From our archived blog:
We got an e-mail today that we have been anticipating, hoping, praying, and dreaming about since we started the application process with Wycliffe several months ago. Actually, longer than that.... For all the years we've felt called to Wycliffe, we've dreamed of this. The title of that e-mail was "Letter of Approval." We are now officially member candidates with Wycliffe! From here, we will be assigned a pre-field administrator that will walk us through setting up a comprehensive pre-field plan. This will include our service assignment (where we are going and which position David will be filling), what trainings we need to complete and when we will do those, and an approximate timeline for when we will start our service assignment. Those are the details. I wish I could find a way to put into words the complete and utter joy I felt at the moment of reading that e-mail, and that I still feel at this moment! I am sure there will be times of fear and doubt as we prepare to leave everything that is familiar, but for this moment... This moment we celebrate the joy! We also want to thank all of you who have encouraged us and prayed for us through the application process. To our families, our LifeGroup, our church family, David's co-workers, and the many friends who have encouraged us via facebook and e-mail... Thank you. To many of you, this post isn't a surprise, and you've humbled us and blessed us as you've told us over and over that you were confident this moment would come. Many of you have stood in the gap for us as we've faced attacks of almost crushing discouragement and doubts. Thank you for standing with us. It means more than we can ever express to you. Thank you to our friends from SEBC, Fran and Jenise. Fran and Jenise are Wycliffe members currently in language school in France preparing for an assignment in Cameroon, Africa, where Fran will be aiding the work of translation through aviation. Fran and Jenise, your willingness to be obedient to God's call on your life challenged us and God used it to prompt us to step forward and begin the application process ourselves. To God, our Savior and Redeemer.... We are so thankful that you called us to this! We are thankful for all the experiences in our life, that although hard, trying, and beyond our understanding at the time have prepared us for this. Most of all we are thankful that You use foolish and weak things...
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." ! Corinithians 1:26-31