Post-USA Update

We are back in Sofia!  You can read a recap of our time in the USA by CLICKING HERE.

USA Schedule

In just 5 short days, we will be headed to the USA!  Here is our schedule.  If you're available and in one of these areas, please come see us!  We'd love to see you.

March 12-18- Peoria Illinois Area

March 16, 10:30 AM- North Side Church of the Nazarene, 1203 NE Perry Ave. Peoria, IL 61603

March 19-22- Bushnell/Avon Illinois Area

March 23-April 7- Attica/Lafayette Indiana Area

March 23- PM Service at Covington Church of the Nazarene
1203 Washington St., Covington, Indiana 47932

March 30- AM Sunday School and Luncheon at Williamsport Christian Church, 20 E 3rd St, Williamsport, IN 47993

PM Service at Crossroads Community Church of the Nazarene, 117 E State Road 234, Ladoga, Indiana 47954

April 6- AM Service at Hillsboro Church of the Nazarene, 453 South State Road 341, Hillsboro, Indiana 47949
PM Service- TBD

See you soon!

Things I Liked (or didn’t) This Month

So, apparently this column is evolving into a monthly feature rather then a weekly one.  My blogging hopes have fallen behind as we have gotten busier and been dealing with year end events like tax preparation (fun!).  But today I am here with a few observations from around the blogosphere. 

I like our new church building!  Having a place to call our own, that we can use all week long, is a huge step in the right direction for the budding congregation of the Church of the Nazarene in Sofia. 

I like that our kids have friends at church and look forward to going to service each week. 

I liked watching my first-time skaters take to the ice last week.  Even Don was a first timer, though he managed to not fall.  Can’t say the same for the kids!

I didn’t like the latest news about the Syrian Refugees and the situation here.  Please pray for these families.

I didn’t like this flu epidemic that has spread across Sofia.  Please pray for our health and that of our teammates!

I liked the countdown to our trip to the USA and the kids excitement!  48 days!

2013 Family Recap

Wow!  What a big year 2013 was in our lives.  This was the year of change, that much is certain.  The rest of it is marked by decided uncertainty, and also by God’s faithfulness.  Here’s a little about what happened in 2013.

January

After receiving multiple offers on our home on Dec. 31, we welcomed 2013 with a day of negotiation and realtor-finding.  We signed a contract with the buyers of our home on Jan 2.  Thankfully, they wanted to rent the house to us for 2 additional months, so we had 90 days to vacate.  Let the packing, selling, and temporary-house hunting begin!  At the time, we still had no idea where we were going to end up, but selling the house (for almost asking price!) was a huge confirmation from God that we were indeed supposed to be heading somewhere.

February

In February, we began selling our belongings in earnest.  Craigslist sales became an everyday affair.  We were offered a temporary place to live by friends, which was a huge blessing and took much of the stress off of us.  We also reached a decision to head to Bulgaria!  We set a departure date for July 9, and started fundraising.  We also had our family photos taken by a friend who did an excellent job, and ordered our prayer cards.

March

March was a blur of more selling, fundraising, and moving!  We left the only home the kids had ever known and moved into a temporary place at the end of the month (the Sunday before Easter!).  Our month looked like this:

April

April was a relatively quiet month.  This was the time when we started to settle into the idea of moving overseas and away from everyone and everything.  Living in temporary housing 30 miles from our beloved little town gave us a chance to slowly adjust to the idea of being much more the 30 miles away.  We began looking at every moment with loved ones in a new way and cherishing every moment.  

May

In May, we celebrated Elijah’s 6th birthday.  This was a very fun occasion for him as it marked the first year he was allowed to choose his own birthday activities.  He chose Jump-it, dinner at Texas Roadhouse and a sleepover.  We also did quite a bit of fundraising travel and speaking, including the amazing day we spent speaking and sharing at our beloved home church in Hillsboro, IN.

There was also one 3-week-long near panic regarding the FBI clearances and fingerprints… but we would prefer to leave that in the past. :)

Elijah and friends on his 6th birthday.

June

The month of June was a month of lasts.  It was full of tears, and bittersweet moments.  It is also overflowing with lots and lots of precious memories, many of which are making my teary-eyed as I write.  There were visits with family, park trips, and outings that we will never forget.

There was also the first round of goodbyes, these to family members that did not live close by, as we knew we would not have a chance to see them again before departure.

