What's been going on Part 2

So here's the big news....




WE'RE MOVING TO MARYLAND!!!






This is new news to this blog, but really I've known about this for almost 2 months now. You may remember an older post where we knew change was coming, but we were not sure what the change would be. After two visits to the East Coast, my husband was offered a youth ministry/worship ministry intern position at a church in Maryland. After a great deal of prayer and affirmation from the Lord, we accepted the position.

We are in a unique position because Joe will be employed by the church and by Reformed Youth Ministries (RYM). As a RYM intern, Joe will receive training through the organization, and he will receive mentorship in the context of the local church. He will also have the benefit of going to seminary while we are in Maryland. Our plans are for Joe to go to Reformed Theological Seminary and work towards a Master of Divinity. (He's going to be really busy, huh?) Find out more about RYM here.

So what are we waiting for? Why haven't we moved yet? I know these questions are probably running through your head. While we will be receiving the majority (about 67%) of our income from the church we will be working at, we have to raise about 33% of our income since Joe will be a RYM intern.

We are currently in the throes of fundraising, and boy let me tell you it has been harder yet more rewarding than I ever imagined. The Lord is working miracles. In just 1 month we reached 60% of our goal!!! In the last month, fundraising has been much slower, and Joe and I have been wracking our brains to get the last 40%. Yet Lord is taking this time of slower fundraising to teach us many lessons. First of all, I can't tell you how much my faith has been stretched. I have NO idea how we are going to raise the last 40%, and but the Lord does. When worry finds its way in I have to tell myself that. The Lord knows where every last cent will come from, and I can rest in that. If this is the Lord's will (and we believe it is), we will make it to Maryland!!

Second of all, the Lord is making my heart long to give. In the midst of needing gifts from others, I find myself wanting to give like never before. I feel like some "scales" have fallen from my eyes, and I see that Joe and I have not been near as generous as we are called to be. Thank you God for revealing this to me!!

Finally, I have seen God work in very OBVIOUS and BIG ways. I will talk about some of the HUGE things God has been doing in my next blog entry (since this one is getting pretty long).

If you or anyone you know has any experience with ministry fundraising please let me know. We can use any and all help! :0) Please pray for us as we continue with fundraising and as we prepare for this new chapter in our lives.