The Plan

(Email update sent July 30)

Hello!

I hope you all are having a great summer. I am doing well. Thank you for all your prayers and support. It has been a challenge waiting for things to happen and I appreciate all the encouragement sent my way. Some things are still up in the air, but I am finally able to take steps forward to go where I know I am supposed to be. Here are some updates and what my plans are:

George and I will not be going to Uganda. The hospital wanted George to work there, but the government would not allow them to hire him. In the name of protecting Ugandan jobs, they wanted the hospital to employ a Ugandan lab technologist. So, that door is shut. It was disappointing, but we prayed that God would clearly open doors for us or clearly shut them. In this case it was a solid no, so we are thanking God for making it obvious. We only want to be where God wants us. We completely trust His plan and know his timing is perfect.

So, where does that leave us? It leaves George and I knowing we are called to be missionaries, but still waiting to find out where God wants us long term. Our time apart has been tough, but during this time we have drawn closer to the Lord to seek His will for our lives. It has confirmed to us that we are supposed to be married and so I am making plans to move to Kenya.

On September 17th I will be leaving for Nairobi. By the time I arrive it will be the 19th and I will be met by George and members of his family. I will live in Kisumu for a few months where his family lives while we continue our search for long term ministry options. During this time we'll be able to do pre-marital counseling and move forward in our relationship. I will also take lessons in Kiswahili which is the language of Kenya and Tanzania.

While we are looking for a ministry to work with long term, we want to do ministry in the community of Kisumu. We'll be working with Trinity Fellowship, a ministry George has worked with before. We'll be going to different high schools every day in the surrounding areas and developing relationships with their students. We'll be able to share the gospel, disciple them and encourage them to make a difference in their community.

Hopefully by the time we are married, we will know where we are going to be headed. We are in the process of researching different ministry opportunities and praying about them. There are a couple leads we have that we are excited about. One, especially, in Tanzania. We have a wide set of gifts (George – lab technologist, teaching, evangelism; Me – administration, service, encouragement, ) and want God to match us with with a ministry that could use a pair like us. Our goal is to help people come to know the Lord and have hope – especially those who are in desperate situations and are very much in need.

I just finished working at Aloha West Insurance. I will have about six weeks to prepare to move to Kenya and spend time with family and friends. I have so much to do in that time, but it has all been neatly organized in an excel sheet that I will enjoy checking off as I complete them! I would very much appreciate your prayers as I get ready to go. I have moments of panic and fear and then peace and faith. I don't know what exactly the future holds, but I know God is telling me to go... so I am. Leaving is very bittersweet. When I left last time, I thought I would be going for a year and coming back. This time, I don't know when I am coming back and that makes me sad. I would love to live close to my family friends and stay here forever, but I can't ignore the calling God has placed on my life to be in East Africa. Please pray for strength as I navigate this sea of many emotions.

My journey is not a solo one. I could not do this without help and that is where you come in. I need people to partner with me through prayer and finances. George and I have to raise about $1500 per month to live on. For anyone feeling called to come alongside George and I and help with our monthly support, you can send your support for now to:

Rancho del Rey Church

3132 Tiger Run Ct.
Suite G-105
Carlsbad, CA 92010

Be sure to put my name in the memo line

You can also go online at www.ranchodelreychurch.org. Once we are with a ministry long term, I will let you know the new place to send your contributions.

This email is very long now! I am going to start blogging regularly now so please visit my blog at http://www.thisisstaciesblog.blogspot.com/ for more updates and stories as I get closer to leaving. Thanks again for your support. You guys are great!

Love,
Stacie