"You are not your own, you were bought with a price."

Have you ever let go of everything familiar to walk completely into the unknown with no idea of what the future holds?  That's faith in a big God!  Surrendering all is a familiar phrase that Christians throw around in church and amongst themselves, but how many truely do it?  Surrendering all that you know to walk out the teachings of Jesus is not easy.  Everyone's journey is different, and as we all progress in life, God will reveal more and more of what needs to be surrendered.  He is good like that and patient with us in our growth process.  He is a good Father!

Four months ago we left all that we knew as comfortable and familiar and headed to South Florida to begin our work with Haiti.  We moved to an area I personally had never heard of in Palm Beach County....The Western Communities.  The first month was a huge adjustment for us mentally and physically.  Homeschool began with no materials or curriculum established.  We floundered along.  We began going to a church 45 minutes away because it was familiar and comfortable.  February brought some feelings of loneliness for all of us as we knew no one out here, and we were home all day in a strange area homeschooling.  At this point we were advised to not go out at night to "certain areas".  "What???  What areas?  Please, we are desperate to get out!!!  What areas???," I would ask myself over and over.  During February we met our neighbors and begin getting to know them.  In February I felt in my spirit it was time to settle in here...the Western Communities of the Glades.  So we found a church out here in Belle Glade, FL where we have been the last two months.  Things were becoming familiar, friends were being made slowly, and life was getting a little easier in our new location for however long we would be here.

March brought some excitement as we pursued two schooling options for our boys.  Both of which were private school options.  One was a Christian school, and the other was a private school out here in Belle Glade, FL that provided a better option for our boys than the public school out here (as advised by some of the local school administration).  So with excitement I pursued both schools diligently and interviewed with them.  We loved them both, but one was here and the other was 45 minutes away.  Which one would open up???  Which one would offer me a job to offset the costs?  Where would we have to move in May?  So many questions without immediate answers.  Again, waiting....in Limbo.

Limbo has been our state of existance these last four months.  We knew our housing was short term, but thought that it might work out more long term.  We knew homeschool was not for us at this time, but it was our only option for the semester.  We knew God brought us out here to the Western Communities by a miracle of His hand, but we didn't understand why or how this was to work out.

"You were bought with a price.   You are not your own.." 

Those words from 1 Corinthians 6 flooded my soul a few weeks as I realized that we are where we are suppose to be.  That the Western Communities of the Glades were going to be as much a part of our ministry as Haiti will be.  John and I have never had a lot of money, but have always believed what we did have and do have is God's.  We wrestled with wanting more so we could give more.  God gently reminded me recently that John and I are giving a lot more than money, we have given our lives to do whatever he says and whereever he leads.  I didn't get that.  My life has always been His, and John and I's life together was committed to being His on our wedding day.  Packing up and leaving everything when He calls was what we "promised" to do.  We cou ld do nothing less. 

Though the last few months have dealt us some crazy limbo situations, we have stayed the course and remained diligent on our knees as we trusted God was in control.  Today, He answered one of our immediate prayer needs..... a teaching job at a school that will offset the costs of the school for our boys!  Praise the Lord.  Now, we continue our prayers for a home we can settle into by June!  Our current home has been a generous help these last few months.  Our landlord has waited patiently along with us as we wait upon the Lord for some direction. 

We will be staying out here in the Western Communities! (I knew we were brought here for a reason).  Now we will need a more long term rental home.  Continue to pray with us for the gift of a home to settle into. 

As for Haiti and our work there:  June will offer a firm decision on the hangar project.  We will keep you updated as soon as everything goes through.  John will also be going into the country in August/September.  Please surround that trip in prayers.  We still have a LOT of support to raise to offset the costs of going into a country that operates on  "bribery system" as far as the "white man" is concerned. 

Thank you all for your continued prayer and financial support.  Please feel free to continue to share our blog.  We would love to share more of our work with your friends, families, churches or even company/organizations.