Pressing Onward

Well, it's getting closer! The days are coming near that we will be feeling the warm air of Western Cape mountain breezes on our faces. I must admit, there have been times that I wondered if this was all going to move forward. When I contacted the consulate in Chicago to make an appointment to interview for our visas and they said they were no longer processing visas until further notice, I felt like we encountered our first major roadblock. I began contacting the other three consulates in the states and ran into more dead ends. Nobody answered their phones, nobody returned e-mails, and nobody returned voicemails. Then, a conversation with the base in Robertson revealed that the housing arrangements we had made prior to leaving South Africa were no longer available. We will have to find new housing farther from the base (but closer to the town) and we will have to purchase a vehicle, which wasn't in the original plan. For the next two days I sulked, feeling like I failed in making the trip happen. I wondered if I had heard incorrectly from God. The first real roadblock revealed my true colors. My trust in God was not yet strong. After sulking about, I awoke the second morning to a changed and renewed heart. My mind was clearer and I began to move forward. There was a peace in my heart. I really didn't know what had changed if anything, but it was clear we needed to continue moving forward. What was God doing? What was He saying to me? He couldn't have brought us this far to then change His mind. He would continue to show me that I could indeed trust Him through the next few days. Carolynn and I put many of the childrens clothes and toys up for sale in a Mom-to-mom sale and the success of the sale was uplifting. Then, our church had planned a luncheon that allowed us to talk about our trip and our dreams for the future. It went really well and we were able to answer questions that we had heard for the first time from anyone. The support we felt was incredible! When we finished, the group prayed over us and asked God to break down walls and remove barriers. The following Tuesday I was able to finally get in contact with a consular. They said to just mail the application in and it would get processed! Wow! So, we have moved forward. We will send our application in the mail, with prayers and trust that God will make a way. With all the roadblocks, we had to wait to purchase our flights.  When we asked for a new quote this week we found out that the plane tickets are now $1000 cheaper! Praise God.  We have purchased them and plan to leave March 30th! Please pray that we are able to find acceptable housing and transportation within our price range, quickly.
So what has God been saying? I was led to Luke 17:5-10 while in a small group. We were talking about faith. How do you get it?
Luke 17:5-10 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’?  Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
I felt that God was saying that rather than be concerned about how I need to have my faith and trust in God built up so I can do things, that I should rather focus on hearing from Him and doing what He says. "Well what if I'm confusing my thoughts with His voice?" Will God not answer the request to make my thoughts His thoughts? Will the Holy Spirit not council me and guide me? I should think that God would stand by His word. It was so easy to focus on what I lacked than on what He said and is saying.  The "takeaway" from the trials is to just do what God says.  I could spend time wondering if I heard correctly, or if I am doing things the right way, and for what? If God said to do something, I should just do it, and leave the results up to Him. Easier said than done, but what if we all did that...?


If you'd like to watch a slideshow of our time at Harvest School follow this link! https://youtu.be/CVHkXO9guO4

Monetary Support

Many supporters have asked how to donate money to us while we are in South Africa. Thankfully, the administrative staff at Iris has developed some really great ways to make supporting the work they are doing extremely easy. As a result, anyone who wants to help us out can give online or write a check.  There are also options to directly support specific projects that Iris is doing. The link to donate online is www.irisglobal.org/giving-center.  Click this link or go to the web page and scroll down to select your giving option.  To give directly to us, select "Iris Missionary" and type my name into the space provided.  Be sure to select either a one time donation or recurring monthly gift and the amount.  Follow the steps to complete the transaction. Iris will send tax deductible contribution receipts to each donor at the end of the year.
If you are interested in donating by standard mail and a check, make checks or money order to: 
Iris Global
PO Box 493995
Redding, CA 96049-3995
USA
Be sure to include a note saying who or what you would like the gift to contribute to. Also write "Mike Sidlauskas - Robertson, SA" on the memo line.


We are thankful beyond words for the trust that has been given us to even be considered in undertaking this mission to reach the lost. We cannot even think for a moment that we have the strength, ability, knowledge, or courage to do this on our own. We stand humbly before our God with nothing but the faith and hope that He gives us. This mission is not about us or Iris Global, but is solely intended to bring honor and glory to the Most High God. It is through His strength, and His love that the lost will be found, and the captives set free. We thank everyone who supports us in so many ways for the shared hope and faith. Together, may we be effectively used to bring the most deserved glory to God.

Open doors

Isaiah 41:17 "The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the Lord will answer them Myself."

