Tag Archives: family

…on becoming #AIMkids

February 12, 2014 By in People, Process Tags: , , , , 8 Comments

It wasn’t always easy to keep our plan from the kids, but it was necessary.

Kept in the Dark

Although Liz & I have mentally been “in process” for over a year now, our kids found out about our “new adventure” on December 31, 2013… New Year’s Eve.

Why we waited? …to maintain a tight reign on who knew about our plan until it was announced to our church family at MissionPoint. We didn’t want any other churches or groups to know about it first and then have it filter back to our home church second hand… via social media or in conversation.

At the same time, it wouldn’t be fair for our kids to find out only on January 5th, at the same time as everyone else. So, for a couple of reasons, we decided to tell them on New Year’s Eve:

  • Given the holiday break in the church schedule, it would give them a few days to “digest” the news, without seeing their church friends (again, protecting the flow of information).
  • New Year’s provides a natural opportunity to talk about new projects, new ideas, new plans and a new direction. 2014 would definitely be all of that for us.

Given the fact that we are a homeschooling family and therefore together nearly all the time, it wasn’t easy to be discreet about our plans… but thankfully it worked.

Unveiling the Plan

It was important to us to root the plan in the Word of God, so after our New Year’s Eve company had left, I opened the Bible to Joshua chapter 1 (the passage that began this process) and read verses 1-9: highlighting the following:

  • As Joshua’s life was taking on a new role and a new direction… God met with and talked to Joshua.
  • 3 times, God says to Joshua “Be strong and of good courage” (vv. 6, 7 & 9).
  • 2 times, God says to Joshua that if he wants to have success, he needs to take in, meditate on and observe the law of God or, God’s word. (vv. 7 & 8).
  • Kids' JournalsGod would be with Joshua, wherever he went (v.9)

I also gave each of the kids their own personal travel journal inscribed as follows:

“Sophie / Dominic / Timo …  Here is a place to write down your thoughts, questions and yes, perhaps even your fears, concerning the next great adventure that God is about to take our family on. Write them down and you will see that God will answer your questions, honor your thoughts and calm every fear. He’ll do it because he loves you and wants to do something incredible both in and through your life.

Love, Mom & Dad”

We then let them know that within a year or so, we would be moving to France, possibly for as long as 2 years, to replace Bro. & Sis. Brochu as missionaries, under the AIM program.  Following our discussion, we prayed together as a family.

The Reaction

They were very surprised, but also very, very excited. There were a barrage of questions, some of which we didn’t yet have answers for (including…. “Can we get a dog?”).

They were quite excited about the idea that they may need to be involved in music in the church after the Brochu’s leave, kidsjournalTimo_sm440because they both look after music (our kids have varying degrees of piano skills, Dominic is learning guitar already and Timo dreams of playing drums).

Two things sum up well their reaction.

  • First, Timo’s first journal entry
    (see pic)    .
  • Second, Timo’s prayer:
    “God, fill the people of France with the Holy Ghost.”
    (talk about melt a parent’s heart!)

Summing it up:

Without question, we believe that the Lord has been preparing the hearts and desires of our kids in the same way that he’s been preparing us. They are now… #AIMkids.

Other posts on how patience has played a key role in the process to date: 
Patience is a Virtue
Controlled Burn

Five coins, 1-Euro… deep thought!

January 25, 2014 By in Events, People, Places Tags: , , , , 1 Comment
  • What you spend your money on says a lot about you!
  • How you spend your time, reveals your priorities.

The Currency of Eternity

Going back to France’s Youth Convention, in November, for today’s post. In his Sunday morning message, Bro. Robert Tisdale spoke on “The Currency of Eternity,” taking his text from Paul’s writings in 2 Corinthians 12.15

“…and I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.”

His basic tenet was that we are the currency of eternity and God desires to spend us in order to transact his business. The question is… what will we allow ourselves to be spent on?

A coin does not tell its owner to spend or not to spend it, nor does it tell him what it can be spent on. Likewise, we are ill-placed to tell God how he may or may not use us. If we try we are not wholly surrendered to him in the first place.

Ccoin4_smoin Toss

Throughout the whole message, he and Bro. Nowacki tossed 20-cent coins over their shoulders or out onto the stage and floor area, constantly reiterating the question… How will we be spent?  How will we allow ourselves to be spent?

Q: What if Luke, because he never really preached any life changing sermons, deccided not to allow himself to be spent?
A: We’d have neither the books of Luke or Acts (which, combined, have more verses than Paul’s writings).

Q: What if Barnabas, because he was never seen as either a great apostle, preacher or writer, refused to allow himself to be spent?
A: Perhaps there’d have been no apostle Paul and we be missing a great part of the New Testament?

In a Nutshell

We may not find ourselves being used in the capacity that we’d like or expect, but as long as we allow ourselves to be spent for God’s purposes, we’ll leave something worthwhile for the next generation. Our ministry may not be necessarily characterized by “greatness” according to man’s standard, but if we are the one to reach the “Paul” of the next generation, we will have reason to rejoice and will have been well-spent.

