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Dear Friends and Prayer Warriors,
The answer to why did we chose Appalachia/East Tennessee is more of a story about how the Lord brought us here than a simple choice. We love the mountains. We always have. We talked about living here someday even when we were dating. However, it wasn't where we though we'd go straight out of seminary. This is our story.
We met in Russia in 2004. On the day we met, I, Daniel, had flown to Moscow to meet with Adam Richardson, the field director for Denton Bible Missions (Serve) Russia. I had been serving in Russia with Campus Crusade for Christ for two years, and was about 2 months from completing my term. Adam and I talked about my passion for training pastors and church leaders, my language progress and adaption to the Russian culture, and my desire to possibly return to Russia with Serve. Adam was very encouraging, and my path started moving towards returning to Russia.
A few hours later, I met the short-term mission team that was coming to serve with my STINT team in Saratov for the summer at the train station. A beautiful young lady walked up to me and said, "I'm Meredith. I know your brother. Can you find me a pack-et (plastic tote bag)?" A few months later we started dating. Three years later, on May 19, 2007, we were married. At that point, the desire to go back to Russia had not changed, the Lord just slowed us down long enough to bring us together.
In April of 2008, just before our first anniversary, we flew to Moscow together to meet with Adam and his wife Heather to talk about joining their team. Their pastor and church leader training ministry had matured quite a bit in four years, but they were still excited about staying in Russia. I was in my first semester of seminary, and hoping to graduate in May 2010.
In October 2009 we flew out to Texas to meet with the mission's staff at Denton Bible and seek the approval of the elders to begin raising support to join the Richardsons in Moscow after my graduation. We were approved, and in January 2010 we started the support raising process.
In April 2010, Adam called me from Moscow and indicated that he and Heather were considering leaving Russia after being there since the mid '90s. The pastor training ministry that Adam had set out to launch was not only thriving but moving towards self-sufficiency with a group of Russian nationals leading the way. So, the Lord might be closing the door for us to go to Russia.
In May 2010, just before my seminary graduation, we drove to Greeneville, TN to meet with Mike Scheer and Tim Ford, Denton Bible missions' staff who were here to visit Charlie and Earlene. Mike and Tim (and Charlie) encouraged us to consider East Tennessee as another option if the Lord closed the door for Russia.
In June 2010, Adam let us know that they felt like their time in Russia was coming to a close in another year or so. With a successful transition to Russian leadership in the pastor training ministry, it would, for them, mean mission accomplished. For us, it meant the Lord definitely closed the door for us to go to Russia.
Meredith and I talked about joining one of the other overseas Serve teams, either in France or Austria, but after a month of praying about it, we decided East Tennessee is where the Lord was calling us, for all the reasons outlined in our previous blog posts.
In July 2010, we started raising support to move to East Tennessee/Appalachia.
On August 23, 2010, our precious Lily was born.
On June 10, 2011, our little family packed its bags and moved west to settle here in the mountains of East Tennessee. At the same time, Adam and Heather relocated from Moscow to Cambridge, England, to pursue the Lord's calling in the next phase of their lives. Meredith and I have had quite a journey these last 8 years. We've often been reminded that the lamp the Lord uses to light our path only gives us enough light for today, so for tomorrow we just have to trust him. He has always been faithful, and it's a joy to serve him here in East Tennessee.
Things you can be praying for this week.
1. Please pray for the mission team coming in from Denton, Texas to serve alongside of us for the next week. There's a total of 33 men, women, and children coming to do a number of renovation projects on our Storehouse, as well as ministering in the community. Please pray that the Lord will use this trip mightily in the lives of our community, as well as in the lives of those participating. Also please pray for traveling mercies and all the little things that need to come together for this trip to be a blessing to everyone involved.
2. Please pray for the U-Turn for Christ ministry here in town. They serve a real need in our community, and they've had quite an unfortunate shakeup in their leadership in recent weeks. I've had the privilege of teaching the men a couple of times this week, and it was great. Some of the men serve as volunteers in our ministry almost every week, and I think the Lord may be moving us to serve them in a more regular and tangible way. Please pray for wisdom and discernment about what that should look like.
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| At 7am, Lily is ready to go drive her car around the block with daddy. |
Dear Friends and Prayer Warriors,
The answer to why did we chose Appalachia/East Tennessee is more of a story about how the Lord brought us here than a simple choice. We love the mountains. We always have. We talked about living here someday even when we were dating. However, it wasn't where we though we'd go straight out of seminary. This is our story.
