Go out with JOY

Here we are days away from departure. 

I sit in the chapel at Our Lady of Bayous while the children sleep. 

I sit before the real presence of Jesus Christ in the tabernacle.

My heart is full of gratitude and awe. 

And I come before The Lord with child-like, expectant faith.

The words from the prophet Isaiah comfort me:

Pay attention and come to me;

listen, that you may have life...

so shall you summon a nation you knew not,

and a nation you knew not, shall run to you,

because of the Lord God.

Seek the Lord while He may be found, 

call upon him while he is near.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 

so are my ways higher than your ways, 

my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Yes, in JOY you shall go forth,

in peace you shall be brought home; 

mountains and hills shall break out in song before you.

- Isaiah 55: 3,5-6,9,12

Going to mission to this nation in Asia was not my thought, not my plan. 

But God's ways are not my ways. 

The Lord invited us to see His way and began to open doors for our entire family to serve together. 

Together as a family, this is always the desire of my heart.

And yet, we are eight. 

Preparing eight people to leave everything that is familiar behind to go into the unknown is daunting and stressful. My sore teeth are proof of that.  

Still, we know and believe The Lord is steadfast, unchanging and trustworthy. 

Right now we thank God for how gentle and generous he is to us. 

He continues to pour grace upon grace into us day after day.

We continue to grow in extending mercy and tenderness to one another through this transition. 

And He reminds us that we are never alone.

The Holy Spirit goes before us and is our Advocate, just as Jesus promised.

We are sent forth to be witnesses of God's never-ending love, His boundless mercy, His saving power to redeem, restore and make new. 

Because each of us is His beloved child. And God's work is transformation.

We have seen The Lord transform our marriage, our family and others who believe.

All glory to God for His abiding love for us!  

As we go, we carry each of you in our hearts.

We are lifting you up in our prayers. 

Please pray for us!