Update - Jan/Feb 2009

February 3, 2009

Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters,

We want to thank each of you for your prayers and support up to this point. We are blessed to have you in our lives and helping us on this journey. We thank God for each of you and pray that He blesses you as you have blessed us.

As far as an update on our status: We are still here in the states. Our original plans did state that we planned to leave in January. That was always with the thought that our house would be sold. Well, our house has not sold. The Lord has directed us to wait until it sells before we make our move. Though we are not completely sure of all the reasons for the delay we are sure of a couple of them.

First, we found out in mid-January that Eden needs tubes in her ears. The delay has allowed us to continue to work with doctors we trust and with the insurance we currently have. This allows for little to no cost on our part for this procedure. Secondly, the one year anniversary of my Dad passing away was February 1. Being here allowed me to be in close verbal communication with Mom and to continue to support her as she needs. We are sure there are others and have prayed all along that God would allow us to move at exactly the right time.

God has revealed to us a slightly different beginning to our move. We had originally been planning on going to the capital first to attend language school and then move again to the coast near the training site. We have since discovered a language school on the coast. This is a blessing because we will only have to move once. With a two year old you can only imagine the advantages. Plus, this will also allow Bart to go to school in the mornings and then work at the site in the afternoons! He is thankful for the opportunity to get to do more than just school.

We want to ask for your continued prayers. We had a family express interest in our house this past weekend. We ask you to pray very specifically for this situation. We desire God’s will to be done, but that this be the right family and things to begin to move forward. We ask you to pray as we are praying for a contract this week and a closing date at the beginning of March to allow for a move mid-March. We ask you to pray that should there be anything else we need to do to allow this to move forward, that the Lord would reveal it to us and provide the means for us to do it.

We ask that you pray for Eden. Her surgery is scheduled for February 11 at 7:30 am. Pray for peace and comfort for her, Bart and I. and wisdom and steady hands for the doctors.

We ask you to pray for the continued healing for my family in the loss of my Dad. We know getting through the first year is very significant, but we ask for peace, understanding, and wisdom for life as it is now.

Please pray for JoJo Goodman and her family. She is a young lady from our church that will be traveling with us to help care for Eden as we travel, go to school and get settled. She desires to serve as a missionary in the future. Please pray God uses this experience to direct and lead her toward where He would have her serve. Please also say a prayer of praise and thanksgiving for her and her family. It is such a blessing to have her along with us for this transition.

We also ask you to pray for God’s continued provision for our funding. Thank Him as we have for the gracious provision of $10,000 that has been given us for our move and the $950 a month He has provided. We need about $2500 total for each month to cover our living expenses. Please pray that God would direct us to those we need to speak with, that He would lay on their hearts the desire to give, and that those He has called will be faithful through their giving.

Thank you so much for your prayers and words of encouragement. We could not and would not be doing this without your support. Remember as our prayer partners and supports, you are doing the work of God and making His name famous among the nations! We love you!

Pura Vida in Christ,
Bart, Heather, and Eden Carty