Nov 29, 20234 min read

November Update 2023

Summing Up a Year Gone By

Many are the things that must be daily done, meet me therefore, O Lord, in the doing of the small, repetitive tasks. In the cleaning and ordering and maintenance and stewardship of things.... That by such stewardship I might bring a greater order to my own life, and to the lives of any I am given to serve, so that in those ordered spaces bright things might flourish: fellowship and companionship, creativity and conversation, learning and laughter, and enjoyment and health. As I steward the small, daily tasks, may I remember these good ends, and so discover in my labors, the promise of the eternal hopes that underlie them. ~A Liturgy for Domestic Days by Douglas Kaine McKelvey

The quote above is from a modern liturgy book called Every Moment Holy, Vol. 1. As I reflect on the last 12 months I see a pattern across the weeks of contemplating the rhythms of daily life. In my younger years, I often had a vision of the Christian life presented that was loud and vast and that impacted thousands of people. There are those that God has called to such ministries, but the reality is that most of us who follow Jesus live quiet lives with Him, seeking to make a difference in the day in and day out within the circles we occupy. We are called to be faithful, and that is more important than being effective. Whether you are laundering clothes or leading churches, walking faithfully with Jesus is the most important part.

Even in our ministry, most days at TECH are not spent completing projects that will alter the course of history. Many days are spent in the details required to keep moving forward. Sometimes it is hard to see the impact for the emails. However, over the 50 plus years of ministry, TECH has impacted the world with the Gospel one day, one detail, one person at time. I have seen that the process is part of the ministry; that it is not necessarily what you do, but with Whom you are walking. In ministry and in life it is better to walk the quiet path with Jesus than to have grand adventures without Him.

It is hard to believe that another year is coming to a close. As we look back at a year filled with joys, sorrows, victories, and struggles, there has been a lot of life and a lot of busy nothings. We pray that this past year the projects we have worked on, the ministries we served, and the people we interacted with every day, would impact the Kingdom and draw others closer to Jesus. As we look forward to a new year may we all daily walk this road with Jesus, no matter how dusty or mundane the way may seem.

We cannot list all that happened this year, but here are just a few moments:

We took the longest trip in our tenure thus far; a nine state adventure that lasted 33 days and totaling almost 4,500 miles.
We now have a teenager in the house!
Liam is taller than Katie.
Katie's father had multiple bypass heart surgery in March.
Eric lost two grandparents.
Liam changed schools.
Hannah has completed a book a week (sometimes more!)
Ranen graduated kindergarten.
Facilities Solutions started 10 new projects and completed several others from 2022.

There is so much more we could say about how life had it's twist and turns. It was not the year we had planned, but we are grateful for every step along the way. We are exceedingly grateful to have you along with us on this journey of faith. You can always learn more by reading our recent posts at Livingston Loop.

Closing the Year

It is the end of the year and all of us are inundated with requests from non-profits about year-end giving. The Lord has been good to provide for our needs. However, for the first time since joining TECH giving is under our recommended support level. As you consider all the options for how to invest what the Lord has entrusted to you, would you prayerfully consider a year end gift to help us close the gap and end the year in the black?

Thank you to all that have given this past year! We cannot do this without your partnership.

How to Pray

- Praise for another amazing year. This July will be 7 years serving at TECH.

- Our vans, Jayne and Shep, are almost 19 and 20 years old. This summer we took Jayne on our trip, and we felt his age in how he drove. I was never concerned about making it, but the hills were harder to get up. In the wild used car market we find ourselves in please pray for wisdom and resources as we consider options to replace at least one of the vans in the near future.

- Praise for a new couple that is joined TECH this November! They are serving in the Media Solutions department.

- Pray for additional staff, specifically architects and engineers for Facility Solutions.

-Pray for wisdom in setting up meetings as we seek to raise additional monthly support.