Christmas is gearing up for the commerce-side of things, which makes me (Kevin) think about rushing Thanksgiving to make sure it doesn't get overtaken. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, so back from our trip to Houston, here are some thanks and updates.
Thankful for:
-Some new one-time donors coming on board.
-Some new monthly donors coming on board.
-Great trip down to Cupertino and LA in September (good friends, family and contacts)
-Great trip down to Cupertino (Kevin), Florida (Leah & Eliana) and Houston (all of us - good friends, family and contacts)
-The upcoming 1st birthday of Eliana (who is a great traveler!)
We are projected to be just over 70% of our goal. We have begun the FBI background check for our resident visas in Spain. We are learning patience and staying excited for what God has for us.
Things to be praying for:
-Eliana's 1st birthday
-The remaining 30% to be projected and start coming in
-Upcoming travels
-Partnership organization in Spain
-Visa process
As we return from Houston, we sing (to the tune of "Here We Come A'Carolin') There We Go A'Travelin' and we are very Thankful for where God has us.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Traveling
September is a month of traveling and support-raising.
We'll be in the Bay Area and Los Angeles starting today for over a week. Then we will spend the remainder of the month planning our trip to Texas and Leah & Eliana get to go see our new niece in Florida.
Thanks for your prayers!
Kevin
We'll be in the Bay Area and Los Angeles starting today for over a week. Then we will spend the remainder of the month planning our trip to Texas and Leah & Eliana get to go see our new niece in Florida.
Thanks for your prayers!
Kevin
Waving My Hands in Impatience
Patience, they say, is a virtue. A patient person is certainly more pleasant to be around. Since Eliana is cute, and nobody could blame her, let's take her as example of impatience.
As a wee one, when Eliana is impatient she waves both arms up and down and voices her protest. It is like she is flying, and the longer she desires something like food or a toy and doesn't get it, the more violent the flapping of her hands like wings. When carrying her to someplace she wants to go, she'll all but jump out of your arms as though you couldn't possibly be walking fast enough. Little does she realize that if you put her down she doesn't really get there at all and she becomes even more upset.
August was a rather impatient month for us. I (Kevin) felt much like Eliana feels when she is impatient. While praying I'd all but wave my hands, trying to fly into ministry and fly to Spain. I'd even protest some. Then, whenever I felt God carrying us a bit closer (as indeed he has been doing) I was flapping my arms and trying to jump even further ahead.
Sometimes when Eliana gets too impatient, we will let her have her tantrum on the ground. She has trouble regulating emotion as is her age (and apparently it is still difficult to regulate impatience as an adult), so we let her cry it out for a bit and begin again. August was that way with God. Momentum slowed considerably in our efforts to get to Spain. And it was a little frustrating. So God let me have my prayer tantrum.
I'm happy to be able to take it to God in prayer and that he'll listen. I love Eliana deeply and he loves me even more than I can love Eliana. When I can calm a bit or at least really turn back, then he picks me up again and keeps going (and I'm still flapping my wings as violently as possible.)
August was a month of retooling, of understanding and of letting God provide the work. No matter how much arm-flapping Leah or I did, (or Eliana for that matter), we had to be patient. And patience truly is a virtue. It will be a lesson that we will continue to learn, I'm sure, but one that will carry us much further in our ministry than if we just flapped our wings and got whatever we want when we want.
So August was a tougher month for us (in terms of getting to Spain). September, however, is turning out to have a great deal of momentum, and a great deal of travel. I am thankful that God has not let me had my spiritual tantrum for too long and is again carrying us forward.
As a wee one, when Eliana is impatient she waves both arms up and down and voices her protest. It is like she is flying, and the longer she desires something like food or a toy and doesn't get it, the more violent the flapping of her hands like wings. When carrying her to someplace she wants to go, she'll all but jump out of your arms as though you couldn't possibly be walking fast enough. Little does she realize that if you put her down she doesn't really get there at all and she becomes even more upset.
August was a rather impatient month for us. I (Kevin) felt much like Eliana feels when she is impatient. While praying I'd all but wave my hands, trying to fly into ministry and fly to Spain. I'd even protest some. Then, whenever I felt God carrying us a bit closer (as indeed he has been doing) I was flapping my arms and trying to jump even further ahead.
Sometimes when Eliana gets too impatient, we will let her have her tantrum on the ground. She has trouble regulating emotion as is her age (and apparently it is still difficult to regulate impatience as an adult), so we let her cry it out for a bit and begin again. August was that way with God. Momentum slowed considerably in our efforts to get to Spain. And it was a little frustrating. So God let me have my prayer tantrum.
