TRANSITION: December 2011

TRANSITION [tran-zish-uhn] “the process of changing, or a change from one form or condition to another”

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

CS Lewis

What a year of TRANSITION!

Let’s start with the positive, good stuff to be joyful about!

• We have awesome family, friends and a church that have encouraged and supported us during this difficult year of transition from the mission field in Mexico to the States. A BIG, SPECIAL THANK YOU to Bob and Stacy Flora, Mike and Anita Alger and Tom Tomkins!
• We finally made it to Portland!
• Jeff hasn’t had a TIA for over 3 months!
• Ineke is almost employed! (pending medical licensure and hospital credentialing) Ineke was offered a PA position (the day before Thanksgiving) at a non-profit community clinic near Portland, Oregon. This position is working in Family Practice in an ethnically diverse, impoverished area where over 50% are Hispanic patients and many homeless. This was the one of 6 other amazing job offers in Oregon.
• We have interim housing. We are house-sitting near Portland through April (thank you Eric and Roxane Ericksson)
• We are living near our awesome kids who are serving God
• We have food on the table
• Jeff and I are able to spend more time together
• We were surprised with joy that our kids were able to hitch a ride to Reno while we were in Reno and spend Thanksgiving together with the Algers. We also get to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the hope of the world with our kids here in Portland.
• Hannah (Tim helped too) finished her first CD!

This year is the year of “Goodwill”. As a family, this Christmas we have embraced the Advent Conspiracy movement (Started by Imago Dei Church in Portland). The mindset is to worship fully, spend less, give more and to love all. Thus, all our presents, decorations and attire were all purchased at Goodwill (or any second-hand shop), were handmade or donations were made to charities. Let’s do this every year! Check out the website: http://www.adventconspiracy.org/default.aspx?page=3684

I LOVE Christmas time! I love the music, the decorations and family time! Sometimes I think I’ve got it together… Then, ahem… through our move back to the States, Miss smarty-pants got discombobulated and made a huge Christmas faux pas. Let me give you a little history: We pain-stakingly moved all our earthly belongings across the border and have crammed them into a storage unit in Reno until we have a permanent place to live. I thought I would be sooo brilliant to bring just one, itsy-bitsy box of Christmas “stuff” with us to Portland to have a homey, traditional, family Christmas. I made Jeff nearly empty our entire storage unit (in sub-zero temperatures) to find the “prized, absolutely essential” box. OK, here is the good part… We get to Portland and I find that we brought the wrong box. *sigh* next year.

(insert Christmas pictures)

Leaving the mission field after 4 and a half years has been rough. We said our painful goodbyes to friends, colleagues at Agua Viva and heroes of the faith in Mexico. The “new normal” is kicking in, healing continues and the tears are less frequent. Reverse culture shock only comes in waves now.

This is the year of change and transition. Remember the Life Stress Test you studied in college? You know, the scale that determines how much stress you are facing. The Glavor family went off the charts this year! Let’s not repeat this year!

• Jeff had a bunch of TIAs this year (we stopped counting after 15)
• We decided to leave the mission field due to health, finance and insurance needs
• Jeff and I became nomads, homeless and jobless for nearly 4 months.
• We left a ministry and work we desperately loved
• Both Hannah and Tim were laid off their jobs
• Change in finances
• Change in culture and country
• Change in direction of our call to serve in missions
• Change in residence
• Change in work and work hours
• Change in living conditions
• Change in Church
• Change in eating habits
• Bla…bla…blaaa…the list goes on…

The Good News… we didn’t add “jail term, death or divorce” to our stressors! We are awestruck daily at God’s provisions through the process of transition. God has a reason for allowing things to happen. We may never understand His wisdom, but we simply have to trust His will. We still might be scratching our heads and remain befuddled for quite some time. Yet, we believe that even this chapter in our lives will eventually be viewed as a blessing in disguise.

Prayer requests:

1. Peace and thanksgiving during our transition back to the States
2. Continued health, healing and direction
3. Ministry for Jeff
4. Finances. Donations are still gladly accepted through Agua Viva Ministries during our transition period. Due to a costly, prolonged job hunt, delayed medical licensure, college tuition, tax payments, required continuing medical education classes, relocation costs, replace stolen computer, licensure fees, medication costs and a dramatic drop in donor support since August; we are asking that you would prayerfully consider a year-end gift for the Glavor Family through Agua Viva Ministries (AVM). While pursuing employment and relocating to the States, we have continued working for AVM by authoring Policy and Procedure Manuals for Mission Partnership Experience (short-term missions). Once our US paychecks kick in, please consider transferring your financial donor support from our family to Agua Viva Ministries to support seminary students in our seminary. That would be very, VERY cool!

