Ministry

In February of 2011, Tony and I and three of our children sat waiting in Idaho on God and Starbucks to fill us in on what our next steps would be...

When the phone call came letting us know that we were moving to Eugene, OR, we began searching for rentals and preparing to make our home there.

Only, a few days later, we got another phone call canceling that move and informing us that instead, we would be moving to Yakima, WA.


A quick internet search, and concerned friends and family quickly opened our eyes to the fact that we would be moving into one of the most unsafe cities in Washington and while I trembled, Tony said the words that have marked our transition here,

If it's that unsafe, just think of all the ministry opportunities 

that God could have for us there.

And so we moved here to Yakima, and found a rental as far west as we could and settled into a comfortable, safe and (as-it-can-be-with-three-children-at-the-time) predictable life that felt...normal.

And "ministry-free".

One year ago, we sat in an annual meeting of a church we were attending while the former director of a Youth Center in the middle of the drug and gang district stood up and announced that he was moving on from that position and into a new one. As I sat thinking, how nice, God was speaking to Tony's heart and nudging him out of safe and normal and opening his eyes to one of the real reasons He moved us here.

With a bold and determined heart, Tony applied and became the director of Madison House - an amazing place filled with the most beautiful and incredible children, young people and fellow staff members. What was on a street formally known as "the Hole", is now a thriving ministry that seeks to bring hope and love and Jesus to an area that so desperately needs His presence.

You can read more about it here:  http://www.yugm.org/madison-house