The past week God has reminded us of so many truths.. Truths to combat the lies that the enemy sends our way as flaming arrows.  As we wait on God to unfold this amazing journey for my family we are called out into the great unknown and the only way we can move forward is to trust and obey, to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

The enemy is never far behind when we are walking in sheer faith.  I once read in a book, someone saying that faith is walking to the edge of what you can see and then taking one more step.  This leaves room for doubt to creep in.  But..what’s next, how will God provide? How will God ever be able to work this together for good?  How? How? How?

Our journey is real, we are not super human, nor extra brave, nor have any more faith then the next person who is serving Christ, wherever He has called them.  We struggle and we stand firm.  The walk is teaching and training us each step of the way.  We plan to share our hopes and our failures..our victories and our dreams, we come to you vulnerable not wanting you to miss any part of this journey.  So we can taste and see that the Lord is good. (Psalm 34:8).

This past Sunday we were praying as we got ready to go to church.  Today was a little more stressful because they had planned to hold a fundraiser for our family and our commitment to serve God in Africa for the year of 2016.  The very first thing in the morning was doubt…doubt that it would go well…doubt that people would come…doubt…the devil trying to steal our joy and to destroy our hope.  So all the way to church I prayed.  I prayed scripture that God has given me over this journey.  “God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10); My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. (Phillipians 4:19); My God Is able to do far more abundantly then we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).  All these promises and yet I still wavered… I was frustrated because I should have been able to stand firm.

in the recent past, I found myself asking God for miracles with flight prices and rent prices in Africa.  As I was pretty much begging him to give us the lowest prices possible so we could afford to go..God said to me…Jen I don’t need you to negotiate a few thousand dollars for me I own all the resources in this world that I created.  I understood what He was saying because I prayed out of doubt. Doubt that we could raise the amount of money needed…it’s a huge amount to us.  I prayed out of fear that it is too big for God…So God set my heart straight because He doesn’t have to worry about having a shortage of anything! So I just said, “okay God you can leave it like it is or even raise the price, if you really just wanna show how awesome You are!

Now back to Sunday morning.  We walked into the second service and noticed the attendance was down by quite a bit…so satan took advantage of this and started hissing in our ears…there is no one here..you won’t raise any money…your never going to have enough money to go…maybe you heard God wrong…maybe we shouldn’t be going in January….on and on…Todd and I both felt the weight of these lies.

I sat there and listened to the worship songs with my journal in hand as I just prayed, worshipped and recalled scripture.  One of the songs we sang was “Jesus at the center of it all”

This song reminded us that this journey isn’t about us and what we can do, it is about Jesus and what He can do  So often our eyes come off our saviour, like Peter when he was walking on water, he started to sink when he took his eyes off his saviour and  focused on himself and the storm around him…but when he looked up and saw Jesus and realized it was about Him and he  was then able to walk in confidence back to the boat with his Lord.

I want to share my journal entry with you from this past Sunday,

“As I sit in worship Im fighting the voice of the enemy..needing to hear from God to be set solid on His truth.  This isn’t about us raising money but about Him owning the cattle on a thousand hills.  It isn’t about our going to Africa but about His sending us to Africa.  It is not about us going to save people but about Him saving His children.  It is not about our faithfulness but about His faithfulness.  Its not about our planning and manipulating the circumstances so that it works out, it is about God and His plans and His promise that all His plans will be accomplished.

Songs…Its all about you Jesus, Jesus at the center of it all, Holy Holy God almighty!

We can’t move hearts, but You can.  We just need to love you, trust you and walk with you and be obedient to what you daily call us to do.  Trusting as we walk obediently You will work out all the details.   He is the “Great I Am”…Every giant shall tumble, every Red Sea shall part…every Victory is His.  Thank you God that you are the GREAT I AM.

I walked out of the church service and went to sit in the field to be with God. To sit with Him and to read the bible and be reminded of His great truths.  As I bathed myself in His truths, my husband was getting washed in the word in the church services.  Being reminded to obey God and to walk in faith.  We went into the fundraiser with hope in our hearts, not of expectations of how it would go, but hope in the God we serve.  A renewed hope that He has called us and we only need to be faithful to our calling.  We were so moved by Gods heart as people came to support us.  Some we didn’t know, some we did.  The kindness and servant hood of so many people coming together to join us on this journey was truly moving. The body of Christ is life to us in this journey.  Your prayers and encouragement support us and carry us in so many ways.  We are grateful to each and every one of you.

Thank you for walking this journey with us through the highs and lows.  Please pray for our family, that we stand strong, that we are renewed in the hope of our Saviour daily. That God places a hedge of protection around our family.  That he would guard our children from any attacks and our marriage also.  Pray for the details to come together for our flights, our dog being able to come with us, and a house to come available in Africa.  We thank you ahead of time for bringing our needs to our God on our behalf.  We are eternally grateful.

God Bless,

Todd and Jen and kiddos

Øne year ago today I was sitting in the Mayo hospital in Eau Claire with Todd as he recovered from his appendix surgery. We were still waiting to here whether or not he had cancer.  The week before I had to go in for my ultra sound and mammogram for lumps they had found the week before.  After my appointments they had to schedule biopsies and that was the Friday after Todds surgery.  I too was waiting for cancer results.  I walked the banks of the Chippewa River just worshipping God to my music.  As I stood near the water, off a little trail, and just lifted my hands and sang to My Savior.  The song, “The Stand” by Hillsong.

You stood before creation
Eternity within Your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand

You stood before my failure
Carried the Cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand

So what can I say?
What can I do?
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So I’ll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
This life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand

So what can I say?
What can I do?
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So what can I say?
What can I do?
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So Ill stand with arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
So Ill stand, my soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

So Ill stand with arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
So Ill stand, my soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

So what can I say?
What can I do?
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You!

I never would have guessed that one year later I would be just four and a half months out from leaving this country to go to Africa for a year with my family.  God is a God of great things, but also a God that stretches our faith.  There is a great verse that says, “but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” 1st Corinthians 2:9.

He also says, in Isaiah 55:8-11

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.

9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

10“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

11So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

We are trusting in His direction as He calls us out like He did to Abraham.  We will follow Him because we can trust in His goodness.  He spoke over a year ago to us that He wanted us to go for one year to serve Him and see what His plans were for us.  We said okay.  Now we are walking by Faith not by sight..2 Corinthians 5:7.

Thank you for being such a special part of our journey and for your prayers!

We are excited as God fulfills His word in Deuteronomy 3:24 “‘O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours?”  He truly is just always beginning to show us how wonderful He is.  Just when we think we have some idea of how Great He is He shows up in a new way that makes us feel like we are truly still just beginning to know how awesome He is!

God Bless.

Todd and Jen and the Kiddos