It's been since August that I last blogged. And it's not because I haven't had anything to say, but honestly, out of a lack of courgage. I've felt the overwhelming urge to hold my cards close to the table. I've really not wanted to go through this journey publicly. Maybe for fear of failure, maybe because it's just a quiet road to take, or because it's been one of the hardest things I've ever had to trust the Lord with... Just to wait and be still, really still, for a really long time. You see, this wasn't my big idea, or grand plan, or dream come true. It's His, for me. And He's got this plan and a hope and a future for me, but it's not what I saw coming.

He took me out of the pit, redeemed me, wrote His name on my heart, taught me his Word, gave me a desire to love and serve Him, then broke me down, to show me that HE is all i need. No other plan, or strategy, or program, will do. No matter how well thought out it is, or how well received by others; His plan is the only plan.

How tricky it is to follow Him when at times you don't know where He's going with you. Years ago when I was pregnant with Daniel, the Lord taught me patience in waiting on Him. He holds life in His hands. He used His people to walk through and encourage us through that. He revealed Himself in a Mighty and Awesome way. "I am the Lord, the God of all flesh, is anything to difficult for me?" Jer 32:27

During this journey though, He's shone Himself to be just as Mighty, but in an even more personal and quiet way. He has stripped me down, quietly, to where there's no outside noise. Just me and Him. There's been great opposition to our going, but God has shown Himself to be a Mighty Warrior. He's taught me to fight a battle I cannot see. The battle has been so fierce at times, that fear has crept in and almost paralyzed me. It keeps me from wanting to be open and honest for fear of the opposition. There's no telling what all this training is preparation for.

Trusting, waiting, believing... that's were I am, even now. As I pack my house to leave in 4 days, I still don't know where we're going to live in Vancouver. Once again, He's keeping my eyes on Him, not the thrill of a new place, but the unknown keeps my focus on Him alone. He's good I tell ya! He has this loving way of keeping all the distractions out of the way. My flesh wants to throw a fit, but my hearts wants to trust Him with everything I have. That's a battle in it's self!

What scares me the most, is that training is only for the purpose of a real battle, which is to come. What lies ahead is unknown, but the One who holds the future has made Himself known.

A step closer

This past week Brian met with his VP in Chicago and they gave us a thumbs up for the move to Vancouver. It should happen before the end of the year. So exciting. We're still in the process of pursuing partners. There are still meetings that have to take place to begin this process in our own church, and meetings taking place with other churches, it's a process.
Partnering with us in this journey isn't just about the finances. More importantly to the ministry are prayer partners. We need warriors who will go before the throne on our behalf, seekings God's will and provsions and protection. Accountablilty to our partners is another benefit of God's people being apart of this, not just CN sending to Vancouver alone.
Exciting times are ahead. The countdown is on... 4 months and counting... maybe less!

www.thecrossingsvancouver.ca

thecrossings, in downtown Vancouver, B.C.

Our goal this week is to finish up our informational and introduction letter to send out. This will give enough info hopefully to let everyone know our goals and plans for our move to Vancouver, along with a timeline and needs for right now. Approximately two weeks after that we are officially putting our house on the MLS market and actively pursuing partnerships with individuals, families, and churches.

The Lord has already been making divine appointments with others convinced that the Lord has a heart for church planting and reaching the unconvinced all around the world. These are exciting times, not just for our family and thecrossings team, but for all believers globally. His work is not finished. Until His return we are to till the ground, plant the seeds, and seek His growth.

