New Blog

Have you started following our new blog yet? Zack finally did a blog post, and it's up on our new site.

Please visit us at
http://NotesFromNorge.blogspot.com

First, I'll Be a Mother

When I was a little kid, I remember a poem hanging on the wall at my aunt's house. We spent a lot of time at her house, so after a while I memorized it (or pretty close).

Some houses hide the fact that children live there.

Ours boasts of it quite openly, the signs are everywhere.

For smears are on the windows, tiny smudges on the doors.

I should apologize, I guess, for toys strewn on the floors.

But I sat down with the children.

And we played, and laughed, and read.

Even though the doorbell doesn't shine, their eyes will shine instead.

At times I'm forced to choose the one job or the other.

I want to be a housewife, but first, I'll be a mother.

That poem has been on my mind and heart for many years, even before I became a mother.

And that's why you haven't seen much on the blog lately. As much as I enjoy the blog, my family comes ahead of my writing! For the past few weeks since leaving the normalcy of my job, I've been playing with, reading with, laughing with and loving on my kiddos. I don't want to paint a picture of perfection, because we are far from perfect. But we are making some great memories together. We are having fun. And we are getting used to being together 24/7!

And we are excited that in a week and a half, we'll have one more joining us. After almost 15 years, Zack will be saying farewell to his work. Then we'll have several weeks to spend time with extended family, go on a couple of trips and some day trips, and say good-bye to friends and family.

The next few weeks will likely be busy, emotional, and probably a bit crazy. But we will try to take things one day at a time and make the most of this time.

Here are a few pictures from our first few weeks...

Gratulerer med dagen

Today, May 17, is Norwegian Constitution Day. It is a day much like America's Fourth of July/Independence Day. And from everything we've studied, it is celebrated in a similar fashion. Parades, lots of food, wearing of the nations colors (red, white & blue), and fireworks. Kids are known to enjoy hot dogs and ice cream, while traditional Norwegian dishes are also served.

So, Gratulerer med dagen Norge! We look forward to joining the celebration in-person next year!

To learn a little more about Constitution Day, visit http://mylittlenorway.com/2008/08/norwegian-constitution-day-happy-birthday/.

Who Are You?

It's been happening a lot lately. I'm talking to someone I've not spoken to in a while. In person, on the phone, through email or social media. And they mention that they've been following the blog and catching up our upcoming journey.

Looking at the blog stats, I knew our readership had increased slightly, but it's always interesting to find out who is actually following along. So if you get a chance, we'd love to hear from you. Just leave a comment  to let us know you're here.

Next week is our big appointment week in Nashville. We'll have quite a few important meetings, and will be officially appointed with our company. This is yet another big step in our process, so please be praying for this time. It will also be great to spend a few days with others that are going through the process as well! There are several that we met in our first meetings last July, and we look forward to reconnecting after almost a year a

While in Tennessee, we'll take a little detour over to Memphis to celebrate William's 10th birthday. And we also plan to spend some time with family in Knoxville. We're looking forward to all of it!

Teacher Gifts

Almost finished with the gifts!
(And I cannot get these photos to rotate... ugh.)

Beach Bundle: beach towel, water bottle, flip flops,
& sunscreen

Just need to add some flowers

Mason jar filled with M& M's

School Days

Concentration!

The boys only have 7 more days of school. Technically, there are 10 more days but they will miss the last 3 because we'll be in Nashville for our appointment week.

Last night we started work on a gift for Daniels' teacher. I recently joined Pinterest, and found some really cute gift ideas on there.

William's teacher is getting a 'beach bundle': beach towel, flip flops, & water bottle, all tied with a cute ribbon that has a mini sunscreen bottle threaded through it.


Daniel's para-pro is getting a mason jar (we're talking about Pinterest, so something HAD to involve a mason jar, right?) filled with M&M's. It has a little poem attached about all the different colors and how she's his M&M - his Marvelous & Magnificent teacher :)

This is the photo we're using as
inspiration for Daniel's teacher gift.

