Written by Mary.
Well, I confess, I am surprised by the results of this election. In fact, I may have been in a suspended state of disbelief for the last year. This morning out of the melee on social media, a good friend of mine's post stood out:
Please pray for Donald Trump.
He will need wisdom.
Please pray for those among us who feel threatened.
They will need comfort.
Please pray for those among us who feel emboldened.
They will need humility.
Please pray for our country.
It needs healing.
This I can say 'amen' to. I will strive to encourage others to take a stance of power, love, and self-control. When you are tempted to fall into fear mongering, blaming, crowing, or complaining stand instead in the power and love of God and pray for our nation and for your community.
Two words have come back to me again and again through this season.
FOR
and
BOLD
If God is for us, who can stand against us? What fear has power over us?
As the body of Christ, we are for the world:
For healing, for love, for reconciliation, for abundant life.
Our part is not to fall prey to division and fear, but to pray for each other.
In this word 'FOR', I feel challenged to orient myself toward others, even when that means engaging grief and suffering.
Do not go numb, do not give up.
Be for wholeness. Be an ambassador for Christ.
BOLD is something I have not been.
I have not been bold to proclaim Christ to the dear people God has placed in my life.
I confess I have let the fear of rejection overwhelm my love for them.
I have not been bold to prepare financially for our mission by seeking aid from our community.
I confess I have let the fear of shame overwhelm the vision for what God will do in the village of Baku, in PNG, and here in my community.
I have beat myself up inside, telling myself I should have more courage; but when the moment arrives, I let yet another opportunity to glorify God slip away.
A good friend recently shared a sermon with us on the topic of Boldness.
The speaker pointed out that even Paul was constantly pleading with the Church to pray for him to have boldness!
LIGHTBULB!
This isn't an attribute I can manufacture in myself. Part of a bold ministry is a dependence on the people of God. Boldness is God's gift.
So please pray for me, for Ben, for our Church to be BOLD.
To those of you who have been praying for us: Thank you, again and again, thank you!
We have had a couple answers.
First, a good friend of ours gave us the kick in the pants we needed to really get moving on fundraising. We are both feeling more empowered and focused in this area.
Second, we had a consultation with the executive director of our organization and received the following counsel:
- Do not deplete your savings to buy tickets for Romania. Start a fund drive specifically for that purpose and see what God does. Tentatively, keep the plan to go in February.
- Hold the date of April for departure to PNG loosely. Keep praying, keep raising funds, but be willing to push the date back. It may be that the timing of a later date will be better for everyone involved.
- Keep seeking prayer and advice from your community.
God is good. When we call, He answers. We trust that He will work His own purposes through all of this, and that He will provide for us to walk in His will.
We do deeply believe that He loves the people of Baku village and the people in the surrounding language groups and that He will provide for them to grow in the knowledge of Him and in healthy community. So we continue to press forward to answer the request that they have made of us, in the hope that God will use us as His tool to bless them.
Will you please pray about being a part of this long term ministry through prayer and financial support?
Will you consider being a part of sending us to our training in Romania? We need to raise roughly $3,500.
We know that this has been a rough year for many, and we ask that if you cannot support us financially that you would continue to support us in prayer - that is exponentially more important!
We love you all and are, as ever, overwhelmed with gratitude for you and for God's hand in our lives.
Stand FOR each other.
Be BOLD in the faith.
In Christ,
Mary (and Ben and Joya) Grimm
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Written by Mary.
Dear friends,
The last few months have been so full - Ben going to EMT School, me farming through the summer, and of course us getting to meet our beautiful Joya Tov - that it's been easy for me to put off the question of funding for our mission.
Unfortunately, despite my greatest hopes, this question doesn't disappear with neglect. Neither does the process of funding magically become easier if just I slim our budget down to bare bones. While consulting with a veteran missionary (per. our pastor's advice), I was told with blunt honesty that this is going to take as long as God wants it to take in order to teach you what He wants you to learn.
