Two years ago, we heard about Northwest Church's first mission trip to Kenya, led by Milton and Barbie Jones. Amy, who had dreamed of serving in Africa for as long as she could remember, asked Jason if she could go. His response was, “Honey, this just isn’t the time.” Rather than her usual tactic of nagging, Amy kept her mouth shut and prayed. Over the next two weeks, Amy continued to get what she believed were confirmations from God that she would be going on the trip. However, she did not mention any of these to Jason. Instead, she kept praying that if God wanted her to go, He would change Jason’s heart. About two weeks after the beginning of her prayer vigil, Jason called Amy from work and said, “I don’t know why, but I feel like you are supposed to go on this Africa trip.” Wow.
The next “obstacles” were money and Amy’s anxiety over telling her parents. We had no extra money to put towards this trip. In addition, Amy was worried that her parents would be rightly concerned about her safety, how we would pay for the trip, and who would take care of the kids while she was away. Another confirmation was seen when Amy’s parents not only offered to take the kids while she was gone, but also paid for half of her trip! The rest of Amy’s trip money was raised within several more weeks by selling household items on Craigslist, and through other family and friends who donated funds. Wow.
After tickets were purchased, Amy was at a planning meeting for the trip. Jason stopped by the meeting after work to pick up the kids. He quickly became engaged in a conversation the group was having about building issues at the Ring Road Orphan Day School. Someone in the group asked why Jason wasn’t going on the trip. He didn’t know how to answer. After the meeting, Amy asked Jason if he would consider going. His response was, “Even if I had the money and the time, I don’t think that is what I would do with it.” So Amy began her next prayer vigil (seeing as the first one had worked out so well!). A few days later, Jason said, “I don’t know why, but I feel like maybe I am supposed to go on this trip with you. Will you call the travel agent?” Amy called and all four flights Jason needed to be on were booked solid. For the next two weeks, we prayed that if Jason was supposed to go on this trip, he would get the needed seats on the various flights we were to take. After two weeks, the travel agent called us back and said she had reserved seats on all the flights for Jason… “Did we want to book his ticket?” Again, we did not know how we would pay for Jason’s trip, but this seemed like a clear sign from God that he was supposed to go. So, in faith, we booked the trip. Two days later, Jason got an unexpected bonus at work for $5000. Wow.
We knew, heading into that trip, that God had a plan and a purpose for both of us to be in Kenya that summer. We didn’t know why, and still didn’t even after the trip was over. We’d had a wonderful time, made many new friends, but didn’t feel like we had contributed anything special that someone else didn’t also bring to the group. We did, however, have a middle-of-the-night conversation one night in Kenya, where we decided that if God ever called our family to move to Kenya, we would go.
In hind sight, it is clear to us that God used that trip to develop a passion in Jason for the orphans in Africa. God brought us together in unity and purpose, in preparation for His future calling. Admittedly, our desire to be obedient to God’s calling was quickly clouded by our return to the United States and our quest for the perfect American life. God would periodically remind us of our passion for Africa, but it was easily ignored in favor of our comfortable lives… until one Sunday morning, nearly a year later. Jeff Berryman asked us to write down on a slip of paper the one thing that was keeping us from following Jesus. After symbolically crumpling up the paper and throwing it away, Jason and I shared what we had each written. Without discussion, we had each chosen the exact same two words to throw away: Comfortable Living.
God continued to work on us in subtle ways about Africa, but we actively fought it--sometimes to the point of straight out rebellion (“No God, we really need this new car instead.”). Then Amy attended the Women’s Seminar at church about a month ago with Lysa TerKeurst. Lysa shared her experience of saying “yes” to God in the most unlikely of situations. Throughout the seminar, Amy was convicted by the Holy Spirit that she needed to say “yes, Lord”, even if it meant selling everything and moving her whole family to Africa. After the seminar, William Lawrence approached Amy and asked if she was going to adopt a couple of kids from Africa (that’s what Lysa had said “yes, Lord” to). Amy thought to herself, “No, it’s much worse than that. Bringing a couple African kids home to my cushy house would be too easy. God is calling us to step out in a much bigger demonstration of faith.” Amy raced home, excited and sick to her stomach about telling Jason what she felt they needed to say “yes, Lord” to. Jason’s simple reply was, “I’ve been feeling the same way.” Wow.
That day, we started a new faith journey that began with those two simple words, “yes, Lord”. In four short weeks, God has confirmed time and time again that when we obey His call, He will work in God-sized ways. Immediately after praying and pledging to follow God’s call for our family, wherever it may lead us, doors began opening towards Africa. Confirming scriptures about caring for orphans have come up in our Bible study with the kids. Inspiring sermons have been preached about Feeding the hungry, being Empowered by the Holy Spirit, and allowing God to Send us out. Worship songs have been sung about standing beside the broken, being filled up, and sent out. Prayers have been answered in much bigger ways than we’ve even hoped for. We and our children are truly experiencing the ways in which God speaks to us when we finally open our ears to His calling.
A week and a half ago, someone approached us at church and gave us $1500 “to send one of us to Kenya to further discern God’s plan for our family”. Wow. So when Jeff asked last Sunday, “Where is the one place you would want someone to send you?”, we had already answered that question: Kenya!
We prayed that our tax refund would be big enough to cover the rest of Jason’s costs to Kenya. The next day, we got news that our refund would cover the remainder of Jason’s trip, pay off our credit card, AND leave us with about $3000 more to start our BEAF (that would be the Beagle Epic Adventure Fund). Wow. It all started with a simple, “yes, Lord.”
Forgive us for being so lengthy in our testimony…but we are excited and there is much to tell! Sometimes we feel that what God is asking us to do is so big. Too big, in fact. But we are learning that all we have to do is take one tiny step towards Him by saying, “yes, Lord”, and He rushes to meet us the rest of the way.
We don’t know the details of this journey. We are praying for God to reveal the where, what, when and how’s of His calling. We are working with the Northwest Africa Ministry Team and Christian Relief Fund to try and discern where God might have us go, and what exactly He would have us do when we get there. Jason is arranging meetings with both Francis Bii in Eldoret and Jared Odhiambo in Kisumu when he is in Kenya this July. Some potential projects suggested by the Africa Ministry Team include:
- Overseeing a new microloan program in one or both sites,
- Expanding the new bulk-buying food program in Eldoret,
- Overseeing child sponsorships through CRF,
- Bringing water to the slums in one or both sites,
- Helping to rebuild Mt. Elgon facilities near Eldoret,
- Teaching in the Ring Road School or the Milton Jones Eagles Academy,
- Starting a library in one or both sites.
While we feel God is calling us to physically and spiritually serve the orphans in Africa, we do not selfishly “own” this call for just ourselves. We believe that God is calling our entire spiritual family to say “yes” to our true mission, in Seattle, Africa, and around the world. We may physically move to Kenya, but we are part of the Northwest Family and the family of God. It is our prayer that others in our family will respond to His call, in the unique ways He is calling each of you to participate in His true mission.
We are asking you to pray with us over the details of this mission:
- Where is God leading us to live and serve?·
- What does God want us to accomplish while we are there, both spiritually and physically?
- When does God want us to leave, and how long should our initial commitment be for?·
- How will God provide the financial resources for us to go?
We will continue to share with you as God reveals His purpose and calling to us. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement as we step out in this Epic Adventure of Faith!
