During our training with New Tribes Mission, Amy and I were challenged to reflect on our relationship with God. As I sat and thought through those years, it was encouraging to recall some of the amazing things God had done through and around my life. Each vivid memory reminded me of God’s enduring faithfulness, and illustrated how – despite me, not because of me! – He continues to make me more like Jesus.
This concept of marking milestones in our journey with God is repeated throughout the Bible. Joshua, upon seeing God make a path for Israel through the Jordan River, commanded the Israelites to build an altar of stones found in that crossing (Joshua 4:20-24). Samuel witnessed the Lord supernaturally prevent a Philistine attack, and set up the stone Ebenezer to memorialize the Lord’s protection. And in Hebrews 11, we see example after example of men and women who were commended for living lives by faith… now offered as milestones set up for us to recall, as we “run with endurance the race that is set before us,” (see Hebrews 12:1-2).
Just as Amy and I observe these stories and the effect of milestones in our individual walk with the Lord, we are excited to highlight those that we pass in ministry as well! This past (incredibly busy!) month has resulted in two key milestones on our journey toward Mexico, and we know you’ll join us in thanking God for bringing these things to pass!
First, we received notice from New Tribes’ US home office that our status had changed from ‘in transition’ to ‘en route to Mexico’. There are a number of things that needed to happen for that change to occur: including various logistical hurdles within the New Tribes administration, paying off our bill from training, official recommendations sent from our home church to NTM, and communication between NTM Mexico and NTM USA. All were are necessary steps needing to be completed before NTM was ready to pass us over from US leadership to that of Mexico… and just under a month ago, we were informed that process had been completed! With all our paperwork in order, we are now only held in the United States by our monthly financial support. And on that note…
We have also passed a significant milestone in the financial side of partnership development! Four days ago, our incoming monthly support passed the 25% mark (actually blowing by it, rising up to 29%)! We are now one-third of the way to being free to leave for Mexico, one-quarter of the way to full support. Additionally, the further commitments we’ve received place us between 40-44% of our full budget. What an amazing witness to God’s provision!
There are still many milestones to come on this journey, but Amy and I are confident as we look back on what God has already done. Please continue to pray for us as we press on towards serving Him among the unreached in Mexico. We still desire to begin work there as quickly as possible… there are many opportunities in Chihuahua to take advantage of quickly, including an available house and the imminent start of a Mexican Spanish orientation program. Our hope remains to move there this fall, preferably as soon as September! Yet this is clearly only possible if God wills it; it is not something we can accomplish in our own strength.
So as you pray, please ask God to make His timing for our departure clear. We have been considering setting a specific departure date, and need His wisdom to decide whether or not to do so. Pray for everyone who is partnering with us, and for those who God intends to add to their number. And ultimately, as Paul wrote in II Thessalonians 3:1, “Pray first that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.” Thank you very much!