To those who were with us when we first created this blog,
and to those who are joining us for the first time:
Welcome.
Much has happened in
the years since our last posts, and, in the words of Inigo Montoya, “Let me ‘splain. No…there is
too much. Let me sum up.”
WE'RE HEADING TO SPAIN!
Wait. What?
That’s right. The Brickeys are going to serve the Lord in Spain with World Witness, the missions board of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP).
Now we begin the process of gathering a ministry team of people like you, who are prayerfully and/or financially dedicated to the work of the Lord in Spain. Our hope is to move to Spain the summer of 2016.
How did we get to this decision? The Lord has brought us on a remarkable journey over the years since our time in Lima, Peru.
Here is a brief timeline of
some of the events that have occurred since our first assignment in 2008.
2007-2008
- We served with Food for the Hungry in Lima, Peru. Justin worked in church strengthening and Gillian served at the International Christian School of Lima as a volunteer and part-time high school English teacher. Our oldest sons, A and N, were 4 and 5 years old.
2008
- We abruptly returned home and safely welcomed Z and S, our twins, into our family.
2009
- We ministered through our local church with Justin serving as director of boys ministry and Gillian as missions director.
2010
- Justin led a short-term trip to Haiti from Ebenezer Pentecostal Holiness Church for a one-week earthquake relief mission trip.
- Later that year Justin began seminary at Erskine Theological Seminary, Columbia.
2011
- We became members of First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, SC.
- Our History with First Pres: We had our FIRST DATE at the college ministry of First Pres back in 1998, and Justin has served FPC as the IT Director since 1999 (minus our year in Peru, of course).
- Justin began serving as pulpit supply once per month at Iglesia Biblica Latinoamericana, a local mission church in Columbia, SC.
2012
- Gillian went to Haiti for a week with members of First Presbyterian Church to support the work of Haiti Under God.
2013
- We began talking with Rev. Neal Mathias, our missions pastor, and Rev. Frank van Dalen, director of World Witness, about the possibility of serving the Lord through World Witness.
- Gillian went to Cenotillo, Mexico with Rev. Frank Van Dalen and Shelia Osborne, candidate coordinator, to celebrate the inauguration of the Yucatan University facilities and to begin exploring opportunities to serve with World Witness.
- As part of his coursework, Justin worked intimately with Dr. William Larkin to develop a brief series of lectures on the topic of the importance of understanding the New Testament within its historical context.
- Justin became regular student supply preacher for Iglesia Biblica Latinoamericana (IBL), a local mission church (see 2011). The ministry includes leading weekly worship and supporting the congregation in a time of transition.
2014
- Justin traveled to Tampico, Mexico with Neal Mathias to stay with Scott and Julie Moore. During his visit he delivered the lectures developed the previous fall with Dr. Larkin to students and community at large at Comunidad Reformada de Estudios Superiores, formerly known as the Ebenezer Seminary. He then traveled with Pastor Mathias to visit Wycliffe missionaries, Scott and Tonia Berthiaume and their work among the Pame people.
- We began formal conversations with mentors and World Witness about the possibility of serving as a part of their new work in Spain.
- We attended World Witness missions retreat at Bonclarken after synod 2014 as pre-candidates.
- We attended the winter candidate retreat as pre-candidates, learning about World Witness and its heart for missionaries and the Lord’s work around the world.
2015
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| Photo Credit: David and Eve Huffman. Thank you! |
- Justin was examined by Catawba Presbytery and became licensed “to preach the gospel in all places to which the providence of God may direct him.”
- World Witness board approved us as candidates to Spain.
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| Justin standing with James Grant, current missionary living and serving in Oviedo, Spain |
- Justin took a vision trip to Spain with Alex Pettett, current director of World Witness, to see the opportunities to serve in Toledo or Asturias.
- We have discerned that Spain is where the Lord is calling us to serve.
In our next post we will seek to answer questions and start
to unpack our vision for Spain. To whet your appetite, see this video about the
need in Spain produced by Mission to the World (MTW, the PCA missions board).