www.thecrossingsvancouver.ca

Preparation, the work of Barren Lands

And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Luke 1:17

The Wilderness was all too familiar a place for the Israelites, wasn't it? We read how they cried out to the Lord and He heard their cry for salvation from slavery. And no sooner had he delivered them that they cried to return. Forty years of this clinging to and groaning at the Lord led Israel to one pivotal moment... possessing the promise land. Oh, but those were not wasted years.
Deut 8 says this, "You shall remember all the way which the LORD you God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that HE might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.
That word discipline makes me shrink back right away, until I see that the Lord doesn't discipline as just any man, but as a father in love with His child. Every time He mentions our discipline it's to be done with love. The word is sophron, it literally means to "save the mind, to train up". So, why the wilderness? Besides being the landscape for most of the Bible lands, apparently it's His choice tool for training us up!
The wilderness is where God sent John the Baptist to declare the coming of Jesus. All the prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and there he stands in the wilderness shouting repentance. Could it be that the message is still the same today? The wilderness stood to represent desolate, deserted, lonely, uninhabited places in scripture, but I know those places still exist today in our own lives. Hard times, dark places.
What would the Lord have us to know out of the dry weary lands? First of all, to our astonishment, it's not always about correction. Dark and desolate places sometimes are the ramification of our own sin, and so then repentance is the point of the wilderness. But sometimes it's something altogether different. Picture how our Heavenly Father led His son into the wilderness. Just after Jesus had been baptized by John He was led into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. After He had fasted forty days and nights, He became hungry. Every time the enemy tempted Christ he returned to him with the Word of God. Jesus drew his strength on the Word of God alone. I don't think wilderness times are always a result of the enemies attacks, remember that the Spirit led Christ there. But one thing is for sure, our Father used the same way to teach the Israelites as He did his own son, and so I think we can be sure He's still teaching us the same way today.
In the wilderness of tough times we too are HUMBLED, HUNGERED AND FED. It's His way. He causes us to hunger for something not of this world so that we might know that man doesn't live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. Our lives, our ministries, our heritage depends on our remembrance of this. In Deut 8, just before the Lord reminds his children of how he led them in the wilderness for 40 years, he tells them to "BE CAREFUL to do all I command to you, that you may live and multiply, and go in and posses the land and which the Lord swore to give to your forefathers."

WHY VANCOUVER ?

http://web.mac.com/jeff_phillips/Site/Home.html

Vancouver 2010

Vancouver 2010
Much more than just the Olympics are coming to Vancouver in the next year. Much of our prayers and thoughts are focused on Vancouver as a family. Brian and I prayed and entertained the thought of moving to Vancouver since Oct 08. This followed the decision of Jeff and Sara Phillips to plant a church in the west end of the downtown area of Vancouver, B.C.

The Lord had intertwined our lives and put us in a place of knowing them and as they asked many couples, families and singles and churches to consider teaming up with them. We prayed about it and went on with life hoping the Lord would audibly give us a resounding YES or NO. He's just about done that before with some things in life, opening and closing doors that couldn't be done other than Him. But that's not how all this has unfolded.

Jeff and Sara made a couple of trips up there and in July we went with them and 3 other couples to check it out. Prior to our trip I had great excitement over the possibility of our family joining this church plant team. However, I was met with a heavy and overwhelming reality within our first few hours after landing.
Living in a downtown setting with kids would be tough! Logistically, many things would have to change! You wouldn't just jump in the car and do your weekly grocery shopping. You would have to make several trips a week and carry your bags home. Walking the kids to school (2 or 3 different schools) would be different. No more just letting the dog out the back door- there isn't one on the 10th story of an apartment building!
Finding a 3 bedroom apartment could be tough, if we found a 4 bedroom, we most surely could not afford it. 1,ooo square feet apartment run from $2,ooo and up per month.

I really, really wanted to tell the Lord not NO, but heck NO! Forget me asking You if you want us to go, let me just tell ya Lord, I don't want to go!!! That was day 1 in Vancouver. By the 3rd day things were seeming a little more familiar, I wasn't wanting to crawl out of my skin so much. We walked the city and saw a lot of it. Went up to Whistler. Attended one of the few churches downtown that seemed to be sound, and experienced an amazing worship service. There we were in a sanctuary filled with all different people groups worshiping the One True God! It was very moving to say the least. It left quite an impression on me!

Coming back to Bible Belt Suberbia America is a stark contrast. It's so easy to just show up at the church of your choice and convienence. Pick any one on any corner. Most people in the South would consider themselves "Christian's" just because someone in their family attends church. It's not so in Vancouver. Very few people even have a christian in their family line. They don't have the opportunity to choose any church on any corner. Not having this cultural influence of the institution of churches prevalent in their culture, they worship nature instead. How I long for them to know this Creator that make the beautiful mountains and oceans they adore!

Long story short, upon arriving back in the U.S. , neither Brian or I could sleep until we said Yes. After we said yes, joy and peace came flooding. Isn't that just like the Lord! We've joined up with the team. We have our days, just like everyone else where we question our sanity... will the house really sell in this economy, what if Brian's company won't let us transfer to Vancouver... what if we can't raise enough support to supplement the high cost of living, what if it's dangerous for our children...

Here I am Lord, send me... we're willing, that's all. I've seen enough to know that faith runs parallel with obedience. As one grows, so does the other.

Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.

http://www.journeytovancouver.com/

*see also "Why Vancouver?" post