Our Appeal

To our faithful supporters and loving family,

We hope you all are doing well as the season of advent is officially underway and we look forward to Christmas! We would like to get very transparent with you for a moment. The object of this letter is not to ask you for money (enter sigh of relief here!) but it’s to make clear the purpose and intent of our “missions” work. We also hope to shed some light into understanding missions as a whole. Since we started down this road a year ago there have been misunderstandings about who we are, what we do and why we do it. The following are those questions answered. As you read this please have your Bible and read along with our references so you can find our true heart in scripture.

Why Are You At Home and Not In The Field?

            In august we returned from Uganda and a Discipleship Training School. Our work was incredible and life changing. Both to those we worked with and to ourselves. We are using this time to support raise, invest in family, raise awareness and prepare to spend at least the next two years in missions. The next two years of our life we have committed to being full-time missionaries with YWAM. We leave the first of January to head to Colorado Springs, Colorado to the YWAM base.

 Where Do We Seek Guidance?

Our family of three, in partnership with many other individuals (Pastors, family, and friends of Faith), have been praying and continually pray about every step we take. (Proverbs 11:14)  We have come to be missionaries, not blindly, but by the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the teachings of Christ. We have stepped forth in Faith and obedience to answer the call. (Matthew 28:18-20/ Isaiah 6:8/ John 14:26) The easy answer to everything is simply that we want to Glorify God in all that we do. The Word of God is our structure. We aren’t perfect, but we are founded in Christ. (Paul says it perfectly in Philippians 3:12-14) We want to be so based in Scripture that our actions radiate the Glory of God. (Matthew 5:16/ John 8:31-32)

Why Be Missionaries and What Is Your Specific Calling?

We are missionaries because God calls us all to spread the Good News to all nations, and we are honored to go. (Matthew 28:19-20) We follow the Biblical Pauline definition of a missionary, which is to reach those that don’t know of the saving grace of Jesus. (Romans 15:20-22) Paul planted churches where people did not already know Christ. Jesus obviously has compassion on those that are ignored by the world. (Matthew 9:36-38) Indeed let us have compassion for those that are ignored in the world for they too are children of God. Our work focuses at the ignored 10/40 window (North Africa, Middle East, Asia, etc.). Less than a penny of every dollar given to missions is directed toward the 10/40 Window. Yet dollar for dollar and hour for hour, the harvest coming from the 10/40 Window nations outstrips that from the rest of the world 100 to 1. The top 10 countries with the largest “unevangelized population” are located in the 10/40 Window. 85% of the world’s poorest of the poor live in the 10/40 Window. We want to go where no one else is going because that is where Jesus would be.

What About People That Need Jesus In The U.S.?

            We understand that our own community needs help as well as the rest of the world. We believe 100% in helping others in any capacity, anywhere. We are excited when people answer the call to help their community or any other part of the world. Jesus said “make disciples of all nations.” That means our nation too. Believe me, when we aren’t overseas, we are helping our community however we can. It’s not either/or. It’s both/and. We choose to aim our focus at the 10/40 window because that is one of the most helpless areas of the world. Paul enlightens us in Romans 15 that it was his calling not to just stay where he was, but as a “missionary” to go to those that didn’t know of the saving grace of Jesus. The simple fact is that people in the U.S. have way more access to Jesus and organizations that will help them than anywhere else in the world. We have a world view that wants to level that playing field.

You can also look at it this way. Imagine the world has just been in a horrible bus accident. Any professional emergency crew performs triage. Meaning everyone in the accident needs to be attended to, but the most severe cases are treated with more urgency. In regards to the Gospel, most everyone in the U.S. has the opportunity to at least hear enough about Jesus to accept Him or not. Their diagnosis (just in regards to accessibility, not spiritual condition) is, say, a sprained ankle and some scratches. Now a person of the Qashqa’i people in Iran with a population of 1,750,000 is diagnosed with internal bleeding and a left arm that’s severed. Hundreds of them die daily without ever having the opportunity to have heard the name of Jesus. Who would you say is more desperate for immediate help?

Are You Committed?

            YES!!!!!! We understand that people want to make sure that their money and time isn’t going to waste. That’s what it comes down to. Who invests their money with a company that is known for losing money? We get it. That’s why we want you to know that it isn’t just your money that is going into this. Every dime that we have made since deciding to dedicate ourselves to missions is committed to our work. We have even picked up odd jobs here and there as opportunities were presented. Our money has gone before yours in furthering our work.

Often we are asked, “What if you don’t raise enough?” or “What is your Plan B?” We believe with our lives in what we are doing. We will not stop raising money in hope of reaching the unreached because Jesus Christ never stopped reaching for us. If it means we move to Colorado (Where our base is located) and continue to raise money until we have enough, then that’s what we will do. Do we believe that we will act out Plan B? No. We believe that God has, is and will provide for us always as long as we are acting in His will.

We would also like to be transparent and share with you the level of our commitment to Christ. Our dedication to this calling is not to be taken lightly; we have given up everything for this! We are leaving what we have called home for 24 years and selling everything we can’t fit in our car and small u-haul trailer. We are living at the mercy of God and are abandoning our “rights” to a traditional home and the “American Dream” to serve others. Please believe us when we say that we have and are giving up so much, but we’re not asking for your sympathy. We say all of this to make a point. Please don’t think for one moment that our family is in this for our own selfish desires. It is not easy to follow so closely after Christ that it conflicts with the rest of the world. It is very clear to us that Christ comes before all things. We would not walk through so much trouble for anything less than Christ. All of what we have done is SO worth it: that others may know Christ and His love. May His name be exalted above all things! (Matthew 19:20-21/ Matthew 10:37-39/ Philippians 3:7-11/John 3:16-17)

We work very hard for our money. How do you use the money we donate so that we don’t think you’re just getting a free ride?

            “Everything comes from You(God), and we have given You(God) only what comes from Your(Gods) hand.” (1 Chronicles 29:14) The money that is received from our supporters is honored and respected. We try very hard to be good stewards with all money because it is entrusted to us by God. If we misuse any money, we are not only disrespecting those that give generously to us but we are disrespecting and dishonoring God Himself. In addition we never want anyone to give us money that God has not instructed to do so. We want people to realize that money given to us is in actuality God’s money being given back to God and His purposes.

