To Some Very Important People

Growing up, my parents always emphasized the importance of being obedient to God's direction and His will for our lives. This was something they mentioned to us every time we made a move. "We feel like God is leading us in this direction, and we have to obey Him," is what they would say. Growing up with this mentality on the mission field, I knew that God called missionaries to leave the field or to different countries and they had to obey. Every time I said goodbye to a family I knew it was because people moved away on the mission field.

When I moved to the States for college and found a church that I absolutely love, I didn't really think that people moved away. It wasn't a conscious thought that I had that, "oh, people don't move in the States," it was more of an unconscious concept that existed in my mind. Towards the end of my Freshman year, I found out that in fact people do move in the States. One of my good friends moved home. The next semester, one of my other friends transferred schools. In my mind, I think I still thought, "oh, well they're in college, a lot of change goes on in that phase of life." I hadn't really put the concept of moving around in the States and ministry together.

Last year, at around this time, that unconscious concept was shattered when a youth minister and his wife who I had grown comfortable serving under resigned their position at what has been my home church for three and a half years now. I wasn't super close to them, but I enjoyed participating in ministry with them. What hit me so hard about their change was that they were obeying God and following what was His will in their life.

I was like, "Ok, God, I get it. People in ministry in the States have to obey you, too. I'm going to have to learn to accept changes here, too. I'll have to learn to say goodbye to those I love ministering with."

This was around the same time when the Lord was pressing me to actively pursue the next phase in my life, which will be to go to the mission field. I have known that I have the support of my church family here in the States and the staff there. I have been actively in communication with them updating them on my process, asking for their prayers, and getting them to fill out references for me.

I have been preparing myself for the upcoming changes in my life...my college graduation, integrating into the real world outside of textbooks and part time jobs, and eventually (and hopefully) my transition overseas as a Journeyman. One of the staff couples that I have depended on for prayers and references are Curt and Amanda Jones. They were called as the college ministers at my church just one or two weeks before the Lord made it clear to me that I should join the church and make it my church home. They have been a constant at my church. Amanda led a Bible Study my Freshman year that I was a part of, and has led several since then. I have loved every minute I have spent getting to know, playing silent football with, ministering with, and studying God's Word with Curt and Amanda. Though it has seldom been spoken in words, their presence has given me the security of knowing that if I missed a significant number of weeks at church that someone would be wondering about me.

Let me just say that Curt Jones is one of the most gifted speakers I have ever heard in my life. He is incredible. I've always known that he would eventually probably stop being a college minister and start being a full time speaker, but selfishly I thought and hoped it would not be until after I was gone. But the Lord has opened doors for Curt and Amanda sooner than I expected and called them away from the college ministry at my church just two months shy of my college graduation. This again has been one of those "people-in-ministry-in-the-States-have-to-be-obedient-to-God-too" lessons for me. Needless to say, since I found out on Wednesday, this week has been an emotional roller coaster. I have complete confidence that the Jones family is doing what they need to do in order to be obedient to God's guidance, I just wish it could be done in Irving and not Houston.

Curt, Amanda, and Jackson:

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:3-6

I can't wait to see where the Lord takes you and what He does with you. Know that I will be praying for you every single step of the way, and I will always love to hear from you. Amanda told me the other day that y'all feel like God gave you a little sister when He brought us all to First Irving. I could not have asked for a better additional brother and sister figure to me. As I said before, y'all have given me a sense of security, and demonstrated to me with and without words that you care about my life. I have loved every minute of ministry I have shared with y'all, whether it's in the basement of the gym at church or on a dusty street in Honduras, and I can't wait for more of it in the future, near and distant. Y'all have touched my life more than you know.

I love y'all more than I know how to express.