This was also the month of watching God provide for our financial needs and lots of prayers for documents to arrive in time (they did!).

One of the most precious memories in June was of Milena’s baptism.  Many friends and family came to celebrate with her, and it was a wonderful evening.

Milena’s Baptism

July

July was…  indescribable in a short paragraph.  Or even a full blog post, really.  We packed We said goodbye.  We left.  We vacationed briefly in Chicago. We flew.  We arrived.  We made our first trip to Greece.  We rented an apartment and moved in.  So much emotion.  So many new experiences. 

August

In August we celebrated our first milestone in Bulgaria.  Milena turned 8!  Along with her birthday, we also received our first package from the USA.  We began working and settling into life in Sofia.  We bought a car, had our first dinner guests, and attended church Sundays and Wednesdays.

Also in August, we got involved in an Embassy playgroup with people from all over the world, and started to make new friends.  We also met the Mann Family, who were later to become both great friends and ministry team members.

We also started school early, in preparation for our 2014 trip to the US.  Already we were looking forward to seeing friends and family again.

Milena’s 8th Birthday Breakfast- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

September

In September we got into something of a routine, but frustrations were rising with our current ministry situation and we sensed a change coming.  God was working, though, and by the end of the month we are starting to see Him bringing things together for us to join the Church of the Nazarene (our denomination) as Tentmakers in Bulgaria.  It was a perfect fit for us, and we began to transition.

October

In October, we officially submitted our resignation to the first ministry and joined the Church of the Nazarene.  This change brought much peace and “settling” for our entire family, and things began to settle into a new, happier routine.  Some of the homesickness began to fade and we started seeing the purpose in our calling here.

Don began working with a ministry to the refugees here in Sofia as well.  It’s been amazing to be involved in a front-lines ministry to people from around the world.

We also took a walking photo tour of our new city, which resulted in many great shots for this Mama to scrapbook!

November

November began with a fun trip to the Nazarene National Assembly, where we spent time getting to know our new teammates and met many of the pastors and leaders from across the nation.  For the kids, the highlight was definitely the visit to the castle in Veliko Turnovo,

We decorated for Christmas mid-November, after making most of our own decorations.  We also celebrated Thanksgiving with a lovely Turkey dinner with Bulgarians and Americans alike.  It was a great holiday!

A group shot at Veliko Turnovo (minus Sarah, the photographer)

December

December, while filled with Christmas celebrations, had a few other highlights.  The Nazarene Sofia Church found a new rental location, and Don spent much of the month preparing it for our first service. 

Our team also made great progress in planning the soon-to-be-built new church building.  We ended the year with a rough drawing of our plans, a business plan being written, and a timeline sketched out for 2014. 

Christmas was nice, but quiet.  Most of our friends were travelling over the holidays, so we spent a few quiet days at home with way to much food and some fun Skype chats.  We were blessed with several packages from US family and friends, and this made Christmas far more special. 

We ended the year staying at the Mann’s house for a few days, enjoying the big yard, trampoline, and unusually warm weather.  The New Year’s Eve fireworks here are amazing!

Listening to Don read the Christmas story on Christmas Morning

Thank you for supporting and praying for our family through this year of ups and downs.  We are so blessed and encouraged to have an amazing support team. 

We are also blessed with an abundance of great friends and family, both in Sofia and in the USA.  We are beyond grateful for God’s faithfulness in 2013, and we are excited to see what miracles and amazing things God will do in 2014.

Much Love, Don, Alyssa, Milena, and Elijah

I Like Riding the Bus

Since we’ve been in Sofia, I’ve developed a preference for public transportation, especially the bus.  I ride the bus whenever it works with our plans/destination.  Why?

I like riding the bus because it give me time to pray.  More specifically, it’s one time in my daily routine when instead of praying for “the people of Sofia/Bulgaria/Europe,” I can pray for specific people.  I sit on the bus, and for the 20-60 minutes it takes to get to my destination, I pray for the people sitting around me. 

I pray for the babas (grandmothers) getting on an off slowly, painstakingly carrying home produce from the market.  I pray for the mothers, carrying their toddlers onto the bus.  I pray for the business men, standing on the bus answering emails with their free hand while holding on with the other.