            By being a monthly supporter you are helping us sustain ourselves. We are in ministry, and as many know ministry is not a 9-5 job you can leave. Jesus never stopped working for us so we don’t plan on stopping work when 5 o’clock rolls around. We are required to work 40 hours a week by YWAM but it never stops there. Our work is 24/7. Scripture says that we are to “love our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.” And “whoever loses his life for My (Jesus’) sake will find it.” (Mark 12:30-31/ Deut. 6:4-5/ Matthew 10:39) We have given our lives to our work. So yes, let me be clear, you are paying us to change lives, to be missionaries. You do feed us, you do put a shelter over our heads, and you do clothe us. And believe us we aren’t going to Ruth Chris’ Steak House, or shopping at some expensive retail store. We have committed to a life living less, because to us it’s worth it. We know the work we do is worthy of every donation. And you know that we are proud not to live for material possessions but to be living for the Kingdom of God. “But seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:20-21) “There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.” (Acts 4:34-35)

            We very much understand that we have to be one with God’s will for this to be “successful” because if it isn’t then we will be fighting against God. “Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone. Let them go. For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find ourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:38-39 This verse pertains to those for us as well as those against us.

“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exist because worship does not. Worship is ultimate…Where there is no worship there is a need for missions.” –John Piper

"All nations you have made will come and worship before you,

O Lord, they will bring glory to your name." Psalm 86:9

Thank you for taking the time to read this and to better understand our hearts and why we’re making this wild leap of faith that so many don’t understand. Remember we couldn’t do what we do without you. Just like a bridge is only as effective as its supports, we too are only able to reach the world in regard to the strength we have in our support.

Please, Please, Please contact us directly with any further questions or comments. This letter is written as one part to a conversation, and we hope and expect to hear from you. We seek to end any miscommunication so if there has been any in this letter we trust that you can bring it to our attention to discuss. We are passionate about this and are excited to discuss anything about the matter with you. We welcome e-mail, Facebook, snail mail, smoke signals and phone calls.

Call Eric at 912. 313.7438 or Randi at 770.851.8953

7ericjohnson@gmail.com or randilynn.johnson7@gmail.com

Fall 2011 Update

“’Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” Matthew 28:19-20

Dear friends and family,

 

Fall is in full swing and we are taking advantage of the beautiful colors, weather, pumpkin spiced treats and time with loved ones. We continually reflect on our incredible summer spent in intensive discipleship and ministry in Uganda. The relationships we built will last a lifetime and we are still marveling at the work God did in and through us.

Uganda!

One of the highlights from our time in Africa is our friend Apong. He was a boda (motorcycle taxi) driver staged at the corner shop adjacent to our house in Gulu. We quickly became friends and learned of his heartbreaking story. He is apart from his wife and kids due to insufficient funds paid on the dowry for his wife. As a result her parents took her and the young kids from Apong. His wife is also HIV positive, a fact she kept from Apong until they were married. Thankfully his son, Andrew, and daughter, Mercy, are negative for the disease but he had never been tested because he didn’t want to face the inevitable. Two weeks into our trip depression and lies from the enemy had overtaken him and he was ready to end his life and leave this world. Eric and another friend of ours rushed to his company and began praying for him and speaking truth over him. Apong ended up leaving this world that night, though in the most joyous of ways. He gave his life to Christ. Eric was able to continue discipling him and spent a lot of time praying and fasting for him. We saw a man go from desperation to joy in the hope of the Lord. A few weeks after our return home we received a message from Apong. He took an HIV test and was negative! This is just one of the amazing stories that God let us be a part of while we were there.

“Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!”

Psalms 96:3

What’s Next for Us?

Through our DTS it has been confirmed in our hearts that we are to join God in the work he is doing in international missions with YWAM. If you haven’t heard yet, our plan is to go back to Colorado Springs and join staff for the next two years. While there Randi will be involved with the media department to help raise awareness through video. Eric will join the nations teams which oversee the work being done in the nations that our base supports. In addition to our other jobs, both of us will hopefully staff Discipleship Training Schools. Until our return to Colorado we will be in Georgia support raising, spending time with friends and family and preparing ourselves for the move. We will be spending time in both Atlanta and Savannah. In November we will be celebrating Savannah Lynn’s 2^nd birthday! Hard to believe she’s two already!

In January we will be taking a School of Strategic Missions to further our missions education. This is designed to equip us with the tools needed to do full-time missions efficiently. We’ll be learning about justice, church planting, communication, Biblical worldview, launching new ministry, globalization and developing communities and more. The school consists of a 3 month lecture phase and an internship lasting anywhere from three months to a full-time stay somewhere in the 10/40 window.

 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

The Vision of YWAM Colorado Springs

The focus of the YWAM base in Colorado Springs is to send missionaries into countries in the 10/40 Window, where 2.8 billion people(roughly two-thirds of the world population) have little or no access to the Gospel. The 10/40 Window is made up of North Africa, Middle East, and most of Asia.  The base presently supports 500+ frontline missionaries in these very difficult countries and needs to add to their ranks while expanding the existing work. It’s a huge blessing to be partnering with other people who are responding enthusiastically to God’s call to engage the least reached. One reason that the 10/40 Window is a priority is that only five percent of all church dollars in the U.S. go to world missions, and of this amount only .5 percent are designed for mission to the unreached. Or you can say that from every dollar, less than a penny goes to the places most in need of the name of Jesus Christ.

“’And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory. ... and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.'" Isaiah 66:18-19

So, we are now preparing for our move to Colorado Springs at the year’s end. We have a lot to do, including getting our support lined up. We’ll need $3,000 a month to make it happen. This includes housing, insurance, food, utilities, car, school fees, traveling etc.

As missionaries we have to raise 100 percent of our living and ministry budget. This makes us entirely dependent on help from people who catch this vision and feel led by God to bless the least reached people. Any monthly gift of any amount is a huge blessing for us and many others. From what comes in, we will be able to support pastors, projects and initiatives in hard to reach places in the 10/40.

We are inviting you to have our ministry be your ministry. Your financial support and prayers make sending us into the world possible. We can’t do it alone. Just as the hand can’t work apart from the body, we can’t work apart from you. And we aren’t asking you to give money to us but to give that money to God and the work He is doing in the Kingdom.

 “The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.” 1 Samuel 30:24

We are so excited for the next season of our lives! Yes, it’s difficult to leave all that we’ve ever known but the calling is worth it; Apong and many others are worth it. We’re grateful for any and all support that allows us to reach the least reached with the healing love of Christ. We cannot do this without you. And, as always, we truly desire your prayers.

Carrying His Name to the ends of the Earth,

 

   Eric, Randi Lynn & Savannah

Missions Support (Tax deductible)

Online: http://www.ywamsf.org/donate  select missionary support under donation designated for and enter 545 in the box asking for missionary name.

