Listening to Andrae Crouch

Would you, who follow the creator of everything still serve God if Heaven was never promised? Is God still worth it? Would you give everything for nothing in return?

"You may ask me why I serve the Lord,
Is it just for heaven's gain.
Or to walk those mighty streets of gold,
And to hear the angels sing.

Is it just to drink from the fountain,
That never shall run dry.
Or just to live forever, ever, and ever,
In that sweet, sweet bye and bye.

Chorus:
But if heaven never was promised to me,
Neither God's promise to live eternally.
It's been worth just having the Lord in my life.
Living in a world of darkness,
You came along and brought me the light.

If there were never any streets of gold,
Neither a land where we'll never grow old,
It's been worth just having the Lord in my life.
You've been my closest friend down through the years,
And every time I cry You dry my tears.

It's been worth just having the Lord in my life.
Living in a world of darkness,
living in a world of darkness,
You came along and brought me the light."

1st steps!

This week we actually started collecting the documents we will need to apply for our visa. Wow!! We are trusting God to open the right door. We have all had our passports(including our children) now for over a year. This week we did our fingerprinting and sent off for our FBI background checks. We also ordered Bryan's birth certificate since it is the only one out of state and would take the longest to receive. Everything else should be fairly easy to get. We are ready willing and able. Now we just wait for God's provisions. Please pray with us that this process will flow smoothly and that we are being completely obedient. Thank you all for standing with us.

Laws are Belgium Bound

This past Wednesday was an AWESOME day! We sent another family off to Belgium. We are so thrilled to have them there. This has been a very long process for us all and as much as we will miss them we are so proud of them. I(Cassi) got to enjoy a ladies night with the team Belgium ladies still in the US and some Belgium friends. We had a yummy dinner at Cheddars and enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship. It was a great night. I am so blessed by these women. So thankful they will be serving alongside us there.

As we all gathered at our church we shared some hugs, tears, and prayed over our dear friends. We all followed them to the airport and helped with luggage. It is a lot of work to move families overseas. :) We love these days of sending families. They fill us full of hope and faith. It is so nice to see God's plans come full circle after years of obedience and preparation. The last picture of them walking away gets me. I love that they are walking towards a new life and the obedience that it symbolizes to me. Love you Law family!! So so thankful for these past few years. To follow their journey click on "Law Family Blog" to the right of this section under Team Belgium Partners.

Some of these images were borrowed from Becky Christensen! So thankful for this sweet lady too!

Excited for the New Year!

I am blown away that it is already 2013. These past few years have flown by. In May of this year it will be 4 years since we said "YES" to this journey. We are getting a lot closer now. Throughout these past few years we have definitely had our fair share of challenges, but we have learned and grown so much more. God continues to reassure us of his plan for our family. Our current series at church is called Fearless. It stresses how much fear can keep us from growing closer and maturing in our walk with Christ. This has been an excellent lesson/reminder to me. Over these past few years I have experienced many fears(fear of failure, fear of loss, fear of the future, fear of leaving my family, and many more), but I always find comfort in knowing God is in control and he is always faithful. His time and plan are perfect. We may not always understand right at the moment something is happening, but usually down the road it will make perfect sense. One of my prayers over the past couple of years has been for boldness. I naturally want to duck under a table or hide in a corner when something pushes me outside of my comfort zone. No one likes to be uncomfortable. I am learning the only way to truly get over your fear is to push through it and pray for God to give you the courage and strength you need. I admit I do struggle with this. In my quiet time this morning I read "We are not cowards because we feel fear. We are cowards only if we let fear rule our decisions."(Joyce Meyer) I am so thankful for the growth I feel in my personal walk with Christ over these past few years. Many times I have been pushed beyond my comfort zone. I have felt inadequate in many ways and have feared that I am too much of a spiritual baby for God to use me, but HE has shown me otherwise. I have found myself in some very uncomfortable situations praying and helping those in need in areas that I have zero experience and little knowledge, but God provides what we need when we need it. In those moments I feel closest to God and I know I am learning and growing. Even though I have had many weak moments over these past few years, I know I have gained so much from these years in the States. While we thought we were just waiting to go we now realize it has been so much more. A few years ago we put our "YES" on the table to move to a foreign country and to sell everything we own. We would have to leave our families and leave the comfort zone of living the American dream. We could not do this without having the peace of God all over us. We know we are heading in the right direction. We know God has had us training for these past few years. He is equipping us with the knowledge and skill we will need once we are in the field. Through some recent developments we are now closer to moving than ever. We know this way of getting a visa has been successful and we should qualify. We have enough funds to move and sustain us for several months. If you are our prayer partner or financial partner thank you so very much. We would not be to this point had you not continued to walk this road with us. We still need more financial partners before we actually depart, but we are trusting God to provide. He has brought us this far and we have complete faith that he will finish what he has begun. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. II Timothy 1:7 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. II Corinthians 5:20 2 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. II Timothy 2:1

More On the Way

November 28th the Law family posted on their blog. Rob's professional card was approved. This means they can travel to Belgium on a work visa. This is great news. It is awesome that multiple families can go to Belgium in many different ways; all plugging in to society, and get synergy with helping the church. This is great news. Please excuse the brevity. This was typed on my phone. We have some updates to provide soon. Stay tuned.