The project we started last night is for Daniel's teacher. I haven't taken another picture since the painting was completed, but it turned out really cute. He did a great job with the painting, and I finished drawing on the 'ruler' just before I went to bed. We just need to put some flowers in it & we'll be good to go!

I'll try to get pictures of all the finished projects before they give them next Friday.



Closing a 14-Year Chapter

It was early 1998, just a few months until our wedding day. And I needed a job. A month or two earlier, Zack had begun a position at a local auto insurance company, and he said there were a few open positions there. I applied for a claims secretary position, and soon began my first real world job.

After about 5 years in various positions in Claims, I was offered a position as an accounting analyst. I thought it would be good to learn about a different area of the business, so I accepted it. For two [very long] years, I worked in Accounting. I learned a lot, including the fact that accounting was not for me!

The Accounting department was adjacent to Product Management. A couple of the AVPs from that department began approaching me, asking if I'd be interested in coming to work with them. A few months later, I started in the department, and realized I'd finally found my niche.

I have been working in product management for about 7 years now. I'm a numbers geek, and my Type A personality has served me well in this position. My obsession with numbers and order skills have carried over to home: our family budget is a formula-heavy workbook filled with pivot tables and projections. And I'm notorious for creating spreadsheets to determine major purchase decisions or to manage details of family trips. I've climbed the proverbial ladder and experienced success. I look back at my beginning as an entry-level secretary, I feel that I have accomplished much in the professional world.

But in less than 2 weeks, I'll say good-bye to this world. I've worked in auto insurance for over 14 years. In that time, I've only worked for two companies. I've been blessed with so many opportunities to learn, grow, and advance. By all accounts, I have it great. No reason to move on, outside from God saying so. And as you've read in previous posts, that's exactly what He did! I've learned that a good job is nice, and there is nothing wrong with enjoying the stuff of life. But all of it is temporary, and it's not where I want to store my treasure.

Today is my last day alone at my desk. Tomorrow, my replacement will be here. Being that my current company is a fairly new competitor in the market, our team is relatively small. I'm the only one that does what I do here, so transferring all the 'intell' is critical. I'll have eight days to train him. To show him everything I've learned and developed over the past almost 3 years at this company.

Next Thursday afternoon, I'll walk out. With my small box of belongings, I'll get in my car and drive home from my office job for the last time. Away from the regular hours, the routine of typical daily tasks, a very generous paycheck, and the only industry I've ever known.

And I'll step into the next chapter. I'm scared. And nervous. And over-the-moon excited.

Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

~Matthew 6:19-21

By Zack

I visited Daniel at his Field Day today.  It was raining, it was loud and he was totally out of control.  But he was having a good time!

I was asking him about one of his friends a few weeks ago and I asked him to describe his friend. Daniel's answer was, "well, his mom gives him a new shirt every day and he has a face."

Wow!

But God...

We weren't aware of the desperate need for Jesus in so many parts of the world.

but God... opened our eyes and our hearts. He showed us that people are simply not hearing the name of Jesus, that they are not being reached with the Gospel. (See Proverbs 24:11-12)

We were comfortable with our lives.
but God... made us uncomfortable.

We weren't the kind of people that leave everything behind and move half way across the world.
but God... showed us that He can use anyone for His purpose.

We once said we aren't smart enough for this.
but God... chose to call us anyway.

We once said we were too old to start on this journey.
but God... is showing us that the experiences and lessons we've learned in life will be important parts of how we minister in the future.

We once said we can't.
but God... said GO.**

We once were sinners, destined for two deaths: physical, and spiritual.
but God... sent His only Son, to live a sinless life on earth, to die a sinner's death, so that we can have eternal life and so we can have a relationship with Him! And what's more, Jesus conquered death, came back from the grave and is with the Father today.

We once were a mess. In fact, we still are.
but God... forgives and leads. He does not hold grudges. He lovingly disciplines. He does not give up on us


God is bigger than anything we can face. Bigger than any sin. Bigger than any obstacle. Way bigger than any excuse we can create for not going.

