Target: September 29

For two years, the most common question has been some version of “when?”

When are you actually going to South Africa? When does “when we’re funded” become a real date on a calendar?

Our answer has always been “when we hit 100% of our support” — which is true. At the same time, it’s also the kind of answer that leaves everyone, including us, staring at the ceiling.

We’ve even hedged by saying that when we hit 85% of our funding, I’ll quit my job and we’ll hit the road; at 85%, my full-time job is raising the last 15%. But the question remains: when will we hit that marker? And to be fair… we’re with you. This part is hard! God has called us; we’re ready to go. 

In fact, two weeks ago, Abbey and I started talking about possibly putting a ‘stake in the ground’ and choosing a date to step out in faith and pursue missions full-time, regardless of where our current support level was; whether we’re at 65 or 85 or whatever, let’s just go, right? Pay the rest of my salary out of our savings if we have to.

Then, the proverbial light bulb got clicked on.

Last week, our team leaders in Durban reached out. There’s a once-every-few-years regional conference happening in early October. They said, in so many words: “no pressure, but if you’re going to be here, we don’t want you to miss it.”

We prayed. We talked it over. We said yes.

To be there for the conference, September 29 would be the flight so that October 1, we would land in Durban.

What That “Yes” Costs

We need 100% of monthly support by August 31. Our official clearance to go works in absolutes: hit the goal or we can’t leave yet, and then the departure probably defers to Christmas.

Furthermore, there’s a price associated with attending the conference. If we sign up to go, and then can’t make it, our deposit would be forfeit.

 

An hour after we said yes, we received a donation from an old friend for the exact amount of the deposit. Our friend had no way of knowing what was on the line; we had no way of knowing it was on the line. Now our cost is covered, and God is good!

We’re at 70% right now. $2,552 per month to go. So we’re spending the summer on the road.

Starting in late July, we’re driving through North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, and into Texas, where we’ll spend the entire month of August visiting churches. Sunday mornings, Wednesday Bible studies, small groups, prayer meetings, whatever door opens. I’m reaching out to literally hundreds of churches.

30% of a support goal in 8 weeks, while packing a house. The math is aggressive… but we’ve watched God do aggressive math before. Gideon’s 300. David vs. Goliath. Jericho. Elisha and the invisible army. The list goes on and on. Raising $2552 a month in support seems like a cakewalk when, in the words of Chris Tomlin, “the God of angel armies is always by my side.”

So Joe’s Quitting His Job…

July 6.

Last year I took an interim role as Technical Director at Horizons Church while we were raising support. As I wrote in a previous post, the intention was always that this role ends when we leave.  Now, we know: July 6, it ends.

My replacement is a phenomenal guy named Chad. Navy veteran. 27 years of systems administration experience. He starts June 22. He’ll be fine. I’ve spent a long time creating documentation where there was none. He’s terrifically smart, and I couldn’t have picked a more capable replacement.

After July 6, we have roughly 14 days to pack everything we own, prep the house for handover, and get on the road. There’s a list that may or may not be 134 items long. Some items on the list are summaries of sub-lists.

I’m not going to pretend this feels small. It’s big and scary and overwhelming. I’m never one to over-spiritualize, but God is good at things that seem big and scary and overwhelming. Still, we have to walk through the valley.

How You Can Help

• If you or someone you know has a connection to a church, tell us! A warm introduction is worth more than fifty cold emails, and we have a lot of ground to cover.
• If you’re in or near Clarksburg, WV and would like to help us with a work day around the house (especially if you’re good at painting and/or yardwork), and willing to help, we’d be grateful!
• Pray. Pray that God opens the right doors this summer. The churches we need are out there. We just haven’t met them yet. Pray for wisdom, for strength, and for the 30% to come in before August ends.

We’re not worried. At the same time God is calling us to go, He is calling people and churches to partner with us to impact Durban. We’re just in the process of letting them know that that’s what God is doing. 😂 (There’s probably a better way to say that. One day we’ll hire an English Lit major or something…)

God’s got this. We’re just trying to keep up!