Laborers for the Harvest

Today is the day – the Ralstons are on their way.  We left for the airport at one this afternoon.  The drive went well and we arrived at JFK in Brooklyn at two thirty – almost six hours before the scheduled departure time for their flight.  The airlines had told us to be there by two fifty two so we were only twenty two minutes early according to their recommended arrival time.

As soon as the Ralstons got inside they were informed that the airlines would not even open for business until four twenty as that was four hours before departure time!  So we got some seriously poor information from the airlines.  How did they come up with such a precise number so massively off from reality?  Likely it was the Lord watching over us.  In this instance boredom is far better than panic.

We had a lot of standing around to do but no big deal.  Knowing that we were at the airport and that no traffic or vehicular problems were going to impede us now was a big deal and being there this early would wind up being very critical – but not until later.

When the airlines check-in and luggage desk finally opened we were, understandably, first in line.  But the second person in line had been there for at least an hour because of a long layover so we really were only first in line by a relatively small margin.  It turned out that they had several more pieces of luggage than were allowed.  Only four pieces per passenger are allowed.  This limit could be waved, and often would be, if the plane were not completely full – but it was.  So even the option of buying another ticket (and having me fly back over to Morocco with the luggage and fly right back we said half jokingly – luckily I had not brought my passport with me) to accommodate all of the luggage was out of the question.  Because we were the very first people in line and, probably, because we had been waiting for so long the nice woman at the counter decided to just accept the luggage.  So everything got to go!  What a blessing.

Getting eight hundred pounds of luggage moved around the airport was no easy task but everything got handed over to security and all that was left was for us to say out goodbyes and for the Ralstons to head over to the security checkpoint and begin their process of leaving their lives here behind.  No turning back now.  It is really happening.

The flight to Morocco will leave tonight at eight twenty and should arrive in Casablanca in seven and a half hours.  Then a five hour layover at the airport and back onto another plane for the eight and a half hour flight down to Brazzaville.  They are expected, with no delays which seem very likely, to arrive in Brazzaville around six tomorrow evening eastern time.  It will be a long time after that before we have contact with them as they have luggage, security and customs with which to deal before attempting to get to the missionary compound, get food, water, settled, Internet access, etc.

This is it! It is our last night in the US, at least for a while. Tomorrow evening is our flight to Morocco, and we expect that flight to be the next time we sleep. I highly doubt we will get much tonight! It’s so exciting that we are finally at this point. At the same moment, it is rather scary to be stepping out into the unknown; not that the last two years have been what would be considered by most to be “normal”.

We are staying these final couple of days with our good friends Scott & Dominica Miller (and their baby girl, Liesl… yes, it is pronounced like weasel, but with an “L”) in Peekskill, New York. It’s not too far from JFK, and it was good to get a short calm before the storm, as it were. Danielle’s mother brought our luggage down to us, which saved us a bundle by eliminating the need to rent a van to transport it all. We have 14 packages in total, plus one carry-on per person. It is unfortunate that the airline rules now limit us to one carry-on (under 22 lbs.) and one checked package (no more than 50 lbs.), instead of the old 70-pound allowance. Thank the Lord for the shipping container that was sent last Spring; I can only imagine what we would have had to carry if not for that!

Tomorrow at about 1:30 pm, we will leave here for the airport, being driven by Scott. That is just one more blessing to add to the growing list. I may be crazy enough to leave everything (well, except for the tons of junk we are taking with us…) and move to the middle of the jungle, but I am in no way mentally prepared to drive through New York City with all of this on my mind. From there, we depart at 8:20 pm and should arrive in Morocco approximately seven and a half hours later. Morocco is something like 4 hours ahead of our time, so we lose those hours during the flight. Around six hours later, we should be boarding the plane for Brazzaville and arrive there by 10:30 pm, their time. We will remain at Global’s guest house there for 4 or 5 days until we fly to Impfondo to begin our service at the hospital.

I have been working on my French, and it’s all coming back. I am continually surprised to remember all of the words that I haven’t seen in so many years. I think I will do just fine, but please keep up the prayers anyway. It can’t hurt! While you are praying, please keep in mind our acclimation to the weather, food, culture, food, and lack of pizza and Mountain Dew! Also, please lift up our family embers who are beginning to cope with our being gone away for a few years. Everyone is excited with us, but parting is still difficult. Another good prayer request would be for the stress that all of this has put on our family. This much stress tends to bring out the worst in our fallen nature, and we can have much shorter fuses at times. We know that adjusting to Congo will be stressful as well, so we pray that the Lord will give us strength and patience as we live and interact with each other in our new setting.

