Best "Unkept" Secret

Behind this warehouse door is a most amazing place.  Every expat living in our city knows of this place.  It is called Sishu.  Sishu is named after its owner.  She is a very beautiful and smart business woman who knew what kind of craving an expat might have while living here.

When you walk in, this is what you see….

Very cool and chic decor.

But what you really come here for is….

the BURGER and FRIES.  I mean really good burger and fries.  And check out the above picture, see my burger?  It has bacon on it.  BACON!!!!  This is not something you can readily purchase and when you can it is extremely expensive.  Really, I bought some bacon once and that was at Thanksgiving. Ah, a bbq bacon burger.  And the fries were so yummy.

This past Tuesday, Orthodox Christmas, we went for the first time as a family (mommy and daddy had been before for a meeting but shhhhhh, don't tell the kids. Ha!).  Such a wonderful treat.  And it really is a treat for so many people.

Thank you, Sishu.

Our first Christmas in Africa

The Christmas season got under way for us on December 6.  On this day, Selah's class (KG2) along with the KG1 class, presented a Nativity play.   It was about a Russian family coming to understand the true meaning of Christmas.

The Nativity Presentation.

Selah and her dear friend, Sephora.

The next week, on December 12, grades 1-6 along with the middle school and high school choirs presented a Christmas program.  It was quite fitting that the high school choir began the night singing, "Africa" by Toto.  Each class then sang a few songs.  Sofia's class sang "I Heard the Bells" and a rhythmic African Christmas song.  The evening came to a close with the middle school and high school choirs surrounding the audience and singing an acapella version of "Silent Night Around the World".  It was just beautiful.

The setting for the Christmas program.  The angel's wings were made from palm branches.

Sofia and her grade 3 class.

The girls' school Christmas break is December 18 - January 7.  The first Saturday of their break we took an outing as a family.  We went to the other side of town to see a "mall" that we had heard about.   The mall isn't much but for the kids it was wonderful because we stumbled upon a Chuck E. Cheese type store (minus the pizza).  The kids rode the indoor carousel (boy did it go around fast) and while the girls got their faces painted, Isaiah rode a second time.  Then from there we found a movie theatre.  The majority of movies are played in English.  Of course we had to go because "Frozen" was playing.  This was a special treat for our family and actually the first time to go as a family of five.  

Decorating for Christmas for me was somewhat of a challenge.  You can buy fake trees but they are soooooo expensive.  One Sunday afternoon we asked our guard to find us a live tree that came up to his shoulders.  He left and about 30 minutes later returned with…..well, huge branches from a pine-type tree.  Hmmmm, what to do?  We made it work.  We turned the branches on their side, tied them up with twine (which has become my best friend) and put them into a red plastic bucket.  Oh my!  What a tree but let me tell you, the smell was wonderful.

Found a broken mirror, took out the glass, wrapped it in twine and hung ornaments.

Our advent candle holder is an oatmeal can wrapped in twine.

The stockings were hung with twine and the "tree" was held together by twine.  We did bring our Little People Nativity with us.

Christmas Eve was spent with our House Group.  We had a wonderful evening meal together followed by a time of worship through song and reading of Scripture.  Afterwards we each opened a present (the week before we had drawn names).

Christmas Eve 2013.  Sofia 9, Selah 6 and Isaiah 3.

Christmas morning Kevin and I woke up to Selah running upstairs saying, "Santa really came, Santa really came."  The kids weren't sure if Santa would come to Africa.  But alas, he did.  He brought them candy and one gift each.  We also each received one gift from the family.

All gifts were handmade.

Our gifts to the kids this year was a pillow.

After breakfast we drove across town to spend the day at the Sheraton Hotel pool.  This was our gift from Gramma and Papa Bill.  We enjoyed the day swimming, relaxing, eating burgers, grilled cheese and fries, and getting sunburn.  Ha!  It seemed as if we were miles away from our city.  

My view on Christmas day.  Ahhhhh.

The outside temp was about 73 degrees and the pool water was almost as warm.

The girls swam for almost six hours.

After lunch, Isaiah settled in for a nap under an umbrella.

Merry Christmas!!!!!!

Rookie Driver

I really appreciated Sparky Anderson, the former manager of my favorite major league team, the Detroit Tigers.  Sparky skippered the Tigers to a championship in 1984.  Sparky always had a positive word about his players, regardless of poor performances that they had at times. 

