A Boy's Best Friend

It was early March 2004 when a stranger followed my family home from a walk down the street. To be more precise, my sister-in-law Angie had taken Barry and Austin for a walk in the wagon accompanied by our dog Shiloh. As they made their way back to the house, a little black puppy began to make his way after them. 

He was cute as a button, but we were sure that some other family was anxiously awaiting his return. After countless neighborhood walks and knocking on doors we came to the conclusion that this little black puppy was a stray. It didn't take long for him to steal our hearts, and in the words of our 3 year old, he was his "best friend ever." Inspired by the big black lab who lived two houses above us, this little, black burst of energy received the name of Jake. 

It's so incredibly hard to believe that Jake has been a part of our family'a life these past 11 years. He has seen our family grow from 4 to 6 and has graciously allowed each of our boys to play with and love on him as only boys can (and as you know, some of those times are not as gingerly and tender as others). He has seen the passing of Shiloh along with the arrival of Cali a year later and her subsequent re-homing to her new forever family just 6 short years later (this past January).

Despite Jake's high energy as a pup and his anxiety issues as an adult (which he's always had) Jake falls into that one-in-a-million category. We wouldn't trade him for the world; we wouldn't have decided differently eleven years ago; and if we weren't planning to leave the country this August for the next four years, we wouldn't be praying about/searching for his new forever family.

We would humbly ask you to join us in praying for this next miracle in our family's life. We've been able to have Jake with us these past few weeks in NY but with the remaining transient nature of our summer (prior to our hopeful departure), we're really looking to God to open up a spot in Jake's new forever family that He has picked out. I know this request may not seem as important or spiritual as other things, but as much as Jake means to our family (and especially our boys) this is a huge one for us. Thanks for your continued partnership in our family's life; we are blessed because of you!

Grafted In

I've been planning to write this blog about the power of the graft. Originally, I thought about using the analogy of the skin graft. However, not only were the images a little too graphic, I found the analogy a little lacking. When I did some looking into it, it simply said about a skin graft: a piece of living tissue that is transplanted surgically.

Yet, look at the imagery and power of what it had to say about a branch (which is also the analogy used in Romans 11): a shoot or twig inserted into a slit on the trunk or stem of a living plant, from which it receives sap. Is this not exactly what God has done for us? As we express faith in Him, He joins us to His son Jesus Christ from which flows the Holy Spirit?

The more I've thought about this analogy, the more I thought about this past year of life. This is exactly what the entire West family did for our family. They took this twig (our family) and inserted it into a slit on the stem of a living plant (their family), from which we received sap (life, support, and encouragement).

I think about Jason and Angie and how sacrificial and selfless they were in allowing our family to move in with them. Can you imagine going from a 3-person home to a 9-person home overnight and lasting for a year? We took over their upstairs, invaded their common spaces and probably made more noise than they ever cared to have in their home. They provided a roof for our heads, a bed for our backs, and food for our bodies. Most importantly they shared their life and hearts with us during a season of life that at times we felt the loneliest we have ever felt. Jason and Angie, you have truly left a living legacy in our family's life!

I think about Mr. Rod and Miss Faye (Jason's parents). They willingly included us in family activities (my arm still hurts from turning the crank those few hours making apple cider vinegar and my eyes are still burning from all the smoke while stirring the pot for apple butter). Thanks to Mr. Rod I learned some valuable lessons: never wear flip flops while working on the farm and never wear shorts while rounding up a bee hive. I'm thankful that wasn't a real snake that slithered over my foot nor a real bee that flew up my shorts! Thanks Mr. Rod and Miss Faye for making us feel a part of your family!

Last, but certainly not least, I think about my buddy Stu and his wife Gina (Jason's sister). Any time we got to be around them, we were always assured a great time and a good laugh (thanks Stu for being a good sport and for always "giving it back to me"). Thanks Stu and Gina for always being you and for allowing us the great privilege of getting to know you better this past year!

I'm so grateful for God's grafting power. First and foremost for grafting us into His forever family. Additionally, for allowing us to be grafted into the West family. Their love, support, and encouragement not only freed us to pursue this God-calling as fully as we have, but has meant more to us than they'll ever know.

Move Over Indy, We Found the Ark

I was 6 years old when "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" came out. I don't have memories of seeing it in the theater, but I do remember it being one of the first videos we ever watched on our new VCR. I can still remember sitting in my grandparents living room engrossed by the images I saw before me. Like, who could ever forget the snake pit that Indy got lowered into? Yeah, probably why I still hate snakes to this day and why I scream "like a little girl" any time I cross paths with one in real life. If you're with me, holler, Amen!

I'm sure you're thinking that this is an absurd way to start a blog but actually I got thinking about this back on Sunday. Hats off to Pastor Mike Lauridsen who filled the pulpit Sunday at Parkway Wesleyan. He did an amazing job and what he had to share about the ark; not the ark from Indiana Jones, but rather the Ark of the Lord, really got me thinking.

Pastor Mike shared how the Ark had three things inside: the golden jar of manna - representing God's provision; Aaron's staff - representing God's power; and the 10 Commandments - representing God's presence. He related that to the Israelites crossing the Jordan under the leadership of Joshua and how it wasn't until the Ark was carried into the Jordan that the waters stopped and the Israelites crossed over on dry ground. In that great scene, God was demonstrating everything represented by the Ark - His power, His provision, and His presence.

