The Dance - Part 1

     You could say our Dance began over 13 years ago, when Chris decided to propose over Chinese takeout at the beach. We had never eaten Chinese food together before. But for some reason, he chose to pop THE question after sweet and sour pork, watching the sunset on the beach.  That night my fortune read “Will You Marry Me”.  Little did I know where that “yes!” would lead.

      14 moves, 2 countries, 4 states (even Oklahoma!), flight school, job changes, kids, and endless rolls of packing tape later we are heading to Taiwan for the second time. Not by chance. Not by first choice. (I happen to really like Oregon. And speaking English. And Trader Joes.) But because the God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, has invited us to walk with Him there. To love on His people.  To share His peace and joy.  To see a little more of how BIG a God He is. And when God invites you to walk with Him... well, I don't know about you, but we think we'll accept the invitation.

      In reality, the Dance began long before a proposal. And I don’t believe it’s all by chance. Both of us grew with a love for travel. And as we each came to know the Hope and Grace of walking with Jesus Christ, we couldn’t help but have a desire to share the Love and Joy we’ve given. And then He gave us "Us". Partners to dance the dance with. A precious gift in itself.

     I fully believe God creates each of  us with gifts and talents and passions in our hearts. There is always a way to use them to share who God is, how great and loving and awesome He is. The challenge for those who have experienced Him, is taking the risk to live it… for real… not just in a dream.

(to be continued)

Trust. Layoff. PEACE

This year we've been challenged TRUST God in a new direction. Just TRUST, He said. Step by step. It seems He's now allowing us to see how HE KNOWS our FUTURE. Chris was laid off from his current job this morning. We chose to TRUST, even when it hasn't made sense. And so today, we have PEACE. We know where we will keep stepping. Thank you BIG GOD who cares about the details even for little me.

Next steps: Yep. God has confirmed once again with the layoff that it is time for a new step and direction for the Cooper clan. Our PEACE comes from the new vision God's been growing the last few months. So it's official. We are MOVING to TAIWAN and walking with God there. Loving on kids & families at Morrison Academy (Kaohsiung). We'll share more details soon!