God is sovereign. God is in control. And He deserves all glory and praise for the journey our family is about embarking on.


**GO. Jesus gave this command to all Christians. For us, the GO means to Europe. If you are a Christian, I encourage you ask God to reveal to you where your GO is. It might be joining a local congregation. It might mean increased involvement in efforts within your home church. It might be involvement in sharing Jesus around your community (a nursing home or after-school program, an ESOL program at a church, or volunteering somewhere like your state's Baptist Children's Home). Maybe it's going on a local or U.S. mission trip. Maybe He wants you to join a team that's doing a short-term trip overseas. Maybe He wants you to sell all and GO. Pray and ask Him to use you.

If you are not a Christian, but would like to learn more or ask any questions, please email us at zjdove522@gmail.com.

"GO therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19 -20

FAQ's

Here are the questions we've received so far. We'll continue to answer other questions as they come up, so if you think of any... ask away! Leave a comment, or email us HERE.



When or how did God call you to go overseas? How did He reveal where you should go?
It would be almost impossible to sum up our calling in a paragraph or two. God has used so many people, events, and circumstances to get us to where we are now. Instead, I encourage you to check out the page with links to our story: Sharing Our Story. If you are short on time, at least read I Can, I Will, Nothern & Western Europe, and Spilling the Beans. And after that, to learn a little more about why we're going to Norway, read We'll Go, But Where?

Are you still planning on blogging once you are there?
Yes! We are actually going to start a new blog very soon. The address will be http://notesfromnorge.blogspot.com/. (Feel free to visit it now, and we'll let everyone know when we switch over. There are two ways to 'follow' the new blog - click on the follow link on the right of the blog, or enter your email address on the right to get email updates.) The posts might be a little less frequent during training, as our schedule will be TIGHT, and we'll likely be falling asleep each night before ours heads hit the pillow. But we'll try to share as much as we can, when we can!

How are you getting by financially, is someone sponsoring you?
As we explored different organizations and talked to friends who work in similar roles now or have in the past, we learned alot about the financial set-up of each organization. In most cases, you must raise support. In other words, you ask people to give financially. Some of what you'd be seeking is one time gifts to help with the costs of getting to your country & getting set up. But the biggest part is getting people, groups, and/or churches to sign on to support you financially on a monthly basis, to cover your basic costs of living and your ministry funding. We knew that if God was in this calling, then He would provide the funding necessary. Saying yes to His call was a big step of faith, and the financial implications are certainly a faith journey as well.
We are fortunate, though, that the organization we will be a part of supports the financial needs of their staff. They will cover the cost of our housing, and we will receive a monthly salary. So we will not have to raise financial support for our living and housing expenses. For that, we are very grateful! Financially, it will definitely be a lifestyle change for us, but it is one we have been attempting to prepare for over the past 8 months or so. We have been working to live much more simply, selling most of our belongings, living in a space of about 400 square feet, cutting back on things like eating out and shopping, etc.

How long will you be in Norway?
The best answer we can give is as long as God and the organization allow us to be there. We are signing on in a career capacity, meaning that we don't plan to move back home anytime soon. It could be that after a few years, the organization decides that our impact might be greater in a different country. Or it could be that we stay in Norway for 30 years. At this point, we don't know. We will stay there as long as God wants us there!

Will the boys be going with you?
I think the first time I was asked this one, I was in shock. But then I began realizing that some people didn't understand that this is not a short-term mission trip. So the answer is absolutely, the boys are going with us. They are our children, and they are a part of this. I think we've made it pretty clear that this was no overnight decision. There were numerous conversations and countless prayers. Once we were far enough along and had a clear understanding of God's calling on our family, we began involving the boys in the decisions and discussions, each in an age-appropriate manner.

What will the boys do while you're in training?
Our organization does fantastic things for the children of their families. They will be kept up-to-date on their academics. They will also be going through their own training classes. They'll be learning about subjects like living in another country, learning a new language, sharing Jesus, culture shock, etc. We are so thankful for the way that they'll be cared for, trained, and prepared.

