All Systems Go (Almost)

I'm going! By the time offices reopen after the turn of the new year, I will be in another country! Praise the Lord.

There is much to be done between now and then. Packing, gathering visa documents, saying goodbye (again)... Please be in prayer about this whirlwind of details!

There is still a financial need of about $300 per month. Though the shortfall is being managed right now, ultimately it affects the longevity of my ministry and so is not a workable option for more than a couple of years. As you are figuring out your budget for the new year, if you feel that you could help meet this need and would like to contribute to this work, please let me know or visit the EFCA Giving page at www.efca.org/giving.

An update on my sister: Kelley is headed to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston Dec. 10 to consult with specialists there and begin aggressive preventive treatment. The rationale is that the type of cancer my sister had removed tends to lurk in the body and reappear. The treatment is intended to kill any cancer cells that may be hibernating. Please pray for her continued recovery from the two surgeries and her strength through the coming treatments. (She and Mom should be home from Houston in time for Christmas.)

A Quick Note of Thanks

I don't have much to report just yet, but I wanted to say thank you to all of you who have sent encouraging notes my direction and additional prayer heavenward in recent days. I hope to have news to share in a few days. Please continue praying as I prepare to leave. Your prayers and partnership are precious to me and a delight to our Father, too.

And one quick update: All the tests on my sister have come back clear of cancer. She will meet with an oncologist to talk about what the future may hold, but we are rejoicing over what appears to be the very best outcome. Thank you for your prayers on my sister's behalf!

Stay tuned for more news soon!

Navigating the Lumps

Life is messy. As a person who is entering full-time ministry, I feel like I spend a lot of time trying to put the right spiritual "spin" on life. No one wants to be a bummer, right? But the fact remains that difficult things happen. Loving what I am called to doesn't mean that every step along the way is rosy. I mentioned in the last post that this season of life has felt like swimming through gravy. Let me refine that image for you: This is cold and lumpy gravy!

The biggest lump has come since that last post. My younger sister, who had a melanoma removed from her arm last week, has received the news that the cancer is more widespread. A lymphectomy and chemotherapy are on the near horizon. The other lumps are fairly insignificant by comparison, and yet ever-present and irritating. So please pray. The God of the whole universe is also the God of my small world. I believe He can and will work all things to good in the lives of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

During a mini-retreat this weekend, I got to read through the book of Genesis. I didn't have a plan when I picked it...It just happens to come first! But as I read about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the children of Israel, I was reminded about what the New Testament writers had to say about them. They recieved the promises by faith, even though they never possessed the Promise Land and barely had a glimpse of the kingdoms (and Kingdom) to come. That reception by faith was credited to them as righteousness. So while I feel a bit like I'm stuck in a wilderness, I am encouraged by the reality of God's promises. They're big and beautiful--and perfectly believable, thanks the faithfulness of the God who made them. Praise the Lord!

Swimming through Gravy

This isn't going to be a long post, because there isn't much to report. This in-between time has been slow and messy (thus the title), and I am so eager to finish up here to be ready to be in the Czech Republic! Since I serve a God who can move mountains, let me share some of the mountains that need moving and invite you to approach the throne of grace with me to get these mountains moved.
1. Pray for the support team building to be completed quickly. I am looking for one more church (one more!) to join the team and help meet the last of the financial need.
2. Pray for encouragement and joy for me. I've been frustrated, which doesn't do much for me or my family. Pray that I would keep my eyes on the prize (not that last bit of support, much as it is needed, but on God's glory, which is the whole point, right?) I also need someplace to "office" for the duration--a quiet and peaceful place for getting some work done. Please pray for the provision of this simple but elusive need!
3. Pray for that last bit of support to be in soon. I am going to the Czech Republic at the end of November for some important meetings with my teammates and our partners. What a wonderful thing if I didn't need to come back to finish up support-team building after that!

Thanks, friends! May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus fill your hearts and minds (and mine, too) today.

Putting the Personal Back into Interpersonal

I made a choice on this go-around of my newsletter to send it out one person or family at a time. Let me rephrase that: I am still in the process of sending it one address at a time, because this is no small task with an e-mail list of 300 addresses. This isn't always going to be possible (or maybe it will be...I haven't formed a firm opinion yet). But it has been a big blessing. Sending it slowly gave me time to pray for people more personally. It reminded me of the huge number of people praying for me. And it brought more responses back than any e-mail I've ever sent out. I heard from many friends I don't hear from often. I got caught up with some of you and heard the news of your lives. And I learned better how to pray for people whom I love. Bulk mail, whether postal or electronic, serves an important purpose, and a general newsletter helps me get more information out faster, but nothing is quite as good as one-to-one for remembering our interconnectedness in the body of Christ. So many of the people I send that newsletter to are hundreds of miles away from me. Some I haven't seen in months or even years now. But then an e-mail comes (some with pictures....joy!) and the time peels away, and I remember how much I love my brothers and sisters. That is a roundabout way of saying: Keep in touch. I am so thankful for the friends, old and new, God has placed in my life and in this work!

Welcome!

Finally, finally...welcome to my blog!

The purpose of this blog is to keep friends and supporters up-to-date on the ups and downs, ins and outs of the work the Lord is leading me to. Thus the title. "Christ for the Romani" is a call God put in my heart...wow, ten years ago now. Finally, I'm counting the time till my entry into that work fulltime in weeks, not months or years.

The Romani are a people who live all over the world, though the vast majority are in Europe. They have a rich culture and a sad history, and continue to face prejudice in many venues--even churches. Many Romani communities continue to suffer deep poverty, high teen pregnancy rates, high incarceration rates, significantly lower life expectancies, and the ravages of addictions. And in the midst of these heartbreaking circumstances, I have watched the power of the Kingdom of God transforming broken families and desperate individuals. Scripture says to first look for God's righteousness, and then trust God's provision of the rest (my interpretation of Matthew 6:31). That's the goal of this work: seeking the Kingdom of God and God's righteousness to reach into the lives of Romani people, and being part of the outpouring of God's provision of the needs of hurting people.

Please check back often for updates, musings, and all the to-do...especially as departure draws near. I'm new to this whole blogging thing, so as I play with this and get up to speed, you can watch a daily transformation of this site! I will continue to produce my bimonthly newsletter, Patrin, and send prayer updates to those interested. Please drop me an e-mail if you would like to receive those little gems.