"When He calls you,
He knows what it will take and He knows that you are able."
We believe that God has called us to "GO into all the world and preach the gospel". We know that God had placed a deep desire within us, to serve Him from childhood on. Chrissy's calling came as a very small child, singing songs to her dolls and pretending she was a missionary from Africa coming to tell them (her dolls) about Jesus. Missionary stories intrigued and planted within her heart the desire of serving Him as a missionary. Tim's came as a teenager on a missions trip to Mexico, where God turned his whole life upside down. He went with the intent to "help" others, and God used that experience to show him how much he needed God. His heart was forever changed and he turned his life over to serving God in whatever way God would use him to do so. (you can hear his full testimony at: www.lhcgb.com - podcast message Dec.2, 2012)
We met at a missionary training school - Bethany College of Missions in 1988 and that was the beginning of our relationship, with eventually getting married in 1990. After completed our schooling in 1991, our intentions and plans were to head out to the the mission field after a one year internship at our home church in Green Bay. We were going!!! Didn't quite know where, but that was our plan.
Well, the irony of it all is that, that was OUR plan, but not necessarily God's plan or timing. To hear God say "Not yet, now is not the time for you to go" was perhaps the hardest thing we ever had to hear. Why would God ask us to wait? We were willing, we were young, we were prepared (or so we thought so)....how could He not want to use us right now.
Little did we know that it would be a 23 year wait, with much to learn, much to experience and a times painful maturing, "seasoning", and preparation for this new season of life and adventure that He is allowing our family to be a part of!! As our pastor so wisely prophesied those 23 years ago, "Bloom where you are planted. God has called you, but first you must be planted, seasons of growth, pruning and refining ahead and then will come the harvest."
Our family of six: Tim, Chrissy, McKenna (17), Tom (15), Kaden (11) and Micah (10) are excited for what God has in store for our family. Yes, at times we feel many mixed emotions, but as our son Kaden has said, "Sometimes, I'm not sure why we have to go. I am sad to say goodbye to all my friends, but I know that God wants us to obey Him and that is what is important."
"I'll obey and serve Him,
I'll obey to show I trust Him.
I'll obey my life is in your hands.
For its the way to prove my love,
When feelings go away.
If it costs me everything,
I'll obey!!"
He knows what it will take and He knows that you are able."
We believe that God has called us to "GO into all the world and preach the gospel". We know that God had placed a deep desire within us, to serve Him from childhood on. Chrissy's calling came as a very small child, singing songs to her dolls and pretending she was a missionary from Africa coming to tell them (her dolls) about Jesus. Missionary stories intrigued and planted within her heart the desire of serving Him as a missionary. Tim's came as a teenager on a missions trip to Mexico, where God turned his whole life upside down. He went with the intent to "help" others, and God used that experience to show him how much he needed God. His heart was forever changed and he turned his life over to serving God in whatever way God would use him to do so. (you can hear his full testimony at: www.lhcgb.com - podcast message Dec.2, 2012)
We met at a missionary training school - Bethany College of Missions in 1988 and that was the beginning of our relationship, with eventually getting married in 1990. After completed our schooling in 1991, our intentions and plans were to head out to the the mission field after a one year internship at our home church in Green Bay. We were going!!! Didn't quite know where, but that was our plan.
Well, the irony of it all is that, that was OUR plan, but not necessarily God's plan or timing. To hear God say "Not yet, now is not the time for you to go" was perhaps the hardest thing we ever had to hear. Why would God ask us to wait? We were willing, we were young, we were prepared (or so we thought so)....how could He not want to use us right now.
Little did we know that it would be a 23 year wait, with much to learn, much to experience and a times painful maturing, "seasoning", and preparation for this new season of life and adventure that He is allowing our family to be a part of!! As our pastor so wisely prophesied those 23 years ago, "Bloom where you are planted. God has called you, but first you must be planted, seasons of growth, pruning and refining ahead and then will come the harvest."
Our family of six: Tim, Chrissy, McKenna (17), Tom (15), Kaden (11) and Micah (10) are excited for what God has in store for our family. Yes, at times we feel many mixed emotions, but as our son Kaden has said, "Sometimes, I'm not sure why we have to go. I am sad to say goodbye to all my friends, but I know that God wants us to obey Him and that is what is important."
"I'll obey and serve Him,
I'll obey to show I trust Him.
I'll obey my life is in your hands.
For its the way to prove my love,
When feelings go away.
If it costs me everything,
I'll obey!!"
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