So many of you have been praying with us, filled with faith, for many months now--asking God to give us a new home that is in a strategic place where we can be the brightest light, hopefully near our clinic and staff, while within our budget. We are so grateful for you.
Our land-lord was patient and kept extending the dead-line of when they needed us out (we were supposed to be out in October) but while searching every. single. day. for months, we were finding exactly no houses at all. Every day we have thanked God again that He knows what we need, and He has what we need, and that His timing is really good, even when our feet are tapping impatiently. Our final deadline for leaving was next week, and finally a house became available. Yay!
Our new home has a few extra rooms to host mission teams (MAP friends--this is you) that come every several weeks, is within our budget, and in a quieter part of the countryside. It just happens to also be 30 minutes from our clinic and team. The distance has been a difficult transition for Leah, and will be for our kids, as our team is part of our every day life in so many ways. We eat all of our meals with them, have Bible study with them in our home daily, and they are our children's best friends, living six inches away for over 2.5 years.
We are so grateful for this home, and know that God has good reasons for it being exactly where it is, and also feel that it will help to ease the stress of living at the clinic and having our family be in the middle of emergencies 24 hours a day. We are in the middle of making some changes so that Francis can have "office hours" at the clinic daily rather than be on call all night. We will be traveling to the clinic daily, and also are helping the staff to lead Bible studies. We hear God speaking that we are to be more purposeful about our family having a place of peace and rest even in the middle of so much busy-ness and many different facets of ministry. Please continue to pray for all these changes and that we will find more of a balance for our family.
In the middle of moving and ministry, Leah is still on bed-rest and we are continuing to trust God as He holds onto our baby. It has been six weeks since Leah had a hemorrhage, her water broke, and we were told that it was probable we would lose the baby at any time. About two weeks ago, we had a second hemorrhage, and since then there has been bleeding and contractions every day. Baby is now 17 weeks old and has a strong heart-beat... we rest, praise and continue to trust that God is healing and holding all five of us.
Through the valleys, the roughest parts of this past year, we were given the honor of seeing more of God's heart, His gentleness, His hand that covers us and lifts our heads, His strength and grace that carries us. In the incredible moments, the mountaintops of breath-taking joy and unbelievable gifts, we reveled in the favor that we could not possibly deserve. In all of it, we worshiped.... Another year of Life, craziness, messiness, beauty, and grace. So thankful. Ready for a new one.
In this new year, we look forward to all that God is birthing in us and around us. He is doing amazing things in our newest branch of ministry-- Loving the Muslims around us with Jesus' heart. We are seeing some of our Muslim friends give their lives to Jesus. having the honor of baptizing them, and discipling them. Our new home is much closer to several of our target Mangyan villages, and we are in the process of starting paperwork to get non-profit status which would make it more possible to build a new clinic and maternity center for the Tribal people near this area.
We could not have made it through this past year, with all of its victories, new spiritual births, joys and growth, without you. That's right. We need you---Your love, prayer, and continued support. You are making a difference in the lives of the people all around us. Your obedience makes our obedience more possible. Thank you. We are profoundly grateful for you and thank God for you every single day.
Grace and Peace from the Daytec Five.