An Interesting "Coincidence"

Erin and I were catching up on the devotional book we read together since we forgot to take it with us to Amarillo.  We read today's entry, and then yesterday's as well.  Remember, yesterday we had our first "moving" sale, and Erin's grandmother's funeral.  Here are the first few sentences from the book we read:

THIS IS A TIME IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU MUST LEARN TO LET GO: of loved ones, of possessions, of control. In order to let go of something that is precious to you, you need to rest in My Presence....

We both looked at each other and couldn't believe it.  This book we have been reading has been so timely in its application of God's truth! It is neat to know that God in his infinite plan knew we would read that particular passage at the exact moment it applied to our lives.  We know a book is not Scripture, but God can use many things to grab our attention, reaffirm us, and instruct us.  We were thankful for tonight's lesson! 

In other news, we are compiling a new list for keeping everyone updated on what is going on.  (We will still use the blog as our main means of updating folks, but one current list of contacts will be nice to have!) Over the weekend, we met several family members that wanted to be added to our update list.  It was encouraging to meet fellow believers that want to see how God works through us.  We also were able to find out exactly what shots we need for going overseas.  During our doctor consultation on Wednesday, it looked like we would have to get rabies and some other expensive vaccinations.  But thankfully, we can hold off on getting most of the "exotic" shots and stick to the more typical vaccinations.  Our friend in Indonesia gave us the needed information on what medications are truly needed in that part of the world. 

So that's the latest for now!  We had a long weekend, but an encouraging one. 

The sale begins!

Today we have the first "moving" sale at the church. We want to give a HUGE thank you to Gail, Regina, and Irene who were willing to conduct the sale in our absence. We are currently in Amarillo for Erin's grandmother's funeral. While we had hoped to be at Crosslands to conduct the sale, we are so grateful that our friends stepped up to sell our stuff while we had to attend to business here. Please pray with us as we hope to raise some much needed funds for our move to Indonesia. God will provide, and it is exciting to see how he will work all things out for our good! -mekj

Changes coming!

Erin and I received our official "welcome" packet from NICS the other day.  It is kind of weird holding a Missionary Appointment Certificate complete with our names on it.  I guess you could say things are official!  We are constantly amazed that God has chosen us to do this, and we are so grateful that he does not call us to do anything without also equipping us for the task.  The materials we received also included more books to read, two dvds, a staff resource manual, and some other items.  We have a lot of reading and learning to do!  It is clear that the folks at NICS are willing and able to help us in the process of getting to Indonesia.  The materials are full of very specific and practical steps for things like raising support and helping our kids in the transition.  Please continue to pray for us as we sort through and start to absorb all this new information.  It is easy to feel overwhelmed at times, but that is when we remind ourselves of the Scripture.

We hope in the next few weeks to change up the blog to reflect more about NICS, BAIS, and Indonesia.  It is going to take time to make the changes with all the other things that must be done, but this is the goal.  Our hope is that this blog can become more informative and that it can be a tool for letting folks feel connected to our work through NICS.  We will still use emails and other resources as well. 

The first change is that I finally figured out how to link my posts to Facebook.  Hopefully this will make it easier for folks to remember to read the blog!  Another change is that some of you will be getting emails with the blog text as the email.  Anyone can sign up for this by entering your email address in the space provided under the "Follow by Email" at the bottom of the blog page.  That way, you can get the posts we write directly in your email!

Please feel free to comment or make suggestions.  We want this to be a useful tool and not merely our family rambling! 

Finally, we have a praise - all of our passports are in, and now we move forward to the visa process!  Tomorrow we start our immunizations for Indonesia, and the boys have a dental check up.  Thanks for your interest in what God is doing through us, and have a great rest of the week!  God bless - mekj

Facebook test 2

Hey folks! I am trying to link facebook and our blog. This is test two! Sorry for the hassle....

Less Stress and a question...

Now that the house has sold, we can see how much stress its pending sale was causing in our lives.  That's not to say it was all we focused on, but with the closing being rescheduled several times, it did take up much of our thoughts, prayers, and time. We are so grateful that God has seen fit to clear the way for our going overseas.  Now we can focus on a whole new set of issues and questions! 

Here's a question for you: If you were going to a country where you could not purchase Christian music, what 5 songs would you put on your Mp3 player/iPod? 

We don't know how restrictive the Internet will be in Indonesia, but we wanted to get some songs loaded on our Mp3 player just the same.   There have been many songs that have been an encouragement to us lately, and we would love to hear suggestions from you all!   Thanks for your help! 

Sold!

Thank God that the house has been officially sold and is in the hands of some good friends! Thank you all for your prayers. They were much appreciated. Next on the list is to patiently await the rest of the family's passports (which should arrive next week). We will then start the Visa process. God is working:) Keep you posted as things progress in our journey to Indonesia. Thanks for your prayers and support!

Lessons learned

How often do you pray during the day?  How do you react when your carefully crafted plans are destroyed in a moment?  Will you let circumstances steal your joy, or will you simply believe in me?

These are some of the latest things God has graciously taught us this week. We are not saying we have mastered each point, but God is sure giving us practice! 

As an update, it appears our house will close this Tuesday or Wednesday.  This is a huge answer to prayer.  For a time it appeared the deal was off.  But God just wanted us to apply the lesson from our last post- "Don't doubt, just believe. " The house sale has been the tool God has used to teach us so much.  Erin and I have learned to not worry, but simply pray and believe.  The belief part was probably the most interesting.  By the end of the week, we were content to be wherever God would have us- Crownpoint, the lake, Indonesia.  We simply wanted him to show us.  We felt a strange peace despite the circumstances of the house sale being changed multiple times.  This was clearly from God. 

