Big Changes
joeacast
For the last few minutes, I’ve been listening to some great songs by Jadon Lavik, Fernando Ortega and Aaron Shust (I love Pandora). It’s been a reflective, rainy afternoon, and Lavik, Ortega and Shust have been good companions. If you haven’t heard yet, my family is embarking on yet another great adventure. Starting April 1st, we will no longer be serving the Lord at Bethany Baptist here in Salem, and we will start serving Him through the ministry of Lake Ann Camp in Traverse City, Michigan. Bethany has been our home for the past twelve years, and the only church our children have known. This has been, without a doubt, the most difficult decision our family has ever made.
We love our church, and nothing has happened that is driving us away. We weren’t looking to leave and we certainly weren’t looking east. But when you strive to live the Overboard Life, God has a way of leading you into places you never imagined! I’ve written about following the Lord where ever He leads, and now God is giving us the opportunity to put that written belief into practice.
As we begin the process of packing up twelve years of life here in Salem, there are a lot of reflective moments like today. We have been so blessed by great friendships, incredible students in our ministry and ministry that was as much to us as it was from us. Together our family has shed a lot of tears in the process of making this decision, and many more are going to come.
But through it all we know that there is no better place to be, than on the path God has for us. As broken as we are about leaving Salem, we are equally thrilled about the opportunity that exists for us at Lake Ann Camp. God has tailor-made an opportunity for us to embrace in our new roll and we move east with excitement.
Thank you, all of you, for your amazing love and support. The journey that God gives us can’t be taken alone, and we certainly wouldn’t be on this one without the incredible love and support others have shown us. Walking on water in pursuit of Christ’s Kingdom is a team effort; a team we are proud to be a part of.
The journey has been remarkable, and we can’t wait to see how God unfolds the next part of our trip. Thanks for staying connected, and please -- keep us in the loop about your journey. Nothing encourages the Overboard Life like hearing stories of other travelers who have walked the same paths, or are currently walking in the same faith.
We are grabbing the sides and jumping overboard -- not because it’s easy, but -- because we know life is always better on the water!