By mail:

Eric & Randi Johnson or Accounting

PO Box 60579

Colorado Springs, CO 80960

                   Make the check payable to YWAM with 545 in the memo line.

Final Uganda Trip Update!

This update is coming at you stateside as I'm a little behind on sending things out. We didn't have internet at the house the last two weeks and we were so busy I never made it into town to get one sent out. But better late than never right?! Prepare yourselves. It's going to be a little longer and is packed full of some of the incredible things the Lord did in our final days in Uganda.

I last updated you all saying that we had begun our sports camp and that the first day had been a success. The other days proved just as exciting. Things were more organized at that camp than I had ever seen in Africa. The kids showed up, stayed in groups and went from station to station all while having a good time and learning some skills. We went over soccer and volleyball and really made some good friends. Two little boys in particular stand out to me most. One was Douglas, he was 12 or 13 and deaf. He was so sweet. And he always gave it 100%. It was fun to have to get creative when trying to explain things. But thank goodness for pantomime and gestures. Another little boy named Aaron came out to camp but wasn't able to participate like the others because he was crippled. We spent probably thirty minutes praying for him one day, asking God to do a miraculous healing for this little boy. Nothing that we saw came to fruition but we're confident that God is at work in his life even now. On the final day of the camp we had one final tournament and presented the gospel at the end. I wrote Douglas a letter telling him how special he is and all about Jesus. I didn't want him to miss out on the very important news all the other kids got to hear.

Wednesday the 10th was our final afternoon to visit Gulu Army Secondary School and we had the smallest turnout yet. They were all in the middle of finals but a few made the effort to come out, have some worship and hear more about Jesus and His word. As I sat there and looked at those students I just became aware once more of how much God loves them and how these young people are going to be nation changers. The fact that they are as close to God as they are already makes thinking about their futures really exciting. Jenny and I said goodbye and it was pretty difficult. I realized then that the end was just around the corner and that that goodbye was just the first of many to come.

We had a good time being in Uganda for the start of the premier league soccer season. On August 13th Jake, Tyler, Jacob, Eric and I went to Alululululu pork joint with some of the boda drivers, including Apong, to watch a match. Sports and pork. The boys were in heaven. I've got to admit, I sure loved that pork too. Smoked pork on a skewer, kasava fries, tomatoes and onions. All for 2,000 shillings or 80 cents. Thank you, Lord! But the fellowship with our friends was even more worthwhile.

On our final ministry Monday Jacob presented the women of the vocational school with a business plan that he had been working on. He said goodbye to them then and laughed to himself that on the original paper we filled out ranking our interests, working with the women's vocational school had been his lowest but now he feels such a connection with them.

Tuesday afternoon (16th) after the sports camp the majority of us went out to Apong's family's village to spend some time with them and to have dinner. We spent close to 8 hours travelling by van and foot but it was well worth it. We got to meet his son and see his mother and brother at a local hospital. His brother suffers from sickle cell anemia and he was in the clinic getting treatment. We appreciated their hospitality and they appreciated our visit and for loving on their son.

Wednesday afternoon (17th) we drove out once more to Francis' village. It was raining pretty hard the whole way out there and sure enough the van got stuck just enough that the men had to get out to push. They were muddy and soaking wet, but they got the job done. We talked with Francis' family and friends and near the end we presented the gospel to them and offered to pray for any requests. I had the honor of praying for Lilly, Francis' sister who has 5 children and HIV from being attacked by the LRA. Francis also presented the families with woven baskets he had made. He is so sweet. It's amazing to see his life and how God has carried him through such difficult times.

Thursday afternoon (18th) we went to the ministry one last time to say goodbye to the children and to pray over the land and people once more. We left them with a few toys and Josiah gave Bruce his Perry the Platypus boots and you would have thought it was Christmas morning for Bruce. He was so proud of them.

Friday (19th) we woke up at 4 to leave the house by 5 to go on safari! What a cool experience that was. The land itself was beautiful and even on the way out to the park we saw a huge elephant on the side of the road. We also saw a rainbow in the sky before we began. It just felt like God was confirming His presence with us that day. We saw lions, giraffes, impalas, water buffalo, warthogs, elephants, monkeys and countless gorgeous birds.

Saturday (20th) was full of cleaning and packing and last minute runs into town. We all went to dinner and invited Cie Cie and Sarah (our fabulous cooks) to join us. We will be missing them very much. Come later that night it was time to say goodbye to Apong. I don't think there was a dry eye there. Definitely not after Jacob told him that we'd be seeing him in heaven someday because of the decisions he had made while we were there. We hugged him, prayed for him and cried like babies with him. Who would have thought that we go to work with a ministry in northern Uganda and the person who impacts us the most is a boda driver. That's a God story if we've ever heard one. Even the music playing in the background as we said goodbye was perfect.

Sunday (21st) we got up early again to go to Jinja. We made it to the YWAM base and settled in. We ate dinner at a delicious Indian restaurant, even though it took what felt like hours to get our food!

The next morning (22nd) we said goodbye to David. We got him settled into his DTS and cried once more as we said "see you later" to this incredible man of God. We had enough team money to pay for all of David's lecture and outreach fees. We were so blessed to be able to bless him in that way. After goodbye they took us to the Kingfisher Resort Safari and we were in awe of how beautiful everything was. There were gorgeous flowers, a pool, good food and a view of Lake Victoria. We relaxed at the pool and later went into town to do some souvenir shopping. After dinner we had our first debrief meeting and everything went very well. I'm so thankful to Tyler and Jake for being such great leaders to our team.

August 23rd was a really special day to our team for a few reasons. One it was Josiah's birthday, two Isaiah accepted Christ into his heart and we went to the Nile river to baptize people from our team. Jake baptized Eric first, Jacob did Josiah, and Jake then baptized Shannon, Jenny's SBS roommate who joined us for a few weeks before going to help staff DTS in South Africa. Before all was said and done though Tom and Jerrica expressed their desire to be baptized together. That was a very cool experience and I could not be more happy for them and really everyone who was baptized that day. It's amazing to think that that water will make its way into the Mediterranean Sea and to the Middle East in a few months time. May that water bless others. Eric and I then had one more date while in Uganda, coffee and shopping in town. We had a lot of fun. After lunch we all took a boat ride out onto Lake Victoria and to the source of the Nile river. It was neat to see the humble beginnings of such a powerful river. We had more team debrief after dinner and stayed up way later than we wanted to trying to pack to get everything put in there securely. But nonetheless we made it to bed excited to think that the next day we were leaving to go back to the States.

