Trial Run

We did a trial run on packing the Jeep up today. It was good - better than I expected, even. Between the cargo area in the back and our car-top carrier, we have plenty of room for each of us to take a duffel bag and a Space Bag (medium for the girls, large for Mark and for me).

Funny how in this process that has come to sound like a perfectly ample amount of packing space to move to a foreign nation. Just goes to prove God really can change hearts and minds.

Besides those things, we also made sure there was room for 2 boxes of Spanish New Testaments, a cooler, a few (very few) household items, and our electronics.

To be honest, the latter takes up a pretty significant precentage of the available space, considering that we have a TV, XBox, and all all of our CDs and DVDs. Deep down, I think we all feel a little conflicted about this. (First-world guilt, you might call it.)

But, after talking with several people who've done mission work, we found out that it's pretty important to have something familiar, something in English, and something a little mindless we can all do together during the transition period when we first get there.  We really debated about whether or not to take these things, but I think we made the right decision.

Plus, now that we know for sure that it's all going to fit, we only have to deal with the occasional twinge of first-world guilt, instead of weeks and weeks of transition trauma. So, yay Jeep and car top carrrier! Thanks for helping us out with that. :)

Taking Stock

So, here's something I hadn't thought about before - the freezer in our basement. You know, it's just been down there quietly humming away since we moved it in two years ago, keeping all of our 'extra' stuff nice and cold for us. 

The problem is, we don't need any 'extra' stuff anymore. In fact, soon we're not going to need any stuff at all. At least, not any food.

That's a strange feeling. 

Usually when you move you just unload the cupboards, fridge and freezer into boxes, take them to the new place, and put them away there. (Ditto laundray stuff, cleaners, the things in your medicine cabinet, etc.. But, I digress.) 

Just to be sure that I wasn't going to be wasting food and/or wasting money, I decided to take an inventory of what we have left for food in the house, and do menus to ensure that we use it all up.

Turns out, I've got all of my suppers planned from now until the day we leave. (I guess I had more food on hand than I realized!) 

Don't get me wrong - we'll still have to do some shopping for side dishes, snacks, and perishables. But, we're bound to save a lot of money on groceries (especially since I won't be stocking up on the things on sale, like I usually do). And - we're going to eat like kings! That turkey I was saving for a special occasion? It's supper next Tuesday night. The giant pork roast I figured I'd use for a family dinner? It'll taste great the Monday after next, and the leftovers will be the perfect pairing for that bag of dried black beans I found in the back of the cupboard. 

Oh, and did I mention that I had lots of steaks left that I intended to last us a whole grilling season? Yummm!

The only things I wasn't able to figure out how to use up were a whole bottle of Karo syrup (?), the dill and mustard seed I'd bought to make pickles this summer, and a couple of boxes of hot cocoa mix. Wonder how they'd all taste together as a barbeque sauce to go on all that delicious meat. Hmm.... 

Six Weeks

Exactly six weeks from today we will close the door on this house for the last time, and venture off into the unknown.

(Ok technically we'll venture off in a Jeep Liberty on a three-week journey to familiar places visiting family and friends. But, THEN we'll be in the unknown.)

Some days it feels like six weeks is forever, and it's hard not to wish the time away since we're so excited to get to Guatemala. Some days, though, six weeks feels like no time at all, and I can hardly stand how quickly it's all happening. 

This in-between time is strange. And, honestly, a little hard. 

I mean - I know I need to clean out my kitchen cupboards and get rid of, well, everything. But, when should I do that? Ditto the bathroom vanity. And the blanket chest in the living room. And, and, and...

We've done a ton of sorting in the past six months, and really have narrowed things down significantly. Our motto during that time was, "If I won't use it between now and when we leave, and/or I'm not taking taking it with me, I'm getting rid of it."

The trouble is, I don't really have a sense of what we'll use in the next six weeks. (Or even exactly what we'll have room to take with us.) Yes, technically we can go without most of the things now. But, do we want to feel like we're camping in our own home for the next 42 days when we don't have to?

Of course, I also don't want to wait until the last  minute and be scrambling to re-home a whole bunch of stuff on the last day that we're here, when we're packing up and dealing with the dozens of last-minute things that are sure to pop up.

<sigh> It's a bit of a circular problem, I guess, but I know God will continue to guide us day by day and help us make these decisions wisely. 

So, here's to six weeks left - a strange milestone, but a good one nonetheless.

And So It Begins...

Sheesh.... why does everybody have to be so gosh-darned nice!!??

