The Inside Scoop
At this moment, a man from an international moving company is here measuring our furniture in order to give us a quote on moving our stuff from Oaxaca, Mexico to Alamosa, Colorado.
You read that right.
How's that for dropping a bomb on ya?!
Alright. So here is what is happening. A few weeks ago, after months of praying and discussing, Sean and I finally came to the decision that the time for us to leave the mission field is now. We feel it is best for our family and it is what we want to do - but most importantly, we are 100% convinced that this is a step God wants us to take. Our "term" is drawing to a close and as we contemplated the future, we didn't see staying in Oaxaca as the best choice for us. It really is as simple as feeling strongly that God has plans for us elsewhere.
You may or may not know that a lot of missionaries leave the field because of something bad that happened or bad health or mental/spiritual/emotional breakdown or some other really bad reason. The simple truth is that we don't have any of those "bad" reasons! We praise God for this fact. We get to be the exception to the norm as missionaries who leave the field not only fully healthy and intact, but also spiritually fired-up!
Have you ever come to a point in your life where you just feel strongly that it is time to move on? As in - time to try for a new job, move somewhere new, maybe go back to school and pursue something completely different? Maybe you have a dream that you've contemplated pursuing. We are at that place in our life right now. It has taken a huge amount of guts and faith for us to make this decision. We have loved our life and adventures as missionaries - it has become "comfortable" and normal, and leaving it behind is going to be hard. There are more people affected by our decision than just our little nuclear family - that makes this even harder. But it is what is right for us. It is the choice we have made...and God has done nothing but confirm our decision in a million different ways since it was made.
We're excited about our new future! We have some serious things ahead of us - not all of them easy - but we feel with complete confidence that it is worth it! So, back to Colorado we go! We are leaving Oaxaca on September 1. From there we'll go to MAF headquarters and then to Colorado. For about 6 months, we'll be traveling and visiting our supporters and churches - we're so thrilled that we get to say our thank yous in person. We'll also be looking for a house to rent and setting up house, having a baby in December, and re-adjusting to life in the good 'ole USA. After six months or so, Sean will go to work for my Dad as an aircraft mechanic...and we'll take it from there one step at a time, just like every other part of our life.
You read that right.
How's that for dropping a bomb on ya?!
Alright. So here is what is happening. A few weeks ago, after months of praying and discussing, Sean and I finally came to the decision that the time for us to leave the mission field is now. We feel it is best for our family and it is what we want to do - but most importantly, we are 100% convinced that this is a step God wants us to take. Our "term" is drawing to a close and as we contemplated the future, we didn't see staying in Oaxaca as the best choice for us. It really is as simple as feeling strongly that God has plans for us elsewhere.
You may or may not know that a lot of missionaries leave the field because of something bad that happened or bad health or mental/spiritual/emotional breakdown or some other really bad reason. The simple truth is that we don't have any of those "bad" reasons! We praise God for this fact. We get to be the exception to the norm as missionaries who leave the field not only fully healthy and intact, but also spiritually fired-up!
Have you ever come to a point in your life where you just feel strongly that it is time to move on? As in - time to try for a new job, move somewhere new, maybe go back to school and pursue something completely different? Maybe you have a dream that you've contemplated pursuing. We are at that place in our life right now. It has taken a huge amount of guts and faith for us to make this decision. We have loved our life and adventures as missionaries - it has become "comfortable" and normal, and leaving it behind is going to be hard. There are more people affected by our decision than just our little nuclear family - that makes this even harder. But it is what is right for us. It is the choice we have made...and God has done nothing but confirm our decision in a million different ways since it was made.
We're excited about our new future! We have some serious things ahead of us - not all of them easy - but we feel with complete confidence that it is worth it! So, back to Colorado we go! We are leaving Oaxaca on September 1. From there we'll go to MAF headquarters and then to Colorado. For about 6 months, we'll be traveling and visiting our supporters and churches - we're so thrilled that we get to say our thank yous in person. We'll also be looking for a house to rent and setting up house, having a baby in December, and re-adjusting to life in the good 'ole USA. After six months or so, Sean will go to work for my Dad as an aircraft mechanic...and we'll take it from there one step at a time, just like every other part of our life.
This may be my first comment but I read your blog all the time.
ReplyDeleteI admire your courage stepping out of the comfort zone and being led by God. I pray you have a safe journey. It is so good to hear you are fired up and healthy...
Blessings to you!
As a very selfish individual I say YAY!!! I know how hard it is to make a decision based completely on faith that people may or may not understand. The wonderful thing is you and God understand and that's all that matters. Congrats on your move, we really look forward to seeing you more than once every few years. You may have just sweetened the pot enough to get us to drive out there again :)
ReplyDeleteAnother 1st time commenter but I have been keeping up with you guys for quite a while. I am very excited about this new adventure for your family. Would love to see the little things that your girls discover living here in the states. Seeing snow for the 1st time will be the best!;) So wonderful that you guys had the courage to make this decision. I know it could not have been an easy one. Praying for God's continued guidance in every step of the way.
ReplyDeleteThanks, ladies, for the sweet comments!
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteI pray the trip back goes smoothly. When I read your blog entry....well, it just really sounded right. I am really proud of you both for stepping out (yes, I think it is stepping out big time) and I pray that you all receive nothing but love and encouragement as you head back to the US. Think of all that buy one get one free ice cream too! Eat a half gallon for me :)
Love,
Celeste