journal : : field notes
2,400 mi. [cont]
The adage goes, "It's the journey, not the destination..."
But, if I'm going to drive 2,400 miles, and my wife is going to endure a cross-country flight with 3 kids under 3, the destination better be important.
This will be our street, the Commercial Drive [aka 'The Drive']. Well over 60 nationalities surrounding The Drive in a 12 block radius. Many of those don't know who Jesus really is.
Nice view, eh? Stay tuned...
[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click
HERE to give online.]
2,400 mi
Archbold, Ohio to Vancouver, British Columbia [via Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Washington State]. 2,400 miles
exactly.
Sheesh...that'll be a long drive. Spare some gas?
[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click
HERE to give online.]
Lessons learned from fundraising for missions...
Now that we are adjusting to life with 3 kids under 3, our attention (what's left of it) now turns back to preparing for our missionary apprenticeship with
NieuCommunities in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
We're a little over 2 months away [gasp] from moving our young nomadic clan to our neighbor to the north. In some ways Bekah and I can't fathom the reality of moving with everything else that has happened in our lives. On the other hand, we are so busy we barely have time to worry about the future; all our energy seems devoted to the present. So maybe that's a good thing.
Praise God, through the generosity of over 30 individuals/families, we're over halfway to our goal of raising the necessary $42,000 to live, serve, and worship in Vancouver. Thus far, our support has come in response to our support letter [which you can read in .pdf form
HERE]. In April, we're going to be more proactive speaking at churches, meeting with people, etc. in order to shore up the needed funds.
Along the way, I thought I'd share a few lessons learned, many of them from people who are mentors, fellow missionaries to-be, or just friends who are wise beyond their years. [By recent posts on this blog, can you tell that God has me in a posture of learning?]
- Seek God's face, not His hand [of provision]. Don't reduce your view of God to a vending machine which merely dispenses what you need or want.
- When following God's call, tension is inevitable. Get used to it, and learn to thrive in it.
- Financial support will come from some of the places you least expect, and it won't come from some of the place you most expect.
- When doing something most would deem 'crazy', get used to (and learn to accept) that people will look down on your like you're a naughty kindergarten student, wave their finger at you, and say, 'shame on you.' Resist the urge to reply with, 'Well, shame on YOU..."
- Change is hard. It is. It tests and stretches you, your relationships, and your faith.
- Come to terms with the fact that I will have to explain over and over [and over] why it's not irresponsible to be a missionary in Vancouver and not learn French. [If you're wondering...not many French speaking Canadians that far west. English, followed by Cantonese are the lingua franca].
- In life, we need a lot less 'stuff' than we have. Less is more.
- Never forget that, in the midst of a national recession, a declining dollar, a struggling local economy, and a local church building campaign, God is the one who provides. He has infinite power and resources at His disposal. Remember, remember, remember.
[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click
HERE to give online.]
Lessons from my first week of being a father of 3...
It's 6:30 am, on my day off...and I've been awake for an hour. I never wake up at 5:30 on my day off. Never.
Well, now I do...it's the new norm. I'm out in the living room with Sam, our cute lil' one week old, letting Bekah get some sleep. This may be the only quiet time I get all day, so I'm taking advantage and dusting off the ol' blog.
My life has been turned upside down in a matter of a few weeks. Just a few weeks ago, I was a married, father of a 2 1/2 year old. Now I'm a father of 3 children. Such mind, body, and soul shattering life changes shake you up and teach you a few things. Here's what I've learned so far:
-It's incredibly difficult [at present] to go anywhere with 3 kids under 3. Bekah and I have considered a few ventures this past week, but the light bulb turns on in both of our minds as we realize that we are now outnumbered by our children. I'm sure this will get easier, but the fact remains that Ben could at any moment lead a revolution and stage a coup in public at any time, and we're done. He's a very charismatic individual, and people would follow him, and I would be exiled to the cold, damp basement.
-It's weird, but you wonder if you have enough love in your heart for more than one child. Ben was all I knew when it came to parenting, and I had trouble imagining loving any other children as much as I love him. Turns out I can love three children deeply. That is a wonderful, inspiring, and joyous experience. In fact, I think adding children to the family has caused me to love each of them better, as each individual encounter is more purposed and intentional.
-Personal time? What personal time? It's gone, by and large, but I'm realizing that this is OK. I now value the precious few moments I have to myself more, and I use them more wisely. And, being a father of 3 is teaching me to get over myself. A continual theme in my life is coming to terms with the fact that "It's not about me...It's about God and others..." I will enjoy the new 'routine' of coming home from work, helping feed the kids some dinner, trying to sneak a few bites in myself, giving baths, and wrestling with them for a little while in hopes of wearing them out before bedtime. I won't get a chance to really sit down until around 8:30pm, but it's still a pretty darn good routine.
-The main topic of conversation around our house: poop. We love poop talk.
-Speaking of poop...we're using cloth diapers on Isa (and will transition Sam onto them when he's a little bigger), and they're not nearly as difficult as you'd imagine. And they're saving us a ton of money.
-I've already had one person ask, when looking at my children, "Which ones are
yours?" Bad, bad question. FYI: If you ever want to crudely raise the blood pressure in an adoptive parent, ask them that question. For the record: they are ALL mine.
-I'm tired, but very content. I look forward to a day when I can sleep normally again. Someday...
[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click
HERE to give online.]
What is going on?
Holy smokes...life is crazy! Isa is home and adjusting well, all things considered. Tomorrow morning Bekah and I head to Toledo to induce baby #3 into this world. We're excited and terrified all at once. We were just getting the feel of caring for 2 toddlers, and now we're going to add a newborn to the clan!
When you think about it, pray for us this weekend. Pray that Isa sleeps soundly, comfortably, and at peace. She's sleeping pretty well, but has some rough times now and then. Pray the baby eats and sleeps well. Pray for Ben as his attention and his stuff keeps getting divided. Pray for love and understanding on his part.
After we get home with baby #3, I'll get back on the blogging horse, with some more posts about Vancouver, life, and all that jazz.
Until then, the entire month of March is shot in terms of fundraising. All spare time has been, and will continue to be devoted to our kids. God is providing, and we're about halfway to our goal of $42,000 to live and serve in Vancouver. So, if any of you would like to give a gift to commemorate Isa and/or baby #3's entrance into the Moser clan, click on the link below. Also, if any of you have ever said, "I'd like to support a missionary someday." Well, then...we'd love to be your first.
Or, if you'd be willing to give up your latte for a week, or even a day...no gift is too small to make an impact.
Thanks!
[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click
HERE to give online.]
Blogging from Guatemala...
I'll be blogging
HERE while in Guatemala. I leave Wed and return the following Tuesday. If you want to read up on the hilarity that will inevitably be '3 Men and a Baby'...check the site every now and then. Back to packing...
[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click
HERE to give online.]
