A Treasured Week

As anyone who has lived overseas knows, whenever we go back to the U.S. on furlough, it's so hard to answer the question, "So, what's it like in Mozambique?" How can I sum up a whole culture and lifestyle in three minutes? That's how it feels to answer that same question about our week with the Coxes and Huffards.  How can I share all the wonderfulness, growth, and blessing in a short answer?  There's no way!


A couple of years ago we started planning and praying about these two families coming and doing consulting and mentoring work with our team.  We were so encouraged and excited when they agreed to come work with us, and started preparing for their time here. We had some high expectations!


Those expectations were blown out of the water!  Our week with them was even better than we'd dreamed it would be. It meant so much to have godly mentors come and give us an undivided week of their time.  These were mentors we already really loved and trusted.  That grew by leaps and bounds.  They came to give us counsel and direction at a crucial time in our work here, since we've been on the field quite a while now.


We received counsel about inter-team dynamics, how to structure our ministry to use our different gifts well, and how to facilitate the emergence of good leaders (and ultimately elders) within the churches.   All of their counsel was so life-giving!  These four men and women mentored us well, and loved on us well.


I could not be more thankful to God for the gift of the Huffards and Coxes working with us. He blessed us tremendously through them. He inspired us through the words they shared.  He encouraged us. 


I hope and pray that you, too, can be blessed by mentors in your life.  What wisdom God has in His plan for older, more experienced men and women to mentor younger ones.  May you have mentors and be mentors!