Ten days...

Ten days might seem like an insignificant number to most people, but for us it is the exact number of days until we pack up and drive to MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) in Idaho for our Candidacy! What does Candidacy mean?

Well the easiest explanation I can figure is that for two weeks we meet with MAF and they go more over operations and tell us about the different countries and we get a full picture of their organization. Prayerfully during those two weeks we (Candidacy Committee and us) look at the options and see which is the best fit for our family/talents. Then if all goes well, we find out which country we're assigned with MAF and become official missionaries in their organization. Pretty amazing eh? After that we have some more trainings for a couple of weeks then it's on the road to share our story and our hearts with as many people as will listen to hopefully raise the support we need to go overseas.

These past few weeks I (Kristine) have been thinking about my friends and family and how blessed we are to have them in our lives. I thought about college friends whom I haven't seen in person in oh... three years and how wonderfully we are still in touch via the internet and phone. That got me thinking... a typical term for a MAF missionary is 3.5 years. It seems more and more doable with the fabulous technology we have these days. We can keep connected in each others lives even though we are oceans apart. Heck, we can even talk via video chat if the connection is good! That's almost like being in person. Quite a few steps forward from the letters from yesteryear. :)

We're having a house sitter while we're away and we have great alert neighbors so I know the house will be taken care of. In these ten days I'll be finishing up sewing projects and organizing the house so things are in order. When these ten days are over we'll be on the road starting the path in what will shape our entire life from that point forward. We prayerfully and faithfully walk forward, excited to see where God will lead us.

It's not about me

by Kristine

As Candidacy with MAF draws near things are becoming more real to me. The fact that in two years or less I'll be saying,"See ya later" to many family and friends. It's natural to think,"Whoa... what am I doing? Is this what I wanted? Do I really fully understand what this path I feel called to means? What about Jenna getting to know family and friends we adore?" Questions like these flow through my mind most daily. Typically I know many people don't talk about this stuff, but I like to be about as real as possible with all of you because I feel it's important. I am a normal person with thoughts and feelings and yes, I do think about all the things I know you probably wonder if I think about. :)

As I was sitting in church this past Sunday these thoughts were still in my head. I decided to give them to God and pray about them. It was then that I realized something, it's not about me. I know it seems silly because yes we are taught to give it all to God but me being a typical human being likes to think about how things affect ME. How selfish is that? I realized that yes, it's going to be super hard saying,"See you later" to everyone but God's called my family to go overseas as missionary aviators. I don't have to worry about my close family and friends because I know that God has them in His hands and most of them know Him.

What about those in the other country we are going to? The ones that don't know Him? The ones that think they have no hope in life? What about the children who've been abandoned and the battered women and the youth that think that they've done too many wrong things to ever be worthy of God? Who will talk to those people? Who will show the orphans that there's love for them? Who'll show the battered women that they can have healing in Christ? Who will help the youth know that no matter what they've done in the past, God has a future planned out for them and can give them hope beyond compare? What about the kids who need a good education too? Couldn't I provide that with the skills and talents that God's given me?

Specifically to mission aviation: How will those injured get to a hospital when the nearest one is a few days walk away? How will the diseased in remote villages get the life saving medical supplies they need to live? How will people with the know-how to administer those medicines get there in time when it takes days to reach them? What about those who want to contact loved ones or even get a message out in remote villages? Who will show these people serving them in this way that Christ loves them? These are things mission aviators do! There are a lot of people who can drive cars, but not a lot of people who can fly a plane let alone feel called to serve God using that plane!

Those questions flowed through my mind throughout the church service and I was filled with such a calling to serve the Lord through missions. We feel called to serve and go. Yes that means leaving the comfort of home and the safety of a good job and the security of family and friends. But it also means that God's leading us on a journey to help those that don't know Him overseas. How amazing is that? It's time to get excited about the journey and to trust that God has everything planned out in advance to use us in ministry.