I'm pretty sure He has a doozy of a lesson coming up because at this point three out of the four Churches that we were hoping might support us have said that they are not at a place financially to do so. If I could predict the future in my current mood of apprehension, I would say the fourth Church will probably have a similar response to our inquiries.
So, here we are again, hoping so very much that God gives us an open door to go to PNG in April and craning our necks to try and see the top of the wall that seems to be blocking the path.
Meanwhile, we are faced with the decision of whether or not to go ahead and purchase the tickets for our training trip to Romania. We have enough money set aside in savings to do this out of pocket if we do it soon and if we don't mind slimming our buffer fund down to a sliver.
TRUST. I do, but....
WISDOM. Are we just kidding ourselves?
ACTION. Do we take our current situation as a sign to back off and wait or to step forward boldly in faith?
Your prayers would be much appreciated... as would a monthly pledge (just being honest).
I know that getting into each others business is generally frowned upon in the Northwest, but we really, truly want your feedback on this one. Pray and tell us what you believe God would have us do. We are trying to listen to Him and to His people, the Church (that's you).
Thank you for your love, prayers, and support.
As ever, we are full of gratitude to God for the good people He has placed in our lives. Whatever comes of this season, we are thankful for you.
Love,
The Grimm Crowd
Dear friends,
The last few months have been so full - Ben going to EMT School, me farming through the summer, and of course us getting to meet our beautiful Joya Tov - that it's been easy for me to put off the question of funding for our mission.
Unfortunately, despite my greatest hopes, this question doesn't disappear with neglect. Neither does the process of funding magically become easier if just I slim our budget down to bare bones. While consulting with a veteran missionary (per. our pastor's advice), I was told with blunt honesty that this is going to take as long as God wants it to take in order to teach you what He wants you to learn.
I'm pretty sure He has a doozy of a lesson coming up because at this point three out of the four Churches that we were hoping might support us have said that they are not at a place financially to do so. If I could predict the future in my current mood of apprehension, I would say the fourth Church will probably have a similar response to our inquiries.
So, here we are again, hoping so very much that God gives us an open door to go to PNG in April and craning our necks to try and see the top of the wall that seems to be blocking the path.
Meanwhile, we are faced with the decision of whether or not to go ahead and purchase the tickets for our training trip to Romania. We have enough money set aside in savings to do this out of pocket if we do it soon and if we don't mind slimming our buffer fund down to a sliver.
TRUST. I do, but....
WISDOM. Are we just kidding ourselves?
ACTION. Do we take our current situation as a sign to back off and wait or to step forward boldly in faith?
Your prayers would be much appreciated... as would a monthly pledge (just being honest).
I know that getting into each others business is generally frowned upon in the Northwest, but we really, truly want your feedback on this one. Pray and tell us what you believe God would have us do. We are trying to listen to Him and to His people, the Church (that's you).
Thank you for your love, prayers, and support.
As ever, we are full of gratitude to God for the good people He has placed in our lives. Whatever comes of this season, we are thankful for you.
Love,
The Grimm Crowd
Monday, October 10, 2016
Well friends, our new child finally came to see us after nine nonths of waiting in anticipation! Say hello to our hairy, barrel-chested daughter (I could not possibly make this up) Joya Tov. Born 08Oct16 at 0825 in Bellingham WA. And weighing a whopping 9lbs 2.5oz!
I am struck by the little and great blessings surrounding our Joya. Things like our next door neighbors when we were house guests who were foster parents, around our age, loved board games, became good friends, and even hosted our baby shower. This is just to name a few!
