On A Mission

We are bondservants of Christ being made ready and equipped to follow the will of God as he calls our family to the ends of the earth, bearing the love of the Gospel and furthering his Kingdom for the sake of His name...for the sake of His glory!

God has planted the seed, watered, pruned and grown our hearts (and pruned some more) for a time such as this! He is now not only revealing the kind of fruit he is calling our family to bear but where he is calling us to bear it for this next season of our lives.  Late this summer, by a step of faith and obedience, our family will be moving to San Salvador, El Salvador as missionaries.  We are partnering with Envision Wired, a division of the Christian & Missionary Alliance, for a minimum two-year term.

Envision exists to meet the needs of young adults within the C&MA who desire to serve the Lord on a global scale. Through a unique relationship with international workers serving in over 80 countries around the world, Envision is designed to mobilize kingdom-minded students for His service. Our primary ministry will be centered on living in community with the Mullinax family and serving to aid the Envision program in any way that we can. Much of our work with the Envision program will consist of leading short-term teams that come through the site, discipling interns and staff at Wired, and organizing responsibilities to help speed along new ministries that are under development through Wired.  One ministry we hope to help get underway is called Broken.  Broken consists of broken people who rescue broken people who in turn become rescuers of broken people. After ministering to the needs of broken, hurting people, after they have reached a place of health and wholeness in the Lord, to then send them back into the communities of El Salvador to minister the same hope of the gospel to their families, friends, and neighbors.  The people groups include abandoned infants, impoverished and at-risk families, addicts, sex trade workers, and ex-prisioners and gang members. 

We are thrilled to be living out this radical, God-given dream He planted in our hearts long ago, but with that comes a grieving heart as we surrender that which is familiar and constant, that which seems safe and predictable, all of it at the end of the day means to surrender what is comfortable.  I like the comfortable place because I know it well. It is a place however, I've discovered I have grown to depend less on God and more on myself.  Oh how foolish to settle for less than God's best!  Deep down there has always been the desire to live beyond myself...fully consecrated to God!  We were made to live for purpose.  God Himself lives for purpose.  The way to live with significance is to devote yourself to a purpose that is larger than your life.  The only way this is achieved is to call upon and offer our broken lives to the only One who can make something of them.  Empty hands held high...such a small sacrifice!  Not to hold anything back but lay everything down....uninhibited surrender.  Surrender is the key to knowing God's will.  Surrender gives you uninhibited access to the deepest possible intimacy with Jesus.  You only find that place after walking the road of humility.  And if you are anything like me, my pride is often a road block that prevents me from getting there.  This journey is teaching me the only way to know and truly live out your God-given purpose, is one small surrendered step at a time.  You never know what the next step is unless you surrender the one before.  It is in these small moments wrapped in grace that we witness His miracles in our life...one act of surrender at a time.  One act of surrender changes everything!

Yes, we are being called . . . God calls each of us.  The most important truth to remember is that we are first and foremost called to a person.  Jesus said, "Come, follow me" (Matthew 4:19).  We, the sheep of His pasture, can hear His voice (John 10).  With the storms of life surrounding us these past months, it is only when our "eyes" stay fixed on Him that we are able to see beyond the storm.  Courageous faith is to believe more in the things we cannot see and less on the terrifying things we can.   It is then that we hear His quiet voice drown out the crashing waves and in the solitude of reflection He speaks.  His voice saying...I AM your safe place.  You are safest in the center of my will and I go before you and am calling you to El Salvador.  Wow!

For those who know me, surrendering this was big not only because of the recent storm in my life but also because my heart strings were tied to Guatemala...a country God had grown in me a deep love for and heartache over.  If I was to go anywhere, surely it would be there.  But deep down the bigger question God was asking was..."Do you trust me enough to go where I send you?"  Unconditional obedience means doing the will of God regardless...or for me it meant going where He sends me without placing conditions on it...no strings attached.  Why and how could I do this?  The answer...the cross.  Why because I trust Him and how because I choose too.  Christ demonstrated the ultimate act of love through sacrifice and obedience and that love transformed my life.

With so many unknowns ahead, the only thing that IS true and constant is God himself.  I am so thankful he goes before us, behind us, with us and alongside us.  No need to fear when He pretty much has it covered right?  May that truth be lived out in these next months as we experience radical change in our lives.

We know God puts the pieces to the puzzle together by His design.  We know His plans are not accomplished by us alone.  We know this journey of ours is not meant to be walked alone, but one to be traveled with many.  We humbly ask you to consider being part of our team whether prayerfully, financially or both. We would love to partner with you and travel this road together.  We are beginning to send out our "missions letter" and prayer card by email/mail and in person.  Please let us know how God may be calling you to be a piece of the puzzle.

As you can imagine, the covering of prayer is much needed.  Below are some immediate prayer requests we would love if you would lift up on our behalf.

- God's direction and wisdom for the decisions made on the journey to get there
- ability to balance home, family, relationships with the demands of leaving
- good stewardship of time and resources
- protection over our family from distractions, doubt, fear, enemy's attacks
- strong prayer and financial support team raising the necessary funds
- our biggest financial need is committed monthly donors
- strength, health, perseverance
- each child specifically and God's plan for their education
- offer on our house from the right buyer with an efficient and smooth sale
- finding a home for our four cats (2 older and 2 younger)
- do everything out of a heart of love and with an attitude of thanksgiving

Partnering Together to Be the Change!
The Schuenke's