A successful Summer ☀️
Our summer of “mission” is finished. Praise the Lord we are back in Tennessee safely. Our time in Europe was full of planting seeds, multiplying disciples, and sharing the hope of Jesus with many who have never heard before.
Since our last update, we took a visit to Caenarfon, Wales to encourage our Ten2 team but also learn about what ministry is like there. 🏴
As our trip was approaching, we received a text from the Ten2 leader informing us that we get the opportunity to camp with the Welsh church they were serving with. How exciting!
So, we pitched tents and learned all about what the Lord is doing in this small church in Wales. They may be small, but their faith is mighty. Their church is growing and making disciples each year.
Evening worship with the Welsh church.
Nathan did a podcast with a GEM partner named John Robinson. Nathan calls him “the most interesting man in the world”. He has lived in Wales for decades and reminded us that the Christian community in Wales may only be 1%, but it is a strong %1.
By the way, the podcast Nathan hosts just hit 3,000 downloads!
Our next stop was Greece to debrief the Ten2ers. Unfortunately, on our last week in Birmingham, Lynna tested positive for COVID. Praise God she had little to no symptoms and I tested negative the entire week. We quarantined on the third floor of our host home, and that week happened to be the record breaking temperatures for England this summer. We sweat through every piece of clothing we had! But, at least we had a little fan. lol . For those of you who don’t know, A/C is a luxury in the states that most of the world either doesn’t use or have access to!
We took the 85 students to Philippi during our debrief tour. This is our “moments to movements” tour. We challenge the young adults with processing their summer and what to do about it moving forward.
Not only do we take these young adults through an experience like Paul’s second. missionary journey, we also debrief on re-entry into the states, reverse culture shock, and help them process their summer. This time is crucial for them. Many have not processed what God has done in them and through them until this point in the summer.
Casting the vision of long term mission in Athens.
After a week of travel and debrief, we took off to Slovenia to meet up with 600 other missionaries in GEM at the first, in person, annual conference in two years!
GEM’s annual conference was so amazing to connect with old friends, new friends, and colleagues who we had only met on Microsoft teams the last two years. We worshiped, ate meals, relaxed, and dreamt of the next steps for Europe, together.
At the end of the week, we said goodbye to the Ten2ers. This was extremely difficult. Lifelong friendships were made.
Thankfully, we were told that over 15 of these young adults are applying to go overseas to Europe long term! (3+) years. Many are returning for short term journeys as well.
That’s almost 20% of the young adults this summer, now in pursuit of giving their life away to what God is doing in Europe. We recruited, trained, discipled, and now sent them back into their universities and homes to mobilize and share what God is doing all over Europe.
Thank you for reading!
Now, we launch back into what God has called us to in the states. Nathan goes back to recruiting and sending for Greater Europe Mission throughout the year, and Lynna goes back to her job at the local produce store.
