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Pray for the DeKrygers

September 7, 2011 By 1 Comment

Our friends, Todd and Jen DeKryger, along with their four adorable boys, left to go back to Togo on Monday.

When they left for the field the first time, in 2005, we didn’t know them well. We’d only been at the church for less than a year, in which they spent much time traveling around to other churches to raise support. So, we were a part of their sendoff, but we didn’t know them well at all.

Now, 6 years later, they have just completed their first year of furlough. While they were here, they could have kicked their feet up and relaxed. After all, work in Togo must be hard! I’m sure they deserve a break! And yet, they stayed connected with our local church body and stayed active in serving Christ’s church. Jennifer, in particular, led a small group study I was involved with. I feel like I know her much better now, and can honestly say that she is a sweet, wonderful woman who seeks God with her whole life. She set such a great example of humility, Scripture memorization, parenting…I’ve been challenged by her (in lots of good ways)!

Luke was able to spend some time with their oldest son, William, this summer. (Do you remember the picture of the two of them behind their laptops in this post?) Together, they built a website for their ministry. That was a really cool connection for Luke to make with an awesome 11-year-old boy.

So, all that to say, it was emotionally difficult to say goodbye on Sunday! I am thrilled for them to begin their work in Togo again, where God has given them the ability to reach lost people for Him. And I’m sad for us, because we’ll miss them here in our local fellowship.

We covet your prayers for their ministry, as they move to the north part of Togo in a primarily Muslim area. You can read more about that on the aforementioned website. :-)

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Missionaries are cool.

July 15, 2011 By 3 Comments

Not too long after Luke and I started attending Forest Hills Baptist Church, they sent out a missionary family to serve in Togo, West Africa. We didn’t get to know them very well before they left, because they spent a lot of Sundays at other churches, raising support. (You know how that works?) But we gave them a fond farewell, knowing that they were wholeheartedly serving Jesus with their lives.

Well, they’ve been back since last fall-ish, and it’s been SO FUN getting to know them! Jennifer (the wife/mom) was my small group leader on Wednesdays, and I was able to spend this past school year seeing her heart for women’s ministry and her love for the people of Togo. She is a very compassionate, yet truth-telling, woman who loves to encourage other women to seek after God. LOVE her. Oh, and she has memorized a LOT of Scripture, which totally puts me to shame and challenges me at the same time.

Todd and Jen have four boys who are a HOOT to be around. They are all blond and adorable.

We were blessed to have them over for dinner last month. It was fun to watch the kiddos love playing together, and to be able to share life with Todd and Jen. We’ll definitely miss them when they leave this fall for another term.

So, without further ado, meet Todd and Jennifer DeKryger (and William, Grant, Luke, and Drew)…

We love you, DeKrygers! Can’t wait to see all the ways God will work in Mango!

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To Make Him Famous (Part 5)

December 1, 2010 By 6 Comments

I have started to write this post multiple times, and every time I come back to it, I just can’t do it. I know I left you all hanging on the Italy portion of our trip. And I know that I need to just write this part and get it overwith. But here’s the thing…

I loved Italy. I loved spending time with Keith and Debby and their sweet kiddos. In some way that I can’t even articulate, our time in Italy changed me.

So maybe part of me hesitates to write this post, because once it’s over…well, then it’s over. And the part of the trip that changed me – that part is not really “over” yet.

So, let’s try to do this…again. *Deep breath.*

We landed in Milan on Saturday, October 23, and were greeted at the airport by our aforementioned missionary friend, Keith. As we stepped outside (mere moments before we walked right by a Maserati, by the way), we realized that Milan was MUCH cooler than Halkidiki, Greece. Whoops. Maybe next time we take an international trip, I’ll try to check the weather first. Duh.

When we arrived at their home, we were welcomed by Debby and their three kiddos, whom I adore…


The next morning, we had the privilege of attending church, held in Keith and Debby’s home. The entire service was in Italian, so Debby translated parts of it for me. Luke was able to play guitar with an Italian believer named Orazio, and that was a good connect for him.