Other things come to mind like our prayer that Joya would be an easy pregnancy, that she would be an easy delivery, an easy baby, and healthy too. All these things were answered. ALL of them. Joya was commented on by the midwives multiple times even before she was born, her heart was metronome solid and she stayed head down to the left side for three months. (For those of you not familiar, this position is the ideal one for delivery) She delivered in less than eight hours, an oddity for first time mothers. She delivered on time, another oddity for first time mothers. When she came out and I caught her she coughed once, upside down mind you, and sang out just long enough for us to slide her up to Mary. There is a rating system used to determine the health of the baby just after birth and Joya was 100% from her first breath. Even the day after was a blessing since we found her constant feeding through the night meant an inconsequential loss of weight. Newborns are expected to lose some weight the day after up to about 10% of their weight. Joya lost three ounces. Three.
Being new parents is something we feared to screw up, shuddered at the responsibility for someone's soul, held each other in blind anticipation, looked up countless stupid parenting myths and rumors, and ultimately came to see it the way most parents and experts like our midwives have told it: babies are intuitive. Analytical minds need not be present. This is tough for me; my mind wants a digital, on-off, itinerary, sub divided by category, color, date, and relativity.
Realizing that Joya is miming what she wants sometimes and ticking off the two or three other things it could possibly be makes a crying baby just a signal that there is something needing fixing. It isn't stressful, or awful; even for an introvert like me. And how can you ever get past the in-your-face example of God to man in the simple act of holding your daughter? I don't know if Daddies get that oxytocin rush when they hold their babies, but you know what? Chemistry can go thrombosize. I love holding my Joya and I grab her anytime Mary isn't feeding her because I love her so much. I love watching her sleep, I love holding her, I love changing her diapers, I love her downy little blonde hair; I love all of her. And that is exactly how God loves me.
You THINK you're ready when you've babysat enough kiddos and worked in social services for children. None of that prepares you for holding YOUR baby; the human you and your soulmate made. I think too that placing this little life second to Mary feels odd yet after discussing it with Mary and some other people in terms of parenthood and Godly behavior this priority makes sense. I'll tell you why: Placing Mary first sets an example to Joya of what a healthy relationship is. I will be a living demonstration of what she will seek in a husband and Mary will be the template she will model herself on as a woman. Second, placing Mary first is healthy in our relationship. Just like our relationship with God, we don't let anything come between us. It says with our actions where our priorities are and shows our love with our hands. And by this, the second point reinforces the first.
I really want to ramble on but I realize I am making a wall of text! Besides, I need to demonstrate my love for my wife and child and get back to them! Blessings on you all in pursuit of God's will in your life. May he bless and challenge you far beyond your capacity to guess. May His design for your life color way WAY outside the lines you drew.
In His Grace,
Benjamin, Mary, and Joya
P.S. I am now a certified Remote EMT...praise God for that too!
Monday, October 3, 2016
Automobiles and Overbooking
(Retro Post - Ben wrote this right before heading off to his EMT course September 4th)
One last post for the road! It is time to prep for school and get to Leavenworth. The last two weeks have been adventurous...even by our standards! Our car broke down a few weeks ago while Mary was hiking with a friend but managed to limp it home, we then had it repaired in anticipation of driving to Portland to see her sister in town from New York. The battery was not the issue, but was replaced anyway(250 bucks).
I told you that to tell you another story: Our scheduling is tentative sometimes and not always able to be methodical and wise. Two weeks ago was that day. We had planned on: working for our friends at their deliveries, attending a wedding, going to the reception, visiting another friend, cleaning the church and dashing down to Portland. Keep in mind, we had not PLANNED to do all this together. Sigh! Someday...
Thus by 5pm, blithely driving through Seattle traffic in the heart of downtown (you know; the place where you drive in the tunnel?) we experienced a familiar stutter in the car. Not unlike what had caused us to replace the battery. With power gone, we shut it off, got a jump and limped a few more miles down the road to the Boeing Field exit. A call to the parents got us a guest membership to AAA ( zero bucks!) and a long wait in the car for an incredibly cheerful tow truck driver who claimed he would wear a cape and a mask if they let him. He was very happy about his job being a hero. We got the car 3 miles away to the mechanic where, in the dark, he sadly informed us his boss had told him he could not drive us to the airport. (He even told them Mary was pregnant! Wonderful man, bless him.) After a few minutes figuring out the Uber app, we summoned a ride (23 bucks) who happened to be a native of Mali and a great conversation about Seattle and the culture shock here. Then we found out our chosen rental company did not take debit cards...off to the next line (90 bucks). And dashed down to McMinnville. We got in around 0230. Loooooooong day. Five hours later we are having family time.
