Who, What, When...?

I've had a lot of questions about what I'm doing, where I'm going, when, and how people can help me.  So being the language teacher that I am, I thought I'd answer the "5 Wh questions" (and How :).

Who:  I'm going to be serving full-time with Evangelism Equipment (EE) who equips local churches with a variety of tools to share the Gospel in their local communities.

        National leaders from Europe 

What:  I will join the team in Europe as assistant to the Vice President (of Europe), Helmut K. who I will help equip, support, and direct the national leaders within the various nations of Europe and Middle East as they train locals to share the Gospel.

When:  The goal is to get to Europe as soon as possible after the New Year 2017.  It depends on a variety of factors such as financial support and visa.

Where:  I'll be based outside of Zurich, Switzerland since this is where Helmut resides and works.  I'll also be traveling a lot within Europe and potentially other parts of the world.

           City of Zurich on June visit 
Why:
1.  God has commanded believers to go and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19).

2.  EE's vision statement (Every nation equipping every people group and every age group to witness to every person.) matches my own mission statement.

    Vision statement with Inggried in Indo

3.  I believe that God has purposes and plans for each of us. As I get to know Him more (in His Word, prayer, fellowship, etc.), I have a clearer picture of who I am and how to follow Him; and this lines up with the vision, desires, and purpose He has put in my heart.

How:  At the risk of sounding super spiritual, all by the grace of God!  Practically speaking, like all EE staff, I will raise support to earn my salary and all associated expenses.  SAMS (the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders) is my sending agency.  If you would like to support me financially, click the donate button on my blog, contact me, or visit the SAMS page.  I'll write future blogs about the How and What. 😊 

Hope that gives a bit of a picture of what's ahead long-term.  Short-term, I'm headed to Fiji for 6 weeks of training and will return to Charleston, SC mid-November till I head off to Switzerland.

When in Charleston...

When I returned to Charleston a month ago, I had a few goals before I leave again for a final round of training next week: visit friends and family, raise support, and start packing and moving. 

          Sis time in Jacksonville

Less than a week after my return, I hopped yet another plane to Pittsburgh for training with SAMS (Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders).  Since I am going as a missionary, I've been counseled to go through a sending organization, and if you haven't heard the amazing story of how I learned about them, it's worth asking me sometime! Definitely an answer to prayer.  And to answer the question many of you keep asking, once I have an account to start raising support, I'll post and let you know! (Thank you!!)

It's taken a while, and I've had to be very intentional to see friends and family, but I've gotten to connect with many of you.  It's not that I don't want to or love everyone so much, but life can seem like a rat race; and I forget how busy we Americans always are!  I've been really blessed to catch up with new and old friends, and there's still a week+ to go if we haven't caught up yet!

                    Niece time!

    Schaffer girls cheering on nephew

One reason for the busy-ness is that my sister and I decided to sell our condo.  Within a week of us inquiring of the process and before it ever went on the market, the Lord provided buyers!  I won't get into all the details, but it has been a joyful, mouth-dropping experience as both ends have seen God's hand in every step of the way blessing the process and especially with the timing for everyone involved.  Another story to ask about some time.  It's also sad as this has been my home for the past 5 years. and it makes my decision to leave much more real as I won't have my place to come back to when I get "home."

                Goodbye, condo!

    A favorite spot in my beighborhood

So, next stop is Fiji for training (No, I won't be sipping pina coladas at a resort if that's what you're thinking!)  I'll be inland at the training center with people from around the world who are also getting trained attending talks and meetings as well as outreaches.  I'll try to keep up with my blog while I'm there to keep you informed!  I truly appreciate your prayers, interest, and support and look forward to catching up again when I return!  On that note, if you or anyone (church, small group, individual) you know wants to hear more about what God is doing in Europe and surrounding areas, please contact me. I'd love to share in person!