"I don't want to
go back to the D.R." "When are
we going back to the D.R.?"
"How long are we here?”
"Where are we going to live?"
"What's dad's job?"
"Can we stay here for a while?" "I miss the D.R." "When we get a place of our
own?" "Why can't we live in
our old house?" "Will we go somewhere else?"
Dear Friends and
Family,
We, like our
children, have had a flood of questions over the last 2 months similar to the
above ones. Though at times it is hard
to put an answer to any one of these questions, we trust that the Lord has this
scenario under control! After a few weeks of house/apartment hunting, we have
been blessed with a town home. A town called Morrisville is what we call home
for the next 6 months.
As many of you know,
this is the last month we will receive support.
We can't express how grateful and appreciative we are to those that have
partnered with us financially and prayerfully.
We saw/see the Lord work in ways that only scream "Look what the Lord has done!” When we arrived in the D.R. we
had only 85% of our funds. I remember numerous times when the Lord brought
partners, to come along side of us financially, to get us to the 100% mark while
we were serving. I recall times when
friends received bonuses at work and gave us a bonus-it always came when there
was a need in our lives! I remember (and treasure) the couple that allotted
funds specifically for a date weekend for our marriage every quarter. I recall
when the medical and dental team visited each year and gave free care to our
family. The fire we had, and the people that flooded our home to help us pack
and move the next day-and the place that was available. I value the friends that came to visit to
encourage us. I am grateful for the
counseling that friends provided when I was going through depression and
experiencing God's Word bringing healing.
We were blessed by our staff, whom loved us, and lived in community with
us. Our entire family witnessed countless stories
of how God provided and worked in the lives of the locals and our staff. We were blessed to see God do what man can't
on a daily basis! What a privileged it was to serve God and the people of the
D.R., making lifelong friendships on the little island of La Republica
Dominicana!
And the Lord provided
through each of you! Thank you for obeying
the call to give. God has used your
prayers and financial support to accomplish His work. God has used you to
provide for our family so that we could share and live out the Gospel.
Thank You.
We would love to
share more with those that would like to hear about our journey.
Future? The Plan? We
are committed to resting and processing here in the States for this year,
meanwhile asking the Lord to keep our hearts open to the desires He has for
us. Similar to when the Lord called us
to the D.R., we believe we will know when, where, and if He calls us oversees
again. Perhaps Europe? Perhaps, it will
be a ministry in the United States? We
pray that the Lord will not allow us to become comfortable anywhere so that we
will be ready and willing to go where and when He calls. Honestly, this creates a feeling deep within
my (Jen's) heart of not ever truly feeling settled, yet Psalm 39:12 and 119:19
reminds me that this is a journey and we are pilgrims passing through this earth.
“Settling” will truly
occur in Heaven.
“Therefore do not be
anxious, saying’, ‘what shall we eat?’ or “what shall we drink?’ or ‘what shall
we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly
Father knows that you need them all. But
seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will
be added to you. Therefore do not be
anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own
trouble.” Matthew 6: 31-34
Can I share the
awesomeness (is that a word?) of our God? We felt that while we were taking
this next year to process and see what the Lord has for our family, Josh would
need to enter the work force again.
After 2 months of no job, we had continually prayed against anxiety
creeping in and trusted the Father.
After all, isn’t God’s timing always better than ours? We have clung to the fact that He is
faithful, loving, and He is Sovereign! I
am excited to brag that our faithful Lord (through another neat story) has
provided Josh with a job- 2 weeks before our support ends! We are grateful for His provision and we are
looking for ways to live missionally in the midst of our current
surroundings.
We plan on continuing
our blog so you will be able to follow us as we continue this journey called
life.
Thank you again for
every card/call of encouragement, every box sent, every penny gifted, every
space of storage, every visit to the D.R., every place to stay upon our
returns, and every bit of support. May
God bless you for your obedience in giving so that His work could be
accomplished in the Dominican Republic!
In Christ Alone,
Jen, Josh, Tate,
Aribella, Oliver, Finley, and Parlyn
