Thanksgiving Update

As we approach Thanksgiving, there are SO many things our family is thankful for:

God has kept us and preserved our lives.  God has shown us his goodness and faithfulness.

God is stirring our hearts to LOVE HIM… and to LOVE PEOPLE like never before.

The Missions Ministry we are doing is powerful and has God's anointing on it.

Lost people are searching for answers and hope online using Google.  

We are there with various language websites with the TRUTH and God's Word.

This is a few of the prayer requests from people visiting our site just this week:

This week's prayer needs:

Needs from inquirers around the world:

• ON 11-10-2014 A REQUEST FROM A WOMAN IN BOTSWANA (AFRICA)
  I great u in the name of JESUS..I am a married woman, and I am HIV positive. So this is making me to loose hope that I feel rejected sometimes. Help me with prayers that we help me to focus n forget abt the sickness.I am a born again. I really need us help. Thank u in Jesus name
• ON 11-09-2014 A REQUEST FROM A MAN IN UNITED STATES (NORTH AMERICA)
  I suffer from depression sometimes thinking about suicide and there is alot of reasons for it but truthfully, I use to believe and go to church and all that but after I got married to an abusive wife and was put through the ringer so to speak, I stopped believing. [...] my whole life has been terrible and wished that I never had it [...] suicide is the only answer that can come up with, not saying I'll go through with it, I really don't have the hair to do it but it only takes that "spur of the moment" [...]
• ON 11-08-2014 A REQUEST FROM A MAN IN ETHIOPIA (AFRICA)
  hi can you help me for pray
• ON 11-08-2014 A REQUEST FROM A MAN IN INDIA (EURASIA)
  I have some issues regarding my marriage at home.Please pray for me. Continously. I am totally depresed. Unable to take a wise decision. Pray.. pray... pray for me please.
• ON 11-06-2014 A REQUEST FROM A WOMAN IN NEW ZEALAND (ASIA PACIFIC)
  I am a Catholic. Have lost much through illness. Am constantly terrified into paralysis so don't get things done. Lot of pain. Want to not need pain relief & not be depressed.
• ON 11-06-2014 A REQUEST FROM A WOMAN IN SWAZILAND (AFRICA)
  I need Him to take over my life i need Jesus to work through me and i should allow him to work.
• ON 11-05-2014 A REQUEST FROM A MAN IN LIBERIA (AFRICA)
  I have accepted. Jesus as my Lord and and savior since I was a lil boy back in 1994 and I got baptized 2002 November 17. But I am far away from Christ these days...
• ON 11-05-2014 A REQUEST FROM A WOMAN IN KENYA (AFRICA)
  AM living in fear of dying prematurely just pray for me to overcome the challenge.
• ON 11-04-2014 A REQUEST FROM A MAN IN INDIA (EURASIA)
  i feel lonely and hopeless,

Please join us in praying for our ministry at Network 211… that we will shine God's light in the darkness like never before and that HOPE and TRUTH will be found, and that LIVES would be TRANSFORMED! 

Jesus strengthen us!  Fill us with wisdom and anointing and the POWER of your Spirit!

Long Overdue for an Update!

Well, I am LONG overdue for posting!  It's been busy... here are the highlights:

1.  Brad and I just celebrated our 17th anniversary!  I love him more now than ever.  He showed me strength I never even knew he had as he carried our family during the trials we faced this last year.  Love this man!

We started out the morning with CHOCOLATE GRAVY!  To which all southerners say - Woooo hoo!  And all others say... "say what?!?!"  :)

2.  Brad had the honor of baptizing Macy this past week at James River Assembly here in Springfield.  Even though we have prayed MANY times over the years for Jesus to come into her heart.... etc...  She recently went forward during a children's service... and walked across that invisible line of making her faith her own... not prompted by mom and dad.  She was so excited about being baptized as the next step!

