Update on the Big Move - July 2010

It's been four months since we started this blog. Thought I'd post another update on how things are unfolding.

BREAKING THE NEWS: My mom still does not know. This is really hard, but I guess the timing is still not quite there. She is still adjusting to being a widow, so we are definately trying to be as sensitive as we can to that. It will be hard, though, whenever we do tell her. Just trusting God. I wanted to bring it up at a recent family get together, and I asked Tony whether he wanted to mention it. He shook his head "no". So, of course, I chickened out. It's hard when you know what obeying God will mean for other people. We are still telling people one on one as it comes up at church and with friends. People who already know are telling other people we know, which helps spread the word. We know too many people to tell them all one at a time.

PROVISION/SUPPORT: I was at our local homeschool conference this month and got a chance to talk to Dave Hazell, founder of My Father's World curriculum, who lived in Russia for 8 years as a missionary. So of course I went up to him after one of his lectures, to pick his missions-minded brain and to ask about their own experience as missionaries. He shared that it's not really "his thing" to ask people for money (yeah, me either), so they just went. They had a small salary from the agency they went with, and he got a part-time job there. Once they got abroad and people began seeing what they were doing, they started giving. Through it all, they scraped and pinched pennies (ruples:)). He encouraged us to not put God in a box, that it doesn't have to look a certain way. If God is calling us, he said, he believes He is big enough to take care of us. His faith encouraged me tremendously, and I was able to encourage Tony with what he shared. Tony could get a job there, for example. We could start a small business. He suggested I could also teach English part-time. (I say no to all three, but that's because I know the economy there. It's the PITS. A peso doesn't go far anymore. A dollar goes four times as far. But, okay... must not box God...). I don't know, I agree with our missionary friends in Ecuador who pointed out that going with a job is not the ideal. You end up doing the same there as you do here, just changing countries. You end up with little time left over to do anything else.

A woman from church called me one morning recently and said she had been thinking about me and wanted to come over and catch up. We had a great talk, and I did the best I could to share what we think God is laying on our hearts, and all He has done to prepare us for it. She was very encouraging, and it helped to talk to her about it all. She, too, mentioned going as tentmakers. When she got up to leave, she pulled an envelope out of her purse and handed it to me saying, "The LORD told me to give this to you."

Inside was a check. She said she didn't know what "trip" it was for, but that the Lord told her to give it to us.  :)

FUNDRAISER/YARDSALE: I'm sure now we need to do a fundraiser meal. I think this FALL we'll do a combined ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT $10/plate-type thing, maybe with a YARD SALE on the side. We have so much stuff we need to get rid of. I don't know how much we will make, but hopefully it will take care of plane tickets for starters. Or enough to ship a container with our stuff (and possibly a car) inside. It's a start. Definately a great way to share with people what God is calling us to do and to get the word out.

PRAYER: Praying A LOT. Praying for faith. We've never had to trust God to this degree before. I mean, really. Praying for wisdom. For specific direction. Even started praying for a place to live there, specifically listing to God all the things we'll "need" there. Even praying for a job for Tony, if that's what the LORD would have. He has done it before, and I know He can do it again. I've learned to not hold back in prayer. He is good to give us all we need.

KIDS: They now know that we are moving to Argentina. They accept it as fact and as their future. Big A is not happy about it, however. Whenever we try to talk about it with him, he almost starts to cry. I guess 10 is a hard age to do this. I can't imagine 12 or 14 then. Please pray for him. We know that God has him in mind, He has all three of our children in mind, in calling us there. The call is just not for us, but for them. This is part of His will for their lives, as well. He has not forgotten about them and his sovereign plan covers them also. They are not an afterthought, and we know that God has amazing things planned for them as well in this. :)

TONY: Tony keeps wanting to write something here, but it just hasn't happenned yet. He's not much of a computer guy. One of these days. He does say that he feels more and more strongly that God wants us there. That God wants us to move "al Sur" - meaning to the south of Argentina. Funny, because I hear the same thing. Loud and clear. My friend who came over (and left the check) said she always saw us working with Spanish people. I remember one Sunday, some 8 years ago, she was praying for me at church as I just wept over how Tony was persecuting me for my faith (he was not yet saved), and she said, "Christine [she calls me Christine, I don't know why], this is preparation for you. One day you will be able to encourage Tony. I just see you working with Spanish people. I don't know if it's here or there. But, yes, I see it. Hang in there."

I'm so glad I did.

:)