Accepted by CTEN!!!

Praise be to God, we have been accepted by Commission to Every Nation (CTEN)!!!  CTEN is a sending agency that sends missionaries all over the world.  They don't usually take short-termers but since we are going short-term (end of July-early November) in order to prepare to go long-term, they have accepted us!  Now there is so much paper-work to fill out and we have yet to hear from our Grace Church Mission Committee.

I was almost done with a long application, when the computer restarted and I lost everything:-(  I guess you shouldn't pray for patience unless you really want it...  Next step is to fill out applications, write support letters, finish typing support lists (with supporters, addresses, etc.) and mail it out.  We leave in just over 3 months so we are praying that God works everything out for us to go(financial support, visas, airline tickets, etc.)!  We have no doubt that He will.  He called us, after all.  But, of course, we would really appreciate your prayers!

Why India?

Joseph and I have felt God calling us towards missions for quite some time now.  I, Heather, went to Ecuador on a short-term mission trip quite a while back, but it didn't go as planned.  Because of that, I had a sour view towards missions.  When Joseph and I got married and I started feeling God pull me towards missions, I was scared.  At first I ignored it, but eventually it became so obvious that I had to listen.  I talked to Joseph about it and he was amazed.  He too had felt God telling him that we were called towards mission.

Well, we were called several times (completely independent of one another) over the next year.  Once I was pregnant, I hesitated.  Who wants to take their beloved child into an unknown country? away from loving family?  perhaps to a dangerous area?  Since then, God has really worked on my heart.  I know that we will find the most joy wherever he places us.  We may not be the happiest, but treasures in heaven are a much worthier endeavor.

So, why India? Well, once Joseph and I decided to trust God and find where He was taking us, we started scouring the internet.  We looked on the ReachGlobal  website, the New Tribes Mission website, and every other mission website we could find.  Did we find where God was calling us... NO!  It was actually quite frustrating.  Why would God call us and not show us where to go?  We kept praying and looking, but nothing felt quite right.  Then, one day I was talking to my sister.  She had visited Southern India for business (my mom went with her once).  She was connected with the Palamootil family in India and decided to send off a quick email.  Maybe they would have an idea where we could serve.

They did!  After an interview with them, they invited Joseph to come teach English (and Bible once he has been trained in this area) at Maranatha Baptist Bible College and Seminary.  They also invited me to help with an orphanage.  They also asked us to lead worship.  This was it!  We had been perfectly prepared for this opportunity.  We greatly enjoy leading worship here at our local church in AZ.   I have had a heart for orphans for as long as I can remember, and Joseph has a degree in English, and has been taking "Teaching English as a Second Language" class.  This was definitely an answer to prayer.


We are so very excited to embark upon this journey and we thank you for trekking into the unknown with us.  We appreciate your love and support greatly!!

Our family

Our little family consists of Joseph, Heather and Kai.  Kai (short for Joseph Hezekiah) just turned 1 year old on March 3rd, 2011.  He is a healthy and BIG boy who is on the verge of walking!  Joseph and Heather were married May 24th, 2009 and dated for 4 years before tying the knot.  We love being married and having a family:-)  I hope you enjoy following our blog.