Mia asked her right after being baptized, "Was it fun, Macy?" To which Macy replied, "No, it was not fun Mia... this is SERIOUS business!"  Too cute!

3.  My health = A Pie Chart  :)  The part of the pie where I feel healthy is growing slowly.  I would like for it to be 100%, but so far that is not the story.  However, I am learning to lean into God during this time, and to rest in Him, wait patiently for what He is teaching me, (not so good at that one), and to try and figure out WHO He desires me to be.  What should my priorities be in life and in ministry?  Where should I pour my time?  Because I tend to be passionate about EVERYTHING and think that all things deserve 100% of me.  However, that is such a reflection of how I have lived my life at an unattainable pace for YEARS now.  And it's not healthy.  So I need help in discerning God's clear voice in my life. When to say yes, when to say no.  And to feel good about it.

4.  Brad has an INCREDIBLE opportunity coming up to join a small team of missionaries in the Netherlands for a few days while they brainstorm the best way to utilize media in the coming years for the advancement of the good news of Jesus and His love!  Please be praying for them to have the wisdom and direction of God in their decisions!  #for such a time as this

The MESSAGE we share of Knowing God never changes... But the methods sure do! #mediaministry #mediathattransforms

5. Macy and Mia have done so well in school this year.  They basically both had to do 3 semesters in this one year just to catch up on the curriculum gaps (once again).  The GREAT news is that they both LOVE school and have grown in their self-esteem this year.  Beautiful smiles on beautiful girls! God has brought them on our amazing family journey - and I know He has plans for good in it all!


Mia was able to participate in the patriotic 1st grade program this year at school.  Boy that girl sang at the top of her lungs around the house for weeks!  "Grand 'ol Flag", "Star Spangled Banner", "Yankee Doodle", etc.  :)  She is now more proud than ever to be an American!

6.  Micah continues to GROW and prosper!  He is a BIG, happy, healthy baby!  Thank you Jesus!  From that scary start in the NICU in Madrid - to what we have before us today - what a beautiful miracle!  He is precious! I thank God for His grace.

7.  We have also had the opportunity to invest some time in a few college students here in Springfield.  We recently hosted a get together and had students over from James River Leadership College, Central Bible College, and Evangel University.  #futureworldchangers

Update & Prayer Needs

So - the updates are:

We have finally found and rented a house!  Our belongings will arrive via ship this coming Wednesday, March 21st!  Then it is expected to take 1-3 days for our container to be approved through customs and then delivered to our house!  PLEASE PRAY THAT CUSTOMS WILL ACCEPT IT WITH NO PROBLEMS OR DELAYS!!!!!!

So - we HOPE that our container will be delivered this coming Friday or Saturday March 23-24....that would give us the weekend to unpack....we start language school Tuesday the 20th - so we will be very busy during the week now!

My birthday is Sunday, March 25, and Brad asked me what I would like to do for it.  I exclaimed, "All I want to do is to move into my own house and have my own stuff!  It's going to be like CHRISTMAS next weekend!"  :)

We have finally started paperwork to buy our Speed the Light vehicle....and hopefully will have our own car within the next 2 weeks.  We have been blessed thus far to be able to borrow the vehicles of missionaries that are in the states itinerating right now.

OFFICIAL  language school starts for us this Tuesday, March 20th!  We are excited to start getting some language under our belts - but don't know what to really expect....  and of course we are going to be MOVING into our house at the SAME time!  Whew!

PRAYER NEEDS:

First of all we are PRAISING GOD for his ANSWERS to prayers!  Thank you for praying with us to find the right house!  We really feel so encouraged that we have found a house that we feel is a good fit for us.  We asked the landlord to come down on the rent - and they said that they would be HAPPY to come down to our asking price because they would be happy to have US as their tenants!  Wow!  Thank you God for your favor in this!  The family that owns the house has 2 boys - and they are BOTH adopted internationally!  So we have a common bond there!  So our house is great for us and within our rental limit!  Woooooo!  Thank you Jesus!