Today, Sparky is going to attempt to describe my outing today in Africa.  No, I wasn’t playing baseball, I was simply driving my girls to separate birthday parties on the other side of town.

Journalist A: Sparky, it looked like the rookie had a rough day out there on the road.

Sparky: Hey, you know what? Kevin absolutely loves Africa!  He will be back tomorrow and he’ll give it everything he has and he’ll succeed.

Journalist B: Uh huh, Kevin seemed to be having a hard time understanding the driving directions he was given.  Selah’s birthday party was near the Japanese embassy on Bole Road.  He wasn’t even close to the embassy, driving by the exit several times. 

Sparky: Sometimes those directions can be difficult to understand.  Kevin will be a better driver tomorrow, you’ll see.

Journalist C: But, Sparky, Kevin drove back and forth the same street roughly 15 times today.  He looked to have no clue, whatsoever.  In these cases, isn’t it best to pull off the road and call someone?

Sparky: Hey, you know Africa, the telephones here are mostly for show.  Getting a hold of someone is rare.  It is more likely to snow in Africa.

Jounalist  A: It snowed in Cairo this week.

Sparky: [Silence]

Journalist B: There has been a lot of feedback from folks in the area depicting Kevin as being very expressive at times while driving up and down Bole Road.  Can you tell us what that was all about?

Sparky: Ha ha!  Kevin is a very confident driver and he just lets it all out sometimes.

Journalist C: Well, some observers tell us that they saw Kevin shaking the directions he was given then going into what appeared to be a verbal tirade?

Sparky: Sometimes directions need a big picture, you know?  Like, here is Africa.  This way is the Indian Ocean.  That way is the Atlantic Ocean.  And this way is the birthday party.  If you just have a few lines drawn here and there saying Japanese embassy it gets confusing.   As for being expressive, look, Kevin believes in prayer he was probably crying out to God for help.

Journailst A: Do his kids usually blush, as they did today, after he cries out to God?

Sparky: Aren’t those kids just the best!? 

Journalist B: Sparky, after dropping off Selah to her party, it took Kevin another 30 minutes to find the party that Sofia was to attend.  It should have just taken 5 minutes at the most.  What reason did the rookie have for taking so long?

Sparky:  A simple rookie mistake!  Look, Kevin is a great driver, he has had some good days out there on the road.  He hasn’t run anyone over yet…er, I mean…c’mon he’s good… 

Journalist C: Okay, but didn’t Kevin almost fail the Marine Corps Humvee driving test because he ran through a red light?

Sparky: Uh….

Journalist A: That story has been verified. 

Sparky: Guys, that was a long time ago, Kevin is a much more experienced driver now and he will nail it next time.  You just wait…

Journalist B: But, Sparky, in addition to being looking completely lost today, Kevin got a parking ticket for parking in front of a major shopping area on a major street!  That is a big no-no around here. 

Journalist C: Yes, and the police confiscated the front license plate, his driver’s license and he has to pay a fine in one location, then, after he pays the fine, he will have to go to another location to retrieve his license plate and driver’s license.

Sparky: Yeah, isn’t it just plain ridiculous what they make a person do for a simple mistake!?  They should just have a guy pay the fine then and there and be done with it….

Journalist C: But, Sparky, Kevin’s driving is hor…..

Sparky: Hey, guys, I gotta go.  I will see you tomorrow. 

Journalist A: Is the rookie driving you home?

Sparky: Huh, are you kidding?!  Not a chance!    

Please pray for this rookie driver, and his dear family, and for all of the pedestrians and other drivers in this major city.  God have mercy on us all. 

Tea Time

We are learning a language of a people group(pg) that differs than the country we live.  There is a certain area of town where our pg live as refugees but we haven't been allowed to go there since our arrival due to security reasons.  

This past week we were given the green light to go.  So a field trip during language class it was.  It was so wonderful to be able to meet and interact with our pg, enjoy listening to the language (and try to see if we understood anything Ha!), and enjoy one of the most common cultural activities….drinking tea.

Tea is made with some wonderful spices such as ginger and cardamom, sugar and camel's milk.  So delicious.  

It was a wonderful time with tea.  Hopefully there will be many more to come.

