Focused on Kenya

It was a few years back, while we were a couple of months into our adoption process, still only planning on adopting a (single) baby boy that God gave me vision and a focus.

Our three children were inside the house, asleep.  Heather was at a meeting.  I, Adam was left alone.  I grabbed my cup of coffee, my Bible and headed outside to sit by a nice wood fire and spend time with my Father.

I was worshipping, praying and studying God's word.  It was then, in the stillness, as I watched the wood slowly burning down that I heard God speak to me.  No, I don't think that it was audible, though it could have been.  It was very clear.

"This is just the beginning of your journey.  I have much more planned for you." 

God, what does this mean?  I wrestled with this question for months.  It was a couple of months before I even told Heather.  Does this mean we are supposed to adopt more than one child?  Does this mean we are supposed to plant a church?  Does this mean we are supposed to leave our land and go and tell others the good news of Jesus Christ?

Eventually, through time, He has shown me that the answer is yes.  Yes to all the above.

You see, God has called our family to give Him complete control.  He calls us to follow Him at all costs and be willing to do what seems unimaginable.  To be willing to be counter-cultural and maybe even unwise, {according to worldly wisdom} and to be willing to move our family of 8 across the world to the coast of Kenya.

As I wrestled with the question, God clearly spoke to me once more.  It was in the stillness of the night, somewhere between the consciousness and the unconscious sleepy state.  I was at work, and I knew that God was calling us overseas.

"Are you willing?  Are you willing to give all this up that I have given you?  Are you willing to sacrifice?"

Yes, God.  I am willing.  We are willing.  I am willing to quit my career that I worked so hard to get.  I am willing to give up my retirement and the security that goes with it.  We are willing to give it all up for your sake.

It has been a few years now.  We have gone through our adoption process.  When we decided to adopt our three children, we knew that God was calling us back there.  That was always the "real" question for Heather and I.  How does adopting three kids affect our call to Kenya?  The week that we decided to adopt our three children, we went to Africa Inland Missions (AIM) US based headquarters and were approved by them to be missionaries.  I believe that God plans on using our family to further His kingdom even more so now with our large family.

Since then we have patiently waited on God's timing.  We wanted to stabilize as a family and let God lead us.  Through this time, He has sharpened our focus and refined our vision.  And now, our new journey officially begins!