Marvelous November!

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great thanksgiving last week! This past month has been pretty significant for our family...

Homeowners!!!

Miracle of miracles! This month we bought a house. Thank you all so much for your prayers for this. We purchased the house the first week of November & Jady has been remodeling it. He tore down the popcorn ceilings, and then floated, texturized, and painted the new ceiling. Whew! In true Jady fashion he has been working hard and we are excited to move into our new house this weekend.

Here is our den...covered in popcorn ceiling debris.

 

 The hallway construction zone. Kids bedrooms & bathrooms will be off
this hall.

The kitchen. Getting prepared to paint the ceiling & cabinets.

Told you Jady has been working hard! We will post the after pics after we move in. Yea for a house!!!

Tait's Miracle

Tait has been in speech therapy since last fall after being diagnosed with a severe speech delay. He has been making gradual progress. Slowly he started making sounds. Then he started saying words. His vocab began to increase & conversation began to trickle. We had him re-evaluated a few weeks ago & he tested exactly where he should. He no longer has a delay & requires no more speech therapy! Whoo!!!! Way to go Tait. Thanks to each of you who prayed with us for his healing.

Adoption

This is the time of year we begin to get questions from you guys about end of year giving. Some of you are looking for opportunities to give tax-deductible donations before the end of the year. Do we have a need you can give to????

YES! We are still needing $15,000 for our adoption. The process is nearing it's end, but we need this last bit of money before we can go get Ford & Etta from Uganda. If you are interested in learning about our adoption or want to know how you can make a tax-deductible gift for it, click on the 'Adoption' tab up at the top for instructions.

We love you guys so much and are SO thankful for the ways you invest in our lives. Blessings!

Love, 

    The Griffins

Good News!

Hello! We have some good news to share with you. We had asked that you join us in praying for everything we needed to come together for the house we are trying to buy. We really loved this house, and it was a great fit for our growing family. But, we didn't have the money for a downpayment. Jady did several speaking engagements to earn some money & we tried to sell his car. It didn't sell and we were still over $4,000 short of the money we needed. We have been choosing to stay peaceful and believe that God would provide the money. 

On Saturday afternoon someone gave us a check for $2,000 for out down payment. As our family was celebrating and thanking God for how good he is, Jady got a phone call from a friend of ours. He asked how much money we still needed for our downpayment. We told him $2500 and he said that he will send us a check for that amount. 

God provided $4500 in 20 minutes and we are now all set to close on the home Nov. 4th. Thank you guys so much for praying. We are overwhelmed at how good God is and how people are willing to give when God leads them to. 

Some other highlights from the past few weeks:

• Sophie turned 5 on October 10th! How is that possible??? She is loving Texas, her new school and living at Papa & Lolly's while we wait to get into our new house.
• Tait is doing great. His speech is improving by leaps & bounds. Speech therapy starts up for him on Wednesday morning and he is excited.
• Jady has gotten to speak at several churches & training schools this past month. He has also gotten to help coach football at Texas Christian Academy. Football & preaching...two of his favorite things!

Thanks for praying with us along this journey. We are so blessed by each of you. Have a great week!

     The Griffins

Prayers Please!

Here is the house.

Hi everyone! We have been asked so many times ,"What is the update on the house?". Well, here is the update: We put an offer down. They accepted it! We have completed the inspection and it looks good. We are set to close on Nov. 4th!!!

This is super exciting for us. It can fit the kids that we have coming, the school district is great for Sophie to attend. Plus the monthly note is less than a rental payment would be.

BUT WE NEED YOU TO PRAY! I already said that we are closing on Nov. 4th. We need to have $5,000 for a downpayment on that date. Right now, we don't have it. Would you please pray with us that God would do a miracle and we could get the money together for a down payment?

Thanks for believing with us in this journey. We love you guys and appreciate your prayers more than you know!

The Griffins

Getting Settled

Jady's ride from California to Texas

We made it!

