We had hoped that our next blog posting would be to let everyone know that we have received our residency approval from Cameroon and have bought plane tickets; however, we felt we couldn’t delay this next posting any longer. While we still have not received any news on the visa progress, we are continuing to prepare and plan for our time at CBTS. Typically the process takes between 6 and 12 weeks, we are now at about ten weeks. I hope that tomorrow we will be updating the blog to let you know that the paperwork is in. Please continue to pray that God would open up this door for us to arrive in Cameroon in His perfect time. Pray also for our patience as we grow a bit anxious.
Classes began at CBTS on August 26th. The students in Dale’s classes know that we will be coming, and are waiting for the teacher to show up for class. Please be praying for students as they are studying and learning right now. The courses which Dale will be teaching have changed a bit from what you may have last heard from us. He has been asked to teach five courses for this semester: Exegesis of Galatians, Greek Grammar 1, Systematic Theology 1, New Testament Introduction 1, and Later New Testament Letters. The first four courses have both M.A. and B.A. students in them, while the NT Letters course is a certificate (high school) level course. Though we are not in Cameroon, these classes are beginning. The Greek course is being started by a student who has had a few semesters already, and Dale is sending over syllabi and assignments for the students to begin in the other courses.
While we wait…We moved out of our house at the end of August and have graciously been given a place to stay by a family in our church. As we continue to finalize various details for our time in Cameroon, we have also started our school year here at home. Dale is continuing to prepare for teaching. As a family, we have had 36 immunizations over the past 2 months. We’ve found that Canada sells malaria meds for much cheaper than the US…especially when you need them for 7 people. We have 12 Rubbermaid Actionpackers which will transport all of our necessary belongings to Cameroon for this year. At this point, headlamps are extremely cool to four little boys…we will see how they feel in six months. Our lives are already being simplified as we wonder, do we really need any of that stuff we packed and moved into storage?
Please pray with us that our Visas would come tomorrow, and that we would continue to wait patiently for the right time. God knows very well that there is a faculty member missing at CBTS, and He will get us there at precisely the right time. We are only a few thousand dollars short of being fully funded for our time of ministry in Cameroon. If you are interested in supporting us, please contact us and we will let you know how you can do this.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Praying, Preparing, Moving, and Packing
It has been our hope to give regular updates through this blog on our preparations for our time serving in Cameroon, and then also to continue blogging throughout the next year. I already feel like we are behind, and many of you have been waiting for us to begin updating you with answered prayer and new requests. This is the beginning of what I hope will become a way for you to share in this mission with us, praying with us and rejoicing with us as God moves in our hearts and those around us.
It has been only 3 months since we learned of the need for teachers this coming year at CBTS. We knew that God was calling us to begin preparing to be a part of the awesome work that He is doing in Cameroon, but we also were very aware that we could not get ourselves there. We began the summer sharing with many of you that we needed a hundred miracles in order for us to go. Right now, as we look back and continue to look forward, all I can say is that it is absolutely amazing to be a part of the miraculous work that God is doing.
Praise God! He continues to perform miracles and also keeps us on our knees as we await His further provisions and perfect timing in bringing us to Cameroon. A glimpse into some of our answered prayers: We have renters! A couple from our church(joining together in marriage this month) will be renting from us, joyfully supporting us in this. We also have been blessed with free storage of our belongings, as well as a place to stay after we move out of our house and await our Visas.There have been many questions in regards to immunizations. Thankfully, I feel a much greater peace in what we should and should not get(especially for Isaiah). Raising support for a family of 7 to spend a year overseas in 3 months is something that only God could do. We are not fully funded, but our support is coming in at record breaking speeds. We trust that God will continue His faithfulness, while keeping us in ferverent prayer, as He brings people around us to pray for and financially support this mission. We are incredibly blessed by numerous conversations and emails that have taken place which have given us a better idea of what our time in Cameroon will be like and some of the things that we can expect.