The Blue Donkey

The Blue Donkey is a nickname for the blue minibuses that are one of the most affordable means of getting around our city.  They are everywhere.  These minibuses are the 1980's Toyota mini-vans.  Remember those?  They are meant to be for 12 passengers.

Every morning Kevin and I take one to language.  We laugh because riding in one of these has made us long for our youth and flexibility.  You see, there has never been 12 passengers.  The least amount is usually around 17 or 18.  One morning I counted 24 people.  

In order to get 24 people in we basically are playing a game of twister.  Your body twists this way and that, forget personal space.

We are grateful, however, for a way to get here and there.  

On the road.

A few weeks ago, Kevin and I obtained our local driver's license.  They are good for two years and will expire in the year 2008.  Remember, it is only the year 2006 here.  Ha!

Even though we have our licenses, we haven't done any driving.  This is due to not having a vehicle.  But all is good.  We take a minibus to get around nearby (which I will post about later).  But to get to places that are at far distances such as the girls' school and shopping, we have become very reliant upon our dear taxi driver friend who I will call K-man.  K-man is very reliable, on-time and tells us that he charges Mr. Kevin the local rate.  For this we are thankful. 

This pic is of K-man's taxi.  Our dear friend is the front seat and I'm in the back.

Here are some other pics of some of the sights we see as we go about town.
This is at one of the many roundabouts.  No stoplights here. And yes, that is a horse drawn vehicle.

 Make sure you don't get run over by the mule train.  Definitely watch where you step.

 I was grateful not to have stopped behind this truck.  But you do have to admire the stacking skills.

 Whoa!  Don't fall over!

Run, girl, run!

This past summer Sofia discovered running.  Knowing that Sof enjoys activity this excited us because we knew there was no gymnastics here.

At our summer training, Kevin and I were required to run a mile and have it timed.  On the day of the run, Sofia asked if she could run as well.  Why not?

Sofia ran separate from us.  Kevin was amazed at how fast she took off.  He thought there is no way this girl is going to  keep up that pace.  But guess what?  She did.  Sofia completed her very first mile run in 7:20.

Then we moved to our new country.  We live in a place that isn't known for many sports but running they are.  One reason is because we are at an elevation of 7500 feet.

Upon arriving, we learned that it was cross country season at Sof's school.  With just a couple of weeks left and one race left, they were gracious enough to let Sof join.  And guess what?  On Tuesday, November 5, after being here for just one month, Sofia ran a race.  She did great.  Actually she did so well, she took FIRST PLACE among all 3rd and 4th grade girls.

We are very proud of her.

Special birthday breakfast.

November 6.  She turned nine.  We are so grateful for the many bended knee.  A most precious gift.

Speaking of gifts, Sofia had a very special breakfast for her birthday.  Cereal!  Yep, cereal.  Cereal is very expensive here ($8/box) so we splurged and bought a box for her birthday breakfast.  Of course, it was something the whole family enjoyed.

Here is a picture of our nine year old.  The birthday bear to her left, Gramma gave to our kids a few years ago.  And check out the bag in front of the cereal.  That's our milk.  It comes in a bag.

This is home.

We moved into our new home in our new city and country about a month ago.  So many things are different and interesting.

Over the next couple of weeks we hope to post pictures that allow you to see what we see.

 This is the way to our house from the main road.  We are thankful that it currently is dry season.  Come rainy season (June to September) we've been told these roads become quite the muddy rivers.

The storefront on the left is where we buy bread.
The storefront on the right is where we can buy basics such as coffee, oatmeal, beans, soda, and a broom or mop as you can see.

The man under the tarp on the right is our local tailor.  I had three dresses that needed to be hemmed and a pillow that needed mending.   

The main road where we can catch a minibus or taxi is at the end of this road.

Here is Isaiah playing football with one of our guards.  We have two guards.  They rotate every 24 hours.  We don't have much yard but this cement area works just fine for a play area.

Sofia had her hair put into cornrows for her birthday.  Here she is along with Selah in front of the local beauty shop.  Because the shopkeeper had to go buy elastics to put at the end of her hair (not normal) the cost for the service was inflated to 80 cents.

This is a better picture of the girls.  Last week they had a special day at their school learning about our host country.  The dresses the girls are wearing are traditional to our host country.  

Sofia is turning nine….

Oh my, our baby girl, well okay, our big girl is turning nine years old tomorrow (November 6).  She is becoming quite the young lady.  And very fashionable, eh?