The Take-away… the lesson

While we were there listening, our anticipated AIM term was, of course, quite present in our mind. How would we allow ourselves to be spent?

At the end of the message and at one point during the altar, I picked up 5 of those coins off of the floor. One coin to represent each member or my family (Myself, Liz, Sophie, Dominic and Timo) and I had in mind what I wanted to do…

coin2_sm

I would take them home and have them framed in such a way so as to be reminded on a regular basis… our 5 lives represent the currency of eternity and God would like to use us to transact his business.

The question “How do I spend my time, my energy, my life?” must constantly be carefully considered… for I am not my own, I am bought with a price.  (1 Cor. 6.19-20)  I am the currency of Eternity and God wants to use me, my wife… and my children to transact His business.  Will my choices concerning use of time, talent and energy best benefit His business?

I’ve been Framed!

Below you’ll see a photo of all 5 coins… meticulously framed by Mario’s Framing in Saint John.  You’ll perhaps notice that 4 of the 5 coins have the monetary denomination facing up (20 cents). However the one in the center is different… the side showing depicts a sower in a field with a rising sun behind her, accompanied by the letters RF (République Française – see detailed picture above).

Having the RF facing up was intentional (as France was the center of where we wanted to allow God to spend us). What was even more incredible (and this we didn’t realize until afterward) was that the woman depicted, was a sower. That is our purpose in France… to sow the seed of God’s word into the hearts of hungry men, women and children.  Lord, let it be so, let us be spent sowing, for the transacting of your business in France!

coin5_sm

A Fresh Face

January 1, 2014 By in People Tags: Leave a comment

One of the things that we thought necessary in preparation of this site and with a need for materials that could be used to help promote our AIM project was a fresh volley of nicely done, family photos. We had never engaged the assistance of a true-blue photographer, typically preferring the off-the-cuff snapshots that happened at various special times of the year, but this project demanded something a bit nicer.

We would like to wholeheartedly thank Micaël Savoie of Bathurst, who, despite a fairly narrow window and a houseful of holiday sniffles, dedicated his time and expertise to help advance our project. Micaël does a wide variety of photographic work from landscapes and people, to stock photography and photojournalism. Check out his website to scratch the surface of the incredible work that Micaël is capable of:  www.Micael.ca

Thank you, too, to our very good friends, Rev. & Mrs. Daniel Desroches, who allowed us to send pictures of their family room around the world!

Thank you for helping to put a fresh face on our family!

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Don’t even think about it!

November 20, 2013 By in Process Tags: , 2 Comments

MLGagetownDon’t even think about extended missions involvement without the full support of your spouse!

The necessity for your spouse to be “on board” is essential with any kind of ministry involvement as it can involve long days, an unpredictable schedule, and high expectations (voiced or implied).  If your spouse is not fully supportive, there can arise a tug of war – in your spirit if no where else – for you must balance the needs of ministry along with the needs of your marriage and family. Balance is key in this area for two reasons:

  1. Your joy depends on experiencing fulfillment in all areas of your life… personal and ministerial, and joy is key!  If things at home are stable and balanced, you will approach the work of the Lord from a more positive start-point… and positivity breeds positivity.
  2. Your family is an example to those with whom you minister. This is not to say that your family needs be perfect (that’s not reality) but it should be a positive example of Christianity and should inspire others to want to serve Christ as a family.

This holds true for ministering families in any context, but there is an added layer when it comes to missions work, particularly in an overseas setting.

It’s one thing for an individual to feel a call to missions, but when an individual is part of a family unit, it’s something entirely different. Your call has implications for the other people in your family. In our case, four other people: my wife and three children, and the balance element must still be there.  Despite a host of new circumstances, your spouse will…

  1. be key in helping your children manage a new cultural context with its different norms and expectations.
  2. help your children balance the sense of loss (having left friends and familiarity) with the opportunities for discovery and growth that a new country and culture afford.
  3. remind you when its time for you to balance a bit… perhaps pull back to make sure your kids feel your support as well. If you are the one who has primarily experienced the call of God for this place, it will be easy for you to pour yourself into the work with full gusto. There will be times when your children and your spouse will need you, and your spouse will remind you of that.

Because of this heightened role in the life of your kids, it’s important to remain aware of their state of balance as well. Whatever their experience of your time in missions, it will be reflected onto, and likely magnified in, the life of your children. If, because of imbalance, their experience begins to be negative; that negativity will be amplified in the life of your kids. Inversely, if their experience is positive, they will propagate positivity into your kids’ experience.

Hence my initial statement: “…don’t even think about extended missions involvement without the full support of your spouse!”  If, from the outset, your spouse is not fully on board with your call to missions, it will jeopardize your family’s experience of the mission field, as well as your effectiveness in fulfilling what the Lord desires to accomplish through you.

What are some other ways in which an on-board spouse is vital?

About

November 13, 2013 By in Blog Tags: , 1 Comment

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