How do William & Daniel feel about everything?
I'd like to get William to do a blog post sometime. I think it would be good for him, and it might be a great way to share with his friends as well. But for now, I'll say that he's really excited, most of the time. For the last 2 or 3 years William has been telling us that he wants to be a Christian worker overseas when he grows up. So he's thrilled that he doesn't have to wait until he's an adult! Of course, as the time draws closer, the reality of leaving his friends and family is starting to hit. So there is a wide range of emotions right now. But overall, he is excited. He has started trying to learn a little language, and his pronunciations tend to be spot-on.
Daniel is excited as well. But really, we wonder if he thinks this is just some make-believe thing we talk about. After all, we've been discussing this big change for most of the time he's been with us (he came home in July 2010, we started pursuing our calling in October/November of that year). The main thing we focus on  with Daniel is that regardless of where we move over the next 9 months (Virginia, Georgia, Vancouver, Norway), and no matter how much is changing around us, we will be together. It's been less than 2 years since he began learning what a family is, and it's something we continue to reinforce with him. The fact that we've already moved once and we're all still together has been a good lesson for him before the bigger changes start happening. We want him to know that family doesn't change even when other big changes are taking place. He told me last week that he's been telling his friends at school that he's moving, and that they are all very sad.
We are thankful that both of our sons are very adaptable and flexible. We've already seen how quickly they can adjust to a new situation, and how easily they pick up a new language. Their transition and security are among our top concerns and prayers right now, but we know God is our provision and protector.

Do you know anyone in Norway?
We have dear friends that live in Oslo. They are involved with a young, thriving church congregation. We can't wait to arrive and reconnect with them, and get to know the church family there. We also have connections with about a dozen different church planters and pastors, mainly in Oslo but also in other parts of the country.

What will you be doing there?
It's hard to say exactly what we'll be doing. We know we'll be working with Norwegian church planters and pastors, assisting them with their efforts, seeking to provide by encouraging and equipping, basically just doing whatever is needed. It could be that Zack will have the opportunity to preach and teach. We might get the chance to use our musical talents. I am praying that there will be opportunities for me to minister to young wives and moms. There is a large university in Oslo that might provide some opportunities for sharing the Gospel. And a big part of our ministry will be simply through daily living and hospitality. There are also many lessons to be learned about ministry in Norwegian society/culture that can then be shared with pastors back in the states. There will be other opportunities that will likely present themselves as we get there and get settled. Our ultimate goal is to make God more famous in Norway. What exactly that will look like will develop as we get to know the people and culture.

Will you have to learn a new language?
The language in Norway is Norwegian. Children begin school around the age of 6, and English is taught from the start. So really, most Norwegians under the age of 50 or so can carry on a fluent English conversation. We can certainly navigate through day-to-day life without a strong proficiency in the Norwegian language. But if we want to really get to know the people and have authentic, meaningful relationships, we need to be able to speak their language. We have begun some preliminary language study, but the bulk of our learning will come once we are in country.

What's Next?

Our next big milestone in the process is our appointment with the organization we will be working for. This will take place in Nashville, Tennessee on the evening of May 23. This is the culmination of everything that has been happening over the past 18 months, and we look forward to a very special evening.

We are grateful to all of our parents for their willingness to take time out of their schedules to drive up and attend. We would love to have other family and friends there as well, but we know a weeknight in another state is not easy to swing. But if you have some extra vacation time or if you live closer to Nashville, and you are interested in attending the service, please send us an email HERE and we'll be glad to share the details with you. We look forward to a special evening with family and friends, an evening of affirmation and of praise for what God has done and is doing in our lives and the lives of others who are on a similar journey.

Weekend Funnies

The boys really kept us laughing with some of their comments this weekend. I thought I'd share a couple of especially interesting and amusing ones here. After all, everyone needs a laugh on a Monday morning!

William said he wanted to build a cross in the back yard that says Jesus is risen. Daniel said he would build a robot next to it that says I heard that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were watching TV Sunday morning before church and there was a tampon commercial on. It was one of those that doesn't really say much about the product. It just talked about being active and all the awesome things you can do and how it improves your life. After it was over, William just sighed and said, man I need that!

