Preparing for Rain

In the popular Christian movie, Facing the Giants, a preacher tells a little parable that has always been a challenge to me. Two farmers were in need of rain so that their crops would grow. Both prayed that God would send them rain, but only one prepared his fields to receive it. Which one trusted God to answer prayer? Obviously, the one who prepared his fields.

As I prepare to finish deputation and begin language school, I often feel like that farmer preparing his fields and waiting for God to send rain in His own time and way. My support has now passed 90%; I am now less than $350/month away from my goal of 100% committed support. It’s exciting to be getting so close! But on the other hand, the beginning of the next semester of language school in France is also getting close: classes start on January 16, 2012, just three and a half months away. Those who are familiar with the university warned me that if I don’t reserve a place there soon, the classes might fill up and I might not get a place at all for next semester. So, even while I wait on the Lord for the time when I can leave the country, I have enrolled for classes at the DEFLE (department of French as a foreign language) at the University of Bordeaux in France. Although I don’t look forward to going back to the world of exams, term papers, deadlines, etc, I am excited about gaining a better mastery of the French language so that I can effectively communicate in Chad and other French-speaking countries in Africa. Please pray for the many details that need to be worked out in the next few months so that I can leave!  Keep praying for rain - the fields are ready!

On September 25, I passed two important milestones in my life. My sending church, Faith Baptist Church in Kittery, Maine, officially commissioned me to full-time missionary service in Africa. It was a special and moving time as we celebrated what God has done and looked forward to what He will do in the future. I was personally honored and privileged to have missionary colleagues, administrators, and friends, some coming from significant distances and taking special time out of their own busy travel schedules to attend and to encourage and challenge me and my sending church as we look toward the days ahead.

The other milestone of the weekend was a little less dramatic, but it was a milestone nevertheless! On September 24, the day before my commissioning service, I said goodbye to my 20’s and entered my third decade of life. It was a blessing to spend the day with friends this year … it seems that, after all, there is still lots of fun to be had in the 30’s! :-)

The next couple months will be quite busy with deputation meetings. I just concluded a missions conference in New York City last night, and am now writing from a turnpike travel plaza on my way back to my grandmother’s home in Pennsylvania. I have one last meeting in the northeast this Sunday – in New Jersey – then I will get to be at home in Indiana for 5 whole days before I head out to Iowa for the rest of the fall, and hopefully my very last lengthy deputation trip. I have meetings scheduled most Sundays until mid-December.