Merry Christmas!

The last few weeks have been busy with packing, house hunting, wrapping up things at work, and saying goodbye to friends. We are still planning to move the first or second week of January, and have all-but-decided on a rental property. But the details will have to wait for another blog post!

I also want to write about some other things I've been thinking about recently: generosity, extravagance, and the "foolishness" of following Christ. But a post on that will have to wait too! For now, I'll just touch on the last one. Not only does it seem foolish in the eyes of the world to give everything to follow Jesus, but the very message of the cross of Christ is foolishness.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved. For it is written: 

      I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
      and I will set aside the understanding of the experts. 

Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn't God made the world’s wisdom foolish? For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
(1 Corinthians 1:18-25)

This time of year, we celebrate another story that seems ridiculous to those who do not believe: the story of God himself coming to earth in human form, born of a virgin as a baby boy. But for those who believe and who have been born again (John 3:3-7, 16-18), it is the perfect life of this God-man, along with His eventual death and resurrection, that brings us life and hope!

Whether you are spending the day with friends and family, or find yourself in a lonely or difficult situation, I pray that you will find hope in knowing Christ. May you know the joy and blessings of Jesus this Christmas!

House Hunting and More

Over the past several weeks we have been on the hunt for one of the elusive rental properties of Coshocton County. An influx of temporary workers has led to a decline in the number of properties on the market, and quality rentals are few and far between. We've had our sights set on a few possibilities, but have yet to pull the trigger.

Seriously, though, we are about three weeks away from our anticipated move date, and we still haven't located a place to live in Coshocton. We aren't being that choosy; there's just not much available! We haven't found a single rental property in our desired school district. In fact, we don't know of any viable options around Coshocton at all, that are currently available for rent. We went down to look at a few places, but so far haven't found anything suitable for our family. There are a few properties that may be available by January, but nothing seems certain.

It's obviously important that we have a place to move into, just for the sake of having a roof over our heads. We would like to avoid living in a van down by the Tuscarawas River! But we also need to enroll the kids in school, and we can't do that until we know where we will be living. Would you pray with us that God would provide a home to rent, and that we would have wisdom about which school to choose for our kids? Besides sending them to school in the district where we live, there is the possibility of open enrollment in another district, or sending our children to Coshocton Christian School (which would involve expenses we have not planned for).

We can hardly believe we are so close to moving. Tara has already worked her last day at the YMCA, and I only have eight working days left at Dana! We've started packing items we won't need for the next several weeks and purging those that we don't need at all. There's a lot more that needs to happen over the next few weeks, and we appreciate your prayers as this hardly seems humanly possible. Then again, if everything was humanly possible it would be too easy to rely on our own efforts! 

Although we are making all the preparations to move by the first week in January, we are still a little short of our financial support quota. We are trusting that the rest of the funds that have been verbally committed will come in soon, and that we will be able to start serving with MMS in January.

Thank you for your encouragement, prayer, and support as we prepare to serve with MMS Aviation. You are an incredible blessing to us, and we're privileged to be sent out by the Church to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a world in need!

Getting Closer to Coshocton!

Well, we may not physically be getting closer to Coshocton quite yet, but our move date is certainly coming quickly. Aaron has only 18 working days left at Dana, and we've started packing up some things that we won't be needing for the next month or so. We've managed to accumulate a lot of belongings over the years, and this is a perfect opportunity to give away, sell, or dispose of things we no longer need.

As we prepare for our move to Coshocton, we have started looking for a place to rent. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of rentals available in the Coshocton area right now. Would you pray with us that God would provide a suitable rental property for us, and give us the wisdom to recognize it when it comes along? We may need to adjust our expectations, but we trust that God knows what we need better than we do!

As far as our funding goes, we are currently at 84%. However, because of some special gifts and the faithful support we've received over the last year, we may be able to start serving with MMS when we reach 90% of our quota. In this case we will need to raise the remaining 10% over the course of our apprenticeship. If we go this route, we only need an additional $300 per month for Aaron to start serving in the hangar! That said, we are still praying for the $800/month that we need to reach full funding.

We appreciate your prayers and support as we prepare to serve with MMS Aviation and MAG. We couldn't go to serve in this way if not for those of you who are sending us out to help reach isolated people with physical help, and the hope of the Gospel!

This was a short update, but feel free to contact us if you would like to hear more about our ministry, or if you have any other questions!

IT'S UNOFFICIAL!

Yes, you read that right! It's unofficial, but I notified my manager at work that he can expect my resignation effective January 3, 2014. It will be made official when I give my two weeks notice in December. It feels great to finally have a transition date on the calendar!

