As we’ve prayed, heard and experienced God it’s become clear that He has called us to follow and claim territory in the Virgin Islands. I first heard the calling two years ago after returning from a mission’s trip to the United States Virgin Islands. (USVI) During my time there, I met with the State Executive Director as well as six pastors from the islands of St. Thomas for a rich time of fellows
hip and strategic planning. In our conversation, they revealed that they had been praying for years that God would send someone to start a new work on the island of St. Their prayers did not go unheard as this was exactly the call resting upon my heart. After much prayer and preparation, the manifestation of that request is coming to fruition and in August of this year my family and I have relocaed to St. Croix, USVI to plant two churches. As we walk in the calling of being a missional household, we are expectant for the opportunity to learn and integrate into the culture and continue to be sensitive to God’s leading and guiding. In the past 26 months, we have visited 16 times and have been grateful to have built an increasing amount of relationships with welcoming island natives. Among the folks we have met, God has connected us with a partner for our church with communal roots going back over 70 years. It is open doors such as these that continue to encourage our spirits. Over the next three years, we have established these goals to reach beginning in August 2015:
• Become residents of St. Croix, USVI
• Begin Bible studies and community connections (with a focus on families and youth)
• Establish a secondhand/gently used clothing store
• Establish Bible leadership training school
• Formalize The Shepherds Fold St. Croix and “Transform St. Croix Now!”
• Develop a missions house and welcome missionaries globally to join in on God’s work in St. Croix
