Where we are at. Please pray for us.

Good morning from wherever you reside today. For me, as I begin writing this, it is 6:30 AM and the sun is just beginning to illuminate the world beyond our balcony. I stayed up until almost 1 AM before I felt I could sleep last night. 

 

My mind was restless with every item on my to-do list lining up simultaneously, awaiting action, as if they were all alerted at 11 PM sharp- From realizing that our next financial deadline is quickly approaching, which lead to my racing, calculative thoughts about fundraising, to pondering the possibility that we could have to pay for two months of rent that would stretch our current funds very thin due to our nearly-upon-us last days at our jobs, to frustration about the suffocating lack of time that surrounds all of it. So I prayed with my husband and called my mother. 

 

She gave me wise advice, starting with the making of an extensive list, followed by an idea for a blog post, which is why you are reading this right now, as opposed to the blog I had in mind that was not coming nearly as fluently as I had hoped. She emphasized that people want to know our hearts and our needs, and so I will bear my heart on my sleeve for you all. 

 

The last two and a half weeks have been blessed and good but just…a lot. We went to Mexico for a family wedding and because of some frustrating travel mix-ups, didn’t have any time after we returned to catch our breath and tend to WR to-dos that had been neglected while we were out of the country. We arrived at our apartment at 11:30 PM and the next day, I was at work at 9 AM. That week there were a lot of family birthdays, followed by Memorial day with family as well. We feel so thankful for this time since we will not be able to sit around the dinner table or bonfire for 11 months in a row, beginning in August. These have been moments that we have treasured! Our schedule is just full, that’s all. Now it’s GO time and I feel the need to play catch up, however, we still need to maintain our full-time jobs, commitments at church, take care of our home, and we desire to spend time with those that are dear to us. In one hand, we are balancing all of our “normal” and in the other we are juggling researching gear to purchase, making appointments at travel clinics, arranging travel plans, scheduling meetings to share our hearts with potential partners, etc. To sum it up, we are happy but tired and a little stressed about all that needs to be set in motion before we launch in 57 days. 

 

When I began making my to-do list late last night, I put in earbuds and silently pleaded with the Lord for peace as I emptied all the tasks I felt tumbling in my mind into an online document. The Lord often ministers to me through music and at that exact moment, the song that was brought to mind was “Only a Holy God” by CityAlight. Here are the first lyrics: 

 

Who else commands all the hosts of heaven

Who else could make every king bow down

Who else can whisper and darkness trembles

Only a Holy God

What other beauty demands such praises

What other splendour outshines the sun

What other majesty rules with justice

Only a Holy God

Come and behold Him

The One and the Only

Cry out, sing holy

Forever a Holy God

Come and worship the Holy God

I believe that the Lord was gently reminding me that, ultimately, He is still Holy and still remains on His throne! He deserves to be praised with every shred of my being regardless of the miracles I am hoping to receive and the powerlessness I feel. My focus was supposed to be fixed on this reality FIRST. As my list grew and filled the first page of the document, another song that had served as an excellent reminder in the past surfaced again – “I Will Trust” by Red Rocks Worship. I think every word of that song is perfectly anointed and readily applicable but I paste the first two verses and a chorus here, as the words are the current cry of my heart:

 

I can’t see where I’m going

The lines are blurred but

You’re showing me love

Love in the midst of the dark

And I don’t know what you’re doing

But blindly I am pursuing you now

Good shepherd lead my heart

…

And I don’t know where you’re taking me

But I know that you’re making me like you

The old is washed away

When I’m tired of contending

I know you won the beginning and end

Jesus, you are here now

Come do what you want to do

What ever it looks like

You will do what only you can do

I wanna be where you are

No matter how far it takes me

Leap through the dark

I hope you will not forsake me

Ooh, I will trust in you

Only you Lord

Ooh, I will trust in you

I will trust in you

So, first I was reminded of the necessity of praising the Holy God and most powerful One, and second I was encouraged about what the Lord does for me and in me through the process of trusting Him and following His leading, regardless of math that doesn’t add up and time that seems to be nipping at my heals the entire journey. The order of these realizations is critical. He is to be praised, first and foremost, for who HE IS. Then we can turn to Him in a posture of expectancy, but not one of entitlement. 

 

My list grew to be about 45 items long, several being tasks that are ongoing and will not be finished until we leave, some that will take a few days, and others that should only take a few hours. As I looked at the long list of things my husband and I get to accomplish (because this really is a huge privilege!) I felt more peace because I knew that where the Lord has called, He will provide everything we need. The work is ours to do but the weight is not ours to bear. 

 

And so we are standing on His splendor, might, abundant grace, and on the power of prayer. We ask you to please come alongside us in praying for the most urgent needs we are facing presently: 

 

• Please join us in praying that the Lord would prompt people to partner with us financially and that we would meet our next deadline. This would require raising about $6,000 more than what has currently been pledged in the next week and a half (funds need to be processed June 25th). We believe that the Lord can do abundantly more than we can ask or imagine! And please pray that we continue to rejoice in this opportunity as a gift instead of allowing the tasks to overwhelm and steal our joy because this is an exciting time! 

• Please join us in praying for wisdom and protection in regards to our health as we contemplate which vaccinations and prescriptions to receive and as we travel to various countries where we could be exposed to diseases foreign to our immune systems. We also pray that insurance covers these costs. 

• Please join us in praying that our apartment would be needed by and passed onto an individual by the beginning of August so that we do not need to pay rent when we will be out of the country and not earning additional money in the field other than the funds raised toward our trip. This would put a large strain on our finances, which we would prefer to not wrestle with when we are attempting to be present in ministry. 

• Last but not least, please join us in praying for our union as husband and wife during this hectic time. We are both anticipating the exciting, if challenging, season ahead but are feeling the impact of arriving in the WR team later than is ideal. We want to look back on this as a sweet time of growth and unity between us. We want to work on our communication and partnership during the small amount of time we have together each week. We would appreciate your prayers in this area. 

 

Thankfully, once I had written my list, I closed my eyes to sleep and the Lord used a challenge from a wise friend to still my active thoughts: “Go through the alphabet and remember a scripture that begins with each letter.” I only got through ‘D’ but figured I would share the Scriptures that came to mind with you all. 

 

A- “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

B- “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

C- “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 1:7

D- “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

 

I am thanking my Abba for the “peace of God, which transcends [my] understanding,” and am praying that you all can trust in Him to receive this precious gift as well this morning. Thank you for reading through this and following along our journey. You bless us more than you know. <3