From a young age, Keith and Jenna have wanted to be missionaries. They believe the Lord placed this call on both of their lives, and, ever since, they’ve had to wait patiently for His timing.
God seems to be really good at placing calls on our hearts and sometimes asking us to wait. He gives us a time of preparation even when we may think we are ready. But isn’t there something beautiful about the moment when He releases us to do what we have been called to do — when the waiting finally ends and the going begins?
Keith and Jenna are excited to go out and be His hands and feet in a new (for them) corner of the world. In January, they will board a plane with their two sons and head for Southeast Asia for a three-week trip. The goal is to have them visit different ministries of the Free Methodist Church in Southeast Asia as a way to “dip their toes in” and begin building relationships.
Their January experience is only the start of their missionary assignment. They are considered VISA Voyager missionaries and, thus, after this three-week trip, they will return to the United States for several months of fundraising before returning to Southeast Asia in fall 2018 to begin a two-year placement.
Keith said one of the benefits of the two-year placement is that it “gives us an appetite for what we will experience” along with “a hunger to go back.”
Jenna said she and Keith are excited to “finally get to do what the Lord created us to do.” They’ve been very appreciative of the job the Lord has given Keith over the years, but they cannot wait to build new relationships and pour into people’s lives full-time.
“The Lord didn’t just call us [Keith and Jenna] but our entire family to this. Our sons are going to have a part to play too. As it unfolds, I am eager to see the experience through my children’s eyes,” Jenna said.
In this excitement, there are also some opportunities to grow. Southeast Asia is a new place with a different culture, language and body language.
As Keith, Jenna and their sons move into a new culture, pray the Lord will provide them with friendships so deep that they will not feel isolated or alone. Pray they will instead feel as if the Lord has taken them from one community to another.
“We are still wide-eyed as we figure out what the next steps are for us. We want to be intentional with the time we have, not only with the people here in the U.S., but also with the little stuff we need to get done,” Keith said.
Please prayerfully consider supporting Keith and Jenna. You may give directly online at fmchr.ch/kjasia. If you have questions about how to become a VISA Voyager missionary, contact Beth Cullison at beth.cullison@fmcusa.org or if you are interested in more information about Asia, contact Area Director Eric Spangler at eric4asia@gmail.com.
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