Thank you for praying for us to find the right vehicle!  After much research and visiting car dealerships - we feel like we have found the right one for us - and it also is within the range of what we have to spend!  Thank you Jesus!

1.   Now, PLEASE KEEP praying!  :)   First of all, pray for my (Glenda) health!  The diagnosis of being anemic and having gestational diabetes is not the end of the world - but it does bring more complications to my health that I am having to deal with during a very stressful time in our lives.  Pray that God will strengthen my body supernaturally, keep the sugar level in my body very low so that I and the baby can remain healthy, and that God will allow me HEALTH so that I can benefit from the next 10 weeks of language school!  The baby is due June 24th - but our doctor seems pretty confident that he will come early since Macy was born 3 weeks early.  Honestly, I will probably be happy for him to come early - b/c that means my body can begin to gain strength.... however I really want to be able to finish this semester of school feeling strong and well!

2.  Pray that God will make our minds like sponges to soak up every scrap of language that we can during these next couple of months of school!  Pray that we will have strength and stamina!  Pray that we will be able to do supernaturally more than we expect (remember we also have 2 children to care for every day too!).  Pray that we will be able to grasp the GRAMMAR, the HEARING, and the SPEAKING!

3.  We are beginning NOW to pray that the baby will be born HEALTHY and HAPPY.  This is big.  We are praying that he will not have any sickness, any colic, any troubles.  For him to be a HAPPY, HEALTHY baby will be a HUGE blessing to us!

4.  Continue to pray for Macy's schooling.  We are already seeing a HUGE improvement in her self-esteem academically.  This has been our first focus....that she be emotionally healthy and positive regarding school.  For the FIRST time EVER - she has been coming home and getting out her homework on her own and doing it HAPPILY! This has NEVER happened!  She has always come home and hated it - and never known how to do it.  We are so THANKFUL for an incredible teacher and school that has a HEART for missionary kids...and that they understand the complexities of what happens when kids switch school and curriculums numerous times.  They are working extra with her to help her catch up.  HOWEVER, there are still math concepts that she is still quite behind in - and has a big gap to cover to catch up with where the class is.  PLEASE PRAY.  We know God can do something miraculous and beautiful here.

5.  Please pray for our ministry team.  At IMM we have developed a partnership this year with one of our Arabi* ministries.  Pray that we will be able to develop, create, and deliver quality outreach pieces for reaching the Musli* people.  Pray that we can deliver with QUALITY and in a TIMELY manner.  Most people have no idea the magnitude of work that goes into creating media.  Most movies/films have HUNDREDS of people on their film/editing staff....and we only have a handful of missionaries here at IMM.  Our work is cut out for us.  We NEED the anointing and blessing of God to pull off the mission He has called us to!

December Prayer Update

We have some GOOD NEWS to share!!!!

HEALTH
I have now had 9 days of no vomiting and no meds (sorry - that may be too much info for some people - but in my case - this is such a HUGE praise!!!!)  After 4 weeks of volatile and violent sickness - it is looking like I am moving past that stage.  Every day I have said over and over throughout the day.... "Thank you God that I am not sick...thank you so much"....and every time my voice has cracked and I have teared up.  Unless you have ever been so violently sick for so long - you can't understand how emotional it is to be HEALTHY.  I don't understand why some women experience no problems with pregnancy, and yet others like me become violently ill.  Yet I trust the Lord with my life.

I am SO thankful for so many of you that PRAYED earnestly for me during this time.  I thanked God for you in the midst of my sickness - knowing that God was using you to get me through this dark time.

DATE TO FIELD
As of yesterday we received a PLAN and a TIMEFRAME from our directors in Spain!!!  Brad's visa is still the only one in our family of 4 that has been granted - but we are going ahead and setting a date for leaving!  Even if we have to come back later to retrieve the other visas.  With Spain this process has been so unpredictable for so many missionaries!  Ugh!

