The truth about missionaries

Over the past year, my family has been in a season that I have been careful not to post/ blog about. 

In fact, it is a rather big part of our lives and future. It is a process that (most) missionaries go through and yet I don't feel that we talk enough about it.

Because I enjoy reading blogs with pictures...

I felt the call on my life to serve in missions since I was a young girl. I always imagined my future being overseas, running an orphanage and living in a hut. Now here I am, married for 4 years with two small children and living in New England where we serve as missionaries.

We have experienced many major life events in the past 12 months- finding out our daughter had partial kidney failure which required surgery, moving to my parents for two months while we waited to close on a house, caring for my own Mother after her major back surgery, finally buying our house after a long 6 month process, two of our siblings got married, our son was BORN. 

In the midst of this, we have been support raising... 

while my husband works his regular full-time job {and I potty train a strong-willed child at home}.

The truth about missionaries is this- 

I have never met a missionary who hasn't struggled in some way with support raising. In fact, I have never met one who didn't find this season of life a bit intimidating, or overwhelming, or difficult.

I want to let you in on this pretty big and pivotal part of our lives. I don't know who all has the opportunity to read this, but this may speak to your heart. My hope is that it will open your eyes and shed light onto what it's like (the real, awkward, difficult, sometimes painful times) to be obedient to God's call on your life when He prompts you to leave your job and go into full-time vocational ministry.

So, this is our journey. 

This is our story. 

Not just as missionaries raising support, but as fellow Believers who are also giving, 

supporting and encouraging other missionaries.

One of the first times I vulnerable wrote about my struggles with not being "good enough" to be a missionary and raise support- You can read that post here,

You can read about our journey through Abigail's surgery- double-birthversary, pre-op, post-op, forgiving an institution