Looking back to our last 13 years together, I can see God moving in our lives so many times. I see Him gradually enabling us to handle more and more responsibility. Our first house and then deciding to move to Washington being major turning points in our paths. I see moving to Washington as a tool to become more independent. We have become much more self reliant as a family, relying less and less on family and friends and more reliant on God and ourselves as his servants. Without that move, I think it would have been a lot harder to think about moving to a different country. But now, knowing what it takes to be away from my family for years at a time, I can see that God knew we would be up to the task, if we were just prepared a little at a time. I think that we originally were hoping that our move up here would be a move to retirement. A place we would stay at and build over the many years to come. A place for our grandbabies to visit. But now, I feel myself being ejected slowly. Not from the relationships that we are developing here, but from the land itself, the place. The relationships I know we will continue to have for the coming years as a strength and binding cord through our adventures.
I see God placing us at Fourth Corner. We learned many things going there, and have made many friends that we still manage to keep in contact with. We went through painful decisions there, ones that had to be made. Then once that was done, He moved us to Faith for a time. There we were engaged in the Awana program, as well as meeting a few really good friends. There was when I really began to ponder and feel God’s call for us into the Missionary field.
Then he brought us to Birch Bay Bible Community Church. We have been privileged enough to help in the creation of an Awana program here. We see more and more new families attending Sunday services that began as Awana families. It is feeding the appetites of the kids who want to learn more about God and Christ and how to live their lives.
Jason has grown so much through the past few years. By leaps and bounds, God has been enabling him for positions on the elder board, as Awana commander, and as a Sunday School leader.
He has also stretched me beyond my comfort zone to show me that I have gifts and skills that He can use if I just pay attention. I have taken a few excellent bible studies over the past year that have really engaged me and made me understand things more clearly. I have grown so much through them that I am truly in awe of it all.
He continues to place people into our lives that will be great resources as we begin this new journey. Beginning a new care group in September, it was not long before God brought Barbera and Skeeter Wass into our lives. He placed them very specifically in our care group, as well as the Awana ministry, Ladies Bible Study small groups, Orchestra and even knitting. They are an amazing couple, who I feel so blessed to know. I don’t see their placement into our circles as an accident. I have had a few people tell me that I very much remind them of Chris Davis. What a compliment that was!! I have admired Chris’s courage and strength from the moment I met her.
