Massevot: What Happened Here?

"On a good day, enjoy yourself;

On a bad day, examine your conscience.

God arranges for both kinds of days

So that we won't take anything for granted."*

I close my eyes and my mind races through the memories of that milestone year for our family. It was 2013. I chuckle as I look at those words on the page, its no surprise to me that thirteen has always been my favorite number. It's the holiest number. It's a band of beat of men following a carpenter Rabbi. It's a band of brothers who came to represent tribes, a nation, and a promise. The promise that a beat up carpenter-Rabbi fulfilled. 

Two-thousand and thirteen is a milestone in the field of my life. It stands above the sometimes rocky and sometimes smooth landscape. It begs the question, "What happened here?"

I don't remember ever seeing that video before, but surely I must have? It was at the very end of my Google Photos drive. No, I'm sure I've never seen it. I am confident that it was meant for today. Google pieced together that year for me and that video is my monument, my milestone, even my own raised Ebeneezer.

From China to Guatemala with a brand new baby who was gripping the hearts of her new big brother and sister. Infant hears that heard Mandarin, English, and Spanish. Crossing hemispheres and cultures in a twelve month spanse of time and space and motion.

What happened here? What would make a family travel to China to adopt their second international child while big brother kept seeing baby girls plopped into his once quiet home? What would make that same family sell and give everything they owned away and land in a town in Guatemala with 15 suitcases holding their only belongings?

Language school, a failed orphanage project and personal saving lost when those they trusted changed course, misery turning to success when by faith they became teachers, principals, pastors, and project leaders, and finally some 4 years later as they stood in the dust of their labors, realizing that it was time to go home. 

What happened here?

No regrets. No mistakes. Nothing to ever want to do over. These are the stories of living stones.

Massevot.

*Ecclesiastes 7:14-15

1 Peter 3:15-16 That's right! 😂

1 Peter 2:4-6 🙌

Screenshot - not a video

  

Remembering Doña Olga

I heard of her passing on October the 25th and I was saddened to know that the world had lost such a great light. Walking beside her for a few days was like a pulling back of the veil by the hand of God. For just a moment, her faithful footsteps could be seen. 

She lived a life that demonstrated that to follow Jesus is worth more than anything. Even paying the ultimate cost of life is not a price too high. Doña Olga was a saint who walked in a life of dusty poverty, pointing any who might come beside her to the glory of God.

The day I met her she saved me from a violent encounter. I was with a group that had been assembled to paint a church in the "Red Zone" of Guatemala City. The heat had made me careless, I'd removed my jacket and exposed my arms. I was alone on the far side of the building, reach up with an extension pole to paint the second level when I was suddenly grabbed by two men who ripped up my sleeves, exposing my tattoos.

They spoke in rabid Spanish and were demanding to know: what the tattoos meant, where did I get them, why was I there, and was I in a gang. I was in there territory and in that place, to be inked was a sign of loyalty to a gang. I was trying to keep calm, friendly, and try to explain that I was just a dad and the tatts were about my family. I was losing. 

They were getting rougher with me, and they began to pull me away with them.

That's when Doña Olga suddenly stepped in and began shouting in their faces. They immediately let go of my arms and held their hands up in a "I'm innocent" type of gesture. She scurried them away and chastised my foolishness of baring my arms. Then she smiled at me, hugged me, and we completed the paint job together.

She was loving and she was fiercely respected. She was fearless. She helped her neighbors at her own cost and risk. She was everything you've ever read about of how a Christian should act. 

When a person walks this earth with such a powerful witness as this... death has lost all power. Her influence expands... unlimited by miles and unlimited by time. The lives she poured God into are having multi-generational ripples. 

Doña Olga, you are not gone. We're still here and our lives have been changed because we walked beside you.

Ten Thousand Miles Since Guatemala

"Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance. They make the latitudes and longitudes."

Henry David Thoreau

Late last week I rolled past 10,000 miles driven since leaving Guatemala on August 1, ninety days ago. If you do some quick math, that is an average of over 100 miles a day since the day I said goodbye our mission there. I've not stopped moving since kilometer one.