Waiting Here For You!

Well it is September and the weather is getting cooler and we are loving the feeling that Fall is on its way. We have had a wonderful HOT summer, but definitely glad to see the changes that Fall will bring. As I sit here and type Bryanna is playing with Play-Doh across the table and Jackson is in his high chair finger painting and we have worship music lightly playing in the background. We are currently living in a missionary house in the Nashville area. We for sure thought we would be in Belgium by now. This journey for us started in May 2009 so who knew it would be over 3 years and we would still be in the States. God knew!! We are at peace with where we are at, at this very moment. God continues to provide financially, provide us a temporary home, provide the support and prayers of family, friends, and our church. He continues on a daily basis to reassure us that we are exactly where he wants us to be for now, but we still feel such a burden in our hearts for Belgium. We have not been released of the ministry he has called us to there. We know we are moving and until he moves us we will be waiting here being as involved as we can be right where he has us planted at this moment. We have hit a couple of speed bumps this summer, but God has confirmed that they were not road blocks they were actually just a way of showing his timing and granting us some extra time with loved ones here in the States. In the meantime our partners in this ministry have continued to stand with us. By them continuing to give and pray for the mission it will have us exactly where we need to be when we are actually sent. Our Church has agreed to us starting the Visa process, now we are drawing ourselves closer to our Father waiting on the green light that only he can give. I am so grateful for the last 3 years of my life and how they have changed me and molded me. They have been FULL of transition, but we are embracing the change and learning to be at peace wherever HE may take us. We have learned to live with little and be content. We have learned what is really important in this life. We are only on Earth for a fleeting moment. We should be focused on his will for our lives and doing our best to live that out everyday. Eternity is what matters. Do you know where you are spending eternity? I am happy to say that the Church plant in Belgium is going well. Our teammates who are already there are doing an amazing job. They are now having weekly services. We are so thrilled to hear of the progress and the way God is working there. Our kids are doing so well! I cannot believe I am Mom to a 3 year old and a 1.5 year old. They continually bring me to my knees. They are both so smart. As God continues to reveal different parts of my life it makes me more thankful everyday that he is in control. Bryanna is now potty trained, she knows all of her colors, shapes, can count to 20, ABCs, and we are beginning to learn how to write her name, and learning to recognize all letters by site, she can do flips, she can skip, and can almost do the splits. Her favorite shows are Strawberry Shortcake, Mickey Mouse, and Barney. We are considering gymnastics for her. Jackson is learning his ABCs, he can count to 3 but we are working on getting to 10, he is learning site words and colors. He can run, hop, and climb up and downstairs. He is so FAST!! His favorite things are trucks, trains, and anything that rolls. He loves Thomas the Train, Mickey Mouse, Yo Gabba Gabba, and Bo on the Go. Bryanna is now in a new class at Church and she gets to take her Bible every Sunday and they have started bringing an offering. She loves that she is a big girl now. They are teaching us so much everyday, but one of the most profound things we have learned by being parents is understanding and realizing the love God has for us as his children.

Here are a few updated family photos. Thank you for continuing to follow our journey. We are no where near perfect, we are not special, we are normal everyday people trying our best to live each day for HIM. We so appreciate all of the love, support, prayers, and compassion shown to our family. "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:9-14 ESV)

January and February 2012

So the last couple of months have been filled with lots of things! I really dislike getting so behind on the blog, but we were moving and were without internet for a while.

January 2012 started off great! We had lots of quality time with family during the holidays and we loved every second. It is always refreshing to get home and settled in. We were gone for a couple of weeks so I had LOADS of laundry to catch up. I also decided it was time to SHED another layer for Belgium. It is a new year and the kids have outgrown clothes and toys so it was time to donate some things. The grandparents love to spoil our children so we needed to make room for new toys and narrow down to the toys we will actually bring with us. We plan to dedicate one luggage bag to toys when we move. We want them to be comfortable since it will be a big adjustment and they are still very young. We have also been told toys are expensive in Belgium.

