New Year, same ol', same ol'

That pretty much sums up life for us right now - just entering another new year with nothing really new to speak of...ha! We are very excited for what lies ahead, yet still in awe of all the God has done and continues to do. I know that sounds cliche'd, but it's really the way we feel. Many of you have expressed amazement at our courage or faith in moving our family to Africa, but really, we don't feel like we're doing anything other than trying to obey God's prompting at each step along the way.
We've all heard sermons about how you need to find your God-given purpose in life, and that if you truly seek after God's will for your life and allow God to work in you in the meantime, God will bless you and show you His plan for your life. Well, Alisha and I have heard several such messages over the last decade, and each time we would feel so strongly that we wanted that for our lives, but we just felt like God was largley silent, and that we were clearly in a waiting period. Many times we would do things like devote a certain day of the week to prayer or fasting to see if God would reveal His plan for us - and some amazing things happened during those times - but we never received an answer to our question of big picture life goals.
Well, obviously, in the end, after about 8 years of this, the timing was right and God began to reveal to us the path we should take. But it didn't come overnight, and was never in bright lights on a billboard like we were thinking it would be. Instead, it came in the form of a series of small steps with a few big choices mixed in. And with each step, it required a small amount of action on our part, and a lot of faith and patience to see God fill in all the gaps.
In time, after this process repeated itself over and over again over the past 2 years, the faith part of it has become easier and easier as we continue to see God do amazing things in working this all out. That's not to say that we have expectations of everything working out absolutely perfectly - God isn't calling us to an easy, perfect life, that place is called 'Heaven'! But we do have faith that He is working in our situation and each of our needs will be met in one way or another, at His perfect timing.
So why have I written this little summary of our process? To encourage any of you who may be at one of those earlier stages, waiting on God or trying to figure out how to direct your God-given passion in life. We are not super-Christians or extra-holy missionaries who live some fairy-tale life of perfect unity and harmony with the Holy Spirit. We feel like little nobodies who are taking baby steps in learning to live for God as He works out His perfect plan for our lives. And He continues to prove His faithfulness as He completes the work He's started in us.
We pray that in 2008, God blesses each of you and that you in turn allow Him to work out His will in your lives as He is more than capable of doing. Thank you all for the part you have played thus far and continue to play in the work He is doing in and through us. We are so grateful for the love, prayers and support of so many of our family and friends. Our cup is full and running over! (These are some of the pictures from the road as we've traveled around visiting friends and family. It's been such a treat to spent this time with loved ones who we'll miss dearly: me with Uncle Lou, Alisha and college friend Kristi Ellis, our nieces Bayli and Danielle - Dani (red scarf) will be joining us in Uganda for a year beginning in July to help us out!, Aunt Alisha leading the cousins in prayer before bed, Alisha and me with college friend Brodie Carroll and his wife Jenn and son Joseph, me and my brother-in-law KC, Aunt Mary & Uncle Sam & cousin Anna Rose, me and my brother Bart on Venice beach - caught in a totally "candid" moment, and Brodie playing a duet on piano with 'the master' - my roommate from college Ryan Greene).