Men's Ministry Testimonies!

Hello everyone!

We have had a great week here in Cambodia, and I wanted to share with you some testimonies from our Wednesday afternoon men's ministry.

Men's ministry is a very young program that is being started very organically. We feel like the Lord has highlighted a specific slum that we try to frequent every week with the intentions of building relationship with men. This Wednesday we had the opportunity to go again and as always God is doing great things.

"Thomas"

I'll backtrack a little to give you the background on a young man we always look for when we visit, we will call him "Thomas". One of our team members met him a while back and he said he was having a hard time finding work and currently was collecting garbage to make ends meet. He said he knew Jesus and was a believer which is both very rare and awesome! After praying with him and blessing his business we continued with the outreach. Around a month later we happened to meet him again and he came running up to us with a big smile on his face. He wanted to let us know that ever since we prayed for him he went from collecting one cart of recyclables a day to at least three carts a day! Praise God! Talk about Kingdom multiplication!

Before we left we asked him how he was feeling, and he said he had not been getting much sleep because of all the work he was doing. I'm sure this was exausting working day and night but he was so thankful to have plenty work to keep him busy. Mark, a fellow XP team member, prayed for Thomas throughout the next few weeks that the Lord would bless his business in a way that would allow him to get plenty of rest and still have increase. It was a burden on his heart and he kept praying for him.

So this week! The first person we met when we got to the slum this Wednesday was of course, Thomas. We had not seem him in around 3-4 weeks and we were so excited when we saw him. After talking to him and asking how he had been doing he told us he no longer did garbage collection. He was now doing wood working and building beds as well as other small jobs people needed help with like working on mufflers for mopeds. He said he was making so much more money compared to the garbage collection and he now gets a full nights rest! God is so good :)

Getting to hear such great things going on in Thomas' life alone was more than enough to encourage us, but God had a lot more in store while we were there!

"Charles"

We kept walking down the train track, which this specific slum is built around, and recognized the home of an older man that I met when we first came on outreach in October. 

When we first met him in October we had a great opportunity to love on him, take time to speak with him, and pray that the Lord would bless him. He blew our minds when he told our translator that "Today God did not walk past me because you stopped to be with me. Today God has not passed me by." How humbling is it to realize the impact it made on him just to stop and pray with him letting him know that he is loved and cared for.

On Wednesday as we walked near his house I did not see anyone home. I was really hoping I would get the chance to speak with him again so I went almost to his door before I saw him looking out at me. He stood up and as he came out he said, "Your the one who stopped and prayed for me right?"

He got excited and came outside to talk with us and sat down in his favorite chair. As he came out he showed us a old plastic bag that had a tan hat in it, and he said "Last time when you came to pray with me you left your hat." He then said he had been saving it since October in case he saw us again.

Wow...

It hit me so hard to think that a chance encounter had left such an impact on him. We got to spend some time talking to him and asked Him if anyone had ever explained to him the gospel of Jesus Christ. I knew he had heard the name of Jesus and we had prayed with him before, but he said, "No, no one has ever taught me this." We asked if he would like us to teach him and he said yes! Our translator told him the simple gospel and he said he wanted to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior! He repented of his old ways and asked Jesus to forgive Him of his sin. He believed with his heart and confessed with his mouth that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. He kept telling us that he is turning to God to give him strength. It was such an amazing opportunity. I pray that Holy Spirit continues to speak with him and encourage him through out this week and I can't wait to see him again!

If you feel led to pray for either "Thomas" or "Charles" please do so! I cannot wait to see more great things that the Lord does here in this slum and everywhere else we have the opportunity to serve!

Thank you for your prayer and support, you are very loved.
Ward Farrior

A New Way To Give

Many of you have asked us about online giving and up until now it hasn't really been an option. We are proud to say that there is now an easy way to support our missions by giving online.

We are so appreciative for all of the financial support that we have received for this ministry. So many have given one time gifts or have made monthly commitments and without your contributions the work that is being done here wouldn't be possible. We cannot thank you enough for your generosity which has enabled us to follow God's leading in our lives.

We are really excited to now offer a way to give online. If you would like to start making online contributions there are two options.

1) You can donate through Pay-Pal which will go directly into our personal account.

Donations made through Pay-Pal will be used for personal needs such as getting a hair cut, having a well needed date night, or being able to bless someone on our team or in our community by purchasing a meal or meeting another need in their lives. These donations are considered a personal gift and therefore are not tax deductible, but are well appreciated.