These past months are like an old motion picture reel that flashes images of everyone I know and everyplace I've ever been as we've engaged this faith journey to find our next faithful steps. We've admittedly gone where few would dare and many would identify as foolish.

Twice now we've traded away everything for a promise. More than that I suppose, if you consider the two international adoptions. Each of those involved leveraging every resource. 

I've covered some ground. I've made incredible friends that are closer than I knew possible (#BurningHearts), and I've found family that I miss from across the expanse. So many have forever shaped who I am. My heart misses you.

It has been easy to question my worth these past several months. It is so reckless to be a 42 year old who is intentionally homeless and unemployed. And so radical to claim that I'm following the command of God. People want to know, "What is the real reason that you are here?"

It's this odd place that I find myself in. When I confirm that the story is only what I've said it is, that we are in this place of waiting because God commanded it, people believe that I'm hiding a real reason. Maybe you've heard some of the rumors? They're quite entertaining, albeit a bit painful. 

Well... I've covered some miles. I've gained some experiences. I've gained some perspective. As Taylor Swift would say, "The haters gonna hate, hate, hate," and that's ok with me. Folks like a good story anyway. I suppose that I'm not above being the target of a good tale. Fire away. 

Meanwhile, in Trenton Ohio I'm just here waiting on the Lord. 

He has been faithful. He is meeting our needs. He is directing our paths. We do not worry. He is our Lord no matter what the outcome. I praise Him for each word I've written, and each step we've taken in these last four months. 

Ten thousand miles so far, and I give thanks for each one.

__________

Images from our excursion to 

Pleasant Prairie Church in Santanta, Kansas

"Faith Promise Weekend"

Gateway to the West, St. Louis Missouri

Kellie and Sterling (age 5). Caleb & Aleksandra stayed behind
to attend Ohio Youth Convention of the Church of God.

Sterling had no fear at the top of the Arch.

A snapshot from the top using my Samsung Note 4

Close up of the Northern leg.

A day later, our first sign that we'd been driving the right direction!

Honoring one of our mentors and inspirations, Roma Lee Courvoisier

They took me pheasant hunting.
Those boots are from Guatemala!

Kellie tells of our life in Guatemala at a luncheon

Sterling could not be contained.

We found that we had dear friends in Kansas. 

Children donate to Faith Promise, the funding mechanism for Church of God Missions. It all began right here in the 1960s under pastor Frank Courvoisier.
We are so thankful to have set feet on this ground.

Our First Language was Learned in the Third World

"So how has your adjustment been back to the US?" This question has come to us from many friends and family. I don't think that this re-entry to the US thing is as big a deal as it was in the past. We have Facebook, Instagram, and online world-wide news that keeps us up to date. We're plugged in to the news, the fads, and the social changes.

And yet... we cannot deny that we are inexplicably changed from the people that you once knew. That's the curious part to explain. Things are different for us, not because of the change that has happened with you, but because of the change that has happened within us.

I guess that sort of thing is a constant. Some things change, but some things never change. 

We've come to understand that we weren't on a personal mission. I mean, sure, we're on God's mission of reconciliation... but on a personal level, it's been more of a pilgrimage. It's been less about changing others and more about learning to walk beside them. Less about changing the world, and more about learning to lament... or just be alongside those who suffer. 

We've been faced with so much suffering... so many unanswered prayers... and we've had to find that God is there in the midst. We have had to learn that sometimes we are called to just be faithful, to be a constant, in a world that is simply broken. And yet... there is so much light and joy found in those shattered places.

Leading ten students though four countries in five weeks this summer has helped me to understand that while I am a part of the mission of God, my role so often is simply a pilgrimage, or a calling, to walk beside others and to love them while they cry out to God about the pain of life. I have had to learn the value of a lament. 

There is pain and brokenness in this world that is the result of a turning away from God. Surely, I am called to walk with people within this brokenness, and to join them in crying out to God. God provides the way to reconciliation through the grace of Jesus.  We must only ask for Him to just take it all.

