Two by Two...Does That Mean 4?

I often find myself longing for more time to sit and consider God's wondrous generosity and provision in our lives. Can you believe that the God who made Mt. Rainer and shapes the clouds and sun so that it looks different everyday, also cares enough about me that He knows my name and listens to my pleas? Today is a glorious day because God has stooped to me and said "You are mine. I have heard your cries and I have responded in mighty ways."

As Kel and I have moved through this process of discerning God's direction in our lives, and as we've discovered that he was guiding us out of the country, we have grieved the loss of our community. You all are so intertwined in our lives that it was hard to conceive of a daily or weekly routine that didn't include emails, phone calls or visits with you. We are who we are because we have been shaped by you, our community. So in many ways, we have experienced a profound sadness in leaving you. Our lives have been held in tension between desiring to continue on through life with you, and knowing that God is reshaping the ways that we will do that. As excited as we have been and indeed still are, we have cried out to God our fears of living without constant contact with our community.

Today though, I am so thrilled to share with you how God has met us in this need. When my sister Shannon got married in February, she married an amazing man named Brandon Bleek. He is in charge of the mission coordination for the college group at our church. He is the one that pointed us towards Children of the Nations and has given us great insight into the DR, COTN and the work that we will be doing. All along the way we kept saying to them that they should really pray about coming with us because God has given Brandon such a heart for the Dominican people. Well, after MUCH prayer, they have decided that they will step out in faith and join us in Barahona with COTN shortly after we arrive there. Together, the four of us will seek to live out God's call upon our lives and to further the work of this great organization. We don't know all of the finer details yet but we do know that we will be living together and working side by side for the next two years and we could not feel more blessed. When Jesus said that his heavenly father gives good gifts to those that love him, he meant it. We have been given a good gift from God in having a piece of our community, our family, join us in this adventure.

For more insight into their discernment process and some cool pictures and videos of the DR, check out their blog at bleeksinthedr.blogspot.com.

Blessed beyond all measure,
S&K