Hand in Hand with the Hallahans

Chasing the Light

2025-11-16T12:19:00.005-05:00

the days are growing shorter. there is a chill in the air. the autumnal breeze makes the fallen leaves dance and swirl. and i slow to chase the light.

caleb noticed that i have written at least one post a year since before he was born... he was reading my blog. and i looked at the "recent" posts, and they all shimmer with the golden glow of sunlight. whether it is twinkle lights or candlelight, sunrise or sunset... i've always been a light chaser.

we have reached the twilight of 2025; 2026 is just waiting to dawn. i feel a restlessness, and perhaps hope, within me. i will graduate with my Masters of Mental Health Counseling in May. josh and i have big dreams of what comes next, and no solid plans. so we prepare our hearts for the advent season and hold this dream up to the light.

if you are interested in holding this dream up to the light with us this advent, send us an email. we would love to share our hearts with you. we want to keep in step with the Spirit and not rush ahead of Him, nor lag behind. so we need a community of believers to listen with us. maybe i'll share advent thoughts as we listen together this year.

Ache and Hum {a busy mom's lament}

2024-11-22T12:55:00.001-05:00

Life pounds out staccato.

The beat growing faster.

Until the days whir by to the hum.

Where did autumn go?

Also, my firstborn prepares to turn 18 next week.

Wasn't I just rocking him to sleep as he snuggled my hair and sucked his thumb? Here we are living in the U.S.A. with four kids, a mortgage payment, and a dog, just before our 20th anniversary next month. We are on the front porch of mid-life. And somehow, I thought things would slow down after the blur of toddlerhood. But the pace has gotten even more harried. I ache for those long, slow days. And I love the season we are currently in. The kids are all learning how to make their way in the world, and we get a front-row seat to their triumphs and tragedies, as we standby to cheer or comfort.

It's a long letting go. And I refuse to buy into the myth that we only get 18 summers. I want more than that. I want my kids to call and stop by, I want to hear all about the glorious and the hard of young adulthood, work, marriage, and parenting. So I'll keep pushing pause on my grad school homework to listen to stories from school, I will stay up late {apparently the only time teens wish to spill the tea}, and I'll climb up into the top bunk and cuddle my tween who can only share honestly when the lights are out, and we are under the covers.

I hope that they will want to keep talking to me. Yet, I will pursue my own dreams and hobbies, so they know what a meaningful life looks like, and so they don't feel pressure to come fill my life up. I want them to soar and I want them to walk through our open door whenever they want to and I'll call and check in occasionally because a parent's work is never done, it just shifts. So, there will be days when all six of us aren't at the dinner table, and nights when i am sitting with clients instead of my kids. And all of it will be good and right. I just wish I had the capacity to savor it all a little longer.

I'll grieve what has passed, what will never be, and who I once was. And I will look for ways to just be here now, thankful for all that is.

Time is fleeting {a life update}

2024-07-20T10:19:00.003-05:00

The morning sun filters through the trees and illuminate the dandelion whisps. The world comes to life as bird song floats on the breeze. Our puppy has me up and out early these days (yes! we got a golden retriever puppy in january. he's 8 months old now. stay tuned, i'm sure he will get his own post). And while my quiet time isn't so solitary anymore, I am forced to be more present.

Our family is in transition yet again, though we are grateful we don't have to move this time! Transitions always make me more reflective, so I needed to write. Also, the world is absurd right now. An election year. An assasination attempt on a former president. My firstborn spending his summer working at Delanco Camp in New Jersey. A friend calling to tell me about a scary diagnosis. A couple new jobs. Starting my counseling practicum in the fall. It's a lot.

My mind swirls... How is Caleb old enough to spend a summer away from us? How has our country gotten to the position we are in? How will all of my various roles and responsibilities fit together this year? How does God invite us to navigate suffering? And how exactly do we slow the onslaught of time? And then my mind returns to Ann Voskamp's words:

“This, this is the only way to slow time:
When I fully enter time’s swift current, enter into the current moment with the weight of all my attention, I slow the torrent with the weight of me all here. I can slow the torrent by being all here. I only live the full life when I live fully in the moment….
Weigh down this moment in time with full attention, and the whole of time’s river slows, slows, slows.”

I slow time when I give this moment my full attention. I turn off auto-pilot. I put down my phone. I single-task, instead of multi-task. And 'Cease endlessly striving for what you would like to do and learn to love what must be done.' -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I long to live a quiet, ordinary one-piece-life. Where all the pieces are woven together. Where my spirituality and family, work and play are all intertwined. As we sit in ordinary time in the liturgical year, I am practicing gratitude for what has been given and all that lies ahead. It will be beautiful, even when it is hard, because God is a good Maker and a kind Father.

The Rhythms that Steady Us

2023-12-10T17:07:00.003-05:00

Picnic under the tree: 2022

We've been in our Miracle House in Wilmore for two and a half years now. There are days when it feels like we left Uganda yesterday and days when it seems like we've lived here forever. Time is weird... growing kids are weird too. Caleb is a junior, Seth is a sophomore, Elizabeth is in fourth grade and Bekah is in third. I am in my second year of seminary and still working on getting my Mental Health Counseling degree. I hope to graduate the same year as Seth. Josh and I are still working for the Francis Asbury Society.

I was leading a parenting support group for class this semester and one of the skills I taught was having a gratitude practice. Preparing for that session sent me back to my gift list tag here on our blog. I haven't kept up with the numbering of my gratitude. And I miss it. Looking back hit me deep in the feels. And made me realize how steadying and life-giving that practice is.

Our kids are also growing so fast. I can't believe Caleb will be a senior next year. We still open advent envelopes each day, and we will picnic under the Christmas tree again this year. But the minutes with all four under our roof are finite and dwindling rapidly. Our advent envelopes are a tradition that steady us and hopefully steady our kids when they begin families of their own.