We've also made some financial decisions that should allow us to reduce our monthly support need by almost $200 per month, meaning that we are about 77% funded (including some commitments that we know are coming in the next couple months). Please pray with us that the remaining 23% (about $1150/month) will be raised by the end of December, allowing us to move to the Coshocton area in time to start the kids in their new school after Christmas break.

This timing would also help to meet current staffing needs at MMS Aviation. Currently, there are only two apprentices in the hangar at MMS, and they will both finish their apprenticeships in less than a year! As we've communicated in the past, MMS mechanics play an important role keeping missionary aircraft flying around the world. When staffing levels are low, it impacts MMS's ability to meet the needs of organizations who rely on MMS to safely carry out their missions.

While $1150 is certainly not pocket change, we know that God can easily provide this remainder of our monthly financial need. We know that He has called us (and all believers) to participate in making disciples of all nations, and believe that He will provide as we step out in faith, as we keep our eyes focused on Jesus (see my last post, and Matthew 6:25-33). Whether or not He provides for us to move to Coshocton in January, we know that He will use the situation to build our faith and trust in Him. But just to be clear, we're still praying for a January move date!

If you've ever considered partnering with us, now would be a great time! Whether in prayer or financial giving, your support is vital to our ministry! If you'd like to participate by giving financially, you can give online or contact us for other ways to give. Finally, if you cannot personally partner with us in this way, please consider connecting us with the missions committee at your church, or sharing our ministry with friends and family that share our desire for seeing the Great Commission fulfilled.

Although I sometimes tire of asking for financial support, I remind myself that we are not simply asking for a handout. We truly believe that missionary aviation makes a difference in the lives of people in need around the world—both for this life and for eternity! My family, and most of the people reading this blog, are immensely blessed with resources beyond what many people in this world can imagine. My family and I want to generously give of ourselves to see God's kingdom advanced. You have the opportunity to participate with us in doing that, whether it's partnering with us in our ministry, other ministries that you are passionate about, or your own personal ministry to those in your sphere of influence. But in order to do that, you must first know Christ! My hope for you is expressed well in Paul's prayer for the Ephesians:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)

May God richly bless you!

Walking by Faith

What does it mean to walk by faith? What does the phrase "step out in faith" really mean, and does it fit with the Biblical teaching about faith? If I'm going to walk by faith, do I have to make radical decisions that defy reason, trusting that God will show up in a big way?

I don't intend to answer all those questions, but I've been thinking about them as I prepare to serve with MMS Aviation. I want so badly to finish our support raising, so I can leave the "cubicle farm" I have been struggling in for years and start serving in missionary aviation. But despite working as hard as ever, and praying faithfully that God will provide for our financial need, we haven't seen many responses come in lately. This leaves me wondering what I should be doing differently.

Some pastors say that we need to have audacious faith (whatever that means), and then God will bring about the dreams and desires he has planted in us. Others tell us that we need to believe and act as if God has already brought them about. There are some Biblical examples that seem to support this notion, but I finally just decided to open up Hebrews 11 (sometimes called the "hall of faith") and see what God would say to me through this passage.

As I started to read, I noticed that the people mentioned in this chapter did some pretty amazing things, but also some things that seem less remarkable. Building an ark and saving the human race from extinction: amazing! Left his home, not knowing where he was going: that took some faith. Gave instructions about his bones: honestly, I'm not sure what to make of that, or why it required such faith, but it doesn't seem that crazy. Passing through the Red Sea: truly incredible! Shutting the mouths of lions: scary, and definitely awesome! But then it gets to this part about those who suffered imprisonment, torture and persecution: not so awesome, at least from a temporal perspective. And that's not exactly the incredible life that most preachers have in mind when they talk about living an extraordinary life of faith.

In fact, I've heard many messages coming from churches that depict a life of faith as having amazing results here and now. Having a rewarding and fruitful ministry; getting that promotion; starting a successful business; planting and building an amazing church; getting that book deal; and the list goes on. I could even add another one to that list: seeing God quickly provide the finances to serve Him full-time in missionary aviation! Don't get me wrong: those can be great things (especially the last one!). And some of them even seem to be centered on God. But under a thin veneer of spirituality, they all have to do with seeing results of our faith in this world.

But let's go back to Hebrews 11 and look at a few verses (NIV 1984):

For he [Abraham] was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder was God. (Hebrews 11:10) 

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. (Hebrews 11:13) 

Instead, they were longing for a better country---a heavenly one. (Hebrews 11:16) 

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised (Hebrews 11:39)

And, finally, let's look at the first three verses of Hebrews 12:1-3, which read:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

When Hebrews 11:1 says "faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see", I don't think it's referring generically to any hope or dream that we happen to have for our life. I can conjure up a sense of confidence that something will happen (or that God is busy behind the scenes), but is that true faith? Is faith simply a matter of convincing myself that what seems impossible is actually possible, and then working up the courage to boldly pursue it? Based on Hebrews 11-12, and numerous other Scriptures that I won't delve into, I don't think so. In fact, if my so-called "faith" points me to anything less than Jesus Christ, what He has done, and our eternal hope in Him, I don't think it can be called faith in the Biblical sense of the Word.