Beyond all of this, we thank you for your continued prayers and support as we step out. We also count on these to keep continuing. God is good, and we are blessed to have all of you invested in this ministry. We eagerly anticipate our fruitfulness together with you. It will be exciting to see what the Lord has in store for us, and it will be our joy to pass that along to you. Until then, the Lord bless you and keep you. Good night, and we’ll contact you from the other side of the pond soon!

Dear Family~

Praise the Lord! It’s finally time! And, it’s really dark in here. I am sitting in the car, in the dark, as we are heading out to Florida for a visit to some friends/supporters there. A week ago, this was the big trip we were planning for. Since last Thursday, we almost forgot to plan for this little excursion. I hope we didn’t forget anything too important. I guess time will tell.

In case it is not obvious at this point, we now have our tickets and a departure date. Our flight leaves from JFK International Airport on Monday, May 25th at 8:20 PM. At least that’s what we are told. With the number and scope of the attacks that we’ve been dealt lately, I am getting harder to surprise with seemingly bad news. “We must be doing something right” is our motto. Somebody sure seems to want to throw a wrench into our lives all of a sudden!

Since the enemy has begun to step up activity against us, it’s time to remind ourselves many times per day to rely upon God in all things. Especially with the busyness that now has taken over our schedule, it is so imperative to keep telling ourselves and each other to relax and lean on Him. I think we need to do it even more… it certainly couldn’t hurt. It is so easy to get caught up in the tasks at hand and start piling the world on your shoulders.

This is also the time when we will really begin to count on you out there, praying for us. Please don’t misunderstand and believe that we have not appreciated your prayers to this point. We know that God has been answering those prayers, and that He works through the prayers of His people. Our need for your prayer has been there all along, but it will totally hit home now.

Although we have purchased our airline tickets, we are still not at 100 percent of our support budget. With the balance that has accumulated in out support account, added to our committed ongoing monthly support, we have the finances to cover our first year in Congo. To stay the second year, we need to raise another $460 per month of pledged support. As the months go by, that figure will adjust with the diminishing account balance. In order to stay for 4 years, we would need to raise a bit more funding. We hope that you will keep our need for more financial support before the Father in prayer, as we look to Him for His provision.

So, we’re off to the sunny state of Florida and a little vacation before we push off for Congo. We know that God’s will cannot be foiled, but we appreciate your prayers for protection as we travel. We also look forward to seeing a good number of you either in our travels or at our little going away party at La Grange Baptist Church on the afternoon of Sunday, May 17th. Until then, God watch over you and bless you!

Yours in Christ,

Art, Danielle, & Michael Ralston

Missionaries to the Republic of Congo (never thought I would get to right that)

The Ralstons are busy in south Florida this week after having driven from Western New York, to New York City and on down to the Miami area in two days and so I am busy handling the posts.

We have two of the PowerPoint Presentations loaded onto Laborers for the Harvest now that anyone interested can just download and watch.  These presentations require either Microsoft PowerPoint or OpenOffice to view.  If you do not have one of these you can freely download: OpenOffice or the Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer.

Download the Presentations:

Virginia Presentation
Contemporary Presentation

Art and Danielle are out of town taking care of all the things that need to be done before they leave so I get to post the official news, more or less (Danielle already posted via Twitter,) that the Ralston Family – Missionaries to the Congo – have everything that they need to be allowed to head to the mission field, have the green light from the missions agency and have purchased their tickets!

Their flights are booked for May 25th.  Just one month from today!

They will be flying from New York City to Dar-el-Beida, Morocco (known as Casablanca to most Americans) and then on to Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo where they will wait for a small plane ride out the last 450 miles to Impfondo.

Hello, from our new temporary home. We are officially moved out of our house and into a tiny (Did I say that? I meant to say “cozy”) bedroom at my mother and step-father’s doublewide mobile home in Mount Morris, NY. It’s only about ten minutes from our house, but it is worlds away from where we were a month ago!

In the move, we brought only the barest of essentials with us. You would never know it if you saw the room we are in! Michael has his own bedroom, and we have stuff packed into that room as well. The kitchen is small, so we even have food in Michael’s closet, just as an example. Of course, this is all just temporary so we are making due and in some way even having fun with this.

