Hello Friends and Family,
We are doing well and would like your prayers for the missionary retreat idea. The three of us feel that this is the direction our family should go. As you know we are excited about missions. Audrey and I are preparing for volunteering a few weeks to cover the Malamulo Hospital both in FP and in Surgery for part of their surgeons vacation. We have purchased tickets and now gathering some hospital supplies to take over in our luggage. We may be volunteering on another medical mission trip in January.
As mentioned in our last message, we long for a mission here while we are in the US. As detailed in that message we hope to create a missionary retreat that will be supported by our work and provide free lodging, food and relaxation and renewal to missionaries that are on furlough (vacation) or just returned from their mission service. As missionaries provide service to people in other lands with little or no remuneration, we would like to provide a place of renewal for them when needed. This would allow them to rejuvenate in preparation for returning to their area of mission work. Our idea is that they would only need to arrive at the retreat then they would be fully taken care of (food, lodging, counseling, activities, rest). At our last email we had seen what we considered a perfect location on a lake with two houses. It was near the lake, ocean, sand dunes, and a host of outdoor activities. It was also close enough to work that we could run the retreat and work as well, because it would be within my call range. The day Audrey went to look at it someone offered the full asking price of $699,000. So that is not an option.
Now we see another potential location that meets the same criteria in one large house. The link to it is as follows:
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/351-Council-Hill-Rd-Lakeside-OR-97449/2116521299_zpid/
We will be seeing this house next week. As we plan on providing food/lodging… To missionaries free of charge, and have huge student loans of our own that remains, and the price of the house is expensive due to location and style, we do not feel we can afford to purchase it. So we ask for your aid in praying! We believe if this is God’s plan for our family that He, through others, will provide a way. When going to Cameroon, you may remember that we waited many months for God’s will to be made known to us, then it clearly was. We now wait for His guidance again. We are excited about starting a new mission here. I plan on contacting a local lawyer and CPA soon to discuss the different options for creating this non-profit. If you have thoughts or recommendations, please contact me. Please pray for God’s clear leading in our lives and for us to follow His lead.
Missionary Retreat #2 as a followup to message of June 24, 2013