In other news, I sent off my school contract, and we have started to read the materials NICS sent us.  We are compiling a list of questions to ask once we get through the material.  Please pray with us for the following things :
-that the house sale would close early in the next week
-for us to be more purposeful in seeking his will as we go through the process.  (We keep thinking we have a good plan, yet God's ways are perfect.  They teach us more and force us to depend upon him. In our attempts to get things done in preparation for our new life in Indonesia, it is sometimes easy to make the plans without consulting our Savior.  After all, it needs to get done and we have to do it, right?  But we are learning the need to take everything before the Lord and to not trust in our own ability.)
-for our family as we continue to get things in order for the trip.  (it seems like the Enemy is trying to stop every move we make.  We need to be mindful of the spiritual struggle around us, and to seek the protection of our Savior.)
-for prayer and financial partners. (We are about to start the process of getting prayer cards made and support forms ready.  We don’t have a final dollar amount figured out just yet, but from our initial reading of the materials, it is apparent we will need some financial support.  Obviously, the most critical thing is folks willing to back us with prayer.  It is such a blessing to be able to email you and know folks are lifting us up in prayer.  It has become very obvious that Satan does not want us to make it to Indonesia.  We have, but would love more, folks that we could email or call on a moment's notice for specific prayer needs.  We pray that God will establish a great team of prayer warriors that become our core of support.  But practically speaking, we will need some monetary help as well. More details will follow in subsequent posts and emails.)

Again, thanks for taking the time to check this blog and pray for us.  We cannot do this alone.  We want to pray for you as well, so feel free to email us too!  (mesquiers@gmail.com)

Don't be afraid; just believe

As we prepare for our overseas adventure, it is amazing to watch how God moves.  On Friday, we left the house at 8:30 to head to Farmington for our medical consultation.  (We have to meet with the doctor to discuss which shots to get in preparation for living in Indonesia.  The doctor has suggested the kids get the rabies vaccination, for example :-)) Well, we had a little snow here in Crownpoint, but the roads were clear.  Thirty miles away, a near blizzard was raging.  The conditions were getting worse as we drove down the road, until finally we could barely see a few car lengths in front of us.  (not that there were a lot of cars on the road-we were out in the middle of nowhere!)  As conditions became dangerous, where do we find ourselves, but near the one trading post and sole store for the next 50 miles.  We pull into the parking lot and ease up to the store.  We needed to call the doctor and say we were not going to make it.  As I walked in the store, I talk with a few fellow travelers that have taken shelter there.  "The road near Farmington is closed," an older man tells me.  Another comments on how the road is worse in just a few miles.  I ask the clerk if I can use the phone since our cell phone stopped getting a signal about twenty miles ago.  (that's normal for this section of the road...)  The lady kindly tells me the phone is for local or 800 number calls only.  (local calls in the middle of nowhere??)  As I leave the store, and older Navajo man points to a specific spot in the parking lot.  "If you wander around that area, you should pick up the signal." he says.  Sure enough it worked.  Erin was able to call the doctor and reschedule the appointment.  We turned around and headed for home. 

Now, from the world's perspective, our day was a waste.  But clearly God had other plans.  It seems like many of the steps we are taking are being attacked by spiritual forces.  Yet Christ is giving us a chance to simply trust him.  Trust me for your safety in bad weather; trust me to get a cell signal; trust me to use your day to accomplish my will.  Erin and I are starting to see how God is working in simple ways to teach us to trust him. 

Last night as I was reading Mark, I came to chapter 5, verse 36. Jairus has just been told his daughter has died.  What does Christ say at this critical moment?  "Don't be afraid ; just believe. " Simple words that are not always so easy to follow. 

We are so thankful that God is gently, but steadily preparing us to trust him more.  While not always easy, it the best thing to do.

A story of God's timing

Here's another example of God's timing vs my timing...
It's a little long, but I learned another great lesson.

On February 21st, we found out Erin's birth certificate was finally on its way.  We checked the mail, but it never came. By the beginning of this week, I was starting to worry that it was lost or something.  I had tried the tracking number, but the system always said it could not be found.  On Monday night I awoke at 2:30am worried that someone had gotten Erin's certificate.  I looked up the number again online, and this time I put the right sequence of spaces between the letters and numbers.  Lo and behold, the Internet showed the package to be sitting at the Crownpoint post office since February 23rd! Well, now I worry that it will be sent back to Texas because the address is wrong and the online notice said it was undeliverable.  I am wondering how I can get the birth certificate when I have work in a few hours later. I confessed my sinful worrying and asked God for peace.  I literally said to God: "I can't do this -all this worrying is going to make it impossible to go to Indonesia! " By now Erin is up, wondering why (or what) I am worrying about this time.  A little while later, I hear thunder and see a flash of light.  The wind picks up and snow starts coming down in waves.  I wonder, is God going to provide a delayed day so I can get the birth certificate at the post office?  Perhaps I could even get a snow day!  Can you guess what happened?  School was delayed by 6:20am, and by 8:30, it was canceled.  I had already gone to the post office, told the story of our going to Indonesia, and been back home.  We waited another half hour, and decided to head to Albuquerque.  With the snow day, we could go and get our passports sent off.  So in less than 12 hours, God provides the birth certificate and a way of getting the passports completed in one day!  I had my plans, and God has His timing.  Once again I learned to stop worrying and let God do his thing.  Pray with me that I remember this lesson the next time I awaken to a fresh set of worries!