Today's the Day

We have dreamed of and prayed for this day for so long. It's hard to believe that today we leave to begin our new work in Africa!

Yesterday our congregation at Brentwood Oaks held a commissioning service for us. There were many scriptures, songs, and prayers dedicating us to the work in Zambia and committing our church family to support us. We were called to the front to affirm our commitment to this call. As we stood there, David whispered, "Just look out there." The many faces of those we have loved and served with for twenty years reminded us of how blessed we are to have these dear brothers and sisters to send us out, pray for us, and give us their support.

David was invited to make some remarks. He quoted John Piper's words: Endings are for thanksgiving; beginnings are for faith. As we end twenty wonderful years here in Austin, we give thanks for all God has done in our lives and in the life of Brentwood Oaks. As we begin our new adventure in the mission field, we step out in faith knowing He is with us every step of the way.

Then we were presented with a beautiful quilt! Each family had been invited to write a message on a quilt square. Our dear friend Suzie Berry then pieced the squares together. As if that weren't enough, she made ANOTHER quilt design on the other side featuring the BOCC logo in a log cabin design. The result is breathtaking. As my mother would have said, there is a little love in every stitch. Not only that, but Suzie assured me that she put the quilt together with constant prayers for us. What a blessing to have this lovely reminder of our church family and their love for us.

Last night there was a reception in the courtyard as a final farewell. We said our goodbyes and shared hundreds of hugs. We will treasure these sweet memories as we face the days ahead.

Today will be a hectic rush to finish packing and make our final preparations. Our plane leaves Austin at 6:25 this evening. We will spend the night in Atlanta before our 10:30 a.m. flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. We'll arrive there on Wednesday morning (after a 16-hour flight and a seven-hour time change), have a layover of several hours, and then fly on to Lusaka in Zambia, arriving at 8:10 Wednesday evening. We'll spend the night in Lusaka, pick up our visas and our Land Rover, and head for Namwianga on Thursday evening.

I want to thank those of you who have been constantly lifting us up in prayer. We feel the strength that only God provides, and we appreciate the way you have been bringing our needs before the Father.