So - tentatively our new final date to LEAVE for the field is January 10th!  That is in just 32 short days with the holidays crammed in there too!  We have been trusting God while we wait on these Visas - knowing that our lives are in His hands.  We had been starting on language study - and then all of  a sudden - WHAM!  we found out about our little surprise and I had several weeks of sickness.  So in retrospect - we are thankful that we didn't have to surge forward with visas during this past month - because it would have been IMPOSSIBLE considering my condition.

SO HOW CAN YOU PRAY?
THIS IS HUGE!

1.  First and foremost:  PLEASE pray for a miracle here.  Pray that mine and the girls visas will be granted BEFORE we depart in January!!!  That way no one has to make a trip back to the states in the coming months to pick them up!  This is HUGE!  And we KNOW our God can do it!  Please pray earnestly with us for this miracle!

2.  Pray that as the last minute pressures come on us of having to purchase the transformers and supplies we need before we go, of packing concise for the container shipment, of taking care of final bills and utilities, of finding cheap flight tickets, and all that goes in with a move like this - that we will NOT be overwhelmed.  Pray that we will have peace, energy, strength, wisdom, finances, and help to accomplish it all without becoming over stressed.

3.  Pray that God will go before us and help the residence paperwork on the Spain side to go quickly and smoothly.  This is big.

4.  Pray that God will go before us and open up the exact perfect and right home for us at just the right time and rental price.

5.   Pray for this new life.  Pray that God will protect this baby and even now bless this child to become a mighty person for Him.

PRAYER NEEDS of Missionary Friends:

DAWN MARIE HELIN - one of our team members at IMM  in Spain has been diagnosed with breast cancer.  She is undergoing chemo and treatment right now.  The Helins are an AMAZING family that God is using in great ways in this ministry.  They also have 4 incredible children.  Please pray for perfect healing and blessing in their lives.

WADE DICKERSON - Wade is the husband of one of our PHENOMENAL staff members, Nancy, at Assemblies of God World Missions.  This past Wednesday he had another cornea transplant in hopes to restore his vision.  He has already become legally blind and can hardly see at all.  He is so discouraged by his loss of sight and we are all praying for a MIRACLE.  PLEASE pray for Wade that God will intervene in this and help the transplant to miraculously take and restore his sight.  I can not imagine what this must be like.

Let's pray friends!  Thank you!  When we agree together in prayer mighty strongholds can be moved!

Update

Apparently I am just one of those women who do not do well with pregnancy.  I spent last Thursday evening at the women's hospital receiving IV fluids and medications because I had not kept ANYTHING down for over 24 hours.  Those fluids and intravenous meds rescued me from what felt like the brink of death...  It has been difficult. And discouraging.

However, my doctors are trying different medications that are available now to try to control it.  Right now I still swing between extreme nausea and being knocked out cold.  It is so disheartening.  But then I remind myself....at least I'm not throwing up....   True...  Yet is is still so hard to feel so badly.

Brad has been amazing with the girls and taking care of our household while I am incapacitated.  

Still no word on mine or the girls visas.  I'm just trying to stay alive here!  :)  As soon as those Visas get granted however we will be thrust into motion...

Please continue to pray for me.  That God will grant healing, grace, and peace.  

And pray that we can get everything done as it needs to be done.

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As I've struggled with this "new" dimension to our transition....of course I've questioned God....

Why now?  Couldn't the timing have been better?  Couldn't I NOT be sick?  ......

But God has comforted me with "His plans are bigger than ours....His ways are better..."

He has a plan that there be another child in this generation that will rise up and serve Him...

It's not just about US today....but it is about each generation having voices and children to rise up and make a difference.  

Apparently this child is part of that plan. 

Praying I can get past this sickness quickly...so that I can look forward with hope and encouragement!

November Prayer Update

Brad's Visa has been issued and Glenda and the girls' visas should soon follow.  We are neck deep in preparations for our move, packing, and language study.