OR 

2) You can donate through the new Kingdom Builder's website which offers a new online giving option.

 By giving through Kingdom Builder's website it is a tax deductible option that allocates funds to ensure we have all of our monthly expenses met. This is where we receive the majority of our funding and it provides us with money for expenses such as: food, rent, and power.


Giving on either site is really easy, here's how:

Pay-Pal:

1) The quickest way to give through Pay-Pal is by clicking the link on our blog page. This link will take you directly to our Pay-Pal where you can log-in and donate.

For more specific directions see the "Give" button on our blog.

Kingdom Builders Online Giving:
This is a brand new option and offers a way to give a one time gift but also has an option to set up scheduled monthly donations. 

1) To give through Kingdom Builder's simply go onto their website:http://www.kingdombuildersnc.org/ and click on the "Give" button.

2) Once on the "Give" page click on the link for "easytithe.com".

3) This will take you to page where you will need to create an account, click "First Time- New User Registration". This form will only need to be filled out one time, and in the future you can simply log-in and make a donation.

4) Once you are logged into your account simply type in the amount you would like to donate. Then change the destination to "To: Missions". Then simply fill out your billing information and hit Submit.

**** If you would like to give a donation on a monthly basis you can click "Scheduled Giving" on the left hand side after you log in. By choosing this option you don't have to remember to log in and donate each month but instead can choose a donation amount and schedule when it is given.


The ability to stretch funds in Cambodia is incredible. With many wages averaging around $2-$5 a day you can really make a huge difference with just a few dollars. In addition to our daily work with XP Missions, our heart is to be able to pour into people in our community by offering small odd and end jobs around the house, or even just being able to bless someone with a meal. Every dollar is going to a great cause and we thank you all for your continued help and support.


Love and Blessings,
The Farrior Family

Launching Everlasting Love

 God never ceases to amaze me and His plans for us continue unfolding every day. . .

About two weeks ago I was sitting on our couch trying my best to tune out the deafening sound of the construction that was taking place in the adjoining apartment. As I was doing so, God gave me a vision and talked to me about becoming the personal assistant of the leader of XP Missions, Andrea. I was a little worried about what Andrea would think about this because she had given us a list of available positions and this wasn't one of them. I was honestly worried and thinking "why would such an amazing leader want me as her personal assistant". However I wanted to be faithful to the vision the Lord gave me so I decided to mention it to her. After explaining my vision and telling her what I felt like God was saying she shared with me that she has been interceding for a personal assistant for a number of years and would love to have me in that position. Praise God! He always knows what he is talking about!

I know a number of you, if not all of you have experienced God coming through in the midnight hour, and this situation was one of those. Just as I said yes to becoming the PA for Andrea all sorts of huge projects started coming to a head, and she was called away out of the country. It's been a time of stretching for me but I know that God has me right where I need to be! I believe God is positioning me to learn how to be a better leader, and how to serve someone's vision other than my own.

 

One of the main projects that XP Missions is birthing in this moment is our Everlasting Love product line. Because of the poverty and lack of education that is so prevelent in Cambodia many women are forced to choose prostitution as a means of providing for their families. Everlasting Love is our women's program which provides jobs for women who want to come out of prostitution. It's a sixth month training and discipleship program where the girls are taught about Jesus, taken through spiritual and emotional healing, and are trained how to sew. We don't want these girls just to make cheap trinket items that aren't of any value. We are training them to make top of the line hand bags that are made from 100% Cambodian silk. Our goal is that the girls will grasp how valuable theyare as individuals by seeing how we trust and empower them to work with extremely expensive and valuable materials. Each EL (Everlasting Love) bag is handmade in our program and every single one is topped with a genuine Cambodian pearl in the logo. Not to mention each and every bag has been prayed over by the girls and has a special impartation depending on the bag! For example the "Joy Bag" has been blessed and prayed over that joy would cover and fill not only the bag but also the buyer!

I absolutely love this program. I can't explain to you the feeling that you get when you go to work and know that each woman you work with has been used, taken advantage of, and exploited in more ways than imaginable. But despite all of this, Jesus found each of these girls and brought them into our path. Each of them now have a well paying and dependable job, regular income, a safe work environment, a safe place for their children to go during work, and a community of people who love and care for them.These women have been on an incredible journey of transformation. Hearing the difference between their lives then, and now would absolutely blow you away and I am so blessed to say that I have had any part in it. 