 

 

Hope you have a great Monday!

Ordination



Last Sunday night, our home church (Cross Pointe Church) ordained Zack as a pastor/elder. It was such a special evening for all of us. We were surrounded by about 75 friends and family.

Dr. Merritt delivered a beautiful charge to Zack and our family, and was so affirming in his words and message. We have been extremely blessed over the past (almost) 8 years while a part of Cross Pointe. It has been an honor to be a part of a church that is actively seeking to live out Jesus' call in so many ways, locally and globally. We are also very touched by how incredible the staff has been as we prepare to go overseas. This service is just one of many ways that they've been ministering to us. 



After his message, Dr. Merritt invited any men in the group who were ordained to come and pray over Zack. In addition to Pastor Larry and Dr. Merritt who were presiding over the evening, eleven other Godly men stepped up and spoke words and prayers of encouragement.



After that, Dr. Merritt closed by speaking some very appropriate and comforting words to our extended family. He then had them surround us and there was a final prayer.

Thanks to everyone who came out and supported Zack - and all four of us! - in this important step in our journey. And thanks for all you've done and been a part of to get us to this point.

Unfortunately when we arrived at the church I realized our camera battery was dead. Thankfully, several others took some pictures for us. I haven't received them all yet, but I've included a few we've received so far.

 



  

   

I just had to share this picture - for some reason, Caitlyn sticks her tongue out every time Zack holds her! :) We are so thankful for her, and for her awesome parents - who just happen to be some of our favorite friends & the wonderful realtors that sold our house!

This is So Not Us!

As we've been sharing our story with family and friends over the past 18 months or so, we've gotten the comments. If you've ever gone on a mission trip or done volunteer work, you've probably heard similar statements. "You guys are so awesome." "It's great that God has people like you to do stuff like this." "It's amazing that you guys are willing to do this, I don't think I could do it."

I would be a bit more upset about these comments, but I realize that we were once the ones saying similar things. But I want to make something clear.

We are sinners, saved by grace. What is happening in our family is the result of a God who is patient and faithful, who does not give up on arrogant, hard-headed, stubborn, self-centered people.

We are not the kind of people that sell everything and move to a country where we don't know the language, customs, and norms. We are not the kind of people that I think of when I consider those who move overseas.

But we are learning through all of this that God can use anyone for His purposes. We aren't the best Biblical scholars or avid theologians. In fact, as I think I may have mentioned before, we had used our lack of knowledge and intellect as an excuse. But as our friend Lindsey once reminded us, God doesn't call the equipped. He equips the called.

Maybe one of the best and easiest ways to say what I'm trying to say is by showing this video. It was part one of the missions emphasis videos (I posted part 2 earlier this week). It's three people talking about the fact that we're not special people. We're not in some elite category. We are ordinary people, but we listened to God, we stepped out in faith, and we said yes. Sometimes God asks you to say yes before you even know what the whole question is.

But that's what faith is all about: trusting Him and knowing that He will provide.



I've said it before: had He given us all the answers and details up front, it would have probably been more than we could handle. Instead, God simply asked us to follow Him. We said yes.

There are plenty of people who can do something. The important part is going from CAN to WILL.

Selling Things, Watching God Provide

God has used so many different things to show that He provides, and to affirm and confirm the His will for us. Here are a few examples:

