"Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'" Matt 16:24
At times in a Christian’s life the Lord will jealously shake all that can be shaken to test our motivations and commitments unto Himself. We, as a community, have felt just that this last month. The Lord has drawn near in particularly clear ways that have caused us to reassess timing and check motivations for the many commitments, projects, endeavors, and responsibilities we have here. We hope to, every so often, take a step back and look to make sure that the main thing is the main thing in all we do. Our desire for our community, city, and those who continually join us, is that Jesus would have preeminence in all things. We, as a family, want to follow Jesus wherever and whenever He leads. We never want to become so big and structured that the train keeps moving but we forget where we are going. We long to see God do great things throughout this region, but we are also jealous for them to be done in healthy and Christ honoring ways. We are so thankful to labor beside such incredible brothers and sisters as we press forward to see the Gospel spread.
What will change:
The Documentary: As many of you know I was going to be in Israel for a week to help film a documentary called Covenant & Controversy. After much prayer and seeking council from the Lord the decision was made to postpone that trip and delay the film for now.
The Schools: The Emmaus School of Missions and the Emmaus School of Worship will more than likely be postponed. There is still some deliberation on this, but we feel the Lord speaking more and more for us to slow down, be still, and be faithful in what the Lord has called us immediately to do. We see that both of these schools will be useful tools for the advancement of the Gospel in the future, but we feel the necessity to spend more time living what we will be calling people to learn here in the M.E.
What won’t change:
Language: We, as a family, will continue with language learning as one of our main objectives. We are slowly beginning to see fruit from our labors and want to continue faithfully learning so that we can preach the Gospel in this native language.
Discipleship: We will continue to share the truth of God’s word to our neighbors, friends, and acquaintances. We believe relationship building and one-on-one discipleship is critical for the growth of God’s kingdom in this city.
Church Planting: Our hope is to share with people daily the truth of God’s Word and within the next few years begin to plant churches here. As of now there is no Gospel proclamation or church presence in this language in our city or the surrounding areas.
In all this change we are so grateful to the Lord for His faithful leadership and commitment to our hearts as we seek to glorify His name throughout the earth. Please pray for grace and wisdom for us as a family as we move forward in this foreign land.