be the change you want to see

Training is coming to a close. Today we're going through final financial issues, OMS Theology and information directly related to our field in Haiti. This is so helpful, even if a bit overwhelming. The Haiti director reminded us this morning that "wherever we live: Haiti or New York, our call is to change the world!" Living Christ to those around us brings change to a dark world...and that's what we're each called to as Christians! It was a good reminder to us, especially admist three weeks of the "nitty gritty" detailing.

All the Cross-Training women had a ladies night last night. We are so thankful for these new relationships and the blessing they have been and will be to us. Please remember us in prayer as we finish training, travel to Columbus, and head for New Bedford, PA to worship there on Sunday.

Almost done...Already!

Happy Belated Birthday, Dad! We've heard from Stacey's sister in Namibia, and she is having a wonderful, life-transforming time. This photo was taken the day she left.

Training is back in full swing, and we were blessed to join in on "Haitian Night" last night. Several missionaries who now live in Indiana but once worked in Haiti got together for a Haitian meal. What a blessing to eat with past and future Haitian missionaries, and to hear their stories. (Most of the stories were a blessing, anyway. We could have done without the scorpion stories :) It was great to have rice, beans, and plantain and gritty black Haitian coffee.

Thank you all for your continued prayers. We start our month of speaking this Sunday...please continue to be in prayer for the last of our training and our preparation for July!

cross-culturally competent

Training continues...everything is going really well, except that several of the kids, and now adults, are feeling a bit under the weather, including Matt. We both did well on our "Cross-Cultural Competency" test, which we figure is a good thing!

We are heading tonight for Columbus, Ohio again to have a weekend at home to prepare for our next month of travelling and to celebrate Stacey's Dad's Birthday.

we are drinking from a fire hyrdrant...

...of information! We are learning so much valuable and key information, but wow! Information overload is starting to sink in! We are glad we have 6 weeks following training before leaving for Haiti so that we can continue to process this information. We are focusing on our ministry gifts and identities so that we can recognize strengths and weaknesses before joining the field. Pictured are all of our fellow classmates, heading for various countries around the world, mainly Indonesia. They are such inspiring people, and it is a blessing to be surrounded by other people who are in relatively the same boat as we are. Half-way done!

Father's Day

We had such a nice Father's Day weekend with Dad and our new friend Hugo. He has quite an interest in bridges, and we enjoyed seeing several of Dad's jobs around Columbus, and sharing several meals together. Hugo is in full-time ministry in South Africa, and joins Dad as a fellow "Bridge Builder."
We are back to training now, this weeking working on "Missionary Marriages", "Maintaining Physical and Mental Health," and "Discovering Your Ministry Identity."

out of control!

We have "graduated" our "Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills" class and are now moving on to 2 weeks of "Cross Training", where we will be able to work on more specific cultural issues. We are in Columbus for the weekend to celebrate Father's Day with Stacey's dad, and also brought home a new friend from training. He is South African, and is the OMS director there. He's sharing a lovely wealth of stories, memories and testimonies with all of us...what a blessing, especially as we prepare to begin full-time ministry.

In class the other day, we did a "stress" evaluation, and realized through this test just how faithful the Lord has been. So many details that were causing high levels of stress in our lives 6 months ago (how are we ever going to be fully funded? when are we finally going to begin work in Haiti? where else could we speak?) have all been replaced with His perfect provision in His perfect time. We know there will be many more uncertainties in the future and many more stresses, but we are glad to be in His comlete control!

OMS World Headquarters

Training marches on as we finish off our week's study of "Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills." We are having the opportunity to meet such interesting people with such interesting stories and testimonies.

Chapel this morning was an update on the church in South Korea and their constant burden for their Northern brothers and sisters. How interesting that South Korea, known as sending out more missionaries than anywhere in the world (other than the US) is bordered by North Korea, the country that tops the list for Most Christian Persecution. We don't have to personally experience or intricately understand this burden of persecution and oppression to carry it heavily and lift it urgently in prayer, do we...

blessed to be trained

We are getting settled into our new temporary home at OMS World Headquarters in Greenwood, Indiana. We are in training with 7 other couples and one gentleman from South Africa: 4 from England, 1 other from Asbury, and 2 from Texas. As was true of our last training here, we are blown away and blessed by these people. The stories and callings and ministries of the just these other families around us are so beautiful! We are feeling your prayers as He continues to use this as an opportunity to stretch us, grow us, and excite us!
Also, we also had a lovely anniversary! OMS somehow got a mixed message that it was actually Matt's Birthday, not our anniversary, so to celebrate we had a cake and balloons and the whole party! It was quite a funny incident for our first day, and strangers keep coming up and wishing him a Happy 2 Year Birthday Anniversary :) It is a joy to be among a great cloud of witnesses such as this: everyday people just like us who have lived lives of service all over the world!

pressing forward

Tomorrow (Monday) is a big day for us! Lisa, Stacey's sister, leaves for Namibia. We move to Greenwood, Indiana for the month for Cross-Cultural Training, and it is our 2 Year Anniversary! It is unbelievable to us that we have been married 2 years already...sometimes it seems like it happened, though it's hard to remember our lives before each other. Please be in prayer for: Lisa as she ministers to children in Namibia; for us as we meet new people and participate in traning, and for our marriage, that it continue to be guarded and blessed! Thank you...

healthy and happy

We are back from Greenwood, IN for the weekend to see Stacey's sister off for Namibia, Africa for the summer. Our medical exams went well...we are awaiting several results from blood tests, but passed all of the other tests without problem. They also gave us some good ideas of medical issues to look out for specifically relating to our field. Our good friend Gentry (middle) is coming today for a last visit before we head for Haiti. We were friends in college and he was in our wedding almost two years ago!

James & Cindy...Happy Day!

We are so happy for you both as you celebrate 26 years today! Your marriage and your love for the Lord has been such an example for us both!

We head off today for Greenwood, Indiana for our complete medical clearance evaluation tomorrow morning at 8:30 am. We must pass these medical exams in order to be permitted to move to Haiti...please be in prayer for us tomorrow and for our travel today!

getting settled

With our departure quickly approaching, we are finally settling some information. We are moving to Haiti on August 21st. This is a few days after what we had originally thought, but we are so pleased to have a date confirmed. This later date will also give us a bit more time with family, extra time to pack, and will allow us to see Stacey's sister for a few days after she returns from Namibia on August 15th. We have also learned that we will be living in this home upon moving to Haiti! We will be living here until the new seminary site is finished. It is a rather small home, but very tidy and well taken care of. The reality of moving to Haiti is hitting us in a new way with these details...We are so excited (and a bit terrified, too!) We are blessed by your continued prayers...

Congrats, Jon & Amanda!

What a blessing to be at our friends wedding today, Jon & Amanda (Quiggins) Lewis! It was wonderful to see old college friends, including Stacey's college roommate Bex (far left, off to serve in Africa for the next three years). It means so much to us to have Godly friends support and encourage us in His call on our lives, and to be a witness of a beautiful new Christian marriage!