January 18th Jackson turned 1 year old! What a blessing he has been to each of us in the past year. God is so good. We are so thankful for his little life. He is now able to walk/run, climb up and down the stairs, he says Momma, Da Da, Bre or Bry Bry, Bye Bye, No No, Cookie, bubble and several more. He is becoming our little mockingbird. He nods his head Yes and No. LOVES to dance and giggle and turn in circles. He really likes Thomas the Train, Yo Gabba Gabba, Mickey Mouse, and Little Einsteins. He enjoys knocking down the houses and castles his sister makes with the blocks. They are definitely developing the "sibling" relationship which is precious MOST of the time. :) Below are some pictures from his Mickey Mouse Clubhouse birthday party.




He has changed so much since we brought him home from the hospital


After his birthday it was not long and he got pretty sick for a couple of weeks. He had a stomach bug followed up with pneumonia. We spent one scary evening in the ER. It was his first ER trip. We are so thankful God carried us through that. It was tough seeing him so miserable and the sleep deprivation begins to get to you after a little while. So glad he is back to normal. He had to take lots of breathing treatments, steroids, and antibiotics.



February 2012 we were so excited to be able to enjoy Romance and Roses that Lifepoint hosts each year. It is a night of Romance and fun with your spouse and friends. The food is always so yummy, music is great, and most importantly they help you remember what a Godly marriage looks like and work to hold us accountable to that. Below is a picture of part of our team that is still in the States! LOVE them dearly. It was such a fun night. Special thank you to my wonderful Aunt(Gigi) for watching the kiddos so we could have a night away.

We had originally planned or thought we would be leaving for Belgium in the spring of 2012. Our church has asked that we wait until Fall to actually depart. At first it sort of knocks the wind out of your sails a bit and then you realize who is in control. God is in complete control and as we have said throughout this whole process we trust his timing and we know his plan is perfect. We will be there on the exact day he has planned for us to arrive. We also trust our church leadership completely. They are wonderful to us. We also still need more funding before we can officially depart to Belgium so this gives us ample time to get all of our ducks in a row. If you are interested in becoming a monthly partner please contact us or the information is located on the right side of the blog at the top.

Since we received news that we would be in the States a little longer than planned we needed to come up with a game plan and try to figure out where we would live for the next 6 months or so. We needed a place where we did not have to sign a lease and preferably some place furnished since we have literally gotten rid of ALL of our furniture. God again opened the perfect door at the perfect time. We found out at the beginning of February that we were able to move into a completely furnished missionary house that was available in Murfreesboro, TN. We were so thankful for this provision. So we spent a couple of weeks getting settled in and got internet installed yesterday. The kids love it here and Tennessee weather has been beautiful so we have been getting out and walking and spending time at a Park that is nearby. Our teammates already in Belgium have said to walk as much as possible to prepare for life in Belgium since we will not have a vehicle there. We will depend solely on public transportation which is wonderful in Europe.





With every passing day we see God's fingerprints all over this whole process(which will be 3 years in May). We understand why we are still here and we know God is using this time to train us and prepare us for the time we will spend overseas. We have grown closer in our walk with HIM and feel a closeness to him that only comes from being totally reliant on him to guide us and provide for us. It is a closeness that I never want lose. While moving overseas may not be what he has called everyone to, I do urge you to really seek God and see what he has for your family. Saying YES to his plan can be a little bit uncomfortable at first, but once you start to see all of the ways he is working the peace you feel far surpasses those uncomfortable moments. I LOVE our savior so much. I would not trade one day of this journey. I am so thankful for a church that pushed us outside of our comfort zone to a place that is so much better.

Psalm 130:5-6
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,

He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Luke 10:27

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
more than watchmen for the morning

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!

I hope you all had a very wonderful time celebrating the birth of our savior. I know we did! So thankful for the birth of Jesus. We were fortunate enough to be able to spend a couple of weeks in West,TN. Bryan had to come back and work for a few days, but we(the kids and I) stayed in McKenzie. We are trying to get in as much time as we can with our family and friends. They are such a wonderful support system and were all very thoughtful to be sure gifts they purchased for our family were things we needed and could travel with to Belgium. We got lots of stuff like luggage, gift cards, carry on luggage for both kids, children's travel DVD players, and warm clothes. The best part of being in West, TN was not the gifts it was quality time with those who are dear to us. I know how fortunate and blessed we are and we are so thankful. Throughout this whole season those who had recently lost loved ones have been in our hearts and on our minds. There are so many lonely or starving people and it breaks my heart all year round, but particularly during the holidays. I pray that those who feel hopeless and alone know that their is hope and they are not alone. We have a savior who came to us in the form of a tiny baby and who died on the cross for our sins and he is waiting for us to let him in and he loves us more than anyone living on this earth possibly could. Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday and this year we had a great time celebrating with our two little ones and beginning to teach them that this season is not about Santa Clause it is about the birth of Jesus and celebrating HIM.



