The Linds Go to Washington

Last week and this week are all about MP – ministry partnership, or deputation, or, in plain talk, the process of building our support team, focusing on prayer and financial partnership.  This part, like I’ve said before, is not just something to get through and be done with, but rather an opportunity to minister to those around us, to open people up to the opportunity to give to God’s expanding Kingdom and the work around the world and knowing, first hand, the missionary they support.  So, we’ve been focusing the last two weeks on getting to know more people at our church.  We’ve been attending there on and off since we joined MAF in 2011, but consistently since September and became members in October.  Now we’ve been having people over and getting together at every opportunity just to have more familiarity with other members there – so that, when we’re gone, we know our church home knows us well and will pray for us as friends.  We’ve had at least one get-together nearly everyday, mostly dinners at our house, but I’ve SOOOO missed hosting as much as we did in Congo, so it’s been a fun challenge to host so many dinners and still chase three kids around and keep up with the house.  Matthew has been fitting in other parts of his days (house remodel stuff, general manliness) around making plans for our upcoming trip…

Sunday evening we’ll start the eight-ish hour drive to western Washington [state].  We both grew up there and have lots of friends and family and still consider it part-home.  Matthew was just there in January, but as a family we are looking forward to making new friends, inviting people to join us in ministry partnership, and, obviously, introducing old friends to Axel.

If you happen to live anywhere in western WA, please let us know since our calendar is already filling up and we wouldn’t want to miss you.  We’re trying to reach out to anyone who has been following along and praying for us for the past three years and getting some face-time with them (Facetime also would work, if you are Apple savvy).  So, if this is you, send us an email at mlind@maf.org and we’ll get together.  We plan to be there about three weeks in order to reach as many people as possible.  We’re looking forward to this trip, though it will be busy.

As far as timeline for language school and arrival back in DRC, we’re hoping to nail this down a bit more as we get closer to 100% supported.  So, if you’re hoping to support us, but haven’t made that final step to actually beginning, please let us know how we can help.  And if you’d like to start giving, but want to wait until we’re out of the country to do so, we’d love to put you down and it will count toward our 100% goal.  Just let us know!

Thank you all for praying and supporting us all this time.  I hope to keep everyone a bit more updated as we travel around western WA, but these next few days will be so busy, I know I won’t be on here much…except to make plans, of course.