Without a doubt Sofia loves….she loves to sing, loves to read, loves to play games and loves to win. But what is a real treasure is how much she loves her family and learning more about our Lord.  We are so thankful for this heart of our daughter.

Sofia has experienced much change this past year.  She not only moved to a different school but a different city, different country, a different continent!  There has been so many new things for her to embrace and embrace she is doing.

As we celebrate the gift of our daughter, we ask that you give her a gift.  Prayer.

Pray…

God's grace will continue to pour out on our daughter.

Sofia will continue in good health and grow developmentally.

Sofia's relationship with Selah and Isaiah will continue to deepen.

Sofia will continue to mature in her knowing of Jesus Christ as her personal Saviour.

and pray that Sofia, whom God put on this earth for His enjoyment, will bring Glory to God by enjoying HIM!

Summer Travels

We've traveled to quite a few places this summer.  I am going to write them down before I forget.  Hopefully I can add some pictures later.

July 3
We travelled to Sparta, MI.  A very tough trip because it meant we left our home in Grayslake, IL for the last time.  We said goodbye to some very dear neighbourhood friends.

July 9 -12
The kids and I drove from Sparta, MI to Indianopolis.  Here we picked up one of my besets friends, Wendy Sue and her two children.  They actually flew in from So Cal.  We then continued traveling to Hendersonville, TN which is just outside of Nashville.  My other bestest friend, Julie and her family live there.  We enjoyed some amazing time as girlfriends along with our kiddos (six altogether ages 3,4,5,6,7, and 8).

July 14 -17
Just the five us went up to Harbor Village, MI for family vacation.  It was so wonderful to sleep in, play UNO, swim in the pool, hang out on the beautiful beaches, watch some amazing sunsets, and even have dinner in Mackinac City one night.

July 18 - 22
We needed to be in Virginia for training on the 22nd so we decided to make a trip out of it.  Poor Kevin, he fell ill the first day.  I mean, really sick with fever and everything else.  So at each stop he basically stayed in the hotel room sleeping while the kids and I explored.  
Thursday 18
The first night stop was in Canton, OH, home of the Football Hall of Fame.
Friday 19
We traveled to Gettysburg, PA.  It was a gorgeous drive with lots and lots of hills.  We also drove through two major thunderstorms.  Some of the most torrential rain I've ever driven through.
Saturday 20
That morning I took the kids on the driving tour of Gettysburg which allowed for us to make our own stops at monuments, talk about the importance of what we were viewing, and not have to see everything.  Remember, we have a three year old.:)  Then that afternoon we all headed on to Washington D.C.  The weather was sooooo hot.  100 degrees and humid.  Our first stop was Arlington National Cemetery.  Kevin actually came with us and ended up being the only one to make it to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  I've been before and it really was just too long and hot of a walk for the kids.
Sunday 21
Kevin still was not feeling well.  I took the kids to Capitol Hill Baptist Church.  Then after naps I took them to the Museum of Air and Space.  The kids really enjoyed this museum, especially Isaiah.  After dinner, Kevin was feeling somewhat better so we all went to the Washington Monument, Lincoln Monument and the Vietnam War Memorial.  So moving.
Monday 22
We arrived in Virginia for our two months of training.

July 27
We swam in the Atlantic Ocean as well as experienced Virginia Beach.  Wow!  I have never seen such a crowded beach.  The day was cut short when the lifeguards blew their whistles and cleared the beach due to a thunderstorm and lightening.  On the way home we drove through Williamsburg, VA.  One of the oldest cities in the U.S.

August 31
We visited the Richmond Botanical Gardens.  Oh what a treasure.  There was a butterfly exhibit which the kids thoroughly enjoyed as well a most wonderful children's area.  This area had so many things to explore and use their imagination.  A special treat was their water splash park area.  So much fun!!

September 7
We visited Monticello, the home and land of Thomas Jefferson.  It is nestled in the hills of Virginia.  Such a gorgeous drive.  The kids really enjoyed the hands on museum.  On the way home we followed a sign to an apple orchard.  What a find!  This apple orchard sat a top a mountain with a 360degree view of the area.  We didnt' do any apple picking that day but we did buy two apple pies that were still warm from the oven as well as hot and fresh cider donuts.  YUM!

September 19
We began our drive back to Sparta, MI.