Maybe rather than contemplating whether I need to take a big "step of faith", I need to think about the object of my faith, and where I am placing my hope. If I'm so consumed with getting to MMS that I take my eyes off of Jesus and my eternal hope, I'm focusing on the wrong thing!

I still don't have answers to all my questions. But re-centering on Christ has taken away some of the anxiety about making the "right" decisions. It gives me peace when I realize that my eternal hope is secured by Jesus, and that I can never mess that up! I continue to pray that God will provide for us to get to MMS as soon as he will allow. But my greater desire that I will remain focused on Him, and that I will be a faithful ambassador wherever I may find myself.

October 6, 2013 Update

It's about time for another update! We've been making a lot of phone calls and have sent several letters the past few weeks, but haven't seen much movement toward our support goal. We have talked to many people who are excited about our ministry with MMS, and are praying that some of them will choose to partner with us in some way.

It's a strange irony, that in a day and age when we are so connected through mobile phones, social media, etc, we find it more difficult than ever to get in contact with friends that we don't see regularly face-to-face. Last time we were in a faith-supported ministry, we could typically locate someone's contact information by simply opening the phone book or dialing 411. Everyone had a land line. But today, many people have given up their home phones, leaving us struggling to make personal contact beyond a letter sent by U.S. Mail.

Would you pray with us that God would provide divine appointments for us to come in contact with people that he would call into partnership with us? We are also praying that He will bring us to mind in the many friends we have sent letters to, but have been unsuccessful at following up with. In fact, we have about 100 families and individuals who have not yet responded to our letters, phone calls, or messages. If each of them partnered with us for only $15/month, we would be 100% funded!

As we continue to work diligently, we also pray for wisdom and patience. Although there will be some difficult things about moving, it is also hard to wait (and wait, and wait) when we are working so hard at moving toward ministry with MMS. Not to mention the struggle that it is for Aaron to sit in a cubicle all day, longing to begin the ministry that we feel called to.

Thank you so much for praying with us as we move toward serving in missionary aviation!

Prayer and Good News

When things are going well, do you ever find yourself relying on your own efforts and failing to recognize God's hand of provision? I wish I could answer, "No!" to this question, but the truth is that I do this all the time. Although I frequently take time with my family to thank God for providing our basic needs, somehow—when it comes to certain areas of my life—I tend to rely on myself.

A big part of preparing for missionary service with MMS is developing our team of ministry partners. We hope that we can be a blessing to our ministry partners by sharing how God is working in us and through our ministry. They encourage us, pray for us, and provide the financial resources we need to serve in missions. It's this last part—raising our financial support—that can be one of the most trying aspects of preparing for service with a missionary organization. It's also an area that I can tend to take into my own hands. There are always more phone calls to make, letters to send, and presentations to give. God certainly honors our efforts and uses all of these things to draw people into partnership with us. But without his power, all of these efforts are in vain.

If you read our last blog post, you know that we have been dealing with discouragement lately. It seemed like no matter how many calls we made, or how many people we talked to, we were stuck at about 65% funding (as you may know, we cannot begin serving with MMS until we have raised the funds to cover all of our ongoing expenses). We finally reached a point of desperation. I felt ready to throw in the towel, and all I could do was pray. My family and I had, in fact, been praying all along. But a different kind of prayer is born from a place of helplessness and despondency.  My prayers took the form of heartfelt cries to the sovereign, Almighty God, for His divine intervention.

It seemed like the moment Tara and I began praying fervently, God began answering. We had several meaningful conversations. People who had been unresponsive for weeks suddenly returned our messages. And we even received some new financial commitments. It was as if God wanted to bless our efforts, but had to slow us down and remind us of our dependence on Him. He is the one who first called us to Himself. He is the one who sent us into the world as His ambassadors of reconciliation. And He is the one who will draw others into partnership with us as we respond to His call.

So, with that background, here is the good news. For the past week, we have been praying specifically that we would reach 70% funding by the end of today. Well, this afternoon we received a phone call from a family that wants to partner financially with us for $50/month. That pledge, combined with a couple others that we received earlier in the week, brought us to exactly 70 percent! This is an answer to prayer and a great encouragement to us. We thank God for his provision, and can't wait to see how He continues to meet our every need! May we continue to trust in Him, and not in ourselves only!