After a year and half of waiting and multiple attempts to return to the Philippines, it seems the day has finally come! Candy and I are scheduled to fly out in just a couple of weeks! We plan to spend two weeks there, and our schedule is already filled with meetings in between packing up our house there and preparing to hand it over to co-workers who will be taking over our lease. We are so looking forward to face-to-face meetings and just spending time with “our people” after more than a year of video conferencing.
This really is more of a prayer letter than we have written in a while, and we feel very much in need of it right now as we begin a stressful, logistically challenging and emotional journey. Please be praying for our meetings with the rest of the leadership team, as well as several of the team leaders for teams that we oversee from a distance. We are so thankful for everyone involved in these teams as they provide crucial support for our church planters, and we can’t wait to be back with them in person, however brief it may be.
Would you be in prayer for our kids and for Candy’s momma heart while we’re away from them? They will be on their own at our house for part of the time we’re gone, and spending part of the time with various family and friends. It’s one thing to be away for a few days in another state. It’s quite another to be away on the other side of the world for two weeks. Our desire had been for them to come with us, but they both have class schedules that won’t allow it. There will be a lot to process as we face the reality that regardless of our future ministry, all four of us will never live together in the Philippines again. Finally, please pray that the Lord will work out all of the logistics and finances for this trip and for shipping some of our things back from the Philippines.
Looking ahead
Just like any ministry, or job for that matter, there are parts of our remote ministry with Ethnos360 in the Philippines that are exciting, and some that are tedious and fatiguing. Working with our personnel, both current missionaries and future missionaries, is exciting and we always look forward those opportunities. It is a joy working with our Safety Team, our MK Care team, our language school team and other teams to ensure that our Church Planters are cared for and well trained and prepared for their life and ministry in village contexts. I’m excited too as I look ahead to projects in each of these areas that we hope to complete in the next year.
On the other hand, 40+hrs/week in front of a computer screen in video meetings, doing data entry, writing manuals, and correspondence gets tedious at times. We are so thankful though, that we have the ability through technology to remain effective in the ministry God has called us to while we spend an extended period of time in Texas transitioning our kids to life here.
As we look ahead there are a few things you can pray with us about. First is for focus, wisdom and mental capacity as I work on setting up new Human Resource Management software for our 80+ missionaries in the Philippines, as well as work with our Language School team to re-write our language school handbook, all while preparing for our trip to the Philippines and continuing my other responsibilities.
Would you also pray for our missionaries in the Philippines, and for those preparing to go? Life in the Philippines is far more difficult than it was two years ago, even for those who have lived there for years. It takes a deep commitment to God’s call for our new missionary families to step into the ever-changing challenges that have become every-day life there. Finally, please pray for Candy and I as we seek to balance full-time ministry in the Philippines with huge needs and ministry opportunities that the Lord keeps bringing our way in our home community, and for wisdom and discernment for situations far beyond our experience or capability.
We are so thankful for your faithful prayer and partnership with us during this new season of ministry. We truly could not do this without you!
Until the whole world hears,
Josh for the Daltons.