Over the last few weeks I have had the privilege of being a part of the launching of this project. After six photo shoots and many long nights of editing, planning, and problem solving we are finally on the edge of the big day. The XP Missions team has been extremely busy getting everything together to launch this product line. Through all of the stretching and pulling Ward and I have really gotten to know our team. All I can say is that this team is literally the greatest people I have ever met, I have never felt so loved, cared for and supported. Our team has worked day and night to see this project be birthed and the day is finally here! The big launch takes place at Patricia King's Women On the Front Lines conference in Los Angelos on March 9th!

We are all extremely proud of the girls and of our products and would love to see lots of these sold all across the world. If you would like to support a great cause, buy an EL bag or place mat and coaster set. Absolutely 100% of the proceeds goes directly back into our program and we are able to continue helping these girls and even make room for more women in the future. If you would like to look at these beautiful products look at our brand new website here: Everlasting Love Store

Here are some of the products that will be available at our store soon!!! 

Keep checking the website! We have just wrapped up our final photo shoot last week, so as pictures are edited new items will be added to the site. I am so excited to see what God does through these products and in turn through the lives of the women involved. Please join us in prayer as we launch this product line, and join by purchasing your very own place mats or hand bag!

Blessings and Love,
Hillary Farrior

What Have We Been Up To?

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Words cannot express all of my experiences here in Cambodia. To say it’s been amazing, stretching, and life changing would be an understatement. In just a short time I feel like my whole world has been flipped upside down and now I can’t even imagine living anywhere else. And how could you? Seeing what we see here: poverty, injustice, pain, abuse, and exploitation… how can you go back to “ life as usual” knowing that you can make a difference just by being here?

I want to share some of the beautiful things that have happened since being here, more than anything I want you to see how God is moving here, and to show you the hoping rising up from the ashes in Cambodia.

Everyday our team goes on either one or two outreaches to slum communities in our area. A “slum” is an illegal community of “squatters” which is essentially a group of people who don’t have anywhere else to go. Most of the people here cannot read or write, many don’t have and cannot afford a birth certificate so they cannot get a job. This results in a group of people who are very at risk. Without a proper job or source of income they have no choice but to choose a very lowly job like collecting garbage and selling it to a recycling company or resort to some type of corruption like prostitution.  This is where a lot of crime, gambling, drinking, and drugs occur and also where traffickers try to take advantage of these families by buying or kidnapping their children. XP Missions feels extremely called to these communities and has a heart to show these people that there is a hope and future found through Jesus Christ. Everything in these slums, from the location to the people who live there, is very different and God has a special plan for each one.

Ward and I have had the opportunity to go on many outreaches and to help in these communities. Every outreach is different, our goals change on each visit. Some outreaches are based on women who are working in prostitution and living in the slums. We will come in, do their hair and paint their fingernails for them, and tell them that they are valuable and loved. It’s all about building long-term relationships with them and sharing the love of God. A lot of outreaches are based around children who are at risk. We come and play games with them, tell them a Bible story, and then have a practical teaching like “good touch bad touch” or even on hygiene. During these times we are also talking to the kids, looking for signs of abuse or exploitation, and building relationships with them.  Kids are very open and it is a wonderful way to find out what is going on in the community and to make sure all of the kids are safe.

On one outreach I was able to go on, we led the children through a few songs, and then taught them the story of Jesus saying “let the children come to me”. We got to tell them about how much Jesus loves children, and that He loves each and every one of them. We also have an opportunity to play games with all the children. They love playing with Ward, they think he is so funny because he is so big and strong. They love to climb all over him and want to swing on his arms. He has a blast with them, and is totally exhausted by the end of outreach!

Little girl Ward was playing with on an outreach.

After games we did a teaching on “good touch bad touch”. This is an important message where the kids learn the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching, and that they need to tell an adult if they are being touched inappropriately. After this teaching we gave opportunity for the children to share if anyone had been abused in this way. One little girl, about four years old, came forward and shared that she was being inappropriately touched by a boy in the community who was about fourteen or fifteen years old. This may not seem like a big deal, but it was huge that she was willing to step forward and trust us with this information. We were then able to give her some practical tools to tell the boy to stop. In cases like this our team will take notes and a picture of the child, then create a file for them. We will then be able to check in with the child every week at our outreach. By doing this we will compile evidence and in the circumstance where we need to get investigators involved we will be able to show them all of our compiled information. Small victories like this young girls story and essential teachings like our lesson really make a difference, because many people just don’t understand that this is wrong. The young boy in this situation was probably abused in the same way when he was young and is just acting out of his own pain.

