family photos

Goodness, more major days keep happening, and I'm falling further behind with you :)

Last Sunday was a special day...still exhausted from our huge Saturday, we headed out in the rain to find Janiel's church.

Janiel (in the maroon) was in our very first graduating class, and a Hebrew student of Matt's.  Oozing humilty and a sincerely servant heart, Janiel is a really special man, and while we worked with Janiel a lot more when we still lived in his community, we continue to stay in touch with his special family.  Work he's doing for Jesus, church planting and community ministry, is for the same God and country as the work we're doing, and it's always felt like we're all in ministry together...even apart.

So, when he and Peninah came and spent a few hours with our family last week, it was such a joy to catch up.  It was also great to hear about Jacsene (below, left of Matt), one of our current students wrapping up third year with a huge heart for evangelism.  All of our students are doing internships in area churches, and when Janiel was in desperate need of help a few years ago, Matt sent him Jacsene.  

It was a ministry match made in heaven, and together Janiel and Jacsene have planted a stable little church up on a mountain.  Janiel asked when Matt could come preach, and that's what we did! 

I'm not sure Janiel looks any older than the first picture :)  What a JOY it was to listen to Matt preach on the incarnation of Jesus through family, and to sit with Janiel and Peninah...to watch Jacsene lead the service, to watch our kiddos play together.

Sweet and sweaty is long-term ministry, sweaty and sweet.  

So thankful to be in it together, joining forces from time to time and knowing on the other days that while we work, there are many many others we have poured our lives into who are WORKING too, working alongside, working BETTER, working faithful.  

Watching the life-work of Janiel and Peninah and Jacsene was watching faithful, and it blessed our tired souls deeply.

As we left, I asked Janiel if we could take a picture of our family with his family, and he quickly assembled them!  I laughed as I realize that when I said "family", Janiel thought of his whole congregation...which says something truly profound about his life-ministry outlook.  

So blessed to be part of THE family, with you.  

note:  We are still in great need of a few families to come alongside ours.  See the maroon bar at the top of this page, "WE NEED 10", to learn more or to join our "family picture"!!