(A Recap)
The last blog post I wrote was on December 4. It’s been less than a month, and I’m churning out another blog post. 😁 I cannot even begin to explain what a victory this is! I know. I’m talking about what happened in April…in December. How can that possibly be worthy of celebration?
Well. Let me tell you…it is. I’m not going to bore you with rehashing what, exactly, has happened. You can click here to read all about it. The short story is: I’ve come uncomfortably close to dying. Multiple times, now. So I write when I can. I take it nice and slow, trusting that I will eventually get caught up & back to a place I want to be.
Back to April. Let’s see. By April we had made it to Oregon. We were so excited. We were living the dream! Making it to Oregon was a dream come true for any child of the 80s & 90s! We’ll pick up our recaps here. (Reminder: Posts in italics = our words)
We arrived in Oregon, eager with anticipation. We had no idea what to expect, but we were excited to see what God would show us. We had no idea what was coming.
Hi, family. I know it’s been a while since we’ve posted. And that’s mainly because…we didn’t know what to say.
We arrived in Oregon a little over a week ago. We were in no way prepared for the reception we’d find. We reached out to 12 different churches. 12. And our entire Oregon experience can be summed up in the following:
“We already do a good job of doing exactly what you’re doing. I don’t think there’s anyone in our church who would benefit from what you’re doing, or fellowshipping with you. You’d be best served to just move on. Maybe to another church in our area…but not here.”
Ouch. 😔💔 Welcome to Oregon!
Of course, that wasn’t our only experience. We did manage to find kind, compassionate people who love Jesus & love people. But. Overall, we found Oregon to be a strange, dark, unwelcoming place. Not exactly the story we’d hoped to write. We realize that our experience is not complete in any way. We have no doubt that there are many, many believers who we’d love to meet. But we didn’t meet them. Not this trip, at least.
We’re now in Washington, where a wonderful church has welcomed us. We’ve been taking a little time to mend our battered & bruised hearts. It’s been hard. But. Spoiler alert: God is great. In every situation. In every place. All the time. #TakeHeart Good stories of His faithfulness will emerge. Even from this place.
(Oregon)
We never did find a place to stay in Oregon. It was one of our most painful, heartbreaking experiences. Probably, in part, because we’d come to Oregon with so much hope. This part of our story still shatters my heart. I remember feeling like Abraham, begging God: “No! This can’t be it. I know there are some here who are faithful! This can’t be the story we have to tell about Oregon!” But, for now, this is the story we have to tell. I’m sure more will be written about this at a later time. We’ve still got a lot of April to cover for now, though. So we’ll move on. On to Washington.
Okay. I know last night’s post was a little…down. I always struggle with these things, because I want to be real. I want to be honest. I want to give you an actual portrayal of what life is like for our family as newly minted missionaries. At the same time, I don’t want to depress you! I don’t want you to think our lives are horrible, or that we’re always struggling. We’re not. We serve an amazing God, and we are beyond blessed to hear the stories of what He’s up to in the lives of His people. We live a great life.
This life is like a really good rollercoaster. The highs are really high…and the lows are really low. Still, God is in the business of turning even the lowest lows into something amazing. Last week was one of the worst times we’ve ever experienced. Satan intended to harm us, but God intended it all for good. 💗 In the midst of our pain, we leaned on those God has placed in our path:
❤️ Our friends who are faithful to pray for us, get angry on our behalf, lend listening ears, and act as never-ending sources of encouragement. Some of these friends are from back home. Many are ones we’ve picked up along the way. Others are people we’ve met on our journey who have grafted us in as family. All of them are loved & cherished & so very appreciated.
❤️ Our board of directors. We are fortunate to have a board who, despite their busy lives, take time to support us simply because they believe in us & in the calling God has placed on our lives. They, too, encourage us, pray for us, and offer wise counsel. They are such a blessing.
❤️ A few churches in the Portland area. Overall, our experience was not great. But, there were a few shining lights. A few churches allowed us to stay with them for a night or two. A missions pastor at one of the churches worked very hard on our behalf. One church was kind enough to feed us one night. It may not have been what we wanted…but these churches met our needs for a time. We’re thankful.
