An Open Letter to our Pastor and Ministry Friends

For the last 8 years Dez and I have served as the Pastor’s of Life Fellowship in Allen, TX. It has been a wonderful ride, but we are very familiar with the pressures and strains of leading a church. We understand that often our heart is larger than our budget. We have had to tell missionaries “No, we can’t support you right now.” We have felt terrible about not being able to book a missionary for a service because we didn’t think we could afford the hotel room or the meals.

It is important to Dez and me that you know we know what you are going through. If we call, email, or see you in person and you’re not in a position to schedule us for a service or you’re not in position to pick us up for support we ARE NOT offended. If your church is already committed to other missionaries and projects, we ARE NOT offended. Please don’t feel like you have treat us different or things have to be uncomfortable between us. Just let us know where you’re at. If you need to book us 6 months down the road, were good with that. If you need to put us in you budget next year, we are good with that. If we just are not a right fit for you and your church, we are good with that. We are not good with losing relationship.

We must find financial supporters. We have to book services. So we are going to ask, but please know that to us your friendship is just as an important part of partnership as pledges and services. We value relationship so much and hope that we don’t lose “our friends” with our new role.

I would add, as much as we had to deal with budget limitations, we have also experienced the unbelievable joy of taking steps of faith and God using our church to meet important needs. From the first day of our church plant we have highlighted missions and I believe God has rewarded our church for that. So as a fellow minister who understands limitations, let me encourage you to prayerfully consider the limitless God you serve and the possibility of leading your church to be a vehicle of God’s blessing to Swaziland. - Randy

The Beginning of the Journey....for us anyway....

In 2005, Randy took a group from Life Fellowship to Swaziland, Africa. Randy had gone on quite a few mission's trips prior to this one. He had even gone to Africa before, so I really didn't think anything different about this trip. I dropped him off at the airport as usual, and went about my 10 days with Randy being gone. He called a couple of times, he spoke of the wonderful missionaries there, and he told me how beautiful the country was...but I didn't really become suspicious of anything. :) ....but then I picked him up from the airport..... I could see it in his eyes. As he spoke of the trip, of the things they had done, the people he had met, the missionaries, the Swazis, the culture, the need....it was becoming clear. At some point, I knew we would be going there for a more permanent stay. I didn't say anything about it. It certainly didn't make sense for us to go. We had planted this church just 3 years before. We planted it with being there forever in mind. We loved our people, we loved our community, we loved what we were doing. Why in the world would we go to Africa? Not to mention, I had never had any desire whatsoever of going to Africa on a mission's trip. Let alone to live there. Nonetheless, I tucked it away in my heart and my head. Thinking to myself, even if we do go....surely it would be many, many years down the road.

Two years later I was able to visit Swaziland on a mission's trip. It was a beautiful country. The missionaries there were wonderful. The need was certainly great. The missionary's wife would make comments about what it would be like for us when we got there. I knew she knew what I knew. Many years away....I thought.

A year or so ago, when this process of becoming fully appointed missionaries began, I thought about how I always imagined going after the kids were all older. I had never thought about taking such small children to go and live in Africa! Again....many years away....I thought. And then the Holy Spirit said, Swaziland doesn't have MANY years.

Where you say to go, God, we will go....but also, when you say to go, we will go. And so, here we go.