What Are The Chances Of That?

God is working. I'm amazed. I spent time in prayer this morning, crying out to God out of a heart full of fear and being overwhelmed at the great work ahead of us. I was thinking out of a heart focused on my inadequacies. God brought me again to Psalm 145 and focused me on HIS greatness and the power of HIS work! He also challenged me from John 15 with His promises of great fruitfulness if we remain vitally connected to Him. Cognitively, I understand that any success God gives in church planting will correlate to our ability to keep our eyes focused on Christ and off of ourselves. That is easier said than done...but I want to learn how. I believe Jesus promises fruit when there is a central and consistent focus on Him and His mission.

That being said, I came out of my devotional time with a peace from God that I was very thankful for. My heart was at ease. And, the exciting thing is that we can see God working in a bunch of odd circumstances. Here are some below. Keep in mind- we're in a place unfamiliar to us with tens of thousands of people all around us. Encountering someone we know through other people is analogous to a miracle!

• Last week Trish and Seth were getting a drink at our local Panera Bread. A lady approached Trish and mentioned that Trish looked familiar. They talked for a while and Trish learned that this woman was the mother of a high-school classmate of hers. Add to that, this woman keeps in touch with the wife of another classmate of Trish's that lives in the New Albany area AND has a 4-year-old boy. Trish has since made contact with the couple and we're hoping for renewed friendships for us and a new friend for Seth. Could they be partners in our launch? We'll see what God has in mind.
  
• Yesterday at church, Trish ran into some other parents of a high-school classmate of hers. He is an elder at our sending church, Northwest Chapel. They also know a couple our age related through Worthington Christian (school) that they think might be interested in helping us launch a church in northeastern Franklin County. They are finding this couple's information and will get it to us. It is exciting to us as God reveals people who are thinking and praying with us about those who might be involved in God's work in this area.
  
• Also yesterday, our family is learning the area. For Wirt boys (and Trish too :), this has to include frequenting any ice-cream establishment in a 35-mile radius. We were in a Graeters in northern Gahanna (about a mile from our home) ordering. I was talking to the man behind the counter, Scott, who happened to be the manager. I was trying to make small talk to break the ice and build the beginnings of a relationship. As the conversation unwound, he shared that he had just moved to the northeast side of town from the northwest side of Columbus. I told him we had moved the area to work with a church in the Dublin area. I asked him if he had ever heard of Northwest Chapel. He said, "Yeah, I go there!" We had a neat connection talking about people we both know through the church. I was able to share what we are doing in the northeastern section of the county. He said, "Well, I'd come!" I asked him if he'd like to help us. He enthusiastically agreed.
  
  I was absolutely stunned. I can't even believe God would take us out to ice-cream and lead us to a friendly guy who, with his skills as business man and many community contacts, will be a huge asset to our fledgling ministry. Needless to say, I got Scott's card and plan to try to take him to lunch as soon as possible.
  
  
• Also at Graeters, we met a mom named Mara. We had a good conversation with her about raising kids and the related challenges. It proved to us that our target area includes many families, like ours! :), that face challenges with their children and they need biblical help. By God's grace and provision, we'll see Mara again someday!
  

To me, it was if God was saying, "See...you were all uptight at the beginning of the day...focusing on your weaknesses and how large the task is from your perspective. You focus on ME and I will work GREAT things that only I can do. You just be obedient and love people." I'll take that any day.

Thanks for praying with us! Praise God!

We're In!

I'm learning that we have many regular blog readers! Thanks! I don't want to be too surprised...but you never know who is reading! Thanks for caring to check up on us and pray with us! We appreciate you and recognize that your love and prayers are one of the reasons God is going to do Ephesians 3:20 type things in northeastern Franklin County!

Well- we're in! Moving day was quite an adventure. From what the natives say, the day we moved (or tried to!) was the worst snow and ice storm Columbus has seen in about 5 years. I'm learning that right from the start- God is teaching us that church planting is about flexibility. My supervisor (Martin Guerena) constantly teases me- because I'm not naturally flexible. However, I am learning that things will not go as planned and you just have to figure out how to get the job done without ideal circumstances. I look forward to applying this lesson to winning souls for Christ and not driving moving trucks on unplowed roads!

