Update for the New Year!
Things have honestly been really good.
We’ve been pretty upfront with the fact that the transition back the US for us was a bit of a tough season. We’d probably go so far as to say it was the toughest season for us to date. Tougher than being separate even while we were engaged. Tougher than getting to know each other through the first months of our marriage overseas while on the move. And way tougher than moving to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (the center of the Universe) and creating a home for ourselves in the least densely populated country on the planet in the world’s coldest capital.
It’s taken over a year now – a year of being in the States, a year of adjusting to life at the Adventures In Missions office, a year of trading in an abundance of airports and passport stamps for monthly insurance payments and a daily commute. But, I think it is finally safe to say, we are over the hump.
There’s been a lot of really exciting, healthy things to happen to us in the last few months. We finally feel like we’re starting to reap a lot of the fruit that has come from putting in a year at this organization. We feel like we’re starting to have influence in our areas of work. We feel like we’re making progress towards the large goals and aspirations we have, of mobilizing and discipling people into the 10/40 window. We feel like we’re finally starting to put down roots. We even feel like we’re about ready to start a family (well, as ready as we can be).
With all that said, we have made the decision to commit to Adventures In Missions for an additional year. There have been quite a few positive developments in our work since the last time we wrote.
– We are preparing to launch the 4th Expedition Squad, which is the group of World Race squads that I have been working with since we moved here. My role has mainly been one of experiential design, big picture logistics, and taking care of emergencies as they arise. The Expedition Squads are focused primarily in the 10/40 window, working among people that don’t have access to the Gospel. The first Expedition Squad just returned from the field, and we’re at a place now where we are really trying to refine what we do, working towards a quality experience for both participants and overseas partners that produces as much fruit as possible.
– We’re also preparing to send out our 4th Kingdom Journeys team, which are small pioneering groups of alumni that go into the spiritually unreached regions that AIM doesn’t currently work in. This helps expand the ministerial capacity of AIM into more unreached places, and creates an outlet for us to mobilize our World Race Alumni into these regions. Sheri and I are primarily responsible for this entire department, overseeing everything from the planning, operations, and logistics, to the team preparation and mobilization. We’re preparing to send a team to the Middle East, and hopefully one to West Africa shortly after.
– We’re also going to be stepping into opportunities that allow us more relational engagement with the teams we send. We are going to start being able to spend time on the field with squads and teams, and will become an even more integral part of the training process on the front end. This is something we are truly excited for, as the relational aspect of mobilizing missionaries was one of the main reasons we moved here.
All in all, we’re incredibly excited for this next season as we continue our work here, and are very thankful to those of you who have been such a large support to us, whether that’s emotionally, prayerfully, or financially.
Support Goals:
Since we are continuing our work here with Adventures in Missions, we are going to be in continued need of financial support. We need to raise a percentage of our salary, which will go to supporting our work and ministry here with Adventures In Missions. Your support means the world to us, and we are excited at the opportunities the Lord will bring as we continue to operate under your covering. As always, we would love to talk more specifically about what we’re doing and how we’re doing. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We are looking to raise $600 in monthly support. As such, we are looking for monthly supporters to join our team – people who are compelled, able, and willing to donate either $25, $50, or $100 a month for at least the next year. If you feel led, please reach out to us.
All donations are tax deductible, and can most easily be made by clicking the “Support Us!” link in the top left menu here on our blog.
Thanks so much for reading, and much love!
-Danny and Sheri