PO Box 1488 Lemon Grove, CA 91946

5. Hannah and Tim need jobs
6. Career and school direction for Tim

Our new mailing address:

2050 Beavercreek Rd

Suite 101 PMB 329

Oregon City, OR 97045

Phone numbers:

Jeff: 775.848.3529

Ineke: 775.848.3425

e-mails:

Jeff: Glavor@msn.com

Ineke: iglavor@gmail.com

We pray that you have a blessed 2012! Stay tuned for the continued sagas on our upcoming BLOGs: www.theglavorfamily.blogspot.com

We pray that you all have a wonderful, Christ-filled Christmas! Let’s keep in touch!

Thanksgiving!

A pretty clever theme for this time of year huh?

A friend pointed out many pearls of wisdom regarding “thanksgiving” in response to our transition from the mission field back into the United States…

§ What was the prayer Daniel prayed right before being thrown in the lion's den and witnessing God miraculously shutting the lion's mouths? Thanksgiving.

§ After three days in the belly of a fish, what was the cry of Jonah's heart right before he was finally delivered onto dry land? Thanksgiving.

§ How are we instructed to pray in Philippians 4:6 when we feel anxious? With thanksgiving.

And what is the outcome of each of these situations where thanksgiving is proclaimed? Peace.

Powerful, unexplainable, uncontainable peace.

"But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, 'You are my God!' My future is in your hands. " Psalm 31:14 (NLT)

The Glavors have news! Drum roll please….

We are now are officially not jobless and homeless! Yesterday Ineke was offered a PA position at a non-profit community clinic near Portland, Oregon. This position is working in Family Practice in an ethnically diverse, impoverish area where over 50% are Hispanic patients and many homeless; not only seeing patients, but hopefully, some administration as well. This was the one of 6 other amazing job offers in Oregon.

We now are going through the grueling process of medical license reciprocity in Oregon. Hopefully, by mid-December the final paperwork will be completed and we will be gainfully employed.

Jeff has a few leads in a local church and also a non-profit organization in Portland that sound promising.

We will be house-sitting for friends in Oregon City, Oregon for several months while they are in Mexico. Keep your eyes open for our new mailing address. Until then, please continue to use the Agua Viva Ministries address: PO Box 1488 Lemon Grove, CA 91946.

We still miss Mexico more than you can imagine. Muchas Gracias for all your prayers and support during this painful, yet necessary transition time. Thank you for partnering with us for four and a half years in Mexico. Please remember Agua Viva Ministries! They would very much appreciate your prayers and year-end financial support as their finances are depleted as the seminary is winding down for the year. Agua Viva Ministries PO Box 1488 Lemon Grove, CA 91946

We still hope to return to the mission field in the future. Until then, we will be in the Oregon mission field, close to our wonderful children. We are so excited that we will be reunited with Hannah and Tim for Thanksgiving!

Stay tuned for more news soon...

Enjoy this Thanksgiving season!

1 Chronicles 16:34, "Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." (NKJ)

Hasta la vista Mexico!

Hasta la Vista Mexico!

Another chapter in life has closed. We had a wonderful, sweet send-off at Agua Viva Ministries. We were able to say our final goodbyes to many dear friends, pastors and students.

Whew….We just unloaded the U-haul truck into a storage unit in Reno, Nevada and we are staying with our amazing friends Mike and Anita Alger. We were also greeted by the crisp, dry autumn air, the brilliant colored, turning leaves and many dear friends in Reno.

I (Ineke) am heading up to Oregon on Wednesday for some more PA interviews closer to Portland and checking on rentals. Please be praying that we make the right choices of location, jobs and housing.

We will keep you posted on our decisions and whereabouts. Thank you all for your amazing support and encouragement as we lived out our missionary dream for over 4 years; albeit shorter than anticipated.

Our new e-mail is: iglavor@gmail.com

US cell numbers: Jeff: 775.848.3529 Ineke: 775.848.3425

Fall 2011: Time to Re-group

“RE-GROUP” [ree-groop] “to become reorganized in order to make a fresh start”

Announcement: We are heading back to the States! Our Mexican missionary adventure with Agua Viva Ministries (AVM) is sadly coming to an end. This decision has been a slow and arduous process; bathed in lots of prayer. Nonetheless, we have had ebbs and flow of doubt, excitement and confusion. It is time to “RE-GROUP” and see where God will lead the Glavor Family.