And so... a month back in the US, we miss our friends. I miss Justin and Diane Herman, Erico and Vivian Pineda, Otto Lopez, Phil Wilson, Britt Harman, Phil Newburn, Edgar Ramos, Fontaine Greene, Eduardo Ramos, and my dear brother, Antony de Leon... and yet, I know that my God has called. 

I give God thanks for Guatemala as I dream of it each night. Guatemala has taught me my first language, Love. There is no greater command. We are to love the LORD our God with our entire being... and we are to love our neighbors as our self. This is the simple, basic truth that guides all else. After all, they will know that we are followers of Christ by our love.

And so... with this love, we pray for those that are still in Guatemala. We ask for wisdom, for them to fully yield to the Spirit as they walk in that place, and we ask that they feel the support of the family of God. God's grace is enough. That is all.

As we walk this path here, examining our options, we are aware that our time in Guatemala was a discipling, shaping time. We have found our first language in a country that challenged us to learn a second. Church, our first language is Love. It's just that simple.

Aleksandra is an amazing kid. More than anything in my life, I see evidence of God in her. Adopted from a foreign land, God uses her to speak truth and guidance into my life. This young woman teaches me how to engage love. 

These pictures are her with her friend, Max. Max is the son of missionaries Justin and Diane Herman, our dearest of friends in Guatemala. These friends were vital to our survival there, and are forever companions. So often God uses my children to show me how to embrace life.

Love. Have friends. Enjoy it. There is joy to be found in the journey. Now that we've learned the language, we're in pursuit of our next step. God has blessed us with multiple opportunities, now we ask that you partner with us to find the place where God's kingdom can be expanded. We want to engage in the life that God has created us to live.

Imported or Impounded, Lost Dogs & Excess

Here we are, six days in. Most of the suitcases are put away, not all of them. We've been here before, a migrant family in transition. We're professionals now I suppose. We're comfortable with the uncertainty, maybe even we thrive a bit on it. We've learned that these times of waiting on the LORD precede times of promise.

The van sits unpacked and awaiting a paperwork process. The physical nature of change is more than simple geography. There's paperwork to complete, and our emotions must be given time to catch up to our obedience. Our family has learned to cherish this in-between time. These days always draw us closer and refine our vision.

Caleb and I had just picked up an aquarium left for us at Triple Moon Coffee Company (like them on Facebook) by my friend, Jacob Farler. On the way home I realized that we didn't have enough rocks for the tank and that I'd forgotten my wallet. We improvised by using the 2004 Jeep Cherokee that I bought on Tuesday, grabbing some stones from alongside the railroad tracks in West Middletown and the creek bed beside the volunteer fire station in Trenton. 

After returning to the house, Caleb and I were upstairs installing the tank for his turtles, Anakin and Luke, that I'd smuggled to Ohio from Guatemala (ok, it wasn't technically illegal, but "smuggled" just sounds fun, like I'm a turtle pirate or something) when Sterling came dripping up the stairs, a sobbing, snotty mess.

"Poppy, I'm so sorry." My heart sank... Sterling has never used these words. She's usually very brave even in bad situations. "I opened the door and Remus ran out. I tried to go after him but he crossed the street."

I asked, "Did YOU go into the street?" She's only FIVE! She answered between gulping sobs, "Yes, but I looked both ways." OHHH.... I am such failure as a father in this moment! My five year old was running in the streets!

With Sterling safe in the house and Caleb standing guard, I sent a text to Kellie and her mom who were nearby in the city. We assembled at the house and launched a search committee for Remus the dog who has always been a symbolic reassurance to our family that everything is going to be all right.

We had to say goodbye to Bentley 3 years ago and his absence left an obvious gaping hole in our hearts that highlighted all the things that our kids gave up when we moved to Guatemala. When Remus came into our lives, that hole was filled and life again felt secure, normal, doable.

And so I drove 3000 miles in no small part to get Remus here for our families' sanity.... and now there is a heartbroken 5 year old feeling guilty in the house while the rest of us tear through the neighborhood by car, bike, and on foot in a search for Remus.

Kellie's Mom, Sharon was the hero of the day... of the year really. She found Remus. Sterling pointed the way that Remus ran, and that's where he was found, running along the fence line with another dog. 

