Three years in

We recently celebrated our three-year anniversary in SE Asia and it is amazing how much has changed. The two families pictured above may not seem that different, but their experiences and the places God has brought them through are in ways world apart.

Then, we were a family of three with a majority of our time focused on language learning and surviving in a foreign land. Successes for us included ordering dinner correctly and being able to effectively communicate where we wanted our taxi driver to go. In many ways we felt like toddlers in the way we talked and lived. Things that we often prayed about were having a team to work with, long-term ministry strategy, and struggling to feel like we would ever be able to communicate effectively in Burmese.

Now, we are a family of four and the majority of Johnny's time is spent teaching and coordinating a sustainable church planter program. Janelle is focusing on language learning and raising two energetic little kids to thrive overseas and to know Jesus. Successes for us include seeing students finish the church planter program, being able to clearly communicate deep spiritual truths to our friends and children, and making it a whole day without any time-outs!

While there are many differences between these two families pictured above, there is one thing that has remained constant throughout it all; God is good! It has not been by our own amazing abilities but by his gift of retention that have allowed us to progress in our language studies. It has not been by our own clever plan but by his wisdom and guidance that we now have a team and a long-term ministry strategy. It has not been through our own ability to adapt but by his grace in our weakest moments that we have made it through these past three years. We continue to rely on his grace and his strength so that his name may be made great in this place.