“And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord you God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.”
- Deuteronomy 8:2

As most of you know by now, we are no longer pursuing full-time, vocational ministry in Salerno, Italy. (If you are unaware of this change, and desire to know more of the process leading up to this decision, click here.) Although this is not what we expected or envisioned, we are more than excited to continue to follow God as He guides.

First of all, we want to thank those of you who have surrounded us, and challenged us to ‘take heart’ that God does not make any mistakes, and that we are exactly where He wants us. Thank you for speaking truth into our hearts that this past year has not been a failure. We have experienced more growth and reliance on God in 2009 and 2010 than in any other year we can remember. We have seen success in the most important realm of our lives. We don’t want to forget what God has done.

More than once in the Bible, God tells his people to remember what he has done for them:

You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (Deut. 8:18)

Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders and they will tell you. (Deut. 32:7)

Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered… (1 Chron. 16:12)

Therefore, I hope to write several posts over the next couple weeks documenting and sharing lessons that we have learned from an endeavor born of faith and trust in God. My main objective for doing this is to solidify in my heart what God has changed, and to let the roots of lessons-learned grow deep. I hope that you are encouraged, and even challenged, as you read.

Stay tuned!