Have you ever had those moments when someone spoke a word to you that you never forgot? Jeremy and I did 10 years ago. I still remember it like it was yesterday. Joshua was only a couple of months old, and we were at a meeting with some leaders from our home church. This man prayed for us and he kept saying, “You’ll be in the field and the city. The field and the city. The field and the city.” He kept saying, “the field and the city,” over and over again. Something resounded in our hearts, and apparently those watching felt the impact, too.
Over the years those words “the field and the city” have never left us. It seems each year that we gain a little more understanding of what they might mean. Now, more than ever, those words are resounding like a clanging cymbal.
As I’ve shared what we’re doing, the question is “Where?” The answer is simply the field and the city. In order to communicate, share the stories, and build a bridge between the work and the people, we must be in both places. We must be here meeting with people and speaking. We must be in Africa to cast vision and bring the stories back with us.
We’ve dreamed of having homes on multiple continents. I used to think that dream was too exorbitant for a “missionary” family, but after I put the money dream buster aside, I realized that God can make a way. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He can make a way for us to have a home here and one in Africa.
This summer we are planning to return to S. Africa with open ended tickets. The kids are beyond excited. We feel we are to be there for as long as we need to. It could be 2 months. It could be 6. It could be more. It’s part of this call of being in the field and the city and being open to His leading.
We are in the middle of making decisions for the kid’s schooling next school year. We’ve always evaluated it each year, but this year more than ever. Despite my initial fears of how they would handle changes, they are incredibly open and excited for the future. Home schooling is on the radar again, but we’re still seeking direction.
I hope it hasn’t been too confusing explaining our sabbatical process and what we’re doing over these several posts. I do want to share more about my photography and how it relates to Ten Thousand Homes and how it doesn’t. That post is coming soon. If you have any questions I haven’t answered, feel free to ask away in the comments section!
Part 1 : Sabbatical Recap
Part 2 : Individual Passions
Part 3: Filling In The Gaps
Part 4: The Post You’ve Been Waiting For
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