Packing

Wednesday we packed most of our things into a pickup with a trailer and stored them at Micah's parents place in PA. Today we tackled actually packing what we need to take in suitcases. Everything we will want for two years packed into two 50lb bags apiece. This week we've spent a lot of time deciding what we "need" to take with us and what is worth storing.

Since packing has all but taken over my mind this week, I thought I'd share this e-mail from Dan Wolgemuth the President of YFC in the USA

...the words of Jesus in Mark 6:7-9 to be so stunning…

And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.

Let’s understand this… the disciples, dispatched for duty. Aware of the uncertainty of the assignment. Constrained to move by the Spirit. And the packing checklist looked like this:

o No food.
o No luggage.
o No money.
o No extra clothing.

The disciples had to be stunned. “Take nothing.” But make no mistake, Jesus had a perfect strategy and an ideal design. This was not a suicide mission or a haphazard approach. Jesus fully equipped the disciples.

Each disciple, mission clearly spelled out, was released with two incredible resources… authority and companionship. These were the key components to successfully executing the call of God. Perhaps this very lesson was still ringing in the ears of Peter when he wrote: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”

We have all things necessary for the journey and the call when we embrace His divine power, when we dip deeply in the well of His authority and we rely humbly on the companions that share our pathway. Notice that Paul selected the word “us” when he described the call. This is not a solo mission, and it’s not fueled by fumes.

Together and with power.

This is the formula. Pack light, but pack wisely.

Thanks for joining us on this journey. Regardless of what we manage to fit into our two 50lb suitcases apiece, we know that with you behind us, we have all that we need.

Moving out

Why is moving day always a mess?

Our apartment looks like a tornado went through it last night. Everything is covered in boxes and newspapers and stacks of things. I will not post a picture of the other room, I do not want to scare you. 

Our friend is coming with his truck & trailer tonight. Today will be a full busy day :) I am taking some time this morning to get some paperwork/clerical things done. Just some everyday stuff... try and schedule a doctor appointment or two, cancel my cell phone, call the FBI...business as usual, never a dull moment. 

Please pray that we get everything packed and moved safely. 

(and that we don't kill each other in the process. I think we are both a little stressed!)

WE MADE IT!!!!

Micah and I are soooo excited!! We reached 100% of our funding last week. God is so good and He provides in His time.

I should have updated this sooner. But things like flight reservations and packing and cleaning have taken up all my brain power.

Sometime in the next week or so I will re-start sending my weekly update/prayer e-mails. I'll also post them here. If you'd like to get those in your inbox, please e-mail Stasigh@gmail.com and ask to be added. We make it a rule never to turn down prayer or ice cream :)

If you'd like to start praying now, our requests are updated in the right sidebar -->

Thanks and Praise the Lord,
Stasi

A little Q & A

Sorry about the lack of pictures, but as we talk to different people we find that many of you have the same questions. So we wanted to try and give you all the answers that we have.

Are you two still here?
Yes, we are. As much as we look forward to being in Slovakia we have enjoyed spending the past months here. Living close to both our families has been great. It has been good for us to start our life together with out the added stresses that come with changing cultures. The past months have been a blessing and a confirmation that God’s timing is best.

When do you leave?
It is YFC’s policy that we cannot finalize a departure date or buy our plane tickets until they have record of 100% of our support. In order for us to leave by our target date of June 1st, we need to have the rest of our support in place by the 15th of May so that we can quit our jobs, end our lease, buy plane tickets, pack our things, and finalize all of the little details involved with moving out of the country.

How is the fundraising coming along?
As we write this, we are pleased to report that, thanks to your prayers and support, we have 86% of our monthly pledges. We are only short around $425/month to reach 100% pledged!! If just 9 people pledge $50 a month, we will be past our goal and able to leave for Slovakia. 

If you have been waiting until right before we leave to give a gift or make a pledge to our ministry, now is the time. Even $10 a month will make a difference.

So, what else is new?
In addition to continuing to work on raising funds so that we can leave, we have both been working locally here in the Grove City area. Micah has a job he really enjoys in a shop that makes custom kitchen cabinets and Stasi is working in a local BBQ restaurant.
In "breaking“ news, we are down to one car. A few weeks ago Stasi’s car was hit and totaled in the parking lot. No one was in either car, insurance covered it, and everything turned out just fine except the Corolla. It is time to leave the country!

So how long will you be gone? When will you be back to visit?
We are currently committed to a two-years in Slovakia. A lot can change in two years. Two years ago, neither of us had ever been to Slovakia. At the end of our term, we will look at everything that has changed and see if Slovakia is still where YFC can use us and, more importantly, where God wants to use us.
As for visits home, honestly we don’t even have our leave date finalized yet! Neither of us can imagine spending two years without our friends and families, but we aren’t at a place where we can make any plans. Our question for you is when are you coming Slovakia for a visit?

What do you still need?
While finances are the limiting factor in reaching our departure goal, Micah and I know that money will not make us successful in ministry. We believe that prayer support is the thing that will make the biggest impact on our ministry and the ministries of Youth for Christ in Slovakia.
We are building a list of people who will commit to praying for us on a weekly basis. Once we reach Slovakia we will send a brief weekly e-mail update including the latest news and prayer requests so that people can pray for our specific needs. If you are interested in receiving those weekly e-mails, please either e-mail us at Stasigh@gmail.com.

We hope that answered at least some of your questions. If there is something that you are still wondering about, please e-mail us.