Literally.
80 days. Can you believe this?! In 80 days, Jordan and I will be boarding flight WS701 towards our life in another city, another country, another continent. Taking the leap of faith to pack up our life here and continue it over 15,000 km away comes with a whole melange of emotions: we are excited, overwhelmed, and certainly a little frightened of the months/years ahead. However, in stretching our faith, God has been teaching us what it really means to depend on Him, and so beyond the fear and uncertainty, there is much trust! After all, God tells us to "be strong and courageous [, to] have no fear" (Deut 31:6) because He is going before us and He will not leave us even as we leave the country.
And so the odyssey begins.
A journey that is sure to be marked with intellectual and spiritual hurdles and milestones...both of which we thank God in advance for!
To be honest, we aren't quite sure why God is leading us to Australia. We do know there is greater purpose beyond studying medicine at the University of Queensland, but the specifics remain a mystery. A mystery that we are quite excited to probe and discover, to say the least. Perhaps Australia is just a one-time stopover; perhaps an introduction to future journeys; or perhaps a lifestyle of global service.
Whatever the case may be, whatever beyond-imaginable plans God has for our lives, our prayer is this:
"Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders.
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me.
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Saviour."
- Oceans (Hillsong)
We pursue a limitless trust in a limitless God. We aim to have our entire lives - our bodies, our passions, our minds - to be completely surrendered to the One who knows best. We strive to walk in obedience, knowing that His plans and purposes for our life are simply extraordinary.
God is certainly taking us deeper. We didn't intend on moving to Australia, yet the past couple of months have been proving that 'the land Down Under' is where He is calling us to for this period in our lives. And the years of waiting and transitioning have already strengthened our faith. But we certainly need your prayers!!
Needless to say, we are going to miss you all! And so, while we are about to embark on our own little adventure, we would love to keep you updated on what's happening in our lives on the other side of the world! We sincerely appreciate all your love and support - especially prayers!
Reasons to Rejoice:
- Jen's working holiday visa has been approved without major conditions
- We have connected with a church in Brisbane: there is a wonderful, wonderful woman in the church who is so graciously housing us for the first couple of weeks as we attempt to find housing, transportation, etc. (Praise God for church family!! This is such a relief for us to know we have support when we arrive!)
Requests for Prayer:
- that Jordan's Student Visa will be approved without any hiccups
- a job for Jen: preferably a position teaching or working with youth, but anything to pay the bills!
- that we become more aware of God's leading and direction, in the minor and significant decisions as we prepare for departure
Thank you for your support!
Image Credit: Political Map of the World http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/world_map2.htm
