Hebrews 12:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning it’s shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God, Consider him who endured such opposition, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Turning on the news, checking social media or even just in chatting with a neighbor or friend, it’s hard to deny that there are a lot of difficult things going on in the world right now- It almost feels like a heaviness is in the air. Though everyone’s circumstances are different, we have something in common…we are all here together during this time period on earth. We are all walking or “running” this race of life together right now.

A friend of mine, Bethany, is a runner and would be able to speak into what it’s like running in a Marathon. I had the joy of watching and cheering her on at Grandmas Marathon in Duluth, with some friends, a few years back. It was the first marathon I’ve ever watched in person and the atmosphere where we were at on the course was an absolute blast! There were musicians, people in costumes and lots of people cheering with signs. Our group was initially cheering a few miles out from the finish line and by the time the runners got to us, they looked determined and focused or pretty worn out or injured. It was inspiring to see each person in that race not matter how fast they were running or walking. At the finish line, there was so much joy, celebration, relief and what felt like a sense of comradery among the runners.

It think that in “doing life”, there are lots of parallels to what it’s like running a Marathon. There are hills and valleys; there are times along the track where you have a cheer squad and other times, where the side of the race seems bare or lonely; there are times where you feel like all you can do is take the next step; during an Marathon it’s important to stay hydrated and to stay hydrated with the right stuff -what are you hydrating or filling yourself with in your life; sometimes you can’t see what’s around the next corner and yet you keep going; from what I understand, it’s important to look up or in front of or around you instead of down at your own feet during a race; sometimes it can be painful or you may get injured; you may meet new people along the route (some come and go and some run around the same pace as you)….I could keep on going listing some of these similarities, but I think you get the picture.

In the Bible there is such great imagery when we read about “running with perseverance” (Hebrews 12:1), not running aimlessly (1 Corinthians 9:26)

However, another important part of our race is that, we have someone who will not leave us; someone who we can rely on, learn from all along the way; has compassion on us and loves us and he is a global God. We can fix our eyes on Jesus as he is the one who can help give us perseverance and walk with us through any situation.

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying “This is the way, walk in it” -Isaiah 30:21

“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

Ministry Updates…

These past weeks have been a whirlwind of building up our partnership team, meetings, online (late-night) trainings after the kids go down, our normal jobs, and doing everyday life.

It has been awesome making some great connections and seeing some of the details coming together as we prepare for serving at BFA. We are a few months out from our move and it’s starting to get real! July 27th is when they’ve asked us to be in Germany, new staff training starts the beginning of August and the 2022-2023 school year starts mid-August. We are so excited and have quite a few updates to share since we last wrote in our blog.

Praises!

-The other week we found out about a great housing option for us, leasing from a German family on the 2nd story of a house in Holzen-Kandern (about halfway between BFA and our kids’ bilingual school) There is a BFA girls dorm a few blocks away that Kristen is hoping to get involved with.

- We have 62% of our monthly support raised! (When we took this pic of the glass half full for a visual on our Facebook group page last week, we were at 50% of our monthly support raised and 100% of our start up cost raised) Again, we are so grateful for the prayer and financial partnerships!

Prayer Requests:

- Both Jameson and I could use prayer for energy & wisdom as we are juggling a lot of different roles right now …our kids somehow seem to never lack energy and we could really use a bit of that ;)

- For Jameson in his current job at Tartan High School- to continue to bring joy and to be a light in the classroom there …Pray for Tartan as a whole.

- From BFA: Pray for joy and enthusiasm for teachers and students amid disruptions in the typical school year. And that students and staff would encounter God’s transforming word in a way that grows them together, as a community, and more in love with Christ.

-The invasion of Ukraine, the health and well-being of the people there; the global impact and wisdom in response for World Leaders

Upcoming weeks & months for our crew…

In the upcoming weeks and months we will be continuing to build up our partnership team and make more BFA connections. We will also be going through more training with Reach Global and be getting more updates and info from Black Forest Academy.

Last Sunday we had a booth set up at the Rockpoint Church Missions weekend…not only did we pass out some delicious Milka chocolates, but we were able to make some new connections and share more about Black Forest Academy, the global impact it has, and our future ministry there. If you are at Rockpoint this weekend, we’ll be there again…stop by our booth, say “hi” and grab some chocolate and a BFA sticker ;)

The kids have been starting to learn some German. Duolingo has been a big hit in our house as well as some of the German resources the library has.

This week we met with our realtor and that whole process has also now begun…

Once we get to BFA this summer, we will not be at the finish line of our “Marathon”, but instead we will keep on running. The scenery will look different, there will be cultural differences, and our jobs will be new; but God’s promises will stay the same and his compassion and love for the world will not change.

Thank you for coming alongside us and partnering with us on this journey!

Let us know how we can be praying for you too- We are thankful for you and cheering you on in your walk as well!

Kristen & Jameson

Rockpoint Missions Weekend: Black Forest Academy Booth — Rockpoint Church Missions Weekend