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future and wondered if it was really going to
happen. Deputation ministry with two kids
and one on the way was a challenging and
growing season in our lives, but God allowed
us to complete it in a year and a half!
Then it was time . . . it was time to go and
pack up and I was not sure I was going to be
able to make it. I prayed and prayed and kept
on going. I saw God’s grace and faithfulness
through it all. His grace always allowed me
to do more than I ever thought possible.

However, was I going to make it? I always
had a desire to serve the Lord with my life,
but I always struggled with feeling unable to
do all that came with the missionary life.

I remember flying to Honduras in January
2023 to study Spanish and trying not to
be overwhelmed with emotions. I took it
one hour at a time—and then one day at a
time. Looking back, I could see God’s hand
in everything He had done to grow and
prepare me for that moment. He was not
done. I started facing missionary life on
the field with three children and learning a
new language. Oh, the struggles that were
upon us within a few short months! Life in
Honduras had started to prepare me for life
in Nicaragua and I did not even know it.

The language is still extremely hard for me,
and I wonder if I will ever get it. There were
other challenges such as the daily water
shortage, electrical power outages, language
barriers, people and cultural differences. For
me there was a learning curve that included
discovering that doing everyday tasks would
take forever to get done, accepting things not
being done the “right” way, homeschooling
the children, cooking with different
ingredients, going to the capital to get the
“good” meat for our family, learning new
driving skills, overcoming loneliness, and
the list goes on. As our move to Nicaragua
was upon us, I felt the Lord had prepared
us more than ever. It seemed like moving to
our final destination was finally “okay” for
me. That was all God—doing what I thought
was “the impossible” for me. I can do all
things through Christ which strengtheneth me
(Philippians 4:13).

The transition to Nicaragua still was not a walk
in the park. We had many complications. It
seemed like the devil was fighting to keep us
from getting to the place God really wanted
us. Sometimes when it rains, it pours. We
have to keep our eyes on the Lord even when
things get discouraging because we know He
will win in the end. We have been through
some tremendous trials, as I know every
missionary has and will have in the future,
and yet, God is faithful and always good.

God has always provided. God will always
prepare one for what He has called one to do,
even if it is a different way than expected. I
once heard it said “Faith is going to a place
you cannot see or do not understand, and all
you can do is trust God.” W
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