Asking for help

Asking for help is always difficult. Yesterday, Dan stood in front of the presbytery in order to ask for support from many of the PCA churches in the Pacific North West. It has been so encouraging to hear the excitement of others about Dan and I going to Malawi. We really need that encouragement right now. The sadness has hit us, and we are tearfully making plans to go in August.
Tomorrow morning, our pastor Irwin at Covenant Presbyterian Church will make the announcement to the congregation. I think it will be really great to be able to talk about this huge change with the people of our community. It has been so difficult to keep this all a secret for so long! Actually, I couldn't help myself, and I told one of the girls from the youth group today. Dan and I have really come to love our youth group, and it will be hard to say goodbye to them.

On another note, today I purchased a plane ticket to Nashville. I will go home for the weekend of June 2nd. My brother Jesse will be in town for a wedding, and Sarah and Amos will be there as well, so Dan and I decided it was worth the cash for me to be with my family one last time before we leave. I am so thankful that the Lord has provided for us so that I can do this. My family is so incredibly dear to me, and it is really hard to think about not spending the holidays with them over the next two years. I hope that the Lord is preparing a close community for us to be apart of while we are in Malawi. I often get lonely, and crave fellowship with others. Pray that God will be gracious to us and that He will provide "family" for us during our time in Malawi.