One Year at a Time. . .

December 1st: {{Ok family. This is one of the hardest messages I have ever had to write. I am sorry if your hearts sunk when you read that like mine kind of did typing it. However, after agonizing months of prayer, despite all odds, we feel that God is calling us back for one more year. I don't really understand it. It is the difficult struggle of leaving everything we love at home to complete a task that we feel is not yet completed. We have such an amazing gift in all of you. I hate the fact that another year will go by where we will not be able to deepen our relationships and make more awesome memories. Yet, I still feel like this is where God wants us. Don't get me wrong, we are blessed here and I know that God has put students into our lives for a reason this year . . . and for reasons I can't foresee He is telling me that there is more that needs to be done. I wish I was being called back home and felt that clear leading to where my selfish heart wants to be, but that is just not the case. I am scared. I am scared that when we come home that time will have slipped away. That things will be too different, that people will be different places. That Thursday night basketball won't happen. That Josh or Justin will have moved away, that we would not be able to play Saturday football anymore. That we would not be able to have ________________. I don't like it. You guys know me. I don't like change and feel so blessed to have had you all so close all my life. I honestly feel that God still has that for us, or at least I pray that way. The point is, I love you guys, we love you guys, but we love God more. I never fully understood Luke 14:26-33 until now. 

26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples."

We feel like we'd be hypocrites if we ran home now. So, that being said, we have two extra weeks this Summer and will make the most of that time! I love working here, and love coaching and the kids, but I love you guys much more. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I didn't know how I was going to get it out so I just started writing. Love you guys and thanks for the unending prayer and support. }}

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Chris wrote that to his family as we were making our decision to leave Indonesia after this year, or re-sign our contracts. And this post has been in draft form since then. For some reason I just couldn't round up the words to finish it off. Coming back to it now, I'm kind of glad I didn't. Looking back at our decision, and how torn we were, I can now say that our hearts have been so calmed since then! My favorite verse proves to be true time and time again: 

Philippians 4:6-7

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Every time. 

It's barely been three months since then. Chris is still working his buns off, we miss our families like crazy, we long for June 14th when we can hop on a plane home. BUT, we are contently living where God has placed us, and He is blessing us. We're loving our church. New opportunities are arising for us to serve.  New friendships are blossoming. New student ministries are forming. God is good, and we're seeing those things that He still has for us here. The things we felt, but couldn't see, are now being revealed. There's no better place to be, than in the middle of His will for our lives. 

Thank you to those of you have been prayerfully supporting us. When I talk to my grandma and she reminds me that she prays for Chris and I everyday, I am overwhelmed with love. And I know she's not the only one. So thank you. God has put us into the best families ever, and surrounded us by the best friends we could ask for.  Thanks for supporting us no matter where we are.

And since no blog post is complete without pictures, I did a little random recap. It's crazy looking back at how time has flown by!