While I drove around the neighborhood alone in my search, I had a lot of time to think and I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the excess. I don't think that re-entry for a missionary is as difficult now as it was in decades past. Social media and enhanced communication keeps us pretty well up to speed on societal changes. 

But... there are things that we forget, and when we return, we see things will a changed and deeper perspective. There is just so much extra, unneeded, excess everywhere I look. I stopped in front of a beautifully manicured two story home with two Harley-Davidson motorcycles and a giant Ford extended cab truck sitting in a spotless garage. 

We went out to eat last night and the amount of food on our plates was far more than we could eat. Every yard is perfect here. My mind could only see the beans and rice that I ate while sitting on the dirt ground floor of the house of a generous family in central America. 

I contemplated wealth, poverty, and what it means to be generous. I've shared a bowl of rice with a mother who spent a day's wages to eat, and her generosity eclipses the character of us all here. In that moment I just felt poor. I missed the generosity of the destitute. Here we starve our souls while we wallow in the excess of our hearts.

Well... I took a breath and realized that each place comes with both problems and perspectives. We all need the same thing, to know God more. That's the only answer I have in either place. 

Like a conduit that links both places together, the van awaits a new journey tomorrow as I drive it to the Department of Homeland Security Point of Entry in Erlanger, Kentucky. The necessary paperwork is assembled and ready for the Customs agent who will inspect the vehicle and determine if it meets EPA and Department of Transportation specifications. There are two outcomes for tomorrow, the van will be imported or impounded. It'll be an adventure either way.

If all goes well, I park it back at Journey Church, West Chester tomorrow with an EPA 3520-I and a DOT HS-7 form, both signed and stamped. Then the next stop will be a local inspection by the DMV and a new Ohio Title.

So, things are going well... six days in. We're thankful. We're all still together. God is good and He is our constant. We look forward to the days ahead as our path continues to open before us.

ROAD TRIP: Guatemala, Mexico, USA Day Five "Blazing Through the US"

3000 miles | 54 drive hours | 3 countries | 5 days

Day One: Guatemala City, Guatemala to

San Cristobal, Las Casas Mexico

Day Two: San Cristobal Las Casas Mexico to

Puebla Mexico

Day Three: Puebla Mexico to

Matehuala, San Luis Potosi

Day Four: Matehuala, San Luis Potosi

to San Antonio, Texas

Day Five: San Antonio, Texas

to Middletown, Ohio 

After finally maneuvering the van through thousands of waiting cars, we pulled into the "Inspection Area" and began a conversation with the Immigration Agent.

Agent: "Is this your van?" Me: "Yes sir, it is." Agent: "You're a US Citizen and you own a van in Guatemala?" Me: "Yes sir, that is correct." Agent: "You drove all the way from Guatemala?" Me: "Yes sir, that is correct." Agent: "Guatemala is a long way to drive." Me: "Yes it is."

Agent: "This is your van?" Me: "Yes, it is my van." Agent: "What is your destination?" Me: "I'm driving to Ohio." Agent: "Ohio is a long way." Me: "Yes, it is." 

Agent: "Why are you driving to Ohio?" Me: "My wife and kids are there visiting her mother. I am joining them."

Agent: "Why do you have so much stuff?" Me: "It is all low value, and it is only personal items for family and kids."

Agent: "You're driving from Guatemala to Ohio?" Me: "Yes." Agent: "It is a very long drive from Guatemala to Ohio." Me, "Yes it is."

Agent: "Why would you want to drive all the way from Guatemala to Ohio?" Me: "It's something that I've always wanted to do, and you only live once."

Agent: "Thank you and have a nice day sir."

After all our worry over the paperwork for the dogs, the agent didn't even ask to see it. The turtles rested safely in the floorboard in a Pops Brand Ice Cream Container. All the way from Guatemala to the US we had only a single police inspection. We had no mechanical issues, and no accidents.

