Our Big Announcement!

So, after 6 months away, I'm finally back to my blog. I don't really know why I stopped, all I know is that it became to hard to write. Words were not there anymore. What had always been so natural & comfortable for me suddenly became very uncomfortable. I just needed a break. So I allowed myself to take one. Thank you for being patient with me & most of all, thank you for still being here. I appreciate your loyalty to me & my words :)

So much has happened since I last wrote. I may try to catch you up on some big things, or I may just start moving forward from here. Haven't really decided that one yet. But, I wanted to start off by sharing a huge announcement with you. After years & years of praying & seeking God, we believe that God is leading us to Glasgow, Scotland to plant a church. Let me back up a bit & take you on our journey.

When I was 18, I surrendered to the ministry. God had given me such a heart for missions & a global vision. A few months later I met Matt, we fell in love & got married. He also felt called to ministry, but not really missions specifically. While in seminary, God began to birth in Matt's heart a passion to church plant. I was completely on board--if we could do so overseas somewhere. I really struggled with planting a church in America--I have absolutely nothing against it--think it's incredible & SO NEEDED and so vital. I just didn't feel like that was the plan God had for us. Kind of like when we felt like God was leading us to adopt internationally. I think domestic adoption is amazing--just not what God was calling our family too personally. So anyways, for the last 7 years, God has been working on our hearts in the area of church planting.

In May of 2010, God began to lay the country of Scotland on our hearts through our dear friends Lindsay & Peter. I grew up with Lindsay & she has been my sister's best friend since 1994. Over time, she has become such a close friend of mine as well. She met Peter, a Scottish man while working with the ministry Mercy Ships. Last May, Lindsay & Peter looked at us across a table & asked us if we had ever considered planting a church in Scotland. I'm not exactly sure what happened that night, except to say that God lodged Scotland into our hearts & it has never gone away. In February, we traveled there for the first time & fell in love with the people & culture & history. In June, we traveled back, with the support of our pastor to ask God to clarify our calling there. I'd like to share an email I sent my close friends after that trip:

Hello friends! I know it's been a while since my last update, so I wanted to write & let you know what is going on with our family. As you know, we traveled back to Scotland in June. While there we spent a lot of time praying & seeking God and asking Him to confirm our calling to Scotland. We had the most wonderful time & met amazing people that we hope to do ministry with in the future. But most of all, God did speak to us. He did confirm His calling on our lives. The whole time we were there, we felt like we were blanketed in God's peace. There was such a rightness in our being there. But I'd like to share the moment where we just knew. We decided to take a country walk in Mugdock Park (which we fell in love with back in February)--this really beautiful place where you just walk through the wilderness & explore. The trail leads to a castle that was built in the 1300's. The castle is now classified as ruins--as you walk through the structure you walk on the grass--not sure if that makes sense--the ceilings are gone, walls are crumbled,etc. Anyways, it is so beautiful to see--but at the same time, so, well, ruined. I walked up to one of the castle walls & put my hand on the stone & saw the most amazing thing. All over the wall, hundreds of beautiful tiny purple flowers had pushed through the stone to bloom. In that moment I turned to Matt & said this verse that all of sudden was so alive in my heart:

"They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations."
(Isaiah 61:4)

Right there in front of us, we felt like God's call became so clear. He was calling us to Scotland--a country so rich with history--especially church history (did you know at one point in history, Scotland was sending out more missionaries than any other country in the world?) and beauty--just like that castle used to be. Full of life & history & beauty. But over the last hundred years, Scotland has fallen to spiritual ruin. The churches are empty & being sold left and right and remade into nightclubs. A country that was known for some of the greatest theologians the world has ever known, is now ordaining homosexual pastors. Scotland is so rich in history and beauty, but it lays in spiritual ruin now--ravaged by our enemy. BUT....from what we are seeing--new life is breaking through the stone! Just like those flowers, breaking through the stone, people's hearts are beginning to awaken to the TRUTH of who Jesus is & how He can change them:

"I will give you a new heart
and put a new spirit in you;
I will remove from you your heart of stone
and give you a heart of flesh."
(Ezekiel 36:26)

We are so humbled that God is calling us to be a part of His work in Scotland as church planters. Every day I wake up & just feel the weight of what He is calling us to do. I am not going to lie--we are feeling overwhelmed with the task ahead--we have days where we struggle with a million fears. But in the midst of that God speaks to our hearts again, through His Word, reminding us that He will not leave nor forsake us as we move forward.

So...where does that leave us?

Well, we have met with our pastors and everything is moving forward. Our church will support us for 4-5 years as we begin this process. We are planning to move to Scotland somewhere between January--June of 2013. We will spend the next 15-18 months raising support for our team (YAY!!!!! God has raised up 4 people to join us--2 girls whom we LOVE so so so much and one newly married couple who are just amazing!), raising money for our move (visas, apartment costs, etc) , going through church planting training & evaluation, and casting the vision to anyone who will let us. We are so excited about what lies ahead. Please continue to pray for us as we move forward to join God in the work He is already doing in Scotland!

So there it is! I will have lots more to say in the coming days & weeks. There is so much more in my heart--but this is a start :) We have started a blog & website for our church, and while it is still in the initial stages, you can start to follow our journey! Check it out:

www.refugescotland.com

Thanks for being here--thanks for loving me--thanks for being patient with me--thanks for inspiring & encouraging me to start writing again. I am so thankful for you.