We continue to see God working in ways that humble us and turn our eyes and hearts to Him. Since we have been back home, we have had the great privilege of spending a lot of time with family and friends.  Sharing our experiences has lifted God up and guided us to new revelation of what else God taught us during our time away.  The breadth, width, and capacity of God has appeared to us mightily. He is truly the Alpha and Omega.

A "township" in South Africa

Sometimes love looks like painting finger nails.

One of the places that keep pieces of our heart  

There is always a new realm of understanding and experience that is just waiting to be found.  "Seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened." There is no end to the seeking and knocking.  

God has also given us ways to earn some income while we work through returning to Robertson. Carolynn has been substitute teaching a couple of days each week, while a close friend connected me with an opportunity to help an expanding company transition into new office locations.   We have been staying in missionary housing in Hamilton that has been provided by some of our closest friends parents.  Our living arrangements have been a huge blessing to us. We thank God abundantly for His provision that has never been light. 

Ministry base in Robertson, South Africa

As mentioned in the previous post, our intentions have been to return to South Africa as soon as possible.  We feel God is guiding us to this next step and obedience is our goal. Though we don't have all the details figured out, we press forward.  God continually opens doors, making the path easier and straighter than what was seen at first glance.  Currently, we have plans to return at the end of March.  Communication with the mission base in Robertson helped to determine the best timing of our move.  We are applying for a volunteer visa so that we can stay for up to three years.  Though not essential to our mission, this would be a very helpful for our convenience, comfort, and overall effectiveness in Robertson.  If we do not get visas, we have to leave the country every 90 days.  With an infant that would be only weeks old, we are praying for our visas to be approved.  At first, applying seemed impossible within the timeframe we had to work with, but as we should always expect, God can make a way where there is no way.  Iris global has been very helpful in getting administrative tasks accomplished in timely ways. They have been working diligently to get a profile set up so that donations can go through the Iris organization to us. We will post updates detailing that as soon as we get word that it is finalized. Tasks to be completed soon are purchasing airline tickets, and making the trek to the consulate in Chicago to apply for visas in person. Prayers are greatly appreciated and we look forward to seeing you all more before we embark on the next journey!  Please connect with us if there is anything you would like to ask or share with us!

Back in the states

We are back! Now that we have successfully gotten used to speaking in international terms, we need to get back into the habit of speaking like a normal American.  An example: An Egyptian doesn't know where Michigan is.  The correct response when asked where we are from needs to become "the states" rather than Michigan. Also, most other languages use a similar pronunciation of vowels that is different from English. Just because a persons name when written is obviously not being pronounced the way we would pronounce it, doesn't mean we get to change their name to our version. Josiah is Yo-see-uh. Beatrice is Bay-a-trees, don't forget to roll the "r". Often it's the little things we notice right away I guess.
 It was an amazing adventure and we learned so much about our world, God, family, friends, and ourselves. It's really difficult to put into words what our hearts want to express. The range of emotions is too much for this novice writer alone, not to mention the limited ability to express through words what only our senses can comprehend. Regardless of how we may feel at any given moment, we have been forever changed. As with any experience in our lives, God shapes us according to His perfect and loving will.  We are so humbled that God loves us so much that He doesn't want us to stay the same.
Unfortunately, we lost one of our phones in Africa. It happened on our last day and resulted in more than 600 pictures from our trip to be forever lost in the unseen digital atmosphere. Some of the photos were meant to be posted or published with hopes of utilizing a portion of the viewers senses. We feel a nearly overwhelming sorrow for such a significant loss of opportunity as well as the personal aid to memory. We are thankful however for the photos that so many friends have passed on to us through Facebook. We have posted many on our pages, so be sure to check them out.
We nearly had to remind ourselves when we returned that one of the reasons for going to the Harvest School with Iris in Africa, was to discover a place that we could be placed into full time ministry. Thankfully we had found that place and realized that we needed to return quickly. So, prior to expanding on the adventures we are so fond of telling, we want to offer up the opportunity again to support us in the so many ways you already know and accomplished so well.
Our time in South Africa, near Cape Town revealed the mold into which we could see our family fitting. The elements we had prayed for so long to be available to us in one package seemed to be fitted together just for us. The ministry base is an active grape, pomegranate, and cattle farm that provides a ministry income through the production and selling of wine, stud bulls, and produce. The base also rents cottages and operates much like a B&B.  It is a beautiful land with sharp mountains and fertile valleys. My dreams of farming are a reality awaiting. The ministry base is very involved in the local communities, doing ministry at the schools, in the neighborhoods, and their little "kloof" or valley. There is a YWAM base in a nearby town and teams from the Iris base work alongside YWAM to spread the love of Jesus. A coffee shop is being built on the property that will be used to provide vocational training for local community members as well. It is hoped that expansion of the vocational training would be possible soon to include woodworking and other crafts. Carolynn and I have several ideas for this portion of ministry! If you have experienced Carolynn's gift of baking, you may understand. The connections we made with the people in nearby communities was very encouraging for us as well. There seems to be a hunger for God in that area that is waiting to be fed. We can't wait to be a part of the revival and unprecedented spiritual growth in that area!
We cannot express how grateful we are to all of you who have followed us on this journey. in the coming posts we will attempt to give a clearer picture of where we have been and where we think we are going. We want to leave by March, but there are numerous details that need to be worked out in order to get our family in the air again. As we discover solutions and needs, we will do our best to relay what we know. We look forward to continuing this journey with all of you wherever God guides.

