From the Known to the Unknown

Aaron and Tana Molesky have just arrived on field in Northern Ireland. They share what the uncertainties of transition have been like.

We (including our dog, Chewy) arrived well to Northern Ireland!  It's hard to believe it has been a few weeks already.  We are in the process of settling in and just beginning to figure out what life in Northern Ireland will be like.  We've been buying furniture, assembling furniture, trying to figure out how to open a bank account (still trying), how to get a 'dog license', a 'tv license' and many new practical/logistic things.  

An incredible blessing was that just after a few days upon arrival I was asked to join our good friend Neil in attending a gathering of some local leaders.  After a beautiful time of hearing the hearts of leaders and the vision of what God is doing in this part of the nation, we had a great time of fellowship and food.  Following a time of worship and sharing about what God is doing in the Newcastle area and our part to play in that, there was a beautiful 'welcoming' of our family in the place of laying on of hands and prayer.  I was deeply moved as God was transitioning us from what was known (previous, familiar) into what is unknown.  It was just two weeks before this that we were being sent by our spiritual community, and by God's grace, we've now been welcomed here into a spiritual family.

Many people have asked us upon leaving and now even arriving, "So what does/will day-to-day life look like for you?"  We don't know.

Honestly, this has been challenging to me. I've found I want to have an answer. I want to justify my 'doing' and even our 'being here'. Yes, we have vision and some next steps, but honestly, we have no idea what this will look like. It's all unknown.

This past week as I was spending time with Jesus, He highlighted his heart to me in the first couple chapters of Genesis.  He reminded me that this is His mission, His idea, and His love played out through the relationship between us and Him and each other.  Then I started reading about Enoch, Noah, and Abraham.  Men of faith who pleased God in the 'unknown'.  They did what no one else was willing to do, they listened and obeyed in faith.  They took steps into the unknown. Of Abram, the Hebrew writer said,

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going."

I love this!  It actually brought so much freedom.  To top it all off, we went to the Tobar Conference with some of friends and community this past weekend.  (Tobar is a gathering of dynamic Kingdom leaders from all around N.Ireland) The theme for the conference was "Leading from the Known to the Unknown." How perfectly confirming it was to our spirits and souls as we were all encouraged together to live into the calling of God upon our lives to live into the unknown! 

So our focus right now is to be present, to learn the culture, settle our family, engage with our local community and friends, and continue to walk through the doors Jesus has already opened!