Travel was long but relatively smooth. One of my favorite parts was while we were in Ethiopia we saw a lot of Muslim women from Saudi Arabia. I watched them watch and laugh at Savannah and encouraged Savannah to go say hello. That then gave me the opportunity to go and talk with the women. The whole exchange really gave me the desire to visit a Muslim nation someday.
The kids were great on all the flights and all the luggage except one family's made it. They got their bags in D.C. but they were then mixed up on their way to Denver. Prayers that they're recovered quickly!

So now we're back in the U.S. and although we're weary and worn out, we wouldn't have it any other way. We gave it our all up until the end and we definitely felt God telling us to rest, relax and dwell with Him on debrief and I still hear Him instructing us to keep doing so. It's still so surreal that we just spent two months halfway around the world. We will always remember our friends made there and look forward to seeing them all again, either this world or next.

Thank you all for taking the time to read these updates and for all your love, prayer and support. We are excited to see you all very soon!

Team Uganda Update #5!

Afoyo from Gulu once more!

Here to bring you the latest happenings on all things team Uganda :) We first of all want to say a BIG thank you again to Kevin and Julie Girton (our school leaders) for their visit from Wednesday to Saturday. They were a breath of fresh air in more ways than one and gave us the perfect amount of encouragement to get us through the final three weeks. It's amazing what some sharing and new insight can do for helping a team realize what all has been accomplished.

Last week we spent a lot of good time at the ministry loving on the kids. I will forever be thankful to my mom, grandma and great grandma for teaching me all those Sunday School songs back in the day :) They have definitely come in handy and the kids love them. It's awesome to hear them walking around and singing them later in the day.

We went to Gulu Army Secondary School again and had a great time of question and answer with the students.

Friday we had a beautiful time of worship and intercession with the Girtons and everyone was definitely lifted. That night we treated the Girtons (and ourselves) to pizza at San Kofa. This time though we were smart and ordered ahead so as we arrived our pizza was ready and we just got to eat without having to chase the kids around while we waited an hour :) Glory!

A lot of the team got hit with a bug of some sort over the weekend (Tyler, Jacob, me & Eric) We had to sit church out and Tyler missed day one of the sports camp with aches, chills and upset stomachs. But thanks to Jesus we're all much better. Which is a good thing because we've started the sports camp this week now that the kids are all on break.

Day one and two have been stellar. We did soccer yesterday and volleyball and soccer today. Things are organized, there's a manageable number of kids and we're able to laugh with them and encourage them with a teaching at the end. We can definitely sense the Lord's favor and anointing in this new ministry.

Prayer Points:

• Strength and endurance to finish out our final two weeks strong and in God's Will
• Focus on the tasks at hand.
• Against the enemy and he may be wanting to throw our way
• Continued health
• That the sports camp would continue to run as smoothly as it has been

Grandparent's Corner:

• Savannah's language skills are increasing by the day. She repeats almost everything we tell her to say, including "Jesus loves you". It's pretty much the sweetest thing ever.
• She's got her appetite back, at least for the time being. I forgot how much the girl can put down :)
• Her footing is infinitely better and she isn't falling nearly as much when she runs.
• She gets cuter each day. Sometimes we can't stand it.
• She misses you all and is looking forward to lots of time with you when she gets back. She sends her hugs and kisses.

Love and blessings until next week!

Randi Lynn

4th Update!

Hello all! Well last Tuesday made our halfway mark. Hard to believe! We had a time of evaluation and refocusing. We cleared the air about a lot of things, prayed about how we can be most productive during our last half of the trip and encouraged one another.

We began to see the fruits of our obedience in that even on Wednesday. We felt a renewed sense of excitement and joy as we went about work at the ministry and the rest of the day. Jenny and I made our weekly trip to speak at the Gulu Army Secondary School scripture union and while there had a pretty interesting time to say the least! As the group began singing their worship songs, a girl began convulsing outside while Jenny and I were arriving. We asked the facilitating teacher if we needed to get her some help thinking that she was having a seizure but he said she was in fact possessed. All of my hair stood on end and the teacher had some of the students carry her inside so we could pray for her. I knew we were about to do some warfare. The students continued to sing and pray while Jenny, the teacher and I laid hands on her and prayed. She fought and struggled but in time she was delivered! The teacher got her to say the name of Jesus and led her in a prayer. We rejoiced as we welcomed a new sister to the Kingdom. It was definitely the first time I experienced something like that first hand and it was incredible to see the power of our God move in that way. Jenny went on to give a short message and at the end three more young ladies came forward to receive Christ. What a day!

Thursday was a time of intercession at the ministry and at home. Jake and Tyler offered to stay home with all the kids so we parents could do some uninterrupted and distraction free ministry. They’re really great J That night Tom and Jerrica led two guys that Tom plays soccer with to the Lord. Woot woot!

Friday we had the incredible privilege and opportunity to visit the home of one of the boys who’s a part of Soldiers of Christ. His name is Francis and he is 17. While we were at his village he shared his story as we met his family. When Francis was around ten his parents were both killed in front of him and shortly after he was abducted, both by the LRA. One of his sisters that we met has five children all from being raped at different times by members of the LRA. She now also has HIV. Sometimes it’s easy to forget the horrors that happened here up until four years ago because there are no real outward remnants. But on the rare occasions that people open up about it, we are humbled and heartbroken and remember how important it is to share the love and hope of Jesus. It’s amazing to see Francis and how the Lord has rescued and restored him. It’s only in Him that we have any hope of a future.

Jake left on Friday with a few friends to go to Jinja to see the YWAM base and staff he worked with last time he was in Uganda. On Saturday he had the sweet chance to baptize those friends, including Apong, in the source of the Nile.

Saturday some of the team went to Pastor Quinto’s microfinance group to encourage them in the benefits of being good stewards and to live not just to make money but to be content in the Lord and trust that He is the only thing truly worth living for. Eric, Savannah and I went to town to get a few food things for Savannah and on the walk back we prayed. As Eric was praying the Lord revealed to him what he thought about the tragedy of the LRA and all that happened to the people. Eric wept as he felt God's sadness about the unjust treatment to these beautiful people. I'm so glad we serve a compassionate and personal God. One that cares about and loves us completely.

