We have known for over a year that we would be leaving the church in Mansfield, and even announced it to the congregation when we first began this process of joining Church of God Global Missions. But through that time it never really felt like a real thing. Instead, it always just sort of seemed like the day we would finish was just some far off point that we kept expecting but never really approached.
But I stood in front of the church on March 25th and said my goodbyes. There were a lot of tears that day as we said goodbye to some many wonderful family and friends. The church and people of Mansfield have meant so much to our lives, and it certainly was not an easy thing to turn in my keys to the building and walk away. I considered it a great privilege and a great honor to be a part of their lives and families. And they have loved and cared for my family in so many real and tangible ways. They will always hold a very special place in our hearts.
Three days after we ended our employment in Mansfield we got the very special call from Debbie Taylor of Global Missions that our Living Link Team was finally complete. Enough people and congregations had come alongside us, and our budget for ministry in Tanzania had all been pledged. With that, we were official members of the Global Missions team, and forced to quickly shift our attention from the grief of leaving Mansfield to the rush and thrill of departing for training and then Africa.
For the past week since then, we have been staying with my parents in the lovely small town of Sugarcreek, OH. After our last day at the First Church in Mansfield, we moved all of our material possessions into the basement of my parent's home and have spent almost all of our time sorting, storing, and packing our things for the transitions ahead.
On Monday, we will begin the first leg of our journey when we depart for Colorado Springs and the Missionary Training Institute. We will be studying a program designed to help families and new missionaries adapt and connect with a new culture.
We return from Colorado on April 27th, and then have a couple of weeks to finalize things on this end here in the states before departing for Tanzania in Mid-May. There is so much going on right now, and while we are tired, we are excited for all of the events to come. And we now undoubtably that God has been and will continue to be guiding and leading this journey. Without him, none of this would be possible.
Thank you again for all of your support and love.
Much Love in Return,
Scott
After 8 years as pastors in Mansfield, OH the Church of God in Tanzania, Africa asked us to oversee and provide accountability for the Safina Child Sponsorship program. After transferring leadership of that program into the hands of Tanzanians, we've followed God's call back to the U.S. Check out the postings below to stay updated on our process, life, and ministry.
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