14 days.

 

The thought of leaving this place brings some very intense emotions from “can’t bare the thought” to “can’t wait to be home” and everything in between. Our time here is almost thru and that alone seems so surreal, we have been completely consumed in the thoughts of Nz for the past nine months and now that chapter is closing.

 

As most of you know our entire team we started with has all gone home for various reasons, so Samm and I are literally the only ones left except for staff. It’s eerily quiet. We have pushed thru the loneliness and disappointment and have had the chance to see God come thru and dwell among us. Even in the midst He is shaping our character.

 

We literally are different people. Our hopes and dreams have changed. Our marriage, our family, our boys, our relationship with God. How we view our lives. We don’t have the same desires in our heart as we did 5 months ago. Our desire is really that everyone would get a chance to know the God who created them and this world. For us to be just about love so they would see all God is about is love, that He isn’t about rules and condemnation..Never has been. It’s only our perception about God that needs to change. He is the same forever. This God is so radically pursuing us each day wanting to wrap us in His love, to heal the scars that we ashamedly hide away from the world. His death was so we could live life to the fullest!! I don’t want to shove anything down anyone’s throat; I am only compelled by His great love. Not so long ago I  was broken and depressed and by his grace and deep love He has healed so much.

 

We go to this kids breakfast club and the conversations I have had with these kids just opens up your eyes…and heart to why the world is hurting. We have reached out in practical ways to the community, only for them to tell us they need prayer for whatever situation they are going thru and just someone to listen to them. Again just love on them.

 

Our boys have changed so much. Literally they used to fight after even five minutes of being together and now they play literally all day and only a few scuffs break out! Thank you God!! They are very strong willed kids and we are positive they will make an impact in their world and will make great leaders. They have enjoyed daddy so much and I know it will be a challenge to change that up, but we are so thankful to God.

 

Speaking of change, please pray for us as we re-enter to home. We know we will face challenges along the way, but your prayers mean everything! Please pray someone has a home that we can live at. After living in a one bedroom flat for five months we can live anywhere! Please pray that God reveals to us where Samm should work. Pray for our lil guys. That they adjust to home as quickly as possible and with the holidays right there when we arrive it’s going to be a busy season. There is SO much more to tell you and in the days to come we will be letting you know the specific things He has done here, it truly has been amazing! But for now we really want to say…

 

Thank you. Thank you! Thank you!

We are so so blessed and cannot believe how you all have been so supporting to us in this crazy ride God has brought us on. We love you all and cannot wait to see your frost bitten nose when we arrive back in the frozen tundra!!

 

 

Blessings to you and yours,

Samm, Angie and the Three Musketeers.

 

What’s your excuse?

 “But they all began to make excuses” Luke 14:18

Lets look at some of the excuses we offer for not pursuing the dream God has given us. First “dreams don’t come true for ordinary people like me. The Wright Brothers wanted to fly. Winston Churchill envisioned a free Europe. Dr. martin Luther King Jr dreamed of racial equality. But you don’t have to be a world figure to have a dream. No, the pursuit of a dream is what makes the difference between ordinary and extraordinary people. Ordinary people live extra ordinary lives when they follow their dream. Read that again. Why do I say that? Because a God given dream will motivate you to make important changes in your life. You wont just change who you are in order to live out your dream; you pursue your dream, and the process changes who you are and what you can accomplish. In other words your dream is both your goal and your change agent.

 The second reason we don’t pursue our dreams,” if the dream isn’t big its not worth pursuing”. Size doesn’t determine significance. Your dream doesn’t have to be big; it just has to be bigger than you. Mother Teresa said, “ We can’t all do great things, but we can all do small things with great love”.

Thirdly-“Now is not the right time to pursue my dream”. Permission to pursue your dream comes from two sources. God and yourself. Novelist George Eliot said “its never too late to become what you might have been.” The timing will never be perfect for you to pursue your dream so you might as well start now. If you don’t next year you will be one year older and not a step closer to it.