After pulling out of San Antonio (and seeing the Alamo), I had no idea how long we'd drive until we'd rest for the final night. We decided to take it city by city. And so, we passed through: Austin, Dallas, Little Rock, Memphis, and continued past: Nashville, Louisville, and finally Cincinnati. Our final day hit the road at 10:30 AM and continued until we reached Middletown, Ohio the next morning at 9:00 AM, twenty-two and a half hours.

I'm a bit tired tonight, for sure. Even so, the drive is done. I lost count of the cans of Coke Zero, cups of coffee, chewed three packs of gum, ate a bag a pan de agua from San Martin, and a big bag of pretzels. I listened to Mexican music, pop music, praise music, and talk radio. 

We drugged dogs, watered dogs, fed dogs, walked dogs, and even at times hid dogs. Bark, bark, bark.

The time spent on the road was perfect, blessed, and worth every second. Next time, me and my Uncle Stephen will have to find a longer drive... maybe Panama?

Thank you for your prayers! God heard, and God blessed our travels. I give thanks that He has honored our faithful steps.

ROAD TRIP: Guatemala, Mexico, USA Day Four: "GOD BLESS TEXAS"

God always speaks to me, and sometimes I listen. 

So often people say to me that God just isn't speaking to them. But Jesus said that people who have ears should hear Him, and people who have eyes should see Him (Mt 11:15; Mk 4:9). Paul wrote that God has revealed Himself to us since the beginning of time, through creation (Rm 1:18-30) and Moses wrote that the word of God is never out of our reach, but is in our hearts and words (Dt 30:11-14).

Who are we to say that God is silent? He speaks to us constantly in the world He created. By His words, He spoke creation into existence. Certainly, the action of speaking words from our own mouths is evidence of His image imprinted on us.

Yes, God speaks to me always, and sometimes I listen.

I stood at the base of this cathedral in San Antonio, Texas this evening, reflecting not only on the path that led us through Mexico, but the greater path that has landed my family in this place of obedience as we've listened to the voice of God. 

As I sat beside my uncle at the US border at Laredo, I expressed to him a declaration that had been unspoken and held in my heart.

"You know, I can say from deep inside my heart that we are running from nothing. Everything in Guatemala was being blessed. Our identity as missionaries had been solidified and we had a clear plan of moving forward: with the church, and with the mission. 

With everything that is in us, we run towards the voice of God. He has prepared us for this moment. While it seems hard to understand why we would go when things seem to be better than they've ever been.

But, I know without doubt that this is our call, and so while some might think we run from Guatemala, we use it as a platform to run towards our continued call."

Tonight was such an affirmation of that call as Stephen and I walked along the River Walk of San Antonio. It is no mistake that this was my third time here. 

The first was in 1992 when I was here with Towne Boulevard Church of God, Towne Teens for the International Youth Convention (IYC). Kellie and I were dating and that week was a time of direction for us; both as a couple, and also in our spiritual walk. I remember the call of God on our lives at that time. We knew that He had a plan for us together.

Then we returned in 2012 when we travelled for missionary orientation with Commission to Every Nation before moving to Guatemala as full time missionaries. Again our faith was affirmed and shaped as we began to understand God's call on our collective life.

And now, in 2016 I walk these sidewalks alongside the water, contemplating how this ground now guides me along familiar paths, again with the future spread in front of me and Kellie, each time here like fresh assurance of the days to come.

This is a time of peace in my heart. Through days that many fear are full of uncertainty, I walk with a calm assurance that I have not felt for some time. It isn't such a mystery though... I know that I walk with God. And even though Kellie is now on the road, traveling with her family and our kids to Niagra Falls for a few days of rest... I know that she is right beside me in this walk. 

I also give Him thanks for our children who share this same fearless spirit. It is no mistake that we are called here, for such a time as this. Even as I type in the hotel room with the glow of the television, I here the steady breathing of my uncle in the other bed beside me and I am reminded that God provides exactly what and who we need... when we walk in His path.

Since our separation from Antony (our lifeline), who helped us navigate the Guatemala/Mexico Border and multiple police checkpoints, our progress through Mexico was absolutely providential. Tuesday through Thursday we were stopped at only two checkpoints, one waiving us through, and the other ordering us to pull to the right... but I continued driving forward, and the soldier allowed us to pass. 

