.JPG)
Well, if you haven't heard....the Fishers are headed to Arkansas!!!!! After a lot of prayer, seeking wise council and more prayer, we have decided that to be used by God most effectively, we need to be more educated. Ben is already enrolled in the Missionary Training Ministry program online where he will receive an Associate of Missions Degree. He has also applied to the Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock, Arkansas, to earn his Masters of Theology. He is hoping to spend two years on campus working on this and then doing the last year from the mission field. This is a huge transition for our family, so we appreciate any and all prayers!
Ben has notified his full-time job that he will be resigning in July. They have been so good to our family for the last 11 years. It is definitely bittersweet. Ben is very excited about being able to get a formal Christian education, but he really enjoyed working for WPP too. It's difficult to give that up, but we know we are following God's Will for our lives, so it makes it somewhat easier. I am not looking forward to leaving all of my Zumba, Barre and Aqua students. They are all so special to me and really give my weeks purpose. We aren't sure yet how we will earn our income in Arkansas. Please be praying that God opens up part-time positions for us that will still allow for flexibility, but also provide financially.
Another area of transition for us, is that I will be homeschooling our children for the first time. Our children currently attend public schools that we absolutely love. The teachers and staff are extraordinary and our children have received a great education. I always said that if God wants me to homeschool, He'd have to be very clear about it! Well, it has become clear that it is time. Because Noah is getting older and we want to prepare him to hopefully join us on the mission field someday, we feel it is best to begin the process now. In the future homeschooling may be our only option, so I prefer to learn the ropes while we are still on US soil! I have begun researching curriculum and am actually getting excited about it. Please pray for us all as we begin this new journey. Right now I am used to having time during the day (by myself) to get things done. I'm praying that even though we will have many hours a day together, we will each find a way to carve out time for ourselves.
While I am excited for this new adventure, I am anxious about the actual move. Ben and I have lived in our little house in Western PA since we got married almost 14 years ago. This is the only home our children have ever known. The thought of leaving it behind is quite sad. Please pray for each of our hearts as we go through this loss. We know it is just a house, but I know it will feel like so much more. Fortunately, dear friends of ours will be renting it from us. We know they will treat it as their own, and we can come for visits!
Please say some specific prayers about our move. Our plan is to help with our church's Sports Camp the second week in July, host a family reunion that Saturday, and then make our move the following week at some point. We are beginning to downsize drastically (The Washington City Mission is being over-run with our donations!). This is a really difficult process, but very necessary. We are hoping we can move with a U-haul, so please be praying that it will be possible.
The last area of adjustment, and the very most difficult, is the leaving of family and friends. God has surrounded us with an incredible support system. We have friends that are as close as family. Friends where the husbands are Ben's good friends, the wives are mine and our children are friends. These relationships are such blessings that I do not take for granted. I know they will still be our good friends, but it is going to be very challenging to be away from them. Please pray that God will prepare some families for us in Arkansas that will provide the same enjoyment. Fortunately , we know some already and look forward to getting to know them better! Please be praying for our extended family members; specifically Ben's Gram and my parents. It will be a huge adjustment not having us so close. We are grateful we will still be within a couple days drive, but it will be much harder to get home.
Our family and friend concerns are absolutely magnified because we will have to leave our church family. It will be a huge challenge being away from them each week. I'm praying God has a special church picked out for us in Arkansas. At this point, it is very hard for me to even consider attending another church on a regular basis. Life Point has been a huge blessing for our family, and I am really dreading leaving. It has been very surreal as we try and prepare to move. Knowing the Wednesdays we get to spend with our Life Group are numbered; knowing I just have two more months to volunteer as Room Leader with LPK; thinking about who will take over our various roles at LP....We are so grateful for the magnitude of blessings we have, but it will make our move so much more difficult...so much loss.
I don't want to leave this blog here. While we will spend months saying goodbye and mourning the losses, we will do so with great joy too. There is no better place to be then in the center of God's Will. While the transitions will not be easy and heartache is inevitable, there is great hope and expectation for our future! I cannot wait to see what God does with our family. I cannot wait to see the experiences he has prepared for us. I cannot wait to serve him in a new capacity! We love and appreciate you all. Thank you so much for joining us in this journey!
Trusting and Believing- Anne
"Now may the God of peace-who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepard of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood-may he equip you with all you need for doing his will." -Hebrews 13: 20-21a