September 20
We purposefully got off the main highway and drove through some small towns that took us to Amish country.  It was educational for the kids to see men driving horse buggies.  We stopped at a farm stand and purchased some molasses cookies.
That night we stopped in Ann Arbor, MI.  Home of the University of Michigan.  Such a great college town.  We ate at a great little pizza parlor, enjoyed some delicious frozen yoghurt and drove by the BIG HOUSE.  Kevin was in heaven.:)

Such a great summer.  Lots of traveling but so much learning.
Of course, we've got some more traveling ahead of us next week and without a doubt that will bring some amazing learning experiences.

She's turning six years old!!!

This beautiful blonde hair, blue eyed girl is turning six years old on September 10.  Oh how we love our Selah Brooke.

Selah is a strong but sensitive child who loves fiercely.  She enjoys playing house, being with her friends, is reading now, and is a pretty good singer.  Actually it amazes me how she knows all the words to songs as she sings along to the Christian radio station.  And her voice is just so sweet.

The past couple of months have brought great change to Selah's life as we moved away from the only home she has ever known.  She has made us proud as she has faced these changes.  There have been tears but there has been much joy as her world has been expanded.  We are thankful for her heart that is learning how big God is, yet how much He loves us and takes care of us.

As she turns six, we continue to ask that you give her the gift of prayer.

Please pray...
Selah will continue to in good health and grow developmentally.
Selah's relationship with Sofia and Isaiah will continue to deepen.
Selah's love for singing will always be a sweet sound in our Savior's ear.
Selah will continue to be curious, and that someday her curiosity will be satisfied by knowing Jesus.
Selah, whom God put on this earth for His enjoyment, will bring glory to God by enjoying Him.

10 years in the making. Part 7.

God's timing.

When you don't get married until your mid-thirties  you pretty much learn that timing is God's!  And His timing for our going was definitely His.

In July 2012 we were told that the process of "going" usually takes 18-24 months.  It was our desire, however, to leave in Summer 2013 if at all possible.  The training schedules and appointment services are listed on the company's blog so we knew what dates we were working for/against.  And if we were to leave in Summer then we would need to be approved in April by the trustees.  If not, then everything would be pushed back by three to four months.

So here we are in February reading an e-mail that said we wouldn't meet the deadline for April due to an educational test needed for Sofia.  It was kind of a bummer for us because we thought we had done all that was asked of us and our children.  This was a Wednesday morning.

Come Thursday morning, we received another e-mail.  Sofia was cleared and WE HAD BEEN JOB MATCHED!  Whoa!  What an emotional rollercoaster.  Now to wait until April 10 when the trustees would be voting on us.  On April 9 we prayed that we would only go if He was going before us. April 10 came and we were affirmed that God is going before us.

It wasn't but five minutes after Kevin had left for work that I received the phone call.  Tears were my answer.  I then called Kevin.  He actually had stopped by a store so he was sitting in his truck in the parking lot.  We wept together on the phone and then spent some time praying.  Oh our prayer was and is that we will NEVER FORGET what Christ has done for us as individuals.  May we NEVER FORGET our sinfulness and the penalty He paid on the cross. And may we NEVER FORGET the gift of salvation.  And that gift is for those among the nations.

On May 15 we were appointed as overseas workers.  At that appointment week we met many couples who had been in the process for the two years, some even three.  So to be there less than 12 months was truly God's doing.

What's next?
We will be going to training for two months in Virginia, then move to the Horn of Africa for two years of language and culture training.  From there we will God willing move to Central England to minister to the immigrants from the Horn of Africa.

Due to sensitivity I am not writing exactly where and who we will be working with.  But I do ask that you pray for us.  We will be working with a unengaged, unreached muslim people group.  There is such great need for the gospel to be shared.  We pray that God will work in us, and through us so His word will be heard, believed, and accepted.

We should arrive in the Horn about one week before our 10 year wedding anniversary.

God is GOOD!!!!!   HIS timing is perfect.

10 years in the making. Part 6.

Finding a job.

No doubt you can't help but have a natural love/leaning to want to return to your first place that you served internationally.  Mine was Australia.  Kevin's Kenya.  I actually looked at returning to Australia when I went as a journeyman but God directed me to Turkey.  So now my natural love/leaning was Turkey.

Hmmmmm.....we figured out we were willing to get on the plane but the question still was where was this plane going to land?

