Dear Family and Friends,
This past 1½ years in the U. S.
have been exceptional ones for us. Those
who live most of their lives far away from their families will fully understand
the joy it has been to have more frequent visits with our children, parents,
sisters, and brothers. Having our
toddler niece recognize us with a welcoming smile when we popped in for a visit
in New Jersey warmed our hearts. Tailgating
with Robbie before an LSU football game was nothing short of awesome. Dropping
in on James and Madeleine who are just a couple of hours away from us in NC has
been so convenient, and well, just plain fun.
But years ago, we both wholly
committed our lives to the One who knows and loves our family more than we ever
could and to actively seek His leadership in our lives. We know that He calls all who follow Him to
be His witnesses and as Jay often says, where we do that is just a matter of
geography.
So beginning in January of this
year we began what would turn out to be a very long process of searching the
heart of the One we love most so that we could fully understand His will for us
during this stage of life – this time when we love the empty nest but also love
being near our kids, this time when visits with parents seems more precious
than ever.
Fasting
and prayer-filled months
filled with
Journal
entries
Nudgings
from His Word
Closed
doors
Open
doors
Small
coincidences
Thinking
we see the path – and then again maybe we didn’t
Anxious
days
Exciting
days
Hurting
days
Information-gathering
sessions
Learning
about ourselves
Delighting
ourselves in Him
Denying
ourselves
Surrendering
all to Him once again
Yes, Lord, we will go anywhere, anytime, do anything that You ask us to
do.
So we’re off in February once again… with our beloved imb
family, to share His story among the nations of the Congo Basin in central
Africa. Specifically for this first
season, in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
We are eagerly anticipating the continued adventure of
seeking the sound of His voice just as we have over these past months. We desperately want to grow in His grace so
that the only desire of our hearts is to simply delight ourselves in Him.
So how can you pray?
We have a new blog called “declaring the mystery.” In Colossians 4:3-4, the apostle Paul appealed
to the body of Christ for them to offer this prayer:
“Pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the
word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that
I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”
So please pray that:
- God will open doors.
- We will faithfully declare His mystery.
- We will share it clearly.
Because we should.
Praying with you for
the Congo Basin to know and worship Him,
Kathy