It turned out very well to have a time to spend with a family member we don’t see much. And we got to have most of it together for a picnic in Newberg. For all the difficulty in getting down there, neither of us would have traded it for anything else. You only get so many chances for family time. Then at 1530 it was time to go. So at 1700 when we left the coffee shop (12 bucks) it was time to dash back to the Sea-Tac airport to drop off our rental and meet our friend in Bellingham who (God bless him) drove down to meet us and take us home.
Next Friday we finally had our alternator replaced and were dashing down into the maelstrom of I-5 traffic to retrieve our beloved car (500 bucks). Six hours of round trip fun!
So what do we learn from this little adventure?
1. Time to go never ever means time to go. It’s more like a 1 hour warning.
2. Scheduling works better when you talk to your spouse about plans (I am SO guilty). It also works better in a utopian perfect world.
3. We are not making any more cannonball runs to Portland in the middle of the night.
4. It ain’t about the money; we had a great adventure
Let our adventure inspire you too. Look past where you’re at and forward to the bigger picture. How can you bless somebody right where you are, right now?
May God bless and challenge you so you will share the gospel with your work, your words, and your thoughts.
In His Grace,
Benjamin, Mary, and the Grimmling
(Note from Mary: This whole adventure was pretty stressful for me, especially in the area of finances; however, God provided ahead of time for this mishap through the donations of a few wonderful friends. It was a blessing to experience again how He anticipates our needs and takes care of us. Thank you to those of you who blessed us in this way, and to all of you who are praying for us as we prepare for ministry in the field.)
One last post for the road! It is time to prep for school and get to Leavenworth. The last two weeks have been adventurous...even by our standards! Our car broke down a few weeks ago while Mary was hiking with a friend but managed to limp it home, we then had it repaired in anticipation of driving to Portland to see her sister in town from New York. The battery was not the issue, but was replaced anyway(250 bucks).
I told you that to tell you another story: Our scheduling is tentative sometimes and not always able to be methodical and wise. Two weeks ago was that day. We had planned on: working for our friends at their deliveries, attending a wedding, going to the reception, visiting another friend, cleaning the church and dashing down to Portland. Keep in mind, we had not PLANNED to do all this together. Sigh! Someday...
Thus by 5pm, blithely driving through Seattle traffic in the heart of downtown (you know; the place where you drive in the tunnel?) we experienced a familiar stutter in the car. Not unlike what had caused us to replace the battery. With power gone, we shut it off, got a jump and limped a few more miles down the road to the Boeing Field exit. A call to the parents got us a guest membership to AAA ( zero bucks!) and a long wait in the car for an incredibly cheerful tow truck driver who claimed he would wear a cape and a mask if they let him. He was very happy about his job being a hero. We got the car 3 miles away to the mechanic where, in the dark, he sadly informed us his boss had told him he could not drive us to the airport. (He even told them Mary was pregnant! Wonderful man, bless him.) After a few minutes figuring out the Uber app, we summoned a ride (23 bucks) who happened to be a native of Mali and a great conversation about Seattle and the culture shock here. Then we found out our chosen rental company did not take debit cards...off to the next line (90 bucks). And dashed down to McMinnville. We got in around 0230. Loooooooong day. Five hours later we are having family time.
It turned out very well to have a time to spend with a family member we don’t see much. And we got to have most of it together for a picnic in Newberg. For all the difficulty in getting down there, neither of us would have traded it for anything else. You only get so many chances for family time. Then at 1530 it was time to go. So at 1700 when we left the coffee shop (12 bucks) it was time to dash back to the Sea-Tac airport to drop off our rental and meet our friend in Bellingham who (God bless him) drove down to meet us and take us home.
