HodosProject

June Prayers

Somehow, between packing and nurturing three children, Sherri pieced together enough time to write an update for this month. So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Sherri:

Thank you so much for anytime that you have lifted up our family, my health, our church, or our kids in prayer to God. He really has answered many prayers despite me often wondering why we’ve been here in Seattle!

I’m asking for a small favor - pray. The funny thing is that prayer is so small at times. It can take minutes and can be done anywhere. It’s free. The results by the power of our amazing God can be life-
changing, awe-inspiring, funny at times, and miraculous. Before I ask you to pray yet again for us, as I have many times in the last few years, I thought I’d share a few answers to prayer - yours and mine:

1. God provided housing for a couple months through an old friend from Arizona, Pam and her daughter Hilary.
2. A great house that specifically fit what we had prayed for with room for John to work from home and space for home Bible studies.
3. Ellie - yes, a healthy baby just a few months after we arrived in Seattle, delivered by an absolutely fantastic doctor and mother that I adore at a top-notch hospital.
4. John going to Mars HIll Graduate School - a life-changing and opened up new worlds of growth for him
5. Macey’s school - after much anxiety and debate, we enrolled her in a Christian school for half-day kindergarten and she has thrived. God provided fantastic friends, an amazing teacher, safety, and more Bible memorization and songs to help her focus on God than I could have imagined.
6. Like-minded People - John has found some like-minded people that have sharpened, validated, and encouraged him on his journey to begin the formulation of what a new church-planting movement in Austin could be like
7. Max - he is adorable! He has blue eyes (like Daddy), seems to be pretty laid-back (like Daddy) and is usually a good sleeper all of a sudden (yes, like Daddy). I didn’t pray for him to have blue eyes, but I did pray for the last 2. He brings so much joy to our family. Even though it’s been a crazy year - or maybe a crazy 3 years, God amazes me again by giving us not 1, but 3 kids to make us know that he heard us and maybe to make us laugh like Sarah did.
8. Helpful Friends - We have friends here that have acted like family — running to the store for Pedialyte when kids were incredibly sick and John was out of town, friends to help when I had early contractions or to be on call to watch our girls when we were expecting Max, help with the girls when my health is less than ideal.
9. Friends & Ministry - friends are so important to me personally! Even though it takes so much time to really develop deep friendships, God has blessed our whole family with people that we treasure. Our home group touched our lives and have challenged and inspired us and hopefully we have done the same in some way for them. Some people here have been really asking if God exists and wondering what that means for their lives. We’ve been a small part of their big journey. Friends in Arizona or other places have prayed for us and this whole process of moving and planting a church as we stepped into really unfamiliar territory. Somehow God has used us at times, as imperfect as we are — make that incredibly imperfect — and worked through us. God also has loved us through other people in countless ways, it’s still amazing when I stop to think about it. I really do love getting to be a part of what God is doing. Sometimes I miss it, but when I don’t I love seeing God work.

Please pray for these 6 things this month!

1. A place to live - we’re planning to rent initially and we leave here on June 23rd.
2. A great school for Macey - where she can excel academically and socially, that hopefully will also provide her with some creative outlets. Please pray for her safety, wisdom and discretion, great friends, and a wise teacher who loves all of the students.
3. Our house to sell quickly!
4. God’s provision - we don’t have the finances yet that we need to have lined up for normal expenses for our family and the church start-up. We really plan to start simply, but still have a ways to go. John may need to get a full or part-time job. Please pray that the giving would come together and be clear soon so that we can move forward.
5. As some of you know, a member of Pathways and our home group recently committed suicide. Death is difficult to process, but the process is multiplied when it’s a suicide with all of the questions, doubts, and range of emotions that can come along with someone ending their life that way. Please keep praying for us and any who knew him as they heal.
6. Most importantly, preparedness - that we, our marriage, and our children are prepared spiritually, physically (especially my health), emotionally, relationally … for our move so soon, but also to start a church and be tools in God’s hand to touch people’s lives in the city of Austin.

As John has said many times, thank you for being part of this with us!