Letting Go...still

I sold my kitchen table this week.  We have gathered around that table sharing meals, playing games and educating about history, math and life. 
Aaron sold his tile saw.  A contractor without his tools.  "That's the saw I learned to cut tile on..."  Jesse said.

We have been preparing for so many days, and still, saying goodbye to our treasures, our accumulations and our identity, in part, is difficult!

If I don't keep my eyes fixed firmly upon the Lord and His leading, I can get caught up in grief or disappointment.  But I know that God intends for me to experience the joy of trusting in an Almighty God. 
Do I trust God? 
~I trusted Him enough to get married young, knowing that with God at the center of our marriage, we would make it.
~I trusted Him enough to move away from my hometown and strike out new in Montana.
~I trusted Him enough to sell our home in Montana (the last, best place!) and say "YES" to missions.

...and still, today feels hard.  Not because of anything specific, but because I am walking forward in the unknown.  Tomorrow is not promised, and yet I still use a day planner.  Each day we wake, exercise, study French, share meals, study French, clean house, study French, pray, study French...

 The passtime of a child moving to Africa!

 "Do I have eyes to see His face in all things so I'm not merely dazzled by the trinket, glitzy bauble dangling for the ogling, till it flakes and breaks and I strain for more to lie prostrate before?" 
-Ann Voskamp in one thousand gifts

Far Better Things Ahead

“What if, sometimes, there are mists and fogs so thick that I cannot see the path? ‘Tis enough that You hold my hand, and guide me in the darkness; for walking with You in the gloom–is far sweeter and safer than walking alone in the sunlight!

Dear Lord, give me grace to trust You wholly, whatever may befall; yielding myself up to Your leading, and leaning hard on You when “dangers are in the path.” Your way for me has been marked out from all eternity, and it leads directly to Yourself and home!”

~Susannah Spurgeon

Risk

In his latest book, John Piper says of the church, "If our single, all-embracing passion is to make much of Christ in life and death, and if the life that magnifies him most is the life of costly love, then life is risk, and risk is right. To run from it is to waste your life."

When we were 29, it was seen as normal and wise to risk our credit and livelihood to be in debt up to our eyeballs!  We had a lot to 'show' for ourselves- a nice home, brand new cars, boat, atvs, land, investment property, etc.  Life was good!  But it was leveraged, and boy was it risky!  Yet we didn't view it as risk...we saw it as pursuing the American dream and giving our kids a good life!  It's peculiar that we were willing to take risks when it got us something that we deemed worthy- toys and comfort, excess and luxury.  And now, the risks before us feel huge, even though the payoff is finally something of eternal value!  Surely the unreached people who, without being told about Jesus, will never have the opportunity to know Him are worth any risk.  Leaving behind the house, the cars and the comfort can be seen as unwise, crazy or naive, and yet we walk forward with a smile because we know that God has called us to...  

I try to find a good balance between the emotions I feel amidst the uncertainty and potential discomfort that lies ahead (the temp in the capital city was 107 today), and the gratitude that I feel in response to being given a task and an army of brothers and sisters to go forward with.  We have been blessed with a cheering section of fellow believers and an All powerful God leading the way to peace, redemption and light in a dark place.

Mon Singe

We are learning family members and other titles used in French.  I realized that I don't call my husband by his name, and in fact when I do, he is offended and thinks that I'm mad! 

Well, when I asked our French teacher what a loving name for your spouse is- we were surprised (and the kids were delighted) to learn that the French expression is "Mon Singe", which translates to My Monkey...
which I mis-pronounced Mont Singe, which translates to Mountain Monkey...

It made for a fun day of classes, which we were ready for after many hours of study and working to learn  a new language as a family. Together. All. Day. Long.

 Aunt Lorie happened to be here visiting during the 'Monkey' lesson, and these slippers are the first of what I fear will be many monkey-themed treasures in our life!

Rural Living

While we know that the Lord brought us to the big city for a season and a purpose, we are thankful that He has provided an opportunity to study language with dedication and focus in a country town that we adore!

Sweet Tea is sold by the gallon.  Southern accents are lovingly drawn out, and make my daughters giggle.  This is the home of Cabbage Patch Dolls' Baby Land General Hospital-I still have mine, her name is Carmen Nadine)  The public librarians are sweet, kind, make eye contact and are glad you're there!

 

We are thrilled that the Lord has blessed us with this time of country living. 

Woods all around, a roaring fire to keep us warm and  10 laying hens clucking as we study French!

The downed trees make my boy sharpen his ax with intention and purpose. Squirrels are the size of cats!  There's a tractor parked on the high school office lawn. Scottish Highlanders.  A water wheel.  Chickens galore, dairy cows and so much more... The Lord has been so good, and it makes us smile ear-to-ear!!