One Year Anniversary

Hello our dear sweet friends! We hope this finds you all well. This week we celebrated our 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY of being in our new country!! One year ago, we packed up our belongings, and said goodbye to our family, friends, most every comfort, and the only place we had known as home. As we stepped on the plane, we began this journey to fly across the world to make our home in a new and distant land. The last year has been full of love, sadness, grief over being so far away from everything we knew, laughter, joy and excitement about this new life Father has called us to, loneliness, heartache, and culture shock.  But, through it all Father has been ever present, trustworthy and faithful! We have grown closer as a family, stronger in our marriage and Father has used all the hardships and joys to bring us closer and more intimately connected to Him. When all you know is gone… it is then that you depend on Him or drown. And in those moments, Father is real in never before seen ways. He has and is still teaching us to become completely dependent on Him. And even though this has probably been the hardest, most challenging year of our lives, we are humbled that He would allow us to be here. We would not trade it for anything.
We thank each and every one of you for loving on us extravagantly this past year. Thank you for encouraging us, supporting us, holding us up with your PR’s, and teaming with us to bring the ‘good news’ to the ZZ people. We are blessed by each of you!
The kiddos are doing well. They are chugging along in school and in their language class. Olivia has even started initiating conversations in the local language with the people she sees. It is so exciting to watch her step out of her comfort zone and engage these people.

This past month was a busy month, but full of great things from Father. We had a team from our home club come visit and work in the harvest fields here. It was awesome to see their familiar faces and a blessing and honor to work alongside them. Many people were introduced to ‘JC’ and shared with that week. During their time here, and through a joint effort, one young lady made a decision of faith!!!   PTL !!!!  Many great relationships were formed that week which has given us the opportunity to continue to pour into those people. One in particular is “J.”  The team made a huge connection with J and we were able to follow up with him last week.  He has been reading the ‘good book’ he was given. So last week, we were able to share with him more about the good news. He was very open to our conversation and has many questions but at this time he has not made a decision to believe. Please PR for J that he will realize and come to understand the truth of the ‘good news’ and his heart condition. PR that he will see how desperately he needs the Father. PTL he is continuing to read the good book. PR that his heart will be opened to the truth through this reading. Also, continue to lift up our new sister. She is meeting with the other sisters there each week for fellowship.

The local brothers and sisters there in CZ are so excited when a team comes or we come to visit. They are eager to hear and ask what Father has told us lately. We got to share with them what we were studying in our quiet time for over 2 hours.
Father is moving in exciting ways and His work is evident. We thank you for being a part of this team and joining Him in those harvest fields. It feel SO GOOD, to see the movement that is happening, and to see Father putting us in the right place at the right time a lot lately.
Thank you for all your kindness, love, generosity, PR’s and support you have poured out on us!! Thank you to each and every one of you for all the goodies and gifts you sent to us! We are overwhelmed and humbled by your outpouring of love and kindness to us. We thank Father for you. And truly, your commitment to this team helps keep us afloat.

We covet your PR’s:
• Please continue to lift up our language progression                
• The new believers and those who were shared with
• Our children’s school and the new teacher coming from the US
• New leadership at their school (it is an International  school) this coming year and looking for another teacher or principle to come as well. So if you know someone who might fill that role, contact us.
• Pr that we will daily be filled with Him, be obedient to Him and be used by Him.
Praises
• The new sister!!
• Many others who heard the good news
• Our health has been better these last couple of months.
• We get to stay in our apartment another year and the children’s school will remain open this coming year! Which will allow both of us the opportunity to study language full time for another year!