transition has come with a 3 month prep period AND we know what we're preparing for. We wisely had gotten Judah and Luciana's passports last year and just had to get one for the little guy. A friend shared with us a picture she had of our family standing on a diving board about to jump off and that's exactly what this feels like. And I'm doing my best not to look down.
It's time to go big or go home.
BTW
If you want to help us get to Mozambique you can send tax deductible donations to:
Zion Christian Fellowship
10405 Sawmill Road
Powell, OH 43065
Please put Mozambique 2011 in the memo line
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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