I'm happy to be able to take it to God in prayer and that he'll listen. I love Eliana deeply and he loves me even more than I can love Eliana. When I can calm a bit or at least really turn back, then he picks me up again and keeps going (and I'm still flapping my wings as violently as possible.)
August was a month of retooling, of understanding and of letting God provide the work. No matter how much arm-flapping Leah or I did, (or Eliana for that matter), we had to be patient. And patience truly is a virtue. It will be a lesson that we will continue to learn, I'm sure, but one that will carry us much further in our ministry than if we just flapped our wings and got whatever we want when we want.
So August was a tougher month for us (in terms of getting to Spain). September, however, is turning out to have a great deal of momentum, and a great deal of travel. I am thankful that God has not let me had my spiritual tantrum for too long and is again carrying us forward.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Not Entitled, Gifted
I (Kevin) have been learning lately that we are not entitled to be missionaries, but that this call is a gift. Sure it is in line with what we want, and God has blessed us by giving us an opportunity to serve him in this capacity. Sure we've worked hard to get here, and have more work to go before we actually make it to the field, but all that work happens because we were gifted the opportunities to work.
Sometimes I'm impatient, and want to be in Spain NOW, but remembering that I'm not entitled to being in Spain, but that it is a gift allows me to step back, release the anxiety and impatience and continue working all the more in great confidence.
Sometimes I'm impatient, and want to be in Spain NOW, but remembering that I'm not entitled to being in Spain, but that it is a gift allows me to step back, release the anxiety and impatience and continue working all the more in great confidence.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Grieving
As I sit in bed and listen to my sweet baby's breathing as she sleeps I long to sweep her into my arms and hold her and never let go. I feel overwhelmed with sadness and find myself fighting back irrational fears of what might happen to my family. Over the weekend missionary friends of ours lost their nearly two year old son as he died suddenly in his sleep. I feel numb and broken, unable to even begin to think of all the emotions that our friends must be facing right now. They had just come back to the States after a three year term in a very challenging country, weary and heavy laden, needing rest. Now this. Please join me in praying for their family.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Buying to Dress Spanish
Today is sale day at JC Penny's and we happen to have a beloved cousin who works there with extra fun discounts. Today we also researched typical wear for life in Spain. One thing that is astronomical is the clothing cost in Spain, sometimes up to three times as much! So we decided to aprovechar (take advantage of) the local, cheaper consumerism.
In Spain, unless we're on the beach...
...Kevin trades flip-flops for leather shoes with rubber bottoms (so every site advises). Check (already owned).
...Kevin trades t-shirts for collared shirts - polos, short-sleeve and long-sleeve button downs. Check.
...we trade shorts for slacks (Kevin) or skirts (Leah)...not the other way around. Check.
...we keep jeans on more relaxed days. CHECK (phew).
...we trade in windbreaker jackets for something nicer...fur coat (Leah) and leather (Kevin). Sucks to the animals. No Check.
...we trade cute baby clothes for the very same cute baby clothes (sometimes 3-4 times more). Check.
Our work in Spain will put us in the position of meeting a diverse mix of people...
...university students - (probably) nerds, budding anarchists, entrepreneurs, and the who knows what I want to do folk. For this group: younger wear, but not too young.
...older folk (as in older than university students) - ministry professionals, business professionals, professors, shop owners, immigration and other government officials. For this group: nice shirt, slacks and possibly a tie (Kevin), elegant and "autumn colors" dress or skirt and top (Leah).
...multi-cultural - North African Muslims, Latin Americans, West Africans, Romanians, Russians, Western Europeans, USAmericans, and probably many others. For this group: nicer clothes rather than casuals.
And those vacations to the mountains, something active. To the beach - FLIP-FLOPS & SHORTS!!! (Boy will we miss those!)
So after today, we didn't get everything, but hopefully enough to begin fitting in. We won't have the hottest Spanish brand names, but as long as they fit well, then we should be just fine.
In Spain, unless we're on the beach...
...Kevin trades flip-flops for leather shoes with rubber bottoms (so every site advises). Check (already owned).
...Kevin trades t-shirts for collared shirts - polos, short-sleeve and long-sleeve button downs. Check.
...we trade shorts for slacks (Kevin) or skirts (Leah)...not the other way around. Check.