I left off on my gift list at #8029... so I'll pick up there and keep counting. It's never too late to return to rhythms that steady you. {speaking of returning- that was my word for the year - so maybe I'll write about that soon}

8030. all four kids laughing and playing in the basement of FAS

8031. seeing the Coppedges at church

8032. breakfast sandwiches after church

8033. friends who feel like family

8034. the glow of the Christmas tree

8035. our growing collection of ornaments- like a trip down memory lane

8036. the gift of returning

8037. thousands of photos- invitations to return

8038. the scent of cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven

8039. a circle of parents finding strength in one another's company

8040. the honor of bearing witness to stories of pain and triumph

Desert Seasons

2023-02-24T08:08:00.006-05:00

Jesus was in the desert for forty days before His earthly ministry. He was tempted at the very core of His identity. I don't know about you, but I am not usually eager to spend time in the desert or the wilderness. Sometimes it is unavoidable, and other times (like Lent) we seek it out. Our family spent a solid eight months in an unsought personal wilderness after we left Uganda.

In the wilderness, everything you once believed is questioned. The sand and sky stretch for miles. You don't know how long it will last. You are forced to simplify down to basic necessities. The landscape is dull. You are pushed to your very limits. It is so disorienting.

And, if you are open, God longs to draw near in those seasons. It is sometimes easier (and sometimes harder) to sense Him in the wilderness when everything else gets stripped away, and we realize the depth of our need for Him. He isn't tricky or hiding. And so this Lent, as we lay aside the things that draw our attention away from Him, and settle into the quiet places, I pray that He meets you.

I hope that He will feel like a cool drink of water to your thirsty soul and that you will get a real sense of Jesus alongside you; He never asks anything of you that He wasn't willing to do first.

What Does My Soul Need?

2023-02-23T07:34:00.001-05:00

As we enter the Lenten season, the question I sense being asked is: "What does your soul need?" The three core practices of Lent are giving, fasting and praying. If you've been in Wilmore the past two weeks you've done your share of all three I'm guessing. We've given so much to host the presence of the Lord and the mass of pilgrims descending on our town. We have missed meals (maybe not fasting, but possibly!), and we've gone without sleep. And we have been serving on prayer teams, been interceding from afar (if you're not in Wilmore), or just been prompted to stop and pray with people- that has been one of the first fruits I've seen from this outpouring. So I'm not sure how the Lord will lead you to practice this Lent. But let me offer some suggestions:

Giving yourself permission to rest and go slower than you have been lately.
Fasting social media (or some other way you've been numbing out) so you can stay awake to the presence of the Lord.
Praying. Please don't stop praying. Maybe try a new way of being with the Lord like walking and praying, or sitting in silence for 10 minutes, or journaling your prayer, or praying Scripture.

Leave a comment if you know how He is leading you to do for Lent- maybe it would be a great idea for someone else too.

Lenten Discipleship Journey

2023-02-21T10:15:00.004-05:00

I'm sure you've seen Asbury University in the news recently. There has been an outpouring of God's Spirit over the past two weeks. It has been powerful, precious, and overwhelming. It began during the season of Epiphany- a season of light and revelation! We have certainly had an epiphany. Jesus has come to the center and has our full attention. Now, we are about to enter the Lenten season.

Ash Wednesday is a time when we consider our finitude- our deeply human limits- the fleeting aspect of our single life. "Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust." I have poured myself out the past two weeks and on this Ash Wednesday I hear Him saying- "frail daughter, I am God and you are not. You are not limitless. You may embrace your humanity and rest." And I am grateful to be reminded that He breathed life into dust and created humanity and He can again breathe life into my dry and weary soul.

The Lenten journey takes us into the desert places- it continues to reveal the places we would rather hide- it exposes those disordered desires that only He can satisfy. {and I don't know about you- but after the thousands of pilgrims that traveled to Wilmore- I'm ready for some desert solitude}

Join me on this daily journal- He wants to meet you in the desert places as we journey towards Easter.

Laying Down my Ideas...

2022-03-02T16:20:00.000-05:00

These are difficult days. We have finally succumbed to COVID-19. There is an actual war being waged on the other side of the world. And today is Ash Wednesday. A day to remember our humanity and come face to face with our sin and mortality. Yet, I don't know about you, but I am all too aware of my limits, frailty, and humanity this year. We are on day 12 of isolation and my grace and patience started to wear thin, so I decided this is the perfect day to reorient myself. I have always loved Lent. We have tons of old blog posts with my thoughts and our family traditions if you want some inspiration.

We began 2022 with energy, hope, and lots of people attending Bible study. But as the weeks passed, we canceled more events than we hosted and even the ones we offered were sparsely attended. It is easy in those moments to listen to the lies that you aren't doing a good job and that the slow ways of Jesus just don't work. But we've been at this for a decade and I refuse to let the tempter play that card with me. I will teach a fitness class with just one student. I will receive the gift of no one coming to Bible study as an extra night to spend with our children. On a walk with Jesus, He reminded me that He isn't in a hurry, that building something which lasts isn't an overnight miracle, and that just because it feels like we aren't doing much doesn't mean He isn't working below the surface. And so I offer that same encouragement to you- the pace of love is slow, building the kingdom doesn't happen overnight, and He is at work beneath the surface as you wait on Him.

I am burdened for Ukraine. There is a weariness in my bones and my mind from dealing with COVID-19. Our hearts break for students at Asbury who are hurting, lonely and exhausted. AND those are the very reasons I must slow down and fill my days with beauty, connection, and intercession. The three main disciplines of lent are fasting, giving and praying. This lent I am laying down my ideas of effective ministry. I am giving my attention to the things that matter by building beauty and connection into our days. And I am praying His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

This quote from C.S. Lewis has been ringing in my heart this week: "
If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”

What do you need to lay down, to whom do you need to give, and what is the prayer on your heart this Lenten season?

#monochromaticlent

I'm not alright

2021-09-21T14:30:00.001-05:00

“We could have never written this song 10 years ago.” These words were spoken by Dustin Lolli, lead singer of Sanctus Real at the relaunch event of Ichthus here in Wilmore, KY. I was a volunteer at Ichthus at the prayer tent this year and only slightly listening to Sanctus Real when that sentence stopped me in my tracks. What was he talking about? The song in question (also the title of this post) is called “I’m not alright.” Dustin went on to explain how in many Christian circles, it has been taboo to admit struggles. Far too many of us can think of times when eyes widened, and mouths opened larger than normal when we dared to share a struggle. We can think of people who began avoiding us or whispered with another as we walked by after sharing openly. Thankfully, the tide is shifting.