Whew! What a past few weeks. After hugging the necks of sweet friends and bidding All People's Church 'farewell' we are now in Texas! Jady's parents came to San Diego and flew the kids back with them. We had three long days of driving. But many gallons of gas, and a blown out tire later...we made it!

Currently we are staying at Elizabeth's parents house in Waco until we are able to find a place. Sophie has started a Pre-K class at a school nearby and she LOVES it. We are in the middle of getting Tait set up with speech services here and they should begin in a few weeks.

All in all, the transition was super peaceful and smooth. Thank you for all your prayers! We had the World Mandate Conference last weekend here in Waco, and it was fantastic. If you have never been, you have to come next year. During the weekend Jady and I said countless times, "We are the in the right place at the right time." 

Prayers Needed!!!

We could really use your prayers. We haven't been able to find a house yet. There are quite a few factors playing into us finding one: financial, large enough for 4 kids, school districts... Bunches of details we are needing to all come together. Would you please pray that we would have wisdom and all the practicals would fall into place.

We love you guys and are so thankful for you in our lives. 

Love,

The Griffins

larkandbloom@gmail.com (Liz's email)

griffinjady@gmail.com (Jady's email)

Proof that we now live in Texas!

'

The kids and Baxter playing at Papa & Lolly's house

God said "Go"....again...

It's Packing Time Again!

Wow! We have some exciting news to share with everyone. A few months ago, God began to stir our hearts . We weren't sure what the stirring was for, but we knew God was up to something. Then an opportunity came a-knockin. 

Jady was offered a job at Antioch in Waco, TX. It is the church we were sent out of to plant Mosaic in Seattle six years ago & it is the church All People's was planted out of as well. They want Jady to come help produce the World Mandate conference and serve the movement as a whole. We prayed about it, sought council and decided that it was a God opportunity for our family. 

So, we are moving back to Waco...never say 'never' right? Despite some of the cultural adjustments we will feel (we have been on the West coast for six years) our family could not be more excited. Genuinely excited. One thing we have learned on this journey is that whenever God guides us into a new place, it is GOOD. 

Jady will be able to use his gifts and passions in practical ways as he helps serve the movement and World Mandate - that is going to be really fun for him. Also, a lot of our family lives in Waco. Elizabeth's parents, and all of our siblings, their spouses & children...LOTS of family there. The family aspect is such a refreshment for all of us...not to mention free babysitters...

Hmm...you have questions???

When Are You Going?

Here is the kicker...we are moving on Sept. 5th. That is correct, just one week away. It may sound sudden, but everything is lining out perfectly. It is also the best time for our family, All People's Church and Antioch to transition. The World Mandate Conference is in two weeks, so we will be able to be there for it.

What About Adoption?

This move is going to make completing our adoption easier. Praise the Lord! Our adoption agency is actually located in Waco so we will be able to work with them directly. You may remember California won't accept our Washington paperwork, so we were having to re-do everything. Well, Texas will accept it and all we have to do are a few updates. Thankfully, we haven't spent any money on our California process, so no adoption funding is wasted in the move.

How Can We Pray?

You are so sweet to ask that. Really, sweet. We would love it if you pray with us. Obviously there are tons of things, but here is a short list. 

• Pray for all the practicals. Safe travels, emotion adjustments, Sophie's new school, and that we wouldn't shrivel up in the Texas heat.
• All People's Church has blessed us to leave and we want to pray that blessing back on them. Pray that the transition on their end is smooth as other people pick up the jobs Jady was doing.
• If you have known us long, you know that we have moved many times when we lived in Seattle, then San Diego & now Waco. Over the past six years, we have lived in eight houses. That is a bunch of houses, but we are ready for a home.We would love, love, love to be able to buy a house. Please pray that we would be able to get money together for a down payment. 

Thanks for your interest in our lives, and for praying along side us as we simply obey God each step of the way! We will keep you posted...now, back to packing.