When we attended the Expo back in July, we met with a deployment consultant for Central Asia.  He shared with us the great need and various jobs in that region.  One job stood out to us and that was working with Turks in Germany.  (For those of you who have known us for the past 10 years you know that Kevin and I fell in love while serving on a team together that went to Berlin and ministered to the Turks.)  Throughout the Fall months we dialogued with  workers in Germany and began to hone in on a particular job.  Things were looking good.  But for various reasons we asked to look at other jobs in the region.  One was in Iraq.  This really peaked Kevin's interest.  He always wondered if God would take him back to an area that he served in during his military time.  A few of his mentors had served in WWII and God had taken them back to Japan to share the gospel.

It was over the New Year's break that Kevin and I decided that Central Asia just might not be the place for us.  In early January we asked to be transferred to the North Africa Middle East Region.  This in part was due to a conversation I had with a lady back in December.

Our church had been looking for a place to send a team.  In doing research I was directed to speak to a woman working with refugees in England.  While talking with her she expressed the need for a family to come work with a particular people group from the Horn of Africa. She was actually turning in a job request the next day.

I told Kevin about this need.  The need was for an unreached muslim people group.  Currently it is not feasible to live in their home country.  But guess what?  Kevin has been to their country.  He lived and served there while in the Marines.

Now it February.  We received an e-mail saying that the job request was approved but if we wanted to matched to it then everything would need to go through within the next week.  The day before deployment consultants met to job match their applicants we received another e-mail.  Due to another educational test needed for Sofia, we would not meet the deadline.

10 years in the making. Part 5

Lesson to learn.

God in His goodness intervened in our lives and revealed what was to be next for our family.  Kevin was offered the job at CBU but the package was not best for our family.  Kevin turned down the job.  NOT AN EASY THING TO DO.  We even questioned why it turned out that way.   But we didn't need to wonder to much longer.

About a week later we received a letter from the IMB stating that we were invited to begin the application process for career international workers.  We chose to accept the invitation and began the application process.  And we did so cautiously.  The CBU experience taught us something wonderful....to be faithful to what God has you to do THIS DAY. THIS DAY I tell you.  We are not promised tomorrow.  Everyday we woke and we strove to faithfully live out His word, His love and His desires where He had us (and still does).

The process is quite in-depth and detailed.  Papers on church ordinances, doctrine, our personal testimonies, and personal growth.  Medical and dental appointments for all five of us along with educational testing on the kids.  A process that allowed for us to continue seeking the Lord and His direction.  And I'll tell you what, there were days that I thought we would throw in the towel and say "No thank you."

Then in early December the elders of our church asked to meet with Kevin.  Due to a shrinking body thus shrinking budget, the elders couldn't see how our church would be able to support a children's minister.  Ugh!  But God didn't allow for us to wonder about this for too long because THE VERY NEXT DAY we received an e-mail stating that we had made it to one of the final stages of the application process with the IMB...the in-person interview.

A few days before Christmas Kevin and I drove to downtown Chicago and met with IMB personnel for a couple of hours.  It was a time of intense, personal questioning.  Thankfully we left the interview with words of encouragement that things would be fine for us as long as the job matched up.

Prayer Circle for our three year old son.

This spiderman-bubble-loving boy of ours turns three tomorrow.
Isaiah brings us such joy and laughter.
 He begins each day asking a million questions and ends each day asking a million more.  And I'm not exaggerating.  Ha!




Please join us on Isaiah's birthday in giving him a most wonderful gift....the gift of prayer.

Pray that Isaiah will continue to grow physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Pray Isaiah's curiousity will lead him to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
Pray for Isaiah's relationships with his sisters.
Pray for his mommy and daddy.

10 years in the making. Part 4.

Are we willing to get on the plane?

Kevin finished his Master's degree in December 2011.  In April 2012 we were invited to attend a Missions Expo in July with the IMB.  We were excited.  It looked liked things might be falling into place for us to "go".

A week before we left for the Expo, Kevin got a call from our college alma mater in California.  They wanted to interview him for a job the first of August and were pretty sure he was the right guy.  Kevin's heart soared and mine dropped.  We came together in prayer and decided that we would still go to the Expo.

