On the Road and in the Air
How to write a newsletter? As wise author Jonathan Trotter once put it: “Speak from the heart. Or be funny. Or both. But never neither.” OK I’ll try. I’d simply like to update you on where we have been, are at, and will continue on our ever widening/steepening preparatory path toward the mission field. But if you feel something inside, if you laugh or cry along the way, now you know why!
The Fam Update
The Joseph crew recently had the joy of rattling south down to Orlando to partake in my baby sister's beautiful wedding - a multi-day journey to and fro, but filled with many good pizza slices, audiobooks, and memories. And the wedding was nice too! We are pumped to welcome such a high-caliber new brother/uncle who loves God and wants to serve Him. Our kids finally got to see Dad’s great dance moves. What a joyful celebration! And shout out to my sister who really has fanned the flame and taught me a lot about missions over the years as she’s worked with Pioneers International.
Lots of flower girls and a ring bearer
Following the wedding weekend, we took advantage of proximity to experience Magic Kingdom for a day, creating unrepeatable, unforgettable moments in our really spiffy team shirts. Shout out to my parents for their help with the kids!
A perfect day at Disney World!
Recent Answers to Prayer
The early part of this year has sung the tune of raising support and making connections. Big huge thanks to all of our pledged supporters so far! Your generosity is so encouraging and helps validate the mission we’ve shared with y’all. We are blessed to have reached over 70% of our funding goal already!
Meanwhile, we completed the setup of our CMC clearinghouse account, a crucial step that took more legwork than you might think. CMC is a terrific ministry that accepts donations and directs funds to missionaries in a way that keeps everything simple and above-board (and tax-deductible!) at no cost to the missionaries! By comparison, many other sending agencies or bookkeeping groups like this charge flat fees or rates that require additional support-raising by the missionaries, but CMC is also a support-based group, subsisting mostly on their own fundraising and donations. For this they too have earned a shout-out!
Another recent big step has been the early preparations & logistics behind sending our first very own Parkside team to serve with Shoulder to Shoulder in Mazatlán! We are a group of 14 youth and 9 leaders/parents (including Erin and I), all very excited for the week-long missions trip in June. Our youth pastor Mike and I are co-leading the trip, which is giving me some state-side experience that will certainly prove helpful in understanding team dynamics once we are on the receiving end. I’ll lead our next 90-minute monthly training prep meeting this Sunday focused on language, during which we will aim for black-belt mastery of Spanish.
The Future (and some STS pics)
We are thrilled about the upcoming Shoulder to Shoulder staff retreat in Guadalajara, Mexico, right after Easter. It will be a valuable opportunity to bond with our fellow missionaries, get some training in cultural immersion and Biblical counseling, and (very important) to have our kids in tow for the journey! They have never flown so we’ll bring all the gum and mints and crackers that we can. Elia asked if she can open a plane window, so we had a fun impromptu homeschool lesson about air pressure (and Boeing). Moreover, they are pumped, and we for them, to meet the other MKs on the team and hopefully start some close friendships. We are excited to grow together with them as a team and prepare further for work ahead.
A beautiful team with a sleek new ride!
John speaking at a training in the Pastoral Center
Partnering with a local church to build a widow’s home
Looking beyond the immediate future, we have started outlining our six months of missionary training scheduled for the latter part of this year, a time we pray will be instrumental in equipping us with the skills and practice to carry out the mission effectively. More details on that to come!
How to Pray
While in some ways we’re still getting started, there’s so much for which we could use your prayers and encouragement. Here are a few!
For continued diligence and success in support-raising
For building friendships @ the upcoming staff retreat
For Parkside’s STS missions trip participants and leaders
For clarity in how best to use our missionary training time (Jul-Dec)
And most certainly:
For the work of STS and the evangelism and discipleship of the churches in Mazatlán.
Thank you for joining us on this incredible adventure. Your support, prayers, and encouragement mean the world to us. Stay tuned for more updates!
Grace and Peace,
The Josephs