Finally!

Well, the time has come! God has rewarded our persistence! I know it's short notice, but we want to let everyone know that we leave Thursday, October 2nd. All of our required forms, visas, passports, vaccinations, funds, and assignments have been completed and received! A huge sigh of relief can probably be heard as you read. We are still packing and wrapping up the last minute details this week. Thank you to all who have provided support along the way. It is truly amazing and a testament to God's character of provision. When we needed a vehicle, someone said "this is for you". When we needed funds, others said "this is yours". When we needed discipleship, wise people said "listen to this". It's because so many people said "Yes!" that we are in this position waiting in confidence and full of faith. Thank you God for providing the way for our family.
As we experience new things and grow in the faith and knowledge of God, we want to update as often as possible. We don't know the details of how that will work out, but know that you all will be in our hearts.  Please continue to pray for our family over the next few months specifically for health and safety. Leave a comment if you would like to choose a date for us to share in praying for each other. We are happy to add to the list. 
We are going to be somewhat vague with the details of our trip purposely, but we can explain some of what we anticipate. Because of some changes that have taken place in Mozambique, we will spend more time in South Africa.  Our trip will start and end there, with Mozambique sandwiched in between. Our return is expected to be December, 23. During the school our schedule will be quite busy. Monday through Thursday will be mostly classroom and lecture time, while weekends will be community outreach and church service. We look forward to the many speakers and teachers we have the great privilege to hear. After 2 months, we will travel to South Africa and begin a time of extended outreach. The extended outreach has aspects of both agriculture and school, which Carolynn and I are most interested in and purposely chose to do.
It's with a sad heart that we leave so many family and friends behind for a time, but we carry with us the memories that easily comfort and sooth the heart, as well as the hope of our return. As much as we cherish these relationships, we also carry the hope we have in Christ and the reward of giving up all things for Him. Be blessed!