First of all....we have a little bit of unexpected news to share with you all.  These 4 pictures represent our life this month:

What???

Are you kidding me??

Seriously??

Now??

All questions that we have asked God this month - I assure you!  But yes, we have been to the doctor and he has confirmed that come June 2012 - there will be a baby in our house.  We are still slightly shell-shocked - as this was not part of our plan!  However we do TRUST God with every detail of our lives...and that His plan is often much larger and more detailed than ours.

How you can pray for us this month:

1.  NUMBER ONE:  Please pray for Glenda's health.  The reason we have never had any other children (other than adoption) is b/c the first pregnancy was the perfect example of DISASTER!!  Glenda was sick 24 hours a day for the first 4 months.  She threw up so much that she busted all the blood vessels in her eyes!  It was a treacherous time.  So- PLEASE join with us in prayer that she will be well this time.  Pray for God's grace to be extended to her during this time of the first trimester - when we are packing, moving, flying to Spain, finding a new home, unpacking, and starting language school!  Whew!  That alone is monumental!  Add in this new "surprise" - and it can be overwhelming!

When our prayer team prays - it is amazing the strength and encouragement that we feel.  I KNOW that we will begin to feel the effects of these prayers TODAY as you join with us for this need.

2.  Pray that we can get everything packed efficiently and that the things we need will all fit into our container to be shipped here in a few weeks.

3.  Pray even NOW that God will prepare the way and help us to find the perfect home to live in for these next 3 years.  God specializes in the details - and we are believing that He will open up the right house, at the right time, and for the right price....and that we will be perfectly content with the house he provides us with.

4.  Pray now that God will help us to find a vehicle quickly that will meet our family's needs and be a bargain!

5.  Pray that God will encourage us and strengthen us as we face so much transition ahead of us.  Pray for peace and direction.

6.  Pray for Macy.  She has been in a new school every year and is about to start yet another one when we move to Spain.  We are still seeing some learning gaps this year and she has really been struggling with 3rd grade.  Pray that God will give her mind understanding...and that she can overcome what she has missed - and EXCEL as a student.  Pray that she will LOVE learning and be a quick learner.

7.  Pray for the people's whose lives will be touched by the international media we work on during the next 3 years.  Pray that God will go before us and prepare their hearts...and that they will be forever changed.

8.  CLOSE TO OUR HEART:  One of the other families that are working at IMM need special prayer. Michael and Dawn Marie Helin are a vital part of everything we do at IMM.  They are raising 4 amazing teenagers, are home for itineration, and Dawn Marie has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Prayer team, will you join us in praying for PERFECT healing for Dawn? For these people who have given their lives to missions?  Pray for strength, peace, and health as she enters into chemo.  Thank you so much.

September Update

Today marks the day that our paperwork is officially all done....and we begin the season of transition.

We would be honored for our family, friends, and support team to continue to pray with us about these things:

1.  Pray that all of the documents that are being processed at the Spain government offices will be received with favor and processed quickly so that we can receive our Visas!

2.  We start langauge lessons today....meeting with a tutor 3-5 hours a week until we leave for the field.
 So pray over our minds...that we can begin NOW to learn and grasp the language that we must know to live and function abroad in Spain.

3.  We begin this week to downsize our belongings and prepare for the packing process.
Pray that we will have wisdom in what to take and that God will help us in every step of the packing process.  We have a 20 ft. container to pack our household in.  That is MUCH smaller than a moving truck!

4.  There are some things that will just have to be bought and replaced in Spain.  Most houses do not come with refrigerators, washing machines, or LIGHT FIXTURES! (crazy huh?)  Everything there runs on a 220 current - so we have to keep in mind what electrical appliances we have that will need to be replaced.  Please pray that God helps us find affordable items.  Prices in Spain can be very expensive!

