Life right now looks great from the outside- a nice home, four beautiful children, a husband with a secure job, involvement with a fantastic church and a phenomenal homeschooling community. Life is good on the inside, too- we are happy and well-loved. But for several years now, we have been ready for a change. Chris has been seeking a career move for, well forever it feels like. He is beyond sick of a cubicle and working for the government...I doubt I need to say more about that. But he has had no strong calling to do anything different. I quite frankly, could think of a million different careers for myself. I would like to be a journalist, or work in public relations, or be a doctor, lawyer, own a home decor boutique, author, politics, need I go on? So why can't my husband think of what he wants to be when he grows up?!
This has been a source of frustration for us both, but now I know very strongly that God was saying, "Wait." He was allowing us to stay in our hometown, mature in wisdom and in spirit, have our four precious babies, and establish a firm foundation. If we were happy and content with Chris' career, we may never have been open to the possibility of this:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." -Matthew 28:19
Is God calling us to full-time missions? I'm not quite sure. Chris and I both feel like the answer to that is maybe yes, but we are still not positive. We both have short term mission trips planned this year that we hope will give us some confirmation either way.
At the end of May, I will be heading to Swaziland, Africa with a group from Warren Baptist Church. I have been trying to go on this trip for four years! My husband and I both were registered to go when I found out I was expecting our third child, so we had to back out.
Swaziland is a teeny, tiny country surrounded mostly by South Africa. With the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world, many Swazi children are left orphans or basically living like orphans because their parents are too sick to take care of them. The organization Children's HopeChest has CarePoints throughout the country and a child sponsorship program. Our church, Warren, sponsors children from two of these CarePoints and makes annual visits to work with the children there. Children are my heart, and I am so excited to work with these precious little ones. I have heard from many people that Swaziland and its people will wreck your heart, and I know that is going to be true. I can't wait.
In late October, Chris will take a small team to the country of South Sudan to visit our missionary friends, Selvin and Laurel and their two young daughters. The team will come alongside them and get a feel for the work they are doing there. This is the first time that Selvin and Laurel have had a group come to them, so there is a lot of prep work on all ends to get this going, not to mention that they are very much located in the bush. Their home is about as rural as it gets.
South Sudan is a nation at civil war. Reading over the safety precaution materials Selvin sent us is quite frankly, overwhelming. However, they are taking as many precautions as possible, such as avoiding the capital city where much of the fighting is. The tribal culture is very different than what we are used to, and learning how to relate to the people has a steep learning curve. The work that God is doing there is huge, though. People are coming to know Him. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are so very few. We are excited to be a part of it.
Due to some of the safety precautions traveling to South Sudan involves, the trip is more pricey than the average. Combined with the cost of my trip to Swaziland, it is more than this stay-at-home-mom-of-four and her government-employee-husband can handle on our own. I have always assumed people were reluctant to give to missionaries- short or long term, because they were critical of what they were doing (i.e. why go over there when there are plenty of people over here that don't know God?! You know what I'm saying?). However, now I am realizing there are so many people who HAVE NO DESIRE WHATSOEVER to go to another country on assignment. Or many people that aren't called to right now. And many of these people are more than willing to help financially send those like me that are screaming,
"Here am I. Send me!" -Isaiah 6:8
Maybe this is all part of God's plan. Of course, he sometimes calls us to uncomfortable things, but often I think he gives us a passion for it. He is planting in my husband and mine own hearts the desire to go and serve Him on foreign soil. We feel strongly that He is using these short term trips as confirmation or refutation of this. And if the answer is no, then there is the other path- a change of career or master's degree, possibly.
But one thing we know, we are not intended to stay at the comfortable spot before the fork in the road.
***Some footnotes, this post is to tell people what is going on in our lives, but we do have a fantastic fundraiser going on right now, and this is the easiest way for me to give the most details. Chris has built this beautiful farmhouse table. It is 8ft long X 37 inches wide and the top is made from reclaimed wood. We are selling raffle tickets, and I can't wait to give this beautiful table to someone special! The winner will be announced on Mother's Day, and you do not have to be present to win.
Tickets are 1 for $10 or 3 for $20
2nd and 3rd prize winners will receive wood wall art that I am making
If you would like to purchase tickets, either contact me to make arrangements, or if you'd like to donate through PayPal using the link in the sidebar, I can mail the tickets to you.
Thank you for your generosity, and of course, we'll take all the prayer we can get!
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