We met in Russia in 2004. On the day we met, I, Daniel, had flown to Moscow to meet with Adam Richardson, the field director for Denton Bible Missions (Serve) Russia. I had been serving in Russia with Campus Crusade for Christ for two years, and was about 2 months from completing my term. Adam and I talked about my passion for training pastors and church leaders, my language progress and adaption to the Russian culture, and my desire to possibly return to Russia with Serve. Adam was very encouraging, and my path started moving towards returning to Russia.
 |
| About 2 months after we first met, a friend captured this picture of us at Victory Park in Saratov, Russia. The park sits high on a hilltop and from there, you can see most of the city. |
A few hours later, I met the short-term mission team that was coming to serve with my STINT team in Saratov for the summer at the train station. A beautiful young lady walked up to me and said, "I'm Meredith. I know your brother. Can you find me a pack-et (plastic tote bag)?" A few months later we started dating. Three years later, on May 19, 2007, we were married. At that point, the desire to go back to Russia had not changed, the Lord just slowed us down long enough to bring us together.
 |
| Our wedding was one of the most joyful and memorable days in our lives! |
In April of 2008, just before our first anniversary, we flew to Moscow together to meet with Adam and his wife Heather to talk about joining their team. Their pastor and church leader training ministry had matured quite a bit in four years, but they were still excited about staying in Russia. I was in my first semester of seminary, and hoping to graduate in May 2010.
 |
| In 2008, we made it back to Russia as a married couple on a vision trip. |
In October 2009 we flew out to Texas to meet with the mission's staff at Denton Bible and seek the approval of the elders to begin raising support to join the Richardsons in Moscow after my graduation. We were approved, and in January 2010 we started the support raising process.
In April 2010, Adam called me from Moscow and indicated that he and Heather were considering leaving Russia after being there since the mid '90s. The pastor training ministry that Adam had set out to launch was not only thriving but moving towards self-sufficiency with a group of Russian nationals leading the way. So, the Lord might be closing the door for us to go to Russia.
 |
| Praise the Lord for seminary. I was glad to be done! |
In May 2010, just before my seminary graduation, we drove to Greeneville, TN to meet with Mike Scheer and Tim Ford, Denton Bible missions' staff who were here to visit Charlie and Earlene. Mike and Tim (and Charlie) encouraged us to consider East Tennessee as another option if the Lord closed the door for Russia.
In June 2010, Adam let us know that they felt like their time in Russia was coming to a close in another year or so. With a successful transition to Russian leadership in the pastor training ministry, it would, for them, mean mission accomplished. For us, it meant the Lord definitely closed the door for us to go to Russia.
Meredith and I talked about joining one of the other overseas Serve teams, either in France or Austria, but after a month of praying about it, we decided East Tennessee is where the Lord was calling us, for all the reasons outlined in our previous blog posts.
 |
| Meredith, ever the overachiever, also graduated from SEBTS with a diploma in Women's Ministry. |
In July 2010, we started raising support to move to East Tennessee/Appalachia.
On August 23, 2010, our precious Lily was born.
 |
| Proud parents of a beautiful baby girl! |
On June 10, 2011, our little family packed its bags and moved west to settle here in the mountains of East Tennessee. At the same time, Adam and Heather relocated from Moscow to Cambridge, England, to pursue the Lord's calling in the next phase of their lives. Meredith and I have had quite a journey these last 8 years. We've often been reminded that the lamp the Lord uses to light our path only gives us enough light for today, so for tomorrow we just have to trust him. He has always been faithful, and it's a joy to serve him here in East Tennessee.
 |
| Our first home on the mission field! |
1. Please pray for the mission team coming in from Denton, Texas to serve alongside of us for the next week. There's a total of 33 men, women, and children coming to do a number of renovation projects on our Storehouse, as well as ministering in the community. Please pray that the Lord will use this trip mightily in the lives of our community, as well as in the lives of those participating. Also please pray for traveling mercies and all the little things that need to come together for this trip to be a blessing to everyone involved.
2. Please pray for the U-Turn for Christ ministry here in town. They serve a real need in our community, and they've had quite an unfortunate shakeup in their leadership in recent weeks. I've had the privilege of teaching the men a couple of times this week, and it was great. Some of the men serve as volunteers in our ministry almost every week, and I think the Lord may be moving us to serve them in a more regular and tangible way. Please pray for wisdom and discernment about what that should look like.
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