If we had to choose a theme for 2012, it would be ”expect the unexpected.” 2012 began full of plans, hopes and dreams. We had direction – we knew that sometime during the year we would be relocating to Richmond, CA. The anticipation was more than we could bear. Yes, we were nervous, unsure of what the future would hold, but we were excited to see what God would do. And we were full of expectations.
We expected to move in June and decided Reggie would go ahead to start working and secure housing. Enoch and I planned to join him a month later after tying up loose ends in TN and spending time in North Carolina with family. We expected (assumed) that our family was complete for now. We began having conversations about adopting in the future. We expected a smooth, easy transition into
California living, getting into a home and feeling settled by six months. We expected to develop amazing relationships with those in our community as a result of hosting in our own home.
Reality was…
Within two weeks of leaving Tennessee, several employment prospects fell through, in very odd ways, while a couple of people informed us that God laid it on their hearts to support us as missionaries. We never mentioned we planned to be missionaries. In fact, we had no intentions of being full time missionaries again, but God was making it very clear that those were His plans for our lives.
Six weeks after arriving in CA, Reggie and I had a conversation that we believed our family was complete for the time being, and we would look into adopting in the future. Unbeknownst to us, we were already pregnant. And, at our 20 week ultrasound we found out we were pregnant with twin girls.
Our transition has been anything but smooth. We stayed in 5 temporary housing situations in 7 months – with a two year old, while pregnant, and adapting to a new and very different culture.
We have developed amazing relationships. But, not in the way we had anticipated. We have been the recipient of God’s grace as people have hosted us, prayed for us, prayed over us, encouraged us, supported us, cried with us, loved on us, given to us, and held us up in what has been some of our weakest moments.
We admit, we do not want a repeat of the challenges of 2012. It has, by far, been one of the hardest times of our lives. Yet, we see God’s hand in the unexpected. We have grown tremendously in 7 short months. We have learned to trust God more. We have learned to pray with fervency and expectation. We have learned that God is a provider even when the provision does not look as we expected. We have grown together as a couple, learning to fight for and with one another in trying times instead of against one another. We have learned that God sustains. And we have seen true community in action. Oh, and in 2013 we have decided to free ourselves from expecting anything
other than God to be God.
While we have seen God’s hand in unexpected ways in our personal lives, we have also seen Him move as we have used our gifts of serving, teaching, craftsmanship, wisdom, etc.
There have been many opportunities to serve our community, from weekly Saturday services where breakfast is served to the homeless and under-served in our area to hosting our 1st eye clinic, which provided eye care services (including free glasses) to almost 500 people
in our county. Pictured from top to bottom: Thursday night weekly outreach to the Richmond High football team, our first Victory Weekend Women’s retreat and children from AWANA, our outreach to children in Richmond.
I feel like LHNC is a modern day Gideon’s army - a picture of God’s ability to do much with very few- in the end He gets the glory!
Breaking free from expecting anything other than God to be God,
Reggie, Kim, Enoch (and the twins)
Prayer | Praise
- After 7 months and many, many prayers, we are finally in our own apartment!!!!!
- Kim had the opportunity to speak at our Victory Weekend women’s retreat Jan 11&12. It is amazing to hear of ways women have and are experiencing victory in their lives. You can hear all of the talks at www.lhnchurch.org. Go to “Sermons”.
Please pray…
- That the pregnancy will continue on smoothly, with no complications and that the twins go full term. …In the words of Enoch, Kim has a very “BIG belly”
- That we are aware and obedient as God provides various ways for us to serve our community.
- Continue to pray for our support raising/ministry partner development. We are praying for and trusting God to be fully supported by the time the twins arrive.
Your financial support can be given online at lhnchurch.org or mailed to
Living Hope Neighborhood Church 2800 Rheem Ave. | Richmond, CA 94804
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