Wait…What? I bet you want some details….

We based our decision on the following….

• We prayed and prayed some more
  

• We had our children and dear friends pray with us for direction

• In light of Jeff’s recent series of TIAs (mini-strokes), we believe it is imperative to have medical insurance. Unfortunately this is unavailable through either individual or group insurance through our small mission agency (due to pre-existing medical conditions).

• Our monthly income does not cover our expenses

• The stress of the above factors triggered an increase in health issues

The tentative “RE-GROUP” plan:

a. Finish off crazy-busy season at AVM and train up our replacements

b. Begin a furlough in Portland September-October debriefing and job-hunting

c. Consider new missionary placement with a larger missionary agency that could absorb pre-existing medical conditions and provide a better gifting “fit”.

What we have learned in our last 4 years here in Mexico:

• God’s Love for the world is unwavering

• We serve an awesome and faithful God

• We have incredible kids!

• We have awesome friends and family!

• We have been honored to know heroes of the faith here in Mexico that are sold out for Kingdom work

• We have been privileged to work with an amazing staff here at Agua Viva Ministries Reaching Mexico for Christ

• When the Lord says, “Go!” then “Go!” no matter the cost

• God can throw curve balls

• His ways are not always our ways

• God requires obedience

• We as a family want to be obedient

• God’s got a plan…a great plan

• God knows how to define “re-group”

We have been blessed by you, our dear friends and family who have graciously supported us financially, emotionally and prayerfully. Words cannot express our gratitude. Thank you for partnering with us and supporting us as we lived out our dream of reaching Mexico for Christ with Agua Viva Ministries (AVM).

We are amazed at our wonderful circle of friends and family!! We have two awesome children that not only have weathered the Glavor storms of life the last 4 years…they still continue to serve the Lord! With that in mind… it has been worth it all!

When we came to Mexico, we stated that we would stay until the Lord said otherwise. We now believe that God is re-directing our steps and wants us to “RE-GROUP”. We will go back onto the mission field in a heartbeat if He calls us again. Stay tuned for our next adventure! We love you all!

Hannah:

This spring marked the beginning of my Internship at Imago. Its been awesome leading music and getting involved at a deeper level. I am surrounded by a phenomenal staff who is devoted to investing in each other and the community; immediate, local and global. I'm taking music to a different level as I play more shows locally and have dabbled around in the recording studio. I finally record my first EP this summer! Stay tuned for the final product.

Tim:

Tim is still at Multnomah University. He has been working as a painting apprentice. He is working with Hannah on the “Take Flight” campaign. Making their first recording together.

Winter 2011: We are OVERWHELMED!

The New word for 2011 is "OVERWHELMED"

OVERWHELMED: [oh-ver-hwelm-d] to load, heap, treat, or address with an overpowering or excessive amount of anything.

"'God, the Master, says: From now on, I myself am the shepherd. I'm going looking for them. As shepherds go after their flocks when they get scattered, I'm going after my sheep. I'll rescue them from all the places they've been scattered to in the storms. I'll bring them back from foreign peoples, gather them from foreign countries, and bring them back to their home country. I'll feed them on the mountains of Israel, along the streams, among their own people. I'll lead them into lush pasture so they can roam the mountain pastures of Israel, graze at leisure, feed in the rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. And I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. I myself will make sure they get plenty of rest. I'll go after the lost, I'll collect the strays, I'll doctor the injured, I'll build up the weak ones and oversee the strong ones so they're not exploited. Ezekiel 34:16-18 (The Message)

We are fully aware that the context of the above passage has to do with the nation of Israel. However, we also cannot ignore that our life experiences this year correlates with the sheep experience with the Shepherd.

We have seen the shepherd rescue us from storms, fed us and bring us into lush pasture. He gave us rest, doctored the injured and built us up when we were weak. This verse exemplifies last year. We are OVERWHELMED by God our Great Shepherd.

We are OVERWHELMED by the lessons we learned this year:

1. God is our Great Master and Shepherd
2. God continues to seek us and pursue us even when we lack faith
3. God rescues us
4. God feeds us
5. God gives us peace
6. God leads us
7. God gives us rest
8. God restores our health
9. God builds us up when we are weak
10. God doesn’t want us to be exploited

Furlough:
We were OVERWHELMED during our Christmas furlough. We started with a much needed week of R&R at LinkCare in Fresno. This is a retreat center for missionaries and pastors. This was a wonderful gift from our dear friends Pat and Michelle Evans and New Harvest Church. We started our Christmas Furlough refreshed and redirected.


