Early Fall Update!!!

Support Update
Friends, a little less than a month ago we needed to raise $2500 in monthly support to reach 100% of our support, and in that short about of time we have raised $500 monthly!  We are grateful for your continued prayer and financial partnership!  To date, we have raised, and are already receiving 70% of our monthly need!!!  THANK YOU for your contributions towards this huge milestone!

If you are connected to people who you think would be interested in hearing more about GO Ministries, have a heart for youth ministry, or just love supporting those serving Christ internationally, help us get connected with them!!!

November Plans

November15-18, I (Dan) will be traveling down to the DR with our missions pastor John Foster and one of our friends Dave Ochs to take a few bins of personal items down ahead of our arrival in January.  The plan is to make some purchases and get the house set up on a very basic level so that our move down is not complete chaos.  I'm looking forward to a few extra days in the DR and opportunities to connect with other future team members and friends.  In the meantime we continue to downsize what we currently have here as most items we can't take down with us will either end up in bins to store or be sold.  God was faithful in May as we sold our house and many other items, and He will continue to lead us and provide for our needs in the future as we take these steps of faith day by day.

The Kids

Maddie with a friend at ballet class

Taking grounders with coach Tony

Later this month the triplets will turn 5!  It feels like just  yesterday they were born.  They love preschool and they have begun to explore some of their own interests to a greater level.  The boys are in a baseball and kickball class (gotta learn the basics so they can play with the dominican boys) and Maddie is learning ballet. It's fun to see them learn some new skills and grow in their independence.  We know that a transition to a new country, a new language, a new school, a new home, and new friends (just to name a few) will be a serious change for these guys, but they are also at a prime age to soak up these things.  Please join us in prayer for their little hearts- that they would be all stars with all the "new" and that God would give them a deep love for the people and the culture that we are going to live among!

Above Average

Our church started the ministry year a few weeks back with a series titled "Above Average" and the focus was on three areas of life that ideally we all would want to have an above average experience with: Relationships, Finances, and Faith.  We have enjoyed the series and the preaching from our Senior Pastor Kelly Brady.  You can hear the sermon audio files HERE. In student ministry we decided to teach through the same series with our students.  It has been great to be challenged both as somebody sitting and listening on Sunday mornings, but also as one studying to share a word from God with others.  Just the other day, we concluded our series by talking about Above Average Faith, and for me the preparation for this talk was very reflective.  How the heck did I get from where I was to a point of moving our family out of the country.  One of the takeaways for me was that living a life of above average faith provides opportunities to share about Christ, ones that you might not have otherwise.  I cannot begin to tell you how cool its been to tell others that we are moving to the DR.  If nothing more, it raises eyebrows, but mostly it generates conversation.  Holly and I both try to take advantage of these opportunities to share about how it is our faith in Christ that is compelling us towards such an "abnormal" thing.  As Christ-followers, our lives should be full of things that set us apart, (not make us weird) and that cause the world around us to say...there is something different and genuine about their faith.  Our prayer for you, as God grows you in faith, is that you would have and seize opportunities to share with others about Christ, and the rich hope that lives inside of you, just as Peter wrote:

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect"

1Peter 3:15

Thank you for all your love, support, & prayers- we couldn't do this without you!!!