Here is the best news… I am done working in two days! That’s right; Tuesday is my last day at work. In order to make some of the preparations that need to be taken care of before we leave for Africa, I need some time to allow the slow wheels of bureaucracy to turn. This will allow us the free time we need to get in some visiting before we go, as well. In case I haven’t mentioned it in one of the last updates, we are hoping to leave sometime towards the end of May, Lord-willing. Those of the hospital staff in Congo who are taking care of all of the maintenance needs will be leaving between June and July, leaving a gap until October. If we don’t get there in time to be oriented before the middle of June, that leaves a big hole in the necessary hospital staff. Dr. Harvey (and us, too) is praying that we will be able to arrive before then. It’s totally doable, but there is still much to be done. First, we need the rest of our support to come in. That’s a tall order still, although I don’t have the numbers in my head right now (things have been a little confusing as of late). Upon approval from the home office at Global, we will need to get a letter of invitation from the hospital, our visas, and airline tickets. Like I said, it’s not impossible, however improbable it may seem. And, as all things are, it’s in the Lord’s capable hands. If it’s His time for us to go, we will be on a plane next month. If not, we will be here until October, when the Harveys return to Congo.

From here, we ask for your prayers concerning our hope to be in the air in May. Please continue to pray for God’s provision and guidance as we step in faith, making decisions each day that affect our preparedness to leave for Congo. Please pray also for our protection, as we feel the effects of a big target painted on our backs. God is moving, and the enemy is attacking. Pray for our attitudes to stay positive and our faith to stay strong and focused. Don’t forget to pray for the Congolese people, that the Lord would prepare hearts for the gospel, and that our ministry to them would be fruitful. (You could pray that lots of them get sick and have to come to the hospital, but maybe that’s not the right thing to do… but they would hear the gospel… so that’s your choice.)

As always, we thank all of you for your prayers, support, love, and your part in this ministry. We anticipate blessings from this as we follow His leading, and we pray that you are blessed, too. Lift up your eyes and look, for the fields are white unto harvest!

Yours in Christ,
Art, Danielle & Michael

Hello friends (and family)!

 GOOD NEWS!!

 I am very excited (and tired) as I write this prayer update. We have been sitting and waiting, and waiting and sitting, and sit… well, you get the idea. Now, I think we are making up for some of that time of doing seemingly nothing. The best way to explain it is with the picture of a pregnancy (not that I have ever been). All of the time of “what color should we paint the baby’s room” stuff is over. The water is about to break, and we are scrambling for the car keys!

 In case you haven’t figured it out yet, we have moved beyond the house obstacle. You might be wondering how this all happened so fast; you might not. Either way, I am going to tell you, so sit down and listen up! Two weeks ago, we piled in the car and took a weekend trip to Leesburg, VA to visit friends and supporters there, and to spend a day taking in some sights in Washington DC. While spending time in discussion with numerous people there, we began to feel that we should possibly take another stab at listing our house to rent, since the real estate market is doing so poorly, and there is no obvious end in sight. To make a long story a little shorter, we did exactly that, and Danielle put a listing up on Craigslist a week ago Saturday.

 From Saturday to Wednesday, we had about a dozen responses from interested people, and 3 appointments set up for showings this weekend (Thursday through yesterday). One couple that was particularly interested had a dilemma to overcome: they live in Texas. The husband is from this area, and his brother was going to come and look at the house on Saturday for them. They live on the Gulf coast, where hurricane Ike struck, and they want out. They want to move up here to be with his family, and they need a larger home in the country where there is room for their large dogs and two boys.

 This family has been looking for a house to rent long-term (until they can get a mortgage) for the past few months, but have found nothing that meets their needs. Enter: our ad. Their plan was to move up here in a U-haul and live in a motel until they could find a home. After seeing pictures of the inside of the house and a floor plan that I drew up, they wanted to give us a deposit so that no one else could get the house out from under them. So, they wired us the $950 security deposit Thursday morning (tried to do it that night, but had to wait for the bank to open in the morning!)

 Now comes the scary part. They want to move in by April 1st!! We have 3 weeks to clear out completely. Thankfully, the Lord has that covered, too. I am working only 24 hours per week, due to a lack of work. That gives me another day at home to get things ready for the move. Thank you, Lord! Of course, all of this is not concrete just yet. We are having our lawyer draw up the rental agreement, which will need to be signed by the moving day. Once we have that, it’s a done deal.

 What does all of this mean? It means that financial support is the ONLY thing between us and Congo, as of April 1st (barring any unforeseen changes). The remaining processes to be completed include getting our visas, a letter of invitation,and purchasing our plane tickets. In the mean time, we will be staying with my mother and step-father, who live about ten minutes from where we are at the moment. The plan is that we are committing to leave for Africa some time during the month of May. Doctor Joe Harvey would really like it if we can be there in May, and it looks like it could really happen. In his mind, I think it is as good as done. With my lack of experience in such things, I see it as a possibility, but not much more. So, it’s time to take a leap of faith (nothing new there!) and commit to going in May, as the Lord provides open doors.

