Well, as you can tell from the title of this blog we have 11 months remaining until our departure. We hope and plan to work and live in Tyler until August 2009. My last day at work is expected to be August 3, 2009.
The last stage we were aware of in this journey was that of the anxiousness and stress of moving, rethinking our future and the idea of leaving all that we have felt was certain and concrete in our lives (we do realize that none of it was really concrete) but many of us think of our retirement or even our job next week as "certain". Now we begin a new stage. This one has been one that is multifaceted. We have had the anxiousness of the total number of tasks that need completed before our family steps off the plane in Kigali. WOW! Huge number of things. We pray about them often but the pop up faster than we conquer them.
The other phase we are moving in at this point is humility. We have had many great friends over the last 10 years as we move along this path but it has been this decision that has shown us that our lives have touched and been touched by so many others. We have had people whom we have known for many years to just new friends and even just acquaintances stop us to tell us how much they think of our decision. We have had people that I don't even know tell us how they are inspired by our plans and faith. We have had great leaders say that they would commit themselves to us in prayer. We have had great friends commit financially. We have had people even come to us and say that they wanted to take some of our burdens away and do some of the things that are stressing us the most.
I have been so thankful that God has seen fit to humble me in this way rather than what I deserve, to be humiliated by God. I give great thanks to God for showing us others who want to walk this walk with us and to carry some of our burdens. It has made me feel that we are not alone in this journey and I am beginning to see that I am not alone in this and I am just the forward extension of the dreams and hopes of many others. I know that in my nature I may fail to meet expectations and I will be weak and even petty and shallow sometimes but by the grace of God I will be faithful, willing and able to do all that He asks of me.
I say thanks to those who have come along side of us to carry our burden. We seek so much prayer and we have given up great prayers of thanks for those who have the gifts to aid us in this journey.
Our prayers for this "month 11" are not limited to but include:
Fund raising
support team at all churches who provide funds
Our teammates the Koonces and Crowsons who will be moving to Rwanda in December
Our teammates the Reeves and Millers who are in Togo and will be on furlough next summer
Our children. We have family meetings now and the topics are usually about what they are going through.
Thank you all.
Brian and Kristin
