BRIEF...BRIEF STORY OF HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE...DID I SAY BRIEF?!
It started for us when we went on a mission trip in March of 2013 with Horizons Church to Nicaragua. We linked up with a wonderful family there (who happened to be Global Partners missionaries) and stayed for about a week or so.
After the first day we thought that the missionary family was crazy!! How could a family, including children, up and move to a country and live like that?!?! Day two rolls around and our opinion changed...Okay okay..we see how THEY can do it...it works for them. Day three...yes...you guessed it!...our opinion changed yet again...and again on day four....five....six...By the end of the week it was MORE than obvious that God was telling us something, but WHAT?! We each had our individual moments where we figured out exactly what God was telling us to do. Needless to say, we were being called to get up and GO.
It started for us when we went on a mission trip in March of 2013 with Horizons Church to Nicaragua. We linked up with a wonderful family there (who happened to be Global Partners missionaries) and stayed for about a week or so.
After the first day we thought that the missionary family was crazy!! How could a family, including children, up and move to a country and live like that?!?! Day two rolls around and our opinion changed...Okay okay..we see how THEY can do it...it works for them. Day three...yes...you guessed it!...our opinion changed yet again...and again on day four....five....six...By the end of the week it was MORE than obvious that God was telling us something, but WHAT?! We each had our individual moments where we figured out exactly what God was telling us to do. Needless to say, we were being called to get up and GO.
We got back to the states and started taking a step of faith at a time. We contacted Global Partners. We filled out a bit of paperwork. We did a phone interview (they were interviewing us but in reality...we were probably interviewing them). We did more paperwork. We decided to keep taking steps of faith and if/when God shut the door then we would know. He did not shut ANY door. In fact, God opened up double doors. Months later we found ourselves on our second trip to Indiana at the Global Partners Headquarters officially appointed as MISSIONARIES to Haiti!!!! Who would have thought?! Not us! God had bigger and better plans for our family.
A lot of people have asked, "Why Haiti?" Short of God writing us a postcard saying 'Go to Haiti!! signed -God', here is how and why Haiti will be our new home. We knew God was telling us to GO, but we were not sure where. We didn't want to limit God. And while we left a piece of our heart in Nicaragua, we also knew that we would have felt 'called' to any country we had been on a mission trip to. So what did we do? We told God we would go anywhere as missionaries....as long as it was a country that spoke spanish. Way to go Stephens family. God=limited by our standards...not His :) We sat down for lunch with a few of the WONDERFUL Global Partners staff members one afternoon while in Indiana. We began to go over what's our role as missionaries might look like. Nancy loves Dave Ramsey, administrative things, finances, etc... Dustin loves people, loving on people, serving others. We did not know where we fit in. The GP (Global Partners) staff mentioned Haiti and encouraged us to talk to the Caribe Atlantic Area Directors about some of their needs in Haiti. Haiti? Spanish is not the primary language there, and because of that we were very skeptical that that was where we were supposed to go. How we came to Haiti as a final decision (postcard from God) came shortly after the conversation we had with Dan and Joy (the area directors) down in Haiti. To tell this next part I will need to give you some back ground...Months previous Nancy asked me (Dustin) what my pipe dream would be living as a missionary. After the laundry list I gave her she looked at me like I was crazy (what else is new). After Skyping with Dan and Joy they described, down to the very last detail, their need in Haiti and it was exactly the pipe dream I had told Nancy about. OKAY God!!! Postcard received!!
We have fallen in love with a country...with a people...and CANNOT wait to get there to do what God would have us to do with NO limits. We would love to share our story...God's story in its entirety with ALL of you. So please do not hesitate to contact us and let's sit down over coffee and allow us to share with you how we can be YOUR hands and feet in Haiti!
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to those people who have prayed for us and financially supported us. We will not be able to make it to Haiti with out your support! Those of you who will begin to support us and partner with us...Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
A lot of people have asked, "Why Haiti?" Short of God writing us a postcard saying 'Go to Haiti!! signed -God', here is how and why Haiti will be our new home. We knew God was telling us to GO, but we were not sure where. We didn't want to limit God. And while we left a piece of our heart in Nicaragua, we also knew that we would have felt 'called' to any country we had been on a mission trip to. So what did we do? We told God we would go anywhere as missionaries....as long as it was a country that spoke spanish. Way to go Stephens family. God=limited by our standards...not His :) We sat down for lunch with a few of the WONDERFUL Global Partners staff members one afternoon while in Indiana. We began to go over what's our role as missionaries might look like. Nancy loves Dave Ramsey, administrative things, finances, etc... Dustin loves people, loving on people, serving others. We did not know where we fit in. The GP (Global Partners) staff mentioned Haiti and encouraged us to talk to the Caribe Atlantic Area Directors about some of their needs in Haiti. Haiti? Spanish is not the primary language there, and because of that we were very skeptical that that was where we were supposed to go. How we came to Haiti as a final decision (postcard from God) came shortly after the conversation we had with Dan and Joy (the area directors) down in Haiti. To tell this next part I will need to give you some back ground...Months previous Nancy asked me (Dustin) what my pipe dream would be living as a missionary. After the laundry list I gave her she looked at me like I was crazy (what else is new). After Skyping with Dan and Joy they described, down to the very last detail, their need in Haiti and it was exactly the pipe dream I had told Nancy about. OKAY God!!! Postcard received!!
We have fallen in love with a country...with a people...and CANNOT wait to get there to do what God would have us to do with NO limits. We would love to share our story...God's story in its entirety with ALL of you. So please do not hesitate to contact us and let's sit down over coffee and allow us to share with you how we can be YOUR hands and feet in Haiti!
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to those people who have prayed for us and financially supported us. We will not be able to make it to Haiti with out your support! Those of you who will begin to support us and partner with us...Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!