We also attended an international church service that evening, and were able to help with their music ministry.

The next day, we got another taste of everyday missionary life as Luke and I accompanied Keith to a neighborhood of apartments that would be considered the “projects.” There we were able to distribute about 750 fliers sharing the Good News of Christ.


That evening (Monday), we went with the whole family to downtown Milan for a little bit of sightseeing. It was beautiful. We perused an old castle, walked through the streets of old buildings, and tried our first bites of gelato.

Quite possibly the most amazing building I’ve ever been inside is the Duomo. It’s a huge cathedral in Milan…So incredibly ornate and beautiful, and yet so incredibly sad when you see people lighting candles for their deceased relatives and praying to the saints. Italy, though steeped in religious tradition, is a very dark place.

(Please note that I’m leaving out gajillions of pictures I could be sharing, in the interest of keeping it reasonably short-ish. If you need to see more, let me know. My computer is gurgling-full with them.)

The next day, Tuesday, we enjoyed a day at Lake Como. One word – BEAUTIFUL! We walked around the lake, and then took the “Funicolare” (i.e. cable train) up the side of the mountain and had a picnic at the top.

That evening, we helped teach a group of Italians in an English class. It was a fun experience! The four students we were working with were already fairly fluent and able to hold a conversation in English. It was fun to be involved in that arm of Keith and Debby’s ministry as well.

Maybe one of the coolest parts of being in Italy (besides getting to know one amazing family…and besides the coffee…oh, the coffee…) was just seeing the day-to-day life of a missionary. And then catching the vision for their work. They have a strong desire to see Christ’s gospel spread to the people of Italy.

It was sad to leave Milan, not knowing if or when we’ll ever be back. But it was really, really, really, SUPER great to come back to these precious ones…

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To Make Him Famous (Part 4)

November 4, 2010 By 4 Comments

For my faithful readers, you know I like to keep it real around here. I don’t have much to hide (obviously).

So, in that spirit, I want to tell you about my personal struggles associated with this trip.

Some of you know that I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety in the past. It’s definitely a part of my family heritage. The summer of 2002 was the darkest time in my life thus far, though I’ve had a few more times of struggle since then.

As the Greece/Italy trip approached, I knew that it could potentially be enough of a stressor to lead to anxiety. When I thought about leaving my kiddos for two weeks and being hurled over the ocean packed like a sardine in a metal cylinder…Well, that was a little stressful for me.

So, I asked our class at church to pray that I could focus on the TRUTH and not the what-ifs. Because that’s really what it’s about, right?

The morning of the trip came, and we packed all the kiddos in their jammies into the van. We enjoyed the beautiful sunshine (pictured above) as we drove to the church. Of course, I was tearful with the anticipation of saying goodbye.

When we pulled into the church parking lot, Grandma and Papa (my mom and dad) were already there. The kids pretty much jumped out of the van and into their arms. The kids were so excited to see them that they forgot to cry about Mommy and Daddy leaving the country. So we hugged them, and off they went.

And I cried a little with my dear friend Kathy, who understood my pain, because she also left four little ones at home (who happen to be some of our kids’ dearest friends).

And that set the pattern for the trip. We talked to the kids over Skype (or Google Talk) each day, and almost every day it would bring me to tears, simply from missing them. But they never cried. They were always happy and having fun. (Which is a GREAT thing! I think I would’ve cried much more if they were unhappy.)

I believe it was the third night in Greece that I was lying in bed – SO exhausted – but I couldn’t sleep. I was really struggling with anxiety. If you’ve never struggled with issues like this, you won’t know just what it’s like. To me, it’s like a darkness falls over me. That’s the only way I can think to describe it.