Over the past decade or so I have gone through a personal struggle of battling depression and at the same time realizing a deep passion for discipleship. What do these two things have in common, you ask? Well, let’s start with the latter. What is discipleship? Well, a disciple is a follower. Discipleship then is the teaching a follower sits under. In their book Discovering Discipleship: Dynamics of Christian Education Dean G. Blevins and Mark A. Maddix say that “Didache, the Greek term for teaching, serves as a conceptual framework for discipleship…”[i] They go on to say that “Discipleship is the older concept of a particular way of living as learners and teachers in rhythm with the Holy Spirit.”[ii] Finally, while discussing that discipleship certainly can look a lot like our education processes today, Blevins and Maddix say, “It includes spiritual formation, catechetical guidance, pastoral leadership, compassionate service, and missional engagement.”[iii] Discipleship sounds a lot more robust to me than a Sunday school classroom or a small group meeting on Wednesday night. Those things are included, but there can and should be much more to it. My understanding of discipleship is learning to live a life under the guidance of the Holy Spirit that looks like that of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, when an opportunity arose for The Francis Asbury Society to partner with Ichthus by sponsoring the prayer tent, I viewed this as a perfect opportunity to engage in active discipleship. I wrote to our team of volunteers saying, “We have no idea what will come our way on Saturday. However, I do know that people will come with needs, and it is a pleasure to journey with them for even just a few minutes." And while the line was not a mile long waiting to pray with us at the tent, we did indeed have the opportunity to engage in discipleship with a few people. One girl timidly came with her friends a few paces behind and bravely stated, "I need to grow in my prayer life." A 30-year-old man came carrying a heavy burden which could be seen by the sadness in his eyes. “I need to surrender. I wanted to be married by now and I don’t know how it will ever happen. I am addicted to pornography. I have racist tendencies. I don’t want these things in my life anymore!” What an honor to sit with these two, and others, and to walk for just a few minutes with them and then cover them in prayer. The girl was handed off to her youth leaders to continue walking with her in deepening her prayer life. The 30-year-old man shared his phone number with one of our volunteers who offered to continue walking with him while he waits for God to send him someone closer to his home who could journey with him. If I were to go strictly by Blevins and Maddix, I would say that we participated in spiritual formation, catechetical guidance, pastoral leadership, compassionate service, and missional engagement in those few short moments on Saturday. And it was so good!

OK but what about that personal piece I mentioned? Don't worry, I'll tie it in. Again, for about a decade I have engaged in a battle with depression. I thank God that it is not a serious battle and thus far by His mercy, I have been able to combat it with counseling and staying active. But as I watched the young lady and the 30-year-old man come to the prayer tent on Saturday I saw something familiar in their eyes. Fear. They were afraid of what was going to happen if they opened up about their struggle. They were determined to do so because the Holy Spirit was prompting them. Praise God for His grace! And yet the fear of opening up was real. I remember sitting in a counselor’s office in 2016 and reaching my breaking point. “Something is wrong with me, and I don’t know what it is!” It seemed I could not find joy in anything. Not being a husband, a father, a missionary, or a friend. I just constantly felt like someone had placed a weight on my chest and refused to take it off. It took me so long to get to that breaking point because I was afraid to admit that I was not alright. Then as the dam broke and I reached out for help I realized something special; people were willing to walk with me. Brokenness and all. My wife didn't run away. The rest of my family didn't run away. And I began to realize that I had friends going through similar struggles and they counted it a joy to walk with me.

And so, what is discipleship? I think it's walking with another – brokenness and all. It's being willing to admit to someone, "I'm not alright" and letting them carry your burden. It's also being ready at any moment to receive the burden of another as they face their fear and admit to you, "I'm not alright." As we carry each other's burdens, we turn our face to the one who offers to carry them Himself. Peter tells us in I Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (NIV)

I am so glad the tide is turning and it is OK to admit "I'm not alright." I believe this will open tremendous discipleship opportunities for those of us who call ourselves a disciple of Christ. Such joy can be found in journeying together to the feet of the one who cares so deeply for us.

Link to I'm Not Alright by Sanctus Real

[i] Blevins, Dean G. and Maddix, Mark A. Discovering Discipleship: Dynamics of Christian Education, (Kansas City, Beacon Hill Press, 2010), 17.

[ii] ibid

[iii] ibid

Exercise Your Mental Muscle:

2021-08-24T18:17:00.002-05:00

Join me for a revelation wellness challenge!! Exercise your mental muscle: Click here

Posting more details soon!

Finding your place {resources}

2021-05-27T09:00:00.001-05:00

Ok, Kelly, you've got me curious about what God had in mind when He made me. Now, what?

i'm so glad you asked! i love helping people see where they fit in the story God is writing. here are some valuable resources to get you started on your journey.

in this episode of Business Made Simple by Don Miller they explore building your own personal brand... but what makes it so helpful is that even if you don't plan on marketing yourself the questions they pose will help you narrow your focus to what God has really made you to do and clarify your message.

"Find your uniqueness so that you can exploit it in the service of others." -Larry Winget

Ron Smith wrote recently about how pivotal a single moment can be in altering history. Read this powerful testimony and heritage!

A significant book in my journey has been Let Your Life Speak by Parker J Palmer.

And this quote {expounded on here} has guided my thoughts for decades: "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."

And maybe you feel buried beneath the lies of the enemy or the walls you've built to protect yourself are threatening to suffocate you... let me gently suggest that you allow God to meet you in the pain and confusion before you start trying to serve the world. A few book suggestions for you: The Gift of Imperfection by Brene Brown and Try Softer by Aundi Kolber.

finding your place in God's story

2021-05-26T06:37:00.001-05:00

we all spend our lives trying to figure out our purpose in life... who God made us to be and what He wants to do through us. i love that the intention of Ordinary Time is to "offer us the space to find our place in God's story." after all, the world does not revolve around me; it's His story. He is the center, the Author and the Hero, but He made us to play a role.

it's this search for meaning and purpose that makes us human. a flower does not struggle with what color it's blossom should be or what shape to take- it has no choice but to be what the seed was designed to be. it would certainly be more simple if we had no choice. but then there would also be no freedom. and so God offers us choices... endless possibilities... and yet sometimes it feels like very few options.

i believe God created us with all of our strengths and challenges, passions and skills to reflect His glory to a watching world. I also believe that the hardships and struggles we walk through shape us uniquely to extend His love to hurting people. and i believe that we have an enemy who exists to mar the image of God in us, and derail us from the purposes God created us to fulfill.

as a result of that assault we hide, we put on a mask, we erect a wall or we take matters into our own hands. i have tried all of those survival strategies; they are exhausting. whether the mask is perfection or aggression, the wall is biting sarcasm or emotional distance, or you take things into your own hands by stubborn independence or people-pleasing... i would like to invite you to rest awhile. you don't have to try so hard and you don't have to do this alone.

