Our Mountain

It's amazing how frequently this missionary life leaves me speechless! I'm a writer and a preacher. Words are my thing. Yet, time after time, I fall silent, speechless, awed by the story we live.

Our family has been on a challenging journey over the last year. Jade and I have struggled to find answers for our children and any sort of a plan in the midst of Ezra's medical needs. As the pressure increased, so did the generous support of our friends and family. The incredible core team at Resonance Church shocked us with a trip to Colorado to spend time with a group of Uganda missionaries that we served with. For five sunny days we hiked, swam, played, ate, laughed and cried with 55 friends and peers. Our group travelled from all across the States, Australia, Uganda and Iraq. We prayed and worshiped and we were filled. Speechless.

On our last day, Ezra and I decided to climb a nearby mountain (actually, it was a hill, but to a 9 year old it's a mountain). When we reached the top we took a picture together with the beautiful view in the background. Moments later, Ezra had a seizure. As I held my son, shaking and disoriented, I wondered what kind of mountain this was. Once he regained is awareness and balance we turned and began our descent. As I followed him down, he said, "thanks dad" and I cried quietly behind him. After a week of filling, prayer and time in the word I felt I had the freedom to call this place in our life a mountain. God does things with pain that can only be done with pain. He wastes nothing. Everything works together for good. In that way, this is a good mountain, even if painful. I trust my Lord.

Thank you so much to those who sent us to Colorado and left us speechless! We may never fully know the depth of the impact of this time away to refill and connect with missionary peers as we brace ourselves for Ezra's surgery. We love you all!