What Happens Back Home?

1 Peter 5:8-9 says, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world."

Our plane had just touched down in Cincinnati when my phone rang, not even four hours into our multi-day travel to India. My wife, Jen, was on the other end in a bit of a panic. She and another member of the ITEC team were traveling back from Tampa with my three kids. They were stranded on the side of I-75 with a tire issue. Before I share what my initial reaction was, I need to share some critical background information.

Challenges and Resistance

Traveling to other countries thousands of miles away comes with unique challenges. After joining the ITEC team two years ago, I would have told you that international travel was one of the things I was excited about. I still consider it an enormous privilege and an amazing opportunity to travel and train Christ-followers overseas, but I now understand that there are other elements in play. When we were moving from central Ohio to Florida to join ITEC, our move kicked off with a rocky start. First, our moving truck was leaking water into the box and we needed a new truck (rather quickly). While Ohio isn't known for great weather, it was unseasonably cold for April and even snowed on us as we were packing the truck! Our journey to Florida was filled with crazy circumstances including nauseous kids, a wiper flying off our van in a downpour, and more. When we finally settled in our home in Florida, everything seemed to break in the house including the septic system and our A/C. This was an inauguration, of sorts, into something I had not experienced in my life to this point. These events were not to be blamed on ITEC or our poor planning. There seemed to be some other force in play. 1 Peter 5:8-9 says, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world." This was my first experience walking through a door that God has opened and feeling the resistance from our enemy.

God is Always In Control

[caption id="attachment_3643" align="alignright" width="225"] Our brand new tire with separated tread.[/caption] You're probably still wondering what my response was to my stranded wife on the side of the highway. I'll share it with you in complete and humble honesty, as long as you promise not to judge I laughed. I was not being insensitive, but we had been down this road before. On my trip to Brazil, she had a flat tire in our garage. On my trip to Greece, our flights were canceled and we were stranded in Athens, which meant I missed a flight to see family in Ohio when I returned. When God is at work, so is our enemy, and we can expect to encounter resistance. No matter the circumstances we know that God is still good! In our challenging situations, He has always provided help through family, neighbors, and fellow ITEC team members on the home front. My experiences over the last two years correspond with many stories of others on the ITEC team. We have even had team members that have had to fly home due to significant issues on the home front. The ITEC team has experienced car accidents, house issues, hurricanes, family illness, unusually disobedient kids, and more after leaving on a trip. As hard as these things can be, we need to be ready for them by ultimately trusting that God is with us and will provide. We can learn from these challenges, choose joy in spite of the circumstances, and even laugh when they happen.

Please Pray

It's very common for us to ask for your prayers as a team heads to a far-off place. We always appreciate your prayers and consider it a privilege to have you advocating on our behalf. Please also remember our families back home and pray for their protection from our enemy. Pray for resilience in the face of his attacks and the ability to find joy in the challenges, knowing that God is in control and he has already won the battle. Our team's wives, husbands, kids, and families at home are equal participants in these trips, and they would love to know there is an army of prayer warriors praying on their behalf.

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