                            The Griffins

Jady playing drums at World Mandate 2009

World Mandate Conference

Dog Days of Summer

Goodness! Summer has come and gone. It really is incredible how time flies. We just marked six months of living in San Diego. God has done so much in us these past six months. We feel envisioned for the future and full of joy that we get to walk with God and follow Him where He leads us. So many things to tell you, but here are a few:

ALL PEOPLES CHURCH

Jady Leading Worship @ All Peoples Church

• Perhaps you remember the Iranian man who showed up at church a few weeks ago. After coming he began to meet regularly with a man from the church to discuss who Jesus is and what following Him means. This past week he made the decision to accept Christ! 
• Another couple from church had a language tutor who was Iranian. They gave her a Jesus Film video. She eagerly thanked them and said, "I have seen Him!". Twelve years ago Jesus appeared to her in a dream and motioned for her to follow Him. Lets take a moment and celebrate that God is moving among the unreached people of the earth...even here in the USA!
• These next few weeks are full of activities as we gear up for the fall. Join us in praying that God gives us the right strategy to reap a harvest this year!

MOSAIC

Just wanted to give you an update on how Mosaic is doing in Seattle. So many of you have journeyed with us as we planted the church there. Things at Mosaic are thriving and growing! Here are a few things that you will love:

• Mosaic now has staff members who were born & raised in Seattle. In church planting, this is a huge landmark!
• More and more families are attending Mosaic. The kids ministry is growing and growing. Praise God, such an answer to prayer!
• This year there is a day and night training school again filled with a diverse group of students who represent many spheres of society.
• Mosaic has it's first two missionaries! Two girls are going to Uganda to serve the long term works going on there with our network of churches. Whoo!!!! We have always said that Mosaic would touch the nations & it IS!

GRIFFIN FAMILY

• We attended the annual conference for Antioch Network of Churches in North Carolina this July. It was a great time of refreshment, equipping and clarity for us. Thanks so much for praying for that trip. Plus, our kids LOVED getting to spend the week with Jady's parents.
• Sophie starts pre-K on September 1st. Wasn't she just born???
• Tait's speech continues to surprise us. I know I say it every time, but THANK YOU for praying. His progress is stumping the therapists and we know that God is speeding the process for our little guy.

Blessings to you guys as the school year kicks off. We love living life with each of you and are so grateful for the choice you have made to be involved with us. Much love!

                                                The Griffins

July Has Come & Gone

Popcicles on the Doorstep

The summer is half gone & God has done some big things. Below are a few testimonies of what God has been up to in San Diego & our lives over the past month.

•  In the past month almost 30 people made decisions to follow Jesus!
•  A man from Iran came to church because he wanted to know more about Jesus. A friend of ours began meeting with him for weekly discipleship & this Iranian man is SO hungry. He reads his Bible for 30 minutes every night!
• Tait had been denied continued financial scholarship for his speech therapy. Insurance didn't fully cover it & we were left without the help that Tait needs to overcome his speech barriers. After 2 weeks of unreturned phone calls a lady named Esther calls me back. As I am explaining our financial situation she asked about the adoption we are in middle of. She screamed at me over the phone when I told here we were adopting from Uganda. She was from Uganda...the same city we are adopting from! She fell in love with me then and had Tait's speech fully covered until he turns 3 in March! He happily resumed speech therapy this past week. Praise God!
• As you know, we are in the process of adopting a little boy and a little girl from Uganda. The main hurdle is the financial cost of adopting. This week we received a $6,000 grant towards getting these little kids home to us!!!!! That brings the remaining amount we need to $18,000. God can do it! If you are interested in helping us reach our goal, check out the adoption tab at the top of the blog. 

Prayer Requests

• Our network of churches is having a conference in North Carolina next week. Jady's parents are watching the kids while we are there. Flights were really expensive, so we are driving, yes driving with another couple from All People's Staff. We leave tomorrow night and drive non-stop until we arrive on Monday at the conference center! Whew! I'm sure it will be one for the memory books. Please pray that we have safe travels, our kids do well, and that God really speaks to our hearts while we are there. 
• Pray for the remaining $18,000 we need for our adoption. 
• After the conference, Jady is flying to Texas to lead worship at a youth camp there. Pray that he would be refreshed in the midst of a busy schedule and that God would move powerfully in these kids lives.

