Greetings,
So how are you doing? If you’re like us, our response is “Busy”. As a matter of fact, “We are busy” is probably the most common response I get to the question of how you are doing? It is not really an answer to the question but is very indicative of the constant state of doing we find ourselves in as Americans. Just when I thought that I couldn’t possibly be any busier, we have an ever-growing list of things that needs to be done.
At Christmas my oldest daughter gave me a book on downsizing your life. Very appropriate, as we are moving closer to our transition to Africa. It talks about letting go of things in our life that have no purpose or use. Things that maybe at one time had a meaning or purpose but no longer are needed. One way to get rid of that stuff is through a yard sale. We have had 2 so far. For me, being the kind of person that holds onto things, this process has not been easy. On the first go around, I was a very reluctant participant. I felt like I was yard saling my life away. All the memories attached to items or thinking that someday I may need this or that, has made this a hard process. As we have continued this process in preparation to sell our house, I have started to realize the importance of downsizing. The catch phrase has become “Can’t take that to Africa”. So, in this process of downsizing, I began to think, in my life what other things may God be wanting me to downsize. In Hebrews 12:1, Paul reminds us to “lay aside everything that would hinder us so that we can run the race set before us”. As we prepare for Africa, we are finding that there are things that just won’t help us get there or to be effective in our ministry when we are there. These are the things that we need to lay aside. I am not just talking about “the stuff” now, but other things in our lives. In Hebrews, Paul tells us to lay aside sins that may entangle us, but he separately mentions everything else that might slow us down. These are the good things (not the sins) in our life that sometimes just get in the way. I think that this is why we as Americans are so busy. We are doing a lot of good stuff, but maybe we need to take a step back and ask ourselves what is really necessary and what is keeping us from doing that which God intends for us to do. We still have stuff to get rid of and another yard sale is probably on the horizon, more importantly we are working through the process of laying aside that which hinders us so that we can run the race set before us.
So where are we now? Grandma Holly has relocated to the Dillsburg area and is thriving at a personal care home where she is getting PT to help strengthen her. Zach has moved back from Texas and will be serving as the interim youth director this summer at our church in Hermitage. We had stepped down from our youth work (thinking that that was one thing we needed to lay aside) but when our youth pastor moved to another church, we felt God calling us to stay on a little longer to help with this transition. Zach being available to help will lighten our load and allow us to transition out of this position. Pray for him as he considers if full time ministry is the possible calling God has on his life. Holly continues on in her grad PT program at Emory University in Atlanta. Naomi is staying with a friend in Philadelphia this summer and working as an intern for US Life Insurance. Jocelyn has decided to transfer from Messiah College to Grove City in order to work with Young Life and will spend a good part of the summer serving at young life camp.
For us the house is now on the market and we are praying that God will sell it at the right time as we try to wrap up our jobs here in the US. We have begun working out our budget with BIC World Missions and meet with the mission next Monday to finalize it. Hopefully in our next letter we will have some figures to share with you. Mark has given notice to officially finish working at Sharon Regional hospital on July 31st but will likely do some per diem work into September until we nail down our exact deployment date.
Current speaking schedule: Please join us if you are able!
June 16th Fairview Avenue BIC church, Waynesboro
June 22 & 23 Grace Chapel Community Church, Hermitage
August 4th: Bellevue BIC church, Bellevue PA
August 11th: Dillsburg BIC Church, Dillsburg Pa
August 2-11th we will be at Roxbury Holiness Camp this week for missions training and sharing.
Thanks for your continued prayers in all these transitions. If you would like to learn more about being a prayer supporter, receiving update, or becoming a financial support please see our profile page: https://bicus.org/missionaries/mark-and-maggie-roth/)
Ways to donate toward our fundraising needs for ministry with BIC U.S. World Missions in Zambia:
· Online by credit card or bank account (https://secure.etransfer.com/BIC/MarkMaggieRoth.cfm)
· Mail by check
o Checks made payable to BIC U.S. with “preference for Mark and Maggie Roth”
o Mailed to: 431 Grantham Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
· Pledge commitment for future donations[JC3]
o Complete attached hard-copy pledge form, or
o Electronic pledge for a future donation (click the “give” button on the right of our profile page: https://bicus.org/missionaries/mark-and-maggie-roth/)
Mark and Maggie BICWM 