…and just as quickly as that, we’ve taken the ‘next first step’ of our journey with the Lord.
Yesterday, our family did something we’ve anticipated for many years. Having packed and prepared as best we could, Amy and I loaded our kids into the family car and starting driving. Behind us remained friends and family we loved, whom we missed even as we left. Ahead, we found the first day of many on the road – our ultimate destination a foreign country, with different ways to learn and a new language to speak.
Why the big move? In short – because over 2 billion people today, speaking 2300 unique languages, have no access to knowledge of Jesus. They have no radios broadcasting the Gospel message; no churches advertising Sunday morning services. No schools they attend can teach of God, and even their culture contains no reference points to His Word. No friendly neighbor will share the hope Christ offers with any of these 2 billion people, because no verse of Scripture has ever been translated into their language and no neighbor exists who knows the truth.
These people are unreached by the Gospel, and that needs to change.
Our family hopes to be that first point of access to the Gospel for one such group. There are dozens of unreached people groups in Mexico, which is where we are now going… and as God works through us, our desire is to plant a church among one of them. This will be a work of decades, requiring that we change from who we once were into someone else: a blend of American, Mexican, and indigenous cultures resulting in something we cannot yet imagine. And this task is not something we in ourselves are capable of doing.
Yet the task is worth doing. As Paul writes in Romans 10:13-14, “…everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher?” Amy and I are nothing special, that the Lord would choose us over any other for this journey. Yet we are confident that His strength will shine through our weaknesses, ultimately bringing Him glory when He uses us – even us! – to bring others to Himself.
And for that reason, though we now say goodbye to so many we love and cherish… today, we consider ourselves blessed. God has given all believers the ministry of reconciling others to Himself, declaring His glory and the message of hope in Jesus (II Corinthians 5:18-21). We are so excited to watch as He works through us in the years to come!
We’ll be in Seattle through Saturday morning, upon which we’ll leave the City of Sammamish at 7:00am. Shortly thereafter, we’ll cross over into Oregon and make our final departure (for now) from the State of Washington!
Your on your way! Praise the Lord!!! I’m so anxious to see all of you at Cannon Beach.
Be Blessed every day, Grammie