Answered Prayers

• We made it to the field safely and with grace upon grace! Met a Liverpool FC fan and he allowed both our parents through security to say a goodbye at the gate!
• Our Team showed up at the airport to pick us up and the luggage fit in the two vehicles!
• We were able to get UK phones and bank account to start the process of searching for a rental home.
• Our Airbnb has been a wonderful place to rest and a launching pad to learn our city!
• We have connected with our partner church and they have loved us well this month! We have had dinner and tea with many families in the church and are learning the people and ministry of our church!
• The girls have begun to make friends at church.
• Our Church community has rallied and welcomed us well in with open arms.
• The girls have been resilient and adjusted well to all the newness of life here in North Manchester.
• We were able to quickly get a new to us van after ours broke down!
• We've had local church members give wise counsel to areas look for housing!
• The Lord has given us Joy and laughter in the midst of change.
• Kris had spiritual conversations during his hair cut!

PRAYER REQUESTS

One thing that echos in our hearts and minds is that prayer is the work of this missionary journey, we can do nothing apart from Jesus! We would love for you to join us each week in praying over the work of ministry, our family, and life in Manchester.

1. Monday: Pray for the people of North Manchester to hear the Word of God and have receptive hearts. Pray for opportunities for us to love and serve the people of our city! Pray we would be people zealous for good work that the Lord has prepared.
2. Tuesday: Pray for housing within Prestwich. Pray for patience and joy as we wait for the right house to do life, love our neighbors, and dig into daily rhythms.
3. Wednesday: Pray for the girls as they adjust to life in England. Pray for opportunities for our family to play in the midst of stress. Pray for friends at school as we prepare to go to public school in September.
4. Thursday- Pray for our Marriage. Unity, understanding, and grace! Pray for both Kris and I to be fully dependent on the Lord throughout our days, that we would have grace and Joy in that dependence on Him!
5. Friday - Pray for Team England North: our teammates throughout northern England as they host short term trips in their cities this summer.

Stories from the Field

Month ONE on the Field

We cannot believe we have been in Manchester for a month. We have been surrounded by grace upon grace this month and we are so thankful.

We have watched this month as the Lord has met all of our needs above and beyond what we could have imagined. Our team, Team England North, has loved us incredibly well between driving multiple vans to Manchester, giving us welcome gifts, showing up for lunches and meetings in the city, sending sweet care packages on hard days, and praying for us as we search for a home and adjust to life here in the UK.

Our Airbnb is in the heart of Prestwich, the area we are looking to be full time, so we have been able to explore the local grocery stores, parks, coffee shops, and letting agencies (Realtor offices). We have been able to meet neighbors, barbers, bakers in Grocery stores, church members, and realtors. We balance our time each day between finishing up our homeschool year and getting to know the city we are here to serve.

Stress has hit each person in our family in different ways: moments of anger, days of tears, or periods of reflection. Eleanor has in the midst of change relied on the stability of one dress- you may have noticed pictures the last 2 months of Eleanor in the same (yes, we washed it frequently) dress each day. This past week we have noticed that she has chosen different outfits willingly and without tears!

We have searched each week for a permanent house. We have been so proud of the girls and how they go into each home and share how they can picture our family in each space. It has been a blessing to see them dreaming and being excited for the future life and ministry here in North Manchester.

We are hopeful that the hunt for a home is near an end. This past week we made the prayerful decision to stop the pursuit of a home outside of our target neighborhood. We were almost through the rental process when a home in Prestwich (the part of North Manchester we are wanting to be in) was put on the rental market. Kris spent multiple days at the letting office this week asking about the home. Tuesday morning we drove to the new house- there was no way to get inside, but we just sat in front and prayed. Wanting wisdom in a decision forward we got home and sat in the van again and asked for wisdom and a clear sign from the Lord. As we were finishing praying a new friend, Denise, walked up to our Airbnb to let us know she had seen the rental house in Prestwich and wanted to make sure we knew about it. She came in for tea and we made sure to let her know her dropping by that morning was a very quick and kind answer to prayer!

This month we have learned to be specific about our prayers! The Lord knows our needs, but what a gift it has been to see him provide answers in specific ways!

We would love to pray for each of you! Please message us and keep us updated with specific ways that our family can remember each of you in our prayers!

Thank you for following this journey to see how the Lord will move and work in our hearts and in the lives of the people of North Manchester.