Life on Two Continents
Dear Friends and Ministry Supporters,
Russell and I hope this message finds you well. We are writing to share a simple but important update on how we will send newsletters and ministry updates going forward.
To make communication easier and more consistent – especially as we prepare for our next season of ministry in Uganda – we are moving our newsletters to Substack, a platform designed specifically for writers and organizations to share updates directly with their community.
What this means for you:
You will still receive the same ministry updates, stories, prayer needs, and testimonies.
Emails will come through Substack instead of our previous system (MailChimp).
It will be simpler for you to read, reply, and stay connected.
What you need to do:
Absolutely nothing! We have done all of the hard work of moving everything over to the new system.
Our hearts remain the same – to share what God is doing, to stay connected with you, and to steward this ministry with transparency and faith. This change simply helps streamline communication so we can focus more time on the work on the ground.
Thank you for praying, giving, encouraging, and walking this journey with us. You are a vital part of the story God is writing.
As we come to the end of January, we want to make it our goal to share updates more frequently and to share what God is pressing on our hearts. With that said, I hope you enjoy the treasure I found this month…
“These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land; but Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua.” Numbers 13:16
God’s Word is full of treasures. A treasure is something of great value; something that you have to seek. In Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous novel, Treasure Island, Captain Flint buried his vast treasure on the island. Another, Ben Gunn, knew of the treasure and searched and dug until he finally found it.
That is the way I see God’s most precious gift. A treasure that can only be found when we go beyond reading just the surface layer.
I have been working through the book of Numbers in the Old Testament. Numbers 13:16 is a beautiful treasure that I found in my recent studies. Moses changed Hoshea’s name to Joshua. There is always a purpose in a name change. God shows this throughout Scripture (Genesis 17, Genesis 32, John 1, Acts 9, to name a few). What was the purpose of this name change? Hoshea means salvation or deliverance. I think of it as a name that was more about an individual. Moses changed his name to Joshua, which means Yahweh is salvation or Yahweh is deliverance.
Moses knew that Joshua would be the next leader of Israel. And his focus needed to be on God alone, not on self. So here is Joshua getting ready to go into the promised land, and he needed to see it through God’s eyes, not his own. When he went into the promised land with the other eleven spies, he went in, not seeing himself as a grasshopper; he went in, seeing and knowing that God was the anchor of Israel’s salvation! Joshua knew that “the LORD fights for you” (Exodus 14:14). Joshua and Caleb entered the land through God’s lens, not their own. They saw the abundance and remembered God’s promises.
Joshua was a man of faith! And now his name was a constant reminder of who his God is. Yahweh is Salvation! Yahweh is Deliverance! He did not see giants. Joshua saw the promise and knew that God would conquer the land and deliver!
As I enter 2026, I want to see through God’s lens. I want to spend more time focused on God.
We have some significant life-changing events happening in 2026. It would be easy to listen to the wrong voices. It would be easy to hear the voices of the ten spies and think that what was before us is giants waiting to conquer, destroy, and distract us from the calling.
But I know what God has called Russell and me to do. I know the promises of acting in obedience. I do not want to wander in the wilderness because of disobedience or fear.
God said to go, and go we must!
Please be in prayer for us as we begin our countdown to the departure of full-time missionaries to Uganda.