God is in control!!

Here's a taste of our lives right now. We're scrambling like crazy to get things done.We need to move out of our house by august 1st so we can find renters. In the last 3 days I've put base boards in, put drywall and shelves in an unfinished closet, rebuilt a gate that had fallen apart, and started work on our patio cover. It doesn't sound like much but I've been running myself ragged. We also designed new support cards, made a powerpoint presentation, fixed my truck, spoke at a youth group, had my birthday party, posted adds on Craigs list, and got ready for a huge yard sale... all while taking care of two kids. 

Now all we have to do is: pack, finish roofing the patio cover, paint the patio cover, stake some trees up, prune some other trees, finish installing the edging in the back yard, find a rental agency, paint the entire house, stain the cabinet doors and install them, finish a brick walkway, speak at a church this sunday, caulk the crown moulding and base boards, sell what doesn't sell at the yard sale, move into my parents house and still take care of our two kids.

I hope you are all encouraged to move out of the country. Or just move quickly. It's odd though, with all of this going on, and there's even more I'm sure, we aren't stressed. For some reason I know that even though our list is huge and our time is short God has a plan. Really He could make the days longer, or the sun reverse direction in the sky. He will get it done, or help us get it done, on time. There's no question that we're in His will therefore there's no stress or worry. After all, Matt 6:34 says,"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Isn't it great to know that God is in control!?!

Settling in- Getting ready to go.

Wow... We had a long trip home. 22 hrs in the car with two kids. You can imagine. Actually it wasn't that bad, the kids did great and it seemed the farther we got from Colorado the more they became normal again. At least Judah. He's happy and bubbly, loud, and he slept all through the night last night. It was hard on him being away from both Erin and I all day. He was attention deprived, so it's good for him to be home in the routine again.

So we're home for the moment but by the 1st of August we intend to be done packing, fixing our house and moved in with my parents till we leave. WOW!! CRAZY!! Be praying for us. We both have seen the value of the sabbath and have wanted to make it a priority in our lives but with so much to do we could feel like it's impossible to set that time aside. Pray also for our continued fundraising. We have enough to scrape by and will be leaving no matter what but we still need to have more $$ to be residents and to be able to afford, maintain, and insure a car.

To all of our brothers and sisters from MTI we love you and miss you. I was just telling Erin that I just want to sit and talk with you all. I feel all sappy like a girl but I think I am taking this harder than I should. I truly miss all of you.

don't hide from love.. or the pain it brings

Three weeks has come and gone... We have had a great time. We came for the training and Got more than we expected. We are still amazed at the depth that we were taken to, the way it was incredibly revealing, and the confirmation that God has given us. However, I have been taken off guard. I did not realize the depth of relationship that can be built in just three weeks. 

I have never felt this... This feeling of love and pain so interwoven in the depths of my heart. Then again I have never had to leave anyone I love. These people... the ones that I have come to love... I may never see them again. It's as though we are all going off to war and know that very few of us will ever return. We are all carrying the gospel of Christ, our Lord, to the ends of the earth, bound together by a common purpose... torn apart by distance and time. All of us are preparing to enter the unknown... preparing to exit all that we have known. We share a bond that others don't understand... and a love they wish they had. 

I truly have loved... and loved well. One of our trainers said "I hope it hurts a lot to say goodbye. That means you have loved... and loved well." I would not trade this pain... I would do it all over again... I was loved and am loosing love in a way I never have before. I know that as we return home for a few more weeks we will be saying our goodbyes to our families and friends. The pain is something that I hate but cannot do without... I cannot leave without bearing my heart and letting my love flow out. I will see my friends and family again. I have a hope for the future with them. We can maintain a elastic friendship that will stretch over time and distance but eventually spring back. Though I never want to let these bonds break with my friends here at MTI, I know we are all plowing different fields. My love will never stop for these people. My heart will always long to see them again... but for now... I will just let the pain sit... I will not hide from love.. nor will I hide from the pain it brings... They will know us by how we love one another.

We're here!!

Well, we took three full days to get to Colorado, and wow, it was a beautiful drive. We took it really slow and stopped at some museums and drove through Colorado monument state park..It was beautiful. The kids did great, thanks for all of the prayers, however Judah has developed a fever and is quarantined in our room until it clears up. That means one of us has to sit out of the class to stay with him. Erin and I switch off watching him and we listen to what's going on through a baby monitor. Over all things are great. It is always good to be able to hear from people who are experiencing the same things as we are. We have already been blessed by just the overview of the program and are looking forward to learning about ourselves and how God views us. 

    I hope you can enjoy some of our pictures. Please continue to pray for our support... Even though we are going in August, we are still in need of quite a bit of monthly and one time support.

May Jesus Bless You All,

Jeremy