Great Change Brings Great Dependence

As you might know, we have recently had one of the biggest changes in our home. That change is teaching us a lot about who we are as the frequent cries ring out in our home. We named that change 'Emma Joy' when she arrived April 19th. The word joy is often defined as happiness or 'a good feeling.' As Christians, we know that true joy is produced by the Holy Spirit, as he reminds us of our eternal salvation in the Lord (Galatians 5:22). Christian joy is not simply a feeling or emotion, but a lasting truth for our soul to be assured of. In the Bible, we are even commanded to rejoice. As I went through the ups and downs of pregnancy (and there were more downs than ups as I experienced it), I was frequently reminded of Nehemiah 8:10. Nehemiah tell us, "Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” I was never strong enough, but my God is! How fitting was it, then, when Anthony suggested we 'choose joy' as a middle name for our daughter a few weeks before she was born. 

 Admittedly, Anthony and I are each bad with change. This scares us as we prepare to make a huge change and move internationally, away from everything we know, and taking a child with us. However, we know that joy is a reality for our souls through the work of the Holy Spirit, a choice we make as we focus on God's kindness to us, and a command given by a good, loving God who wants to bless us. If anything, our current life change has taught us humility and greater dependence on Christ. Personally, we wouldn't do well without prayer, Biblical truth (the biggest of which is that God loves us even though we both sin against him daily), and our community here and far. Thank you for being a part of that community, for guiding us to 'choose joy,' and for loving our little girl with us! We love you.

 You can help send us! Would you consider supporting us financially through our Samaritan's Purse account?
Send the Miele's to Honduras




First 3 photos by our talented friend -Rachel Figueroa

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