Our Next Step?

Here is something you could pray with us about.  Garth and I have been asked to consider joining Barnabas International and work in their MK (missionary kid) program.  Barnabas has an amazing ministry to kids that have lived in a third world country and are now coming to the States for college.  It is a HUGE transition ( I am finding out first hand all about that).  We would be instrumental in helping make that transition easier.  For many of the kids their family is still overseas and they don’t always have people to turn to for help.  We want to be there for them, like their extended family.  It seems like this would be a perfect fit for us.  We enjoy working with teenagers, we have been overseas, we are now trying to “fit” back into American culture and can use what we are going through to help others.  The fact that we would be able to work out of our home in Wisconsin is an added blessing.  One of the MK Re-entry programs is run out of BIOLA University in the LA area.  It starts this next week.  So, on Saturday Garth and I will fly there to see what it is all about.  I will stay until Tuesday and Garth will stay all week.  If we accept this opportunity, we would be taking over the program at BIOLA.  So it is great that we will have a chance to see what it is like.

I was only gone from the States for 4 years and we were able to come back a few times to visit.  Yet I am still feeling a bit like a fish out of water at times trying to adjust back to the American culture.  I am  normally a big planner, making lists, thinking way down the road to things that are coming up.  But lately I have found that thinking ahead feels overwhelming.  Thinking of getting clothes and shoes to fit everyone, eventually boots, warm coats, mittens…finding a vehicle that will fit us all, buying school supplies for the upcoming year, and backpacks, my parents moving out of the house and we are completely on our own again, getting my kids to wear shoes…UGH!  if we have to go to Wal-Mart I try to do a quick in and out because the selection and all of the varieties is too much.  I can’t imagine what it would be like for a teenager not used to this culture, here all by themselves, trying to figure out how to get their drivers’ license, learning American money, starting at college, buying a car, maybe finding an apartment…Anyways, we will keep you posted about all of this.

We would need to raise enough support each month to live off of, and figure out the best way for this ministry to fit with our family, so pray for real wisdom, o.k.?

Thanks!

Love you

Rachel