It's Official - We're Moving to Africa

Sunday we visited a church in Fort Worth for the fifth week in a row. It’s the kind of place where we could actually know everyone by name in a short while. We were first invited by homeschool colleagues from our P.E. co-op where John coached last year. They saw our Go Fund Me video and asked us to come meet their congregation. 

We’ve been attending for a month, but last week was special. I was nervous, waiting for the announcement I knew was coming after the service: The church had decided to sponsor us to move to Malawi and work with orphans. I hoped the details that were about to be shared would be accurate and well received. It’s not that I doubted the ability of the speaker, it’s just that I know our enemy delights in manipulating words as they travel from mouth to ears.

As the elder, who has become our friend, began to speak, I relaxed. His voice broke and he teared up as he recounted the weeks and months prior to our first visit, in which the church prayed for missionaries. I didn’t know that! Suddenly, God was there and all was right. He went on to encourage everyone to get to know us—their new family members—as we prepare to leave so soon after our introduction. We were warmly greeted by some of the people we hadn’t met before, and others invited us to their homes.

We’ve been trusting that this would happen by paring down our possessions little by little, but now we’re unloading almost everything we own in a hallway-moving-sale at The Gem. We’re replacing some of those things with others we would only ever need in a place like Africa—a solar-powered phone charger, battery-operated reading lights, and water purification tablets, to name a few. We’re also shopping for tickets to leave towards the end of October, trusting that the rest of the funding will come in. 

The church has agreed to sponsor us, meaning they have assumed responsibility of the mission and will help us fundraise, but they can’t afford to cover the cost of the mission entirely. We’re still lacking money for both moving and monthly working expenses. Thanks to those of you who have already given or have committed to a monthly amount while we’re on the field. For those of you who doubted this would actually happen, you’re not alone. I could say I knew it all along, but then I would be adding the sin of lying to my sin of doubt. It’s official now, and we want you on board. Please visit our Go Fund Me page or contact us to support the mission. Then follow us on social media and subscribe to this blog to see the the wonderful things God will do through all of us on the team for the orphans of Malawi, Africa.