Anyway, due to snow, we really moved stuff over the course of a week rather than one day. And, in God's providence, that worked out better. We got to gradually process through stuff and try and empty some boxes a little at a time since we didn't have everything all at once. With two kids in tow, it was easier to do a little at a time. Martin and his brother, Phil, were a huge help in the snow and mess one day and three men from Northwest Chapel (THANKS JIM, DAN, AND DAVID!) helped us empty our stuff from our storage unit and unload it in our house/garage. God was good in helping us get all our stuff home in such crazy weather.

Incidentally- the weather gave us great opportunities for beginning connections. Due to so many being outside to shovel snow and ice throughout the week, I got to meet Steve, Maurice and his daughter Raden, Cathy and Greg, and Tommy. I'm thankful to God for this odd weather and the chance to meet so many when people would normally be inside.

Trish made our first night as a family in our new home a special time with a great Valentine's Day party! This time was extra special because it helped us celebrate an event in our new home. I think all of us feel a bit out of place in this house and area and have an ache in our hearts for familiar friends and places- so a time to celebrate and have special fun in our new home was truly a great first memory.

Otherwise, our last 10 days or so have been filled with all the joys of moving- unpacking, moving heavy stuff back and forth 13 times as you try and get it in the right place, hanging pictures (which I usually hang 5 times before they are in the right place!) taking plenty of breaks to play with kids, change diapers, clean up throw-up, etc. Fun, fun, fun! Seriously, we constantly remind ourselves why we moved- and are continually challenged and excited by God's call on our lives and the work ahead of us.

We've also been able to begin making connections with our new (sending) church family. The staff at Northwest Chapel has been extremely helpful and welcoming, for which we are grateful. Trish has also enjoyed the opportunity to attend a monthly mom's gathering and is on a women's retreat with the church as I write.

A continual challenge for us physically, spiritually, and emotionally, is Silas' health. He does seem to be recovering well from pneumonia he had a few weeks ago, but now is again throwing up and having diarrhea regularly. He also went through a long bout of this type of stomach issues around the Holidays. We're not sure what the issues are but are watching him closely for dehydration and praying God spares him from elongated sickness. Please pray with us for healing.

That's a brief (?) update. We are ready to roll. Please pray with us for God's great work. We're asking for wisdom to do the right things in the right time- for God's glory. Pray that God would help us take advantage of every opportunity He gives us to be a light for Him. Pray with us for a healthy baby church to move from embryonic to birth stages in the next 18 months. We appreciate you so much!

Silas Is Improving and WALKING!

We had a day full of driving and adventure yesterday as we went to Columbus to sign papers on our new home, came back to Mansfield to pick Silas up, and then drove to Cleveland for doctors appointments for Silas and Seth (who also has a bad cough and an ear infection). We returned to Mansfield last night. All in all, the kids did well, despite being sick.

God is so amazing in how He allows challenges and then couples those trials with fun and exciting things. Silas is responding to medication and breathing treatments and is doing better. The doctor confirmed pneumonia but said his lungs are much clearer and was pleased with everything else. Silas has maintained his smiley demeanor and is a lot of fun even while being sick. Not only is he a happy little guy, but he is also becoming braver and is connecting more and more steps together while walking between safe items. It is a joy to watch him develop and conquer new things even while he is sick.

THANKS FOR PRAYING! We have been overwhelmed by the response of so many praying for Silas and our important day yesterday. God is working. Please continue to pray for the health of Silas AND Seth, our wisdom in caring for them, and that God would help us persevere through the grueling week that next week (moving from storage to our house) will be.

We appreciate you and your faithful prayer.

Silas Has Pneumonia

We just returned from a 3-hour adventure to a Mansfield medical clinic where Silas was diagnosed with pneumonia. We’re waiting to here results back on an RSV swab. He was given two breathing treatments and a shot containing strong antibiotics. Besides being concerned for Silas, we are a little unnerved at being away from familiar doctors. By God’s grace, Silas got excellent and aggressive care from doctors and nurses at this clinic. Please pray for complete healing and wisdom for us as we watch and care for him. We also praise God that Grandpa Botdorf can stay with Silas as Trish, Seth, and I drive to Columbus tomorrow a.m. to sign papers to close on our home there. We’ll drive back after closing and run Silas back to the Cleveland area for a follow-up visit with our doctors there (as we don’t have doctors in Columbus yet). Pray for a busy day and wisdom as we make decisions and strength as we deal with challenges. Thanks!

Some Much Needed Family Fun!