What's one thing you are good at? Hold on to that {and drop it in the comments} we will take a look at how to uncover our purpose next time.

another ordinary day

2021-05-25T08:11:00.001-05:00

the birds join the ancient harmony. the breeze wafts cool through the open window. and i am roused to another ordinary day.

it's the second day of Ordinary Time according to the liturgical calendar and i can't get that word out of my head.

the introduction to this season of the church year has captivated me and gotten me thinking deep thoughts.

"The first half of the Christian year, ranging from Advent to Pentecost, is devoted to tracing the grand arc of God's saving action in Jesus Christ. The second half of the Christian year is a long stretch of time called Ordinary Time. It starts the day after Pentecost Sunday and leads right up to the first Sunday in Advent, meaning most of the year is spent here,

With all the big holidays and celebrations over, Ordinary Time offers us the space to find our place in God's story. We've celebrated and taken in the momentous life of Jesus; now we need a long stretch of days to absorb and assimilate it. In Ordinary Time, we fully take in the gospel, allowing it to take shape in our daily living, making connections between Jesus' story and our lives." -Philip F Reinders, Seeking God's Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

i have been reading the Time Quartet by Madeleine L'Engle recently and it's got me thinking about the pivotal role we have in the grand story of the world- how even a single decision can alter the course of time. and i don't say that to make you fret and worry about making the wrong choice every single second- i believe God sits on the throne and His Spirit lives within us working all things for good. i do say that to remind us that the enemy would love nothing more than for humans to live numb and distracted, or paralyzed by fear of making the wrong choice.

God is calling you to arise and take your place in the grand story He is writing- with the Spirit alive within you and your ordinary life looking more and more like Jesus'. and i'd be honored to journey with you. we cannot do this alone. we need other pilgrims to sing the ancient melody to us when we've forgotten it's tune, and to break bread with at the table.

what does finding your place in God's story look like today?

i'll be going on a walk, tending kids after their dentist appointments, setting up more meetings to share God's vision for our new ministry, and cooking dinner. oh, and i'll be praying for you and your role in this gospel story.

Love the Lord your God...

2021-05-22T12:16:00.002-05:00

We are teaching an online Bible study for 6 weeks and Thursday was our first session. We had such a precious time in the Word I don't want you to miss out- check out these notes and then join us on Zoom Thursdays at 7pm EST for the next 5 weeks.

After we served Jesus in Uganda with WGM for 9 years we came back to the USA without much certainty as to what God was up to or where He was leading us. So we sat in the grief of leaving Uganda and just waited on the Lord. And as we sought Him He met us. In our uncertainty He reminded us of the commands He had already given us- when we asked “What do you want us to do, God?” He said "Do what you already know to do. Love me with everything you’ve got and love your neighbor as you love yourself.” All too often we make it far too complicated. What if we just focused on getting this right?

As we waited on the Lord He slowly revealed His next assignment to us- one that makes us feel alive and excited in ways we haven’t felt in a while and in ways that feel sweetly similar to the ways we ministered while we lived in Uganda. In July we will be joining the Francis Asbury Society to lead their new Student Ministries initiative- cultivating deep, discipleship relationships with students at Asbury University and Asbury Seminary. FAS has been invited by the presidents at both institutions to have an active presence on campus which is a first. FAS historically has focused on publishing and sending evangelists to local churches. We are joining President Ron Smith and we are grateful for the ways Jesus has been shepherding us this year.

Like I said, Jesus reminded us last year that the best thing to do when we don’t know what to do is love Him and love others. And that is the message we want to share with the students at Asbury. Loving God with all we are- really does change everything! So lets’ dive into the word.

“Then one of the scribes came and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him “Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is this, ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” -Mark 12:29-31

We all want to please God. As believers He has saved us and we are thankful. And in response- we want to honor and obey Him. But why can’t we do it? It often feels like we are powerless to change. What’s going on at the heart of our struggle?? Alisa Keeton, founder of Revelation Wellness says this: “Unwilling hearts partnered with unrenewed minds keep people fragmented, compartmentalized and separated from their best selves- running around getting their animalistic urges met in the moment instead of training for the higher prize of a life lived in right standing with God and filled with peace and joy.” We are created in the image of God and hardwired for emotional and relational connection. He has put desires inside us that only He can fill.

The Lord our God, the Lord is one. He is the only one who can truly satisfy us. I know I am often tempted to think that my phone can satisfy my loneliness, or that food will comfort in the ache inside me- I don’t know what you run to when you are empty- but I will tell you I’ve tried lots of things and none of them fill and satisfy me the way He does. He wants us to love Him first and best. In Jeremiah 2:13 it says " “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." Take a minute and think about the things or people you run to before you run to God. And then confess that to Him and ask Him to meet you and satisfy those empty places.

So He is the one and He invites us to love Him. I can tell you "I love God" and I can know in my head that He loves me. But change comes when I experience the love of God. So take a few minutes and think about ways you express your love to God and ways you experience His love for you.

Love in this Greek text is agape… I am sure some of you know about the various Greek words translated into our one word “love” but I’ll share a few bits of the Greek definition I found on the Blue Letter Bible app: “love willing to die for his beloved, sacrificial love, unconditional love, to love dearly, when used of love for a master (God or Jesus) the word involves the idea of affectionate reverence, prompt obedience and grateful recognition of benefits received. Can also mean to take pleasure in the thing, prize it above with things, be unwilling to abandon it or do without it. Also involves desire and longing.”

