The A-TEAM is back! We recently learned that they’ve made a movie from one of our favorite childhood TV series. The A-TEAM was a great show because saving the day always involved an elaborate plan that combined all of the team’s strengths: charm, fast-talk, creative use of resources, and bare-knuckled toughness. Near the end of each episode the team’s leader, “ Hannibal ” Smith, would always say, “I love it when a plan comes together.”
Now that we’re grown, we still love it when a plan comes together. This is especially true when we use our combined skills, creativity, and a little grit to pull off the plan. But, what happens when we’ve used all of our talents, creativity and strength—and we’ve even prayed about it and committed it to God—and the plan still doesn’t come together?
Over the past several weeks, Proverbs 16:9 has become especially meaningful to us. It says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” We’ve seen that God is guiding us, even when things aren’t going according to our plans.
According to our plans, our whole team—the Ureels, the Bruins, and the Niles , who’ve just returned from the states—were supposed to be together in Sedhiou, ready to work together on ground for the first time in over three years. Back in April, we decided to take a vacation and catch-up on Noah’s shots before gearing up for the team transition.
It became clear during our vacation in the Gambia that our plans needed to shift as the Pediatrician there didn’t feel comfortable giving Noah a Yellow Fever Shot with his allergies. So after checking with an allergist in Dakar , we made plans to go there for a week. Once we arrived in Dakar , the allergist informed us we’d need to stay for two weeks in order to get test results back from France . Now after three weeks, we are still in Dakar …and only one of us will be headed back to Sedhiou in a few days while the other two will not.
While confirming Noah’s egg allergy, the doctor found a more serious, potentially life-threatening allergy to peanuts. We haven’t been able to get very much information here about managing this allergy. This causes concern for us since we live in “peanut central” and are about a 12-hour-drive away from an emergency room. After talking with doctors from the states and our mission leadership, we decided that we should take a medical leave to further test and understand Noah’s allergy. For now, the plan is that Jon will head to Sedhiou to take care of a few things and then we’ll all be heading to the United States on medical leave.
Even as we move in the opposite direction from our plans, we DEFINITELY see God’s hand has been guiding us all along. We see all the steps that allowed us to learn about Noah’s peanut allergy the easy way. We are thankful that God has protected Noah thus far. God has unexpectedly put our teammates around us in Dakar for help and support. We were even able to speak to with our leaders the day before they traveled out of the country. This list goes on and on.
Right now, we are focused on getting a better understanding Noah’s allergy and how to care for him. As we gain that understanding, we know we’ll need to make some important decisions and plans for our family and ministry. We pray for God’s guidance and wisdom for the decisions we’ll need to make. At the same time, we are grateful that even when our plans don’t come together, God’s plans are greater than our plans.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. “ Jeremiah 29:11
Thank you for your prayers and support,
Jonathan and Jane Bruin
Praises:
- Diagnosis of Noah’s peanut allergy without incident
- Caring support and wise counsel we’ve received from our teammates, leaders and HQ staff
- Safe arrival of the Niles family back in Senegal after their home assignment
- Our ministry partner Pastor D was able to buy some land near Sedhiou and is farming on it
- MS, a young Mandinka believer from a strong Muslim family, will have the opportunity to attend a Christian high school in the US this fall
Prayer requests:
- Our upcoming travel and clear understanding of Noah’s peanut allergy and how to care for him
- God’s protection and, if it’s His will, healing of Noah’s allergies
- Our team in Sedhiou, that God would encourage and lead them in the plans He has for them
- For finances and other practical needs, as God leads us places that were neither in our plans nor our in budget, that we would also see His provision. (You can pray specifically that our insurance will agree to pay to fly Noah to the states for care)
- For the Mandinka people, that they would be drawn to Christ and experience His care and provision as the rains are starting and they begin their farming season
Ways you can give:
1. Send your gift with number 23726524 to The Navigators P.O. Box 6000
Colorado Springs , CO 80934,
2. Call The Navigators’ Accounting Process Center at 866-568-7827,
3. Give at www.navigators.org, or
4. Contact us personally.
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