Change always has its challenges. Many aspects of our life right now lack routine and are unpredictable. If you know me (Andy), you know I am ultra flexible and take everything just as it comes. If you really know me... you know I am lying through my teeth (smile!). However, God has us in his own training program...and we're glad for it. We understand that in church planting, there will be many times where we will need the flexibility we are learning now. Things won't go as planned and there will be many days where we have to make structure for our family out of instability.

I say all that to say, that we felt it was important during this in-between-houses-time of our lives that we make some memories together as a family. For the next week or so, all the boxes are packed and stored, and we're waiting to get set up in Columbus. So, we're doing some fun things.

Last week Seth enjoyed his first bowling experience. Mom and Dad also enjoyed higher scores-due to a nice feature called a "bumper" that kept many a ball on the lane and out of the gutter. I also found a way to injure both my ankle (by hitting it with the ball on release) and my knee (hitting it on the ball in motion)! I'm learning that I need to do a better job of taking pictures!

Before sharing briefly in the service at Northwest Chapel this past Sunday, we stayed at the house next door Saturday night. Seth declared this "the best vacation ever!" Oh to be 4 again. We love his attitude (most times! :) and aptitude for adventure.

A real highlight was fun at "Splash Harbor", a local (close to Mansfield, OH) Comfort Inn that has a great pool/indoor water adventure set up and gives discounts to pastors during the week. Both Seth and Silas (and Mom and Dad) enjoyed the pool and water slide.

We're so thankful to God for our family and for this interlude time in our ministry. Its challenging not having a home and frustrating to be delayed in our work...but in God's timing, He is readying us for His Work and leading us through His perfect training program.

February Prayer Update

Transitions...
The last 4 weeks have been ones of much change for our family. We're learning that following God is fulfilling (we know we're being obedient), exciting (there's never a dull moment as we wait for answers to prayer on a daily basis) and challenging (everything won't be easy even if we're being obedient). God is building our faith and honing our character. We're thankful for both.

One big curve-ball was learning that we couldn't rent from the purchaser of our home until we found other housing in the Columbus area. So...we hustled and rented a storage facility (picture below) in Columbus, rented a truck, and moved everything there--all within a week.


God has also brought many blessings our way. Thanks for praying! Praise God with us that:

• We found a house and God has worked out several issues!
  
• Grace Church (Macedonia, OH) and Northwest Chapel (Dublin, OH) provided so much help in moving that we loaded the first truck and cleaned our house in less than an hour, unloaded that truck at storage in 45 minutes, loaded another truck that night in an hour and unloaded this last load in less than a half hour. THANKS EVERYONE!
  
• Trish's parents, Jim and Janet Botdorf, are allowing us to stay with them until we can get in our house (2/12). Thanks Botdorfs!
  

Please Pray With Us...

• That God would work out some last minute snags related to our new home and closing so that we can get in on the date scheduled (2/12).
  
• That God would again provide sufficient help in moving our things from storage and into the new home so that we can unpack quickly and get to work!
  
• That God would help us through the transitions we're making (moving, unpacking, lack of routine, making new friends, learning a new area, etc).
  
• That God would be glorified by first interactions with people in our target area.
  
• That God would give guidance and wisdom as we continue to dream and record the vision, mission, values, and strategy of a new church.
  
• That God would prepare and lead us to those that will join us as Launch Team members and help with worship, children, and small group ministries.
  
• That God would prepare hearts of people that we will come in contact with. Pray that hearts would be focused on Jesus and His mission.
  

Matthew 6:19-34 takes on new meaning...
I've been challenged recently that much of our focus, planning, and communication has involved issues related to selling and finding housing and moving stuff. While this is a real part of life, God warns us to be wary of placing too much importance on things that hold only earthly significance. As we transition to Columbus and work on all that involves, we've felt God reminding us that what truly matters is storing up "treasures in heaven". To us, this means investing in work of eternal significance. The work that must be of utmost importance is the effort that leads to focusing people on Jesus and His mission for their lives. When our focus is there...and not primarily on where we live and store our junk...we're excited to embrace God's promise in Matthew 6:33. Check it out and be encouraged!

God Answers Again!
Last month, we asked you to pray that God would lead us to the RIGHT home in our target area 1) that would afford us ministry opportunities AND 2) that we can afford. God answered in a big way! After almost giving up and then sensing God leading us to look further, we found this home. It is in a growing shopping area with New Albany schools, Gahanna zip code, and right across the street from the Westerville school line. God put us right in the center of our target zone! Thanks, Lord! And, THANK YOU for praying!