Love the Lord YOUR GOD- He is yours! How sweet is that? It’s also a mutual love. He was willing to lay down His life out of love for you- are you willing to lay down your life out of love for Him?? That’s a hard question in today’s society where not many are willing to lay down their rights out of love for others. I can’t love this way in my own flesh. My heart is hard. But as I let Him love me- and feel His delight in me- when I consider the great lengths to which He went to pursue me- my heart wells up with love for Him. Amazing love, how can it be???

Take the Love Exchange challenge: Spend two minutes expressing your love to God by journaling, prayer or singing. And then spend two minutes receiving His love for you by journaling what you sense Him saying, or resting in silence. This practice was found in the book The Love Exchange by Margaret Therkelsen. Writes Therkelsen, "As this Love Exchange deepens, God can have more of you than he has ever had, and your lives will be hidden in him, freely alive and transformed in his loving presence".

Lenten Garden 2021

2021-02-19T16:45:00.003-05:00

Filling our desert garden with sand and rocks- setting the tomb in the corner- assembling a cross to be the focal point for lent is such a grounding ritual for me. I have to slow and ponder the wilderness Jesus faced for 40 days, examine the ways I am tempted like He was to be relevant, to be spectacular and to be powerful (Henri Nouwen- In the Name of Jesus) and the confess the things I've clung to besides Jesus.

this year I've also been reflecting on the desert season we have been walking through since leaving Uganda. Throughout this past year we have felt useless, hidden, unnoticed, hurting and weak. We are the ones who have needed support and prayer- not the ones offering it. And to some degree 2020 was a lengthy lenten wilderness for most of us.

Quarantine hit in the midst of lent last year and it doesn't feel like we've been released. As we stayed home and kept our social distance some ugly things rose to the surface of our hearts- things that were easier to avoid when we kept busy. Maybe frustration, anger, impatience, fear, desire for control rose to the surface for you. Maybe you were stuck in households with people you love and unhealthy habits or patterns were exposed.

So this lent I sense that the Lord longs to be gracious to us. He knows we've kind of been stuck in a lenten desert for a year. And if you've let Him deal with some of those temptations, patterns and sins this year you may be feeling a renewed intimacy with Him (such a gift from a very difficult season). But maybe He has been putting His finger on some things and you've refused Him access. Could you enter in to this lenten season and surrender those to Him? He walks with us to the cross and promises resurrection life and freedom on the other side!

Looking Back to Move Forward: Pt 1

2021-02-18T17:14:00.003-05:00

When we lived in Uganda we spent a lot of our time with university students. Creating space for students to encounter God on their own and in fellowship around the table is definitely a big piece of our calling. Bible studies, leadership retreats, small groups, preaching were all a part of our work with the University Discipleship Movement. I loved meeting with the women on Monday nights our first term in Uganda. Many evenings were spent listening to their struggles and laughing at our common frustrations as women, worshipping with them, and helping them wrestle through tough questions. It was always so encouraging to hear them pray.

Throughout this year we will be taking a look back at our years of ministry in Uganda and then forward at how that might translate into our new ministry with the Francis Asbury Society.

We believe that there is so much potential in the generations coming up! They are passionate about authenticity, community, truth, justice and the environment (Gen Z Core Values). We love how that lines up with God's heart! We all want to know and be known, for our presence to matter to someone else. But there are also some concerning statistics about their belief systems (atheism doubles among Generation Z). And this motivates us to live in authentic community where our backyard is open and there is food on the table. We don't just want to preach the Word, we want to live it.

So we can't wait to move in and get to know the students at Asbury University and Asbury Theological Seminary as one facet of our ministy with the Francis Asbury Society.

Life Update: February 2021

2021-02-11T10:45:00.001-05:00

The Hallahan's are moving to Kentucky! What's in Kentucky? Well, Wilmore to be precise. A tiny little town with a big global impact.

"Why does God move in the strangest places and through unimpressive people? He comes where He is wanted." And that is just what is happening with the Francis Asbury Society- they want Him!

We have been invited to join the Francis Asbury Society (FAS) in discipling students at Asbury University and Asbury Theological Seminary, and coming alongside, encouraging and resourcing local churches and church leaders around the world. If you have known us long at all you know our hearts are glowing with this job description! Student ministry, preaching, small group discipleship, encouraging pastors, missionaries and believers was at the core of our ministry in Uganda and now we get to do it from Wilmore!

One year ago God woke me up on a balmy Ugandan morning with four words echoing in my heart. "Fight for My Bride", He whispered. I thought He was talking about Africa Gospel Church. But as the entire global scene has shifted, our own personal world has been turned upside-down, and the Church in America sits in a precarious position His whisper is echoing even more loudly in my heart. He has brought missionaries back to America this year in droves and for a multitude of reasons and I believe His purposes are far grander than we've dared to imagine.

We are so thankful for the ways you have carried us and cared for us as we've made the transition from Uganda. We could feel your prayers and the financial gifts God led some of you to send were so precious to us. We couldn't have made it without you. And His Bride needs you now- would you consider joining us in building His kingdom here in America and around the world?

Ways to Partner with Us

Just like when we were missionaries abroad, we will need to raise up a support team:

Pray- would you consider joining (or staying on) our prayer team?
Give- we are starting from scratch raising a full support package. Click here to donate: Josh and Kelly Hallahan Choose our name from the "Fund Designation" drop down menu and then choose a dollar amount, and then decide whether that is a one time gift or a monthly/annual gift. Let us know if you have any questions about that!
Host a zoom call with your friends, small group, pastor or anyone who is passionate about building the kingdom!

Fitness Teacher. Gospel Preacher.

2021-02-09T14:55:00.001-05:00

We were created whole and good. God is a masterful designer and His wonders can be found in every cell of our bodies, every thought in our minds and all the love in our hearts. And we live in a fallen world where our hearts get broken and our bodies will not last forever. These bodies were chosen by the God of the universe for His temple here on earth. It's mind-boggling. It's humbling. And it is motivating!

As you know, I've been on a healing journey for the past two years. And even before that He was stirring my heart to take good care of this body using essential oils and non-toxic products. It's only been in the past 4 years that I've taken exercise seriously at all- and just since October that I made the connection between exercise and my mental and spiritual well-being.