I appreciate the opportunity to pray for specific people, rather then in generalities.  Maybe one day, someone I prayed for on the bus will show up at church.  Now wouldn’t that be exciting? 

What “tools/time” do you use to pray for the people in your country?  Any tips for including more prayer time in your day?

Reactions and Choices

Recently, I’ve been taking some time to look back on my life and revisit how I reacted to certain events, and how my reaction changed the outcome. 

What has stood out to me during this reflection is that I have a choice how I will react.   There is always a moment (sometimes just a spilt second) when I have to choose how I will react.  It’s easy to say something like “I just reacted.  I didn’t choose it… I just exploded/laughed/was mean.”  Or, “I can’t help how I reacted.  They just made me so angry.”  But the truth is, I have a choice.  There is always that moment, the split second (or longer) when I know I am faced with a choice about what I will say or do in the next moments.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

I used to think that the fruit of the Spirit would automatically begin displaying itself in the lives of every follower of Christ, because the Spirit lives in each of us.  I am seeing more then ever that we must still make the choice.  I must make the choice in each challenging situation how to react- this is self control!  Self control is not the Spirit taking over my body and forcing a reaction upon me.  Self control is pausing in that moment of aggravation or frustration to listen to the voice of the Spirit and choosing to react in a way that honors Christ. I must choose my reaction.  You must choose your reaction.  If we ask Him, the Holy Spirit will teach us how to use our moment of choice to stop and listen.

Our family recently went through a huge shift in our ministry situation.  Through the month-long process of making decisions and dealing with frustrating circumstances, we were faced with choices about our reaction every single day.  Sometimes so many times in one day, our heads were spinning. But looking back, it is clear to me that our reactions made a huge difference in how events unfolded.  I’m happy to say that we responded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and reacted accordingly.  There is no doubt that if we had reacted badly, the outcome would have been far more unpleasant. 

John 15:8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

It’s encouraging to look back and see how I have grown in my walk with Christ.  How about you?  How do you react to frustrating situations, and how has your reaction affected the outcome? In what ways are you bearing fruit?

Another Guest Post: Easing Transitions

I have another guest post up at Missionary Mom’s Companion.  I meant to post this earlier and it slipped my mind, but you can still go and check it out HERE.

Here’s a excerpt from my post:

Our family is new to the field, and there was one thing that we did while leaving that made all the difference. We took a 3 day mini vacation just before catching our overseas flight.

I read this suggestion online from Laura Parker, a seasoned missionary mom. Laura was sharing the idea in the context of “things we wish we had done,” and the idea immediately resonated with me. When we left the US to come to Bulgaria, we were leaving the only home my kids had ever known. It was my husband’s first overseas move. It was my first time overseas in more than a decade. It was a LOT to process.
The long weekend away was just what we needed.

You can read the rest of the post HERE.

Weekly Mash-Up

Time for another selection of things I liked and didn’t like this week!

I liked (loved) celebrating this precious girl’s 8th birthday.  I didn’t like the fact that she is 8 (!) already.  Where does the time go?  I am so proud of her and the young woman she is becoming.  She is compassionate, devoted to obeying Christ, and is receptive to correction.  What more could a mother want?

Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

I didn’t like this news.  It broke my heart and made me sad. 

I liked (a lot) our Expat playgroup and the new friends we are making there.

I liked Skyping with our home church last week.  It was so amazing to be connected to our church family in this way and feel their support.

I didn’t like that I got powdered ammonia mixed up with baking powder and made some truly awful corn bread.  (We discovered it before trying to eat it, thankfully!)  When made without the powdered ammonia, this recipe is really amazing!

I didn’t like the construction noise outside my bedroom window at 7am on Sunday, and every other day.

I liked (kinda) the Mariachi music the night club across the way plays on Tuesday nights.  It makes me wonder what kind of dancing is happening inside.

I liked seeing God’s provision for our family in the form of this car:

What did you like (or not) this week?

I Met a Woman

I met a women at the market a few weeks ago.  Her kids were speaking English, and that gets you noticed around here (Any idea how I know that?).  So we stood, and talked, next to the eggs, which were in the freezer aisle.  In between my fleeting thoughts about the eggs being in the freezer aisle and the fact that you can choose your own eggs, one by one, because they are sold individually, I learned that she is an expat, new to Sofia, with 5 children.

