Considering that Alison, Cailyn and I only spent 10 days with our church family in Shelbyville, I didn’t want to have any regrets about not getting to see the people we wanted to see, and more importantly, see the people that wanted to see us. Thankfully, we were not disappointed.

We stayed in the home of our liaisons, Russ and Natalie Countess, along with their three children, Marissa, Grant, and Seth, who immensely blessed our lives. They were a huge reason why our time in Tennessee was so wonderful. Their love for Cailyn shone so brightly, and they were patient with us as we reminded them of what life with a 2-year-old was like! Having anyone in your home for more than a week can be stressful, but we never felt like we were imposing, and they were extremely encouraging to be with. Thank you Countess family!

We have been very blessed. We just wrapped up our time with our supporting congregation in Tennessee (the Fairlane Church of Christ), and now that I am relaxing in Abilene, it is very apparent to me how truly blessed my family is.

We have already taken full advantage of Cailyn’s wonderful grandparents here, and we look forward to her visit here soon with the rest of her grandparents. Alison’s parents and sister have helped to provide us with some relaxing times, and we have loved seeing Cailyn eat up all of the attention.

We will be in Texas until the 26th of this month, and we will be leaving Abilene (where we currently are) to go to College Station on the 19th. We are very excited to continue seeing loved ones that we have missed while being in Costa Rica, and we are still trying to get a hold of the fact that we will be in Peru in just two weeks!

Our teammates, John Mark and Tara, have been helping to prepare the way in many aspects for the rest of our team, and we know we will be in great hands when we get there. God has blessed them and provided for them in ways that have been fun to see, and we are asking that He do the same for us. There is no way we can deny the way God has guided our team even in just the past six months, and it is comforting to have the promise of His faithfulness as we continue to embark on this journey.

Thank you to all who have blessed us so far here in the States. We are forever grateful!

Here are a few photos we’ve taken so far:

We’re Here!

Justin, Geoff (the Fairlane CofC preacher), and Juan (the preacher of the Hispanic congregation at Fairlane)…2 vitally important men in our lives!

Playing the Wii with the McGills in TN (both of whom are in their 80s):

We got to visit with Alison’s grandparents when we flew from TN to TX…it was a great visit:

Mother-Sister Time:

Celebrating Birthday #2! a month early with friends and family:

These changes are to be expected, not just among missionaries, but among all believers. We live in a world of uncertainty, in which we are not guaranteed stability, ease, or comfort. Despite what many would like to think, we have no clue what will happen tomorrow, a week from now, or next year. An earthquake could hit (like it did here in Costa Rica a few weeks ago), an unexpected candidate could win the presidential election in dramatic fashion, or the economy could weaken. But in the midst of uncertainty, we rest in the arms of an eternal God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We don’t trust in the constancy of the world; we trust in the unchanging nature and unfailing faithfulness of our God.

As a team, we were shocked recently by the news that housing costs have tripled in Lima over the last year and a half. Houses that were going for $700/month in August of 2006 are now being rented for $1800-2000/month. In the midst of this shocking news, we continue to trust in our God who has always been faithful. In addition, we are very thankful for our spiritual and financial supporters who help make this ministry possible. Uncertainty, trust, hope for the future – that is where we are at right now as a team. We would greatly appreciate your prayers during this time of transition, preparation, and adaptation. God bless you.

Words can’t describe the emotions that flood your heart and soul when something like this happens. I know for some, they say it is times like this when they grapple with God the most. It is comforting to know that it’s okay to be mad at God. That it’s okay to wrestle with difficult emotions and have thousands of questions that you want answered. Because no matter how you look at it or what happens in the end, it’s like Steph said on her blog post, “God is still God.”

I heard this song by Derek Webb for the first time last night. It’s called, This Too Shall Be Made Right. It’s a song full of simple verses that have a powerful message. These are the lines I heard:

Yes there’s a time for peace, there is a time for war.
There’s a time to forgive and a time to settle the score.
A time for babies to lose their lives.
A time for hunger and genocide.

And this too shall be made right.

Oh I don’t know the suffering of people outside my front door.
And I join the oppressors of those I choose to ignore.
I’m trading comfort for human life.
And that’s not just murder it’s suicide.

And this too shall be made right.
Oh this too shall be made right.

We love you, Lee and Stephanie. And we love the little boy we never got to meet, simply because he was a part of you and a precious creation of our awesome God. Time will heal the wounds, but the scars prove he’ll never be forgotten.

And this too shall be made right.

One of those big things happened recently. The team traveled to the Lake Brownwood Christian Retreat to do our last training module with the Halbert Institute for Missions before we leave. Last fall I quit my job and began working full time preparing for moving to Peru. We moved to Abilene and the whole team was together and working together everyday. Working with Halbert and the great leadership there. We had several training modules and this was our final one. Sometimes it all seems like a blur.

