There are 7 weeks left to graduation and the time marches quickly! Life in the last semester of Seminary, 4 young girls, homeschooling and planning for our next chapter of life keeps our minds in the moment, yet here and there we dream and think of what is to come. I think Shane can see the light at the end of the tunnel, though it hasn't let up yet. I am seeing how to close out our school year and how much more to try to do. Not to mention the day in and day out instruction, correction and training of our children, home, school, etc...
People ask us all the time, "Where will you go after graduation, what is the plan?" We chuckle and say, the plan is Montana, but we have no idea where, or jobs or homes or anything! It is said that Montana and other areas in the Northwest are actually considered an unreached people group with only 2% evangelical. There is a great need to revitalize churches as well as plant new ones. Since Shane has grown up in this region, he understands what it is like and who the people are. He is a native so to speak. He has also been away and seen and experienced many other ways of life and now seminary too. So it seems he would be an ideal person to minister the gospel in these areas. In addition, we would really like to be near his family to be helpful in the coming years, life out there can be hard if there is any illness or injuries with needing to get wood and managing snow, etc... And lastly, this is an area we would love to live and raise our family. All of this has gone into our plans to go there, but God directs our steps (Prov 16) and we will go where ever He leads us.
We do not have any leads with any churches and pray for a full time pastorate in this region by this summer. Our main concerns right now are how to decide what area to settle in while we wait for the fruition of a call to a church. We don't know what area to go to (ie... a town or city), we need a home to rent, and income to bay bills. It is daunting and overwhelming. We are excited, but also battle with anxiousness a little as there are so many unknowns. However, God has been so faithful in bringing us to seminary and seeing us through seminary that we are confident He is leading us and training us for ministry in His kingdom, we just don't know how or when and what to do in the meantime.
Well, this lets you know a little of what is in our lives right now and how you might join us in prayer for His will to be done and for our faith to grow. I pray this finds each of you well as you read this. We are planning to visit home (California and Cornerstone) the first 2 weeks of June, but are not sure yet how the finances will go. But we need to connect with family, and church family and get some things we have stored there. So we are trusting God to provide a way for this to work. Enjoy the recent pics! (Tess's birthday and family in the woods!) And for our friends and family in cali, we hope to see you soon!
Blessings,
Jess
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