Thanks so much for living life with us. We love you guys! 

The Griffins

Fifi and Adoption Grants

Sophie & Baxter resting in the shade

We have a newfound family routine for these summer afternoons.  When Tait wakes up from his afternoon nap, the kids & I go out on the front little courtyard. We eat popsicles and sit in the shade with the dog. It is a fabulous tradition!

Tait's Speech Testimony

At Tait's most recent speech assessment just a few months ago the results were a bit rough. They said that his receptive language (what he understood) was at the level of a one year old & his verbal language was at a 9 month old level. He is two. So, thats a bit of a bummer. You guys have joined with us in praying and these past few months he has made massive strides in his speech. They just updated his receptive speech to being at a 2 year old level. Thank you Jesus! He is saying new words almost every day & we are so encouraged. He can't say Sophie's name yet, so he now calls her 'Fifi'. Its pretty cute if I do say so myself. Thanks for your prayers, they are working!

Tait & Fifi after baths

All People's Church Turned 3!!!

A few weeks ago All People's Church celebrated it's 3rd birthday. God has done so much over the past three years in this city. Check out this video that shares some of the testimonies people had to share: All People's Birthday. Our family is so blessed that we get to work with these amazing people at our church.

Adoption Grants 

We still have $25,150 to raise for our adoption. One of the grants we applied for will be reviewing applications this week to determine who to award money to. We would appreciate your prayers that we would receive one of their grants. If you want to know more about our story of adoption, click on the 'Adoption' tab at the top.

Thanks so much for being on this journey with us. Love you guys!

The Griffin Fam

Summa time, summa time, sum-sum-summa time!

It's summer time!!! The mornings are cloudy and the afternoons are hot. But, apparently that is an average June in San Diego. Hope you guys are all having fantastic summers and getting quality time with friends and family. We've had some fun summer moments so far...

Out celebrating our 8 yr. wedding anniversary!!! 

On May 31st we marked 8 years of marriage...that went by fast & we look forward to decades more! The past month we have been super busy it seems. I have been working hard to get our adoption moving as fast as possible...in case you didn't hear, our whole homestudy portion of the adoption got paid for!!!! Jady has been doing a lot of preparation for the coming fall at All People's Church & creating new media pieces for the church. He is becoming an expert surfer...I however, am not. :)

Sophie with some of her new friends at a birthday party.

Sophie is doing great. She blows us away daily with her desire for people to know Jesus. Whenever we go anywhere she reminds me to share with them about God. If she sees a homeless person holding a sign on a corner she prays that God would provide for all their needs. Plus, she is organizing an outreach for kids at the church to go out to a playground and tell other kids about Jesus. She is a better church planter than Jady & I combined.

Tait with his ape friend at the zoo.

Tait...oh, Tait. He keeps us laughing every minute. His name means 'cheerful rock' and he lives up to it. He still loves drumming, in fact he falls asleep with his little drum sticks. Speech is progressing with him and we love hearing him add new words. The most popular word recently has been "poppy" aka popsicle. A summer time favorite!

A college lifegroup at our house

Jady wears several hats at All People's Church. He is one of the preaching pastors, leads worship, helps in creative aspects...You may also recall that one of our new responsibilities here in San Diego is working with college students. In the fall we will be leading 'Awaken' the college gathering. There are 100,000 college students in the area & we want them all! This summer we have a college lifegroup meeting in our house weekly. It has been so fun getting to know some students and dreaming into the fall. 

We would appreciate your prayer with us in a specific area. Currently our support is $3,000 under budget per month. As you can imagine that means things are pretty tight! God always provides as we have seen many times. However we do feel like it is important that we really pray into getting $3,000 per month. This will help us cover our basic monthly expenses and also provide for the increase of adding two children into the monthly budget. Please pray with us that God opens some doors for us in this area. If you want more info on this look at the tab at the top 'Partner with us'.

We love you guys so much and are thankful for each of you. Blessings!!! 

The Griffins

Why San Diego???