This retreat, like the others, was a great time together. This module included our team as well as missionaries preparing to follow the Lord to Russia, Africa and Hawaii. We had the pleasure of being lead by Dr. Sonny Guild, Dr. Kent Smith, Dr. Gary Green and Larry Henderson. The wealth of wisdom and knowledge held by these men is incredible. This particular retreat we particularly focused on the influence of how we identify with God and how the impact our intimacy with him has on our ministry and community. It was a powerful few days.

It was great, as usual, to be together as a team. And continuing with the theme, it is likely the last time we are all together before the week we leave the country.

However, the economics of moving to another country… being paid in one currency and spending in another is one that is quite important right now to all of us on this team. Missionary Economics, if we can call it that, is actually quite complicated. Trying to sort out the inflation in the US Dollar, inflation or deflation of the Peruvian Currency, the Nuevo Sol, is not an easy task. Plus, factor in the cost of living in a place like Kaufman, TX versus the cost of living in a place like Lima, Peru. Mash all of this together and you’ve got quite a mess to figure out. With much of our team still searching for support and with all of our team trying to figure out budgets, the biggest factor we have to go by is the exchange rate… US Dollar to Peruvian Neuvo Sol. Over the last two years, the value of the USD has plummeted over 20%.

Effectively, this means that if you had a $100 in Jan of 2006, it’s now worth $80.

Now, this is a two edged sword. One of the many reasons the US Dollar is now worth less in Peru, is that the Peruvian economy has been doing very well. This is very good for Peruvians… and we are all for things that are good for Peruvians. So, keeping all of this in mind, please pray for us… that the Lord will provide for our needs, that we will be good stewards of what the Lord provides, and join us in praying the very same prayer for Peruvians as well.

We realized about a month ago that we were somewhat neglecting to make time for “play” in our attempt to get all of our business taken care of in preparation for our time in Lima. We have since made a large effort to spend time together just enjoying one another, our kids, and some of the better parts of Abilene. One of our activities has consisted of playing at a local park called “Fort Imagination”. This park is really a wonderful place for kids and adults alike. It was created after several kids in the Abilene area were asked “what sort of things do you think would make up the best playground you can think of?” Therefore, this playground has almost every fun “playground thing” you can think of. God has blessed us twice now with Fridays that were full of beautiful weather, so we have tried to take advantage of that by meeting there for some good times. Here are a few pictures from our time last Friday.

You can check out the rest by clicking here.

I encourage you to check out each of our family’s blogs (linked at the bottom of the page), because you can see more pictures and read about other fun activities we have all done together in the past months. May God bless you and your family with fun times together as well!

It’s almost 9 minutes long, so pull up chair and relax and watch our video!

Many of you have been wondering how our fundraising is going. According to our schedule, our training will end mid-December and our internships with our supporting churches begin in January. Next August is when we’ve had in mind to move to Costa Rica for language training. Each family unit has made some contacts with different churches and individuals, but as of right now we (The Yoakums) are the only ones who have a commitment for a partnership with a supporting church. We are praising God for His provision, and we are so thankful for the Kaufman Church of Christ! Wes and I will be moving to Kaufman at the end of the year and are looking forward to building strong and lasting relationships with the believers there. Please keep our team in your prayers! The rest of the team has been in communication with churches and individuals and they are still seeking for opportunities of support. We are confident that He will provide and we are anxiously waiting to see what He has in store for us!

As for now, this weekend we were all able to stay home here in Abilene for the first weekend in about a month and a half. Sometimes it is so comforting to just stay home and sleep in the comfort of your own bed. This week we’ll be right back in the swing of things again with our training with the Halbert Institute for Missions.

This coming Sunday (Oct. 7) is the A&M Church’s Missions Sunday, on which they will take up a special contribution for our team. In response to their support, we have spent the last week meeting with church members, teaching classes, continuing our training, and enjoying some wonderful hospitality. This is the least that we could do for all that they have given us! Please pray for this Sunday, which will mark the official beginning of our partnership with the A&M Church of Christ. Pray that God will continue to bless this congregation as they seek to equip mission teams for their future ministry. And please continue to pray for our team in every aspect of our training!

As a team, we continue to covet your prayers and encouragement for our mission. Please pray for our period of training so that we might be as prepared as possible for the challenges that await us on the field. Pray for our efforts to raise funds for the future. Pray for our growth as a team, both relationally and spiritually. Pray for our future mission and the Peruvian people. Pray that God would lead us constantly, and that God would use us wherever we are to spread the saving message of Jesus Christ.

Oh, and while your here, check out our latest team photo :)

More team photos here.