Sunday, June 17, 2012

30 bags.....

So Friday evening there was a meeting and prayer time for Costa Rica at church.  Bruce was gone at CIY all week so it was just me and the kids.  At that meeting, we started talking about all the logistics--there are 12 people--no 16 people--well 12 people and The Crawfords.  Which means the plan is 12 people are returning to the States.  WHEW! Seems so real! And we were talking about the infamous packing party that usually happens the evening before we leave.  I looked at Sara and said, "What packing party?" WE are the ones packing, so there really isn't anything to pack as a team!

That's when it hit me.  There are 12 people AND the Crawfords which means 16 free bags to check, and then an additional $30.00 for each additional bag up to 16, which equals 32 bags.  But Sara then informed me that there would need to be some extra space for a few things here and there. So we were down to 30 bags....

                            30 BAGS

30 bags to fit everything we are taking.
30 bags to bring everything we need.
30 bags to fit our life into.

That became my mantra.  I can fit my life into 30 bags, I can fit my life into 30 bags, I can fit my life into 30 bags.  OH and did I mention that Sara also told me that it has to be duffel bags

Rephrase.....I can fit my life into 30 duffel bags, I can fit my life into 30 duffel bags, I can fit my life into 30 duffel bags.

What about you? Could you fit your life into 30 duffel bags? What about you and your spouse AND your two children?  Makes you really examine what is important and just how much STUFF we have.  Don't we live in a great nation where we are able to have so much STUFF? Lucky us!  When I think about everyone around the world who don't have a lot of STUFF, fitting my life into 30 duffel bags seems pretty lucky, easy and BLESSED!

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for us! We are ready to send out our support raising letters.  If you would like us to send a letter your way, just send us your address.  If you would like to meet with us, just send us a message and we would love to sit down and talk more about why we are fitting our lives into 30 duffel bags!

In HIM,
The Crawfords

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Being inspired......



Ok, so last night I was searching around facebook and came across some great inspirational quotes/pictures.  Above you will see what I came across.  I really felt like God was talking to me last night.  I have really been thinking/praying/obsessing/worrying/not worrying/thinking/praying/obsessing (do you see a pattern??) about ALL the money that WE have to raise to be able to get to Costa Rica in July and stay.  It doesn't add up!  But there are a lot of things that don't add up--but they = GOD.
Example- 5+2=5000 R12= God's math
Example- selling a house without even trying= God's math
Example- hate yard sales, have the buyers of the house want and need all of your furniture=God's math
Example- sell house at certain said price, get full offer + an extra $1,000.= God's math
Example- being concerned about not knowing anyone in a new country, having people near us and friends and a family and church family before we even put our feet in that country=God's math
Example- selling everything you own, depending on people that God will use to fund our survival to live in another country doing HIS work, learning another, if not two languages, leaving everything we know as "normal life" and giving it up to become servants of an unbelievable, unseen, and unknown God to many parts of the world=God's math.

I know that God will provide everything we need--then why is it so hard to try to get it to add up??!!

Today I was talking to a co worker, and she has been pushing me to send out our support raising letters.  I told her that I just didn't feel like it was time.  I told her I am sooooo far out of my comfort zone!  I told her, "I have no problem selling everything I own, I have no problem going to another country to live, I have no fear or problems with taking my children into another country--but tell me I have to ask people to give me money!  FORGET IT!  I just can't do it!  She responded with, "You are not asking people for money for YOU, it is not for YOU, it is not because of YOU."

What an eye opener!

So, if you want to be a part of GOD'S WORK in Costa Rica and you would like to partner with US doing GOD'S WORK.  Please feel free to get in contact with us.  We would love to sit and talk with you about what God has planned for us and how you can be a part of it!  I promise it will be a wild, but amazing journey!

(Side note: For those of you who really haven't heard the details of our mission plans, we will  have to raise all of our own support through friends, family, acquaintances, etc.  We are not supported by an agency or a mission organization.  We will not be able to work to earn an income, so everything we need is 100% donor--long term supporters, one time gifts, etc.  Our church is our sending agency and they will handle all of our finances--they are supporting us as well, but not 100% of the support is from our church.  Most of our support will have to come from multiple sources.  That is where we are now, trying to find people who believe in our mission of doing God's work in San Jose, Costa Rica.  We are partnering with an organization called the Abraham Project--a multifaceted operation with various ministries.  We are not going with a specific purpose or role--we were asked to join the mission and we are going with open hearts and open minds and being flexible.  We are willing to serve in any way needed.  This could include, but is not limited to: house parents, leading teams, working construction, fundraising(eek!), running a guest house, teaching English, working with the Deaf community, interpreting, traveling, helping in the children's homes, subbing for the house parents, working in the medical and consultation offices, cleaning, delivering, supporting--being used, utilized and serving any way needed!  So please, take this time to pray for us and to see if God lays it on your heart to partner with us--or if you happen to have lots of money that you have no idea what to do with--and get in contact with us!  We would love to share what God has been doing in our lives since the last time our paths crossed!) THANK YOU! 

Contact us:  crawfords4him@me.com

Send us support:
Southside Christian Church
PO Box 456
Harrodsburg, KY 40330
memo line: Crawfords or Costa Rica

Send us prayers:
Accepted 24 hours--day or night!

In HIM,
The Crawfords

Monday, June 11, 2012

God is so good....

For those of you who checked out the last post, it was kind of a hard one for me...giving away our puppy, but good news!  She was adopted!  God is so good.  I was checking the website all the time, and finally her picture was removed from the adoption page.  I know that she went to a good home!  It makes me feel even better--if she went with us to Costa Rica, she would have been miserable.  Not fair to her at all!  But now, I know she is living it up with her new family.

Also, this past week, we had two friends that welcomed new family members!  Congratulations to one of my best friends and former college roommate--Jennifer (Dawson) Payton and Jason Payton in welcoming their first born Levi!  And to our friends, and my co-worker, Derek and Lyndsie Drury on welcoming number 3 Lucas!  So happy for both families!

As far as us and our progress to getting to Costa Rica, I started going through some things in the house and started making three groups--taking, selling and giving away.  Might add one more group depending on how many things go in the taking pile.

It is really hard to think that everything that we will take with us will have to fit into checked luggage on an airplane.  We will not ship anything, and will store next to nothing if it doesn't go with us this trip!  I warned the kids tonight that this week we will be going through their stuff and giving a lot--A LOT of it away.  I know it will be hard for them, but it is something we have to do--and besides, IT IS JUST STUFF!!

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and  rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO."  Matthew 6:19-21

Thanks God, I think I understand this now!

In Him,
The Crawfords

Friday, June 1, 2012

Saying goodbye.....

Today was one of the hardest for me in the preparation of leaving and transitioning.  We had to take our dog Ivi (sounds like EV) to a rescue today.  We have only had her for 3 months, and she had become a really great dog..puppy problems, but really she was good.  We thought we could take her to Costa Rica and she would be fine.  But as she got older, we noticed she really needed a place to run, possibly a play partner and didn't really like a lot of commotion, loud noises or dogs and strange people all over the place--which is exactly what Costa Rica is like!  I know that she would have been miserable if she had gone with us.  So we took her to a wonderful rescue called Haven for dogs rescue
They met her and said she would be easy to adopt.  Please pray that the right family comes along and adopts her into their family and loves her the way she deserves.
We will miss you Ivi!