❤️ The churches that welcomed us in Washington. I’m sure we looked rough when we rolled in! 😂 We felt like we’d taken a beating. The first church we visited is phenomenal…but literally didn’t have room for our rig. Still, the people of that congregation would not rest until they found a place where we could connect & stay for a while. The second church we were directed to has welcomed us in, and given us a place to rest & recover. Y’all. We went to 12 different churches in Oregon, asking for help – and were told no. We’ve been to 2 churches in Washington – and both churches have been gracious & helpful. These churches have been so healing for our bruised hearts. ‘Grateful’ doesn’t begin to describe it.
❤️ The people we’ve met in Washington. Oh, the people. I can’t talk about the people we’ve met without crying – in a good way. We meet wonderful, beautiful people everywhere we go…but the people we’ve met in Washington are especially dear to me right now. They’ve been so loving. So kind. So compassionate. So eager to help heal our wounded hearts. They’ve hugged us & prayed for us. They’ve invited us over to do laundry. They’ve slipped us money, “to buy a nice dinner.” 💗 I was even fortunate enough to meet a couple who remind me of my beloved grandparents – who went home years ago. I still can’t get over God’s kindness. He shows us such mercy through the people we meet. It’s incredible.
All that to say this: Satan intends to harm us. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But, God. God intends it all for good. You can trust Him. Hallelujah! 🙌🏼
(Washington)
As easy as it is to point out the specks in Oregon’s eye, God was also gracious enough to point out a few beams in our own! 😉
We have a confession to make. We haven’t been completely open & honest with you. We thought we were. Truly, we did. But, the whole situation in Oregon brought the truth to the light.
You see, we wanted to confide in you during our struggles. But, every time we started to make a post, we’d realize: many of you wouldn’t understand. You don’t actually know us very well. You don’t know how we live, and our struggles couldn’t be explained in a Facebook post.
We love you. And we were delighted to share the news of what God’s doing with you. But, we failed to share our lives as well. We’re so, so sorry. Please forgive us for this oversight.
We’re going to try again. Reintroduce ourselves. Explain exactly what it is we’re doing. We’d love to share our lives with you so – when God writes a story in our lives – it makes sense. You’ll have some context. We often welcome people to follow along with our journey. And we mean it. You truly are welcome, and your presence is appreciated.
We love you so much. We’re delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well. Please join us.
(Washington)
And – with that – it was time to get back to work.
“Slow progress is still progress.”
(Somebody, Somewhere)
Turns out, this whole ‘sharing our lives with you’ thing is harder than we thought. Not because we don’t want to share – but because everything takes longer than we think it will. 🤦♀️ Always. We’re hoping this cute photo of the boys is enough to buy us a few more days before we unveil what we’ve been up to. 🤞🏻
We’re working on it. Promise. Stick with us just a little bit longer.
(Washington)
We have exciting news that we can’t wait to share with you! But. Today is #PalmSunday. And our news can wait. Instead, we’ll share an interesting perspective we heard in church this morning. (If you’re unfamiliar with this story, read Matthew 21:1-11)
“Go back in the book of Exodus, chapter 34, verse 20. It says the firstborn of a donkey, you must redeem with a lamb. If you choose not to redeem the firstborn of a donkey with a lamb, you break the donkey’s neck. Jesus knew that. He knew the law. He fulfilled the law! So, when He asked for the donkey and the colt, He was asking for a redeemed burden bearer. That colt had been redeemed by a lamb to carry the Lamb of this world. There was a lot of shouting. ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ But, it wasn’t about the donkey. There were people putting their clothes in the way, and laying palm branches down. But it wasn’t about the donkey. It was about the Lamb. Imagine if that donkey had thought too much of himself. ‘There’s going to be a whole lot of commotion, and it’s not going to be about me, and I’m not going to get any attention. No. I’m not going.’ You are the donkey! You have been redeemed by the Lamb to be a burden bearer! You start to understand where you fit in the whole procession. You start to understand why the Lamb was slain so that the donkey might live! It’s not about you – it’s about Jesus! You’re the redeemed burden bearer. Carry the Christ to the city.”
