Wow, it has been months since I have sat down & wrote an update on our lives. Why?- well to put it bluntly because we have no idea what is coming up next!

    This summer has been full of life and transitions. Justin's parents have moved once- and will move again. Justin finished his final online course to complete his bachelors in Biblical Literature! I completed hours of teaching & commuting to Grand Rapids to complete my TESOL degree & internship requirements. Both of us doing this while working- we have been busier than either of us have been in a long time.

    Some people talk of God nudging them gently in the right direction. I feel like Justin & I have gotten some strong kicks in the back in the right direction. Jobs, housing arrangements, and more have fallen through in Holland, MI. So we are left asking God (what we should have asked before), "Now what?!".

    The answer to our question did not come quickly, and has not yet been answered fully. Fellow recent graduates and others may be able to sympathize with this slow waiting process. The answer has , however, started to come through conversations with each other, prayer times with God, and burdens on our hearts.

    Those who have known me (Leah) for a while have known that I have always felt a call to oversees missions. As a little girl I balanced baskets on my head to prepare me to live with African women when I'm older. I pursued TESOL & Biblical literature to prepare me for a life in missions! Those who know Justin know his heart echoes my own- one thing that draws us together is our love & passion for oversees missions!

   Our answer to "NOW WHAT?!"- has come in gentle whispers from God that simply say- "prepare to Go". No details about when, where, why, or how. He is preparing Justin & I's hearts to be ready to go. We are applying to mission organizations left & right, emailing people oversees in Palestine, Turkey, India and Thailand. We are praying and seeking- and we feel in our hearts that it is our time to go, and it will be soon.

Prayer Requests:
- opening our hearts to leaving our families & friends
- following God!
- details as to when & where we will go!
- joy in the midsts of waiting

Love all of you- more updates to come as we prepare for our life in ministry,

Leah & Justin Lechner

Moving On...

     Hello Family & Friends!! We are enjoying our last few days as Indiana dwellers & college students! Words cannot contain how excited we both are to graduate & be closer to family for a while. The joys of this week include having an excuse to organize & pack up our whole house , hanging out with friends, and finally being done with assignments/finals. The trials include countless ceremonies, to-do lists that now fill pages outside of my already packed planner, saying goodbye, and answering the question... “What are you doing when you graduate”?

     It is a very good and valid question, one that has filled hours of talk for Justin & I (and many a journal pages for me). Sadly, Justin did not receive the internship at Central that we were both hoping for. While it is sad to let go of a dream, we know that doors only close to point us to other open ones. Right now however, God has us in the fog. We know that he is opening doors, He is just not showing us where yet. I love a good plan, so this period of uncertainty is sure to stretch my trust in God.

What door is opening next for us?

We know a few things for sure:

• we both have jobs to pay the bills & a home in Holland to move into. Writing this out makes me realize how much I have to be thankful for and how truly blessed we are to be taken care of by friends, family, and God!
• I will be teaching English to Refugees at Bethany Christian Services this summer :)
• We both crave to be involved in full-time ministry.
• I love children, languages & the Bible. 
• Justin loves the Bible, discipleship, and community.

    So what are we doing after the summer when we finish our last online courses & get our diplomas?? Hopefully something that combines our need for school debt to be paid off and our love for ministry. We have huge dreams- crazy dreams really.

    We dream of running orphanages in Africa. We dream of starting a family young & adopting children from all over the world. We dream of studying the Bible, our passion, and getting our Masters degrees at Jerusalem University College. Justin dreams of forming a community of believers passionate about God’s word & discipleship. I dream of learning languages like Arabic & Chinese. 

Pray Requests:

• that our dreams will stay God-sized & God-sent
• easy transition in our move & graduation process
• that we would find ministry positions in Holland

Here are a few pictures of our first 'home' together. I will miss it for sentimental reasons, but good riddance to the coin operated laundry and small counter space! I snapped a few pictures before boxes exploded and packing started. :)

Leah & Justin Lechner