Support Goals

Many of you have asked how we are coming on our support targets for our outgoing expenses and our monthly support. The answer we both consistenly give is "God is good!" We have seen Him provide in ways that amaze us daily. It is a very humbling process and one that continues to build our faith in so many ways. It does make us reflect on Matthew 6:25-27 - "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

What an awesome God we serve! He knows all of our needs and provides abundantly. In Isahiah 58:11, it says, "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."

I know that still doesn't answer your direct questions of where exaclty we are in the process, so I have summed it up below. I have also found an online tool that allows us to plug in our support targets. If you will scroll down the page, you will see both our "Outgoing Support Goals" and our "Monthly Support Goals" on the right hand side. We will update this monthly with new amounts as support comes in.

Very briefly, we are currently at about 86% of our outgoing support and about 33% of our monthly support. To still be a over a year from our departure date and be this far along is so encouraging to us. We are excited to see how He continues to provide as we get closer to saying goodbye. As always, thanks for your faithful support! We couldn't be doing this without each of you.

Sickness - Part 2

Okay - I'll admit my frustration! I can't seem to shake this sickness. Ever since we have been back from San Diego (back in July), I have been sick at some point during each week. Now, I have this head congestion that has been hanging on for over a week. I'm not one to be held back by your everyday common cold, but it frustrates me. It affects me just enough that I don't feel like biking in the mornings which leads to me feeling very lazy when it comes to exercise. I come home in the evenings and get irritated that I feel so tired. I try to not let it affect me and try to go about my life as if I'm feeling fine. However, that only leads to me feeling more tired once I slow down enough.

I wish there was some deep spiritual lesson I was learning from this. If there is, I'm not thinking clearly enough to recognize it. The only thing I see that I'm learning from it, is that my time with Him is of the utmost importance. Even though I wake up with the same congestion I went to sleep with, I still find that I am getting up and getting in the Word and maintaining that consistency. That has been encouraging.

Please pray that this will pass. Pray that we will have a season of sickness free living within our house. With a 4 and 7 year old it makes it very easy to pass stuff around - you parents know the revolving door of sickeness I'm talking about. Jill has threatened me with having to go the doctor if this stuff hangs around another week. Those of you who know me, know how unappealing that option is to me. Pray that I will clear this stuff out of my system - or at least that I can fake feeling better well enough to convince Jill it is gone.

Love ya'll and appreciate the prayers you lift up on our behalf.