(Washington)
Did you ever see our old website? This was it. One page, with a few links. Such a sad, sad little website! 😔
Did you notice I said, “our old website”? That’s because we FINALLY finished the website for Campfire Ministries!!! 😁🙌🏼🥳 Sort of. 😏 The website is blog-driven, so all that’s left is to write blog posts!
Go check it out. Let us know what you think! Goodbye, sad little website of yesteryear. We won’t miss you. We’re happy to finally have a place where we can actually #GatherRound, #ShareTheStories, & #SeeWhatGodHasDone. #FromSeaToShiningSea!
(Washington)
Now that we have our new website up & going (All the praise hands! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼), we’d like to reintroduce ourselves. Check out our site to see what we’re all about.
We were able to check off a lifelong bucket list item. 😁❤️🌷 There’s this tulip festival that takes place every April. Totally worth the trip to visit!
Here, at Campfire Ministries, we take one day a week off. One. We do not waste our days. 😏 Yesterday, we visited the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. It did not disappoint! 😳😍🌷 A quick stop to view Seattle, Washington’s skyline rounded out a beautiful semi sunny-ish day in Washington! ❤️
Our day off also served as a perfect reminder:
“And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you.”
– Luke 12:28
🙏🏻🙌🏻
(Washington)
Aaaannnndddd, back to work! 😁
Today is #GoodFriday. And, tonight, Brian & I will be celebrating #Passover for the first time.
For the past few weeks, we have been worshipping with The River Church in Camas, Washington. Their pastor is of Jewish descent & of the Christian faith. The experience has been…fascinating. Eye opening. Faith stretching. Unlike anything we’ve ever experienced.
The River Church celebrates today as Passover. “This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the Lord. This is a law for all time.” – Exodus 12:14
They take that to mean…a law for all time. 🤷♀️ I can see their point.
Whether you celebrate today as Good Friday or as Passover…doesn’t matter. The point is, it is finished. His blood covers us. He took it all. He sacrificed everything for us. So that we might live. It is finished. Hallelujah. 🙌🏼
(Washington)
☝️ This turned out to be one of the highlights of our year. We still talk about this church to anyone who will listen. This church ministered to our hearts the entire month of April. We learned so much – and thank God for leading us to them! This little church in Camas, Washington, turned out to be the home that we needed so we could continue our work.
“Why is this week so important? It’s more than just remembering history. It’s more than just remembering what Jesus did at the cross, historically. This is our anniversary. When He died, we died. When He was buried, we were buried. When He rose, we rose. This is our personal story. This is the story of our salvation. It’s the story of our redemption. It’s not just what happened, historically, 2,000 years ago. This is my story. This is your story. If you’ve been redeemed by the blood Jesus, this is both of our stories. That’s why this day is so important, and this whole week. We have died in Him. We have been buried in Him. We have been raised in Him.”
(Washington)
We tell a lot of stories. None more important than this:
“Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen…” – Matthew 28:5-6
THAT, my friends, is good news. #Easter. #ResurrectionSunday. Whatever you call it, it’s worthy of celebration. He’s not here. He is risen. Just as He said He would. Hallelujah! 🙌🏼
We spent last week celebrating #Passover. #GoodFriday. #Easter. #ResurrectionSunday. Today is #EarthDay. Which is fitting, seeing that Jesus literally came to save the world. 🙌🏼
“The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it…” We’re thinking we should probably do our best to take care of the planet God has blessed us with. It’s absolutely beautiful, He created it, and it is good. 😀❤️
Now that we had our new website up and running, we figured it was time to do a few introductions:
(1/5) Why are you doing this?
“There came a point when I realized: I could keep doing what I was doing – what I was comfortable doing – or I could do what God was telling me to do. And the thought of that was terrifying. It wasn’t comfortable at all! But, I just didn’t have the courage to look God in the face & say, “No. I won’t obey You. I don’t trust You.”