Reading between the lines, I sensed immediately that she is lonely, misses her support network, and has mixed feelings about being in Sofia.  Yeah, me too. 

Se between the eggs and the ice cream, we connected over bags of ice in the only store in the city that sells ice.  We compared our children’s ages, spoke about our professions and our husband’s professions, and exchanged phone numbers.

The next week, we met at a park with a few more expat families, and one new relationship blossomed into four new friendships.

This week, we will meet again, with a few more families, to take the kids to the zoo.  I
think, however, that this is bigger then just seeing the tigers.

This I know because I serve a God who is all about relationships, I know for a fact that He is at work.  This open door is a connection, a road to ministry opportunities, friendships, and people.  People for whom God sent us to Sofia. 

One day, I will look back on this beginning and know exactly why we met that day in the aisle for eggs and ice.  I will look back and see every footstep carefully arranged by a loving creator.  For now, I will walk this path, pray for the people I am meeting, and share Christ when hearts are open. 

Because I am learning that we must always look forward, until it is time to look back.

Have you looked back and seen God working in ways you never realized at the time?  Feel free to share your story in the comments.  I'd love to hear it.

Things I Liked, or Didn’t Like This Week

The idea for this post is completely copied from Rachel at Djibouti Jones. I (Alyssa) enjoy her posts each week, and thought I’d give it a try here.  Let’s call it a weekly mash-up of our lives in Sofia and what we’re checking out online.

I liked the encouragement and influence K-Love has on our family.  We play it all the time, including when anyone is having trouble sleeping.  It sounds like home and is comforting to all of us.  The kids even make K-Love appointments with their friends- both of them listening at the same time, from different continents.

I liked this post from Rachelle Wright.  It made me think, and I enjoy this type of “digging deep” post.

I like/don’t like the struggle we are having with feeling like we need to earn our financial support.  I appreciate the accountability, and the need to make sure we are fully engaged and active in ministry here.  I dislike the tendency I have to focus on pleasing supporters, rather then pleasing and obeying God.  I like the way this forces me to consider my motives and challenges my level of obedience to God.

I didn’t like the struggle this week to both find our niche here in Bulgaria and choose the right places to jump in and get involved. I didn’t like the feeling of being here, but not really fully HERE yet.

I liked seeing my kids make new friends, and meeting families from around the world at our new Expat play group.  Praying for ministry connections there.

I liked the new possibilities that presented themselves this week.  We have multiple ministry avenues we’re exploring, and it’s exciting to think about what God will do.

I liked having our first guests in our new apartment.

I didn’t like waking at 4am to the sounds of some random stranger puking under my window.

I liked how Pinterest makes it easy to find recipes.  Like, for example, what to do with the ground ham I bought while trying to buy ground beef.

I liked the encouraging posts from family and friends.  We have a great support network.  I love you all.

Observations of Sofia

Time for a fun post about some of the unique things about Sofia.  Or at least, things that are new to us.
 
1. There is fresh produce everywhere.  I mean, everywhere.  Little stands on the sidewalk, larger markets in the center, and shops with produce stands in front of them.  I know this will change come winter, and I will really miss it.

2. The Bulgarians are very friendly, but generally will not start a conversation with a stranger.  If we start a conversation, even with a simple comment, it will often lead to hour-long conversations.  This is challenging for one of us, not so much for the other (guess which?).
3. There are many rules for driving here.  Not many of them are obeyed.  Except when they are, and then we are usually the only ones who didn’t get the memo.
4. Bulgarian is a very challenging language.  Much more for one of us then for the other.  (guess which?  Hint: It’s the opposite of #2). The Bulgarians love it when we attempt to speak their language.  They usually warm up to us right away if we (read: Alyssa) can manage a few sentences.
5. It is a highly valued skill here to speak English.  It’s often difficult to practice Bulgarian, because people frequently prefer to practice their English on us.
6. Salads in Bulgaria include lettuce about 5% of the time.  The rest of the time, cucumbers, yogurt, and/or tomatoes serve as the base, with other toppings added in for variety.  Salad dressing is nearly non-existent, with the exception of oil and vinegar.

