The gospel changes everything

I now know even more definitively that God’s ways are not our ways! Just when we think we can sort of figure out what He may be doing in our lives, something that just doesn’t make any sense happens. We are nudged once again into a place of complete trust, another stretching of our faith, a humbling place. 

There have been many unknowns on our missionary journey thus far. It has been hard, but also good…exciting, and yet really scary. The unknowns right now mainly concern timing. We have been back from Kenya a year and a half now. We’ve gone through many trainings and conferences, which we’ve been so thankful for. We’ve been raising support and met so many amazing people who truly “hold the ropes” for missionaries on the field. We can now say we are almost fully funded, which is a work of the Lord!! A HUGE thank you to all who are faithfully supporting us!

So, we’re ready and we’re willing to go to Kenya. We fully believe that it is God’s will for the next phase of our lives for our family to serve Him in the hospital and community of Tenwek. But we haven’t been released yet. 

As many of you know, we’ve been doubly blessed in our time on home assignment. We have been able to be part of the start of an incredible missions-focused pediatric practice here in our hometown. However, under circumstances we could not have foreseen, there has not been another doctor to join the vision there yet. Recently we had an amazing lead, and one who we thought was the perfect candidate for the job. We were so excited! But it turned out that the Lord had other plans for him and his family. We are now back to square one. Sort of.

That’s where we remember that this journey is not ours to begin with. It is God’s. He set it in our hearts to go to Kenya. He got us there in 2017. He continued to lead us in pursuing mission work long term. He got us to where we are today. And none of the details are surprising him now. So, though we are disappointed and a bit confused, we continue to worship the God who has never left His throne.

As missionaries, the gospel is what we’re all about. The good news that our King left heaven to be born of a woman, to relate completely to us. He was tempted in every way on this earth, yet completely without sin. Then he died a grueling death, to atone for our sins, and rose from the dead to conquer sin and death and our flesh forever. 

In my flesh, I want to control things. I want to plan things, and every detail should work out exactly how I think it should. Right?! But He keeps teaching me that His grace really is enough. His Word is my daily guide that continually refreshes my perspective. And His life, and death, prove His amazing and steadfast love and care for me, in every detail. For God so loved the world…

Thank you for praying for us. Please keep praying! We would love to see another doctor join Triad Pediatrics very soon, a doctor who truly believes in the mission and vision of the practice. We would love to go back to Kenya very soon as well (in the right time) and continue to serve the Lord in our calling there.

For now, we wait. We rest (more metaphorically than physically—6 kids, remember). And we rejoice in faith, that we can believe even though we do not always see.

Praise JESUS that He is the King. The gospel truly changes everything.