 We are still approximately $1,300 dollars per month short of committed support, but we are trusting that God will move those who He would have support us to make that step.  In addition, we have had several individuals voice a desire to pledge support once we were ready to leave. Dr. Harvey also has stated that he has friends who would be willing to support us when the time came, as well. If you happen to be one of those who has expressed this to us, we will be making phone calls soon, as it is very important for our moving forward to know where we stand. Also, if you have recently sent anything in to Global on our behalf, please send us an e-mail or give us a call to let us know. It takes up to 2 months for information to go through the system and get back to us from the office, so we never know any new developments until they aren’t so new anymore. That especially goes for anyone who is making a decision to pledge anything now. Please contact us so that we can know where we stand. Days count, now.

 God is so good and so faithful! We could never (and would never) have done what we have done without His hands at work in all of this. And yet, it is not Him alone working to get us to join His work in Congo. We cannot thank you enough for all of your prayers and support so far! We thank you in advance for your continued prayers. We can all see the part that the money plays in reaching the lost for The Kingdom, but prayer is worth so much more than money ever could be! Thank you for both. We will continue to keep you updated, though I admit that we will be rather busy for the next three weeks. I promise that I will make my best attempt to update each week, and maybe more often if we get any more news that can’t wait. Thank you for reading all of this; I know it was a long one.

God bless you and keep you!
Until next week…
Yours in Christ,
Art, Danielle & Michael

Prayer Requests:

~ please share our ministry with friends and family, especially with connections to other churches and circles of friends

~ please pray that the Lord would keep filling our needs and raise our support up to the 100% level

~ praise God for bringing us renters for the house!

~ please pray for the people of Kindamba, Rep. of Congo, that the gov’t would allow the hospital to re-open there

~  praise God for His faithfulness in providing all of our needs and keeping us from rushing ahead of His will

Hello friends (and family)!

 We would like to quickly drop a special prayer request to you. After that, we’ll give you a little background, so that you understand the reasoning a little better.

 As you continue to pray with us for the Lord’s provision and guidance as we prepare to go to the Congo, we would ask that you especially pray for the Lord to show His will regarding our house. We are, for the second time, considering a long-term rental arrangement as an option in addition to the possible sale of the house. As we are sure you are all aware, now is not the best time to try to sell a house very many places here in the US. We did at one point advertise the house as an available rental property, but that caught very little interest from the public. The Lord put it on my heart that we needed to just trust Him, so I quit trying to cut corners and help Him get rid of the house. We made up our minds to wait for a sale instead of doing everything we could to “help” God get us out of the house.

 Well, a lot has changed (and a lot hasn’t changed at all) since then. Common sense is telling us that we really should entertain renting as a viable option to sale. You are all sending up prayers to heaven on our behalf concerning the house. Dr. Harvey would love for us to be in Congo by May. Not a single person has looked at the house since October. My hours at work just got cut down, due to a lack of work to be done. We have 54% of our ministry budget met (commitments).

 All things added up, here is my analysis:
We decided to list the house as a rental on Craigslist the other night. Since then, we have gotten 5 responses from interested people. Dr. Harvey has stated that he has some friends who will support us, when we are ready to leave (out of the house). We also have had a handful of people say that they would support us when we are ready to leave. With all of that together, we might actually be able to leave in May. It’s all in the Lord’s hands, so only He knows. …but I am starting to think it’s at least possible. Back to reality, now. My extra free time means that I can spend a little more time sprucing up the house for people to look at. So, bottom line, we are starting to feel a little buzz of excitement again, as we see areas that the Lord may be at work. Only time will tell, but we would love to have you praying along with us as we seek direction from Him and await answered prayers expectantly!

 I know I said this would be quick. If you read fast, maybe it was. Either way, we hope to have some good news to pass along soon. Please join us in prayer as we wait on God’s hand to move. In the meantime, God bless, and thank you!
 

Yours in Christ,
Art, Danielle & Michael

     Occupying

 Hello, Brothers & Sisters,

 
 Here we are once again. Another week, oops, well couple of months have passed, and there’s not a whole lot new to say. One thing that we do have to say is thank you for your prayers through this past holiday season. We are still here and waiting on the Lord. We have been learning to occupy while still here. While we don’t understand why we are moving so slowly toward our departure to Africa, we know that He has the master plan. There is no better place to be than the center of God’s will, and we will be content to be there, wherever that is today.