7. Cheese comes generally in 2 varieties: white (feta) and yellow (kinda-sorta like mozzerella).  Other cheeses are available, but for a much higher price.
8. Almost everyone lives in apartments.  Houses are considered expensive to heat and maintain, and are less desirable to the average Bulgarian. 
9. Bulgarians are passionate and enthusiastic, but you may never discover that until you build relationships with them.  They are outwardly quite reserved… unless you get in their way while driving.
10. Bulgaria is a wonderful place, full of beautiful landscapes and architecture.  It is exactly the right place for our family, at least for this season.  :)

The Fortnight of Moving, Part 1

It’s here!  The fortnight of moving.  Because of the way our tickets fell on a Monday, and the need to spend time visiting everyone and saying goodbyes, we ended up with what I have dubbed the “fortnight of moving.”
We’ve planned these weeks for 6 months now, and it feels surreal to be in the middle of them. I’ve been taking lots of photos!  I want to document this time for my children, and the family and friends that are interested.  If you’re not so interested, feel free to skip this series of posts.
Part 1 of the fortnight was June 22.  It started with the happy-and-relieved discovery of Don’s FBI Clearance in the mailbox.  Whew!  Really should have taken a photo of that, and of my poor, overloaded car on the way to Illinois.  We had several more items to deliver to their storage places with family and friend, plus luggage for the trip.  Let’s just say that the car and the roof rack were full. 
We arrived on Saturday afternoon at Don’s parents home.  The kids were thrilled, as always, to see Grandparents and other family members.

Ice cones with Grandma McGrew = summer delight.

Saturday evening, Milena was surprised with an early birthday party.  Actually, surprised was an understatement.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so shocked!  I knew she had been admiring a rainbow cake on Pinterest, so I slipped the recipe to Do’s sister Judy.  Milena was thrilled with the results!


On Sunday, we were happy to be able to attend a family reunion. We’ve missed this one for several years, so it was perfect time to catch up with family and enjoy way too much great food.

Debby and the cutest little dude at the party: 

Such a great helper!  Milena helped tirelessly in the kitchen during the reunion.  Most of her favorite people were in there too, and she enjoys working alongside her grandma and aunts.

Elijah and Uncle Dan keeping a balloon in the air:

Aunt Judy visited several times, and on Monday she brought this:

Not just a little fun, let me tell you.  This one was played with over, and over.  And OVER.  I don’t think the marbles were ever actually cleaned up for the next 48 hours.  They were always in motion.  Good times!
We left Don’s parents Wednesday morning with a tearful farewell.  We’re not so fond of all the goodbyes, that is certain.  We’re already looking forward to visiting in 10 months or so!
Part 2 coming soon…

Verses for Now

I know, from touring the Blogosphere, that there are many other families in similar situations to the one we are in.  We are waiting (again) for a document to arrive, one that should have been here a week ago, one that will delay our departure if it does not arrive quickly. 

It’s hard, this waiting.  The not knowing is the worst.  Will we be delayed?  What preparations do we need to make just in case?  It would be easier to have everything 100% ready, to be able to emotionally prepare, one way or another. 

But, clearly, there is something to be learned in this season.  Whether waiting for a new assignment, a document to arrive, or learning a flight has been delayed, there are many uncertainties in the lives of nomad families.  The issue is learning to deal with these uncertainties without giving fear and worry a foothold.

I will be the first to admit that I have not conquered these lessons just yet.  I have been learning to turn to Scripture more quickly, as a first response, rather then after 8 hours of ulcer-inducing worry.

And because I know that there are so many others in this same situation, I thought perhaps it would encourage someone else if I posted a list of the verses I am reciting over and over these days.  The added benefit is that I can pull up this list myself as needed.  So, here is my list.

1 John 4:18- There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Matthew 6:25- Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food and the body then clothing?

Matthew 6: 33-34 - But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

John 14:1- Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, trust also in me.

Psalm 32:10- Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.

Psalm 33:20-21 – We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.  In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

Psalm 34:4- I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 42:8- By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me- a prayer to the God of my life.

Which verses do you stand on in trouble times?  I’d love a few to add to my list!

Taming the Beast

Recently, we purchased this:

 

It’s a Voltage Converter, designed to keep our electronics safe when we plug them into at 220 V electrical system.  It weighs 22 lbs, and I not-so-affectionately call it The Beast.

When you only have 50 lbs per suitcase, and you are moving your family overseas, this 22 lb. beast is a little stress-inducing.  It’s making me think creatively about packing, and that’s probably a good thing.  Because, after all, creativity is a necessity when you are moving your family overseas.  In more ways then one.