5.  Please pray that God will give us wisdom NOW about what items we need to stock up on in packing.  It would be bad to be three months down the road and realize there are some items we really should have brought with us.  We know God can give us the direction that we need now!  :)

6.  Please continue to pray that God will go before us and prepare the right home for us.  Pray that we will find the right house, in the right neighborhood, and for the right price.  Pray that God will bless us with a kind landlord.  ;)

7.  And PLEASE pray for our team!  RIGHT NOW our team at IMM is producing a film in A*rabic.  Languages in the studio for this production have to be translated between the A*rabic speakers, Spanish actors, and English speaking crew!  Pray for God's powerful anointing on this project!  And pray for it's effectiveness at reaching the target audience!  Exciting stuff!

Update:
1.  My eyes are doing MUCH better! The inflammation is under control!  Praise God and thank you for agreeing in prayer for me!  It is such a blessing to feel like I have my eyes back!
2.  Macy is doing better in 3rd grade.  We have pinpointed where some of her learning gaps are and we are working diligently to get her caught up! Please continue to pray over her mind and her heart - that she will love learning and have a good attitude!

August Update and Prayer Needs

Having passed the finish line of raising our minimum monthly budget to leave for the field - we are FINALLY being able to "move on" to the final Resident Visa process and packing part of this journey!  From one stress to the next! Ha! The last month of itineration was excruciating enough!  We were right down to the deadline on having enough monthly pledges to receive clearance and move on to this next stage in the process!

Now we continue to weed through paperwork, government requirements, and Spain approval.  We HOPE that we will be able to make the trip to Chicago NEXT week to meet with the Consulate about our resident Visa being granted.  That's why it is so much harder.  We are not just tourists, but we are moving to Spain as "residents"....so many more requirements and hoops to jump through.

If it looks like we will be delayed in this process more than expected - we are set to go ahead and begin our language study here.  This way we can transition more smoothly into language school on the field.  There will be no wasted moment while we wait patiently for God's perfect timing for our departure!

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AUGUST PRAYER NEEDS

1.  Please pray for us to have FAVOR at the Consulate.  These powers that be will be deciding how quickly they process our application without problems.

2.  Please pray that we have FAVOR at the Spain government offices where our application will be approved.  They are notorious about being SLOW in this process on the Spain side - but we know GOD can move things in creative ways!

3.  Please pray for our LANGUAGE study.  We will begin soon - and need God's supernatural help in grasping and remembering a new language!  Pray for us to become FLUENT!  In incredible time!  :)

4.  Please pray for us in the packing stage.  We have to figure out what we can/need to take overseas in order to set up our house there.  Nothing that we own that is electrical will work there.  All of that will need to be replaced after we get on the field.  Pray that we won't become stressed through the packing phase.

5.  We have decided to WAIT until we arrive in Spain to look for a house to live in.  Please pray that God will go before us and open up the right house at the exact right time for our arrival.  Having the right home in the right neighborhood is going to be so key in our "settledness" once we move overseas.  Will you please pray that God will bless us with exactly what we need?  That He will give us favor in EVERY aspect of finding a home?

6.  Macy has started 3rd grade!  Please pray that she will FLOURISH academically!  She has been in a new school every year since she started....and will only be here until we leave for Spain.  So she will change schools yet again! PLEASE pray that God will bless her mind to grasp concepts and excel in school. I have been worried about how she seems to have some "gaps" in her learning.

7.  Please pray for my EYES!  I continue to have extremely DRY eyes.  According to the eye doctor my tear glands are not working and producing the tears that I need to lubricate my eyes.  It has even caused re-occuring infection in the glands behind my eyes b/c of the dryness.   This problem is causing me much discomfort, pain, and frustration.  Pray that God will HEAL me and that my eyes will be PERFECTLY restored and healthy!  You never realize how much you use your eyes for EVERYTHING until it hurts to hold them open!

Thank you friends, family, prayer team!  YOU are making a difference by partnering to pray for us!  We thank God daily for the gift of YOU in our lives!