Next Friday we finally had our alternator replaced and were dashing down into the maelstrom of I-5 traffic to retrieve our beloved car (500 bucks). Six hours of round trip fun!
So what do we learn from this little adventure?
1. Time to go never ever means time to go. It’s more like a 1 hour warning.
2. Scheduling works better when you talk to your spouse about plans (I am SO guilty). It also works better in a utopian perfect world.
3. We are not making any more cannonball runs to Portland in the middle of the night.
4. It ain’t about the money; we had a great adventure
Let our adventure inspire you too. Look past where you’re at and forward to the bigger picture. How can you bless somebody right where you are, right now?
May God bless and challenge you so you will share the gospel with your work, your words, and your thoughts.
In His Grace,
Benjamin, Mary, and the Grimmling
(Note from Mary: This whole adventure was pretty stressful for me, especially in the area of finances; however, God provided ahead of time for this mishap through the donations of a few wonderful friends. It was a blessing to experience again how He anticipates our needs and takes care of us. Thank you to those of you who blessed us in this way, and to all of you who are praying for us as we prepare for ministry in the field.)
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
August Update
Hello friends!
The harvest season
is petering to a halt, and I (Ben) am alive and mostly in one piece. Did
we mention we are having a baby? We are having a baby!!!! If you have
never seen a baby yawn on a 3D ultrasound: it is so cute you want to
eat it!
Also, we got to see
my Momma and step-dad this weekend after their grueling 10 hour trek
through nightmarish Seattle traffic. Awesome greasy burgers and
gelato were had by all. It was joyous.
I have had the
privilege of making friends with a chemical engineering student who
is planning on joining us in the near future to help with solutions
to stabilizing products on their way to market. I also met a produce farmer
who worked in the Peace Corps in Guatemala around the same time as
another Christian organization(Agros) which started in the very same
place (The Ixil Triangle, if you want to know) to empower farmers to
own their own land and become financially independent.
Also, I have
discovered a refrigerator made of clay (the Mitticool, from India)
that functions off of water evaporation and requires ZERO
electricity. That’s right.
In addition, I will be meeting with a
few friends who are tech savvy to piece together a prototype power
production model for the village. In theory, we can produce power far
in excess of the village needs and this means a stable platform to
host translators.
Keep in mind we won’t be hosting folks on day
two. Goal one is to learn the language and make connections while
learning about their felt needs and unexpressed ones too. We also
want to ask a mountain of questions about expectations, culture, and
their own plans for how to accomplish these goals.
On that note, it is
rather strange to shift one’s perspective from a technician’s
mindset (I am the best, therefore I shall do it...NOW!) to an
advisor’s mindset (I move based on YOUR direction). This might be
the lynchpin of frustration AND excitement. All of us, not just Mary
and I, have to remember that cultural expectations could be VERY
different, and Christ’s model was always invitation (whether He
angered Pharisees or not is beside the point). Therefore, we have to
come humbly and without pretense to ASK how we can help. Tough...very
tough for our culture. It is a stretch goal for us as Christians that
Christ wants us to grow into so we can look at following Him through
the lens of multiple paths (not doctrinally, just culturally).
Thank you, each of
you reading this, for taking the time to look into our lives and see
what Christ is doing with us in this season. May He guide you like He
guides us: Absolute certainty even in total darkness!
In His Grace,
The Grimm Horde
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Details on donations, budget, and travel plans
Budget Stuff:
We are still working out our PNG budget with Word Made Flesh.
Right now, we are looking at raising approximately $3,200 a month - this will cover all of our expenses for travel, living, utilities/supplies, medical, retirement, etc. as well as the costs for starting up or participating in the various projects that we hope to put together in country.
If any of you are interested in seeing our budget/giving us feedback (much appreciated) please email me and let me know.