Once the team joined back together Tom and Jerrica went to a rugby match with some of the guys from the soccer team and the rest of us went to the ministry to be with the kids. We separated the teenagers from the younger kids and Eric and I shared our story with them and then separated them into guys and girls and had a time of question and answers and encouraged and discipled them some. While they didn’t say much in the groups at the time, we were encouraged when some of the kids later said how much they appreciated the session and said the young people here really need that kind of teaching and made us promise that we’d come back next Saturday.

Sunday was church and in the afternoon some of us visited a young girl named Alice who often stops by our house and talks with us. We had an awesome time getting to know her mom, older sister, brother and uncle. We never cease to be amazed at the people’s hospitality and warm nature. We have so enjoyed building relationships. I was even given an Acholi name. It's Lanyero and it means laughter. I was super excited about it :)

Health update:

·         Jake’s leg is improving and there haven’t been any new infections.

·         The girls' diaper rash had greatly improved but Savannah has gotten diarrhea again and the rash is back L

·         Tom went to the hospital a few times last week to have tests run and is supposed to get the results on Tuesday.

Prayer points:

·         Continued prayer for health and healing

·         That our last 18 days of ministry would be given all that we’ve got and that we’re investing where God wants us to invest most.

·         Safe travels for Kevin and Julie as they join us on Tuesday and leave later in the week.

·         That God be glorified and lifted high in the country of Uganda especially among the Acholi people!

Update #3 Comin' at ya!

Hello all from another beautiful day here in Gulu, Uganda! Everyone got to sleep in this morning and we're refreshed and ready to take on another week. In fact as I walked to the cafe today I was overcome with newfound love for the people and beauty in this place. I offered a hello to everyone I passed on foot or bike and was deliberate in my actions to be the hands, feet and smile of Christ to all I met. Can't believe we'll be back in Colorado one month from today!

Last week was filled with ups and downs but the Lord has helped us to overcome all the downs and was glorified in all the ups.

Our team definitely felt spiritually attacked in different ways. The spirits of oppression, doubt and discouragement pressed down on us pretty hard and we all found ourselves wondering why we're here and what good we're doing. Things aren't always as organized as we would like and there are many times that we're left without something tangible to do. I specifically remember waking up one morning and literally feeling the spirit of oppression trying to push me back down. I should have taken it more seriously but seeing as I've never encountered it in this way before, I just brushed it off. But I definitely began to feel its effects this week. I was discouraged about not doing more but couldn't muster up the desire to do anything to change it. I confided in Eric and the team and after a time of some solid intercession, things looked brighter and we were reminded that God is using us in ways that we can't even see. That this trip is His trip and as long as we are open to wherever He calls and leads us, it will be successful. We also remembered that even before we left, we felt a strong call to be interceding the whole time we're here and to not despise small beginnings. So we spent much of the week interceding and had a great worship session at the ministry where the kids came out and joined us during their recess.

Last Monday the stars were brighter than we'd yet seen them and were blown away by the beauty and how vast the sky is. We listened to worship music and marveled at how huge God is.

Tuesday evening a number of us went to the hospital to pray for the patients and Tom ended up assisting in surgery for a stab victim. It was a pretty incredible opportunity for him.

Eric, Jacob and Jake held meetings with Jenny and the rest of the Soldiers of Christ staff in the afternoons and really had a productive time laying out the goals of the ministry and organizing all the necessary logistics.

Saturday we held a fun day at the ministry for all the kids in the community and around 200 kids showed up. Things were chaotic, especially at the goin' fishin' booth where toys were being given out and the balloon animal booth. But the kids had a great time and it was a privilege to love on the children of the King who rarely get opportunities like that. I felt the Lord telling me "all you can do is all you can do." While things may not have gone as smoothly as I would have hoped, the kids delighted in our being there anyway. Our kids had a great time playing with the kids and helping to give out candy and prizes.

I did the teaching on Sunday at church and Eric delievered the sermon. After church The pastor of Soldiers of Christ church went to the burial of his brother and Eric and Tyler went along. Pastor Quinto asked Eric to give the salvation message at the service which was a huge honor for him.

So many on our team have been battling illness or different ailments. Jake has yet another staph infection on his leg but this one is hurting significantly more. Tom spent a few hours in the hospital after feeling dizzy and having an upset stomach and fever. The doctors gave him a round of IVs and after some rest he's feeling much better. Both Savannah and Avalyn are still trying to overcome a pretty severe diaper rash from diarrhea. Savannah also has had a low-grade fever the past 4 days which we are confident is a result from her 2 year molars trying to push through.

Despite the attacks from the enemy and our bouts with physical issues, God is still doing a mighty work though our team. Relationships are being strengthened with the Ugandan people and we're taking every opportunity to be the light of Christ even as we're going about our day to day activities.

Prayer Points

• Continued health and healing for everyone on our team
• Continued unity
• Opportunities for ministry
• That we would see this outreach through God's eyes

Grandparents Corner

• Savannah is battling those molars and hasn't been her usual happy self.  :(
• We have been working on saying ABC
• She still loves reading books and watching Mickey Mouse as much as ever.
• The chickens and roosters still bring her an uncanny amount of delight (no, this doesn't mean that you guys can buy her one)
• She sends all her love, hugs and kisses to you.

Uganda Update Week 2!

hello all! it's another beautiful day here in Gulu, Uganda! we pray you are all well wherever you may be. we had a wonderful week full of blessings and God moving. on tuesday we went on a prayer walk to some of the villages around the ministry and were able to pray healing over a few older ladies. while none of them did cartwheels down the path, they did say they felt relief and we're confident God will bring full healing.

a few of us went in to a couple of secondary schools (high schools) on wednesday and friday and shared teachings. the school we visited on friday resonded in a powerful way. eric and tom shared their testimonies and randi and jerrica gave a mini sermonette. in the end over 10 people raised their hands in response to giving their lives to Christ and six came up to us afterwards to talk more about it. praise Him! we also had a cool question and answer time and boy did they have questions! it just showed us how very ripe the fields here are for harvest, especially among the younger people. they are about to go on "winter" break but hopefully we'll have more opportunities to partner with this rising generation.

we also began working on support profiles for the kids in soldiers of Christ so you can all be looking forward to viewing those upon our arrival home.

we said goodbye to the schram fam this past thursday and had a goodbye party for them at a local restaurant that we found that has the most amazing pizza and burgers. the owner is from chicago and definitely does honor to good ol' american food :) we were sad to see them go. they were such a blessing to us the entire two weeks they were here but are excited to see how they are able to bless the thai team. but the night wasn't all sad. one of the boda drivers, ping pong, with whom eric and some of the other guys had been building a relationship, gave his life to Christ after much spiritual warfare and prayer. it was such a great experience for all of those involved. eric was excited because ping pong is the first person he's actually helped get saved. Apong (his actual name) has now been joined to the family and discipleship is well under way.

