paper work, passports, visas OH MY!

torre's been hard at work the past new weeks completing all the necessary paperwork to submit to the medical board of new zealand for the final stamp of approval on our living abroad plans. the stack of paperwork is complete, extra passport pics have been taken (they are just as bad as you would imagine), and we FedExed the paperwork for our Visas yesterday at 3:58pm. Whew! now we wait. 

freedom from myself

The Rich and the Kingdom of God
Matthew 19:21-23 NIV

"Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” “Why do you ask me about what is good?” 
Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
“Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 

"When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth." Ouch...although I am very familiar with this account of Jesus and the rich young man, the impact of what Jesus is really saying has recently hit very close to home for me. All too often I have found myself thinking and behaving just as the young rich man did...so bound to my 'wealth', the things I place too high of a value on, instead of living freely to follow the One who is ALL I need.


The process of sorting through our belongings has been challenging for me. Torre is definitely better at tossing almost anything he feels is taking up unnecessary space, but I, on the other hand, have kept everything and anything that relates to a special occasion, moment, vacation, childhood favorite...you name it, I've probably got it. No, it may not be a bad thing that I like keepsakes, but when those keep sakes and memories take over a piece of your heart that was intended for Jesus, when the thought of giving a Snoopy Shaved Ice maker away brings you to tears because you loved it so much as a child, there's a problem!!! It's a problem for me anyways. God has been teaching me to let go of all kinds of things and showing me that nothing of importance and value is actually lost when I let go of my earthly possessions to follow him, because so much more is gained!!! I want to be free to go when Jesus asks me to. The freedom we are finding through this process of sorting, trashing, selling and giving away is so amazing and it's extremely exciting to see how God is continually aligning our lives with his heart. 


Father, I choose you. I want my hands and heart to be free from clutter and distraction so that I am free to JOYFULLY follow you wherever you lead!

preparing for the adventure

about a month or so ago we began thinking about what we planned on keeping, giving away, selling and storing IF this move was actually going to be a reality. so it begins. this pile in my living room looks similar to the one by the front door and the one around my kitchen table soon to be a stack in my bedroom. :) not to mention what's left in storage. thank God he's been down sizing us the past few years! a girl came today to look and our canopy bed frame and loved it! thank you Jesus! she's coming with a truck tomorrow. as much as i do love "stuff" and pretty things, every time we get rid of something the thrill of the sale, as well as getting rid of something we can't move with or just don't need, gives me the motivation i need to keep up with the emails and phone calls that go along with posting craigslist ads. lots and lots of them. anybody need down bedding???

adventure is out there

We recently read that life is full of high boards...places we stand where we realize that the altitude is higher than we expect. The place where their is no neutral-we either go forward or go backward. And at that moment you choose to advance or retreat. To choose to live out your Divine Adventure is to advance! Advance the Kingdom of God. Advance your faith. Advance your trust in God's plans and purposes for your life. Advance against the fear that keeps you bound from living the life God has created for you. We are passionate about sharing God's love and aligning our hearts, dreams, talents and lives with the work God has already begun in and around us.

Our Divine Adventure begins August 29, 2011, when we travel to New Zealand to live abroad for one year!


"When you seize divine moments, you instigate an atomic reaction. You become a human catalyst creating a divine impact."

"When we begin to seize our divine moment, we do not begin to live risk-free, but instead become free to risk." ~ Erwin Raphael McManus - 'Chasing Daylight'

God has had this in the works for years...many...and although it still feels kind of like a surprise party you REALLY didn't see coming, looking back it's all becoming very clear. One of our main goals over the past few years has been to become more available to local and international missions and disaster relief projects. Our missions trip to the DR last summer confirmed many God-given dreams and desires we've had to continue to align our lives in a way that would make us prepared to 'GO' whenever the call/chance/opportunity/need came. We began to pray and ask God what that looked like and a couple of months ago the answer came in the idea of temporary staffing positions both in the US and internationally. In both fear of being stretched beyond our current comfort zone and excitement of the possibilities beyond our comprehension we continued praying, looking into options, praying lots more and really trying to take a good, honest look at our hearts and how God had been aligning our lives. At some point along the way we realized that this was "our moment"...the freedom to choose to advance...to risk...to LIVE! So we have chosen to jump off our hypothetical high board and take a swim, pursue passion, adventure and our sincere desire to be God's love extended to all. Torre has accepted a one year contract at a clinic in Levin, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand! Along with his work in the clinic we are both very excited to get integrated into the community, make new friends, connect with a local church family, assist in local needs and share in the customs and culture of those around us! I will continue to pursue my passion for photography and a developing vision to use it as an act of worship and a tool to bring awareness and support to those in need.

We are absolutely thrilled...if you couldn't tell already...and look forward to all that God has in store! Come along with us!

Adventure is out there!