It’s March 2009 now, and I have so much to share, I’m just about ready to burst! The most exciting news that I have for ya’ll is that I am engaged to be married to Cullen this fall! We are working out the details on a specific date still, but it’s looking like it will be September 12.
Cullen and I met online last May, and met in person last August when we both got to MN. I had been in the Philippines for 2 years getting my midwifery training, and he had been working as an electrical engineer in South Dakota and had been transferred here. We both were thinking that we would just be good friends, and I was hoping to make the move easier on him by introducing him to a good church (Bethany) and my friends so it wouldn’t be so lonely for him since he was relocating by himself, but God had other plans, and both of us have been very happy for that!
So we had been dating for 6 months, and he went out with my dad to a motorcycle show and at lunch (with my brother present as well!) asked my dad for his blessing to ask for my hand in marriage. I thought he would wait for a while to propose, but later that week, Friday actually, he brought me back to the park where we had first discovered we liked each other and got down on one knee. I was shocked, not expecting it at all, (I knew it was coming, but not so soon) and I was on a steady dose of cold meds so my brain was cloudy, but it was perfect, well except for him not hearing me say yes since I didn’t have much of a voice! But I clarified that quickly.
Another very exciting piece of news that I wanted to share with ya’ll is that Cullen and I will be leading a missions trip to Nicaragua this April! Cullen has less missions experience than I do (well, a lot of people do considering I was raised on the mission field!) and we wanted to do a trip together that would allow us to see each other in the missions setting, and find out what part missions will play in our future.
At first I was having a difficult time recruiting people to go with us, but when I sent out an email to the Bethany students here, all of the sudden I had more interest than I ever thought possible! We now have 10 committed team members, and a possibility for up to 19 total. Wow. God is working for sure, it’s not normal for this many people to be excited to give up their one week of vacation to go share the Gospel, and be His hands and feet.
We are able to visit the city dump and orphanage and get kids excited to come to the camp that we will be hosting for 3 days. Many of the kids we will minister to are not able to go to school because they don’t own the one pair of closed-toe shoes that is required for admittance. We will also be able to help do some construction and medical/mercy ministry to the families that live near the base. Adam and Rachel Todd are the missionaries that run the base, and they are graduates of Bethany.
The total trip cost will be about $950 per person, and this will cover airfare, food, lodging, transportation and teaching/construction supplies for the whole time we are there not only for the team members but also for the kids we will be ministering to.
Even though this team is made up of many Bethany students, most of them have not been overseas yet, and this will be a wonderful teaching opportunity for them as well to understand what missions is like, and help prepare them for their upcoming 16 month internships.
I would now like to close this letter by asking that you consider supporting me and the team either financially or by giving kids clothing, shoes, art/school supplies or sports equipment (that isn’t too big to pack) and also in prayer. If you choose to support me financially, the check can be made out to Bethany Church with a post-it note designating it for my trip to Nicaragua. That way it will be tax deductible. If tax deduction isn’t necessary for you, you can write out the check directly to me. I am attaching a support card which has more specifics for you on how to give.
Thank you so much for your faithfulness to the Lord in all you do, and for loving me and being a big part of my life for so many years now.
Always,
Jenny
