Bridging

Last Saturday evening, we drove out to a wooded area across town known as "Hills and Hollows." The boys and families lined up single file and silently entered a dark room with a fire at the other end. Four "braves" called the boys' names. The boys walked across the room and if they were "worthy," they were handed an arrow. Our oldest son, Drew, received his arrow that evening to signify all that he had accomplished in Cub Scouts. Next, the boys lined up on the left side of a bridge. Their old den leader (Jeremy) got rid of the parts of the uniform that signified cub scouts (i.e. neckerchief). The boys then walked across the bridge. Standing on the other side of the bridge were a group of Boy Scouts. The Boy Scouts put a new neckerchief on the boys and welcomed them to their troop. We were very proud of Drew for sticking with Cub Scouts for many years and completing all the requirements to receive his “Arrow of Light” award. He has joined Troop 140 here in Denton, and he is really look forward to all the events they have planned.

The ceremony was full of symbolism. The walk across the bridge symbolized the beginning of the boys' journey with a new troop, but also showed the importance of the previous group. Although it is possible to join Boy Scouts without having been a Cub Scout, the knowledge gained in Cub Scouts is a definite plus to the Boy Scout experience. Cub Scouts prepares the boys for Boy Scouts. During the ceremony I started to think about bridges and the purpose that they serve. We have all heard stories in which the support system of a bridge fails; therefore, we certainly know the importance of the support system. All parts of the bridge rely on the support system.

We as a family are having to rely on the support of those around us. This is not something we find to be easy. It’s a learning process which I am having to learn anew. Even as I try to write this blog post, I struggle with knowing how to say what it is I want to say.

God is our support! He is unfailing and always present. We thank God daily for knowing that he will never leave us. While God has called us to go, he has also called others to offer support. We are in need of your support because this endeavor is too big for us to do on our own. People often ask us what they can do to support us. We first and foremost require your prayer support. As we prepare to go and even after we arrive in Singapore, we need Christians uplifting God's work as we go to share Christ’s love. We are also in need of monetary support. The cost of airfare for the entire family to get to Singapore is $3500. We also will need $3000 to help with relocation expenses (in addition to the $6000 that we have dedicated to save). All donations are tax-deductable and can be sent to NICS. (Please see the link on the right side for "Our Commitment Card".)

One of the best parts of this process we are going through is the support we have received from our Sunday School class. Having a good Sunday School class has become very important to our family as we have gotten older and (hopefully) wiser. We love our class and really appreciate how they have encouraged us and prayed for us. Our family and our friends have also been very encouraging (even though we are "leaving them" for several years). We want to say THANK YOU to those who love us! We are indeed grateful!