Beautiful brave little girl that we ministered to in the slum.

Another amazing project XP Missions has just recently started is Everlasting Love. Everlasting Love is a program that pulls women out of prostitution and gives them a job sewing 100% silk handbags and other products as well. This program has worship and teachings in the mornings and then girls are able to work on the products. By sewing on silk, and making high quality items we are hoping to communicate to them that they are valuable and that we trust them. Currently there are about six women working in the program. It is amazing to see how much they have grown! In addition to coming out of prostitution, some are coming out of drug addiction as well. Through the love of Christ, teaching, counseling, and inner healing we are looking forward to seeing these women completely set free! The Everlasting Love product line will be launched very soon! Be sure you keep checking back for my update so you can buy your very own handbag, clutch wallet, or placemats and coaster set made right here by the wonderful women in our program.

A lot of these women also have children so we have created a day care for them while their mom’s are working in our program.  I have the privilege of working with the children several times a week. All of the children are absolutely beautiful. They greet me with “chombreupsour” when they come in and when they leave. (this is a greeting with a high form of honor accompanied by a bow). They are so filled with joy! I absolutely love playing, singing songs, and laughing with them. There is also a two-month-old baby girl at the center who is absolutely precious (she is actually asleep in my arms as I write this). Her mom shared with our team that she probably would have sold her baby girl into a trafficking ring had it not been for this program. Every time I hold this sweet baby and rock her to sleep I am reminded of the life she might have had and my heart is blessed by the goodness of God that she is safe and in our care everyday.

Our XP Team loving on our precious baby girl in the women's center.

Each day we are reminded of the goodness of God. It’s not until you are surrounded by darkness that you see how bright His light shines. Cambodia is a field ripe for harvest. Everywhere you turn there is an opportunity to share the love of our God with someone who is lost and hurting. Our God is so big, and He deeply cares for the people of Cambodia.

**PRAYER REQUESTS**

There are many other projects in the works and in the heart of XP Missions.

Please be in prayer for us as deadlines approach for many of our projects. We need grace, strength and wisdom to get everything accomplished. Pray for the continued prevention and rescue of children and women in our outreaches. Also please pray for additional long term XP Missions volunteers to help carry out the vision that God has given us, as well as additional Khmer staff to help with projects and translation

Thank you. 

Love Always, 

Hillary Farrior

40 Things You Never Knew About Cambodia

There is so much of Cambodian culture that is new and amusing to us. I am finding that there is a really thin line between being amused/interested in a new culture, and being offensive to people because of our cultural differences. We are in the process of learning about the customs, beliefs, greetings, and manners of Cambodia. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to travel to five different countries in my life, but I have to say that Asian culture by far varies the most from the American culture I'm used to.

From the moment you arrive in Cambodia you are submerged in a culture that's as foreign to you as living on Mars. We know that not everyone will have the opportunity to travel to Cambodia so I wanted to take some time to list the top forty differences that we have experienced since arriving in Phnom Penh.

1. The main mode of transportation is tuk-tuk (motorbike taxi) or a moto (motorbike).

2. When you hop in a tuk-tuk you suddenly become acutely aware of the cloud of dust that covers every inch of earth in Cambodia, about half of the people wear doctors face masks in an attempt to keep from breathing in the dust and pollution.

3. Moto's zoom past with two, three, four, even five people on board.

4. The concept of "driving in the lines" means nothing in Cambodia

5. Upon arriving at a home and also at some small businesses you are expected to remove your shoes and leave them outside the home before entering.

6. Crickets, spiders, and other insects are a delicacy.

7. Brushing teeth, and drinking cannot be done with tap water.

8. Food is based around noodles, rice, and fish.

9. Children, friends, teachers, elders, and monks all require a different greeting.

10. Monks dressed head to toe in bright orange and carrying umbrellas can be seen throughout the streets blessing and praying for homes and businesses.

11. The religion in Cambodia is listed as Bhuddist but in reality is a combination of Bhuddism, Taoism, Hinduism, Ancestor Worship, and Witchcraft.

12. Instead of statues of Jesus, crosses, and the saints you see statues of gods, Bhudda, and the king of Cambodia.

Statue of Buddha being protected by a "naga" or seven headed snake/dragon that gives him revelation. 

