"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Col 3:2-3, ESV)
Since returning from the Philippines and officially accepting the call to serve as the next Field Director of the Children's Shelter of Cebu, our family has been in "packing mode." It has been an eye-opening, blessed, challenging, and freeing process of purging things we don't need, selling furniture, and packing things into balikbayan boxes (a balikbayan box is a large shipping box that pinoys have used for decades to send items "back home," and a balikbayan is a Filipino who is returning or visiting the Philippines after being away in another country for a period of time). It has also allowed us to reflect on those things that are truly important to us.
Our conclusion? We have "everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence" (2 Peter 1:3). So long as we're together, being led by God, then we have everything we need; our treasures are not the things we've filled our home with over the past 15 years. And while this truth is something we've known, it has been a blessing and a privilege to live it out.
Right now we planning to send some items that will remind us of the lives we built in Minnesota (pictures, gifts, favorite toys, etc.). Our prayer is that these things will give our new place in the Philippines a sense of familiarity; something that will help us through those inevitable bouts of home-sickness. We're also shipping things that will help us to hit the ground running: school curriculum, kitchen and eating essentials, really nice towels that we received last Christmas, some bedding, etc.
But by and far we're purging, packing as few balikbayan boxes as possible and planning on carrying most of what we'll bring with us in our single carry-on and two checked pieces of luggage (each). Please pray with us as we continue this process over the coming weeks.
Our Prayer Requests
Every night over dinner we share prayer requests as a family. The kids have continued to echo the prayer that we'll find a good church to call home in the Philippines. I (Roberto) am praying for discernment and wisdom on whether to sell or rent our home in Richfield. Heather is asking for continued prayer support in choosing what items to ship, what items to sell, and what items to bring on the plane. Overall, we're continuing to pray that the Lord is glorified in all of this; that He would allow everything to fall into place at exactly the right time (fundraising, packing our things, selling/renting our home, moving to temporary housing, flying to the Philippines, etc.) as a witness to the His power, grace, and mercy.
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