Wednesday, May 26, 2010

"I'm not scared!"

My two year old daughter, Karis will tell me "I'm not scared" when she is in fact afraid of something. I'm not sure if she is trying to convince me or herself. I have been constantly telling God (and myself) that I am not scared to move my family to another country and raise my children in a different culture, but the fact is that I am scared! I am terrified at the thought of asking other people to provide the financial support that we will need. I cannot imagine how much my life will change over the next few years, and I must admit, change and I do not get along!! Last night Brandon was telling me about a blog of a girl who must have been scared out of her mind, but she was obedient to God's call. She did not hesitate at all, and the cost was great. I was reading some of her posts in tears and at the same time truly inspired. I am scared, but I am called by God and so I know that He will provide for our needs. I wanted to give you the link to this blog. It is an amazing story. You should definitely check it out, but grab a box of tissues first!...www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

"Baby Steps"

As the mom of a new walker, I am realizing the meaning of the phrase "baby steps". Neither of my kids walked very early. In fact, Karis was fifteen months old. They both seemed to focus more on talking. What can I say? They are my children! Micah, however was a little different than Karis. Karis was not all that coordinated. She still walks into walls and doors and such (also something that she gets from her mom). With Micah it was VERY obvious that he could walk if he wanted to, but he was determined that crawling was better- faster, more effective, easier. At thirteen months he finally decided to take those steps. His baby steps were a little slower and a little more wobbly for a few days, but it didn't take long for him to take off. Now he is almost as quick walking as he is crawling and very soon I won't be able to keep up with him! As I think about this, I can compare it to our journey back to France. For a long time we refused to even take baby steps in the process. It was easier to stay where we were- nice and comfortable. We were quick and effective in our ministry here and it was easier not to think about the future at all. Now that we have begun to take those first steps, we see how much better walking is than crawling. We have felt much support from friends and family already. So far, it has been a great experience. I know that there will be falls and stumbling blocks as we continue to move forward, but we are trusting God to be in control of our timeline. With that said, I wanted to give you our timeline. We are hoping to be in France in either December 2011 or January 2012. I have added a FAQ's section to our blog that will hopefully answer some of the questions you may have as well as give you more details about how you can partner with us in this ministry. Thanks again for your interest and support!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

"Here am I, send me."

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I, send me!'" -Isaiah 6:8 A few months ago I could not get this verse out of my head no matter how hard I tried. After several sleepless nights, I gave in and got up to put my thoughts down on paper which is where this blog began... At this point, I want to back up and give you a little history on my family. Brandon and I were married on September 17th, 2004 and moved to Beauvais, France one week later. I had a position teaching English to French students and Brandon was "along for the ride". While we were there we attended a small protestant church and became friends with the missionaries who were working with them. By the time that our year-long adventure was over, we both felt a call to return someday as missionaries ourselves. We began to prepare for this as Brandon attended Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary and earned a Masters of Missiology degree in May of 2009. We also began the process with a mission called World Team. We were accepted and did our vision trip back to France in July of 2008 with our 6 month old daughter, Karis. After that, things got crazy as our son, Micah, was born in April of 2009. Brandon is the high school minister at First Baptist Church in Millington, TN. He, of course stays very busy with his ministry there and we had been thinking less and less about our calling to France. I must admit that I had even begun to doubt that call. I could not and cannot imagine taking my children away from their family and friends, but Brandon and I came to a crossroads where we had to make a decision of whether we would GO or not. A few weeks ago we drove to Montgomery, AL to meet with our missionary friends, David and Kathryn Lohness, while they were in the states visiting supporters. They encouraged us and prayed with us and by the time we came home a few short days later, we were ready to move forward. So, that brings me to the title of my blog "Allons-y!" which in French means "Let's go!". I feel it is appropriate to say "let's" including YOU because whether you are called to physically go to another country as a missionary or not, we are all called to "go" in Matthew 28:19-20. Brandon and I cannot go without you! We need your prayer and support. I am starting this blog to keep you informed about our process of getting back to France. I will try to keep you updated on our progress and let you know of any specific needs, prayer or otherwise. Thanks so much for being a part of this journey with us!