This post was originally sent to my out-of-state family and should give further background on recent changes. 

Greetings everyone- 

Usually it is Char that is doing the writing, photo-sharing and keeping you up to date with our lives. Have I mentioned how much I appreciate her doing that? And according to many of your energetic return emails, you appreciate it as well. (keep it up Char). Well I wanted to keep you all up to speed with our life in relation to ministry and what the Lord has been doing in our hearts over the past year…but let me first recap the past 6 or so years. 

 It was probably the month of May when Pastor Chris asked me to pray about coming on staff at Wildwood. Char and I prayed about the opportunity and were blessed to move forward with what we believed He was calling us to. We celebrated our 4^th wedding anniversary in Redlands Community Hospital where Char delivered Zoe on June 3, 2000. Within two weeks I started my new position as an Assisting Pastor at Wildwood Calvary Chapel. 

 I remember various conversations with each of you sharing how I felt overwhelmed with both the responsibility and the honor it was to serve the body as a Pastor. I recall overseeing men’s retreats, church wide fellowship and similar events that I felt totally incapable of organizing. But in all of these things, when I was weak the Lord showed Himself strong. And again I recount follow up conversations with many of you rejoicing that “everything came together just perfect.”

During the past 6 years events like this have come and gone, more duties and responsibilities were added and some were taken away enabling our family to stay balanced, Char has also had the opportunity to minister in various capacities (which she loves) and now recently we have had the opportunity to see Adan being used on the worship team for his 4^th-6^th grade bible study. Wow, what a blessing that has been.    

This brings us to a date back in January of this year, each year the assisting pastors meet with our senior pastor to find out where we are, what the vision is for the next year and review the work the Lord did the previous year. My review however had little to do with the past years work, but the vision for next year. Pastor Chris shared with me his hope, expectation and vision to be a sending church, not only in missions but also in church plants, as he shared his vision he also shared his heart that I would pray with Char about being sent out from this fellowship to start a new work.

I must admit, as much as it was a shock; it was not because it was the first time he had alluded to sending us out, but instead because I could see the seriousness of his request for us to “really” pray about going out. I said I would pray about it but honestly it was the last thing I wanted to do. I was happy here, why would I want to leave? But as I prayed and as the Lord continued to use Chris to encourage me there came an opportunity to visit a couple that had recently moved to Kentucky that we had been in contact with (Bryan and Micky De Witt). The nearest Calvary Chapel was about an hour away and they were missing the fellowship and bible teaching that they had grown to love.

As I made some phone calls within Calvary I found that there was a Pastors Conference coming up (this was the 2^nd week of October) and I could meet with the pastors from the area and also drive down to Kentucky to meet with the couple from our church.  

I booked a flight the next day.    

So I was on my way to Kentucky…I don’t have the pages to explain all that happened there. To go into the dozens of people I met, to tell of the challenge of trying to hear the Lord and what He wanted. But suffice it to say; when I came back from 4 days travel I was exhausted.

Over the past 40 days since my return, Char and I have been in contact with Bryan and Micky a few times a week and we are waiting on the Lord for His timing. That is not to say we are sold onKentucky we just want to go where the Lord is leading.  As we pray through a location to go many things come to mind, 

 Is their a need? 

 Where will we meet?  

 Who will attend?

How will this work?

What about finances?

And if we let our minds wander for a minute or so we can come up with about 1000 questions, most without any answers.  But as I think about these questions I keep coming back to the main thing, “is the Lord calling you out” and I have to say with fear and trembling, “yes”, “yes, I believe He is” and I feel a little like Abram when the Lord said, Leave your family, tribe and go to a place I will show you. We don’t have a time frame, we don’t have an organizational chart, we just have willing hearts and (as much as we can) yielded lives.   

Please join us as we pray.   

Lord, we want to be used more effectively for your kingdom, if that means we need to transplant our family, ministry and earthly possessions we are willing. We want to walk with you following the cloud by day and the pillar by night. We want to walk in faith and not doubt, trusting that you are for us and not against us, that you have a plan to bring us a future and hope, that you will glorify your Son in us and equip us to will and to do for your good pleasure.  

In Him,

josh