It’s quite a surreal place knowing that the majority of the last 24 hours in the States before moving to the Dominican Republic, will actually be spent in the air looking over the United States of America (or maybe more like sleeping in a plane while flying between the numerous airports I’ll be visiting). This past weekend was an incredible time. There’s a worship song by Charlie Hall which my a dear friend from MTI blessed us all with at training, and the last few weeks here in Denison, sharing with different churches, being comissioned & blessed by my home church in Kiron, Iowa yesterday, and the time spent with family & friends in person, on the phone & via other modern telecommunication has been a blessing in abundance of ‘sending off’! The lyrics to the song are:

It’s about three hours from when we need to leave for the airport… nice & early! I really am fairly close to ready to go, but even if I laid down to sleep, I don’t know that my body would allow it.

One incredible thing about today, 11.16.04, is that exactly one year ago today, in the middle of a somewhat despairing point with doors all around me recently slammed shut, the God of the Universe reached down & His Holy Spririt spoke clearly into my life as I was crowd control in 3rd Grade Sunday School, reminding me who I was created to be, and in the service at Park Ave spoke to me again sending me to Urbana 03. Here I am, a year later. I’m overwhelmed at the Lord’s faithfulness as I look back at the whirlwind of this last year! Humbled & amazed that the Lord of Heaven & Earth loves each of us, His creations, so much that He desires to have relationship with us broken sinners that He sent His Son to die for us & then everyday is faithful to be the lifter of our heads! Praise the Lord & may we learn a little something about true faithfulness from our heavenly Abba Father whose name is Faithful.

Holy guacamole! One week from today I’ll be waking up in the Dominican Republic! I just received the schedule for my first week of orientation in Jarabacoa. Let’s stay focused on the present though… Many of you may have heard be use the analogy of the perverbial carrot out in front of me. That ‘carrot’ so to speak which has had a date on it for the last two weeks is now about to hit me smack between the eyes. Such a crazy reality! Such a paradoxical reality! I’m so excited, and altogether at the same time mourning all that I’m leaving for at least the next two years, and then there are the moments when I ask God & myself, “WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I DOING?”

All that said, it has been blessing after blessing as details have been falling into place. My insurance was accepted & coverage began yesterday. Time with family & friends in the area has been falling into place to be able to see them. There has been an incredible support network made up of you my friends & family around me who have encouraged me & prayed for me, more faithfully than I’ll probably ever know or be able to thank you for. Jesus has been real & alive to me as everyday, in grace, He’s been showing me how He desires to draw me close in His love. Thank you dear fellow journers in this world that is not our home for lifting me up in your prayers & encouragement! The emails which have filled my mailbox faster than I can reply, the few calls I’ve received, & the simple knowledge that there is such a willing network out there if needed has blessed and strengthened me to press on through this time of transition into so much unknown.

Truly, as my hours Stateside continue to dwindle, I realize that I’m to the point that even with my long list of things I’d like to get done, as long as I get things in a suitcase & get on my plane next Tuesday morning, the rest is not composed of life or death things which can’t be done from the DR or are simply frivolous anyway. With that I’d ask for your continued prayers in the rest of this time & below include my flight schedule. (May all my luggage neede make it along with me through all the flight changes…)

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 
Delta 606 
7.00am Omaha – 10.11am Atlanta 
Delta 206 
11.32am Atlanta – 12.14pm St Louis 
Delta 5651 
12.50pm St Louis – 4.15pm New York JFK 
Jet Blue 425 
9.10pm New York JFK – 1.45am (November 17) Santiago, DR

I just purchased my tickets to make the move to the Dominican Republic! I have a full day of flights NOVEMBER 16 flying from Omaha to Atlanta to St. Louis to New York to Santiago, Dominican Republic (arriving at 1:45am on the 17th). The irony of departing on November 16 is that it is exactly one year from the day Jesus renewed His call on my life in the midst of a few despairing days & He sent me to Urbana ’03! That means three weeks from today I will be starting to settle in in Jarabacoa. I’ve been in contact with our staff leaders on the field. They will be arranging some temporary housing for me as I will spend that first week doing orientation along with some house/apartment hunting, car shopping, getting a cell phone, and everything else involved in “getting settled.”

As my days Stateside are now numbered, there are also many things that need to be wrapped up here. Highest importance to me is relationships! The extreme paradox of excitement & grieving are swirling about inside me as I’m so excited to go to where I know I’m supposed to be, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to say goodbye to those who have shaped and formed my life by their presence in it (it’s not death, but there is going to be physical separation, and that is “grieve worthy”).

THE SOVEREIGN LORD IS MY STRENGTH! HE WILL MAKE ME AS SUREFOOTED AS A DEER & BRING ME SAFELY OVER THE MOUNTAINS. -Habakkuk 3:19

This is a promise that the Lord has sweetly spoken into my life, & it is one of the amazing promise & truths I’m clinging to through all this transition. May it be so in each of your lives too! Thank you for your prayers & support! God bless!

I can’t put into words how incredible training was! Friday I flew back to Iowa where I’ll be for the next indefinite amount of time in the end of my support raising process.

As I reflect on my weeks in Colorado, I’m blown away by the Truths that have been brought back into the Light about who the Lord is. God is God! God is good! God is not always safe, but He is faithful! I wouldn’t want to head to the field without going through this training during which I was allowed to grow in self-awareness, and be equipped by hearing stories of the realities of life as a missionary, as well as learning practical ways to deal with different situations as they arise.

So now I’m in the indefinite land of waiting. I have a few speaking engagements set up during which I have more opportunities to share what’s on & in my heart about the Dominican Republic & what I feel called to. I’ll highlight the following prayer requests in more detail on the prayer page, but I ask for your prayers as support continues to come in, that it would all be according to the Lord’s divine timing, as He lays on the hearts of His children when & how much to commit to. Also pray for me in the mundane of the last minute details (ex: immunizations, insurance, packing, housing, etc.), as well as in saying good-byes.

PS – As I know you must care for me if you’re checking this website for updates, I’d encourage you to learn more about how you can partner in this ministry. A great book that’s been brought to my attention is: Serving As Senders Neal Pirolo it focuses on “How to care for your missionaries while they are preparing to go, while they are on the field, & when they return home.”

Today I arrived for training in Palmer Lake, Colorado for the beginning of my three weeks of training at Missions Training International (www.mti.org) to go through the SPLICE program. The next three weeks I will be alongside other like-minded Christians in the three-week, pre-departure program to help develop the practical skills and attitudes to help us through the challenging and rewarding process of being interwoven with another culture. SPLICE focuses on skill & character development in the six vital areas of: Spiritual, Personal, Lifestyle, Interpersonal, Cultural, Endure/Enjoy.

Last week I was blessed to be able to spend time with friends and family in Minnesota. I’ll go more into depth of specific prayer requests as they arise on the prayer page, but I beseech you to pray that this will be a time of strong relationships and community and that I alongside the other missionaries in preparation here may be surrendered to our Savior & what HE wants to show and teach us in this time.