Happy Birthday Grace!!

Even though most of this blog has been about the adventure God has given us, we can not forget that this is also about us as a family and today is a very special day in our family. Today we celebrate Grace's 4th birthday. Four years ago today, our lives were blessed with the birth of our first child. I won't get into the details of her birth but I will tell you she was a big girl. (overcooked by 10 days) 10 pounds and 22 inches long. Here are some of the photos of her first year...

Her first Packer outfit..

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My favorite picture of Daddy and Grace, both in Arctic Cat gear.

The girl had lots of hair... I just couldn't stop playing with it.

Just hours after she was born....

Today, Grace is a very healthy and active girl. She loves to play horses, dollhouse, checkers, "baby school" and anything outside. She is learning to ride without her training wheels on her bike and can almost go the length of the driveway by herself. She loves preschool and her friends she sees twice a week. She is a great big sister and loves her baby sister (most of the time:). She adores her dad and takes every opportunity to get him involved in wrestling on the living room floor, aka "tickle touture". She is definetly my daughter as it can take her 10 minutes to tell you about one small thing that happened in her day. She loves roller coasters(w/dad), horseback riding(w/mom), water parks(w/ all of us) and carousels(w/Hope). She is quite a kid! She is our hugger and everytime we meet with friends she insists on sending them out with bunches of hugs.
Here are a few of her latest picts....

Look at the smiling girl in the 3rd car with her daddy...

Just like her dad, she loved her Arctic Cat snowmobile.... She was a crazy girl on this machine.

Playing "doll school" with Hope...

At the beach in Florida during our Agape visit...

Grace was the name we chose for her so we could always be reminded on the greatest gift God has ever given us. His grace is the greatest gift of all so we thought naming her Grace would be a constant reminder this gift.


We are in Green Bay for Grace's birthday this year so she will be getting the grand treatment from Gramma Rita and Poppy Dale for her special day. Not to mention extra attention from the aunts, uncles and cousins.

So, all there is left to say is "HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACE! WE LOVE YOU!"


Happy Easter!

He is risen indeed!


In His service,

Lynn for the Anderson crew

April Prayer requests and Praises

It's the first of the month and as promised I am updating our current prayer requests and praises. It has been a very busy month. As I sat in the classroom this morning across from Grace, I saw her very tired eyes and I realized...we have been going like crazy lately. I never even noticed how tired we all are getting until I looked at her this morning. It also made me think of what the Bible says about growing weary. Isaiah 40:29-31 says it best...
"29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." That is one of Lance and my favorite passages. It will be our theme as we press ahead through the next months. The Bible also says in Habakkuk 3:19 that ..."19GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places." These scriptures are the strength for the journey.

This month has included many individual meetings, letters, phone calls and small group presentations; as well as Bible studies, Perspectives classes, Financial Peace classes, house showings, and a tiling job for a friend. Like I said, we have had a full calandar. It has all been worth it though as we have met with many friends old and new. We have gained many partners and also watched God work in great ways. He opens doors we have not even knocked on, and lifts us up when to tasks seem too great. When we look at the finish line, we know that all this will be worth it. The chance to work for Him and increase His kingdom with our work at Agape Flights will be well worth this investment of our time and our efforts.

And now for those prayer requests and praises...

Praises

God has opened many hearts and is providing for more ministry partners every day.

Lance's parents have decided to walk on this journey with us and our supportive of our calling.

God continues to encourage us when the days get tough and long.

Items keep selling from the house, some that are not even advertised.

Relationships are continuing to grow and develop.

A particularily important one-on-one meeting with a fellow missionary took place this month that really encouraged us and refined what we are doing. That was a "God thing"

Prayer requests

Parkview Church is preparing their budget this month. Pray that they will see the value in our work with Agape and come on board with financial support.

Safe travels as we have many out of town appointments this month and a trip to Green Bay to be with family for Easter.

Parkview has given us the privilege of being introduced during the services. Please pray that the congregation will be open to hearing our story and individuals will be moved to support us.

The sale of our home. We know that God's timing is perfect so we are trusting Him to sell the home at the right time.

