Transition Is Not Real Life

Our beloved Saturn broke down for the second time in less than 7 days. Matt prepping her for a tow.

I was priveledged to visit Matt's workplace this week. Well, the parking lot portion at least. In the months leading up to our big move it is almost humerous to see all of the trials that are hitting us back to back. I'd love to report that we are taking each of them with stride, but that is not always the case. Take the scene above; it was a cool 92 degrees out, perfect weather for a husband and wife to be working on their team building, right? Lets just say we now have a real life example of how extreme temps can boil more than just water. We both simmered down once the Saturn was on the trailer and we were safely inside the air conditioned Toyota.

All that to say, thank you to all of you who have been diligently praying for our marriage! We need it! We are far from perfect! As a friend and local pastor has forewarned us, "Transition is not real life!" The stresses that happen in the midst of transition can feel completely overwhelming, it has been so helpful to be reminded, this season is not long term. The Lord has definitely blessed Matt with incredible patience and diligence to problem solve under stress. I can tell the Lord has been growing me in acceptance of all these big changes, and has also blessed me with a heart of contentment in Him alone as we endure miscarriages. We are so glad to have friends and family who love us and lift us up in prayer! Thanks again! Love you guys!

-Ashley 

P.S. Saturn is now up and running thanks to friends for allowing us to borrow their trailer and my brother and his car smarts. God provides!

God's Glory and Miscarriage

"The quantitative HCG results are not looking good," … “Prepare for miscarriage.” This is not what I wanted to hear in regards to our new pregnancy. As Matt and I faced the reality of our first miscarriage, questions swirled around in my head, “What caused this pregnancy to fail? Is it my fault? Will this happen again? Does God not want me to have children?” Since October 2011 we have suffered 4 miscarriages. My eyes have cried more tears in the past year than I have in my entire life. The physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual pain that has come with each loss is difficult to describe.  Sometimes I just feel numb, frozen and helpless at the thought of barrenness. At times I can relate quite literally to David’s words in Psalm 6 as he cries out, 

“Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.”

Regardless of how I feel, I have faith in the Lord. He is in control of everything that has and will happen on this journey. I have faith in Him to carry out His plans to further His kingdom and bring Himself glory. I don’t understand why God has taken these babies to be with Him so soon, but I trust Him. Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes, “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” Some questions are not for us to know the answer.

I need the sufficiency of Christ when confronted with the insufficiencies of this world. And you know what the most incredible part is? Jesus is by my side through it all, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)

Matt and I don’t pretend that we know how this is going to pan out, but we trust in these words, "The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. In that day they will say, 'Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.'" (Isaiah 25:8, 9)

As you are reading this would you pray for us as we continue to put our trust in the Lord. Pray that by God’s grace and mercy we would be able to carry a child to viability. Pray for the doctors over us doing testing, if there is anything that can be treated medically that the Lord would reveal that to them. Pray diagnosis would be accurate and helpful in future pregnancies. Pray most importantly that the Lord be glorified in and through our lives. We covet your prayers!

Announcing Our Move To Texas

February Update, announcing our move to Texas

To Every TribeA Call To Go, announcing our move to Texas We are pleased to announce that this August marks the beginning of our transition to become full time missionaries in training. As the months go by, our excitement builds in hope of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to unreached people groups. This desire and passion has been guiding us for three+ years. Our hearts yearn for these people to receive the message of the gospel for the first time. Equipping for battle, in the classroom and on the field We move to the southern tip of Texas in August to attend The Center for Pioneer Church Planting (CPCP). Training is received for two years in the skills needed for pioneer church planters. Time spent at CPCP is sectioned into 60% classroom and 40% on the field. Theological and missiological subjects are intensely studied in class as a foundation for missions. Building on that foundation, Veteran missionaries to tribes in Mexico and Papua New Guinea share their lives on the field as we apprentice under them during our visits. Trials, testimony to the Lord's provision For us to finally be moving this direction is joyful and we have so many of you to thank for the encouragement and support you have been to us. Please pray our faith be strengthened through challenges (that we can continue to run the race with endurance), especially since having our first, second and third miscarriage. These have been the hardest trials in suffering we have ever endured and also a time of extreme refinement. We praise the Lord and know that "suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:3-5). Please continue to pray for us that we would love and treasure Christ with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We pray the Lord be strengthening you also in the faith.

Partnering Update

Matt and I are praying in preparation for the time we begin seeking those interested in joining our partnership team as we train in Los Fresnos and do trips into Mexico next year. If you find us on your heart please pray with us as we embark on this journey. Pray also for our perseverance, that the Lord would bless us with strength as we continue on with our daily jobs and ministry roles.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for who You are. Thank You for being sovereign, upright, holy, without sin! Thank You that by the blood of Your precious Son, we could be brought near to You. Lord, You are worthy of all praise! I confess Lord I do not always give you the praise you deserve. Change my heart Lord! I pray Lord that Your name be made much of in every nation! I pray that you might use us broken vessels to shine you light onto others. I pray for our future partnership team that you be working strongly in their lives now. Bless them with the provision to send those with a desire to go into the nations Lord. Bless them with a strong faith and desire to glorify You! I pray for close relationships to be formed over the common bond of Christ! You are so good Lord, You are worthy of our lives! Thank you that you know everything that we need Lord, and you will not fail to provide. I pray Lord that you keep our will inline with Yours. 

In Your precious Son's Name I pray. Amen.

One of those milestone nights!

On April 19th Matt and I as well as a few other couples and Matt Taylor were able to share a meal with some of the visiting To Every Tribe Staff at the Best household. Bridging the gap between DeKalb, IL, Los Fresnos, TX and the Blackwater region in Papua New Guinea was happening all in one room. It was the first opportunity the projected group of DeKalb missionaries and To Every Tribe staff were able to meet as a collective group.
It was one of those milestone nights. We were able to bounce questions off the staff members and get an idea of what Texas & PNG living might realistically look like. We laughed for a large portion of the night and joked with each other, but we had a lot of serious questions answered as well. We learned more about TET's philosophy on missions. Some of those burning questions we had about contextualization, or bringing the gospel in a way that is culturally relevant to a region, were answered. We were able to also learn about the trade language of pidgin and how TET utilizes the Malaysian Pidgin Bible in it's ministry. We talked about diet and exercise in preparation for PNG, and about Texans and their appreciation for Dr. Pepper.


We also learned about some of TET's prayer requests: They are hoping to purchase a new set of dorms and single family homes that would be such an incredible step in housing the continually growing number of students. Also, Steve and Terri Best are working towards moving to Los Fresnos in the Fall, pray for their house to sell and for their family during this transition!


We would love your partnership in prayer as well as Matt and I continue to live life in DeKalb and our hearts are growing continually more drawn to Texas and PNG. Please pray that the Lord would grow us in perseverance as we work our 9-5 jobs to pay off student loans. Praise the Lord for His provision towards us! Pray that our desire to go, would be to glorify GOD and not "insert idol here". Pray that our faith in God to provide for us would grow as well! Thank you so much!

Pray!

This week David Sitton the president of the missions agency we want to go with is going to be at our church. Pray that during our time with him we get to ask good questions. Pray also for the other couples that are thinking about going that God would give them greater direction.