WARNING: Honesty Ahead.

So, I am not good with being honest with my thoughts and feelings.  I wear a mask around trying to make others believe I got it all together.  However, I recently started reading Jill Savage's latest book "No More Perfect Moms" and today I read. "Once we’re honest with ourselves, it’s much easier to be honest with others. By admitting your needs, you create a safety zone for your friends to do the same."1.   So, here's to vulnerability.

What does all this have to do with this Australia or church plant or...where ??  journey?  Well, I'll tell you.  As I tell friends and family about the details of this pilgrimage most of them get a big smile on my face and a "If that's where God wants us to go, I want to go." But after talking it over with my very wise husband I finally came to the realization that if God wanted us to go to Australia, I didn't want what HE wanted.  That was hard to admit and even harder to say out loud.  To be honest I was worried and scared as I contemplated that possibility.  Far away from my family, Lucas's health care, cost of living... on top of that, I haven't prayed much about it. Just a little "Hey, God, help us know what You want us to do."  every once in a while when i feel overwhelmed and worried.
The neat thing was, that after that conversation with Chris and a little research on Melbourne, Au. I started to get a little less anxious and a little bit excited. I mean how many opportunities will we get to go to Australia?  This may not even happen. But if it does... what an opportunity.
So whether we go Down Under or not, I can see God is doing a work in me through this process and for that I am thankful.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Thanks for reading,
Kim


1.Savage, Jill (2013-01-16). No More Perfect Moms: Learn to Love Your Real Life (Kindle Locations 388-389). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Where will YOU send us?

We have started packing and purging the house. Still not sure where our next God assignment will be.
But the catch you all up on our journey to where we are today....

A few months ago, after Lancaster Bible College took over WBC/CBS, Chris found out that his contract would not be renewed.  So as of May 31st. he is unemployed.  He has experienced a plethora of emotions but his steady faith in God always encourages and amazes me.   When worry and anxiety flood me, he is always the one to bring me back to God's unwavering faithfulness.  Reminding me of all the time HE has provided for us at just the right time.  Its awesome to have a Godly husband. :)

So since before receiving the news about his job, he as been submitting resumes here and there with a steady stream of "no's". Until one day he found 3 jobs on a Christian Counseling website and decided to apply for all three.  Why not right. After all Christian Counseling is in his blood.  Its what he's been learning, teaching and doing for the last 12 yrs.  One is a job "around the corner" in Alexandria, Va. working as a Christian Counselor. Another is in Kansas City, MO at a Seminary teaching Counseling.  The last one is in Melbourne, Australia as a Counseling Pastor.

So, he had an interview with the counseling center in Va.  He wasn't thrilled with this position, but tucked it away in his back pocket as..."better than nothing".

Then he got a call for a phone interview with the Seminary.  That job sounded pretty good.  He would be able to teach the same material he had been teaching at CBS for years. And, although his desire would be to work in a church next, this would be better than nothing.

The same day he had the KC, Mo. interview, the church in Australia called and wanted to set up a Skype interview.  We were blown away.

The day of the Australia Skype interview came and Chris sat down at his computer and immediately started feeling nauseous.  Although, excusing himself twice to throw up during the interview, he was a trooper and came back each time to finish the interview.   Not sure what was wrong with him but over the next several days he didn't feel good on and off.

In the meantime, he worked on filling out and submitting the application for the KC Seminary and get a 2nd interview with Va. scheduled.  All the while wondering what the church staff who did the interview in Australia thought about his bout of sickness could mean... was it a sign that he wasn't the one, would they see his endurance and willingness to stick with it in spite of the vomiting?  

A few days later he shot them an interview just to follow up and see how they were processing it.  A couple days after that they replied and ended up scheduling a 2nd Skype interview with the lead pastors.

That interview was this past Monday.  Right before he was to sit down for the interview the nausea hit, so he prayed that if this job was not meant to be that God would make him sick again during the interview.  This time... as soon as he sat down, he felt better and ended up having a great interview this time.  

After that good interview we called family members to let them know how it went and Chris's dad was able to speak wisdom into his decisions regarding his upcoming Va, counseling interview.  Why would he go to an interview where he wasn't excited about the position and probably wouldn't accept.   This advice led him to cancel that interview.

We haven't heard back from KC Seminary.

Oh and other option we have been throwing around and  praying about is a church plant either here in this area or in TN with some great friends.

So, thats where we are.  We feel at this time we are down to 2 options.  Church Plant or Australia.

More to come... need to go feed my little ones....

or  ????

Prayerfully waiting,
Kim