When one door closes, another opens...

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand." 

-- Solomon, Proverbs 19:21

Wow, so much has happened since our last family update, it’s hard to know where to begin! In our last update (Feb 2013), we were less than two months away from our planned move to Florida to continue our missions training with YWAM Orlando. While in the final stages, we had some major details that needed to fall into place to make the move, including the sale of our house. As our departure date drew closer without an offer, it became clear that we needed a "Plan B".

Being fully convinced of our plan to work with YWAM, we hadn't really spent much developing a backup plan. Our assumption was that if things didn’t come together in April, we'd just head down there for the next semester. However, after that open door apparently closed, we decided to take time to reconsider some core questions: Were we really called to serve in missions long-term? If so, was our place overseas or here in the US? Was it best to continue working with YWAM or should we work thru our home church network?

As we wrestled with these questions, we realized that while our desire to continue working in missions was certain, the specifics on where, what and when, were still open to evaluation. For instance, our experience with YWAM was awesome and we would love to continue working with them, but our home church network (http://harvestnetinc.com) also has an expanding missions program where we could serve. YWAM has outstanding training programs, but there are other training programs that might actually be a better fit for our family. We’ve enjoyed working overseas, but we also see the great needs right here in the US.

Given these uncertainties, we decided it would be best to stay here in Lancaster, take advantage of the extra time to prepare and search things out further. Believing that selling our home was key to being free to follow whatever path opens, we decided to keep searching for a buyer, while also seeking out continued employment and opportunities to gain more training and experience in missions. In a very short time, several major items came together and our path for the next year or so is already clearly mapped out! Our house has sold, we found a nearby apartment, I have the opportunity to continue working at Refreshing Mountain (www.refreshingmountain.com) and Amy and I have been invited to join a nine-month missions apprenticeship program, called Immerge (http://www.immergecca.org), that will provide exactly the kind of practical training and mentoring we've been looking for and is based right here in Lancaster!

We are very excited to tell you more about Immerge, but we are going to save that for a future post. For now, we wanted to give everyone a long overdue update on our adventure. Before I close, here's a quick run down on what we are up to this summer, as well a some prayer requests.

• I will be working on several interesting projects at Refreshing Mountain. In my free time, I'll be hanging with the girls, honing my meat smoking skills and will be attending the upcoming Circuit Riders School in Lancaster.(http://thecircuitrider.com/school-of-the-circuit-rider/lancaster/)
• Amy just completed an intense training program at YWAM Lebanon (http://www.ywampa.org), earning a certificate to teach English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). After a short rest, she's busy organizing our new apartment, preparing for homeschooling in the fall and preparing for all the other things we are doing in the fall. In addition to Immerge, Amy will be volunteering at the Cavod Academy of the Arts (http://cavodacademy.com/), where the girls are taking dance classes.
• Bente recently served as a a youth counselor at Kids Camp with our church and is now working in the kitchen at Refreshing Mountain. She will be attending the Circuit Riders School with me in August and then will be take a full load of dance classes in the fall.
• Ascher is busy with all sorts of creations, from the plays she and her friends develop, to stop motion movies and short stories. She will be taking some acting classes and piano classes in the fall.
• Soren continues in her aspirations to be a veterinarian one day by absorbing herself in every episode of shows like "Dog Whisperer". She's been spending a lot of time at the pool and has been a great play mate to Mala. She'll also be taking some classes in the fall including Hip Hop and Piano.
• Our little Miss Mala just turned three and she's got all of the spunk and energy to prove it. She won't be taking any classes just yet, but she's busy learning more everyday and enjoys keeping us on our toes from morning to night!

Our journey has had some unexpected twists and turns, but it's a fulfilling adventure and we're learning more everyday! As you think about us, consider partnering with us in prayer in the following areas:

• Increased grace as we learn to walk on this next leg of our journey
• Clear direction over this next year as we seek out our future in missions
• Praise the Lord with us that we have already received about half of the monthly support we will need during our apprenticeship (I will be transitioning to part-time hours at work) and for continued wisdom and provision as we work out a strategy for additional fundraising.

Bente, Carl, Mala, Soren & Ascher

Amy & her TESOL class

Mala & Ascher on Mala's Birthday