The Call...Part 1

It's OFFICIAL!!! 

The Lord has said...Healing Grace Church (AMiA) in

NEW BERN, NC! 

When Bill was released from his day job at Department of Social Services on

Friday, April 23, and the Lord revealed in two times of prayer that He was

asleep on the boat while the storm was raging. We KNEW He had something ahead. 

We were told by one of our intercessors that Bill should not pursue another computer position, but that he was to pursue his music ministry giftings. 

 

(The first day in New Bern, the kids got to take a ride on our 

EXCELLENT hosts boat early in the morning.) 

 

This was a hard word because we couldn't afford for Bill not to be working. 

 The next Monday a mom from Dayspring came to me and said the Lord told her we needed food that week and gave us a gift card and a bag of snacks for the kids. 

The next weekend Caela had a dream that we were in a trailer about to move and that before she got into the trailer a man came up to her with a fist full of envelopes with money in them. Two hours later the Lord provided for our May bills! 

(The kids ready to head on down to New Bern!)

 

On May 3rd I sent a post out to our FB friends asking them to keep praying for Bill and his job search and a new FB friend, Pastor Mark Cooke, did a little fishing! = ) 

Mark invited me to be his FB friend sometime in March. I didn't know him, but he knew many of my close friends so I welcomed him. Little did I know that the Lord would be using that connection for His greater purposes! 

(on the way to New Bern, the kids got a treat at a stop, 

they got to visit with Goldie.)

He commented on that post and asked what Bill did and where we were located. Bill's mom commented back telling him Bill's situation! Boy, that Mother-in- Love of mine is SUCH a tool in the hand of the Lord! = ) 

I sent Mark a note giving more details and he proceeded to tell me they was looking for a missionary family to come on staff at their AMiA church plant under Bishop TERRELL GLENN...who is, of course, OUR BISHOP! = ) In addition, Mark's home church is St. Andrew's where our best friends in the world attend, Dwight is on staff there, and thirdly, Mark is connected to our dear friend, Tom Herrick! 

CRAZY GOD STUFF HERE!!! We thought..."We need to give this a real look see!" 

 (The view from the shore as Doug Brewbacher took my kiddos for their first boat ride.)

Mark came to visit us in May and the children were instantly enamored! Gracie and Liliana didn't leave his lap the whole time. Caela was blessed by his world connections and love of language, and he broke through with Isabella by being REALLY CREATIVE with her! She ended up taking his hand and leading him to the swing in the back yard...HUGE!!!! 

 (Before we left on our trip we visited our dear friend, Sean Jessie, at Unite Muffler in Radford. Sean is an AWESOME SPIRIT FILLED MAN of God! He sat with the kids and I and prayed for our trip while the van got new tires!)

 

We connected on pretty much every level during that visit and we spent the next few weeks in an intense discernment process. 

We came out of it with the realization that our "Growing Edges", as our friend, Tom, refers to them, were leading in this direction. Kind of like we needed a bigger pot! Not that The River is a small pot, don't get me wrong, but that for our growth individually, collectively, and for those the Lord would have us to minister to, New Bern was the Bigger Pot that He was calling us to for this season and for His purposes. 

Another intercessor of ours gave us Jeremiah 29:11 and directed us to the greater word from this passage...that it's not the PLACE or the PLAN, but it's to BE WHERE HE IS and to GET TO HIM, and that we found that accepting the call to New Bern wouldn't be clearly identified as to the WHY, but that Jesus wanted us to be OBEDIENT and to seek HIM and HIM ALONE and He would unfold the rest. HUGE WORD for us! 

 (Below is Healing Grace's Summer Intern, Drew, the kids just FLOCKED to him when they entered the church. To the right is Pastor Mark Cooke! Our fearless leader! Can't wait to be serving along side him in the years to come!)

The last word to our hearts was that of the verse about Abram leaving his country, his family and his home to "GO TO THE LAND I WILL SHOW YOU." Jesus didn't reveal the LAND yet, just told him to GO. So we came to the decision without even seeing New Bern. 

When we finally made the trip to New Bern on June 11-13 it was just to fully confirm the call. And HE DID!!! 

I'll stop there. I'll share more of our actual visit to New Bern in Part 2. 

We would ask for your prayers for the sale of our house here in Christiansburg and the house He has for us in New Bern. 

We love you DEARLY!!!