A Course Adjustment
Greetings friends! Our apologies for the delay in communications, but we have had a pretty intense couple of months. As a result we will be spending the fall in Greenbrier County, WV before launching to Malawi in January 2019 (instead of previously planned October '18). Below you will find an abridged version of the events leading up to our newly plotted course along with some updates on happenings in our world and in the world of YL Malawi. So enjoy this update, and give us a call if you want the rest of the story.
The events leading up to a course adjustment:
During the first week of May, Jon (Carly's dad) was visiting his daughter and her fiancé in Fort Lauderdale, FL. While there, he passed out in the ocean and nearly drowned. Emma (Carly's sister) performed life saving CPR on the beach before EMS could arrive. Carly and her mom met in Charlotte and got on a plane for Florida that evening. Miraculously, after spending less than a week in the ICU at a Fort Lauderdale hospital, he was released with minimal side effects from the drowning.
That weekend was the same weekend Carly was scheduled to take her Oral Boards - the final step in emergency medicine certification. As a result of her missing the boards, they have been rescheduled for the later this fall.
Due to Jon's worsening heart failure (which most likely caused the accident), the Stouts are now making preparations to sell the family farm in Greenbrier County, WV.
A large part of our time in WV this fall will be committed to spending time with our families, helping the Stouts get the farm ready to sell, and settling them into a new home.
While the delay wasn't a part of our plan, it will allow us to say a good "good-bye" to friends and family in WV before we make the move to Malawi.
Other Summer Happenings:
Zack FINALLY completed his Masters Degree from CIU
Ellie has started practicing her "world traveler" strut (left)
Zack picked up a part time job from May 1- July 26th at "Trifecta Lawn Care" and spent 30-35 hrs/week in the SC sun to help with recent and future unexpected expenses.
Carly has started training to run 30 miles on her up coming 30th birthday while continuing to work in the ER here and make progress on her Masters of Public Health.
Zack made his final trip to a YL Camp with the local YL area, and during that week saw SIX of his high school friends say YES to Jesus for the first time!
The three of us spent a great weekend in NC with some families from our church. We caught some rainbow trout, hiked to a waterfall, and got caught in a torrential downpour - fun times!
Sarah Adams' Legacy
In December 2013, a young lady from Oklahoma, Sarah Adams was tragically killed in a automobile accident in Malawi. She was on YL staff there, and was just beginning to gain traction with the international schools. During her time there, she paved the way for Young Life to be in the international schools.
Over the past two years, I've had the privilege to meet and spend time with her mom, Jan and older sister, Andi. Then, in June, they flew me out to Oklahoma to meet the rest of her family and celebrate Sarah's life.
That week, in partnership with musician Christopher Williams, Sarah's family hosted a house concert to help raise funds to provide Bibles for the 1000+ teenagers who plan to attend YL Camps in Malawi this summer! Getting to be a part of raising nearly $20,000 was an absolute highlight of my summer! Sarah's life ended prematurely, but her legacy lives on! Her motto of "Everyday Love Changing Everyday Lives" resonates in the hearts of her friends and family. Please visit http://www.sarahadamsfoundation.org to get a glimpse of this amazing woman and the lives she touched; and continues to touch.
List of upcoming events:
Aug 18th - Yard Sale at 6 Hillpine Ct, Columbia SC (phase 1 of #downsizing)
Aug 19th - Final Sunday morning at Riverbend Church and going away party on the lake
Aug 26th - Arrive in Lewisburg, WV
Sept 1st - Emma Stout - Cory Hines Wedding
Oct 15th - Carly's Boards
Nov 2nd-18th - EMS Training in Masindi, Uganda
Jan 17-20 - YL Africa/Middle East Committee Weekend in Tampa, FL
Jan 24, 2019 - Estimated date for Arrival in Malawi!
Giving update:
As of today, we are 92% funded!! Wahoo!! With just 8% left to go, we are so close we can almost taste it! This is really a testimony to God's faithfulness and your generosity. Due to the craziness of the past couple months, we have not been able to be as diligent as we would like with appointments, thank you cards, or follow up phone calls. Despite that, we have seen a 24% increase in the past three months! If you have not yet started giving but would like to join the team, you can do so by clicking this blue "give now" button and following the prompts on the new page that opens. As always, please call me (304.588.1688) with any questions.
Closing Thoughts:
In a season of uncertainty, and when faced with more questions than answers....fear often creeps in. We ask a lot of "what if" questions and the unknown events of the future can paralyze us. Joy and peace can feel like strangers to us when walking through trying times. So we busy ourselves. We put our heads down and become efficient and productive controlling what we can while trying to forget about what we can't. In the video below, Christopher Williams encourages us to "be still, just for a moment, and let the world keep spinning without you." The lyrics of this song have been balm for the Brady house this season. The exhortation to "do not be afraid" is so easy to type or say to a friend, but it's another thing allow Jesus to grow your faith to the point where you can hope in the truth found in Isaiah 43:1-2, "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. when you go through deep waters, I will be with you. when you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown."(NLT) So thank you for praying for us. Thank you for being in the rivers of difficulty with us, and praise God for the promise of His presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. All Glory be to Christ, Zack, Carly, and Ellie Jo :-)