When I discovered that Revelation Wellness had a fitness instructor training that was actually discipleship and leadership training I was all in! I started my 9 week fitness teacher/gospel preacher training two weeks ago and it has been so incredible to dive into the book of Nehemiah and the Wellness Revelation book with 200+ other people online.

As we pray and prepare for the ministry God is planning for us next, I know He can use my passion for women living whole and holy wherever He leads us. He is a good Shepherd and we cannot wait to see what He has in store for us. And stay tuned here and on Facebook if you are curious about how I can help you love God, get healthy, be whole and love others!

2020 Book List

2021-02-03T15:31:00.001-05:00

So I promised a book list from 2020. In one of the hardest years of my life these books were my wise, kind and faithful companions.

First, always, the Bible. I lived in the Psalms this year as I learned what lament and worship looked like in a difficult season.

Then, some new authors I discovered this past year: KJ Ramsey, Aundi Kolber, Chuck DeGroat ($1.99) Gina Butz and Katherine May. These authors helped me understand what it means to suffer (and how God longs to meet us in those deeps), how to embrace discomfort and make peace with change, how to be kind to myself on this healing journey and gave me a vision for wholeness, delight and wonder.

And a few faithful old friends I've read and re-read over the years: Hannah Hurnard ($1.99), Ann Voskamp, Lilias Trotter, Parker J Palmer, and Andrew Murray (free!).

Finally, FICTION! I am not in a habit of reading fiction- but 2020 kindled a desire to get lost in an imaginary world. Helena Sorensen wrote a magnificent trilogy about a culture of people who lived in a land under a dark shadow. And yet a few of the main characters, that are viewed by their community as the crazy ones, believe there must be light somewhere beyond the shadow. It is a fairly dark book, but so rich and ignited a glimmer of hope last year. During lock-down in Uganda I decided to begin the Harry Potter series... yes, it was my first time and I read them at the request of our middle school boys. It was a treat to enter their world and learn to speak their language. On landing in America in June, my sister in law gifted me the Sensible Shoes series and I devoured them. A beautiful story of four unlikely friends, their spiritual journeys and a dose of counseling thrown in. It was life-giving.

So, there is my book list from 2020. I am sure there were more- but these were the best. What did you read that you loved??

and yet...

2020-12-17T13:37:00.000-05:00

house renovation josh's working on

crumbling plaster. cracked wooden floors. weary muscles. sore hands. fall into bed bone weary. sleep. wake up to it all again. josh puts in 40 hours of hard labor (and keeps up with his seminary) and yet- this is the "for now provision", not a "forever solution".

math. handwriting. making lunches. solving sibling squabbles and soothing raw emotions. menu planning. mountains of laundry. mine is a 24/7 job of motherhood and yet- they are here and they are ours....friends of ours are grieving the deepest loss imaginable, their son just 11 years old. and I just cook and pray, sweep and pray, wake in the night and pray that Jesus meets them and carries them and brings good out of such tragedy.

I'm re-reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It's been 10+ years since I read it last and I didn't quite need a theology of suffering then like I do now. And it is perfect. I'll do a 2020 book post next!

in these dark days of advent where loss is everywhere and holidays will not look the same as they used to, when I am so happy to be near family this year and missing our Uganda people and traditions (and weather, let's be honest) I need some anchors for my soul. our Jesse tree and advent wreath. our advent envelopes. lighting a candle each morning to be with Jesus. writing a gift list (not what I want... but what He has already given). and reading honest books. it's all so hard. there is so much grief and loss and suffering and political and racial tension and yet- these are the things giving me life right now.

though wars rage and loved ones die, though we are grieving the loss of our life and ministry in Uganda and don't know where the Lord is leading us, yet we know He is here and we will rejoice that He is near to the broken-hearted.

what's been giving you life these days?

Overdue Life Update: November 16

2020-12-11T15:51:00.005-05:00

We are not quite sure how to begin this update, but we wanted to let you know that God has repositioned us yet again. During our very first week at Central UMC in Linwood we realized that our family would not be a good fit for this church. We sought wise counsel and spent much time in prayer before making the difficult decision to submit our resignation. The church was very gracious and allowed us to stay in the parsonage for two weeks after we resigned.

We are now back at Josh's parents' home in Sicklerville. We are thankful to be close to both our families as we navigate this path of healing and waiting on the Lord. And in the meantime, Josh has found a temporary job doing construction in South Jersey with another former Uganda missionary. It's just like God to provide the right connections when we need them!

While we may never know exactly why the Lord led us on such a circuitous route, we trust His heart. He is good and His is kind. And He has granted us more time to seek Him and enjoy HIm. While we wait we ask that you would join us in praying for whatever the Lord has next for us- may we continue walking closely with Him, may He continue to heal our hearts, and may we be the people He can use wherever we are this very moment.

for Him,
Josh and Kelly

Be Held- the practice of lament

2020-08-20T08:51:00.000-05:00

Most days I am fine. I can feed the kids, cope with life, make it to the end of the day in one piece. And then there are some days I feel like I'm suffocating- like it's all too much- stuck. Unfortunately, our culture encourages us to suck it up, to numb the pain, to put on a happy face. None of that serves us; it keeps us broken instead of inviting healing.

So what do we do with the pain? How do we survive in this world full of suffering? K.J. Ramsey has been teaching me that the psalms are the prayer book of the people of God, and that in the psalms we find words to give voice to our deep grief. The jewish people were well acquainted with grief and suffering, which then gave birth the practice of lament. Ramsey writes:

"The psalms offer a conversational means of uniting mind and heart, honesty and truth, despair and hope, humans and their Maker. We struggle to dwell in the tension between our pain and our need to praise, but the psalms hold us in a conversational traction."

I love that imagery: conversational traction. I can picture myself in a hospital bed with my leg suspended from some contraption intended to hold me in the right position to heal properly. Let that sink in. And then we can make the shift in our minds from "I feel stuck" to "I'm in traction". That's powerful.

The psalms of lament give us words when we feel speechless. It's like when my girls are spiraling out of control and losing their minds and I invite them to climb into my lap and I hold them till they are calm enough to tell me what's going on. And sometimes I have to help them find words for the big feelings inside them- they are still learning. So am I. And the psalms help me find words.

