Please Pray

We’re still here in the U.S. but we’re preparing to return to our home abroad in Phnom Penh. It’s hard leaving our loved ones and our church, again. At the same time our hearts are tugging at us to return to our team and continue to participate with what God has for us there. We’re longing to have our own home, not pack and unpack for the nth time, and give the boys some needed structure and daily routine.

We still need $300 in monthly pledges to reach 100% so we can purchase our tickets. We are amazed at how God works and the faithfulness and generosity of His people. The process of fundraising is a part of missions that is just as important as all the other more glamorized ideas of missions. Through this process we’re learning that we are ever-dependent on our Provider and people, reminding us to focus on the relationships and not just the tasks. So right now we ‘re busy fundraising as well as tying up loose ends and packing up our eight 50-pound bags. In between the craziness, we’re soaking up every moment we have with family and friends, enjoying the weather and any greenery, and worshipping in our heart language.

So in the midst of all these things, we are desperate for your prayers. As stated by Ron Shaw in one of his articles, “Challenges of the Mission Field,” prayer support is our spiritual lifeline. We need a team of intercessors committed to praying for us. Below are just a few our current prayer praises and requests:

• OUR HMA – We’ve been here for 5 months, a little longer than we initially planned. We’re thankful for the times we’ve had with loved ones, meeting new people, getting to know MTW and benefitting from their training, and sharing with churches and people what God is doing. We’re thankful that we have been able to adjust well us through this full schedule and used many people to lavish us with love and encouragement. Please pray that God would sustain us through our packed schedule, help us be productive and get things done while not neglecting what’s important to Him, and to find times of rest.
• MTW I&O (Interview & Orientation) – We are about to leave for a week in Atlanta, GA for our last assessment. Please pray that we stay focused and motivated and that God would use that time to strengthen and equip us. Please pray that we get their final stamp of approval to go!
• FUNDRAISING – We are aiming to return by early October but still need about $300 in monthly pledges (i.e. three $100 per month pledges or six $50 per month pledges, etc.) Please pray that God will continue to raise partners who desire to pray and financially support the ministry that God is doing in Cambodia. Please pray that we would be not be anxious but wait upon the Lord and His timing.
• RETURNING TO CAMBODIA – Our family, including the boys, are excited to return to Phnom Penh where we will need to find a new home and, hopefully, retrieve our things left in storage all this time. We hope to make it back in time for our team retreat in mid-October where we will reunite with old team mates and get to know the many new units that have since joined. We plan to jump back into language learning and cultural acquisition as well as ministry, being more mindful of including the boys in this process. Please pray for spiritual protection and wisdom to guide us through the nitty gritty of our daily demands and goals and to sustain us through the long-term process with a commitment to God and a love for His people. Please pray that He will lead us to our new home and a helper.
• PAUL’S MOM – Thank you for all your prayers and for all of you who reached out to her in different ways. She is fully recovered. It is with things like these that make being away difficult. We are deeply comforted to know we have a support team to pray and be our hands and feet when we can’t be there.
• SUSAN’S FAMILY – Please continue to intercede for Susan’s father and brother who do not know Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Please pray for that His Holy Spirit will work in their hearts and bring people who will love them and contextualize the Gospel for them. Please pray that Susan’s mom’s faith and relationship with her Father will deepen and that she will find a community of believers.
• ADOPTION – We hope to take some active steps in pursuing adoption once we return to Cambodia. We would love to bring home a baby girl who needs a family and lots of love. Please pray for wisdom and God’s clear leading as we try to figure out from where and through which organization is possible given our circumstances.