Amanda and I and our two girls, Sari and Macie, are going to Hungary to visit for a couple of weeks at the end of April and the beginning of May.
I have been involved with a youth ministry movement in the country of Hungary with our high school students and the partnership is continuing and thriving. In fact, this summer, we are taking two teams of high school students to Hungary. It is amazing what is happening!
My longtime friend, Rob Trenckmann, and his wife, asked us (my family) to consider joining the team in Hungary.
New adventures always intrigue me, but what my wife thinks and how the Lord is leading us collectively as a family is really important to me. We have been thinking, praying and pondering this idea since last summer, and while we don’t necessarily think this is how God is leading right now, we do sense that we are supposed to visit and check it out. The flights were more affordable than we thought they would be so we decided to bring our kids along. They will be an important factor for consideration in any decision we make.
So that’s the plan. We will spend half the time on our trip at a conference with the missions organization that Rob is a part of, Josiah Venture, and the other half of the time in Hungary visiting and exploring and talking and praying.
We’ve told our small group and our close friends what we are doing as well as the staff of our church. It’s not a secret and as people learn of our trip I share the same thing with them. I’m always asking them to pray for discernment as we seek the Lord.
Something that has been helpful over the years as I have got offers to consider other jobs in ministry is that I always engage and consider them. I usually call the contact person and discuss things with them, but every single time I have either talked them out of wanting me or not thought it was a good fit. So it’s easy for me to tell people that whenever a new opportunity presents itself I always consider it and seek the Lord’s wisdom.
So far in the last 14 years, the Lord has seen fit to keep us in Hayward. It’s no different with this trip in the consideration part. What is different this time is we are actually going to visit the ministry. So it is a little more serious at this point. But Amanda and I are just honest with people about where we are in the process so they can come along the journey with us regardless of the outcome.
At the very least, our family will enjoy a fun adventure to Europe together and get to see some close friends of ours who are part of a movement to transform society with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
