The most significant decisions that we make in life mark the landscape of our days like the towering peaks of a mountain range. We feel like we are very close to the summit of one of these major life decisions and as we go through the final days of decision we would like to ask for your prayer.
This Tuesday we begin a week of special meetings with David and Robyn Parry and Bart and Emily Allen in the Madang province. On Tuesday morning Benjamin and David will help load the wives and children onto our mission plane and they will fly on ahead. Instead of chartering another flight for just two guys, we have decided that the men should go by ship. It will take about 12 hours by boat but it is significantly cheaper than flying and a bit of adventure besides!
These meetings in Madang province are designed to help us go through the process of establishing ourselves as a Church Planting team. Over the next nine days we’ll spend nearly all our time together as families – sharing meals, fun and fellowship and getting into some pretty deep discussions (us adults). We want to determine how much unity we share in the areas of doctrine, managing relationships, child rearing, finances, work ethic, marriage and ministry philosophy. Our conversations will touch on other topics besides these but will be focused on answering the basic question of compatibility between our families.
Even though we have all received the same missionary training we cannot assume that we will automatically make an effective Church Planting team. We’ve been encouraged by our leaders to consider this decision as one of the most important of our missionary careers. Many families set out to accomplish great things for the Lord on the mission field, but because of tension arising out of their relationship with coworkers they never get that satisfaction. We want to do all we can to avoid such a scenario and believe that spending time together in open and honest discussion will help us arrive at a confident decision.
We have 10 children between us – pray that we’ll be able to strike that magic balance of time with kids and time without kids. Pray for the ladies as they plan and prepare meals together. Pray for the men as they prepare and lead our discussion times. Pray for the kids as they log lots of time playing together. Pray that we’ll be able to be ourselves with each other – that we’ll be able to discuss things freely and get beyond the potential awkwardness. Please pray, most of all, that we will know the Lord’s direction and will confidently follow it!
Thank you so much for praying with us through this important time!
We’ll keep you up to date as we are able.
Benjamin and Missy Hatton
Learn more about the process of locating an unreached people group with which to work: Home Early – Survey Success