False Start

One of the first lessons we learned about doing Cross Cultural missions is to be “flexible”. You never know when plans may change or go a different direction. Well, we were tested before we even began our orientation! On Saturday as we were preparing to leave on Sunday for our 8 weeks in Richmond, Virginia, we received a call that orientation would be delayed two weeks. Participants at the International Learning Center contacted a bad virus last week and they are going to have to close the facility to totally disinfect and sanitize everything! So the schedule will be pushed back two weeks and now we will be leaving around May 11.

Since we have sold all of our furniture and moved out all of our belongings, we will not be staying at our house. Some wonderful friends, Dennis and Julia McClendon, have offered us their downstairs apartment. Even though this has caused a little confusion, we see many blessings in the delay. We can’t wait to see how God is going to make all things work for His good through these events. His timing is always perfect!

On Your Mark

Upon receiving our official confirmation, we immediately placed our house on the market and began making preparations to go. We have now had two large “Moving Out of the Country” sales and sold all of our furniture and many of our “treasures”. It was been a very humbling experience to discover how much “stuff” two people can collect after 36 years of marriage and 20 of those in the same house! Even though the house has still not sold, we are continuing to move forward in faith, trusting God’s perfect timing.

We have dispersed some of our belongings among our family and friends and the rest we are packing in large crates Jeff built to house our boxes. These will be stored in a friend’s barn for the next three years.

We will be leaving on Sunday April 27 for Richmond, Virginia where will be attend two months of Field Personnel Orientation (FPO). We will return to Conyers for the month of July as we await the arrival of our second granddaughter before we depart for Kenya on July 30.

Present prayer requests include:
Calmness and focus for these hectic final days of packing up and moving out
Our hearts and minds to be prepared for the assignment God has given us
Our families during this time of separation
The sale of our home

Answering the Call

God has been doing a wonderful work in our lives over the past few years as He has been preparing our hearts for the call He would place upon us. After several mission trips to Zimbabwe, our hearts became burdened for the African people we came to know and love.

Our hearts also became connected with missionaries Barry and Marleen Robinson, who have given their entire lives to serving the Lord and the people of Zimbabwe. It was their dedication and example that inspired us to seek God’s direction for our own lives. As we began to pray, we felt led to apply for a three year term through the Masters Program with the International Mission Board (IMB) requesting to serve in the Central Eastern Southern Africa (CESA) Region.


After months of completing extensive applications, references, autobiographies, essays and examinations, we were invited to a conference at IMB for our final interview. At this conference we were matched with a position as the Assistant Logistics Coordinator (LC) for Kenya. We will be living in Nairobi, Kenya and will be responsible for providing the logistical support necessary to free up time for other missionaries to utilize their gifts and strengths in church planting activities allowing unreached people groups to hear the gospel and be discipled.

The position will allow Jeff to utilize his knowledge of carpentry, plumbing, electricity, auto mechanics and such. His previous management experience will come in very useful for working with the large number of national employees. His great trouble shooting and problem solving skills are most likely going to be used daily. So we can see that God has really been grooming him for this position all his life.

Jan loves her job description! “She is free to choose her ministry opportunities according to her gifts and desires.” She will help with the LC responsibilities such as travel arrangements and recording keeping but will also have many opportunities for working with women and children through discipleship, community health care, craft production, AIDS/HIV awareness and women’s groups. It is so easy to see how God’s hand has prepared her over the years! The great part is He is giving her the desires of her heart!