[I couldn’t rightly conclude my “70 in 7” without completing my series of blog posts on missions. Thank you all for your patience in waiting for Part 6 and 7.]
When we returned to Atlanta from Peru in December 2008, we initially decided to take a few months off from all ministry-related activities in an effort to re-center our hearts on God’s plan for us. Just six months earlier we had committed to at least another 2-5 years in Peru, if not living there indefinitely. How quickly we found ourselves in unexpected circumstances, having lost our short-term plan, our U.S.-based support, and our newly established Peruvian household. We were devastated, confused and understandably cautious about making decisions concerning our next step.
Since we had sold nearly everything we owned before moving to Peru, we decided to ship our Peruvian furniture and all our belongings back home via a shipping container. While waiting for it to arrive, we leased an apartment close to Alex’s office; he immediately returned to his full-time position with his company, since he had maintained hourly Contractor status working remotely from Peru during our 14 months there. His boss was probably the biggest blessing we received, knowing that we had at least one set of open arms waiting for us upon our return.
After the first three months of 2009, we decided that it was time to move on with our lives and temporarily, at least, put Peru to rest. It was a painful decision but a necessary one in order to find healing from our great losses and hurts and learn how to trust God and others again. We knew the road would not be easy, but we did believe that God’s favor was with us as we began rebuilding our faith.
A series of great blessings soon followed, including finding myself a job within two miles of our apartment, losing weight and running a mile for the first time in my life. We also purchased and began building our first house, found a church in our new hometown, and found out I was pregnant with our first child. I was reminded of Mark 10:29-30:
Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has given up and left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for My sake and for the Gospel’s who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands…”
While God was establishing our new home and bringing our first daughter into the world, He was also planting the seeds of relationships within our new church. It was extremely difficult for me for the first year and a half to really allow myself to open up to others. But when I finally was confronted about the issue on a retreat weekend in February 2011, I realized how easy it had been to shut out God and others and live in survival mode, just going through the motions of everyday life with a self-preservation mindset. That was not God’s will for me any longer. Healing was, and I chose it.
Four months later, Alex led his first mission trip since Peru, this time to Kenya, Africa, with a team from our church. We discovered early in our new church membership that God had planted us at The Vine Community Church in order to start up a short-term missions program. God gave me the acronym, “STEMS” (S.hort TE.rm M.issionS), very appropriate considering our church name, and the program logo design. Alex officially stepped into the role of Program Leader. Together with church leadership we designed the program guidelines, handbooks and trips in the roles we continue to serve in today.
While Alex was in Kenya, I surprised him over Skype with the announcement that I was pregnant again. And my due date was the one year anniversary of my healing and deliverance from depression, February 27th. Elianna Jeanne was born on February 19th, 2012. Her name means, “God has graciously answered our prayers” in Hebrew.
Just after Elianna was born, God said, “It’s time.” Time to wake up from my own missions slumber, time to step back up to the plate and swing again. When the original leader was suddenly unable to follow through, I agreed to lead a trip to Mission of Hope International in Haiti where my long-time friend Angela Parayson was serving with her husband and their family.
But when the time came in July, I was kicking and screaming all the way to the airport.
To be continued. One last time. (I promise.)
The Art of Choosing True Life 