Leaving on a jet plane...

...don't know when I'll be back again. Sorry for the lame intro. When I went to the web to look for a jet plane image, included in the images was a picture of the sheet music to that song. And I couldn't get it out of my head.

I'm leaving the Denver area on Saturday. I fly to Detroit to spend a few days with friends and then on to Spain next week. I have been experiencing a lot of apprehension the last couple of weeks, mostly because I am going back to Spain alone. (Jon and Kathy will be staying in the States for another two months.) I know this time will be good for language acquisition (when you don't have English-speaking teammates to speak to, you're sort of forced to speak the local language) and it will be a great time to depend on the Lord and grow in my relationship with Him.

I have had people praying for me, and with me, in recent days regarding this issue and I am encouraged. I know the Lord goes with me and He is preparing the way for me. I'll blog again as soon as I arrive in Spain and let you know how things are going. Thanks for your prayers!

March Update

Do You Trust Me?
This has been a very difficult month for me. My committed support level has been going up and down (more down than up) and I have been worrying about my financial situation to the point of exhaustion. As I try to pray and put it in the Lord’s hands, I keep hearing Him say “Do you trust me?” It’s an easy thing to say that I trust the Lord, but when I can’t see Him working, it’s a difficult thing to live out. I am humbled that many of you give so that I can serve in Spain. I need to remember that this is God’s work, not mine, and He can provide in miraculous ways.

Saying Goodbye (Again)
It’s hard to believe that I will be saying good-bye to family and friends in less than three weeks. The time has flown by, in spite of the fact that I added a month to my time in the States. I have enjoyed seeing many of you and regret that I couldn’t see everyone on this trip. Thank you for welcoming me home and showering me with love and care and material blessings. You are a gift from God and I will miss you until the next time.

This month’s quote:
You will trust God only as much as you love Him. And you will love Him not because you have studied Him; you will love Him because you have touched Him--in response to His touch. Even then your troubles are not over. You may still wrangle with God. You may cry out with Jesus, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” Only if you love will you make that final leap into darkness: “Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit.”

--Brennan Manning, The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus

Praises:

1. I have enjoyed a wonderful time in the States and have been blessed by many of you.
2. I am grateful for many of you who give sacrificially so that I can do what God has called me to do in Spain.

Prayer Requests:

1. Continue to pray for additional support money to come in.
2. We would like to move to Barcelona this summer. Please continue to pray regarding the piece of property I mentioned last month. It is in a great location at a good price but we need God’s intervention.
3. The Haleys and I will both need to raise our monthly support in order to cover the increased housing costs. Please pray for God to supply this need as well.