tyler had a cool opportunity presented to him this weekend. a team he plays basketball with invited him to a weekend tournament in kampala. jacob went with him and the two had a great time building relationships with some of the local guys. unfortunately tyler ended up not being able to play. the officials said they needed an official letter from the director of the NBA granting him permission to play. hahaha! they thought tyler was in the NBA. but it was still a nice boys weekend for the two of them.

jake had a visit to the hospital yesterday. nothing serious but he had a staph infection on his leg that the doctors had to clean out and care for. he is much better today and can now say he's been a patient at a hospital. between us, i think he was really excited about it :)

well that's going to do it for us this week! know that we love and miss you all. until next time!
carrying His name in Uganda!
eric & randi

First Update from Uganda!

Hello from Gulu! we are sitting at cafe larem enjoying our day off, having some coffee and updating all our friends on the latest news. we had a really great time traveling. although the time was very long, savannah did great. we were blessed to have bulkhead on the flight from washington d.c. to ethiopia which gave us more leg room and a bassinet type thing for savannah. she slept well and never seemed to struggle much with her ears. we each had our own video players so we could watch movies and play games. by the time we were on the van ride to our house though everyone was so exhausted we just couldn't stay awake. 24 hours of straight travel really takes it out of you!

So far uganda reminds me a lot of honduras and every other third world country i've been to. diesel exhuast fills the air, everything is green and animals roam free. the weather is great. hot and humid but there's actually relief at night. it's even better than the georgia climate :) although it's the rainy season, the showers are relatively short and it does a great job cooling things off. the people are beautiful. so warm and inviting. they are enamored with us. mizungu is what they call us. it means white person. haha. their smiles are enchanting and they have captured our hearts from the beginning. we live in a 4 bedroom house with 19 people. there are definitely days when the house seems smaller than others but we're getting through. irritations are common and personal space isn't always respected, especially from the kids, but relationships haven't suffered and unity is still good. we have 3 bathrooms, a garage, kitchen and living space. we even have a few chickens. the kids love chasing them around and crowing with the roosters. we're blessed to have power most of the time. but it's sometimes touch and go. it will go out randomly and we use solar lamps and headlamps. we cheer whenever it comes back on. it's the little things :) town is just a short boda (motorcycle taxi) ride or walk away so we make it to the city pretty frequently to get online or get a soda. we ate at an incredible pork joint today for the equivalent of $1 and we may go to a pizza place tonight for dinner. we're settling in to the routine of life really well.

Ministry has been good. we had a great meeting on tuesday where we planned what the team is hoping to accompish while we're here: to complete profiles for all of the children to set up sponsorships and made a promo video, to cement the floor of the nursery school classroom, lay the foundation of the church, paint the exterior, set up a budget, etc. it was a great time of planning and direction seeking. we've also done a lot of intercession for the ministry, the village and our team. we pray for the other outreach teams as well and it's been cool to pray for our friends in turkey, thailand and nepal. so cool to know that God is working all around the world at the same time. eric has actually been put in charge of intercession for our team. he sets up times for the team to come together and pray as one. it's a perfect job for him. he also went to buy construction supplies on wednesday so we could plaster the walls of one of the buildings. we were hoping to paint the outside to create some color at the school and make it more appealing to others who may want to attend. we worked hard for 3 days and had an all-hands-on-deck day friday. we know now how to mix cement and throw it on the walls with a trowel. however, we received some discouraging news saturday night. apparently the original builder at the ministry payed no attention to property lines and the building we had done all the work on was 5 feet on another man's property. he was fine with the building being there because it was understood that the building was temporary (it would last approx. 7 years) but once we began plastering he was upset because who plasters a temporary building? (our plan was to paint the outside to provide some color to the buildings and make it more inviting.) so now the building has to come down. all the work and supplies were in a sense wasted. our team took the news well. we looked at the work as practice :) but our hearts hurt for soldiers of christ. it was a huge blow to them. we spent some time in intercession and tried to encourage jenny, jimmy and collines as well as we could with Words the Lord gave us. now they have to figure out the next step to take. when to tear down the building, do they look into obtaining more property, etc. but we're moving forward and just making the most of all we have. at least we can use the bricks to help lay the foundation for the church.

The 4th of july was on monday and we had to remind ourselves it was because obviously it's not celebrated here. lol. we had our own version of a BBQ by eating macaroni and cheese from back home and pineapple then watched a movie on the 9inch portable dvd player we brought. :)

We celebrated eric's birthday on thursday (july 7th). he's 24 now! he spent the morning in intercession with tyler and we all went out to dinner as a team to a lebanse restaurant. i bought him a book and 2 crunch bars back in the states and gave them to him here. he loved the surprise. unfortunately one of the little boys came into our room the next day and ate one of the bars. remember when i said sometimes personal space wasn't respected? lol but it's fine. we're learning to cope.

The food here has been delicious. we're fortunate to have hired a local woman to cook all our meals for us and she even blesses us by doing our laundry. we eat a lot of rice, beans,chipati (basically a tortilla), fruit (they have the freshest bananas and pineapple and what's called jack fruit), matoke (which looks like a banana but has a similar texture and flavor to potatoes. savannah eats ok. somedays she likes the food more than others but you can pray she eats more. with all the running around and eating mostly granola bars and pb&j, her adorable little belly is getting smaller.

 

prayer points:

  *continued health

  *wisdom for the ministry and what to do next and what that looks like for our team and how we can be most effective

  *team unity and patience as we get used to living with 19 people in a 4 bedroom house.

  *obedience and healthy appetites for the kids.

AWESOMENESS!!!!!

hello all! we are so excited to tell you how God has been moving today. we had an amazing time of worship this morning as our entire school prayed over remaining balances due. God moved in a powerful way. a family who still needed over $9,000 got all they needed. another family received over $3,000 toward their need and that's just two examples! $35,000 came in in 30 minutes! God is good!

the Lord sent an incredible sense of peace and faith over me as we prayed. we committed all we have to this mission, our savings included and He assured me that He IS enough. He is all we will ever need. it's a terrifying and wonderful place to be all at the same time!

to top it off it hadn't rained here in over 3 weeks. as we prayed and worshiped the skies opened up and the rain poured out. many of us ran out and let the Lord wash over us (quite literally). it was awesome! we fully felt the Spirit moving.

anyways! just wanted to share this encouragement with you. and let you know that whatever your needs, God knows and will be faithful to you. He feeds the birds and dresses the flowers and you are infinitely more precious to Him. i had a hard time accepting this truth in my heart even though i knew it all in my head. but today it has been made reality. thanks for all the love and prayers! we'll keep you posted as the time gets closer to our departure!