The Beast is a necessity.  It keeps things working.  Necessary things like phones and laptops, and helpful things like walkie-talkies and MP3 players.  I’m fighting the beast, wrestling it into a suitcase, because we need it.

I’m fighting other beasts these days as well.  Beasts like sadness, grief, and a need for more faith.  I’d rather fight The Beast.  It stays where I put it.

Fighting beasts like sadness and neediness is hard…  but even more necessary.  The difficulty, for me, is that they often don’t stay down, even when I flatten them to the floor. 

But fighting these beasts is a necessity too.   These are the battles that bring me to my knees, and closer to my Savior. 

They put me in my place.

My place is close to my Heavenly Father.  My place is where I can hear His voice and I choose to obey.  Fighting these beasts forces me to move to that place. 

This morning, I won.  I spent an hour with God and the beasts ended up on the floor. 

Tomorrow, they may be back.  If they are, their presence means I’m out of place again. 

So, while I am wrestling with The Beast and our 12 suitcases, I’m trying to remember to stay put, in this place where I belong.  It’s the only way to keep the beasts one the ground… and everyone exactly where they belong.

What are your frequent beastly visitors and how do you tame them?  Got any verses or advice to share?

Too Great A Compliment?

I’ve been reading the Bible recently in a bit of a different way, mixing it up a little, as it were.  I’ve been using my Bible App to search a specific word or phrase and reading through all the related passages.  Most recently, I’ve been reading through references for the word “decide.”

The first passage that really caught my attention was Exodus 18.  This is the chapter that tells of Jethro’s visit to Moses, and his subsequent advice to Moses to appoint judges to serve under him and relieve him of some of his duties.  There is a lot of good stuff in this passage, but there was one thing that really jumped out at me.  Check out this quote from Matthew Henry’s commentary on Exodus 18:

“Necessary business must always take place of ceremonious attentions. It is too great a compliment to our friends to prefer the enjoyment of their company before our duty to God, which ought to be done, while yet the other is not left undone.” – Matthew Henry

Huh.  We are in a season right now of trying to squeeze in as many visits with friends, trips to favorite places, and meals at favorite restaurants as possible before our departure.  Sometimes, that becomes a very high priority.  And, there is certainly nothing wrong with that.

Bu in pondering this, thinking about Jethro’s visit to Moses (which, by the way, was made to return Moses’ family to him following their extended visit with Jethro), something really stood out to me.  Moses could have easily used the visit as justification for laying aside his work and staying home.  And he did, to a certain extent.  But as Matthew Henry so eloquently points out, he did not do so to the detriment of his duty to God.

In the most unexpected of chapters, then, I find this reminder to reevaluate, reconsider, and realign my priorities.  It’s time to once again make sure that the main things are the main things… 

I’m sure that will be the last time that we, as a missionary family, will have to do this prioritizing.

Or not.

How do you prioritize items on your list?  How do you keep your duties to God in the “top positions?”

Do Not Let…

Sometimes I read a passage,and it speaks to me in a whole new way.  Such was the case today when I read John chapter 14.  Our Sunday School class has been discussing the work of the Holy Spirit and his effect on our everyday lives, and this passage was part of our homework for the class, in reference to that topic.  Reading it today, however, something entirely new struck me. 

Check out these verses:

Here are a few things I noticed today:

• Jesus tells the disciples not to let their hearts be troubled, implying that they have choice in the matter. 
• Shortly after telling them that, he tells them that they know how to follow him to where he is going.
• Thomas, ever the doubter, says to Jesus ”How can we follow you if we don’t know where you are going?”
• Jesus tells him “I am the way.”

Now I realize that this is perhaps an over simplification of these verse, because there are many, many truths hidden in the words of Jesus, but here’s what resonated with me: Jesus knows where He is going.  He gives us the job of following Him.  We follow Him by (v. 15) loving Him and keeping His commandments. 

So here we are, our family on this journey of following Jesus to Bulgaria, and we have no finances just yet.  We’re trusting a attorney to correctly complete the visa process for us, we are selling everything we own, we are FOLLOWING.  And we don’t know how to do it.  We just don’t. 

I feel like Thomas, saying to Jesus ”How can we follow you if we don’t know where you are going?”
We don’t know how God will make this move happen.  We don’t see most of the steps between here and Sofia.  But He does.  He’s there already.  He’s done this before. 

