5 Minute Monthly: February

I typically think of February as a month to push through rather than enjoy. It's typically cold, wet, and dreary; most work and school rhythms are set, and spring activities seem so far away. But this February has been dramatically different for us. It's been a month that we really had to work through because we felt like we were starting from ground zero. We have only begun to establish routines, and we are far from regular rhythms. We started the month having only been in our new home for a week, sitting on the floor for meals and barely knowing how to navigate to the grocery store. Since then, we've bought a second-hand table and have a Tesco card, and can now get to church without having to use a map. February has been a tough month in the sense that we are building new lives here in Portsmouth-- but it's been terrific to get to know the wonderful people in our church and learn what God has in store for us in this new stage of life. With each passing day, we grow more thankful to the Lord for placing us in this city and leading us to rely on him for all of our needs.

Life Happenings

The beginning of February seems like ages ago at this point. I was leaving a small conference in Liverpool on February 1st, which just feels like it was after the new year. So much has happened for our lives in the past month-- Aleah says the best two words to describe it are: "settling and patience." Our nights have consisted of searching through Facebook Marketplace for cheap things for our home. We've hung pictures on the fridge and walls, gotten some kitchen essentials, and have even started to clean up the backyard garden space. It's been a real privilege to have some warmer weather these days that we could enjoy the outdoors. We've gone on some walks through the city and in the New Forest, and Josiah has really enjoyed finding all kinds of slugs and bugs in the backyard. Our routine is starting to become regular; we have weekly things scheduled and regular things happening that we participate in, like an English Cafe or helping with the youth group.

Josiah has really settled into our home and has become quite comfortable. He runs around the house, knows where all his toys are, and has really taken a liking to climbing the stairs. It also feels like he's grown so much in the past month! He has so many new words and things that he does: "more please," "night-night," "nap," nodding his head yes, trying to dance, and some silly sound that we've come to believe is a form of "you're welcome!" he says when he gives us something. He is such a silly boy who makes us laugh and smile every day!

It's been really great to get to know the folks in our church. There are so many kind and caring people who want to get to know us and are glad to spend time with us, that we feel like we're already growing some really great friendships. Sunday lunch seems to be a big social time here, so most Sundays this month have been spent with new friends after church until almost dinner time. We've also taken some weekend time to spend walking in the woods with some friends and going to some toddler activities and meeting up with families. We really like getting to know the people in our church and are really enjoying the fellowship we get to have with other believers!

Ministry Update

Our involvement in the church is steadily growing and we are glad! Aleah has been able to get involved with the English Cafe that happens twice a month, helping people practice their English while getting to talk about the Bible. She's becoming more involved in moms groups and is getting to know some of the women who come to toddler groups who also don't really know Christ. We're also both involved in the youth group helping as leaders. It's a small group of kids, but they are really great to talk about the Bible with. In addition to these, each of us have been connected to some people who don't know Jesus as their Savior but are interested. It's been a real joy for both of us to be able to talk with them regularly and share the gospel!

I (Tyler) have also had more time around our pastors and am slowly being given a few more things to do in the church. I led the youth lesson during church this past week, get to go to the Students (young adult) ministry and help lead table discussion, and help out with some of the office work. I'm going through a book with the pastors, and coming up in March, I'll be preaching an evening service sermon in a nearby church, starting my studies, and going to a conference with some of the men from church.

What we're really starting to see is that sharing the gospel and talk about Jesus here looks quite different than anything we've seen or experienced in the States. A lot of people are interested in finding out about Jesus and learning about what the Bible teaches. It is common for unbelievers here come to churches or church groups just to learn something new. They are intellectually intrigued but most are not interested in knowing Jesus or the gospel deeply. They seem content to follow the culture and have a shallow knowledge of the gospel. Therefore, the challenge is not starting a conversation about Jesus but rather fostering an understanding at the heart level that ultimately impacts and changes their life. As we spend more time growing in the church in Portsmouth, it's also our prayer that we would be faithful stewards of the gospel to those outside the church and that many would soon come to know Christ as their Savior.

Pray with us

Requests

• Pray that we boldly share the gospel whenever we are given the opportunity

• Pray for the health and safety of our family - especially Aleah and the new baby

• Pray that our relationships grow deeper and stronger with the believers and the unbelievers God has placed in our lives

  
  

Praises

• Thank God for our new friends

• We are thankful that we are feeling settled in our new home

• Praise God we are figuring out finances and starting to understand how money works here

Thanks for reading our blog! If you'd like to keep in touch, send us a message; we have lots of time for phone calls and would love to talk with you! God bless!