...we keep jeans on more relaxed days. CHECK (phew).
...we trade in windbreaker jackets for something nicer...fur coat (Leah) and leather (Kevin). Sucks to the animals. No Check.
...we trade cute baby clothes for the very same cute baby clothes (sometimes 3-4 times more). Check.
Our work in Spain will put us in the position of meeting a diverse mix of people...
...university students - (probably) nerds, budding anarchists, entrepreneurs, and the who knows what I want to do folk. For this group: younger wear, but not too young.
...older folk (as in older than university students) - ministry professionals, business professionals, professors, shop owners, immigration and other government officials. For this group: nice shirt, slacks and possibly a tie (Kevin), elegant and "autumn colors" dress or skirt and top (Leah).
...multi-cultural - North African Muslims, Latin Americans, West Africans, Romanians, Russians, Western Europeans, USAmericans, and probably many others. For this group: nicer clothes rather than casuals.
And those vacations to the mountains, something active. To the beach - FLIP-FLOPS & SHORTS!!! (Boy will we miss those!)
So after today, we didn't get everything, but hopefully enough to begin fitting in. We won't have the hottest Spanish brand names, but as long as they fit well, then we should be just fine.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Water Skiing, Driving a Stick, & Getting Started in Ministry
Sometimes it is hard to think that we're just getting started in our missions career. Our feet have yet to plant down in Spain as a place we are going to live and minister, yet while we have barely just begun, we are also well within our missions career.
Preparation for new ventures, practice and good training are all necessary. Currently we are with Leah's grandmother on the Sacramento Delta. At grandma's we go water skiing. Leah grew up skiing, and so it is not too difficult for her to pop up and begin skiing away. (It is a bit difficult for her to want to get in the cold water though.) Kevin, however has been water skiing one time before this. Last time he got up two times out of many, many attempts. He's no expert, though he's had good training, learned how to persevere through frustrations and keep going. If he had all summer to water ski, he'd be up in a flash.
It is kind of like driving a stick for the first time. The fluidity of the car is jerky at best and stalled out many times at worst. Kevin remembers when he saw smoke billowing from the first truck he ever attempted to learn a manual on. The most frustrating thing is from idle to movement. Lurching and lurching, a new driver looks like their listening to a bad heavy metal song in the car. And the person along side him or her has one hand on the dash and the other holding their eyes from popping out of their head. Kevin has little problem driving a manual now. The investment of learning paid off.
Such is the life of starting with missions. It is bumpy and rocky at first, especially for one's faith and motivation. But as we have learned, going through it is a normal process. Instead of being career missionaries in a year, we're approaching year two. We are encouraged by the fact, like when recounting stories of "when I first drove a stick...," missionaries tell us that their missions career was not some fluid thing right off the bat. Few people begin water skiing by popping up out of the water in the first crack, and few missionaries get to the field that way. Those however, that continue through the bumps trials and practice well tend to have a skill for life that accomplishes future bumps down the road.
Preparation for new ventures, practice and good training are all necessary. Currently we are with Leah's grandmother on the Sacramento Delta. At grandma's we go water skiing. Leah grew up skiing, and so it is not too difficult for her to pop up and begin skiing away. (It is a bit difficult for her to want to get in the cold water though.) Kevin, however has been water skiing one time before this. Last time he got up two times out of many, many attempts. He's no expert, though he's had good training, learned how to persevere through frustrations and keep going. If he had all summer to water ski, he'd be up in a flash.
It is kind of like driving a stick for the first time. The fluidity of the car is jerky at best and stalled out many times at worst. Kevin remembers when he saw smoke billowing from the first truck he ever attempted to learn a manual on. The most frustrating thing is from idle to movement. Lurching and lurching, a new driver looks like their listening to a bad heavy metal song in the car. And the person along side him or her has one hand on the dash and the other holding their eyes from popping out of their head. Kevin has little problem driving a manual now. The investment of learning paid off.
Such is the life of starting with missions. It is bumpy and rocky at first, especially for one's faith and motivation. But as we have learned, going through it is a normal process. Instead of being career missionaries in a year, we're approaching year two. We are encouraged by the fact, like when recounting stories of "when I first drove a stick...," missionaries tell us that their missions career was not some fluid thing right off the bat. Few people begin water skiing by popping up out of the water in the first crack, and few missionaries get to the field that way. Those however, that continue through the bumps trials and practice well tend to have a skill for life that accomplishes future bumps down the road.
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