Life on a Journey

 

Life on a Journey

 

 

Every wonder, how did I get here? 

Could I have ever imagined that I would be where I am right now? 

How much of this life is made up of my choices verses God’s plans?

 

I don’t know how to describe this last month and a half since we got done with missions trip season. Emily and I have been on a journey of a lifetime with God and with each other. We are seeing a different perspective in ministry and I often look back and think, “how did I get here?”

 

It all started with a simple yes, a yes to the Lord and a leap of faith. As many of you know, the leaps of faith with the Lord never get smaller or easier, but often wider and more challenging. What would this journey of faith be if we came to the same obstacle again and again and we knew that through the Lord we could accomplish it. Would that obstacle not become mundane and seem “too easy” for us? Would we start to not depend on God and who He is in our lives?

 

Like a kid who just learned how to ride a bike and after 10 times of getting on and riding he says, “this bike is too easy for me.” Or “Let me go over the jump.”

 

I feel as if the Lord has given us the ability to take greater steps of faith the more we say yes to him.

 

Now as to where we are. We are in Wolfe’s Neck State Park outside of Portland, Maine. I again ask myself, how did we get here?

 

I know it has been a while since we have sent out an update and for that I apologize. This is partially because we have been so busy! When I say busy, I mean full days and full nights to the point of the last thing on our priority list is another blog. However, we often come back to the realization that it is the most important as it documents the stories of ministry. So, in this update I want to let you in on the journey of what we have done and what we are doing here.

 

Since the end of September, Emily and I were tasked with going to visit the youth groups that we sent on missions trips this summer. In addition, we were also assigned to go see the ministry partners who host our teams as well as pioneer new ministry sites. We currently have been living out of our car for 26 days now and here is a little recap:

 

-Visited a church in South Dakota, the youth team we led to Bismarck, ND this summer. Our visit was a powerful time and had many parents encourage us saying things to us like “I have noticed a huge change in my son” to “Thank you for all you do.” This was a joy for us to hear as it was one of our first tastes of fruit from our labor in ministry.

 

-We continued to visit our host in Chicago, IL hearing about summer missions teams, the ongoing ministry in Chicago and his family. 

 

-We drove through Elkhart, Indiana and stayed with our Adventures in Missions friends along the way. They were in the process of joining our Adventures STM team, however, they are putting it on hold as they realized there are going to welcome a new baby into the world in a couple months.

 

-We drove to Detroit, Michigan and flew out of Detroit to Fairbanks, Alaska. That’s right, we went to Alaska! This was a time to meet and connect with ministry partners and pioneer a location for youth groups to go in Summer of 2022. We got to hear what the Lord is doing up there through various ministry leader. We also got the privilege of staying and getting to know the Mackey family who have encouraged us beyond what we could have hoped for and even gave us a place to stay. Just a side note- we ate moose and halibut for the first time and got a first hand experience of Alaskan culture and the process of harvesting and living off the land. If someone has too much meet from their moose hunt, they often give it to the church to use for ministry. FYI Moose is the deer of Alaska.

 

 

-We continued from Detroit to Saginaw, Michigan and met a Pastor friend who has heard of Adventures in Missions and would love to have teams come in the future. This was another encouraging stay as we got to see and hear what the Lord has been doing through this church and ministry.

 

-The next couple weeks went around Michigan and Indiana visiting churches and youth pastors. This has been one of most joyful times of our journey. We realized after visiting 5 churches, that there is so much pain and hardship in ministry. Emily and I got to use our gifts of encouragement and understanding to acknowledged the hardship and spur them on with prayer and affirmation. After these encounters, we have realized how deep our ministry actually is. 

 

-We then went on to visit some of the project leaders in Indiana, Ohio, and New York, (Project Leaders are those who lead missions trips with us) and to be able to encourage and hear about there lives and stories. The Lord uses this Project Leaders to influence this next generation in a way of following Jesus and actively taking steps in their faith. For us, this is the heart of why we do what we do here at Adventures. 

 

This is just a glimpse and a summery of what we have accomplished in the last 23 days. This doesn’t even hit at the numerous calls, emails and texts going in and out from those who are looking at missions trips in 2022.  Now after 23 days of non stop interaction we have realized it is time to simply stop. To just enjoy, reflect and be.  Be with God and with each other, away from the discretions and coming back to the source – the true Vine (John 15).

 

Emily and I wouldn’t have been able to write this blog if we didn’t take the time we needed to rest and breath – taking a break from all the demands or emails, calls, texts, and interactions that happen on a daily basis.

 

So here it is, what we said yes to when we said yes to Adventures was simply ministering to youth groups, families, and ultimately churches as a whole. I remember sitting in support meetings and having the question presented, “So what will you actually be doing?”

 

Let me tell you, we know more now that ever before and it still changes everyday. However, at the heart of our ministry are these things:

 

-We are ministering to the broken hurting body of believers across our nation 

-We are providing a space for youth groups, families, Pastors, and leaders to encounter God again

-We are taking on the logistics and legwork of missions trips so that both the participant and those in need can encounter the Lord

-We are seeking first the Kingdom and seeing God show up in His might and power again and again

-We are a source of encouragement and hope to our team, to the churches, to the project leaders, to the ministry partners, and hopefully to you our supporters

-We are pioneering new partnerships and using creative ideas to initiate people into a journey with the Lord

 

All this to say, we are still just scratching the surface of the daily ministry and the conversations that we encounter. 

 

Much need to say, without you – our dearly loved friends & family – this journey with the Lord would not be possible.  Thank you for your continued support and encouragement along the way. 

 

As we sit on the edge of the ocean in Maine, I come back to that question in amazement – “Lord, how did I get here?” And as I hear the waves crashing on the rocks, all I have to say is simply “thank you.” 

 

Sincerely,

 

Andrew & Emily 

 

 

P.S. Prayers for us in this season:

-Endurance and strength as we travel from place to place and meet with various leaders and churches

-Churches to open their hearts to us and allow us to take them on a journey with God through missions

-For Emily and I as we train and lead new staff on our Short-Term Missions Team

-For wisdom in strategy and growth for our team 

-Just our hearts to continue to fall in love with Jesus and make Him known. As many have been hurt by the church and by people, we want to draw close to the Lord and do everything with pure motives and a heart to honor the Lord.