We traveled up to the Bay Area and spent an early Christmas with Jeff's mother, sister and niece. What a wonderful time with Family!Thereafter we hit the road to Oregon and spent a wonderful Christmas with Hannah and Tim and Ineke's sister and brother-in-law in Portland. We especially enjoyed hearing Hannah and Tim lead worship at Imago Dei....*sigh*....we sure miss our kids! Our biggest joy was seeing our children serving the Lord.
We jumped in the car again and headed to Reno to visit Ineke's mother and many dear friends. We were spoiled by Ineke's mother with many favorite dutch foods! We were also able to share with many groups in both Reno and the Bay Area about all the amazing things that is going on through Agua Viva Ministries.
We returned to Mexico for a few weeks and then went back up to Oregon for a medical mission's conference. Then up to Seattle for another open house and reconnected with many old friends.
Our whirlwind tour is over and we are very happy to be back in Mexico (and in our own bed). Our furlough was bitter-sweet. We were OVERWHELMED by everyone's generosity, compassion and accommodations for our family! Thank you Trudy and John, Pat and Michelle, Brian and Andrea, Mike and Anita, Frank and Jeannette, Greg and Nancy, Russ and Sally and Wendy for opening your homes to our family! Thank you all for coming to our open houses in Reno, the Bay Area and in Seattle! We are overwhelmed with many new supporters. MUCHAS GRACIAS! We however, were sad to say goodbye to our family and friends once again.
Spring is in the air!
The hills surrounding Rancho Agua Viva are a beautiful emerald green, the wildflowers are beginning to bloom and we are gearing up for a crazy-busy spring and summer of American guest missionaries coming to serve in the Ensenada area. We are settling back into our routine of visiting pastors, assessing community needs, corresponding with group leaders, getting construction estimates, taking lots of pictures, getting our translators and group coordinators lined up and the Agua Viva staff is sprucing up the camp.

Next week we will host 45 FNP students and doctors from Concordia University in Michigan (can you see Ineke smiling?). We will have 4 large medical clinics, health classes and counseling in the agricultural areas where health care is rare.
We are planning on having a 5 week "spring break" where many churches and youth groups are coming to serve with VBS (children's programs), medical clinics, women's programs, building a church, prep-work for construction of a woman's half-way house after prison, sports clinics and construction projects at the ranch. We are OVERWHELMED that we get to be here in Mexico and do what we do! We are ready for the fun to begin!!!

So....What is happening with Hannah and Tim?

Hannah: I am soaking up the freedom of being a college grad. I am filling my time scooping delicious gelato in the Pearl district of downtown Portland to make rent. I'm also enjoying my role at Imago Dei Community as the new Worship and Arts intern. I'm playing and leading lots of music, investing in the community and learning great leadership skills.Follow Hannah's BLOG for details on her Cambodia mission trip: http://bananaflavor.wordpress.com/

Tim: I have been doing quite well in the last several months (despite getting sick and having lots of homework). Like before, I have been very involved in my church with music and now I'm going to be playing for the college group as well. I'm hoping to work in Alaska this summer; but that's only if I get a job. So keep that in your prayers. Thanks a million, Tim

Prayer Requests:

*Health, endurance and focus

*studies at Multnomah University for Tim

*Hannah's internship at Imago Dei

*Job for Tim for the summer

*Glavor finances

*Continue to be OVERWHELMED by the Lord.

Fall Newsletter 2010: We serve and EXTRAVAGANT God!

What word can sum up 2010 so far?

“EXTRAVAGANT” Webster defines as: “exceeding the limits of reason or necessity or to lavish”.
We serve an EXTRAVAGANT God who works in extravagant ways! Not only within our work here through Agua Viva Ministries in Mexico, but in our personal lives as well.

Wow! What a year! It is hard to believe that last year at this time we were bemoaning meager numbers of short-term missionary guests, Swine flu and border violence issues.

This year we are happy to report a substantial increase of US and Canadian guests and more importantly, a record number of Mexican nationals who were served and heard the Gospel (over an estimated 6,300)!
Churches, pastors, children and adults were served, equipped, fed, encouraged and trained. Houses were built, churches repaired and we had a record number of medical, dental and optometry clinics throughout the area.