WMF would like us to have %100 of this budget pledged plus two months of actual income. This would be in addition to having our initial airfare to and from PNG covered (something we will probably put together out of pocket).
In addition to our PNG budget, we need to put aside a separate fund for our time training in Romania.
It looks like we will be spending less time there than we originally thought. The field director in Romania has suggested about 3 weeks.
Travel Plans:
We are looking at going to Romania in the 2nd week of February, and would appreciate your prayers and advice regarding this decision. The trip should cost about $3,500 (covering living in country + airfare).
It's cheaper to fly to and from Romania and then fly to PNG from the states than it is to fly to PNG from Romania, so y'all will see us for a brief visit before we head to PNG. We are looking at about 9 months to a year for our first stay in country. The majority of that time will be dedicated to language learning and relationship building. We will also be assessing what kinds of tools, resources, etc. we might need to bring in when we return.
Donation Details:
Just a heads up, the organization takes out a 13% processing and administration fee, so part of our estimated $3,000 a month includes that as well as tithing (our choice).
There are three ways to donate to us through Word Made Flesh:
Finally, if you haven't had a chance to see it, here is our Word Made Flesh web page. Photo courtesy of my last trip to the Sepik Region of PNG in 2008.
As always, we covet your prayers, appreciate your feedback, and would love to hear from you regarding questions, prayer requests, concerns, advice, etc. We both have email accounts with Word Made Flesh if you would like to email us: benjamin.grimm@wordmadeflesh.com and mary.grimm@wordmadeflesh.com.
Thank you all for your continued love and prayers!
Love,
The Grimm Crowd
We are still working out our PNG budget with Word Made Flesh.
Right now, we are looking at raising approximately $3,200 a month - this will cover all of our expenses for travel, living, utilities/supplies, medical, retirement, etc. as well as the costs for starting up or participating in the various projects that we hope to put together in country.
If any of you are interested in seeing our budget/giving us feedback (much appreciated) please email me and let me know.
WMF would like us to have %100 of this budget pledged plus two months of actual income. This would be in addition to having our initial airfare to and from PNG covered (something we will probably put together out of pocket).
In addition to our PNG budget, we need to put aside a separate fund for our time training in Romania.
It looks like we will be spending less time there than we originally thought. The field director in Romania has suggested about 3 weeks.
Travel Plans:
We are looking at going to Romania in the 2nd week of February, and would appreciate your prayers and advice regarding this decision. The trip should cost about $3,500 (covering living in country + airfare).
It's cheaper to fly to and from Romania and then fly to PNG from the states than it is to fly to PNG from Romania, so y'all will see us for a brief visit before we head to PNG. We are looking at about 9 months to a year for our first stay in country. The majority of that time will be dedicated to language learning and relationship building. We will also be assessing what kinds of tools, resources, etc. we might need to bring in when we return.
Donation Details:
Just a heads up, the organization takes out a 13% processing and administration fee, so part of our estimated $3,000 a month includes that as well as tithing (our choice).
There are three ways to donate to us through Word Made Flesh:
- Automatic Withdrawal from Checking - Print off and fill out the from in this link, and mail it with a voided check to P.O. Box 70, Wilmore, KY 40390. Alternatively you can scan and email the form and voided check to ken.dean@wordmadeflesh.com.
- Check - made payable to Word Made Flesh and sent to P.O. Box 70, Wilmore, KY 40390. Include a note designating who you are donating it to
- Credit Card - you can click on this link to make a one time or recurring donation. Please don't click on the 'pay by check' option on this page.
Finally, if you haven't had a chance to see it, here is our Word Made Flesh web page. Photo courtesy of my last trip to the Sepik Region of PNG in 2008.
As always, we covet your prayers, appreciate your feedback, and would love to hear from you regarding questions, prayer requests, concerns, advice, etc. We both have email accounts with Word Made Flesh if you would like to email us: benjamin.grimm@wordmadeflesh.com and mary.grimm@wordmadeflesh.com.
Thank you all for your continued love and prayers!
