Thank you for praying for the requests in my last letter! The teaching times with the student interns at our headquarters and the new staff taking Bible Study Methods went well, and I received encouraging comments from both groups. By the time you get this letter, I will be on the way to or already in Milwaukee for our staff conference. So please continue to pray for my time there.
When I return, it will be time for a rest! In Mark 6:31, Jesus says to his disciples, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (NIV) They had been laboring in ministry — traveling, casting out demons, healing the sick, etc. They needed physical rest as well as soul rest.
Cru® allows staff members a time to rest and recharge called a sabbatical, currently every five years. I have taken a few one-month sabbaticals in my 47 years of ministry with Cru. My current seniority now allows me to take three months, so starting on July 23 I will disconnect from work responsibilities for 90 days. This may seem like a detour from the mission, but Cru sees it as an important rhythm to our life as full-time missionaries.
I love serving God as a vocation, but there is also a weightiness to being a missionary. I find myself giving out more than I take in, or striving to serve in my own power rather than truly depending on God. Sabbatical allows me to invest unhurried time into deepening my relationship with God through His word and prayer so He can replenish my spiritual, physical, and emotional reserves.
A sabbatical is not a vacation, but a time to spend extra time with God. I plan to read, study, and meditate on the Bible, along with prayer and journaling. I also plan to listen to free online lectures from seminary professors and read books related to spiritual health and growth. Plus I want to work on various personal tasks I’ve been putting off, such as small home repairs and decluttering.
I recognize that most of you don’t have an opportunity to experience this kind of refreshment and resetting, so I enter this time with a humble and grateful heart. Your continued partnership in ministry blesses me beyond measure! Thank you!
Please Pray
- For encouragement and refreshed vision from the staff conference in Milwaukee, as well as safe travel and good health;
- That the Lord would replenish me during my sabbatical so I can return to ministry in October with renewed strength.
Thank you for praying!
