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We Still Need Help

We Still Need Help

June 3, 2022

Just so you know, this part of the update is about our finances. If that’s not something you want to get into, please don’t skip the rest of the email, just move to the next post about our recent graduates! It’s been a few years since we were in a place like this where we […]
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Now that you’re up to date, what’s next?

Now that you’re up to date, what’s next?

February 27, 2022

January 2022 to now As we started the new year with aspirations to produce a year-end video and give you a glimpse at what was coming next, we ended up hobbling along with some sickness and then needed to dive into our first video shoot of the year, a weeklong shoot with two instructors. Then, […]
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Overdue fines?

Overdue fines?

February 26, 2022

You may not have heard much from us but we’re still here and going. How about we catch you up? If you haven’t caught any of our recent updates in our Ministry Group on Facebook, it looks like we dropped off the map. But that’s not the case. We’ve stayed busy as ever. August 2021-December […]
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It’s Been a Year…

It’s Been a Year…

June 22, 2021

I’m searching for a way to describe this past year and I can’t find an easy one. That might be because it’s Monday morning when I’m writing this. Or it might be because of how packed full of twists and turns this past year’s ministry has been. What is for sure is that we are […]
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Behold…

Behold…

December 23, 2020

As we walked through this year, it oftentimes felt like we were traipsing through a wilderness, hopelessly lost. Sort of like we could see evidence of life the way it used to be, but we had a sense that it wouldn’t be the same again. But, there were also SO MANY REMINDERS that our God […]
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Heading in…

Heading in…

December 15, 2020

So, guess what?! We got some great news the other night.  When our six-month partnership and community development time finished in August, we knew that we probably wouldn’t reach the goal we set for 2020: to see an additional $2020 of monthly sustaining support committed. But, we were still SUPER encouraged with what God did […]
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They Need Prayer

They Need Prayer

December 14, 2020

I’m tired these days. You probably are too. But I think I know of some people who might be wearier than us both. The believers in Asia that Bethany and I have been helping to equip in the training program that started back in June are downright exhausted. These dear friends and fellow members of […]
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Quick Update

Quick Update

December 4, 2020

How are our kids doing? At this moment, the kids are doing well. We’ve kept just enough semblance of sanity with Jack being at in-person student at his school (he only physically goes to class two days a week and does the rest of his classwork from home) and Owen and Kate both being virtual at the charter […]
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And make that important to you

And make that important to you

December 4, 2020

“Find out what’s important to God and make that important to you.” Earlier this fall, I got word that a friend and co-worker with who I’ve spent some really encouraging moments passed away after a short struggle with cancer. In one way, this was a hard death for me to “be OK” with. Doug, my friend, was a passionate […]
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Conversation

Conversation

August 5, 2020

About a week ago, we had the chance to be a part of a conversation that was live streamed to our local church’s social media community on Facebook and YouTube. It was fun, it was unique, it was delayed…all of the above, but it was also an encouragement. We are blessed to be a part […]
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The Potters…

are missionaries helping every people group around the world have the chance to understand the gospel and have access to a thriving church. We are serving with the International Ministries Office as it assists Ethnos360 and its Global Partners.

joeldpotter

Late last week, we shared a "Can we be candid..." Late last week, we shared a "Can we be candid..." update, this time about a BIG ministry change. Many of you read that and wrote your sweet prayers back to us. For some of you, email is not your thing and so we don't want you to miss out. So, there's a link to the full post on our blog in my profile link or you can read the brief overview of update if you just want the basics.

Shortly after we returned from our trip to Missouri in June we had some realizations that led us to conclude, with the counsel of others, that our time serving with the Equip Asia team was coming to an end. The Lord had already been putting desires on my (Joel’s) heart to pursue a role that would allow me to serve our wider global missions community in the area of media and communications and we knew that with Kate starting to hybrid homeschool, she was going to need much more support as a homeschooled student. We also realized that Bethany needed to pursue some side-jobs and employment to supplement our very tight financial state.

So, for now, I’ve had my new ministry role approved and am making strides at getting an audio and video studio setup here in Sanford as well as beginning to make many plans for upcoming projects both here and abroad. I’ll be able to use both the experience I gained working with the Communications team for 8 years as well as the newfound skills in videography and media production to serve many different teams in what we call the “Global Partners” family (all related to Ethnos360).

Bethany is also off to the races, so to speak, helping to homeschool Owen and Kate, working several small jobs on the side, all while keeping our incredibly busy household sane and well organized. It’s a different scene for sure after the last three years, but there are some blessings that come from it.

Again, there’s more detail at the post you can get to in my profile link. 
______
#thepottermission @ethnos360
After learning of this book, I had to read it. Not After learning of this book, I had to read it. Not reading a lot of books, I used every renewal cycle that the local library allowed (it is due tomorrow) to finish this one and boy am I glad I finished it. 

@andrewpetersonmusic wrote a book about trees (and SO much more) and moved me at a time when I needed moving and reminding of how the God who created me and knows me intimately, is carefully tending the garden of my own being. 

There were moments when I gasped as I read his words and his realizations which I found paralleled some of my own. 

Having been transplanted from Pennsylvania and it’s temperate woods to Central Florida and it’s weird mix of prairies and swamps at 11 years old, I identified with his interpretation of his childhood. 

Two huge realizations will remain with me. The first is that the God who admonishes me to “be slow to speak…” is entitled to the same right to be “slow to speak.” The second is these imagined words from Jesus to me: “I love you. Let me love you.”

I’ve always loved trees and only love them more now. In fact a week ago I took the chance to go visit some of trees that AP mentioned in the book; the somber remains of our truly ancient Bald Cypress, “the Senator”, that tree’s younger (but still 2,000 years old) sibling, “Lady Liberty”, and the youngest of the family, a clone of the original, the relative sapling, “Phoenix”. (Big Tree Park, near the Spring Hammock Preserve)

I commend this book highly and again, pass my thanks to Andrew Peterson for it. 
______
#andrewpeterson #thegodofthegarden
#plantmoretrees 
@bhpub 
______
The tree in this photo is the pride and joy of our backyard, a Chinese or lacebark Elm (Ulmus parvifolia)and was planted by us not long after we moved to this house and provides lush shade to the eastern side of our backyard and filters the early morning sunrise light beautifully!
After running for a long time, like since 2002, I After running for a long time, like since 2002, I finally found a partner to train with, someone who although they live states away, knows the value of partnership and how to push another person to do better. I’m pretty excited about what’s to come as he and I work towards a goal that will be a lifetime highlight when we achieve it. Until then, here’s some highlight runs of the last month. 
______
#runwithstrava #floridarunner @strava @altrarunning
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