May Update Video!

Hey everyone! The weather here in Colorado Springs is absolutely beautiful right now! Things are finally green and the temperature has been consistently warm and sunny :) Hope the weather is just as great where you are! So we just wanted to put a link to our May update video here. It's only 3 minutes and 30 seconds long but for some reason there's 12 more minutes of black. Who knows! But enjoy and feel free to contact me or Eric with questions or comments!
Carrying His name,
 Eric & Randi Lynn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fBpyH7XPnM

More about the LRA

here are a few links that provide more information about uganda, the lord's resistance army and joseph kony. this will hopefully give you a better idea as to what we're going to help with and who we are going to minister to.

http://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/Uganda.htmlhttp://www2.invisiblechildren.com/history-of-the-war
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Kony

5 Incredible Weeks of Teaching So Far!

I know i mentioned in the previous blog that DTS is like drinking from a fire hose and it totally is. we have learned so many profound things since day one of class. so much of it is foundational and i can't believe there's so much foundational teaching that hasn't been taught to us in all the years we've been in church. so here are some of the key points that have stood out to us most in the past 5 weeks. hopefully they'll provide you with some encouragement and wisdom. feel free to contact either of us and we'd be happy to get you more info on the lesson and teachings around it!

week 1- The character of God/Father heart of God
*We are created for worship and missions was created so that one day ALL of the world will worship God fully.
*Ephesians 1:17-18  "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you"
*Our view of God the Father should come from Jesus' example, not our earthly fathers.
*God is personal, He is Holy, He is Love, He is Merciful and Compassionate, He delights in us

week 2- Godly Rebel/Heart of a Disciple
*The goal of the kingdom is to become childlike. God has many characteristics of a child (ie. He doesn't love us based on our performance or what we look like, He's honest, creative, affectionate, etc)
*We aren't changed from inspecting our sin, but by inspecting Him.
*We are always in God's presence. We don't have to do anything special to get there. We can delight in Him with anything we do.
*Don't judge people by their behavior. Try to see them the way God does. Ask "is my heart too small to swallow up another's problem?"
*No matter the job God gives you, do with excellence. Faithfulness in today's responsibilities brings opportunity.
*Killers of opportunity: 1) bad attitude 2) being in a hurry
*God Is Bigger
*Sometimes we have years of preparation before we reach our destiny. God humbles us to make sure we're ready.
*There are 7 spheres of society (church/religion, home, education, government, arts/entertainment, media, business) The enemy has control over all of these. It's time Christians reclaimed them for the kingdom.
*How to be a Godly rebel: radically, in love. Always submit in attitude, even if not in action.

week 3- the Fear of God
*Joy. No matter what happens in life, God has already spared us from the wost enemies we'll ever face: sin, death & hell. IT IS ENOUGH.
*Peace has authority. It's a strong word. Peace in a circumstance comes from knowing who is in charge. If we have fear, we need to go deeper and trust Him more.
*We can always ask God for more faith. Help me in my unbelief. Mark 9:24
*Holy means set apart. The Bible doesn't say be holy as I am holy. It says "be holy for I am holy" 1 peter 1:16
*God is a communicator so conviction will always be specific. If it's not, that is condemnation and from the enemy.
*4 Greek words for judge: krino- to sentence, condemn, pass judgment upon luke 6:37; dokimazo-to test, to examine 1 cor 11:28; diakrino- to weigh thoroughly each part 1 cor 6:5-6; anakrino- to examine, investigate, ask questions 1 cor 2:15
*the Bible has absolutes and relatives. Most denominations are divided based on relatives. These principles of conscience (or personal convictions) come from culture, upbringing, past areas of sin & bondage or a personal mandate from the Holy Spirit. these are things like language, food, alcohol, women in ministry, how communion is taken, baptism, etc. Absolutes are things like loving God, having no idols, Jesus is the only way to God, not stealing, not lying, not committing adultery, etc.
*Making an absolute a relative is liberalism and trying to make a relative and absolute is legalism.
*Wisdom from above is gentle and loving. James 3:17
*Do the right thing, despite what it costs.
*Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.
*Physical action has spiritual significance.
*Victory in controlling our speech & words is key to controlling thoughts and actions.
*Sometimes God tells you something so you will pray it into existence.

week 4- Recognizing the voice of God & Intercession
*Stop protecting your kids from God. Sometimes we act like we love our kids more than He does.
*God is always speaking. We should ask what is He saying that i'm not getting?
*What you believe about God is what you believe about everything else.
*Do you live by principles or pressure?
*God is good so silence is good. He has a loving, holy reason for the delay.
*The greater the test of faith, the greater the chance for lasting fruit.
*There are no closed doors for the believer.
*We're rich. We just have a cash flow problem :)
*God places desires in our heart so He can fulfill them.
*Unbelief usually follows disobedience.
*Intercession turns injustice to justice. He is looking for someone to stand in the gap and intercede.

week 5-laying down your rights and personality
   we took the myers-brig personality test this week and discovered insight into ourselves and each other. it was a great excercise and tool so that when we are on outreach and really all throughout life we can appreciate and understand people for who they are. in case anyone was curious, Randi is an ESFJ (extrovert, sensing, feeling, judging) and Eric is an INFP (introvert, intuitive, feeling, perceiving)
*You have to believe you need it before you'll get it.
*Don't give the devil more authority than necessary.
*Every step you take should claim more and more for the Kingdom.
*God gave us different gifts for doing certain things well. Use the gifts! Respect others' gifts.
*Love makes your gifts greater.
* Lay down your rights to: a house, our things (hold them with open hands), to get married, to "own" anything, our culture, a reputation, freedom, the right to be right. Jesus gave up all that and more.

So this is where we are! can't wait to see what the remaining weeks have in store! blessings!

Uganda Bound!

Well we've been in Colorado for officially one month and the time has absolutely flown by. i guess that happens though when you're having so much fun and learning so much about the Lord. Someone said that DTS is like drinking from a fire hose, and it's true. We have gotten so much foundational teaching these past 4 weeks that if eric and i didn't look over our notes regularly we'd be way over our heads. But it's incredible and i would love to share in further detail some of the teachings if anyone would like me to. So far we've covered the character/Father heart of God, how to be a Godly rebel/heart of a disciple, the fear of God and recognizing the voice of God/intercessory prayer.