Hey everyone! Hope you guys are finishing up the school year and are getting ready to jump into summer. Summer is starting to set in here in San Diego. Its a bit warmer, days are longer and the beach is staying busy. Speaking of San Diego...

We wanted to give you some information on San Diego & the particular area that All People's Church is serving in. Also, some information on what we are doing in San Diego. Here are some things about our new city that you may not know:

* San Diego is one of the most diverse cities in the United States.
* 56% of people in San Diego do not claim any religion
* Less than 5% of people attend a church
* Over 100 languages are represented within the city
* The greater San Diego area has 2.8 million people and is located on the border with Tijuana, Mexico.
* It is the 6th most expensive city in the United States. (thank you supporters!)

All People's Church has been in San Diego for 3 years. It is located in the City Heights neighborhood. This particular area is one of the nations poorest with the average income of $11,000 per capita. The area is full of immigrants, refugees and the poor. Our Sunday Services are in Horace Mann high school. It is one of the most diverse high schools in the United States.

Jady has his hands in a lot of things. He is one of the senior leaders and is working with the different ministries helping them develop and grow. He leads worship on Sunday mornings. This coming fall we are both going to be very involved in helping launch the college department forward. We live very close to San Diego State University and will focus our time reaching out to students who attend SDSU and Point Loma University as well.

We are so thankful to each of you who make this happen. Everyone who prays for us and our new home of San Diego...thank you! For those who support us financially, we are beyond blessed at your generosity and faithfulness...thank you!!! Love you all, and thought I would end with a few pictures of a church service, Sophie & her new friend Anna, & the kids at the zoo.

Blessings,
Jady, Elizabeth, Sophie & Tait

It's May!!!

It's May! Hope you guys all had a great Mother's Day. We had so much fun. Sophie was getting over strep throat, but she managed to pull of a wonderful dinner that she made with Jady. It was adorable watching the kids help cook, set the table and make cards for the grandmothers. Can't wait for Father's Day.

Things at the Griffin house have been good. There have been some big developments with Tait's speech. He is starting to try and tell stories. He hasn't even attempted to it before. Sophie started ballet. A girl from the church comes over once a week and they have class in the living room. Believe me, it is incredibly entertaining. Jady is still surfing every day he can & he is getting better every day. I (Elizabeth) am attempting to make her house look like Anthropologie on a budget...not quite there, but I have high hopes.

All People's Church has been great. We are building more relationships with people and getting excited about the things God has for us here. One of the things that we are going to be focusing on this fall is the college. Jady is going to take more of a role with the college service called "Awaken". There are tons of college kids in town and our church meets just a few minutes from San Diego State University. It's a hot bed for God to do something big & we can't wait to see what it is.

You may remember we told you guys about our adoption hitting a bit of a snag. Not just a time delay, but needing God to provide money to move the process along. Thank you for praying because it appears that our entire homestudy is paid for!!! Whoo!!! Now we can do the next step in this adoption and bring Ford & Etta home.

We love you guys. Thanks for being on Team Griff!

Easter!!!

Hello all! We hope that you guys had a great Easter. We had a blast here in San Diego. Church was so much fun. Jady was the creative force for the Easter service and it was amazing. We had a choir, amazing worship, a spoken word, a dance, and scripture read in five different languages. It was such a sweet representation of what we have to look forward to in heaven. We had 385 people attend the service and 12 people gave their lives to Jesus! Whoo!!! What an awesome day.

Several people have asked for an update on adoption. We were given some misinformation before we moved regarding the transfer of our documents between states. It turns out that our homestudy document will not transfer because it was not filed by an agency licensed to perform adoptions in California. What does that mean??? We have to do it again. It is about a 6 month process and will cost another $5,000. It is a bunch of paperwork, physicals, interviews...So, we will be a bit delayed in the process. It was a bit discouraging, but we trust God and know that He is leading us every step of the way.

We applied for a grant this past week. We won't find out if we get one or not for a few months. The overall cost we have left to raise is around $20,000. We would appreciate your prayers that God would provide for all of these costs. We will keep you posted.

