Timothy Training at Calvin Seminary

Marcy and Jason had the privilege of taking part in Timothy Training (TLTI) at Calvin Seminary in Grand Rapids. TLTI focuses on training lay leaders on how to build healthy and well cared for congregations. We participated in the hands-on training with seminary students from 9 different countries. This training will be a useful tool for our ministry in Peru.

Thank You!

Our fundraiser was a success! We were so busy that we forgot to take pictures of the event. Bad blogger, I know. Thanks to everyone who attended or ordered take out that evening. It was such an encouragement to our entire family. We raised over $1,500 and gained new monthly supporters. Praise God!

Hey Y'all

We are having a fundraiser at the Pizza Ranch!  Please come and eat supper at the Pizza Ranch in Hudsonville any time between 4 - 9p.m.   If you can't make it, you can take it.  All take out orders count too.   A portion of the proceeds goes to

support our ministry.
Our hope for this fundraiser is not only to raise money, but also to raise support.  No, I did not just repeat myself.  There IS a difference.  Money is just that…money.  Support is more than that.  It's about relationships, communication, and prayer.  Don't get me wrong, money is definitely needed.  However, support is also vital to us.  We would love to connect with a lot of families from the community and our kids' school and let them see how "their community" and friends are supporting them too.
We hope y'all can come and support us!

When:   Monday, Nov. 10  
              4:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Where:  Pizza Ranch -- 
            3492 Chicago Dr.  Hudsonville
              (616) 669-7030

You Want Me To Do What?

Obedience.  That is a word that I tend to reserve solely for children.  But the reality is that we are all children, God’s children.  Just like we expect obedience from our own children, so God expects obedience from us.

In Jeremiah 7:23 The Lord says, “Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people.  Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.”

Instead of obedience though, I sometimes want to compromise with God.  If He does what I ask (or need) then I will do what He asks.  “God, if you heal me, then I will lead that Sunday School class.”   Have you ever done something like that? 

God doesn’t want compromises though, especially when it comes to our hearts and allegiance to Him.  These past two years, God has really been working with us on our obedience.  It has been a process of stretching us, searching our hearts, and bringing us to a point of submission to His will.  Once we are submitted, then and only then can God really go somewhere with us. 

1 Samuel 15:22 says, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying to voice of the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice.”

Sometimes obeying does mean sacrificing though.  I realize that in that passage Samuel is referring to the literal action of a sacrifice, but it is still relevant to us today.  For me, selling my house (favorite house ever!) is an act of obedience AND a sacrifice.   Being submitted to God and being obedient to his call often means valuing the things of God not of man.  We will all be sacrificing in this missions process: us, our kids, parents, grandparents, sisters and brothers, etc. 

However, what we give up in the process pales in comparison to the delight that The Lord receives from our obedience. 

What is God asking you to do today?

LAUNCH DAY

Today we officially launched our support raising journey.  I use the word journey because that is what this really is.  It won’t happen quickly, and it won’t always be easy.  But the people and the relationships we will build along the way will be the most 

wonderful part.   In fact, this past 

weekend, we have met with some great people.  I didn’t ask permission so I won’t name names, but the people we stayed with last night sure have the gift of hospitality.  I mean, it takes a special person to host our crazy bunch.  The kids said it was much better than a hotel and they really wanted to stay longer.

This morning we spent some time at our previous church in South

 Carolina, Chapin Presbyterian.   They invited us to get up and share a few minutes about what we will be doing in Peru.  It was good, but a little nerve wracking!  We had an amazing reconnection with the Pastor and his wife, along with several others.  As we leave SC, we head home with sense of being blessed.

SIMGo

What is SIMGo you ask?  Well it is a two week training time at SIM headquarters in Charlotte, NC. for newly appointed missionaries.  The whole family is involved too! 

Fun at Carowinds Amusement Park

Swimming at the YMCA

Everyday our kids attended prayer/chapel with us and then they went to the MK House to their own classes.    They did do some learning but they mostly had a whole lot of fun.  Bob and Gayle Murray and their daughter Amy drove all the way down from Michigan to help out with the kids program.  They are our regional directors and wanted our kids to get to know who they were.  Isn't that cool?

SIMGo training focused on the biblical basis for support raising, how to take care of donors, the necessity for prayer support, and how to transition to a new culture.  It was also a time for us to get to know SIM leadership better, and how things work once we are on the field.  We also had a time to share our testimony.   We enjoyed getting to know all the other terrific families who are preparing to go on the field as well.

Oh, and did I mention that           
we also had to had to get some of our immunizations while we were there?  
Some of us handled it better than others.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

The BEST part of SIMGo though was really getting to know all the home-based missionaries and staff there.  We met so many wonderful people.  People who are ready and willing to pour into us and into our family. 

 In fact, they even made a cake to celebrate Adam's 13th birthday!  Amy and Meg made another cake for just Adam and the teens too along with a really neat candy card.  It was so nice.  

 We are grateful to have Charlie and Tami Thorsen as our coaches.  They will be mentoring us as we prepare to go onto the mission field.   And we would be remiss not to mention Bob and Carol Givens who have been a huge source of encouragement for us all.

                                                    THANKS SIM!!

All SIMGo Missionaries.  It was a GREAT group.

IT'S OFFICIAL!

We have been accepted as long term missionaries with SIM.  We are so excited to begin this journey!  We hope to be in Peru by early next year.  The next step though is taking some classes and then attending SIMGo in Charlotte in July.  Please pray for God’s provision in His way and in His time.