(2/5) “If you think about it, the Bible is just a collection of testimonies. Stories of God’s faithfulness. Stories of people’s struggles with God. Letters written to churches, describing what was going on in other churches. We have an entire inspired book because people took the time to write down what God did in the lives of His people. And I don’t think that stopped with the 1st century church. We’re still supposed to be sharing our stories. Because God is still at work today. And our stories – our stories of struggle & triumph & God’s faithfulness – will inspire the generations to come. These stories need to be told.”
(3/5) “I like traveling the country & hearing stories of what God has done. They’re fascinating. It’s incredible to hear what God has done in people’s lives across the country. I’m excited to see where God will lead us!”
(4/5) “Hey, Mom! You know how there are different parts of the Body of Christ? I know what part we are!”
You do? What part are we, buddy?
“We’re the blood cells!!! We travel throughout the Body, bringing nutrients & oxygen to the other parts!”
🤔😄❤️
(5/5) “I like talking to people. I like to see their faces when I tell them where we’ve been and what we’ve done. It’s fun to be around a campfire, and make people s’mores. If you come to one of our campfires, I’ll make a s’more for you!” 💖
Then, we took a few days to celebrate our family’s April birthdays! 🥳
Happy birthday to the guy on the left! 🥳 We have all watched as you’ve given up everything familiar, to follow our Father. And we’re so grateful. Our lives are so much more vibrant & colorful thanks to your sacrifice & guidance!
(Washington)
There’s always one.
“Always one who thinks outside the box?” 😁
Aaaannnnddd, there’s Tristan. ❤️ He’s smart. He’s hilarious. He marches to no rhythm – he creates his own. He sticks his smiling face in the photos that aren’t supposed to happen. He brings us such joy. And, today, he’s 14. 🥳
Happy birthday, Tristan. We love you!
The end of April brought what we accepted, but hated to admit – it was time to move on. We didn’t want to leave Washington. We weren’t ready. We were so comfortable there! So loved. 🥰 But, God lovingly, patiently continued to teach us another life lesson: He really does know what’s best.
We’ve said it before…but we’ll say it again. We’re never ready to leave a place. Never. Never, never, never. We absolutely fall in love with every place. With all the people. We take you in as family. We barge in & make ourselves at home in your homes. We proclaim that you’ve adopted us – whether you have or not! (Be blessed. ☺️) But we’re never ready to go. It breaks our hearts, every time.
But.
If we never left all the places we’ve loved, we’d never meet all the people we’ve met. We weren’t ready to leave Washington. We don’t know who’s waiting in Idaho. But, when He says go, we go. Ready or not. If the wind goes where He sends it, so will we. We’ll miss you, Washington. Thanks for giving us a home. ❤️ We look forward to meeting you, Idaho. We can’t wait to hear your stories! 😁
(Washington/Idaho)
So…what now? Well, we finally got our website up. 🙌🏼 We’re settled in Idaho, for now. 🙌🏼 We have a few housekeeping things we need to take care of, then it’s back to work! On the agenda for the next few weeks:
1️⃣ Get our newsletter set up. Quite a few of you have subscribed – thank you! Now, we need to get it put together. Our plan is to email out a newsletter every month or so. We don’t want to crowd your inbox! 😉
2️⃣ Get our first “treasure boxes” ready & shipped out! If you have no idea what we’re talking about, click on the link in the comments. Be sure to sign up if you want some pretties! 😍
3️⃣ Start writing the blog posts that will feed the website. We have SO many testimonies that need to be processed – and we can’t wait to share them with you! Now that we have a website, we can do a much better job of sharing the stories. Stay tuned!
Spoiler Alert: Things did not go according to plan. 😏 But, that’s okay. May turned out to be another amazing month. That’s the funny thing about trusting God with your life…His plans really are better than ours. Every. Time. I look forward to telling you about what God did in our lives after April!
Interested in sharing your story? Like what we’re doing, and want to help keep the campfires burning? Want to offer a word of encouragement? We’d love to hear from you!
