Hey everyone,
I hope this email finds you well & happy......
I am not too sure who knows now & who doesn’t so I wanted to write to everyone.......myself & Aaron have done a lot of praying & thinking over the last few months & we have reached a decision (along with several personal words from the Lord) to come home.
It all started back when Lyn & Dave got sick.......I started to feel restless & uncomfortable in my spirit, I was constantly feeling down & miserable but I just started to pray about it & put it down to a little homesickness....but it didn’t go away....the feeling only got worse.
About 5 weeks ago we listened to a sermon by Reg Kelly called 'Eagles'....he spoke from Deuteronomy 32 about the baby chick learning to fly & leaving the nest......he said that the mother Eagle picks away at the babies nest to make it leave the comfort of the nest (this spoke to me about all the restlessness I had been feeling) But the sermon spoke to Aaron more than me..... later on he spoke about the process of the baby chick learning to fly.......the first few times the baby just falls because it hasn’t learnt to open its wings.....but the father Eagle (God) hovers above waiting for the moment the baby cries out for him, & then he dive bombs & catches the baby & brings him back to the safety of the rock (Jesus) but the most amazing thing that spoke to Aaron was the fact that, no matter how fast the baby falls, the father can fly faster....amazing....he realised that it was time for him to leave the nest & learn to fly (because that’s what God desires us to do....to soar) & to make his own nest but not to be scared because even if he falls, God is constantly watching over him ready to catch him & bring him (&us) back to the safety of the rock & being under the shadow of his wing......Reg kelly also said that when a female is looking for a mate she drops a stick & if a male is interested, he will pick it up.....but he will only pick it up if he is ready to mate with this female for the rest of his life.....(don’t pick up the stick if you're not ready for marriage) Aaron felt the Lord telling him that he had picked up the stick by proposing to me & now had to take responsibility for that fact & start to prepare a 'nest' for us (sounds funny I know)lol.
Our second word came from Marg when she came to visit Ebyown in September.......she came to us & said she had been praying for us & had had a word from the Lord saying that Ebyown was not our calling & then to Aaron she said she believed the Lord was telling him to leave & cleave. We pondered these things in our hearts & prayed about them but didn’t really consider anything....& for me especially all of this just added to my emotional conflict......in my heart I wanted to come home & I knew I had already felt the Lord telling me my time here was coming to an end......but I kept pushing it to one side in my heart & kept thinking of all the reasons why I should stay......
Then it all reached a climax about a month & a half ago when I was sitting in church.....my head was great big mush of emotions & conflicts & thoughts going round & round.....it was so bad I couldn’t even listen to what salvi was saying in his sermon......looking back now I realise all of that going on inside me was because I was actually scared to make a decision.....but in the end I didn’t make it......while I was sitting there with all this going on all of a sudden I heard a voice in my head say as clear as anything 'Erin!.....go home.'.....it was so overwhelming that I went straight to my room & cried....I knew it was the Lord because he spoke the same way to me when he told me to be baptised......I spoke to Aaron & we both realised we had to make a decision........I personally had now had 3 different confirmations, one from the word, one from another Christian & one directly from the voice of God.
There was one thing that was worrying me......I was scarred that I was breaking my covenant with God because I had said I would come to Ebyown for 2 years (crazy I know to doubt God after he had spoke directly to me lol) but my problem was other people had said we were just running away & were breaking promises we had made with God.....so I prayed & sought advise from a very close friend whose spiritual opinion I greatly respect.
I came to realise I couldn’t be breaking a promise or covenant I had made with God because it had never been fulfilled in the first place......when I felt lead to come back to Ebyown, it was to work part time for the family & to study with the open university out here......neither of those things happened. UNISA never responded to any enquiries I made nor could I find the right application forms so I was unable to apply......looking back I now realise that was God's protection on me......if I had started to study I would never have passed anyway.
we have had no phone lines or internet for most of my stay......The cars have constantly broken down so I wouldn’t have even been able to get to Sue & Allen’s when I needed to.....Dave & Lyn have been away twice & then were seriously ill along with Aaron so as you can see there was no way I would have been able to study.......
The other thing as well as this is that when I came back here I was only dating Aaron, now I am engaged to him & it is now our priority to work towards out future together.
So why did the Lord bring me out here in the first place you may be asking?????????????????/
I have learnt so many valuable lessons out here that I would not have changed it for anything......I have learnt a lot of things about myself that I never knew....some of them bad & some of them good......the experience I have gained planning & teaching school with Paullina & Carlos will help me so much in the future when I come to study & hopefully go into early years education in the future. I have also had a lot more responsibility this time round.....not only with the schooling but also with the medicines while Lyn & Dave have been away.....I have not only given the kids their meds I have also had to order & pick up on specific days & also work out all of the meds for a month......all of it I found an amazing growing experience.
I have also been immensely privileged to have been an influence in Baden & Luke’s lives for almost a year......between 0&5 are the most important & precious years in a child's life & I feel so honoured to have been able to help them grow & learn & to have developed a close bond with them both.
so I think I have said everything.....lol.....I'm sorry if it is all a mish-mash,
We are returning to England on the 13th of December (well we'll land on the 14th). I will be moving back into my parents house, taking it easy over Christmas & then applying to a college in Ireland I have found that does small correspondence courses in early years education.....I hope to start studying with them in Feb....I will also be looking for any work I can get with children, maybe in a day care centre or something but I am trusting the Lord to open the right door for me there.....and of course we will both be getting the ball rolling on our wedding plans.....we hope to be married this time next year or rounds about......but it all depends on availability of places 7 also the Lords will of course.
Aaron is staying with my family over the Christmas period & then is maybe moving in with his brother in Wales come the New Year......he is however getting in contact with his old employer to see if his old job or any other is available to start work possibly as soon as we return & then look for accommodation in the area.....nothing is certain yet so we would really appreciate your prayers......if it is the Lords will for Aaron to stay in my local area that he will be able to find a place to live 7 that a good & suitable job will be available for him.....& also that if he moves in with Anthony that the Lord will guide him on what job to seek there & also if he is to study as well.
We have really appreciated all the love, prayers & support you have given both of us this year. It has been amazing to know that no matter what has happened, we knew there were people back home who love us & are always praying for us.
If you have any thoughts or advise for us we would really appreciate hearing from you.
thank you so much for reading this email
sending home all our love & prayers
Erin& Aaron
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p.s. some verses we have read in Proverbs which have really encouraged us:......Proverbs 19v21:'many are the plans in a mans heart but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails' Proverbs 20v24 'a man's steps are directed by the Lord, how then can anyone understand his own way?'
p.p.s. sorry if there are any silly spelling mistakes lol.