13. The weather is always hot. The winter is around 80°F.

14. Grocery store foods are often shrimp or fish flavored. Also dehydrated seafood is readily available.

15. There is always two prices for everything, one for a local and one for a foreigner. Depending on your bargaining skills of course.

16. Drawers don't exist here. Not in kitchen cabinets, not in dressers. There are no drawers!!!

17. Of course an obvious one.. everyone speaks Khmer instead of English.

18. Cats and dogs are not viewed as pets, and should not be "patted" or given attention.

19. Dress is conservative, covering shoulders and at least to the knee. Even in 115°F temperatures.

20. Being pale/white is a coveted goal. Most lotions found in stores contain "whitening agents" and many women even bleach their skin to become more fair. Even in extremely hot temperatures locals often wear long pants, turtle necks, and socks in order to protect their skin from the sun. (Which means I've finally put my "beautiful white skin" to good use here! Everyone loves my "white white" skin.)

Here is an ad for skin whitener. It's actually extremely dangerous but women want to look beautiful. We always want what we can't have don't we.

21. The sound of cat's mating has become our nightly lullabye

22. There are no "noise ordinances" and construction may stop or start at any time of day or not.

23. Ants become your new house pet. Always around, in every nook and cranny, ants are constantly invading counter tops, cabinets, and linens.

24. Raw meat and fish can be left out all day in the heat and locals don't  think twice about buying and eating it.

25. Oven's are not a normal kitchen appliance, meaning they are not found in Khmer homes and are not included in a "fully furnished" home.

26. "Cupping", and "combing" are believed to help cure sickness and illnesses.

27. Nothing is too heavy or too big to be carried by a moto or tuk-tuk. I mean nothing! These mopeds make American trucks look like wimps. .

Yes, this is four or five full size wardrobes. Loads like this is a normal sighting on Cambodian streets. 

28. An average day's wage is around $2 - $5.

29. There is no Wal-mart... this is both a positive and a negative. Buying items is done mostly at the markets.

30. Rice and soup are a normal breakfast item.

It may be easy to look at this list and think of these as negatives, as "less than" our culture, customs, and preferences. I have been on a journey to find the beauty in these differences, to embrace them and appreciate that these differences are what make up the culture of this country. Yes, some of these seem strange, weird, or outdated to us but they are all part of what makes this country beautiful. What is even more important is that there are some differences that are clearly an improvement on American culture. I'll list a few of these below:

31. People are community oriented, often times you see a broken down tuk-tuk or moto and immediately people come around to help out. In fact in every day language there is no use of the words "he" and "she" but instead use words like "brother" and "sister" to refer to people they've never even met. It's amazing to see this expression of family on such a large scale.

32. Cambodian people are hospitable. No matter how poor a person is, they will ALWAYS invite you into their home, they will share their food and whatever you need even if it's all that they have.

33. There are some extremely quality items in Cambodia. From real genuine pearls, handmade 100% silk, to beautifully ornate hand carved wood furniture.

34. Food, especially fruit and vegetables, is extremely fresh and usually brought from the farm to the market on the same day. Fish in the market are still alive. It's nice to know where food comes from and know that it is fresh.

35. Cambodian people are passionate about their country. They pray for and honor their country.

36. It's hot... yes I know I listed that above already but I HATE cold weather so this is a double bonus for me.

37. Khmer people are extremely honoring. Not only to one another but even to foreigners. They would never wish to confront someone, correct someone, or cause conflict.

38. EVERY SINGLE CHILD IN CAMBODIA IS STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL...

39. Because it's always hot, fresh fruit and vegetables are available year around. This means we can get local fruit and veggies anytime we want (including my very favorite, passion fruit).

40. The Christian Cambodian population is passionate to see their country radically transformed for Jesus. They are hungry for heaven to invade earth in Cambodia and to see justice brought about in their country.

We are so excited to be able to experience and learn this new culture. Although it is very different for us in many ways and sometimes uncomfortable we are looking forward to embracing and understanding it better. It challenges our perspective of life to be able to get outside our box and shift what we understand and know to be normal. We are brought up somewhere that everyone thinks the same, and when we come to a new place we expect people to think and act like us. It is a big learning curve for us and is very difficult at times but it is exciting and a great adventure. Thank you for supporting us along the way.

We love you all.

