Pre-Departure Stage Has Begun!

Pre-departure Stage Has Begun
This week we received confirmation from a church that is supplying $4,000 out of the last $5000 that we needed in one time support. Since that is 96% of what were raising in one time support we are moving forward into our pre-departure phase. We are currently shopping for tickets around June 7-10th. That gives almost three months to do everything we need to do before heading back. Several tasks had to wait until we had confirmation, so now we can begin those tasks and in fact have already begun some. Thanks for your prayers, your gifts, your sacrifice and your support as we have gone through this very flexible period of preparation, training and support building. The time has not been wasted and we have been grateful for the extra time with family, friends and an America that we love.
April Houk, who is also ready, will be joining us in Italy about three weeks after we arrive there. Arriving prior to any team members will allow us to set up a more stable environment as they arrive and experience the culture, Italian style. It also allows us to take care of some of our specific legal and logistical tasks and then be allowed to put more focus on April and all subsequent team members that follow.

Perspectives

So, last night Angie and I went to our first night of a semester long class called "Perspectives". We are taking it to broaden our understanding of missions in order to be better leaders for the Verona team. We were in a room full of people from several denominations in a classroom at First Christian Church in Owasso, Oklahoma. It is a three hour class, every Wednesday night for several months. If the first night was any indication, it is going to be a great class. It feels like it is not only going to make me a better leader, but understand the heart of God better too! As we go to classes, I may try to post something here or there. As for last night, some verses that stood out were Genesis 12:1-3. They were verses that we grew attached to as we sought the city that God was sending us to and we talked about those verses last night. Then tonight at a small group of one of our supporting churches, Edmond Christian Church, we talked about those verses again. Is God trying to tell us something? Affirm something to us? If you get a chance read those verses and ask God what he wants to tell you through them. And also if you want to be challenged in your faith, check out "Perspectives". So far, so great. I'll let you know more as we go along.

Moving Again???

So, here we are on the eve of yet again, another move. Tomorrow, Angie and I are moving from my brother's house into an apartment. Staying with my brother has been good and I'm glad we had the opportunity. Moving into an apartment however, will give us some routine, family space, stability and normalcy. Starting in January we will be travelling and speaking at several churches to promote and communicate about our ministry, and when we aren't travelling the apartment in Tulsa will be a great homebase to return to. Also, we are planning on inviting over family, friends and supporters to the apartment and providing them with some great hospitality.

Tomorrow will be busy, but good. In the morning we will get to the apartment, clean up after the bug bombs, and straighten what few things we already took over this evening when we got the keys. Then from 10 AM to noon, the cable guy will come to install internet and cable. Sometime after 10 AM several guys from Highland Park Christian Church will be coming over with all the furniture that many at the church have so selflessly loaned us while we are in the states for Home Assignment. We are awed and overwhelmed by the support our churches give us, and this is a great example. Later in the afternoon, we will work on the apartment, unpacking and moving things into their permanent position, then that night we'll come back over to my brother's house to watch OU play Missouri for the Big 12 football championship. Great stuff. I can't wait.