We want to start this letter with a few wonderful quotes that have impacted our lives and journey.
“Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”― Jim Elliot
“Obedience is costly to you and those around you, but disobedience is far more costly” (paraphrased from Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby)
“1. God is love—His will is always best. 2. God is all-knowing—His directions are always right. 3. God is all-powerful—He can enable you to accomplish His will.”
― Henry T. Blackaby, Experiencing God
March 17, 2021
This year has been one for the books of history for sure and will change how certain things are done around the world.
Who would have thought our one month visit to assist Alicia’s parents with Alicia’s granddads property would have lasted a year with several lifestyle changes. We wondered how our visa status was going to be renewed after RSA revoked all visas. When it came to it, Alicia’s parents needed us for a longer time than the intended one month stay. We are still selling and organizing some of the property in Borger, Texas as this is written. The property still needs to be sold so that Alicia’s parents are freed up from this and they can enjoy retirement once again. During this time, another relative of Alicia’s passed away, this time, the relative lived in Amarillo. We were able to continue to help Alicia’s family with yet another estate sale to help relieve family of such a task.
Also, during our year, we were able to help our parents. Mark’s mom (stepmom) has Parkinson’s Disease and she has been trying to fill out documents to submit for compensation as a result of the disease. Mark’s father has had several surgeries in the past and suffers from leg and back pains. He even took a spill and broke his arm one day. So, we were very thankful we could assist them while we were here.
With all this being said, we thank God that we were able to have this year to be here with our family. We see them maturing (aka getting a little older in life) and currently there are none of their children living in Amarillo that assist them in life.
We have always searched God and to continue to follow where He leads. There is no doubt that in 2003 that God was calling us to join Samaria Mission. It took 6 years to fulfill the calling, but the calling was His time. Almost 12 years have passed by since we moved in 2009. We have learned to listen to God and to hear His voice. We have learned to be flexible and to continue to grow our faith with the qualities that 2 Peter 1:1-11 describe.
We have heard God telling us that a change was about to occur, and we have been seeking the timing of God, once again. We had this same moving of the Holy Spirit between the years of 2003 to 2009 but sought God’s timing as we knew He had called us into the mission field.
A few things we need to note,
*God continues to provide for us.
*Every supporter continues to pray for us, support us, and show concern for us.
*After struggling about not having peace in our lives when January came around and looking at booking flight tickets, we sought counsel with our pastor in San Angelo, and other close friends that are our prayer partners, they all confirmed with us that God is a God of Peace.
*When we don’t have peace about a decision in our lives, we had to ask ourselves why we are not having the peace that God gives.
*The Lord told us through His Spirit that we should wait, so out of obedience, we waited.
Unsure what the waiting was about, but in the midst of waiting, we receive confirmation from God that He is moving in our lives and the timing is now. Also, during this waiting period, He has brought new friends into our lives, He has introduced us to a healthier lifestyle, and we want to walk a path with others as they struggle in their physical and spiritual lives.
We are not going to say it’s been easy; Alicia has shed some tears knowing that God is moving in our lives. We know that Samaria Mission has been a valued part of our lives, in the growth of our spiritual walk, and in the listening of the Holy Spirit. We thank God for allowing us to be part of Samaria Mission (staff and those we minister with and to), Christ Baptist Church in Polokwane, and all the people who have become our friends during the past 12 years.
We were hoping to find our way back to RSA (Republic of South Africa) to confirm what God was doing in our lives before making a decision. It seems God brought His timing to the front. We are excited to see how and where God is transforming Samaria Mission. We are and will continue to be an advocate for Samaria Mission.
We want our friends, the staff, and others to know we are following God. We want prayers and excitement as we follow God. We have cherished our time with the Samaria Mission staff, the church staff, and all the other people we were involved with as we served with Samaria Mission.
We will return to RSA soon. Our flight is booked for departure on March 29th and arrival on March 31st. South Africa has been part of our lives for over a decade. We love RSA, Christ Baptist Church, our friends, Mozambique pastors and people…. It has all become family to us. Our prayer is that as we go back, we will finish well. We need to prepare for the new calling God has in our lives, and that being the family, our parents need to have us around. We know God is calling us back to Amarillo where our lives started.
After you read this, please take time to pray for us in this transition. Accept us as part of the family of God that He is calling to fulfill a new chapter in our lives. Please also pray with us for the selling of our belongings or finding new homes for belongings.
If you are a supporter of ours, we ask that during this transition in our lives that you would consider your continuous support, as we travel back to South Africa at the end of March. We will continue to serve with Samaria Mission until we leave. We are truly grateful for your faithful support all these years. We assure you that we will keep you informed as our timing and departure from Samaria Mission unfolds.
“REALITY 4: GOD SPEAKS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH THE BIBLE, PRAYER, CIRCUMSTANCES, AND THE CHURCH TO REVEAL HIMSELF, HIS PURPOSES, AND HIS WAYS.”
― Henry T. Blackaby, Experiencing God
One last quote to ponder:
“When God “chooses” a person for His purposes, He does so according to the person’s heart! The person must have a loyal heart full of trust and faith. God must have a person who loves Him “with all [the] heart, with all [the] soul, and with all [the] strength” (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37).”
― Henry T. Blackaby, Created to Be God's Friend: How God Shapes Those He Loves
RaleyFamily4 Motto:
My Life
His Purpose
Our Journey
Love,
Mark and Alicia
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