One year ago (roughly), we were all commissioned at the North American Convention of the Church of God.
I cannot speak for the Langfords (and so, won't...), but the past year has been insane for Christy and I, and Sofie (who joined our little clan almost one year ago, last July).
A year ago when we started this journey, I was the Senior Pastor of the Maple Grove Church of God in Anderson. I served this congregation for 8 years, through this past May, and am presently, technically, Unemployed as we continue raising support.
See, we are not "Employees" of Global Missions until our support is raised 100%. So now we are in the world that so many people have been in in this declined economy: the world of pinching pennies and crunching budgets.
To be perfectly honest, this has caused us great stress, and I think this is something that a lot of people don't always think about when they think of "Missionaries."
I know that I never realized the sacrifices that they made, and the stress and uncertainties that they are forced to live with as their lives are in a constant state of limbo and transition.
And yet, that's exactly where we are right now.
Christy is still working full-time, as all of our Health Insurance is through her job, not to mention our only guaranteed source of income for the indefinite future.
We are working like crazy to connect with the people and congregations who hold the key to our final 20% of Living Link Support. If you are thinking that maybe that's you, take that as a sign that you are part of that group and click HERE.
Over the past year, we have been to 10 different states and three other countries (Canada, Germany and the Netherlands) as we prepare for this major life transition. As for support, we are past the 3/4 mark, or as Joe Nuxhall used to say, "We're rounding third and heading for Home." (Go Reds.) All this traveling has been good at times, but also very exhausting, especially in addition to all the other normal aspects of life and work. Also, the stress of being apart has been tough on all of us (Much of the traveling has involved Daniel going and Christy and Sofie remaining in Anderson).
And yet, in order to get to "the field," this has been the necessary reality under the current structure of us being required to raise our own support.
Now, we are also working like crazy to get our house sold and our goods liquidated. :-) Ten years in one house, as some of you know, is more than enough time to accumulate a LOT of "stuff."
But, for now, we are forced to live in a state of flux.
When will our support fully be in? We don't know.
When will Christy be able to transition out of her job with integrity? We don't know.
When will we make the move to the Netherlands? We don't know.
When will our beloved dog go to live with his "grandparents?" We don't know.
Essentially our entire lives are up in the air.
Pray for our sanity, and pray for the timing of everything to coincide in a positive way for our departure from this context, and our entrance into the next.
As for our new friends, we are more than thrilled to be friends with the Langfords. Even more so, we are thrilled to be teammates, co-laborers for the King's Vineyard. We give thanks to God for our friendship with the Langfords, for the ways that we have been able to sharpen one another in the past year, and for all that God has in store for us in the future!
While you're praying for us, will you add them to the list, too?
--Daniel
P.S. This has not been intended as a "pity party" for us. Rather this is to serve as a reflection over the past year, an update to our current situation, and also as an educational piece about some of the oft-unknown aspects of this way of life!
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