Happy New Year! Happy Spring! Is it Summer, yet?!

Last night was the first “cold” night of the winter already and already summer seems like it is lurking around the corner. Please quietly disregard the fact that there is still snow on the ground and it’s below freezing…

I don’t really ever remember thinking that, before. You see, I’m the guy that would be happy if it was summer all year! Except that this year seems like summer is already filled up with BIG things? Our first child graduates, we pack up and move, and then we unpack and move in, and then we adjust and figure out what ministry looks like with new co-workers, what life looks like in a new town, and find a new church family, and figure out the school situation for the kids, and what it’s like to drive around Waukesha, and how far away the “really good lake to swim in” is from us. And then we have to figure out how loud the kids can be while they run screaming through the yard, and…

It’s a lot, but we are excited about most of it.

The part we are most excited about is getting back into student’s lives. That has been the strangest part of this time. There have been no students, there have been no daily meetings to schedule with “the guy RAs” or joint Deans meetings, or Tribal Cup, or Encounter Trips, or Ethnos360 Training, or Wayumi to schedule. The absence of the planning and execution of the daily getting together to talk about what God is doing, or what we see God setting up, or need that is being exposed. We have been convinced and reminded and encouraged that we still want to be a part of this part of the training process. We’ve been in “it” long enough to see some that aren’t interested in this part of the daily effort to prepare the next batch of ‘Tribers.’ And we know that it’s not just a “job” that anyone can do, or really should do. As with all things that the individual members of the body of Christ decide to apply themselves to, this task is one that requires intentional application of patience and God’s grace as we, too, are being molded into the instruments that our Heavenly Father will use to impact the lives around us. Pray with us and for us as we are challenged to speak wisdom and grace and love into lives, while we all seem to need to hear the same things!

Our loudest praise, right now, is that God is still doing the work for us to connect with more ministry partners. He is faithful and has not been hindered by the pandemic. Clearly, He still just wants us to trust Him to provide that which He has already promised those who will walk by faith.

Our biggest request, right now, is that we would be able to connect with more like minded people who can partner with us. If you have ideas about how to share, or how we can share with people you know, please don’t hesitate to advocate! If you don’t have “the ideas” please don’t forget to talk to our Good God about it! Ask, for our sake (as if you needed any excuse!) that you would think of opportunities for us to share the ministry of Ethnos360. We are excited about what God is doing through Ethnos360 and want to share the joy that comes with watching God work! He does incredible things!