Blessings and Love,
Hillary Farrior

We Made It!

Back home everyone around me was dropping like flies with the flu and I was quite proud of myself for escaping the flu season unscathed... or so I thought. Within 24 hours of landing In Cambodia I was seized by chills, high temperature, and cold sweats. The flu. So if you have been wondering why I haven't posted anything about our trip, no we didn't fall off the planet, I've been trying to sleep off an unbearable virus that wreaks havoc even half way around the world.

With that being said since we have only been here five days and I have spent four of those five days in bed there isn't a whole lot to update you on.
Except.....

Three planes, two cars, thirty some hours of travel time, and a twelve hour time difference, but we have made it safe and sound... and with all of our luggage I might add!



We have moved into our little apartment and are beginning to settle in. Our apartment is not huge but it is SUCH an incredible blessing. It is on a side street which helps reduce some road noise (if you ever visit Cambodia you will know why this is important). It is very safe, with bars on all the windows and doors, and 24/7 security guard downstairs. The apartment is considered to be very western, which means that the windows actually have glass in them instead of being "open-air" and it also has a "full kitchen" which means it has a sink and a counter top gas burner for a stove instead of just a garden tub in the corner of the room. The bathroom also has a glass panel separating the shower from the toilet, which may not seem like a lot to you but in Cambodia most showers and toilets are in the same area so essentially when you shower the toilet also gets soaked. The owner, Mr. Keith, is incredibly kind and even bought us two little chairs for our porch. The security guard, Ty, is so sweet and he and Ward are really hitting it off.

(This is a picture of a typical upscale bathroom in Cambodia, it's NOT our bathroom. The spray handle on the wall is the shower.  Do you see how it is basically impossible not to get the toilet completely soaked? We are so thankful our bathroom is set up differently!)















We have spent our time trying to find local stores that sell normal household goods for the apartment, and since there isn't a Walmart to run to this is somewhat more difficult than I had expected. We did find a few things at the local mall. But, like all malls, prices are a bit high there. So, Ward then went to the market, but then you have to deal with trying to haggle prices. Although I am glad there are some places in this world left uncorrupted by modern shopping systems, I did for a split second wish there was a Walmart up the street to get all of my needs in one quick, cheap, swoop. After we finish unpacking and get our apartment set up a bit better I will have to post some pictures.

We have had a few chances to meet with Andrea and the team briefly and they seem really excited to have us here. Monday evening we met with Andrea and had a chance to talk about some different projects that they are focusing on, as well as some areas for us to pray about working in. We are really excited about everything that XP Missions is doing here, they are a very small team but you would not believe the amount of lives that they impact by being here. It completely blew me away to hear about every educational program, rehabilitation program, feeding program, slum outreach, and so many more that they have initiated. It's truly amazing what they accomplish. I can't wait to be able to get involved with the incredible things God is doing through this ministry. I am hoping that tomorrow morning I will feel well enough to be able to go on outreach with the team, I can't wait to jump in and see what great things lay ahead.

Until next time, "lea-sen-hauy"!
(which is good-bye in Khmer)

Love and Blessings,
Hillary Farrior

Thank You

It's come to be quite a cliche but the saying "you don't know what you've got till it's gone" is most definitely true. Over the past two years we hadn't realized what an incredible community of people we have been surrounded by. It wasn't until we started making a list of all the friends and family to say goodbye to that we realized what a gift we have had all along.

When going to a new country there is nothing more important or valuable than having a support group of family and friends cheering you on, encouraging you, helping you work through the problems, and partnering with you in prayer. I know now without a shadow of a doubt that we have that. From an over abundance of texts, phone calls, and going away parties and sharing hugs, laughs, and tears we know that we are loved and supported, no matter the distance.

We have struggled to wrap our minds around the amount of support we have been given, and for awhile it left us speechless. All we can do is say thank you, knowing that those two words will never be enough to express the gratitude in our hearts.


Please take a moment to watch this video:





We love all of you, and wish we could have packed you in our luggage to come along for this journey but we know that "distance makes the heart grow fonder" and that this is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen our relationship with you. Please know that you are loved, appreciated, and missed greatly. But as thankful as we are personally, we know that God has sent us here for a reason and that through all of your love, support, prayers and finances God's children are going to be brought into the Kingdom of Heaven. In all the ways that you have been supporting us it will be a ripple effect into eternity and one day in heaven we may hear those words "Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am here because you gave".