“EXTRAVAGANT” is a word we can use to express God’s mercy on the Glavor family as we have watched Jeff’s health this year, how our children are growing up serving the Lord and how our needs have been met in miraculous and undeserved ways.
Despite seeing the Lord’s extravagance this year; we are compelled to inform you, our friends of our significant decrease in our donor giving due to the US economy.
Please pray for us as we are planning to spend our Christmas furlough hoping to raise our donor base so that we can remain on the mission field. We plan to re-assess in January. We will report back to you our status once we meet that crossroad.

We believe in an EXTRAVAGANT God and we will go anywhere He leads us! We hope He keeps us here in Mexico!

MUCHAS GRACIAS for your “EXTRAVAGANT” friendships, prayers, encouragement and financial support. We love and miss you MUCHO!

Jeff’s wild roller coaster ride

I, (Ineke) have never, ever liked roller coasters! They are unpredictable, they are scary, they jerk me around and they make me sick to my stomach! Needless to say, I hurled a few cookies this year!

Since November 2009 , Jeff has been diagnosed with having a stroke, seizure disorder and Multiple Sclerosis. In the heat of the summer ministry season, Jeff was told not to drive and not to work. The rollercoaster ride began...

I watched as Jeff struggled to formulate words (never has been a problem before).

I observed him become tentative in performing his usual tasks because of lack of coordination, weakness, numbness, memory loss and fatigue.

I watched as he became frustrated and fought depression because he desperately wanted to work and contribute.

We were given mixed diagnoses from doctors in Mexico. We needed factual, medical direction.We were wondering if we could stay on the mission field. Our hearts were breaking at the thought of having to leave Mexico. We needed to hear God’s clear voice and direction.

Through a series of unexpected and God-planned events, we ended up at the Mayo Clinic Neurology Department in Phoenix Arizona with a handful of Mexican MRI’s, EEGs, CT scans, echocardiograms, labs and botched spinal tap results.

Mayo Clinic ran every test over again, (and more) since the Mexican tests were sub-standard. Bottom line...Jeff does not have MS nor a seizure disorder. Jeff’s symptoms are residual to the stroke he had last November. He is allowed to work as his energy directs and he is allowed to drive again. We plan to stay in Mexico to serve!

We, as a family may have wobbled a bit (ok, a lot) on the roller coaster. Yet, we believe in a living God who always seems to steer us back into the center. Please continue to pray for direction for Jeff’s changing job description here at AVM.

Thank you all for you love a

Ineke

It has been quite a year! Besides watching the health saga with Jeff, this year has been extremely busy with programming groups.

I have enjoyed the increased number of medical, dental and optometry clinics. I am especially pleased with the streamlined protocols and improved functioning of the clinics. Even the Mexican national churches have stepped up and are more involved with triage and man the prayer and counseling stations at each of our clinics.

We have been at AVM for over 3 years, I look forward to the returning US (and Canadian) groups coming each year and the friendships that have developed as we serve together.

A personal highlight for me was seeing Hannah and Tim in Oregon. My heart was happy to spend a little time with them. It also was wonderful having Tim here for the summer!

I am so very happy with my new program assistant, Liz Stevahn! She has really helped lessen the workload. What a tremendous blessing she has been!

Hannah

I 'm in my last semester of undergrad and officially graduate from Multnomah University December 2010! I'm one of the rotating music leaders at Imago Dei Community (I just got my own copy of keys to the church!). I continue to play and write music often.

In December, I am hoping to go on a mission trip to Cambodia and Vietnam. My church in Portland is partnered with communities within each country and has asked us to come with a music and worship focus. As one of the music leaders, as well as my cross cultural experience and passion for missions, I have been specifically asked to come on the trip. Pray for the process of the trip and all that it takes to pull that together. Also, it takes place my last two weeks of school meaning I have to have everything done two weeks early.

Pray that I am on top of school this semester. I am in great need of a job, please pray that God provides a means of income that is flexible with my school and Vietnam/Cambodia schedule.

Tim

I’m so glad to be sharing about my life with you all once more. I am currently at Multnomah University and I’m loving all that I am doing. I've played drums at my church several times and I'm getting involved as much as possible. I've missed Mexico and Reno lately, but I’m content here. I hope you all are doing well! Love, Tim

We Pray that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!
Stay tuned for our Christmas Blog!
We love and miss you all!