We are now at the point where we're starting to have to say goodbyes to people. As in - we may not see these folks again for a year. Or two years. Or, maybe not again until we meet in eternity.

This is hard stuff, made even more difficult by just how wonderful the people we are leaving behind happen to be.

Today our younger two girls went off to a home school gathering that was kind of a bonus, if you will, since it was previously unscheduled. Our oldest daughter decided to stay home so she could finish some school work she'd gotten behind on.

I guess she didn't realize this would be one of those poignant 'lasts.'
(I didn't either.)

They're really starting to sneak up on us now...

It turns out that the teacher in the program and all of the students had made beautiful cards. And said nice things. And passed out hugs.

And Rachel missed them. :(

So, now, I'm sitting on my bed, crying on her behalf.

To be honest, there are a whole lot of conflicting feelings that pop up when you're this close to leaving for the mission field. But, it doesn't always feel like it's ok to express them. I mean, we don't want people to think we're wavering in our dediction or suddenly feeling unsure of our calling, because we're not. But, at the same time, we're still human. We still have insecurities, doubts, and fears, just like everyone else.

And, leaving people you love - even if it's for the best possible reasons in the world - will always be hard to do.

There is a part of me that wants to throw the brakes on and try to stop this whole process right now. Who gives up great jobs? A great home? A great church? A great future? Who gives up family gatherings and Christmas with the grandparents and giggly friendships? What kind of parents drag their kids away from everything familiar, and known, and comfortable?

Those thoughts do cross my mind. And, even though I know they are from the accuser, and not from God, they're there. I don't want anyone to think that we're not 100% sure about our calling, but I also wouldn't want anyone to think that it's always easy to walk it out, either.

'Cause it's not.

So, if you all would just stop being so gosh-darned nice so that it would be less difficult to leave, I'd really appreciate it.

(Ok, maybe not. Thanks for being so wonderful, and so kind, and such an important part of our lives!)

A Choice

I am going to be very honest in this post.  Some people may have issues, but I am going to speak very candidly.

Last year about this time, I started to feel conviction to give something up for the Lord.  Now, I have given many things up for the Lord over the years.  I have sacrificed things I really wanted to do, or habits I enjoyed, but what He asked me to give up last year seems harder - both personally and socially.

Since August 11th of last year, I have not had any alcohol.  It is an easy date to remember, since I was at Comic-Con.  Now, this may not seem like a big deal to some. But, over the years, I had begun to enjoy the taste of alcohol.  Not to the level of getting drunk, but I liked a drink with a meal or with friends.

I compare it to not getting to eat pizza anymore (which is my favorite food).  It is easy to eat something else, but I would still miss eating it.

Alcohol had become something of a special treat for me.  When we would eat at Buffalo Wild Wings I would get a Stella Artois with my wings.  When would eat Mexican food I would get a margarita.  When going to eat somewhere nice, I would get a mixed drink I had never had before.  And on Sunday nights I would have a nice glass of Budweiser.

It was really something to enhance the meal.  It also helped me relax after a long day.

(This may be a good moment to bring up that even though I have stopped drinking, I do not view it as an evil or judge anyone who does.  This is something between me and God.  So if we are hanging out and you want to go get a drink, it will not bother me.)

Of course, I didn't listen to God at first.  (Ignoring God is especially easy when what He's asking you to give up is not something that you view as really bad.)  But, I had a heart to be obedient to what God was telling me.  And, He took matters into his own hands.

Alcohol started not tasting good. It had also lost its effect of being able to relax me.  So, I would have a Budweiser (my favorite beer) after a long day at work and the first sip would be awful.  I would think, "that is odd," and drink the rest of it over the next hour, like normal. That whole time, it would still taste awful.  AND it didn't have any relaxing effect on me.

I remember someone asking me when they offered me a drink, "Do you not drink anymore?".  My response was simply,  "It doesn’t taste good anymore."  After fighting that for a month or two  the light bulb finally came on.  God was applying pressure.

Now here is the part I like about God.

He was applying pressure. If I decided not to listen, to not have an obedient heart, or I just said that it wasn't worth giving up,  I am 99% sure that alcohol would have started tasting good again.  God will only take you as far as you are willing to go.

I have been reading Romans in the New Living Translation, and I found this idea put best in chapter 14 verse 23:

But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

So, I am done drinking at this point.  I don't know if this is a forever thing, or just a season.  I would imagine God will want my obedience on this for a lifetime.  But, I am not worried about it. I am following His will for my life, and that is what counts - not the cost.

