THANKFUL!
As we enter into Thanksgiving we wanted to take a minute to speak of the Lord’s goodness in our lives as we are transitioning back to ministry in the States. It is important to remember these things, and for us, each and every thing we find to be thankful for are anchors to know that the Lord is in the middle of it all. We hope and pray this encourages you as you celebrate God’s goodness in your own lives with family and friends the next few days. This is just a highlight list. Honestly we could write forever about the Lord’s goodness.
- Vehicles. When we started the journey of coming back to the States the idea of vehicles seemed daunting. We had to leave behind those that we had raised money for in Zambia and trusted the Lord to provide. And boy did the Lord provide. Thanks to the generosity of our very own Poppa Don we now have three vehicles. This might seem crazy (it did to us) but it is our reality with kids that are growing up and all of the movements that we make on a daily basis. None of these vehicles are brand new but to us they feel brand new and we are oh so thankful!
- Housing. Another story to tell here. In the last 11 years the price of rent and housing has gone up dramatically. This caused us to wonder if we would be able to make it back in the States. Little did we know that our good friends the Lovells who are on mission in Germany would have a furnished house to rent out in the country where we could have bonfires and friends over. We are sorted until July when they return and will then look for somewhere else to live. Shout out to JD and Kelli for working with us on our budget and being nothing but a blessing to our family as we re-settle.
- Furniture. We tell people it’s a lot like we are newlyweds starting all over again (with the exception of three children who are growing up right before our eyes). We sold everything when we left for Zambia and said we would trust the Lord for provision. God brought along some cool stories of provision as we stepped back out in faith. Almost all of our belongings were purchased from another missionary agency who is using the house we were living in. FBC Pensacola stepped in and gave a large donation toward furniture and resettling. The Stoupenos family, Hayhoe family, Sims family, Genoble family, and others we don’t even know gave donations of furniture for us to set up a house when the time comes. Then we received a HUGE donation from the Dowdle family in Houston, Texas who flew Jeremy to Houston, rented a truck and filled it with furniture. All of these gifts are fragrant offerings to the Lord from everyone who gave. We honestly will end up blessing others we have so much. The Cannons stepped in and helped us store a lot of the furniture in their storage facility and we have another one we rented that is smack dab full of furniture.
- Finances. Moving back to the States requires more for our family to live. We have seen the Lord close the gap in a BIG way from so many of you faithfully continuing to give, some that have jumped on board, and others who raised their giving to help meet the gap. Courtney has been given an opportunity to work part time doing book keeping for her sister. Jeremy has done a bit of Door Dashing. We have met and talked with people who are helping us dream about how we can generate income. Though we still have a gap to close, the gap continues to get smaller and we are thankful.
- Community. We have been so honored to step back into a place where we feel truly loved and welcomed. We have had many meals with people who pour life into us, enjoyed worshipping back at FPC Florence and other churches, and been able to enjoy doing life again with the people we truly get to call family. Jude and Lincoln are playing church league basketball and loving it, as well as getting involved in the youth group. Olivia has really found an amazing community at Hope College and is thriving. We would be remiss if we started to mention names here as the list is way too long, but just suffice it to say we are being poured into a huge way. We also recently got invited to a Friendsgiving that was such a beautiful blend of cultures within Florence and were so blessed by this invitation.
- Ministry. Though we are moving a bit slow as we focus on re-entering and raising the funds we need to live life here, it has been fun to jump in slowly. Shout out to Chris and Dottie Handley and the entire board at Helping Florence Flourish. We have been able to dream about so many fun things that the Lord is already up to in Florence and are excited to be a part of the team. Jeremy had an opportunity to go with Chris and two others to Cincinnati, where they were able to have meetings and get vision for a marketplace ministry in Florence. We have been able to pour into those that are feeling lonely and remind them they are not alone. So much coming and so much excitement on this front. Stay tuned for more very soon!
As you can see, the Lord has been up to some pretty big things in the Emert Family. We would love to hear what you are thankful for this season. Shoot us a text or email, give us a call, share a meal with us, whatever that looks like. Just know we love each of you and are grateful to have this season with you.
Jeremy, Courtney, Olivia, Jude + Lincoln
jemert@helpingflorenceflourish.org
cemert@helpingflorenceflourish.org
(336)858-3329