I started reading this chapter with verse 1: “Do not LET your hearts be troubled” and I wondered immediately, “yeah, and how do I do that?!”  Oh me of little faith.  I do that by following.  Jesus knows where he is going, what the path ahead of us looks like, and all I have to do is be obedient to the step in front of me.  

And, blessing of all blessings, the Holy Spirit is here to teach me how to follow. (v. 26)  The completeness of my inadequacy is revealed a little more every day, but to the same extent, His Strength is also revealed.  Tomorrow, just as with today and yesterday, my job is simply to follow. 

Now, THAT I can do.  With His strength, of course. 

Newsletter #1

Dear Friends and Family,

Hello!  We hope this finds you well and full of joy.  We enjoyed seeing many of you over the recent holidays, and we hope to see many of you soon.

We are writing to let you know about what has been happening in our lives.  Several months ago we felt God calling our family to the mission field.  We began a series of interviews and weeks of  information gathering, considering and praying about positions in several different countries, with several different organizations.
Last week, we accepted a position serving as missionaries in the city of Sofia, Bulgaria.  We will be beginning a 2-year term there in July, 2013.  We are so excited to begin our ministry there!  Here is a summary of what we will be doing as missionaries to Bulgaria:

• We will be working and serving in New Generation Church, alongside Pastors Plamen and Debby Tzolov.  Yes, this is the same church that Alyssa served with in 2002.

• We will be working to develop a new ministry for foreigners living in Bulgaria.  This includes people from across Europe, South Africa, and several other locations who have made their home in Sofia for a variety of reasons.
• Alyssa will be working as Administrative Assistant to Debby Tzolov, assisting with work both in the local church and in the Bible School.  The Bible School provides training for pastors, missionaries, and other students feeling a call to ministry or a desire for deeper Biblical knowledge and ministry training.
• Don will be working as a construction advisor for the church’s building project(s).   There are several projects underway, and others nearly ready to begin.  Someone with Don’s skills is needed to help oversee the project and insure that these projects are completed as smoothly as possible.  
• We will have opportunities to visit Bulgarian orphanages and minister to many of the nation’s neediest children and those that have dedicated their lives to caring for these precious little ones.
• We will at times be travelling across Bulgaria to assist other local churches and pastors in their church plants and outreaches.
• In addition to the above projects, there are ministry needs in the area of men’s ministry, children’s ministry and others.  Once we arrive, we will be seeking God’s direction about which areas we can serve in most effectively.

Our planned departure date is July 2, 2013.  We will be purchasing tickets and applying for our visas soon!  We need to raise $80,000 to cover all of our expenses for this 2-year term, and we would like to ask you to prayerfully consider how God is leading you to partner with us in this ministry to the people of Bulgaria, and around the world.  We believe wholeheartedly that those who support us with prayer or finances are part of the work God is doing and reap equally of the rewards.  We are very excited to see how God will work in Bulgaria and meet the souls that will come to Christ as a result of our ministry there.

If you would like to be on our email newsletter, please let us know by adding your email address to the right of this post.  This is the easiest way for us to keep you up to date on our travels and all that God is doing. 

With much love,
Don, Alyssa, Milena, and Elijah McGrew

P.S. If you want to support our ministry, the fastest way is to make an Online Donation via www.WorldOutreach.org/donations -- and select Don and Alyssa McGrew from the list.  The system can process USA & International cards.  You can also set up automatic Monthly Gifts with your credit card if you choose the "Monthly" option.  Or simply mail your check to:  World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Don and Alyssa McGrew #214.  We will be in touch with many of you over the upcoming months, to share our vision further and see how God is leading your hearts to partner with us.  Thank you for your love and support!

I Feel Like Noah

^{Gen. 6: 22} Noah did everything just as God commanded him. (Full Text HERE.)

What a loaded sentence!  God had just asked Noah to change his life, everything about it, and step out in faith in a huge way.  I've been thinking about this man of faith a lot lately.  Here is the scene I imagine:

Noah wakes early, headed to another day working on the ark.  He's nearly done cutting down the trees he needs.  In just a few more days, he'll ready to start preparing the wood for the shipbuilding.  Just think, in a few more years, he might be able to start building!  