We drove through three other checkpoints that were unmanned, or where we witnessed the officials simply walking away as we approached. Our path was unobstructed at ever turn. The drive through Mexico was simple and easy.

There simply is no better place to be on earth, than walking beside our God. The drive continues tomorrow as we begin to head east across these United States, continuing to listen to the words that God speaks.

ROAD TRIP: Guatemala, Mexico, USA Day Three: "Two Gringos, Two Dogs, Two Turtles."

I keep falling asleep. It is ten after 1:00 AM and the soothing sound of the a/c in the hotel room is knocking me out. It has been a long day of driving.

Around 650 miles today, heading north towards Laredo, Texas, we saw crazy sights, and took the van off the highway and down into the ditch line to avoid protestors who blocked the highway. 

All humans, dogs, and turtles are still alive, healthy, and accounted for... praise to God. Thursday should be a short dive to the border at Laredo, and then beyond. San Antonio looks like the perfect place.

God has been with us. Thank you for your prayers. His world is beautiful. 

ROAD TRIP: Guatemala, Mexico, USA Day Two: "The Parting of Antony."

Our group of three left the room in San Cristobal Las Casas at 7:00 this morning, taking Remus and Sirius to the park for some green space. Afterwards we had omelets at a quaint little bistro on the sidewalk, finishing the meal with a perfect cup of espresso.

With the van idling on the side of the street, a quick hug and a back-pat... Stephen and I drove away leaving one of the most loyal men I've ever met on the sidewalk behind us. With some extra cash in his pocket and my Guatemalan SIM card, Antony became smaller and smaller in my rear-view mirror as  our two year walk together on God's path diverged.

As difficult as it was to step into separate directions, I was also comforted to know that Antony is a soul anointed by God, and I have no doubt that his walk will be mighty. My family is working to see him soon in the US.

Stephen and I made our way north towards the coastline, and then turned west before making our way through flatlands, and then back through mountains before reaching our destination for the night, Pueblas, Mexico.

We found a Holiday Inn that was willing to house the dogs for the night, and we again smuggled the turtles into the room. Tomorrow is day three as we begin our approach towards Laredo, Texas.

Tonight while laying in bed, I purchased US auto insurance for the Polar Bear (the van), verified dog import procedures with the CDC website, and reviewed again the process of exiting Mexico with vehicle intact and bond deposit secured.

With all done for now that can be done, I lay my head on the pillow thinking of the scenery of the drive today: massive bridges, bodies of water, windmills, rainbows, snow-crested mountains, and warm sunsets.

After some rest, we'll wake to take on day three. We'll either make it across the border into the US, or we may stop close. Time will tell. We give thanks to God for his providence. We give thanks to God that we can walk in His way.

ROAD TRIP: Guatemala, Mexico, USA Day One: "There is a Turtle Over Here."

To so many of you who prayed for our journey today, here is how the day ended, me with my mouth stuffed full, between two of the most incredible friends in the world, at our intended stopping point, San Cristobal, Las Casas, Mexico.

When my alarm went off at 2:30 AM, Kellie popped out of bed before me, to go downstairs and brew our final pot of coffee in Guatemala. The previous day was our final day of goodbyes, with friends stopping by, hugs and gifts exchanged, and emotions stacked higher than our suitcases.

With our two dogs, Remus and Sirius loaded in the van, along with their required paperwork, Stephen, Antony, and myself hit the dark roadways and made our way out of the city, through Chimaltenango, heading north towards Huehuetenango, and towards the border crossing of Mesia, Mexico.

There were two memorable phrases spoken today, both by my uncle Stephen: (1) "I hear water running," and (2) "There's a turtle over here."

We were driving in the cold, dark, high altitude air of Tecpan when the first phrase broke the soothing hum of the tires on the open roads, "I hear water running," Stephen said. I asked, "Is the five gallon jug busted?" Suddenly we all shared awareness as we heard the sounds of Sirius, our smallest Schnauzer, puking inside of his dog kennel. Ironically, shortly thereafter, it was the sound of water running again as we poured from the five gallon water jug to rinse out dog vomit on the side of the highway.

