Prayer Request

Dear friends (and even strangers!), Melissa and I are looking for prayer support for a decision needing to be made within the next few days which will ultimately shape this entire next year for our family.

A year ago right now, our family was preparing to leave Haiti to return to Indiana after a two week trip.  Upon our return, we rented out our house and moved in with Melissa’s mother in order to most effectively pay down debt in anticipation of returning to Haiti full-time in August of 2012.  That date turned out to be a bit too ambitious, obviously.

When we started the fundraising process last November, we anticipated it would be a (1) burden that would (2) quickly be out of the way.  We were wrong on both counts!  It has turned out to be a true blessing, actually, but a rather slow-moving one. 

As a result, this school year will start at Cowman International School in Haiti without a kindergarten teacher or a high school teacher.  The principal is scrambling to temporarily cover those positions as well as possible. 

Now, being a bit more realistic about the time involved in raising the support needed to put our family in Haiti full-time, we find ourselves at a fork in the road.  And this is where we are asking for your prayers of discernment (and any wisdom you might share with us).

There are two options facing us, both involving Melissa returning to teaching kindergarten this fall at her current position:

Option 1 would have me also return to my job teaching high school English this fall.  Judging from the pace of our funding efforts during the spring semester, we could not realistically anticipate moving to Haiti until August of 2013 – a full year after our original goal.

Option 2, though, would have me drop my job (a somewhat scary proposition in this economy!) and give my full attention to funding, with the hope (but no guarantee) of reaching Haiti right after Christmas.

God has been stretching us throughout this journey and we know He will continue to do so.  Option 1 would stretch our patience while Option 2 would stretch our faith! 

We're asking for your prayers as we seek to discern which direction God wants to stretch us!   With the new school year fast approaching, a decision will be forced very soon.

And while you are praying, would you also lift up our house situation?  It needs to be rented out again or sold.   

We would love to return the favor and privilege of prayer – please let us know if there is anything we can be praying about on your behalf as well.  I know that "comments" are not always to make on this website, so feel free to contact me on Facebook or by email.

steve_gross@juno.com