"O God, You have cast us off; You have broken us down. You have been displeased; Oh, restore us again! You have made the earth tremble, You have broken it; heal its breaches for it is shaking. You have shown Your people hard things; You have made us drink the wine of confusion." -Psalm 60:1-3

I don't know about you- but my heart echoes these feelings sometimes! And it's only as we come to God with honesty, revealing our hurting hearts in transparency (and finding Him kind and trustworthy) that we find healing. One more Ramsey quote:

"The psalms show us how to acknowledge our pain with honesty. They teach us to approach God from the place of being undone instead of the prison of pretending we are self-sufficient and invulnerable. And in expressing our spitting frustration, derelict desperation and arresting anguish, we mysteriously experience being heard. Relating to God as needy, moody, exhausted children forms hope, praise and trust. Without vulnerability, the truth that God's love is steadfast remains abstract. Tears, groans, and sighs create the relational atmosphere where we can allow God to parent us. Weakness acknowledged and expressed forms trust." -K.J. Ramsey, This Too Shall Last

Just this week I found myself suffocating and stuck again. Thankfully, Josh whisked the kids off to the park so I could fall apart. So I wrapped myself in my Ugandan kikoy, climbed into the Father's lap and wept. I listened to Christy Nockels album: Be Held and it was just the thing I needed. In pouring out my heart to God, knowing my feelings were welcome, seen and cared for, I was able to take one more step towards wholeness. He is so gentle and kind. It's my prayer that you would find some time to do the same. We are all walking through a lot of loss and grief is a natural response. So let's turn to the psalms and find our way to the Father's heart where we can be held.

For more information on lament check out:

{Hesed} love

2020-07-23T08:26:00.003-05:00

I want to share this morning a word that has become so precious to me in this season. I don’t know about you- but the past 5 months have been some of the hardest months I’ve ever faced. Not only are we dealing with a global pandemic, and racial tensions, but in the middle of all of that my family relocated back to New Jersey unexpectedly. We are still WGM missionaries, and are seeking the Lord for what He may be calling us to next. I read recently in the Titus Women’s Minsitry e-news an incredible call to prayer because many missionaries have returned to the USA this year unexpectedly and for various reasons- it feels as though God is amassing a huge missionary force here in America and I’m curious to see His purposes in these days! All that to say- these have been days of global grief and massive stress and anxiety, and as we look to the Psalms we see a word we can grasp hold of that may be just the anchor we need in this storm.

The Hebrew word hesed occurs 246 times in the OT. I heard Dr. John Oswalt teach on it last summer, and it has come to life this year for me. Some English translations use “kindness” “mercy” “steadfast love” “lovingkindness” “favor” “unfailing love” “devotion” but none of these are sufficient by themselves. It is a deep, rich word that doesn’t have a single, perfect translation in English. A couple more definitions “faithful love in action” and “undeserved love from a superior to an inferior” “unmerited kindness that seeks to actively intervene to help a loved one”.

Ralph Davis says, “The order is: love gives itself, in covenant, and gladly promises devoted love in that covenant; the covenant partner then rests in the security of that promise and may appeal to it.” Think of a faithful marriage, and a parent-child relationship all rolled into one (but don’t take this too far it gets weird). Or even faithful marriage and master and servant combined. The idea is God has pledged Himself to us in faithful love, but He is also in authority over us- He owes us nothing. Michael Card translated hesed as “when the person from whom I have a right to expect nothing gives me everything.”

Understanding this word is not just important to us because it appears well over 100 times in the Psalms. This word is important because it is one of the words God uses to describe himself, as in Exodus 34:6-7, when he says to Moses, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in hesed and faithfulness, maintaining hesed to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”

These have been the hardest days I have ever walked through. We hadn’t planned on being back in the USA indefinitely. Saying goodbye to the only life our little family has known was painful. And then comes the memory of this little five letter word “hesed”. So I had to dig into why this word was so important.

Adrian Van Breda helped me understand “God’s hesed is experienced particularly when we are in the midst of adversity. Psalm 94:18 says, “When I said, My foot is slipping, Your hesed love, O Lord, supported me.” The sense here is that God’s hesed is grasped at while we are still in the adversity. Hesed does not necessarily remove the adversity or even the distress and anxiety that adversity evokes. Within each situation we have to seek out again God’s hesed and rediscover what it means to be loved while we struggle with life. Hesed becomes a lifeline or an anchor onto which we hold for dear life. While we struggle, someone may reassure us that God loves us, but actually that knowledge is something we have to find for ourselves.”

I needed to not only know God loved me in this season- I needed to experience it. I experienced His hesed when Josh collected letters from people who love me for my birthday. I received His hesed when my brother drove to DC to pick us up from the airport, and when we arrived at an empty parsonage gifted to us from a church to quarantine in. I saw His love in action when people delivered meals to us while we were in quarantine. And I sensed His hesed every morning when I sat on the deck as the sun warmed my face and I spent time with the Lord.

Psalm 103 gives us a beautiful illustration of hesed: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me; bless His holy name (can I pause here and say that bringing our whole selves- not just the pretty bits- but the hurt, the worry, the delight, the wonder is what blesses the Lord but that is another topic for another day)! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed, He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy {hesed}. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy {hesed} toward those who fear Him… “

Now what? How will I live differently because of God’s hesed towards me this week??

“I will give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His hesed endures forever” –Psalm 136:1

Make a list of His love notes, His hesed towards you- every day!

I will remember the times He showed hesed towards me, unlike the Israelites “they did not remember the multitude of Your hesed but rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.” –Psalm 106:7

Could you write a timeline of the ways God intervened in your life and saved you or rescued you or people you love? I can’t wait to get to heaven and find out all the things He rescued me from that I had no idea were about to happen!

I will call out to God in my distress “But You, O God the Lord, deal with me for Your name’s sake; because Your hesed is good, deliver me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded with me… Help me, O Lord my God! Oh, save me according to Your hesed, that they may know that this is Your hand- that You, Lord have done it!” –Psalm 109:21-22, 26

Our lives don’t just become rosy and easy when we walk with the Lord- His hesed isn’t a magic wand to wave over our lives. However- I have found that His hesed shines on our darkest days. Because it is a covenant term, He has promised never to leave us or forsake us, He has chosen us as His people, His reputation is on the line- we can call out to Him and appeal to His hesed and trust Him to come through for us.