            Last week we prayed about where God wanted us to go on outreach. Our school leaders gave us the four locations the teams would be going: Turkey, Thailand, Nepal and Uganda. We prayed and felt the Lord say very strongly that He wanted us in Uganda. Savannah even got confirmation when she repeatedly picked out the slip of paper that had Uganda written on it. That’s a way cool story we can share at another time. But anyways! On Monday our school staff confirmed that we were supposed to go to Africa so that is where we will be for the final two weeks of our DTS. More details about what specifically we'll be doing in the upcoming blogs!

Some pretty cool info

We had orientation today and while we absorbed A LOT of information a few things really stood out to us.
1. Our CDTS (Crossroads Discipleship Training School) has a major focus on children and families. YWAM believes that when mom and dad are called, the kids are too; it's a whole family thing. One of the teachers for the kids shared that kids do amazing things on outreach. God oftentimes speaks through them directly. We should remember that they're not given a junior sized Holy Spirit. They're given all of His power, just as much as we get. They are mighty. Excited to see how God uses Savannah!

2. 90% of missions funding and workers travel to areas where the Gospel has already been taken. Only 10% goes to the nations who have either never heard or that has only had a very few touched. It's like water being poured from a well. Most of the water is going to places that are already wet while the driest lands are getting nothing. YWAM Colorado Springs focuses on the area of northern Africa to the Middle East to Asia. It is the most densely populated area of the entire world with the least number of people who have heard the news of Jesus Christ. The need is great! While people everywhere need the Truth and help from missions, the people of these nations have the least access and desperately need help. So thank you to all who have helped send us on this journey. You are helping us to go help an area that doesn't receive nearly what it needs.

Blessings and joy to you all!

Home Sweet Colorado!

Hello all! Sorry it's taken us so long to post anything. The past few weeks have been wildly hectic! But we are finally in Colorado Springs ready for this new adventure to begin. Before i tell you more about what we're doing now, i'd like to recap the past month.

Going away/fundraiser: we had a great time at our party. Thanks to everyone who made it out! We raised over $1,000, had some yummy desserts, enjoyed the music played by Eric's uncle Buzz's band and had a time of prayer circles. Rachel (my best friend for anyone who doesn't know) hung out with us throughout the day and we spent a lot of time praying even before the party began for the Spirit to move in our hearts and the hearts of whomever He wanted there. We prayed most earnestly for continued direction and focus on Christ. We felt led to pray for that more so than prayers for finances and protection and safety and all the "typical" trip prayers. All that will come. He has promised us all of those things in His Word and He is faithful. So long as we are seeking Him, those things will take care of themselves.

Commission Service: our church (Town Center Community Church) had a time of commissioning to send us out. Pastor Brent read from Acts 13: 1-3 1 "Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off." And that's what they did. They gathered around us, prayed and sent us off!

The trip!
We moved out of our house on Thursday, March 31 and stayed with my dad for our last few days in town. We hung out with dear friends and spent time relaxing. We left around 6:30 Tuesday, April 5 and drove to Chattanooga where we ate breakfast with the lovely Niki Davenport at the Bluegrass Grille. Then we just took our time and drove until we reached St. Louis. We got out of the car and visited the Arch. It was way cool. We got a little further west and stopped to sleep for the night. The next morning we had breakfast and hit the road. We finished Missouri and drove a LONG time in Kansas. There wasn't much to see but since it's landscape that we're not used to, it was interesting. Savannah did great the whole way, but when we were still 3-4 hours out of the Springs, she had had enough. We all had but she just expressed it with whining. Unfortunately there weren't any real stops by this point so we prayed for a spirit of calm to fall Proxy-Connection: keep-alive
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her and before long she slept. We got in around 7:45 last night, met some of our school staff, unpacked and organized some and got some really great rest. We checked in today, took a tour and were blown away by the beauty of the mountains that are our view. We have high expectations for what the Lord has in store for us in these upcoming months. We pray for continued guidance and humble/ready hearts. Love you all! More to follow :)

Home Sweet Colorado!

Hello all! Sorry it's taken us so long to post anything. The past few weeks have been wildly hectic! But we are finally in Colorado Springs ready for this new adventure to begin. Before i tell you more about what we're doing now, i'd like to recap the past month.

Going away/fundraiser: we had a great time at our party. Thanks to everyone who made it out! We raised over $1,000, had some yummy desserts, enjoyed the music played by Eric's uncle Buzz's band and had a time of prayer circles. Rachel (my best friend for anyone who doesn't know) hung out with us throughout the day and we spent a lot of time praying even before the party began for the Spirit to move in our hearts and the hearts of whomever He wanted there. We prayed most earnestly for continued direction and focus on Christ. We felt led to pray for that more so than prayers for finances and protection and safety and all the "typical" trip prayers. All that will come. He has promised us all of those things in His Word and He is faithful. So long as we are seeking Him, those things will take care of themselves.

Commission Service: our church (Town Center Community Church) had a time of commissioning to send us out. Pastor Brent read from Acts 13: 1-3 1 "Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off." And that's what they did. They gathered around us, prayed and sent us off!

The trip!
We moved out of our house on Thursday, March 31 and stayed with my dad for our last few days in town. We hung out with dear friends and spent time relaxing. We left around 6:30 Tuesday, April 5 and drove to Chattanooga where we ate breakfast with the lovely Niki Davenport at the Bluegrass Grille. Then we just took our time and drove until we reached St. Louis. We got out of the car and visited the Arch. It was way cool. We got a little further west and stopped to sleep for the night. The next morning we had breakfast and hit the road. We finished Missouri and drove a LONG time in Kansas. There wasn't much to see but since it's landscape that we're not used to, it was interesting. Savannah did great the whole way, but when we were still 3-4 hours out of the Springs, she had had enough. We all had but she just expressed it with whining. Unfortunately there weren't any real stops by this point so we prayed for a spirit of calm to fall Proxy-Connection: keep-alive
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her and before long she slept. We got in around 7:45 last night, met some of our school staff, unpacked and organized some and got some really great rest. We checked in today, took a tour and were blown away by the beauty of the mountains that are our view. We have high expectations for what the Lord has in store for us in these upcoming months. We pray for continued guidance and humble/ready hearts. Love you all! More to follow :)