What I Am Looking Forward To...

A little bit ago I wrote a blog talking about what I think I will miss about here when we move to Guatemala.  I plan on not looking at that post for another 2 years to see if those are really the things I missed or not.  Andrea wrote the same kind of blog.  A friend commented on heres that, when we get down there, we should do the same thing for things we really love about living down there.

So, I thought I'd start early, and try to write a blog about the things I am most looking forward to.

 I have a feeling some of the things may be pure ignorance or innocence. Forgive me if I sound silly.

1. Not having an 8 to 5 - Though I really like my job and the schedule, soon I will not have one and I think it will be very fun.
2. Speaking Spanish - I think it will be fun to be bilingual.
3. The market - Markets in Guatemala are amazing, I am looking forward to exploring them.
4. Travel to other countries – One nice thing about living somewhere that is close to other country's borders, is visiting them.
5. Learning a new culture – We are going to get to immerse ourselves in a brand new culture, get out of our bubble, and see how other people live.
6. The weather – Quetzaltenango is known as the land of eternal spring. That will be nice.
7. 365 growing season – I like green. One of the hardest parts of winter is when everything turns brown.  It is always green down there.
8. Family focus – We are going as a family - as a little unit - and we will become even more committed to each other.
9. The mountains – Having grown up in Iowa, mountains still seem foreign to me, but I think I will like them.
10. Helping – Getting to help established missionaries that have given their lives to serving Christ will be awesome.
11. Hot Springs – I liked the hot springs a lot. Somehow I don’t think that will change.
12. Food vendors everywhere – Though there is so much poverty, there are food vendors everywhere. I am excited to try the different food, though I may not like the feeling after.
13. Making a difference – I believe my job is important.  But what I will be doing down there will change people’s lies forever.
14. Hospitality – Welcoming others is something I think Guatemalans do better than Americans.
15. Slower way of life – America is a high speed sort of life, and though I enjoy it, I am looking forward to the slower culture.

As with the last list, I will look at this in 2 years.  I bet I don’t now even know what I will enjoy, but it is worth a shot, and fun to think about!

Thinking Some More...

Mark has been doing a lot of thinking lately about what he'll miss when we leave for Guatemala. I guess it's gotten me thinking, too. It really is a challenge to predict what you might miss once you don't have it anymore. But, here are my best guesses at the top 15 things that will be hardest for me to be without:

1.) Family and friends (obviously) -I have been blessed beyond what anyone deserves when it comes to friends and family. It will be really, really, really, really hard to not be able to pick up the phone or hop in the car whenever I want to connect with my favorite people.

2.) Home schooling - I am thrilled that I'm going to get to work at a Christian school, and that my children will be able to attend there, as well. But, home schooling has a been a part of my identity personally, professionally, politically, socially, and academically for more than a dozen years now. In many ways, it has shaped who I am, who my children are, and how we are known by others. It will be VERY strange to not be involved with home schooling for this season of our lives.

3.) Sleeping in - I cringe to admit that I almost put this as number 2 (or 1), but it is kind of a big deal to me. I like sleep. A lot. I've never been a good early riser, and I'm going to have to be up, dressed, fed, and AT WORK by 7:30. In the morning!!! I know God will help me with this, but it is going to be a big adjustment. Prayers are appreciated.

4.) Our church - It kind of makes me cry a little on the inside everytime I think about having to leave our church. It's really wonderful. We've grown and learned so much there, and have been so welcomed and embraced by its members. Our children, especially, have loved their precious time here. I know we will find a new church, but I have a feeling that FFCC will always be home.

5.) A flexible schedule - I've never worked a full-time job. Ever. I mean, I've ended up working part time jobs that were really more than 40 hours a week, but I've always been able to set my own hours and be flexible, which I've loved. It's allowed me to help out, volunteer, tackle projects, etc... I am really going to miss that.

6.) HyVee - For real. I love my local grocery store. They're the best chain foodstore in the world, in my opinion. I love their reliability, their quality, their friendliness, and their prices. (Oh, and the coupons!) As a frugal home maker with a family who loves to eat, they're kind of like a second home to me. Rarely a week goes by that I don't visit at least once. I know I'll come to love the market place, but I will seriously miss my HyVee.

7.) Solitude - What can I say? I like to be alone. I don't think I'll have a lot of alone time in Xela. For one thing, we will be so much busier, and there are so many more people in the town. But, I also won't be able to send my kids to the park alone, or leave them at home to go do a bit of shopping or take a walk.