Selfishly I was praying that Kevin would realize he was not to interview.  But it was me God was working on.  We arrived for the three day Expo.  The first night began with a dinner and speaker. The speaker shared a story about a worker in the late 1800s who was on her way to China.  However, before she even arrived she got sick and died.  Because of her testimony many, many single women decided to go to China.

Right away I heard the Lord saying to me, "Deny yourself, Keri.  Deny yourself."

I knew I had to but it wasn't easy.  I did think, how if we went to California I could help mobilize many more to "go" instead of just me.

Over the next couple of days we were asked the same question over and over.  Are you willing to get on the airplane?  Some struggled with this but for Kevin and I are answer was a resounding yes.  Our big question was where was the plane going to land?  Was it in California, Turkey, Lake County, IL?  Oh, Lord, just let us know.

We left Expo knowing a couple of things.  We were willing to go and we were willing to stay.

Kevin traveled to California the first week of August.  In his hotel room a picture hanging on the wall prompted him to consider his role in the kingdom.  The picture was of a shepherd and his sheep.  This has been a common theme in Kevin's life lately.  Shepherding.  His heart's desire isn't to pastor/preach but to shepherd.  Feed the flock, take care of the flock.  He could do so at the college.

After two days of interviews and meeting many a people, Kevin was offered the job.

10 years in the making. Part 3.

Are we going?

The plan upon arrival in Illinois was for Kevin to get his MDiv in three years and then we would go.

Well, once Kevin went on church staff, schooling became part-time therefore delaying the original three years. Some other factors came into play as well.

Was the Lord asking us to stay in the U.S.?  Too many times I would cry out to God, "Lord, why are we stuck in Lake County, IL?"

And God in his great mercy would remind me of how great he is  especially when he would prompt me to remember that we are living among the nations.  We have neighbours from Poland, Haiti, India and Venezuela.  There is no way we could live in all four of those countries at the same time, yet we could love and share with them all here including the Americans.

God also provided us opportunity to go to the nations through short-term trips.  Kevin was able to go with our church to Japan and Haiti and I was able to go with our church to Israel.

It's taken awhile but I understand more how it isn't just about going but about obeying.  Kevin and I desire to live a life of obedience to our Lord.  And that has meant in our daily living and not just the big things.

10 years in the making. Part 2.

The Move.

Shortly after we were married, Kevin and I met with a consultant from a missions agency.  The consultant said Kevin would need at least 20 units of seminary education but strongly encouraged him to obtain his Master of Divinity.

Kevin enrolled at Golden Gate Seminary.  He took a couple classes here and there.  Then in Summer 2004, he was able to take a couple more seminary classes through Southern Seminary in Turkey while we were there on a short-term trip.

In May 2005 Kevin ventured off for a half day of prayer.  It was actually a requirement for one of his seminary classes.  That time with Lord revealed much to Kevin.  He revealed that we were to head to the Midwest.  We were to do so for a couple of reasons.  One reason was for Kevin to enroll at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  The other reason being that if we were willing to go to the nations and share the gospel, then we needed to be sure that we had shared the gospel first with family, specifically Kevin's family.  And being that his family lived in Michigan, and TEDS was in the Chicago area, it all fit.

Within a month we had both resigned from our jobs at CBU.  Then in July 2005 with an eight month baby, no jobs, and few belongings we left California for Deerfield, IL.

Our prayer, "God meet us there."

God provided a place to live, a job, and time to visit Kevin's family.  But one of the greatest blessings was our church.  In February 2007 it became Kevin's place of employment as an associate pastor but it was more than that.  Our church, Crossroads Church, has been a place of great learning.  We've deepened our understanding of Scripture, we've deepened our hearts desire for the nations, and we've been equipped to better share the gospel through evangelism and discipleship.

God met us there!

10 years in the making. Part 1.

Getting together.

There was this guy who asked me out in May 1998.  We went out to lunch but that was it.
That same guy asked me to a baseball game in July 2001.  We went, had fun but that was it.
Then he asked me out again in February 2003.  I said no way.

It's now March 2003.

Kevin was leading a team to Egypt.  I was leading a team to Germany.
Due to world events Kevin's team was redirected to Germany.
We began meeting together.

April 2003 God was making it clear that this man and I were to be together.
We had the same purpose.  The same passion.  The same mission.

While serving together, side by side in Germany, God confirmed His calling not just for me but for me and this guy, named Kevin, to go to the nations together.

By July we were engaged and come October 18 of 2003, we were married.