As those very words were still hanging in the air, God began to speak to my heart and my mind began churning. Pretty soon we are going to be celebrating, who God is and what He's done, in a new country. And the reality that's unfolding around us is that the Ark of the Lord is in the midst of our "Jordan River." I can't fully explain it, but what we've seen happening around us these past two months is nothing short of miraculous. Our financial partnerships, if you can in fact help us hit 60% by month's end, will have doubled in a two-month period. Are you kidding me - how does that happen? Only through a miraculous God who chooses to use obedient children who are in love with Him and on fire with His mission to reach the entire world with the love demonstrated through the sacrificial death of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

And here's the further reality...we've heard a lot about safety and about the boys' and about their schooling and about a whole lot of other things, and I don't mean any disrespect, but here's what God showed me on Sunday. It is only as we follow God through the river that we have any certainty of His provision...of His power...and of His presence. There is no turning back for the V-Team. There is no surrender. There is no retreat. We must follow the Ark of the Lord into the river if we are to arrive at the Promised Land, which for us is Central America.

From the bottom of our hearts we want to thank each and every one of you who has stood beside us in some way this past year plus. You have not given up on us or on God. You have encouraged us and you have inspired us. Thank you for continuing to believe with us in a God who still parts the waters! The only question I leave you with is this: where is the Ark of the Lord leading you? For it is only there that you too will find His provision, His power, and His presence. Together, let's follow with all we've got!

Have You Lost Your Mind?

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I heard that phrase as a child growing up; Barry, what have you lost your mind? Whether it was the time I tried to take my favorite candy from my sister's room. Would've gotten away with that one had my sister not come out of the bathroom right when she did. Or whether it was the time my cousin and I mixed up cleaning chemicals and tried to transport them to his house (to see what further chemicals he had) in an Entenmann's cookie tin. Not sure if it was the seeping backpack that we tried to conceal it in or the horrendous odor, but mom knew as soon as we hit the kitchen doorway. Both times the same, "Have you lost your mind?"

Though I'm some 30 years or so removed from those scenarios, this question still follows me around. "You're leaving 11 years of pastoral ministry for the mission field? Have you lost your mind?" "You're selling almost everything you own or giving it away? Have you lost your mind?" "You're moving out of the parsonage and are going to be homeless? Have you lost your mind?" "You're uprooting your family to another country? Have you lost your mind?" "You're completely trusting God with everything? Have you lost your mind?"

If I'm being honest with you, there have been many times where I felt as if I had lost my mind; when none of what we're doing made any sense whatsoever. There was an entire season where I secretly hoped our journey was going to be consistent with the Abraham of Genesis 18 and not the Abraham of Genesis 12. You know, that our willingness to sacrifice everything we held dear would be enough and that at the last moment God would provide a "ram caught in the thicket" - a way out. However, I've come to fully embrace the Genesis 12 version of our life that God has asked us to leave everything behind (to sacrifice it all) and that he is indeed leading us to an entirely different place.

But I guess that's the thing: when did following God's will have to equate to making sense? Did it make sense for Noah to start building an ark? Did it make sense for Moses to return to the country where they wanted him dead? Did it make sense for Abraham to leave his entire family and life behind to follow God? Did it make sense for the disciples to leave their jobs and families to follow Jesus? And we find this repeated all throughout Scripture.

So, I guess we have lost our minds. But I hope we've also lost our bodies...and our hearts...and our very lives to the cause of Jesus. For only in losing the entirety of who we are may we be found in Him.

Out of the Darkness and Into the Light

You may remember this picture from our January newsletter. In that newsletter I (Barry) wrote briefly about my journey over this past year and the dark, desert-like struggle that it has been for me. I also alluded to the fact that I would talk about that in more detail in an upcoming Blog post. I first sat down to write that in March, yet I finally feel like this is the time.

These past 3 months have been incredible for me. I have been experiencing the most freedom and joy in my relationship with Jesus than what I can remember for a long time. I believe that with God's help and Christy's patience, I have finally "come out of the darkness and into the light."

A lot has been made about the difficulty for me of transitioning out of the pastorate; if you read an earlier Blog of mine, it really was like a death for me. However, to put the entirety of this dark season on that move alone would be not only a gross over statement but also something entirely inaccurate. Did the transition out of pastoral ministry contribute to the darkness? Certainly, but there was so much more to it.

In looking back now, I realize that this past dark, desert experience was not something outside of God's plan for my life, but was exactly spot-on right in the middle of it. I realize now that what God has been accomplishing in my life was something that I obviously did not allow him to accomplish while in the pastorate and probably would not have allowed him to accomplish on the ground in Central America. I realize now that only by leading me to the desert could God do the work in me that he needed to do. And I'm not just talking about getting me ready for the mission field. I'm talking about making me the kind of husband to my bride that she deserves; the kind of father to my boys that they deserve; the kind of Christ follower to the world that it needs.

You see, you can't be those things when there is unconfessed and undealt with sin in your life. You can't be who you need to be when you are at the center of your own world and seek to control everyone and everything. You can't become who Jesus needs you to become when your view of yourself isn't anything even close to Jesus' view of you. And yet that was the man I saw every time I looked in the mirror. But thanks be to God, that is no longer the man I see!

The Bible says that God disciplines those he loves and right in the middle of the desert God showed up and broke me; He broke me of me and I will never be the same. There were so many different ways that God met with me during this time (His presence, His Word, a counselor, sermon videos, worship songs, great friends, a loving wife, and the list goes on). And yet as undeserving and unworthy of it all as I was, I'm so incredibly humbled and thankful for those who continue to stand by my side.

No one ever asks for the desert; I know I didn't. Yet I stand here today to let you know that if you allow it, you can enter the desert dying, yet come out fully alive; you can enter in the darkness, yet come out in the light.