The second occurred at our stop at the border, where we all nervously approached our first checkpoint, complete with military security, to gain our exit stamp from Guatemala. Our navigation was mobile phone based and my charger had inexplicably stopped charging. After gaining our stamps with little resistance and amazing assistance from Antony, we saw a man selling cell phone chargers on the side of the road.

This was the moment when I heard in a bewildered voice, "There's a turtle over here." He seemed a bit startled. He later said, "I wondered where a Red-Eared Slider would have come from." In that moment of his surprise, I had to confess, "Um, that's Caleb's. Do you perhaps see another... there were two."

This water started out clear this morning.  

Thankfully both turtles were recovered unharmed and I am relieved to report that all the Shep family pets: Remus, Sirius, Anakin, and Luke are safe with us in the hotel room tonight.

Tomorrow Stephen and I will continue our trip north as Antony enjoys an additional day and night here Las Casas before taking the tour bus back to Guatemala. His help has been as immeasurable and valuable as both his friendship and our families love.

We are so thankful to have found a hotel that offered secure parking for our van (in the corner) and is also dog friendly. The turtles were smuggled in,
inside my backpack.

Our target tomorrow is a 480 mile, 9 hour drive to Puebla, Mexico, just east of Mexico City, placing us over halfway through Mexico. Antony helped me get a Mexican SIM card for my phone and we have internet loaded, so the plan is to provide updates along the way. We appreciate your continued prayers that we remain within the path that God sets for us. There is no better place to be than in His will.

Goal: 480 miles to Pueblo by nightfall

Racing Along the Treetops While Standing Still

“What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.”  -Henry David Thoreau 

I remember riding in a car as a child. I was amazed to see the moon chasing alongside of us. No matter how fast my Mom would drive, the moon effortlessly and flawlessly kept pace with us above the blurred treetops.

Cognitively, I knew that this concept of a moon in pursuit was ridiculous, but my eyes were convinced by its steady pace. Time and perspective remain as tricky concepts throughout life. We stand on the sidewalk and the moon stands still. We race through the night and yet still it remains at our side.

While seen as both still and in motion, the true movement of the moon remained constant. In the same way, we sometimes measure the movement of God. Perhaps He is neither fast nor slow. Maybe our perspective is simply skewed by our surroundings.

The decision to return to the US to wait on the call of the LORD seems like a drastic and all too fast change for those who observe our lives from a distance. Perhaps you see us racing along the treetops while we view ourselves as standing still. 

We do not run to change our course. We seek to remain constant in the steady will of God. Those who know us most have seen this coming in the movements of God in our life. We've known that He was arranging things for a shift, we simply did not know the direction. I think perhaps God allows us to see only just enough to take the next step.

Within the last year we have felt a Holy unease in our hearts. We have felt the Spirit stirring us while we have continued to seek His face. We thought that perhaps He wanted us to be more flexible with our schedule here, and so we began to make changes. 

Last year I resigned as the Principal of CAS, this year Kellie resigned from her teaching position at CAG, we registered our children for online learning, and our role become more distinctly defined as pastors. Journey Church has found its place and God provided me a strong associate and a team of preachers. He has refined us to lead, and to train others.

Realization flooded over us that God has prepared the way, He has provided closure in every direction. He has called new men and women to continue His mission in this place. This has been no rash decision. This is nothing more than a continuation of faithful steps. 

This decision was made months before we realized it. God has made the way straight. He has aligned countless variables. We are sure that we walk in His will. We sometimes think that we race so fast in our lives, and yet God remains constant, shining His light into our lives.


“Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different than it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing into a heavenly creature or a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself.

To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state of the other.” C.S. Lewis

We're down to less than 48 hours now before we depart. We need you to know that we are at peace. This is not a moment of worry, of stress, or even anxiety. Our hearts are calmed with the peace of God that falls on us like cool rain from a sticky night sky. We are not moving so fast, God is only turning us, ever so slightly, into who He made us to become.