That God will open the doors to us to people outside of our network and into His network. We are now starting to work on referrals from friends and church members. God has amazing ways of connecting people. Please pray for our friends and the referrals they suggest to us.

Pray for our girls to remain patient with us as we continue meeting new partners. They have been really well behaved through all of this and we pray they will start to understand the meaning of why we are doing what we do. I think they are starting to "get it". The other day Grace said to us at supper, "Mom, we haven't shown ..... the Agape video yet? We really should show them, they need to see it." :)

Thanks so much for all the prayers and support you have each offered us. We are so grateful of your willingness to pray for us. Please let us know how we can pray for you also. We would love the privilege of lifting you up to the Father as well.

We hope you all have a blessed Easter. He is risen!!!

In His service, Lynn, Lance, Grace and Hope

Quotes from Perspectives Class

Lance is currently attending the Perspective class at Grace Church and every week he comes back with some great quotes. This week we wanted to share with you some of the great quotes about missions he has heard.

Note: These are not exact quotes but rather paraphrased as fast as he could write.

Mary Slessor- Scotish Missionary

"Lord the task is impossible for me but not for thee. Lead the way and I will follow. Why should I fear? I am on a mission for the King."

William Carey- father of missions, pioneer missionary to India

"To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map."

“Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.”

“The future is as bright as the promises of God."

Hudson Taylor-missionary to China

"The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed"

"God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply"

Brad Buser-missionary to Papua New Guinea 20 years

"Christianity has turned upside down. 1980 years you Looked in the Word. Now, we look inside ourselves."

"If you are Living for your Dreams, you are living in Sin. Live for His Desires."

Lessons from the Road

As the support raising marathon continues, we have been learning lessons every day. I thought I would take a minute to share some of our most important lessons with you.

1. Thank the Lord at all times.

We have experienced a lot of positive responses in our attempts to raise support and we have also experienced some negative responses. We are learning every day that we need to thank the Lord for both. We know ALL things come from Him and He is the one who is ultimately the provider of our support. We realize that some people will be called to financially support us, some will be called to prayerfully support us and some people will not be called at all. We will praise Him for each person we encounter on this journey and we will thank Him for each one of them. For only He knows the reasons of each person's heart and we trust that He will bring each person we need to contact into our path. We are grateful for each person who will hear our story and for each person who challenges us. The challenges only give us more time to honor and praise Him who we are working for. The opportunities to defend Him and His calling on our lives are our testimony.

2. When one door closes, another one opens.

God has been very faithful in this process. When we feel discouraged and start to get distracted, He opens a door we were never expecting to be opened. The other day, for example, after a disappointing meeting we were welcomed home by a friendly phone call which lifted our spirits and fed our souls back up. He has been surrounding us with incredibly supportive friends who are constantly encouraging us and helping us. And only God knows how the perfect timing of a phone call can be just what we need to keep us going. As it says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 "God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." When we are tempted to get off track and allow situations to discourage us.... we know God will be faithful and pull us back on track. Everytime we have gotten into a situation that challenges us, God has been there to open another door and keep us in line.

3. The economy may change but Jesus is the same.

Hebrews 13:8 says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." No matter what happens in this world, God doesn't change. Even though the news media wants everyone to believe that the economy is in the tank and big changes are going on in the world. The fact remains that God is the same and if you stay focused on Him and not the world, you will land on your feet and prosper. We have learned how to fully rely on Him through all of this and we are much stronger for it. Our prayer is that everyone can stay focused on Him and see His provisions in their lives as we have seen Him provide for us.

4. Prayer works.

Even though we have always believed in the power of prayer, the fact that we are seeing prayers answered everyday is such a reminder of its power. Since we have started posting our prayer requests and praises, we have just been watching the prayers be answered. We have such amazing prayer partners who are lifting us up and we are so grateful. God is listening to all of them and working them out one by one. In Mark 11:10, Jesus says, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe you have received, and it will be yours." We are witnesses everyday to the power of prayer and we are so amazed at what He can do when we ask. I think sometimes we have just forgotten to be faithful and ask.

