by Nicole Yeomans, General Baptist Missionary to the Philippines and Niger
“A man’s heart plans his ways, but the Lord determines his steps.” – Proverbs 16:9
In all of our planning over the past several years, I never thought we would be here at this point in our lives. Most of us have said that at some point in our lives, I’m certain. I am saying that now. The first rule one becomes aware of in any type of mission work is to be flexible. Overall, I consider myself a flexible person. However, if you were to ask my husband, he would probably tell you that I often get upset if he asks me to alter the schedule that I lay out for myself each day, though I may not voice it. I am still a work in progress. I find myself looking more and more to Proverbs and other Scriptures that have a great deal to say about the plans we make for our lives and who is ultimately in control of our lives.
As you know, our family had planned to depart for Niger, West Africa at the end of July, just in time to get settled before the start of the new school year. The girls and I did just that, thinking Kris would be right behind us. We got settled in our house. We unpacked everything. We learned our way around to the school, the gas station, the grocery stores, and our favorite restaurant that serves the most amazing hummus.
As for Kris joining us, a day turned into three days, then three days turned into 10 days, and then when he got the news that he needed a heart catheter, we knew then that we needed to return to the states to be with him. I have to brag on my kids for a brief moment. Eden looked downtrodden for a split second, but then decided she would be ok if she could get her ears pierced soon after landing. Emily, who has been to more schools now than blanks provided for previous schools attended on school forms, was upset about missing the first day of school at Sahel and yet another change in schools. After being upset for about 45 seconds, she came back in and said, “ok, let’s get to packing. We gotta do what we gotta do.” For a girl that never wanted to leave the house for the first 7 years of her life, I can’t tell you how thankful I am for her flexibility, how blessed I am to have her as a daughter, and to see how God is working in her life.
So, we packed everything back up, not knowing what this latest transition would look like or how long it would be before we returned, and 3 days later, boarded a plane back to the U.S. I was prepared (or at least ready for the challenge as best I could be) to be in a new culture, learning a new language and way of life. I was not prepared to be back in the states, enrolling my girls in the local school and helping Kris recover to full health while working his way thru new medicines and their side effects.
A lot of this transition is the same as it would have been in Niger. I’m learning to cook with fresh fruits and vegetables rather than canned/packaged items for a low sodium diet. I’m learning French. I’m watching my girls adjust to a new school (and love it!) and make new friends, praying the next stage of transition is not too hard on them. I don’t know why God has us here at this time, but I am continually learning that His timing is perfect, and to trust, even when I don’t understand why or for how long.
God has a way of placing us in situations that require a dependency on Him. This is where we grow. This is where we learn. This is where we find peace and learn to trust God completely, without reservations and without glimpses into His plan. I didn’t expect to be back in Greenville, KY, but here I am. I am learning. I am growing.
I must confess that this phase of the transition article took a lot longer for me to write than I expected. I have had to start, and start again while working my way thru an array of emotions. I have been angry. I have been confused. I have felt sorry for myself. I have felt sadness. I have felt joy. While I will never know all the details this side of heaven, I know that God had a purpose for this delay. I am thankful that my husband is alive and well and feeling more and more ready to go with every passing day. I truly believe that God saved his life by not allowing him to get on that plane.
I do not have the gift of discernment, and I have had to work my way thru what this delay means. Is it from God, similar to what Paul and Timothy faced in Acts 16:6-7 when the Holy Spirit prevented them from going into Asia to preach the Gospel? Or is it a test from God to test our faithfulness? Or is it spiritual warfare, an attack from the enemy? I wish I could read between the lines and know how Paul and Timothy felt, and how they arrived at their conclusion in Acts 16:10 when they concluded that God had called them to evangelize in Macedonia rather than their planned destination in Asia.
What I do know is that the Spirit of God has not released us from Niger. Our calling has not changed, and we are still committed to being obedient to that calling. We are hoping to depart (all of us this time) mid-October for the next phase of this transition. Please pray with us as we journey together in this walk of faith and obedience.