Training

Today marks the end of the second week of training in Richmond, VA. Reflecting on the first two weeks, we are thankful for all the many individuals and churches that have made this training possible for us. It is amazing that we could come up here and virtually live for eight weeks without having to spend a dime if we wanted to, but of course we like to get off campus every now and then to get a taste of some goodness such as Chick-fil-a.

Our training seminars have been full of practical, logisitc stuff, but also packed full of spiritual stuff, showing us our deep need for our Savior. It has also been refreshing to network with like minded individuals and families who are all preparing to go and plant churches all over the globe. Thus far this two weeks have given us an opportunity to leave the crazyness of the last three months behind us and push forward into deeper intimacy with our Father.

The highlight of week one for both of us was an opportunity to take a three hour spiritual retreat. This allowed us the opportunity to get away in a quiet and secret place to commun with God. The highlight of week two was our seminar on prayer and the importance of it in our lives. This has convicted us both as we noticed that in many ways we were depending on our own strength for preparation, which is both sinful and stupid.

We still have six and half weeks of training ahead of us so we have some prayer needs that we would like to leave you with:

• Strength and Energy
• Marital Growth
• Protection from distraction of the enemy
• Complete healing of Elliot as he has been with a cough
• Completion of our many "to do" lists

El dia a llegado

Por fin la espera a llegado a una conclusion y hoy estoy escribiendo estas lineas con un auto nuevamente empacado hasta el techo (por ultima vez) y ya terminando nuestros ultimos detalles aqui en Carolina del Norte. Maniana luego del desayuno partiremos hacia Virginia, donde estaremos internados por 8 semanas en un entrenamiento intensivo para nuestra preparacion hacia Asia del Sur.

A lo largo de estos 3 meses de espera, hemos vivido un sin numero de historias y aventuras; hemos hecho amigos y afianzamos otras amistades; hemos disfrutado de nuestro bebe; pero por sobretodo, hemos visto la mano de Dios y su provision diaria sobre nuestras vidas.

Queremos agradecer infinitamente a las familias que nos hospedaron en Raleigh: Los Chaneys (nuestros amigos y tios de Elliot ahora), Los Parkens y los Simmons. A los amigos argentinos en USA y a los amigos de argentina (Gracias Marcelo Avalos por la ofrenda!). Tampoco nos olvidamos de la familia, que nos sostuvo en oracion y alento constantemente: los suegros que ayudaron en todo lo posible, mis padres que ofrendaron, mi hermano que nos hizo asados y viajo hasta Raleigh para ayudar con la mudanza, la ofrenda de la flia Odom y de extensa familia en Virginia Beach. GRACIAS A TODOS!

Tambien estamos agradecidos por nuestra iglesia The Summit por enviarnos como iglesia y apoyarnos en todo este proceso (especialmente nuestros mentores Hilary y Curt). Tambien a las iglesias de Northside y Western Avenue que nos estan apoyando en oracion, provision y mediante posibles grupos que iran a visitarnos a nuestro destino final en Asia.

Iglesia Western Avenue (Statesville, NC)

Iglesia The Summit (Raleigh, NC)

Hoy mas que nunca sabemos que las puertas de las naciones nos esperan. Que hay un mundo afuera con hambre y sed del evangelio y que hay millones que aun siguen muriendo diariamente sin conocer sobre Jesus y el sacrificio que el hizo en la cruz para nuestra salvacion y vida eterna. Hoy mas que nunca queremos alentar a todos a predicar a diestra y siniestra sobre el mensaje de la cruz, no para hacer "procelitismo" como muchos dicen, sino para que todos tengan la oportunidad de ser salvos. Y cuando esto sea una realidad, recien ahi diremos... ahora si Dios... que venga Tu Reino!!!

Where we've Been and Where we're Going

As most of you know the last three months has been a whirlwind of unexpected occurrences in our lives, but we are continually being told that is the life of a missionary. So in some ways we feel legit now, although we have still yet to set foot where we will be planting churches.

In the last three months we have lived in six different houses, traveling with a car packed to the roof every time as we went from one house to the other. Definitely not what we would have ever chosen, but God has been faithful and allowed this time to prepare us in many ways. It has allowed us to see more friends and family before moving, it has allowed us more time together, and it has allowed us to do many things that we would not have been able to do otherwise.

We currently have five partnering churches and many others that are interested in sending short-term teams to work with us, which we are grateful for every one of them and what they are doing in their contexts to plant churches and spread the gospel. Our local church, The Summit, commissioned us to plant churches two weeks ago, which was a very special time in our lives as we value and love our local church.

Now as these three months are coming to a close, we are spending our last week in the Charlotte, NC area where I grew up. This is allowing us to see family, pack, repack, and connect with some more partners of the gospel.

In one week we will be driving north to Richmond, VA, where we will spend the next eight weeks for training and preparation for life in another country. We will then spend Christmas back in Charlotte and then start our new year and new lives in South Asia, arriving approximately January 3, 2012. We would really appreciate prayer during this huge transition in our lives.

Here are our current prayer needs:

• Our adjustments to so much traveling and moving (Specifically our 7 mo. old Elliot).
• For humility and open hearts to learning as we are in our training.
• For a smooth transition with the existing team members in S. Asia as we will be the newbies. 
• For our national partners in S. Asia that we will be equipping and training to send out.
• For the salvation of the people that we will encounter that have never heard the name of Jesus.