(e)mergent Voyageurs

I have been so blessed and overwhelmed by all the emails, phone calls, comments and visits from friends and family in response to my last post.  While we are still facing many significant challenges and decisions, your encouragement and prayers have had a real impact on the sense of things being overwhelming.  Thank you all so very much.  It is not an easy thing for me to be open with these matters- as several of you who talked to me can attest, I get uncharacteristically tongue-twisted, awkward, etc.  This does not reflect my lack of appreciation.  Far from it.  Again, I am so deeply blessed by your friendship.

I am happy to announce that our plumbing problem is not completely finished and, while the cost has hit us in a tough season, it was much lower than it could have been.  Further, we have had family step in and make sure that this expense will not cripple us.  The two home appliances that have been out of order for the last six months finally received attention today.  The more expensive unit was repaired in a matter of minutes (a sock somehow got sucked into the pump of our washing machine- go figure), and while the second unit might be a write off, it is a far less expensive unit than the other.

The reality is that the circumstances have not been the real problem.  Life is full of these events, which I am more than capable of dealing with, given the support of others and the grace of God.  However, I know that I facing a significant life shift in the next year.  I know this will probably be the most significant shift since setting out of my dreams and plans for my life and into God’s vocation for me.  When faced with the (seeming) inability of make this shift work without creating problems for my wife, the ministry and myself, the stress and frustrating build and build.  It is then that the circumstances pile up.  There are so many people whose lives are far more challenging than mine, so while I wanted to be honest with where I was at, I didn’t want come off as a whiner.

Your continued prayer and support are appreciated.  As you pray, please remember my wife, as she is the heart and muscle behind our ministry, plus the main support for me.  I am continuously humbled by her ability to extend love and grace to me during this time.  Because of her- and people like you- I truly feel a deep (if distant) sense of hope for the future.

Again, thank you so much.