Feeling the love

We have been so encouraged these past few weeks by the wonderful send-offs prepared by our dear family and friends. Our previous community group threw us a going away celebration with a time of worship, prayer, fellowship, food and sharing. The children in this lovely little community have been the BEST friends to my kiddos, and the moms have been some of the nearest and dearest to my heart over the past few years. As well, David has loved growing in relationship with the dads during our season of meeting in the forest to do "worship walks". 

Each week our schedules are abundantly full of social gatherings and dinners so that we can soak up all the time we can with those we delight to do life with. The prayer times are always so meaningful and bittersweet as we find ourselves silently wondering when we will next pray together face to face, or if that will happen on this side of eternity. Our family and friends have ensured that we are well loved and well prayed for.  We are so humbled by the care and love we've received. 

Our family had the privilege of being commissioned at 5 different services last week! We were so encouraged by the support and love shown us by our brothers and sisters in Christ, many of whom we have never even met! Countless people stopped to pray for us, shake our hands, encourage us, and inspire us with their own stories of obediently following the Lord's call to take their family to a new community to advance the gospel. There truly is nothing that compares to the family of God, in which we are all unified under one Lord and Saviour! In what other setting will you have complete strangers eagerly shove wads of cash into your hand? We even had a woman rush to us after the service to let us know that she grew up in Dawson Creek and moved to the Fraser Valley as a teenager. Three years ago God put it on her heart to be praying for the Spirit to stir the hearts of the people in Dawson toward him, and that his church would grow. She began praying for the people in the Peace Region at the same time our family said yes to moving into ministry -- God's timing and sovereignty are amazing! 

Leaving is hard. It's hardest saying farewell those who aren't following the Lord. For those who we leave behind who are in Christ, this is merely a "see ya later!" Sure, it aches and it will continue to be difficult as we transition to new things; yet we have the hope of our fellowship continuing on for all eternity in the presence of our Saviour! Yet for those who don't believe, we have to choose to entrust them to our Sovereign Lord who does all things for his glory and for our good. And so we pray, for our brothers and sisters, and for those who we so desperately hope will become fellow heirs with Christ one day soon.

We love you, Maple Ridge. You'll always have a special place in our hearts. 

Dawson Creek, we are on our way soon! 

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In every prayer 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