After considering all of these lessons, we also wanted to share with all how exactly the support building is going. We have been blessed with many, many prayer partners who have agreed to join us. We are so excited to have all of you on board. We have also had many folks who have agreed to financially join us. The exact numbers are hard to pinpoint because many commitment cards are still out. But for now, we have 16 financial supporters. The numbers are growing everyday, so we will keep you posted as we moving forward.

Many thanks to all of you who God has called to walk this journey with us. We appreciate each of you.

Never give in!
In His service, Lynn and Lance, Grace and Hope

March Prayer requests and Praise reports

March Prayer requests and Praise reports

Since it's a new month I decided that today would be a good time to update our prayer list and praise reports. I am going to try and stay on a monthly schedule for now and update the lists on the 1st of every month. As needs arise, I will update the prayer requests and praises more often. Thanks to all of you on our prayer team. We appreciate you very much.


Praise reports.

• We are all healthy again and feeling much better.
• The parade of potential home buyers keeps going. We are having many showings of the house and are very excited about all the action. Sunday is an open house.
• Meeting with support team members is going well. We are receiving a lot of encouragement and positive responses from the folks we have been meeting with.
• Still selling lots of "stuff" If you need anything for your home or garage, give us a call and we'll make you a deal.

Prayer requests

• Quick and easy sale of house
• Our home church of Parkview will become a sponsor
• Relationships will continue to grow as we meet with potential sponsors.
• Patience as we run this marathon of team/support building and remembering this is not a sprint.
• Our families, that they will come beside us and walk with us on this journey of faith
• That the work of Agape will help spread the gospel and love of Jesus to many hunger and needy people
• That our hearts will listen to God's leading and we will be obedient to His will and calling as we go through this process.
• For our girls, that they will be patient with us as we make calls, stop to visit with friends and talk alot. In the end, we pray that their hearts and minds will be focused on Him and He will be their provider.

Thanks for all of you for lifting us up to the King. We appreciate you.

Also, thanks to Megan and Hannah for the fun "chicken playdate". The girls can not stop talking about our morning at the farm. :)

Never give in!

In His service, Lance, Lynn, Grace and Hope

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ
I am copying this blog from our friends Travis and Paul who headed out to the mission field one year ago. They suggested that I add a FAQ section to answer some of the questions that keep coming up to us. I have adapted some of the answers to match Lance and I’s journey but all of the information on Agape Flights is courtesy of Travis and Paul and their blog.

Thanks, Travis and Paul for walking this road ahead of us. We love you!

Q: Who and what is Agape Flights?

A: After hearing from missionaries in Haiti in 1980 about the need for dependable mail and delivery service, a group of friends in Bradenton, Florida gathered in Keith and Clara Starkey's living room to pray about a way to help. The result was Agape Flights. On November 15, 1980, Agape’s inaugural flight left the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport, bound for Cap Haitien. The small Cessna 411 was loaded with donated emergency supplies and mail for about 25 families. Today, for about 350 missionary families in Haiti and Dominican Republic, Agape Flights is a lifeline to family, friends, supporters and supplies. Agape Flights serves Christ by serving His missionaries on some of the most challenging mission fields in the world. Agape serves over 350 missionary families in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Agape’s regular weekly flight leaves Florida just before daylight each Wednesday morning, delivers missionary mail, packages, supplies and volunteers in four cities and returns to the U.S. on Thursday afternoon.Round trip flying time for each weekly flight in Agape’s Cessna Grand Caravan is 13 hours. Volunteers are the backbone of Agape. Every year, over 150 local volunteers donate over 7,000 hours to Agape. Missionary families donate 5,000 hours per year as they meet the plane, process supplies and people through customs and immigration, deal with airport, customs and other government officials and paperwork and organize and staff the distribution centers in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. During the last fiscal year, Agape received and distributed to missionaries and local organizations donated goods worth $740,000. The economic impact of Agape’s ministry in the local community exceeds half a million dollars each year.60% of Agape’s financial support comes from individuals in all 50 states and several foreign countries. 33% comes from churches and religious organizations and the balance from businesses and other organizations. Agape hosts volunteer mission teams from around the U.S. each year who spend their time working at the hangar and in other local ministries. Agape arranges short-term mission trips for individuals and groups to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and other Caribbean countries. The plane lands in Cap Haitien, Les Cayes, Port au Prince, Santiago, Santo Domingo and Eleuthera.

