what about Faith?

Well, after the big announcement in church today I had many people come up to me and ask if I was OK with this. And the answer to that most definitely is "YES!!" I am thrilled to go. Scared, anxious, you name it but really I do want to be there. I know that it is God's timing on this. 6 years ago when we went down on our survey trip WAS NOT the time for us to be there and it is funny how you can see hind sight just how God works things out. Phil felt called to the ministry but we really were not sure what sort of ministry. We have talked and prayed about a lot of different options. Most of them were keeping us in our "comfort zone" We need to be walking by faith, and we have learned a lot about that in church and in other areas of our life. Read here in James it says:


Jam 2:14What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?
Jam 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food,
Jam 2:16 and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Jam 2:17 Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.
Jam 2:18 Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith.


So it boils down to faith...and what you choose to do with it. If we have faith and we are being called to this and we do not act on our faith then what does that make us? We will have to answer for it some day. If this is where God wants us to be then we need to step out on this and help those in need...teach them, love them, live with them...
So I guess, with all that I must say that I am ready to head out to the mission field. Where ever that may be, yes we do hope and pray that it is Guatemala however God may change our hearts and who knows we could end up in Ecuador...stranger things have happened! ;) It is all about FAITH and knowing full well that as long as we are in step with what we feel God wants for us we are in His will and really what better place is there to be? OK, being next door to Mom and Dad is right up there too!

It's not a secret anymore...

Well, for those of you that are reading this. You are either saying "finally" or WHAT!! After much prayer and consideration Phil and I have decided to pursue Guatemala. We feel that God really wants us there. We both have been there, Phil more than myself. However, a part of us is left there each time we head down.

Let me just say we are in the very beginning stages of this. Meaning we just received our initial application that we need to sit down and fill out and send in before we really get the ball rolling.

We are so excited and all the kids are too. God is so amazing that He has placed this on our hearts. (even the kids hearts) It is such an exciting time to be starting this process. We laugh at the prospect of being there in just a few years with the kids. Then realize that Abby will be ready to graduate when we are just going to be getting settled. However, that is our human time frame. God may have us wait longer or hey, we may be even getting there sooner. Whatever the time frame, it is all in Gods hands at this point.

So, now that it is out there please keep us in your prayers through this whole process! We thank you for that.

And, I will not be the only one posting on this, I may have the kids randomly put things on here that they are feeling and Phil as things progress. I just want to keep it all written somewhere so that I can keep track of things!