I will share my story with someone. “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His hesed endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…” –Psalm 107:1-2

Could you share your testimony with someone who needs to hear it this week? Or share how God has met a need in your life recently with someone feeling hopeless?

I will be glad. “Oh, satisfy us early with Your hesed, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days! And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. And establish the work of our hands for us, yes, establish the works of our hands.” –Psalm 90:14, 17

It’s easy to complain these days. This is not the story I would have written for 2020. But I can be glad- because He is my God. I can choose to start my day with Him- let Him fill and satisfy me and I won’t be looking for the world, or my circumstances or other people to satisfy me. He will satisfy my deepest needs as I meet with Him and I can be glad. And then I walk away from that time looking more like Him because Jesus Himself has filled me and is living His life in me- extending hesed love, faithfulness, kindness, mercy, compassion to those around me! When God’s people know they are loved- He is able to use them to love the world around them!

Letters to the Church

2020-06-26T08:56:00.001-05:00

Beloved Home Fellowship and AGC, we are writing because we miss being with you.

Home Fellowship: we miss seeing your faces, miss popping popcorn on Thursday nights, miss ladder ball in the yard, miss opening the word with you, and miss praying together.

AGC: we miss driving out to your churches, we miss the drums, we miss the smiling faces, we miss the warm greetings, we miss the matooke!

And so, like Paul, we decided to start writing you letters and posting them here on our blog. We will also continue writing family updates and other thoughts- but we wanted to share this space with you so you know we have not forgotten you!

Today I was reading Psalm 84 and was so encouraged!

"Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;

they will still be praising You.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,

whose heart is set on pilgrimage.

As they pass through the Valley of Baca*

they make it a spring, the rain also covers it with pools.

They go from strength to strength...

For the LORD God is a sun and a shield,

The LORD will give grace and. glory;

No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!"

Blessed are those who dwell in God's house- they will still be praising You. It doesn't matter where our two feet land when we are in Him. He can take us where He wants us; we will still be praising Him. Can you find a reason to praise Him today right where you are?

Blessed is the one whose strength is in Him- whose heart is set on pilgrimage. I don't have strength enough for this journey. There are days when all I can do is grieve. Most nights I must force myself to stay awake until 8pm. My jet-lagged girls wake at 5am and want my attention. I find the GPS directing me toward a toll road and I have no coins for the toll. It's all too hard; but my strength is in Him. And I must stay the course, keep journeying towards His heart.

As they pass through the valley of weeping they make it a spring... they go from strength to strength. We must pass through the suffering and pain- we cannot go around it, cannot stuff it or ignore it, cannot pretend it doesn't exist. In order to process pain and grief in a healthy way, we must feel it, acknowledge it, ask it what needs to teach us and then we pass through it to the other side. Lament is a vital discipline as we pass through the valley of weeping (read more here). In the process, we become more of who God created us to be, and not less. In My Utmost for His Highest it says:

"Suffering either gives me to myself or it destroys me. You cannot find or receive yourself through success, because you lose your head over pride. And you cannot receive yourself through the monotony of your daily life, because you give in to complaining. The only way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow... You can always recognize who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, and you know that you can go to him in your moment of trouble and find that he has plenty of time for you... if you will receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people." -Oswald Chambers

As I pass through the valley of weeping, and allow the pain to transform me into the image of Jesus- I become a source of comfort and encouragement for fellow pilgrims on the journey toward the heart of God.

Blessed is the one who trusts in Him! Oh, friends, He is trustworthy. He is a sun and a shield. He gives grace and glory. He is good. We can trust Him, even when we don't quite understand what He is doing. Keep trusting Him today!

*The Valley of Weeping

End of an Era

2020-05-13T08:52:00.000-05:00

The world is in a state of chaos and uncertainty- challenging everything we have clung to for stability. COVID-19 has brought many communities around the world to their knees. We feel the weight here in Uganda as well. In addition to the weight of a global pandemic, just before Easter this year we were informed by WGM Uganda leadership that this would be our final term with WGM Uganda.

This chapter of our lives in Uganda has been one of the sweetest and one of the hardest. We have seen God draw our children closer to Himself. Our marriage has withstood the challenges of cross-cultural ministry and only gotten stronger. Students at Heritage are walking closer to Jesus, asking great questions, and giving testimony to His work in their lives. Our home fellowship is flourishing even during this quarantine (mostly on WhatsApp right now). Watching our home fellowship leadership team step into more responsibility and take ownership has been beautiful. We strongly believe God isn’t done with this home fellowship and can’t wait to see how He uses these men and women.

There are many questions. There are even more unknowns. But through all of this, we know that God is still good, and God is certainly not done with us yet. Once we return to the states, we will begin exploring with WGM leadership and seeking the Lord as to what our next assignment might be. Right now, we are focusing on leaving Uganda well, saying necessary goodbyes, and leaning on His strength to do so during a global pandemic. We currently have flights scheduled for June 2nd; however, our airline has canceled all flights through May 31st. We have no way of knowing if we will be able to leave on June 2nd or whether that will be pushed to a future date. Would you pray over that? Once we are able to return to New Jersey, we will begin the healing process needed after this sudden change and begin looking at what could be next. We appreciate your prayers over us, continued financial support, and patience as we wait on God to reveal our next steps.

We as a family are finding a lot of comfort in the story of Abraham these days. During our family home church, we have begun walking through Abraham’s journey. In Genesis 12 we read of God’s call to Abram to “Go…to the land I will show you.” Abram obeyed God and left behind everything he knew, everything that gave him an identity, and trusted God to lead him. Our family feels a lot like Abram. While we may be returning to our “father’s land” in New Jersey as our next step, we don’t know how long that will be or what ministry will look like a year from now. But God knows and we can trust Him. Thank you for standing with us for 9 years of fruitful ministry here in Uganda. This is not the ending we would have written, but we are grateful for the privilege of being part of God’s work here in Uganda. We trust God to continue what He started, both here in Uganda and within our family.