8.) Things being easy - I am anticipating that stuff (mostly everything) will be harder in Guatemala. You know, like having to wash fruits and veggies in bleach water and then rinse them in bottled water before you eat them. Or not being able to just run down to the local store and know for sure that you'll be able to find what you're looking for. Or driving with the expectation that people around you are going to follow the laws and stay in their own lanes and off your bumper. Stuff like that.

9.) Government that works (mostly) - I can certainly understand why people are up in arms about our governments (local all the way up to federal) being bloated, top-heavy, out of touch, ineffective, wasteful, unconstitutional, etc... But, they're still waaaaaaaaaaaaay better than what they've got in Guatemala. I'm not looking forward to having police officers looking for bribes, and having to negotiate my way around a very corrupt system.

10.) Fall and Spring - I do love the changing of the seasons. At least, these seasons. I'm still pretty sure I'm not going to miss winter. At all. Ever.

11.) Being an expert at the local language - I take a lot of pride (more than I should, I know) in being able to use the English language correctly. It is really, really going to be hard to butcher the local language, and to have to be on the receiving end of correction about grammar, pronunciation, etc... <sigh>

12.) Wide, open spaces - I love the mountains, but I think I will end up longing for the flat, expansive cornfields of Iowa, where the only thing bigger than the vista ahead of you is the blue sky above.

13.) The familiar - You know, like intersections that remind me that I'm close to home. My favorite blanket when we're watching TV. My 'go-to' knife and cutting board in the kitchen. All those thousands of little things that make daily life so comfortable, even if you don't think about them... I know we'll eventually become familiar with our new surroundings, but the transition will be challenging.

14.) Pulling our own weight financially - Words can't express how grateful we are for our financial supporters. And, I know it's absolutely Biblical and appropriate to be supported by others while sharing the gospel, and that our supporters will be immeasurably blessed becuase of their giving. Still, it's a hard thing to accept sometimes.

15.) The life we might have had - I don't think I'll ever regret doing mission work, but the fact that we have opted out of so much - including the 'normal' American life - will forever alter our future. I don't grieve over who we'll never end up being, or what we'll never end up doing or achieving because we're moving to Guatemala. But, I do have to take a moment to acknowledge that our future is going to be different because of this choice.  It's at least worth pondering...

Thinking...

I got to thinking the other day about us leaving.

I know in past blogs I have hit on the things I am sacrificing but very willing to leave behind in order to go to Guatemala.  But, what about the things I am going to miss? I sat down and thought about that, and this is what I came up with.

1. Talking to my Dad – I consider my Dad one of my best friends. It will be hard to not be able to pick up the phone and call whenever I want.
2. Chinese buffets – I am guessing that there are no Chinese buffets in Guatemala. At least, not like we have here.
3. English – I think our language it is very nice, I will miss hearing it every day.
4. Seasons – I don’t think I’ll miss winter, but I will miss the rest that comes when we switch from summer to fall. I think I will miss that.
5. Changing hours – In Guatemala there is pretty much a 12 hour day every day of the year. The long summers days turning to short fall days, and then getting longer again - I will miss that.
6. My house – I love our current house. It is big enough. It is laid out almost perfectly. The neighbors are nice. The yard is wonderful, and I will miss our house.
7. My job – I really like my job. And, though I will have a job down there, it will not have the same feel or regularity of my job here. It also won't be the same thing I have been doing for the last eleven years.
8. Tap water – Everywhere in the United States you can turn on the tap, take a big drink, and trust you will not get sick. You can’t even trust the water in the international airport in Guatemala.
9. Snow – Fine I admit it, there is nothing more beautiful than newly fallen snow. Let’s never talk about it again.
10. Church – I have been completely blessed to have been in awesome churches my entire life.  From what I saw, the churches there are not as dynamic as the ones here. I suppose that is part of why we are going, to share what we know about church.
11. Baseball – I love going to night games, I have found almost every one of them to be a magical experience the last 10 years.
12. NASCAR – This is new - going to races is something I just started doing five years ago, and I will miss the sound of NASCAR.
13. Iowa farm fields – This shows my Iowa roots. I love driving by endless miles of corn fields, especially when they are still green.
14. Debit Cards Use – I know there are credit cards down there, but much of the business is cash, and I don’t normally carry cash on me. That will be a change.
15. Ease – Everything is easy in the United States. I believe life will be much more difficult down there.

It will be interesting in two years to see if these are the things I missed the most. Maybe I won't miss any of these, and I will miss other things even more.  I can’t even imagine the changes that will happen in the next season, but I am excited to find out.

