August 2016. Here we are. We abandoned life as we knew it for full throttle, full time ministry. What a thrilling, exhausting, vulnerable, and fun experience it has been so far.

Cam and I moved to Wichita in June. We had a great plan. I was coming back with a job all lined up. I was simply going to go back to work when Caius was a couple months old. Cameron was going to start substitute teaching when the school year started and on paper it all made sense. We were going to be fine. Within days of moving back the job fell through. But we didn’t panic. “I’ll just look for a job.” I said. After a couple GREAT interviews that did not produce a job all the temptation was there to start worrying. But we knew we couldn’t. What is taking a leap of faith without trusting Him? We say we trust Him, but when He requires us to it seems strangely unfair. We kept it moving, one day at a time. In addition to resources getting tighter, our basement flooded and we spent all summer waiting on it’s repair and reconstruction, leaving all 7 of us living in the much smaller upstairs portion of our duplex with only two bedrooms. We had melt downs, tears, and tension as we all lived on top of each other while still adjusting to life with our newborn. Now, as much as that may sound like a nightmare, God was doing beautiful things all the while.

The job offer I had coming back was to care for an elderly woman I had previously cared for a couple years earlier. Just days after our arrival in Wichita she had a stroke and within a few days she passed. On her deathbed she asked for a minister. The family called me asking if Cameron would come, we smiled and prayed, knowing our work here had begun. We were able to minister to the whole family that day and it was definitely one of our first “God moments”. From that point on we were making daily connections, often at random places and with lots of old friends. We became intentional and purposed to love on people and we began having “divine appointments” everyday.

Momentum for the church began to build and we could feel it. We had people reaching out and were able to start seeing the needs of Wichita more clearly. Everyday, no matter how small or insignificant, we were doing something to build and take care of the back end work. We found ourselves the busiest two people with no jobs on the planet. We moved forward, trusting Him and preparing for our first vision casting date. We had a great turn out. 47 people came to hear about the heart of the church and off we went…officially building The 316 community. Wow. We went to bed that night soaking up the victory of God’s grace and strengthened in faith. The next day we had to visit the reality of our situation again and decide which bills to pay and which ones would have to wait while seriously considering other alternatives that would help our situation. What a humbling moment that was. Low and behold within 2 weeks of this date, we both secured jobs (Cameron starts Monday). Glory. To. God.

Our families have rallied around us as our biggest supporters. It’s been such a blessing for my husband to be near his family again after so many years apart. It’s been good for his heart and a really special thing to witness. Learning how to love Cameron on this grand adventure has been a call to die. Marriage has served as a mirror, showing me my true self. Ouch. As I look back over the last few months I can see his consistency. Our home is sometimes organized chaos at best, but he’ll probably never understand the peace he’s brought us. In our most difficult moments he often reminds me of his love, and that no matter what happens we’re #TogetherForever. He’s such a gentle, powerful force. Cameron teaches me so much. He’s shown me how to live heart forward. I’ve watched him lean into loving someone, even when his flesh wants to pull away. As we learn how to do this better, our thinking about them changes. I’m learning how to love first, even when I don’t understand. He’s shown me how to lead with my heart and let my head catch up later. Living heart forward, from the depths, changes how we see and understanding things. My heart can believe things that my mind can’t comprehend. My spirit can grasp things that my brain can’t fathom. What an honor it is to be this man’s wife. He makes me a better me but the truth is…He’s better than me, and I love him for it.

Some days we feel tired, physically not spiritually. But we recognize the enemy often takes advantage of our tired state and tries to trick us into thinking his words are ours. We know better. We know he waits for weakness to come because he is too afraid to face us when we’re strong. What he doesn’t realize is we are always strong because God is always with us no matter how we feel. He is strong and He is in us, therefore we are strong…always. When we feel weak and tired, Jesus invites us to lean on Him. Holy Spirit whispers the truth of who we are and reminds us about the glory of the King we love and serve. We soak up the warmth of the glorious light radiating from the Giver of life and our spirits are refreshed. He reminds our tired bodies of the eternal life pulsating through every fiber of our beings. We are alive. We are strong. We are glorious no matter how we feel. Feelings change, but truth stands the test of time. God is with us and He is good.

To everyone who prays for us, thank you so much. We don’t take it for granted. Please continue to lift us up as a new school year starts and our children make another transition into new schools. And for us, as we start a much busier schedule with jobs and The 316, not wanting to lose any momentum with the church. We’re looking for our core leadership team and for a location right now.

We march onward with anticipation and excitement for what God is doing in the land of the living…we just want to be a part of it, and look forward to sharing it with you!

God is Love.