Love,
The Grimm Crowd
July Update
Hello everybody,
A lot has been happening in the last few months. Once again, I am behind on updating y'all. I won't bore you with all the little chance encounters, awesome conversations with random missionary people, and details of getting instated with Word Made Flesh.
News:
The two biggest things that have happened are that:
We are officially members of Oikos Fellowship and have been enjoying getting to know our new Church family.
We are officially staff with Word Made Flesh. We have a webpage now!
For those of you who are hoping to support us in our mission, that means that you can donate through WMF now. I'll put info on that in a separate post. We're still working on the best way to get newsletters and prayer updates to everyone.
On the home front: we have been growing green things in our garden (no crop yield yet, since we started late); Ben has been going a little nuts with pickling all the things I am bringing home from working at the bamboo/organic food farm; the berry harvest is in full swing, so Ben's been blessed with plentiful hours - working 12 hour days, 6 days a week; and the Grimmling is growing strong and very squirmy!
Thanks:
We are thankful for all of your prayers for us as a couple (now family) and for our path into the mission field. We have been so blessed to see God at work in our relationship and to see His provision for our spiritual growth and direction through fellowship with a number of beautiful Church communities.
Prayer Needs:
Moving forward, we could use your prayers as we navigate fundraising. Neither of us is good at this aspect of support raising. Ben would also like prayer for possibly being able to learn from/model an organization that has done some incredible work in sustainable agriculture and community development in South America.
I also ask for your prayers for my dear friends the Scotts as they mourn the loss of their son and brother. In a season otherwise so overflowing with blessing for our family, this has been a very difficult reality to wrap my head and heart around. It is an ache of grief that doesn't go away but ebbs and flows throughout the days. I know that my friend is truly ALIVE and well, but that doesn't erase the gaping hole he has left behind. It is hard to stomach how briskly life keeps moving, how the responsibilities and needs keep pressing in, but they do.
Thank you all again for your love and support. We are so blessed to know each of you.
May God bless and keep you.
Love,
The Grimms
A lot has been happening in the last few months. Once again, I am behind on updating y'all. I won't bore you with all the little chance encounters, awesome conversations with random missionary people, and details of getting instated with Word Made Flesh.
News:
The two biggest things that have happened are that:
We are officially members of Oikos Fellowship and have been enjoying getting to know our new Church family.
We are officially staff with Word Made Flesh. We have a webpage now!
For those of you who are hoping to support us in our mission, that means that you can donate through WMF now. I'll put info on that in a separate post. We're still working on the best way to get newsletters and prayer updates to everyone.
On the home front: we have been growing green things in our garden (no crop yield yet, since we started late); Ben has been going a little nuts with pickling all the things I am bringing home from working at the bamboo/organic food farm; the berry harvest is in full swing, so Ben's been blessed with plentiful hours - working 12 hour days, 6 days a week; and the Grimmling is growing strong and very squirmy!
Thanks:
We are thankful for all of your prayers for us as a couple (now family) and for our path into the mission field. We have been so blessed to see God at work in our relationship and to see His provision for our spiritual growth and direction through fellowship with a number of beautiful Church communities.
Prayer Needs:
Moving forward, we could use your prayers as we navigate fundraising. Neither of us is good at this aspect of support raising. Ben would also like prayer for possibly being able to learn from/model an organization that has done some incredible work in sustainable agriculture and community development in South America.
I also ask for your prayers for my dear friends the Scotts as they mourn the loss of their son and brother. In a season otherwise so overflowing with blessing for our family, this has been a very difficult reality to wrap my head and heart around. It is an ache of grief that doesn't go away but ebbs and flows throughout the days. I know that my friend is truly ALIVE and well, but that doesn't erase the gaping hole he has left behind. It is hard to stomach how briskly life keeps moving, how the responsibilities and needs keep pressing in, but they do.
Thank you all again for your love and support. We are so blessed to know each of you.
May God bless and keep you.
Love,
The Grimms
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