Dangling

Below is an update of our ministry activities over the past several months. Before getting into that though we wanted to share briefly our deep appreciation to all of you who have supported us over these past months and years. We know that many of you sacrifice to share in what God is doing around the world. It’s humbling for us to be on the receiving end of that generosity.

Since January I have been fulfilling an itinerant ministry role for Ethnos360 Indonesia. This has meant a combination of online meetings and teaching with teams and individuals, some Indonesian and others tribal workers. Along with that there have been several large translation projects including curriculum for the missionary training program, which is happening in Indonesia, as well as a revised set of Evangelism phase lessons that help teams share the Biblical story of redemption.

Some highlights from these past months have been helping different tribal teams stay the course in the hard places of ministry that God has placed them in. It’s a privilege to work with these teams and see them trust in God and draw strength from Jesus. Just this morning we received a text message from a team asking for encouragement and help to fulfill the ministry God has set before them.

These opportunities are genuinely moments for us to prayerfully stand with others in ministry and feel the weight they are feeling. It’s from that place of standing with these teams that we have seen the Lord provide the encouragement for them to take another step.

Another ministry opportunity has been among the indigenous staff who are leading the missionary training program. In May, Tim was able to return to Indonesia for a quick trip with some other men from the church here in Jacksonville. We have been heavily involved in this training since its inception. The staff is prayerfully taking steps towards developing a campus that would facilitate a full-time two year training program.

I am really grateful for the men that traveled with me and poured themselves into this critical ministry. The building plans are still in their beginning stages. The work we were able to do has been a big first step in getting the ball rolling. We are praying for these Indonesian staff as they trust the Lord’s leading in this huge step of faith.

The tribal people we worked with have a saying, “reaching to the top but not arriving, going down to the bottom but not landing” It’s a saying that describes the feeling of dangling in midair, feeling unsettled or insecure. This captures a bit of how we have been feeling recently in this season of living in-between places. We are committed to being led by the Lord in this in-between season of life. It can be unsettling though as we find ourselves unable to answer simple questions like, “when are you planning to head back to Asia Pacific?” If you have asked us that recently you have likely gotten a response that didn’t answer your question. Sorry.

We have been challenged by elders/mentors in our lives that have said, “faithfully walking with the Lord requires prioritizing equally important areas of calling in our lives.” What that means for us right now is remaining settled in Jacksonville (to prioritize some callings) while doing ministry itinerantly for Asia Pacific (other important areas of calling). We are grateful that in this season we can guide our young adult kids in our home and also stay connected to tribal church planting happening in some least reached places of our world.

One part of us feels the need to apologize to our support team for being here in the States so long. Instead of apologizing though, we are wanting to be transparent with you. We are working full-time with Asia Pacific in an itinerant role. As we look to the future we are committed to being led by the Lord following His lead.

Thank you for praying for our family during this season of itinerant ministry. We are so grateful for the cool opportunities to stay in touch with what God is doing in Asia Pacific and faithfully serve in the other areas of God’s calling! If you have any specific questions regarding anything we have shared, please email us!