Sophie has started ballet class. One of the girls who goes to All People's Church is a dancer and does a private lesson with Sophie in our living room. It is a ball to watch and I wish you guys could see it. Tait's speech therapy has begun and he seems to keep improving. He is still about a year behind on his speech, but he learns new sounds every day. Thanks for all your prayers on this issue.

That is it for now, and we hope that you guys have a fabulous week!

Mexico, Cruisers and More

We are getting all settled in. You can see in the picture above that Tait was a big help in that process. After three weeks our stuff is hung, put away and decorated. We are really loving our house. Its perfect for us. Very spacious with front and back yards. We planted a garden in the front and we have little bunnies that come into our back yard every day. The kids love them, of course! I jokingly say that we live in the country. I know we don't, but compared to the hustle and bustle of Seattle it feels like the country here. Our neighbors are really friendly and two of them are coming to church with us on Sunday!

Speaking of kids...
Sophie is doing great. Our family went with All People's Church on a mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico. Sophie loves telling people about Jesus. This picture is a picture of her with some of the kids she shared with who accepted Jesus! It was a blast spending five days with our new church on the trip. Jady & I both got a chance to minister to people and build relationships. Sophie and Tait got to spend their mornings in the kids service making new friends and learning more about who God is.
Tait is having a blast here also. There is a lot of dirt for him to play with, and that of course is wonderful to him. He is progressing by leaps and bounds with his speech. He is now saying "this" "that" and "more please". Thank you so much for praying! He starts speech therapy again this week, and we expect him to continue to improve.

Land Cruiser!!! For the past six years we have been a one car family. San Diego is too spread out for public transportation or Jady's scooter. So, we gave the scooter to a friend in Seattle and decided to believe God for another car. We had a very small amount of money for a car, but we were hopeful. God always provides, right??? Well He did! We were able to purchase a 1989 Toyota Landcruiser. (sorry I don't have a picture) Jady is beyond excited. It has been owned by the same family since they purchased it new. Kept in a garage & is in great shape. It is the perfect car and he LOVE LOVE LOVES it. This morning he threw his surfboard in the back and headed to the beach just before work. Ahh, California.

Thats it for this post! Have a great weekend!

Sunny San DIego!!!

Greetings from our new home, San Diego! Our trip down was really fun. The kids were in the best moods and we got to spend quality time as a family. Thanks everyone who prayed for that road trip. We appreciate it deeply. Our last Sunday at Mosaic was teary, but we were overwhelmed at the goodness of God during our time there. It was so exciting looking at all of the faces in that church and remembering their beautiful stories we were able to be a part of. God is really, really good.

The past week and a half we have been setting up house, getting things settled and applying lots of sunscreen! All People's Church has really welcomed us with open arms and we are loving it here. Jady's official title is Catalyst Pastor. What does that mean? He is pretty much involved in seeing all spheres of the church develop and move forward. College, worship, communication, development...he is helping to take them to the next level. Its a lot of work, and a lot of fun for him.

Hmm...pictures would be nice. Sad to report that we haven't really taken any since we've been here! I'll get on that and post some soon. Honest.

Also, our email addresses have changed. Here our the new ways to contact us:

jady@allpeopleschurch.org
elizabeth@allpeopleschurch.org

Thats it for now. More soon , I promise!

3 More Days...

Wow! What a ride it has been. In three days we will leave this amazing city that has stolen our hearts. What an honor to live whole-heartedly for a group of people. Genuinely an honor. The past month has flown by. We found a house in California just hours before we boarded a plane to come back to Seattle. Thanks to all who prayed for the perfect place! It is a great 4 bedroom that will work well for our expanding family.

The reality that we are leaving has come in waves. Some days are emotional and others feel like we are packing for a vacation or a short term trip. Many of you have asked how Sophie is handling it. For the most part she is doing great. The thought of frequent trips to the beach sound fun and she looks forward to some sunshine. Other times she cries and doesn't want to leave her friends at her school and church. It's up and down, but the majority of the time she thinks the idea is a fun one. Of course, we would appreciate your prayers that she adjusts well and loves her life down there.

