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

Less than two months:

    It's hard to believe that we are on Spring Break when there is snow everywhere! Yet, here we are! We are spending our time staying with Justin's parents by visiting with friends, spending quality time with family, and applying for jobs! So far, I would say that this break has been a success :)

   Tuesday both Justin & I had interviews for jobs starting in May/June. I interviewed with and was offered a nannying position that would start our first week in Holland and continue through the summer! The hours are perfect for me to do along side of my practicum and it's watching a beautiful 10 month old girl from a wonderful Christian home!
   Justin interviewed at our home church, Central Wesleyan, on tuesdays for a two year internship program that would start in June. As we are planning on being in Holland for two years this would also be perfect for us! No details for him yet and more interviews to come. He is also looking for part-time work to do alongside the 'slightly' paid internship.

   April 27 is our graduation day, but we are both receiving our diploma's in August. Justin and I both need to take one class this summer- and then we will be done! April 27 is also our moving day as our wonderful family who will be watching us walk in our graduation will be helping us cart all of our stuff up to our awaiting house in Holland. 

A few thoughts:
   God has been teaching me a lot lately about trust and hope. They often go hand-in-hand, or this is what I am learning. Trusting through tough times involves hope. Trust in God means trusting in the dreams He has given you and allowing yourself to hope. Hope is fragile, but it is a choice. Hoping for a better world, hoping for your dreams to come true, hoping for jobs to line up, hoping that family will be taken care of, hoping that your trust is not misplaced, and hoping for the impossible- hope is difficult, but it is a choice. I pray for you today that you choose to hope. That you dream dreams that are so large, so beautiful, and so difficult that they would only happen if God showed up. I pray that your hope leads you to joy and that your trust in God is why you have the strength to hope.

Pray Requests:
- Justin's job & future interviews at Central
- motivation for our last weeks at IWU
- financial provision
- trust & hope
- safety and joy as we drive down to Marion on Friday

God Bless,

Leah Lechner