How flexible are we? I think we are about to find out!
Something that we have heard from every missionary we have spoken to, or
read a book from, is the importance of flexibility. Not the physical kind of flexibility (which is good, because
I have never been able to do the splits); but the emotional kind of
flexibility. Plans change, flights
are delayed, crates don’t show up for months (I am amazed with your patience,
Gary and Michaela!). You can learn about our friends adventures in Haiti here
So, that being said, here are our plans for the next couple months:
January – April:
*Potty Train Malachi (It was highly recommended that we head to Ecuador
diaper free)
*Sell almost everything we own
*Rent out our house
*Wrap up everything in the states that goes along with moving out of the
country
*Raise more money than we can wrap our minds around (I am actually
excited about this, because if we raise the money, we KNOW IT IS GOD!)
*Get together with friends and loved ones
*Say many tearful “See you laters”
April 30: Head to Quito
Ecuador
May – June: Spend 2 months in language training on the campus of the South
America Nazarene Theological Seminary.
July – August: Spend 2 months “shadowing” a family that has already been
doing Cluster Coordinator job that Kurtis and I will be doing. We are excited to have the opportunity
to learn what worked and what didn’t work for them. Plus, they have kids, so Malachi will have some playmates!
September: Attend 1 more month of language school and meet the 40/40’s
(college age young adults that we will be spending the next 2 years with). Spend lots of time getting to know the
40/40’s and travel to Manta, Ecuador to pick out a home for us to live in.
October: Attend “40 Days in the Desert” retreat in Ecuador. This is a spiritual retreat that
focuses on discipleship, prayer, fasting, and evangelism; considered a boot
camp for the rest of our time in Ecuador.
November: Spend 3 weeks in Cali, Columbia being trained on discipleship
and church planting at the largest Nazarene church in the world. They are serious about discipleship and
we believe this training will be invaluable!
November 2013 – November 2015: Move to Manta, Ecuador with 10 young
adults to start ministry there.
Set up a household from scratch.
Enroll Malachi in preschool.
Start meeting people around us and trust the Lord to help us figure out
how to reach that city for Jesus! More details to come on what exactly we will
be doing with our time in Manta.
So, there you have it! I’m
not even sure that I have everything in the right order, but I believe the
timeline is pretty close. We know
that all of this is in the Lord’s hands, and plans may change at any minute,
but I thought you might like a general overview of what we will be doing.
Are you interested in partnering with us? Check out the link below to find out how you can be a part
of our support team!
Yes, flexibility is key, and so uncomfortable, but you'll just keep growing closer and closer to the Lord, and it will be awesome! So proud and happy for you three, God has an amazing adventure in store for you!
ReplyDeleteOh yes to all of this! God WILL provide your funding! We were amazed and utterly humbled through it all. AND yes to being flexible this year! Last year, our first year, we lived in 3 countries, 4 cities, 6 homes...and this year isn't going to be much different. We just arrived in the US and then to Quito, then to Ibarra...
ReplyDeleteI think if that song "where you go, I'll go, When you move, I'll move, who you love, I'll love, I will follow you." This is our call right now and we are soooo excited you are alongside us! It will be great to get to know your family soon!!! Grace and Peace through all of this!!