Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Please Respond

Dearest Friends and Family~

We are struggling somewhat financially.  After several large expenses including airfare to Peru, again to Paraguay, household set-up, and training in Peru... we are nearing deficit.  A great many of our supporters are consistent and we are so thankful for each small and great bit that the Lord provides through them.  There are also some who pledged with good intention have been unable to fulfill their pledges and others are inconsistent.  We also have been having several fees each month for declined cards nearing $100 each month.   This last month of June alone, we received $700 less than was pledged.

We ask that each of you pray specifically for provision.  We are able to live here on a very small monthly budget but what we have coming in from donors is not overlapping enough that we are able to repay loans from within Extreme Nazarene for some of our large one-time expenses in April and May as well as return home for our 3 week holiday in December.  We find our overall budget short more than $8,000 at least, not counting inconsistent monthly pledges.

I know this is a huge stretch for you.  It was a massively huge stretch for our family to leave you and the life in the US that God had blessed us with.  We are finding ourselves in a bind right now and we humbly and desperately need for you to continue in support and prayer for us.  We pray that you will be blessed with all that you need to continue walking this crazy road together. 

This next month we are expecting a group of short-term volunteers that will be doing lots and lots of outreach.  We hope their experience here is a great blessing. Our church in Fernando de la Mora has just completed a patio/building that should be able to hold 400-500 people.  The structure is basically a cement pad with a roof which sounds unimpressive, but really it is quite large, usefull and cool.  The very day it was finished we hosted an area church event which turned out awesomely (and lasted until 1am!...we went to bed at 10pm).  This next week three young men from our team will be travelling to Cali, Colombia with Pastor Felix.  We are so excited to see how they will be changed by their experience there.  

Cole and I still feel very strongly that God is and will continue to use us here. Our dream is that the church in Fernando de la Mora, Paraguay will be a sort of beacon here just as Cali is for Colombia.  This is a big, big, challenge...one that may not cone to fruition just in the time that we are able to be here...but we greatly desire that God will use us in this journey of the Paraguayan church. 

How easy it is to sink into "normal" and lose the vision that we receieve from Christ.   I know that while my little family is down here so far away, you continue in the daily demands and responsibilities for your own family.  And, there are many things that we are removed from that you all are experiencing there.  Somehow, this all works together to accomplish His good and perfect will.  We said this many times while fundraising and preparing to move to South America, and it still remains true now... We have no doubt of the call God placed on our lives for this time and because of that, we know that God has called a lot of you to carry us through.  We are entirely grateful and blessed by your support and we need a few new people to step in along the jouorney or if you are able to increase.  We know that life is crazy right now. We know that the news keeps speaking of financial failure.  But honestly, who do we serve?  We are the body and the head is Christ!  What is sent out will not return void.  Please, pray with us for provision.