“Time is so short that it behooves us each to lay out our days to what it seems to us will give the widest and surest return in God’s Kingdom.” – Lilias Trotter, missionary to Algeria 1853-1928

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Phew! We’ve spent the summer traveling to Pre-Field Orientation (New York) and SIMco (North Carolina) trainings (each two weeks long) where our hearts were stirred and brains filled to overflowing with new information. The kids were with us for both trips & we maximized the family time! The people we met along the way were wonderful — truly like-minded friends whom we admire and who spur us on. Here are some highlights:

Jonathan and Nathaniel with new friends at PFO!

• The kids connected quickly with other kids who are going through the very same transition they are. It was so cool for us to see them adapt so well to new relationships and be courageous in sharing their fears and hopes for living in Niger!
• Travel: our kids love to do it! They were pros in the airport and packing their backpacks each time. Sitting by Ruth on the plane ride home from New York, she started pulling out stuffed animals, one after the other…until there were seven animals sitting with us! How would you like to be the third person in our row?
• Teaching from the heart: we were taught by Godly men and women who shared from their hearts and lives. It was beautiful and inspiring. Andy and I reflected on the richness of the stories they told, all centering around the power of Jesus Christ changing lives all over the world! We are thrilled to serve in Niger and someday have our own stories to share!
• Relationships: Meeting other missionaries-to-be was such a blessing to us! We felt right at home with these new friends, sharing in similar anxieties, passions, and challenges.
• Connecting with SIM: we met with various team members from our mission agency, SIM and felt such a peace about partnering with them for this mission. We are so grateful for this connection through Lake City Community Church, our home church!

What next? As August rolls to a finish (really?) we are looking ahead to a busy Fall! I will be homeschooling Jonathan, while Nathaniel (4th grade) and Ruth (1st grade) will be at University Place Primary. Andy will continue counseling at Hopesparks, and I will be packing, learning French, selling stuff we don’t want to keep or pack, fundraising (with Andy’s help, of course!), and hopefully reading a few good books too!

For those of you who are wondering, here is our financial update:

One-time needs — Received $29,000 out of $31,000 total! (Incredible!)

Monthly commitments — 1 church and 30 donors giving $1,665/month (just over 30% to our monthly goal!)

For more information about our financial needs visit our “finances” page.

Thanks for checking in! – Nikki

Christina Kroes and her daughter Madison, with Ruth and I...the Kroes are already in Ethiopia!

Silly Boys!

Evan Evans, missionary in Senegal, with Andy!

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:18-19

We are finishing another two weeks of training, and I want to have my first blog ever actually have something of substance in it…so I am in deep thought. These times make me feel such peace inside. My heart and mind are at rest and I long to be able to communicate what got me here! We are in North Carolina, at SIM headquarters and have been inundated with information and tools to be successful missionaries. Thank goodness, because we certainly need all the help we can get. The peace didn’t come from training, and it didn’t come from good food or exercise or the fact that I got to have extra time with Ruth today. No, it is the pleasure of obedience to God – knowing that I am putting my “roots” down in the right place to be able to grow and produce the kinds of things I want my life to exemplify — love!  God’s love, which is miraculous and kind and generous and mysterious and powerful, and best of all gracious.

Andy and I are stepping out in faith to move to Niger and serve missionary families by taking care of their kids. We’ll be living at Sahel Academy and have the role of dorm parents. This blog was created so I could keep everyone in my life informed of our family’s comings and goings. I am still learning how to navigate this technology so hopefully it will be easy to track…we’ll see!?

We did it! A blog has been created — and I really hope this will be a place where we (well, mostly me, Nikki) will be able to communicate what is happening regarding our journey to Niger as a family. I have a lot to learn about the technology and formatting of this, so be patient. My desire is to post information that will keep you in-the-know as we prepare to move to Niger. Stay tuned!