(Like what you've read? Want to learn more? Check out our website, or go here to make a tax-deductible contribution to our ministry. (Select 'Farrier' from the pulldown menu.)

God is Bigger Than Your 'But...'

"I wish I could _____________ for Jesus, but ______________"

Go ahead... fill in the blanks.

I'll wait. 

I know you can. You know you can. We all can. We all have filled in the blanks before - in conversation with others. With ourselves. With God.

I wish I could...

          be more bold 

                  do more outreach

                            give more time

                                      minister to those in need

                                                 talk to my neighbor about salvation

                                                            

But...

          I'm too shy

                  I don't know how

                              I'm just too darn busy

                                      I don't have what it takes

                                                I don't know what I should say

I know those are the things you've probably said before, because I've said them too. All Christians have. It's inevitable.

Once we give our lives over to Christ, He will begin to stir our hearts into service on His behalf. After all, the Bible says that we are created by Him, and for Him - unto His good works. (Eph. 2:10).  That's what we're here for - to experience His grace and salvation, yes. But, we are also supposed to help others experience them as well. God's got the best retirement plan in the universe, but He really, really wants you to show up and do the job He's given you before you get there.

And, our flesh, conditioning, and will aren't going to like that. They don't want to take orders. They don't want to do the same things that He wants them to do. So, they help us make up excuses. And, for some reason, we believe them.

We believe that our personality, or lifestyle, or circumstances are somehow enough to excuse us from doing the things God put us here to do.

In short, we make our 'but...' bigger than God.

I promise you - you are not so fundamentally flawed, incapable, and ineffective that God can't/won't/doesn't want to use you. That would mean that your weaknesses (whatever it is you believe them to be) are more than the Almighty can overcome.

[Your worst failings sound kinda insignificant when you hear it put that way, don't they?]

I invite you today to stop doing what's comfortable, and step out in faith to do what He asks you to do instead. You just might be surprised how mightily He shows up in your life, and what a joy it is to work your 'but...' off on His behalf!

Like what you've read? Want to learn more? Check out our website, or go here to make a tax-deductible contribution to our ministry. (Select 'Farrier' from the pulldown menu.)

                                                      

What's in a Name?

When we first started our ministry (we giggle everytime we say that, because we can’t believe God would call us to ministry) we were just Mark and Andrea.  It was actually difficult to pick a name.  You have to have a good name - something that is steady. Not cheesy, but also not too serious.  We wanted it personal, and not vague.  We also wanted to have something we could grow in. Some ministry names seem outdated after a while, especially if it was part of a specific revival movement.  We wanted something that inspired even us.

What we came up with was ‘Farriers of Faith’.

We go to Fellowship of Faith Christian Center, but I had not realized how close our name sounded to theirs until after we had actually agreed on it.  There was some debate on this matter.  Many weeks of debate, actually.  Andrea wanted something with ‘world’ in it.  She loves the scripture ‘…go into all the world…’  I felt it was vague, and for now we are going to just Guatemala. I mean, let’s not get ahead of ourselves!

I felt Farriers of Faith was the best, because it was the only name we came up with that spoke to me.  After a while Andrea agreed that it was a good fit, and that was how we got our name.

The thing I want to focus on in describing how we feel about it is the faith part.  Faith, to me, was a really important part that I wanted in the name.  Webster defines faith as, "something that is believed, especially with strong conviction."

Andrea and I believe we are called to go to Guatemala, to help people, and to give them the gospel.  We believe this, and are strongly convicted.  We believe it to the point that when people say, "I don’t understand..." we often find ourselves saying, "Wee don’t either, but we have to go."

We have faith that we are called.  We have faith that since we are called, God will take care of all of our needs.  We have faith that since we are following the call, God will not waste a minute of our lives.

Faith has changed for Andrea and me in the last few months.  Faith feels so different when I have a good job, a full stomach, a great family and friends.  As we are giving some of these things up, faith is changing in my life.  Relying on others to see our vision and that the Lord will lead them to support us in our calling - that is a different kind of Faith.

The enormity of what we are about to do is settling in.  Faith is changing because I have heard the calling. I know that He is enough.  Sometimes fear tries to come in, but I hold on to God's promises, and choose to have faith. He has led me this far, and I know He won’t let me down.

(Like what you've read? Want to learn more? Check out our website, or go here to make a tax-deductible contribution to our ministry. (Select 'Farrier' from the pulldown menu.)