The past few weeks have brought plenty of time for reflection. Memories of our move up here and the God-sized dreams we had for this place. Our first sunday services gathered a handful if any. Half-nights of prayer asking Jesus to move and stir the hearts of people here. Then God began to build. A few college students who joined in with us. A salvation. Mike Allen (the first salvation at Mosaic) is now completely transformed & attends our discipleship training school.

Growth continued. More people were challenged by the vision and made Mosaic their home church. Worship bands started, training schools started, children were born and leaders arose. Last week we sang a worship song written by one of our band members...the chorus is " He will raise Seattle". Beautiful the story He is writing. There were also 176 people at our service.

It's mind-blowing to imagine all that God has done. I could go on for hours and hours recounting the things He has done. During all this reflection, two things kept coming to mind.
1. God is faithful. He keeps ALL of His promises. And He will continue to be faithful to Mosaic long after we are gone.
2. This is YOUR story. None of this would have been possible if you guys hadn't carried our family, church and Seattle in your prayers. Believing with us for His promises to come about. You invested your finances to see the Kingdom advanced here. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for every second spent praying and dollar spent supporting what God is doing here. You own this story as much as we do. THANK YOU!

Amid all the tears about leaving , we are FULL of expectation regarding what God is going to do with us in San Diego. And you will each own that story too! A few things you can pray for as we move:

1. Emotional grace as we say goodbye.
2. Moving expenses. As you know, it is pricy to move and set up house.
3. Travel mercies!!! It will be a four day road-trip. Jady will be driving a 24 ft. moving truck and I will be in the mini-van with two kids and an 80 lbs dog. Yea...we could use some prayer! I am believing that this will be a fun and refreshing time together.

Okay, we love you guys and will keep you posted!

Off To A Good Start!

The year 2011 is off to a good start! There were quite a few highlights from this past month that we would like to share with you

*Jady turned 30! We had a Mustache Bash to celebrate. Everyone came wearing mustaches & it was loads of fun*

* We found out that we have been approved by the U.S. Government to adopt two kids. This is such a huge step in our adoption. The move to California will require some updated paperwork, but it shouldn't add too much time onto our adoption process. God has provided so much in this process...and we still need about $18,000...but, we know that God will provide!*

*We will go to San Diego this week to try and find a house. Please pray with us that God will give us the ideal place*

* Mosaic is thriving. Our training school is in North Africa right now on a mission trip. In the past four days our team has seen nine people choose to follow Jesus. This is HUGE for a Muslim nation. Pray that God would continue to move*

Thanks so much for reading our blog! Please subscribe so you can receive notification when we update it. We are so thankful to walk with each of you!

God Said 'Go'

We have been on a wild ride for the past year and would love to bring you in on some of the things that God has been doing in us and through us in 2010. First most of you know that we are leaving our home of Seattle, WA and heading to San Diego, CA. I know it sounds crazy but the story is awesome.

I went for a jog 2 summers ago and as I was running the Holy Spirit began to speak to me about the past few years of ministry that we had been involved in at Mosaic. The church that my wife and I planted 5 years ago. I was so overwhelmed and encourage as I was remembering all that God has done and brought us through. And right in the middle of that I began to feel like the Holy Spirit was stirring in me that are time in Seattle was done, we did what He asked us to do and that He had something new for us.

I personally didn’t know what to do with that. We were loving what we were doing, having a blast living in Seattle and honestly thought that we would die here. I began to process with Elizabeth about what God was stirring in me and she began to cry. She went and got her journal and showed me were she had written almost the same thing down 7 days before.

All of the sudden this word that felt so random began to carry a lot more weight. That started the journey for us of asking God what was next for us as a family, and he lead us clearly in to San Diego. We will be working with All Peoples Church, another Antioch Church Plant, were I will be serving as the Catalyst Pastor.

I will be serving in a lot different capacities the greatest being seeing the dreams of God’s heart for San Diego have traction in every aspect of are church there.

More to come…bless you