Haiti Shining Bright

Mike here-I was sitting amongst 40ish shining lights who call the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere their home.  They were children from ages 3-16 that attend a church involved with a partnership orchestrated by World Orphans, an organization devoted to caring for orphans throughout the world. My home church is the other end of the partnership.  A group of 10 of us traveled to Haiti to continue building a relationship that began about 3 years ago.  We were all damp with sweat and rain, basting in the 90 degree tropical heat.  With the ocean to our fronts, and mountains to our backs, the scene was surreal.  I couldn't help but think about the beauty of Gods creation all around me. I watched the children as they ate as much rice, chicken, and beans as they wished.  The joy radiated from their eyes as we enjoyed our first meal together. A little girl that I guessed was about 4 caught my eye as I finished my meal and returned to my seat at the long table. She had gotten a second full plate after quite simply causing the first to disappear. Her body leaned over the plate with her face set hard. A look of determination settled in her eyes. Soon the second plate was finished. Most of the other children had gone back to playing with members of our team or found a ball to kick or throw.  Adults began to clean the dining area. Lovescar, (pronounced Luv-e-skuh) who is actually 6 years old went back to the counter for her third plate.  As she began eating, a member of the caregiver team approached and suggested that Lovescar had enough to eat.
My heart melted for her and I couldn't help but wonder what a normal day in her life is like.  It was suggested by a translater that maybe she hadn't experienced being full before and just didn't recognize the feeling.  She had become accustomed to eating whatever was put in front of her.  Over the next three days I was able to see Lovescar's personality come out, most notably when we had to leave the camp to resume our trip.  The children would be staying for the rest of the week.  As we said our farewells, emotions poured out through our tears. Both adults and children alike couldn't suppress our desire to stay together just a little longer. We hugged and cried, being careful not to miss any of our friends.  My wife nudged me in the side with a smile and said "Somebody isn't happy."  Lovescar stood close by our side with arms folded across her chest.  Her face had once again been set hard with determination.  How dare we leave her after all the fun we had together.  We gave her hugs anyway, knowing that she would soon give up her disappointment and find joy in playing with the other children.
As I finished building paper airplanes for some of the kids to fly, I noticed the pastors from our partnership walking toward the area I was at. They had told us they would come to camp to check on us at some point.  Pastor Lomondre strolled up next to me and we sat down on a ledge while we watched the children play. We soon struck up a conversation with Pastor Lemondre working hard to use his best English.  Our conversation was a delight!  We talked about church in America, the children in our partnership, my life, and his life.  He motioned to a little girl with beads at the end of her braids and said "She's mine." I said "Oh, your granddaughter?"  To which he replied "No. My daughter. She's the last one." Surprised, I came back with "You hope!"  Our conversation revealed that he has eight children and his daughter is ten years younger than the next youngest. She really was a surprise! His wife gave birth at age 46.
There are all kinds of mission trips and ways to support those in need, but one thing I have learned through experience is that relationships go a long way in making a lasting difference.  I thank World Orphans for encouraging support through relationship because it works. Though our church sends regular financial support, I believe the greater impact is happening when people such as myself take matters to God in prayer.  We have been alongside our friends when they struggled to learn how to float in the ocean, and we laughed as a silly skit about David and Goliath was played out, and we were filled with joy when we worshipped the same God who loves each one of us.  It's because we were there and each of those experiences have been etched into our memories that we remember and think often about our friends in Haiti and pray for them regularly.  God is gracious and abounds in love and mercy.  He hears each one of our pleas and answers.

The Waiting Game

Hi! We just want to give everyone an update of where we are in the planning process of our journey. Since being accepted to the Harvest School, we have had many exciting moments and triggers released to get the ball rolling. A few major accomplishments that we have seen are; getting the whole family passports, amazing prayer support, generous financial support, and an introduction to a number of future Harvest School members through Facebook.  It really has been amazing to see God working to put the pieces together in this giant puzzle.
The accomplished list seems rather small compared to what lies ahead. At the moment, we are in the waiting game. There are some administrative hang-ups with Iris that are out of our control that need to be worked out.  As soon as things resume, we will need to purchase airline tickets and apply for visas. These are the two major tasks at hand that must be completed before the remainder of our list.
So a great thing to pray for us is for the administrative side of things to move quickly and for us to have patience while waiting. There are still a few things we can do at present time to get ready, but it would really be a relief to get back on schedule.  The tasks we are working on currently are; researching trip insurance, reading the required reading list (books), getting our legal and financial paperwork in order (wills and insurance, etc.), securing Malaria medication, getting all necessary vaccinations, and finding a place to live for the month of September.  Our lease ends August 31 and we do not have a new place to stay yet.
Also, something that should have its own blog post is the Haiti trip Carolynn and I are going on from Aug. 16-22 with World Orphans.  Our church partners with a church in Haiti to care for 20 orphans and vulnerable children.  We supply financial support to the church which is already caring for several orphans.  Our support helps them expand their program to include more children and be more effective.  In the past, Moran Park(our church) has sent two different teams to build our relationship with both the children and the members of the church.  We have each been to Port-au-Prince on one of those trips, but never together.  We are so excited to have the opportunity to do this together.  This year, we will be participating in the summer camp that approximately 200 children will be at for the week.  It will be a great time of laughter and excitement.
We would appreciate your continued prayers for all the things listed, but more importantly that we would have unshakable faith in the face of adversity.  The darkness tries to shake up our lives with trials, and sickness, and just plain annoying things.  I have been humored a few times by the silly attempts to distract us and turn our attention off what God has for us. (Like when our car finally died)  The battle is real nonetheless! Thanks be to God that we can look upon the trials with thanks, and that the testing of our faith makes it mature and complete. (James 1:2-4)
Thank you to those who have supported us in prayer and financially up to this point. We have received several donations! A special thank you to our friends with the extra vehicle they were willing to lend out for a while.  It was a HUGE blessing to us!  It is truly humbling to have loved ones step forward in such a way! Thank you so much! 
We love hearing the array of conversations this journey has sprung up! If you have specific questions or are just interested in knowing more, please contact us!