One of the highlights of all of our celebration was Christmas at Lifepoint. This year was terrific. Loved the music, painting, stories of waiting. Our family was featured as a story of waiting on God's timing. Click on the link to watch our adoption story.

The Wolski Story from Justin Crutchfield on Vimeo.

Bryan and I also celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary on December 30th. Bryan has been a blessing to me in so many ways. I am so glad God chose him to be my life partner. He is a wonder Daddy and spiritual leader for our family. I love the values he is teaching our children. Even on a day he is completely exhausted he will take time to get in the floor and play with our kids. He is so sweet to me and makes me laugh a lot. We celebrated with a steak dinner ALONE. :)

5 Years!!

He suprised me with beautiful flowers! Love him!!

We are on the fast track to Belgium now. Our list has been narrowed down to where the only thing that is holding us here is our funding. We are still needing monthly financial partners who are willing to join us in planting a church in Brussels, Belgium. Once we reach a certain level of our funding we can apply for our VISA!! I am finding there are so many things to do to prepare it is hard to stay focused on one thing for very long so I am going to have to really work on my time management throughout the rest of this process. We are planning to get our fingerprints and background checks done within the next couple of weeks. We are beginning to look at apartments online and we are still undecided as to whether we will get a furnished or unfurnished apartment. There are pros and cons to both and we know God will plant us in the right apartment and the right location.



We are also going to shed another layer or "stuff" this month. I have already gotten 1 full bag of just toys ready for Goodwill. When we moved from our condo we got rid of most of our big items and a ton of the smaller things, but as we have watched teammates move we are realizing we still have way more that we need to actually move with. I want to be sure we have clothing that is in good shape, warm clothes, some toys for the kids, and our sentimental items. Most other things can be purchased at a later time.


There are so many things to do to prepare, but we must not forget or neglect our day to day responsibilities. We need to be having a our quiet time with God everyday and drawing ourselves closer to him, we need to take care of our physical health, have family time, and care for those around us who are in need. Prayers are appreciated for us along with the two other families who are in the US with us that are moving to Belgium soon. We are all in the same boat. I am so thankful God is sending us as a team. Our teammates are awesome! I know I have said this in previous post, but it is a new year. I feel refreshed and ready to see what God has in store.

Happy New Year friends!!

Wolski kids have passports!!

We can officially leave the country as a family of 4! That excites me beyond belief. So thankful we have all of the documents now to begin our VISA application. It will be a little while before we can actually apply. We must reach a certain point in our funding before we can actually apply. We know God is in control of this so we aren't stressing. Just thankful to be to the place in the process we are at at this exact moment. Please continue to pray for the financial provisions we need in order to move and serve the people of Belgium. Hope you all have a blessed weekend!

Thanksgiving!

I originally wrote this post on Monday, but we had a pretty eventful week so I am just now posting. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

We are so thankful to be able to spend the holidays with family this year. I(Cassi) was able to take both kids down to West, TN a few days early so we were able to spend a full week with family. We split our time between my mom's house and Bryan's mom's. They are always great host and make us feel so comfortable. We are spending as much extra time as we can since we may not be there next year during the holidays.

We had three delicious dinners and Bryan was able to golf a couple of the days we were there(his Uncle owns the golf course). I went black Friday shopping and got the deals I wanted to get to save some extra money this year. We had lots of relax time. It was just what we needed.

As we ate each meal I couldn't help but think of all of the families here in the US and all over the world who probably were hoping for anything to eat or a family to share it with. I can honestly say that I have not had one Thanksgiving where I didn't have multiple meals with family and an abundance of food at each one. I am so very thankful for every blessing I have. God has truly blessed me. I want to reach others for his glory. I want to make a difference with what God has given me. I do not come from a wealthy family, but when you look at the big picture there are ways for all of us to dig in and help. We all have been blessed with individual talents and personalities and I am guilty of not using mine like I should. The scripture below has been on my mind a lot lately and as we all prepare for the Christmas season let us remember the true reason for the season, the birth of our Savior. Let's remember to love others like Jesus does. We should not overlook the opportunity to give of ourselves and help others It may not be easy or convenient and the timing may be horrible, but God doesn't promise us that following him will be a bed of roses. Loving others where they are at and encouraging them in a time of need is what it is all about. I know the Holidays are so very busy, but I challenge each of you to take time out and look at your surroundings and see if there is one life you can make a difference in this Christmas.

27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27