Please continue to pray for us and CBTS. We have not yet received approval for residency in Cameroon. Paperwork has been submitted and there really is no way to check on the progress. One day, we will simply receive word that it has been approved and we may apply for visas here in the US. We have been told that this could happen tomorrow, or it could take another month. Classes start within the next few weeks, and we will not be there for the first day of school. Dale will teach his courses regardless of when we get there. The shortage of teachers does not allow for someone to pick up the classes in the meantime, but something will be worked out in the schedule so that students will be able to complete the courses even if we are late. We know that God will bring us to CBTS on the day that He intends for us to be there. Please pray for our hearts and preparations as we eagerly anticipate our departure and arrival in Cameroon, and also for the students that Dale will have in class. Please also pray for: our final packing up of our house and moving items into storage, packing for our time in Cameroon(we cannot run to Walmart or ask Grandma to send us the things that we forgot...and yet we may be more grateful for what we have if we do forget some things), our children who are excited and also quite nervous, preparation for teaching and proclaiming God's sovereign grace, immunizations that we will likely be getting within the next week or two, the final approx. 20% that we need to raise in support, our Cameroonian brothers and sisters whose needs and burdens we may not know yet, but God is bringing us to love, encourage, challenge and serve. Pray that our hearts and minds(and yours) would be prepared to receive all that God has for us and those around us(including yourselves) in this upcoming year as we follow God to Africa.
It has been only 3 months since we learned of the need for teachers this coming year at CBTS. We knew that God was calling us to begin preparing to be a part of the awesome work that He is doing in Cameroon, but we also were very aware that we could not get ourselves there. We began the summer sharing with many of you that we needed a hundred miracles in order for us to go. Right now, as we look back and continue to look forward, all I can say is that it is absolutely amazing to be a part of the miraculous work that God is doing.
Praise God! He continues to perform miracles and also keeps us on our knees as we await His further provisions and perfect timing in bringing us to Cameroon. A glimpse into some of our answered prayers: We have renters! A couple from our church(joining together in marriage this month) will be renting from us, joyfully supporting us in this. We also have been blessed with free storage of our belongings, as well as a place to stay after we move out of our house and await our Visas.There have been many questions in regards to immunizations. Thankfully, I feel a much greater peace in what we should and should not get(especially for Isaiah). Raising support for a family of 7 to spend a year overseas in 3 months is something that only God could do. We are not fully funded, but our support is coming in at record breaking speeds. We trust that God will continue His faithfulness, while keeping us in ferverent prayer, as He brings people around us to pray for and financially support this mission. We are incredibly blessed by numerous conversations and emails that have taken place which have given us a better idea of what our time in Cameroon will be like and some of the things that we can expect.
Please continue to pray for us and CBTS. We have not yet received approval for residency in Cameroon. Paperwork has been submitted and there really is no way to check on the progress. One day, we will simply receive word that it has been approved and we may apply for visas here in the US. We have been told that this could happen tomorrow, or it could take another month. Classes start within the next few weeks, and we will not be there for the first day of school. Dale will teach his courses regardless of when we get there. The shortage of teachers does not allow for someone to pick up the classes in the meantime, but something will be worked out in the schedule so that students will be able to complete the courses even if we are late. We know that God will bring us to CBTS on the day that He intends for us to be there. Please pray for our hearts and preparations as we eagerly anticipate our departure and arrival in Cameroon, and also for the students that Dale will have in class. Please also pray for: our final packing up of our house and moving items into storage, packing for our time in Cameroon(we cannot run to Walmart or ask Grandma to send us the things that we forgot...and yet we may be more grateful for what we have if we do forget some things), our children who are excited and also quite nervous, preparation for teaching and proclaiming God's sovereign grace, immunizations that we will likely be getting within the next week or two, the final approx. 20% that we need to raise in support, our Cameroonian brothers and sisters whose needs and burdens we may not know yet, but God is bringing us to love, encourage, challenge and serve. Pray that our hearts and minds(and yours) would be prepared to receive all that God has for us and those around us(including yourselves) in this upcoming year as we follow God to Africa.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
June Newsletter
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