Our Story♥

So I thought it would be kinda cool if I told you 'Our Story' on how we came about being called to the Mission Field :) 

Growing up I've always dreamed of  being a missionary. I loved the idea of serving and just helping in any way I could. I never imagined that dream would come true :) 

Caleb & I dated for two years and than got married November  24th 2007. We never really talked about mission stuff other than his sister who at the time was a missionary in Belize teaching at a school. She's been down there for 7+ years now and is married to a fella from El Salvador and they have a two year old son (Austin) and another baby on the way :) So anytime we talked about 'mission stuff' it was normally about her :) 

Caleb is a farmer and works for my uncle Vern Yoder. He has been working for him now since 2006 (I think). In Oct 2009 he got a different job working at a Target Distribution Center in Galesburg, MI. He worked sat, sun, mon nights from 6pm-6am and than the other days he would work part time for Vern. It was very hard on our marriage, cause Caleb slept alot and had terrible headaches. It wasn't so nice when he was working there. He only went to church maybe twice the whole time he was working there.  Our marriage struggled. Alot of fights, things that couples shouldn't say to each other. We never talked about anything. I had no idea that God was working in Caleb's life until about December when he finally told me what was going on in his life. He met a couple different times with our Pastor and shared with him what was going on in his life. Caleb came home and told me to get ready that we were going to go on a date up to Kalamazoo. On the ride up there, i knew something was different. He told me everything. He shared with me how God has been working in his life and telling him that we're suppose to be missionaries. That whole time he was fighting with God, going back n forth. God laid it on his heart, but he kept saying 'no'. He didn't want to leave Mi, let alone move to another Country. We had so many things going for us here. (((I just sat there, not knowing what to think or say, I was speechless))) He said he talked with our pastor and there is a mission trip to the Dominican Republic coming up and he thinks it would be a good idea to get our feet 'wet' in the whole mission thing and see if we would want to serve with Students International. In the meantime, we told my family what we were doing and began to raise support to go on this mission trip. My dad told  me that the devil was going to do everything in his power to try and ruin this trip for us, and let me tell you, he did just that. I was to the point where I didn't even want to go anymore, I felt no desire to go or to even have anything to do with mission stuff. 

We went on the mission trip end of July first part of August for one week. It was 'life changing'. Not only in our lives, but our marriage. I am sooo 'thankful' that we were able to be a part of that mission trip. God worked in so many amazing ways. Our marriage is so  much better, I mean, we still have our moments ;) But what marriage doesn't right ;) 

We came back from that knowing we wanted to be a part of Students International, but we didn't feel like we were suppose to be in the DR. At that time Lowell and Nate were talking about starting an SI base in Nicaragua. Well, they went on a vision tour there a couple months later and sure enough, they started a base :) So in March of 2012 Caleb and a team of guys from a couple different churches went to Nicaragua to build a dorm for when teams came down. And in April I was able to go with a team of ladies I've never met before and paint the dorm, and the base along with some other projects :) It was a true blessing to be able to go on that trip, God sure did provide. While I was down there God worked in my heart. I came back from that trip feeling like it was 'home'. I knew that's where we were suppose to be and Caleb had the same feeling. He just wanted to make sure I felt the same way. I'm so blessed to have such an amazing husband who is on fire God :) 

Soooo, that's about it :) We are obviously moving to Nicaragua in May of 2013 ((Lord Willing)) 

Caleb by the Volcano in Nicaragua

And me beside the Volcano in Nicaragua.

It was so awesome that we got to go at separate times to Nicaragua. God knew that's what we needed to make this life changing decision :) Isn't our God just awesome :)

So continue to pray for us in this new Adventure :)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11