following the LEADER

This has been a big week for us. Sam is doing all kinds of new things and this week it was pulling up on the side of his crib. Mommy helped him the first time, and then when he realized that he could do it, he decided that he really liked standing there. He even tried it one handed (before he fell back down). No problem! He pulled right back up! Unfortunately, Daddy has been in Niger this week, and he’s missing out on a small first.Today at church our pastor talked about worship. As I knelt at the altar and sang, “You are worthy.” I told God that he was worthy of my sacrifice. To me, being alone in my house has been a sacrifice, but I’m willing to be alone because I know that having Dave gone is just a step in the big picture for us. God is calling us to Niger, and he is worthy of our obedience, whatever that means. This made me cry, but what me cry harder was what God said to my heart in response. He said, “I AM worthy of your sacrifice, but I also want to walk through it with you. You’ve been so busy taking care of the house and the baby and the dog that you haven’t stopped to let me walk with you through this. As much as you love Sam, I love you exponentially more than that. I delight in walking with you through your loneliest moments.” I have been so strong and I’ve been working so hard, that I’ve forgotten to “pull up” myself and allow the Lord to minister his love to me. So, now that I remember I can do it, I plan on reaching up more often and letting my father minister his love to me.

It’s a little funny to try and pack everything you are going to need over the next two years into 20 rubbermaid containers. It makes you take stock of your possessions and scrutinize what you truly need and don’t need. Think about all the little things you use on an every day basis…how much of that do you need? how much can you live without? What exactly is available in Niger?

This new year feels like both the end of a journey and the beginning of an exciting new one. In 2006 we met our first born son, we were officially accepted by the Assemblies of God as Missionary Associates to Africa, and we both quit our jobs. Somehow, though, we feel like we are only just starting to live the exciting adventure that God is calling us to.

Our plans are always changing, but it is our current hope that after attending Pre-field Orientation in Springfield, MO March 15-23 we will be leaving for Niamey, Niger in the beginning of April. We are currently packing our belongings and deciding what to take and what to store for the next 2 years. Dave is also working very hard with his dad, his brothers, and some very kind friends to finish the last few renovations to our home which we hope to sell in the next few months.

Our other important task from now until we leave for Niger is to find a group of people to partner with us in prayer and financial support. We believe our job of going to Niger is just one LINK in a chain of people called to change Niger for the Kingdom of God. Our official reason for going to Niger is to host American teams sent both through Assemblies of God World Missions and through the LINK. We will also be facilitating the development of small businesses, spending a lot of time learning French, and trying to acclimate ourselves to Nigerien culture.

As we look at our projected itinerary, both literally and figuratively, we are both thrilled and a little daunted. We know that God has handcrafted this mission specifically for us, and yet we also know that we are not adequate to complete it without the equipping only he can provide. We are excited, giddy, a little weary, sometimes apprehensive, but most of all we are really, really ready!

to link up with us, download a donor card here.

We had a wonderful time at Mom and Dad’s in Massachusetts. Samuel was very excited to hang out with his cousins Jake and Sophia. We love spending time with the Johansson clan. We even had game night with all the adults. We found out that Dan does a mean impersonation of Bob Dylan, Nicole can do a pretty convincing Eiffel Tower, and Jon is excellent at drawing stuff with a shirt on his head. Needless to say, fun was had by all.

One of the many highlights of our trip was having our friends Andrew and Liz fly up to Boston to meet us for New Years. Auntie Jen graciously agreed to keep Samuel while we went out on the town with our friends. Dave and I assume that this will be the last New Years that we spend out on the town for quite a few years, and we really enjoyed the opportunity.