Thankfully, prior to the trip, I had asked my Facebook friends (gotta love social media, huh?) for suggestions of Scriptures I could take with me to focus on. I had printed them on index cards, and that night as I lie in bed, I got those little cards out and read them out loud. And prayed. And read them. And eventually I fell asleep, focusing on the TRUTH.

I am so thankful for God’s Word.

For the rest of the trip, I was careful to remind myself of the truth every time I felt a whisper of anxiety. Each time the airplane would take off, I’d pray, “Lord, you have me here for a reason, and you know the number of my days. Today is YOURS.” It was important for me to really relinquish control of my life (and my children’s lives) to Him. That was one of the biggest lessons I learned.

That’s not to say that there weren’t more tears. I am a mommy, and I missed my kiddos! In fact, Gracie girl got strep throat while we were gone, and her blood sugar levels were out of whack, and that was really hard for me. I LOVED being in Greece, but I also wanted to be home with her!

But again – the TRUTH. My God loves her much more than I do, and He always does what is good. I can really rest in those promises.

I’m praising God today that He orchestrated the events of those two weeks the way He did – allowing me the opportunity to know Him better. Thank You, Father!

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10

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To Make Him Famous (Part 3)

October 31, 2010 By 4 Comments


Meet Harry and Jan Gebert.

Harry and Jan are medical doctors. And for nearly as long as they’ve been doctors, they’ve also been missionaries.

Harry and Jan have 5 daughters, now ages 20 to 28. When their daughters were 3 months to 8 years old, the Geberts took a leap of faith and moved to the Gambia, West Africa, to practice medicine and tell people about Jesus. They didn’t have electricity or telephone service. A letter could take months to arrive. They told us of one time they had to travel 8 hours to the city and rent a hotel room for a night just to be able to receive a phone call.

I have 4 babies, close in age like the Gebert girls. I cannot fathom taking them into unknown, primitive territory like that! And yet, the Geberts did it in faith, because they love Jesus.

Harry and Jan have been missionaries with ABWE for 20 years. I’m struck by their choice to dedicate themselves to Christ’s work, knowing the personal comforts they would give up. And I’m not just talking about electricity. They are both doctors. According to payscale.com, family physicians make an average of $137,280 per year. With both of them practicing, over 20 years, they would have made $5,491,200. Not that their income is any of my business, but I’d be willing to wager that ABWE doesn’t pay quite that well.

So, would serving Jesus be worth more than $5 million? The Geberts must think so.

The Geberts don’t serve full-time in the Gambia anymore. They are now living in the US, traveling around in more sensitive areas, teaching and discipling.

This past winter, the Geberts were traveling in Turkey when Jan became very ill. She was hospitalized with a severe bacterial infection in her lungs, which turned into necrotizing pneumonia – a condition which was destroying her lung tissue. As she was fighting for her life in Istanbul, a doctor told Harry, “She has a 70% chance…”

“You mean a 70% chance of living?” Harry said.

“No, a 70% chance of dying,” the doctor replied.

And yet, as she lie in pain in a hospital bed, Jan’s prayer was that she would see God and hear His voice. He was the answer to her every need – her every breath. As He had been her motivation for 20 years of service, now He was, indeed, her very life.

It was a risky move, but the Geberts decided to transfer Jan from Istanbul, Turkey to a hospital in Pennsylvania. It was a 17-hour ordeal, but likely a move that saved her life. With great care from the physicians there, she began to recover. In August, she was given a clean bill of health.

The ABWE CEEMed Conference was her first time of international travel since her near-death experience. And we were SO blessed to have both Jan and Harry there to share their testimony and proclaim God’s goodness. They are a down-to-earth, warm, wonderful couple who we really enjoyed interacting with.

With tears in her eyes, Jan thanked our team for leading worship. She told us that so many of the songs we sang took her right back to that hospital bed, where she was desperate for her Savior.

I’m completely humbled that we could play a role of encouragement in the lives of this precious couple.

And now the question remains…What is serving Jesus worth to me?

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