• We had to sell our house to prepare for our move. Our agents (dear friends from church) said our asking price was a little high, but since we had a good bit of time they suggest we revisit it in 4 - 6 months and then consider lowering or even doing a short sale. About 12 days after going on the market, we had an offer. About a month after that, we closed and moved out.
• Next issue: where would we live until it was time to leave? We looked at the one apartment complex in our school district, but it just wasn't an option. And any rental house in our desired price range was snatched up as soon as the sign went in the yard. (And rentals wanted a 12-month commitment, which we couldn't do.) Zack's parents offered to let us live in their finished basement. While it would be tight living, it would be good practice for living in Europe. And it would allow us to really work on retiring student loan debt. So we accepted their generous offer.
• We had several yard sales, and did really well. More money towards student loans, and a tax benefit!
• We had a sweet neighbor come by our yard sale and point out that some of our items might be real silver. I took to our local jewely store, and got a couple hundred dollars - more student loan money!
• We needed to get rid of a lot of our furniture because 1) we had too much and 2) most of it was too big for a European apartment. We put a lot on Cra!g's List. The dining room sold quickly. Same with the living room furniture. But we couldn't find a buyer for our bedroom furniture. There was no way it could go to Europe with us. And we really didn't want to have to deal with moving it into storage, as large as it was. But it didn't seem that there was another option. But about two or three days before we had to be out of our house, a lady came and bought the armoire. And a few hours after that, a family bought the bedroom furniture.
• Our move meant a new school for the boys. We were all sad over this, as we didn't think any school could be better than theirs. But God has blessed us so big. The boys both got teachers that were better fits for their learning style and personality, and the school has been incredible in every aspect.

Questions?

Now that the majority of our story has been posted, I'm sure some of you might have questions.

So leave a comment and ask away. Of course with any personal situation, there are some things we won't be sharing here. But we'll answer as much as we can!

Paperwork & Timeline

The organization warned us about the mountains of paperwork we'd have to do in the application process. But we've adopted internationally twice, and this list of paperwork seemed mild in comparison!

We got to work on it quickly, and for the next several months we received one type of approval after another. We did things like medical evaluations, educational evaluations, doctrinal/belief statements, biographies, background checks, and more. In mid December of 2011, we received the final approval piece we needed.

Now, we would need to be matched to a job, and to be approved by the trustees.

In February of this year, we received confirmation that we were assigned to the job in Norway! Later that month, we received the initial trustee approval.

In late May, we will travel to Tennessee for final, official approval, for preliminary meetings, and to be officially begin with our new company.

Here's what our 2012 timeline looks like right now:

May 19 - 23:   Appointment week meetings & activities

July 23:           Begin 8 weeks of training in Virginia

October:          Begin 3 months of urban training in Canada

January:          Arrive in Norway

We have definitely entered a season of transitions. Will you please pray for our family during the next 9 months, as we live in several different places, begin learning new concepts and a new language, and say good-bye to family and friends? Pray especially for our boys: that they will handle all of this change well: that it will be a time of great memories, and of an even deeper bond as a family.

Now that all of this is out here, I'll share more details about our process, and some cool stories of God's providence as well. But I wanted to at least get the main stuff out there so you could join us in praising God and asking Him for continued guidance.

We'll Go... But Where?

We tried to start the application process in November 2010, but our situation was unique. Because Daniel's adoption was so recent, the organization asked that we wait to begin the application process until Daniel had been home with us for a year.

During those months of waiting, while we continued to work on our family adhesion and on debt reduction, we also prayed for God to show us where He wanted us. We felt like we were being given a clear calling to Europe, but we wanted to make sure that was God's will and not just our own personal desires.

After much prayer, we felt a strong attraction (can't think of a better word right now) to a couple of countries in particular: Norway & Germany. However, from all the research we'd recently done, it didn't look like there were any positions available through our organization in either of those countries.

In July of 2010, one year after Daniel joined our family, Zack and I attended a 3-day expo with the organization. We were there with many others interested in going overseas. We tried to stay open-minded about the WHERE in our going process. When it came time to meet with leaders from each geographic area, we had two time slots to fill. We knew we both wanted to go to the European break-out session. We decided to split up for the first session, and then meet up in the Europe meeting.

Shortly before those break-out meetings, we were given a list of all the positions that were currently available. They were split up, primarily by continent. It was a big list. We were told that there might be others as well, and some of those on the list might have already been filled.

We had about 30 minutes to look over and pray about this before break-outs began. We went through the Europe list. We saw a few other interesting positions, but nothing that stood out to us. We continued through the listings for other continents, but didn't see anything that seemed to fit our skillset or the calling we felt we'd heard so clearly.