Q: Where will you be living, working, and attending school?

A: We will be located in Venice, Florida. Agape is located at the Venice, Florida municipal airport. The offices are at the hanger, and all administrative and logistical activities occur there. I will work at the hanger. The children will attend a Christian preschool once we are settled and find the one that is closest to the house. There are several preschool options. Housing, school and work will all be within ten minutes travel time of one another.

Q: What will your work be at Agape?

A: Lance will be the IT Director for Agape Flights. His job description was something we got to create. It was fun to use all of the skills God has given him to serve this organization. Here is the job description we have arrived at:

IT Director/ Web Manager/ Facilities team member:

• Maintain Agape's Small Business Server system
• Support and revise as necessary Microsoft Access database for shipping and receiving and the Sage 50 fundraising software.
• Finish requirements for new financial system and supervise the development of the new system.
• Design new user reports.
• Train and Support users with Microsoft products.
• Assist as needed the missionary community with their computer/network issues.
• Integrate new applications.
• Manage the web page and oversee the Web Design team
• Develop a Volunteer Database – interview and enter volunteers into the db.
• Maintain the telephone system for Agape offices.
• Work as needed on the Facilities management team when construction skills I have are needed.

Ministry Duties:

• Assist Volunteer Coordinator by leading bible study small groups, counseling, or 1 on 1’s.
• Lead groups to Haiti or DR when needed.
• Assist Facilities Manager in the same way.
• Minister to Agape staff
• All other Duties as needed.

Core Values

• INTEGRITY: "Conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ" (Phil. 1:27)
• EXCELLENCE: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord" (Col. 3:23)
• STEWARDSHIP: "The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it" (Psalm 24:1)
• DIGNITY: "God created man in His own image" (Gen. 1:27)
  

Q: How long will you stay with Agape Flights?

A: This is a full time, permanent position. We do not envision an end to this service, and potential moves to other countries in cooperation with Agape Flights are possibilities.

Q: When do you plan on moving?

A: We have a target date of July 1, 2009. Two things must happen for us to move to FL. Our house must sell and we must build our financial support. We know God will make these things happen on His time but we have a goal for ourselves to have our part complete by July 1.

Q: What do you need from a supporter?

A: First and foremost we need your prayer. Please pray for guidance, and ears that will hear God when he speaks. We need your participation in the form of encouraging phone calls, emails, notes and the like. Visits and service trips are encouraged for all supporters. Our home is open to you. Finally, we need financial support from team members willing to partner with us on a monthly basis. We need to raise every dollar that we cost Agape Flights. (Medical insurance, employer and employee taxes, workers comp insurance, overhead costs. etc.) I will go over our detailed budget with you if you desire.

Q: How do we give?

A: Electronically from your bank account, credit card or on line at http://www.agapeflights.com/. We have pledge cards available with details for EBT’s (electronic balance transfers). Checks can be made out to Agape Flights (Anderson family in the memo) mailed to: Agape Flights 100 Airport Avenue, Venice, Florida 34285

Contact us lancezrt@yahoo.com (319-551-9263). Further information can be obtained at http://www.agapeflights.com/.

New prayer requests

As we begin on this journey we have many prayer supporters who have offered to lift us up in prayer. For all of them, here are our new prayer requests. We will update them as the need arises.

Anderson Family Prayer request
( 2/19/09 )
Quick healing for the girls from bad colds
Doors will open for us to build support
Quick and easy sale of house
Patience as we run this marathon of team/support building and remembering this is not a sprint
Our families, that they will come beside us and walk with us on this journey of faith
That our home church of Parkview will join us with support
That the work of Agape will help spread the gospel and love of Jesus to many hunger and needy people

Praise reports
House showings are coming in fast. There is a lot of traffic on the house sale.
We are continuing to have good business with selling household items
Many supportive friends have come alongside us to help
God has lead us to some very encouraging teachings about “going out” since we have started this process and it has fed our souls.

Thanks to all who are lifting us up in your prayers. We appreciate you.
Never give in!
In His service, Lance and Lynn