When you get what you "wish" for...

Karis has been really into dressing up and carrying around her magic wand. She likes to tap on things and pretend to turn them into something else. The kids have been watching a Dora episode where "Swiper" the fox gets stuck in the genie's bottle and sings a song about wishing to get out. Karis and Micah both have been going around the house singing "One Big Wish". It made me think about what happens when you get what you "wish" for. What happens when you have been praying for something for what seems like way too long and then you aren't quite sure how to feel when you get it? That is where I find myself today as I reflect on the changes that have taken place in the past week. Brandon has been applying for secular (non-ministry) jobs for about 6 months now in hopes that he would be able to support our family and yet transition out of his youth ministry mindset and push forward with our progress of getting back to France. We have been discouraged at times questioning if we were going about this the wrong way or if God was just calling us to wait on His timing. Last week Brandon became an employee of Lowe's and along with that he will continue to put in some hours at Top RX. He turned in his letter of resignation to the church and his last Sunday will be February 27th. After that, we will return to Bartlett Hills Baptist Church where our families attend so that we can maximize on whatever time we have left in the states. We are very excited about the changes that we are making and the idea that we will be able to devote more time and effort into our call to missions. With that being said, we have been at First Baptist Millington for five and a half years now and they truly have become our church family during this time. They supported us through the establishment of our family as both of our children have been born into the preschool ministry there. They have been loved on and ministered to by the wonderful teachers and volunteers from Sunday School to Sunday and Wednesday night events. The preschool staff has been an encouragement to me as I was a new mom who had so many questions about what I had gotten myself into. There is nothing more that you can do for a mom than to take good care of her children and I have greatly appreciated all those who have loved my kids like their own. During our time at FBC, Brandon has spent time working with the high school praise band, serving as the High School minister and then most recently as the Mid-High interim. He has not only met so many great youth and adults who have encouraged him in his ministry, he has grown and been stretched in ways that he never would have imagined. We truly believe that this has helped to prepare him for our future as church planters as he will most likely take on many different roles. It is definitely a bittersweet time for us as we say "Goodbye" to our ministry at FBC and move forward to what God has in store for us next. We are looking forward to getting our letters out to all of you so that you can know more specifically how you can be a part of our ministry in France. We praise God for answered prayers and can't wait to see what He will do in and through us next. Be looking to hear from us more often and in different ways in the coming days. Also, please don't hesitate to ask questions or check out the "frequently asked questions" section of the blog if you haven't already.