SALE

I confessed to the Bible study class this morning that I have been distracted with stuff this last week. Moving all the worldly possessions from storage to the Blair's garage was a challenge. Then came the sale....

You know that many larger items went fast to make room for the piles of boxes to come thanks to the Internet. There were other things which friends and neighbors were interested in buying as they lay in the driveway.

I looked forward to making progress not in financial gain but in reaching the goal of minimizing what goes overseas with us more than anything. As the sun rose on our sale though I was reminded that I am a missionary and began to think of ways to share the gospel with those who showed up looking for new lamps and used socks.

I trust that Christ is honored when we seek to glorify Him. His glory became a primary goal throughout the day. Nearly everyone had the opportunity to hear that there is a way to enjoy a relationship with the Savior. Others were encouraged in their faith. I know I was as well. Many individuals offered prayer support to me and my family. This is what we seek.

Please continue to pray that my priorities will be in the right place as I guide my family through this transition.

In His Service,

Philip

Available now on Craigslist.com...

 

That's right, everything you see here is for sale. Some of the other appointees suggested craigslist as an option to move some household items prior to our garage sale. This has proven to be good advice. There is simply too much stuff to wait until the big sale day. I am happy to have folk calling and emailing about items they wish to buy. Are you interested?

Praise the Lord that He always provides opportunities to be a witness. Two groups that have stopped by were receptive to hear the gospel. I knew there was more to this process of transition than just making money from all the items in our house.

Ella is also excited.

13 Bags

The Bennetts traveled to Atlanta for our official appointment to service with the International Mission Board. Thank you for your prayers. It was an adventure.

We took the opportunity to send all female members of the family one way. This allowed for a move to Chattanooga without the cross country car ride. How did you manage you might ask.

Think about it. "You only get one checked bag for free", Lisa said. The secret is in the free baby items. We went through security without much time to spare early in the morning on Saturday. Two bags were overweight but that's no problem in Kalispell, MT. Not on that day anyway.

Three were checked for free. Then came the two baby items. The car seat went in the chair we purchased for Grace and the rest got carried on. A backpack was handy for the toddler who was asleep by the time boarding began. We were then each responsible for two carry on items.

Praise the Lord!

Leaving...again

The past two months has simply flown by, since the birth of Ella. Our final days in Montana are already coming to a close and we have mixed emotions about it all. We are incredibly excited to be embarking on this new journey that God has laid out for us! However, there is a definite sadness behind the excitement. We are leaving a town and, more specifically, a church family, that has taken us in as family for the past year and a half. Even though we knew when we moved here last year that we would only be here a short time, it still seems a bit strange to be leaving already. We have had incredible opportunities to serve in the church and in the community, sharing the Gospel and love of Christ. The Lord has so blessed us in every way, providing for every need - above and beyond what we could have ever dreamed!

Just this past Sunday, our church commissioned us to service as full-time missionaries to Olomouc, Czech Republic. We were encouraged by the testimonies and prayers and presented with a framed picture of our town, taken from atop a nearby mountain, with the following verse printed below. Zephaniah 3:17 says, "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." We were also given a beautiful piece of Montana-made pottery filled with the prayers and encouragement of our church family. This will definitely provide for the days when we get discouraged, homesick, or just need a little lifting up! We will certainly miss Montana and the wonderful people here, but we go knowing that we are following the Lord and that so many here are praying for us!

This afternoon we will drive to a nearby town to spend the night before boarding the plane to Atlanta early, early Saturday morning. This will start our Appointment week with the mission board. There are many meetings scheduled for us and the board will officially vote to appoint us to serve as missionaries. Saturday will be a very long day as we arrive in Atlanta just after 2pm, then have meetings from 4pm until 9:30 that night. Please pray for safety, patience on our part as we travel with a 2-year old and a 2-month old, and strength to learn when we get there.