Fast forward 5 years.  Now, the ark is a skeleton, outlined against the sunrise as Noah trudges to work.  Along the way, he meets a neighbor.  "Noah, good to see you man!  You coming to the party tonight?"  

Noah: "Aw, man, I can't!  I'm still working on the ark, you know."

Friend: "Dude!  You've been doing that for years!  Give it up, man, you're going a little crazy on me here. I'm worried about you."

Noah: "God told me, He TOLD me, it's gonna happen, this flood is gonna come."

Friend: "Seriously?  You're still on about that?  Where is this God of yours anyway?  You are are playing the fool, Noah."

I don't have to work very hard to imagine how Noah felt.  I'm pretty sure he wanted to scream, just SCREAM at... anyone.  But especially at God.  

The "what if's" must have plagued him.

What if there is no flood?

What if I run out of time to finish before the flood?

What if I end up being the fool everyone thinks I am?

What if I heard God wrong?

55 to 75 YEARS of building. I understand Noah's feelings completely.  I get it.  

We've been building an ark. 

Not literally, of course.  But we have been selling our home, packing our things, selling things right and left, to prepare for SOMETHING.  We've been led by God to the mission field, and for months we have been preparing.  We've been told we were crazy, to be making preparations for a move without a destination.  And there were times we felt that might be true. 

It wasn't.  It isn't.

We have a destination.  We know where we are going.  I'll be sharing more about that very soon, but for now, let me just say this: The sky is becoming cloudy right about now.  It's starting to look like rain.

Has God asked you to wait for rain?  What was the result?

Lavish Love and Missions

As a Christ-follower who has done missions (by missions, I am referring specifically to living in a country other then your birth country for the express purpose of sharing Christ) previously and is preparing to do so again, I’ve been thinking a lot about what missions is and how it should be done. 
I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s much simpler then I would have at first thought (Shocker.  Or not.)  Since writing THIS, the word lavish has been swimming around in my grey matter.  Sometime in the last 48 hours, this

has merged with this:

Here’s the nugget I uncovered.  If we go, to serve, and we live lives of love, displaying that love with action and truth, then we are doing missions.  In the best possible way.  It’s simple, yet so very complex.  It’s living as Christ did, following His example, leading people to the Father of their souls. 
While attending some missions training recently, we discussed the meaning of incarnational living.  It took me a while, but it has recently “clicked” with me- incarnational living is just what I’ve been pondering.  It’s living a life of lavish love, serving with the heart of Christ.  No missions formula could ever come close to the power of that simple equation.
This is not anything NEW, really.  Just a refresher, a reminder, a new life breathed into a previously learned truth.  A word with a brand new relevance for me. 
Interested in a little more reading on “Lavish?”  Check THIS OUT.  Apparently, lavishing love is a two-way street.  How very inspirational.

Lavishly Loved

This afternoon, Elijah and I were having a “cuddle nap.”  Basically, that means that we snuggled together on the couch, huddled under blankets, and pretended to sleep.  Every now and then he “woke up” and asked a question, about such things as two trees falling in the woods at the same time (can they hold each other up?). 
Somewhere around the 17th wake-up, he repeated to me an oft-used phrase in our home.  “Mom,” he said, “I love you to infinity and beyond!”
It’s not the first time I’ve heard that, of course, and I love it.  Every. Single. Time.  But this afternoon, I had a new thought.  I thought about how that’s kind of a silly phrase, that no one can really love someone beyond infinity.  Infinity is FOREVER. 
But then it hit me.  God loves us beyond infinity.  Really and truly beyond.  I’m not certain that’s even possible to really understand. 
As I sat there, fake sleeping, I thought of this verse:

I looked at my son, snuggled beside me, and knew that in that moment he felt lavishly loved, because I was taking time in the middle of the afternoon to do nothing but love him.  He craves this kind of love, this kind of touch.  I was meeting his needs, by BEING there. 
And guess what?  I think it’s pretty awesome that my heavenly Father meets my needs every single day, just by being there.  He lavishes his love on me in so many ways, and sometimes I am aware of those ways.  Other times, I really need to be reminded that being there is a gift.  If gift of love.
~insert laundry break~
Upon further speculation, I had one more thought, and that was this:

What would happen if we did this ^^^^  lavishly?  What if we lavishly loved others with our actions, and with truth? 
What do you think?  How do you lavishly love?