 Art and I have both been struggling with what we should be doing while we occupy here in a house that has been pretty empty, with many of our things in Congo, and with our hearts and minds there as well. We spent one day from like 8 in the morning till 11 at night trying to decide to buy a video game system or wood working tools just so Art would have something to “occupy” his time with other than sitting… sitting and feeling lost. Now keep in mind a good portion of Art’s tools are in Congo or have been sold in preparation for leaving for Congo. Please do not feel that we do not appreciate the blessings which we receive each day from the Lord or from each of you in your prayers and concern for us. We cannot express what that means to us as we are waiting on our next step.

So, we prayed and purchased some games and things to do as a family. The following Monday at work Art was talking to a couple of guys about his struggle and decision process over the weekend. A couple of them offered to let him borrow some things (tools) indefinitely. This was awesome! Art was also able to get a free surface to make a routing table out of from work that was sitting around. Over the next week or so Art was able to not only get a router, and material to build a router table but also a table saw. All of this was done without much of any cash out of our pockets. Part of this was through being able to borrow things, others through working for my mom and her wanting things built for her home so she paid him ahead of time in a table saw. This has been an incredible blessing and proof of God’s hands guiding every step. Art is now happily building many things for other people (and me, but more on that in a minute) and enjoying the time spent working with his hands and keeping “sharp” while waiting on the Lord.

 As time creeps on Michael is growing up in front of our eyes. He is beginning to act like a teenager. Don’t take that as a negative. He is becoming a young man. He has been doing some pretty in-depth studies in 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Joel and now in Acts. It is really cool to be able to hear his insight on the word of God. He is also now spending time in the basement wood shop with Art, building and learning at the hands of his father. There has been a neat layer that is developing between them as of late. Art is becoming more and more Michael’s teacher and friend. Michael is starting to rely on me less and less. I am beginning to be here only for guidance and less as a mommy. While I know many moms understand the catch in my throat as I write this, you also understand how wonderful it is to watch a little boy want to be more like his father. Michael now can’t wait to do maintenance in Congo with Art. I think he feels like he will have something to contribute while we are there.

 
 While I sit here and try and occupy and stay sane I have been doing some sewing for other people as well as myself. Most of my projects till recently have been just for something to do. I had gotten some jobs but was seriously lacking in space that actually worked as a sewing area. Through Art receiving all sorts of free materials, he and Michael were able to build a sewing table and cutting area, all attached. What once was our living room is now a fully functioning sewing room. All of these items were free, remember. This is, has been, and will be such a blessing to me. I now am doing more than sitting at my computer and IM’ing people. For me being able to occupy in a way that I don’t feel lost has brought me closer to the Lord each day. I feel a little more established in our current season. While we have acquired many things over the past few weeks, please don’t take that as us settling back in. I know that both of us would much rather be in Congo. We are more than willing to pack up and move at a moment’s notice. People have already graciously offered to store some of these items for us so that Art and I will have a way to help support ourselves while on home assignments. We have been struggling with feeling like we are settling back in but strive to be where we are called to each and every day.

 
 In 3 weeks time we will, Lord-willing, be able to take a trip to Leesburg, VA to visit with Mt. Hope church and our wonderful friends and supporters there. This trip is just purely for the opportunity to get to know everyone a little better and enjoy the fellowship with new and old friends. While we are there we hope to be able to spend a day in DC (this was part of Michael’s Christmas present as we didn’t want to purchase useless things). The memories of time spent together checking out Washington DC will last much longer than some silly toy or similar thing.

 
 We have not gained any more support since the last time we wrote, nor have we sold the house (if we had you probably would have heard about it immediately). We are praying that we will be able to leave for Congo in September of this year. Why then you ask? Well, the Harvey family will be returning for their furlough in June(ish) this year and we hope to be able to return with them in September. We have been praying and hoping that we would be there long before they returned for home assignment. They left in August of 2007, and here we are still waiting on the Lord. So we are once again asking you to send up fervent prayers on our behalf that we are able to get there soon. Please also pray and share the Lord’s leading in our lives with your friends and family. We have another almost 50% of our budget to raise in order to go. So not only do we need to sell our house, but we need to gather the rest of the financial support before we can leave. This can only be done with the Lord’s guidance as there is certainly no human way possible.

 This is also another reminder: don’t hesitate to send your prayer requests to us. And if you just feel like making a comment in reply to our updates, we would love to hear from you! We hope that you are enjoying the beginning of the new year. Lord-willing, I’ll be back next week umm .. ish. Until then, God bless!

Yours in Christ,

Art, Danielle & Michael

I am posting mutiple updates/prayer requests in this post from the Harvey’s in Congo.  Please keep them and our team in your prayers.  They are listed in order so read all the way to the bottom to see the outcome.