And then Zack flipped back through the European list once more. And we realized he'd missed the first page.

There, on the top of the sheet, was an open position in Norway.

And thus began our pursuit to get to Norway.

The expo was not a guarantee that we would be hired. Everyone went through interviews there that would determine whether or not the organization wished to pursue you as candidates.

A couple of weeks after getting home, the call came in: we could begin the candidate application process.

Spilling the Beans

On the morning of Saturday, October 16, 2010, Zack met with his accountability at the Rexall Grill in Duluth. As they often did, they met for breakfast, to pray together, and to challenge each other.

On this particular Saturday, Zack was definitely challenged in a whole new way. His two accountability partners, dear friends and the kind of guys that will just tell it like it is, asked him a simple question: What are you waiting for? They could see that God was speaking, and they challenged Zack to listen.

He came home later that morning, humbled and ready. For what, we didn't exactly know. But we sat and talked, and began praying even more, asking God where He wanted us. Our biggest prayer was much like Isaiah's words in chapter 6, verse 8: Here am I. Send me! (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+6%3A8&version=NIV) We didn't know what we were signing up for, but we surrendered to God and said Yes.

God knows what we can handle. He knew that revealing all the details up front would be more than we could take. But He never gives more than we can handle, and He continued revealing His plan a little at a time.

Over the next few weeks, we explored various missions and ministry opportunities. Some looked interesting. Others were immediate shut doors. But through our prayers and our research, one opportunity and organization really stood out.

So at the end of October 2010, we met with a representative from this one particular international missions organization. The initial meeting went great. We agreed that we felt this was the opportunity we should pursue. We agreed that this was in line with what God was calling us to do.

And thus began our journey to find work overseas. We have answered God's call to serve Him overseas, wherever and however He chooses.

What If...

Our Norwegian friends left on October 10, 2010. And they left us with a lot of excitement, questions and uncertainty. God had used them, and Thomas & Daniel, and Zack's 2009 mission trip, and so many other situations, events, and circumstances to speak to us. He kept bringing to mind the Great Commission. Particularly, that one little word: Go.

If you looked at us, you might say we were living the American Dream. A great marriage. Two beautiful children. A reliable car that was paid off, and a company car that also helped keep the bills down. A great house: big enough that we could spread out, but not so big that I hated cleaning it. It was filled with our dream furniture, decorated in a style all our own, loaded with toys and clothes and food. We both had great jobs. Good money, flexible work schedules. Zack was able to get the boys off to school in the morning before starting his day. I got home from work about the same time they did from school. The boys' schools were great. We loved our church. We had friends in the neighborhood, at church, and through other avenues. All of our family was within 2 hours or less from us.

But have you ever been homesick for a place that's not your home?

Have you ever been totally uncomfortable in what was once your comfort zone?

On October 11, 2010, that's where we found ourselves. Our guests were gone and we were back to our routine. But during that week, we both began to admit that something wasn't right.

It's not that we weren't thankful or grateful. But we were suddenly realizing that we weren't where God wanted us to be. We should have been extremely comfortable, but as we are learning, when you're not following where God is leading, He will take care of that.

I think one of the neatest things in this story - and one of the ways that God affirmed that what was going on now WAS his plan - is the fact that He was working on each of us individually, before He brought us together on the subject. I had been praying for a number of months, asking Him what He wanted us to do, where He wanted us to go. He answered my prayers through scripture, through spiritual mentors, through converations and chance encounters. GO. That's the answer that kept coming to me. Nothing more at the time. And yet, those two little letters, that one small word... said a lot.

I'd mention little things here and there to Zack. He'd sometimes have an excuse, like "I'm not smart enough," or "we're too old." Or sometimes, he'd just shake his head. Not in a way that told me "no." It was more in a way that told me that he wasn't ready. So I continued to pray. I knew that if this was God's will, God would also reveal it to Zack.

And on Saturday, October 16, 2010, God did.