the lynskeys

Stay with me; do not be afraid, 

for he who seeks my life seeks your life,

for you are safe with me.

         - David, an archetype of Christ           

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Partnership In The Gospel

We are perpetually in awe of the constant encouragement from our church family, dear friends, and pastors/missionaries from the Bible Fellowship denomination! 

Last night our commissioning service at Lebanon Bible Fellowship Church was something we will treasure in our memories forever. 

Friends and family traveled from all over to be at the service!  Some made journeys of five hours only to return homeward that very evening; others made it part of their vacation trip; another arranged flights from Colorado; several made trips from other

churches in PA which are more than an hour removed from us; and, many rearranged their schedules. 

The great task of mission is a blessed partnership in the gospel: the uniting of emotion, effort, resources, and life purpose 

surrounded upon the goal to make God known to the ends of the earth.

This incredible partnership echoes in our minds the resounding privilege and humbling responsibility of being sent.  Thank you to everyone who sent us!

~ Sukey [June 29, 2009]

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Co-missioning

We have recently spent our last week in New York before our departure.  New York is one of my favorite places on earth: weather, topography, people, and family.  We were blessed to be able to have a commissioning service at my home church. 

On that June 7, we stood before the church of God and declared His mission for all nations. 

Others stood behind us and interceded for us, our team, and a 100,000 people tribe bereft of the gospel.  Still others stood in front of us and were able to see two visible testimonies (us) of God’s infinite grace. 

And, Sukey, my dearest wife, and I stood side-by-side as an indelible emblem of the unique and unfathomable partnership in the gospel.  Every posture was depicted a co-missioning.

It is less than one month before we leave for Tanzania.  We have grown eager by the days and have begun the joyous process of forming a team of laborers expending themselves for the gospel.  What greater joy is the impoverishment of oneself for the enfranchisement of another.

- Matt [June 16, 2009]

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Vacation and the Gospel

After months of travelling, visiting churches, and speaking of God’s mission, it has been refreshing to retreat to the beach for some quiet and rejuvenation. 

Although nearly the end of Spring, the uncrowded expanse of the beach is quite nice to spend time with family and even to provide a respite for thinking and contemplation.  This week we are in Cape May, NJ; next week we will travel south to Myrtle Beach, SC to spend time with my family. 

These last vacations with our families are precious times before we leave for Tanzania.  As July 14 approaches, we are considerably aware of the blessing of family and the daring call of the glorious gospel.  God’s provision of incredible families is a constant reminder of His grace; the vocation to leave family for the gospel, with all its difficulty and sentimental tremors, is truly a merciful privilege:

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.  And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matt 10:37-39).  Such are interesting ruminations of the gospel and vacation!

- Matt [May 12, 2009]

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The Last Pledge

God is our provider!  By God’s grace we are pledged with 100% of our financial support.  In just one month, God provided 45% of the rest of the support we needed. 

This is another confirmation in our hearts that we need to go and share God’s Word with the Ndengereko and a testimony to God’s faithfulness. 

Thank you for all your prayers, support and concern for the gospel.  We are forever grateful! 

- Sukey [May 8, 2009]

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Some More Travelling

I just love visiting friends and family!   In just the last week we have been able to see dear college friends at a park in Lancaster, get a lesson in Swahili from the Boone family, visit with pastors from the BFC denomination at Annual Conference, speak/preach in two churches, as well as see friends from Dallas who have moved back to PA. 

I love the encouragement of the body of Christ.  Since we leave in two and a half months we are trying to make the most of every day. 

We have made seeing friends and family priority, as well as devote time to language study and all the logistics that come with moving overseas! The tasks, at times, seem as if it will never end; moving from TX back up north seemed big, never before could I imagine moving to Africa. 

- Sukey [May 6, 2009]

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We Have a Date

Our plane tickets have been reserved!  Our friends and teammates from Canada (Brent and Amber Thiessen) are coming to the States in July one week before we will all be flying out for Tanzania!  Woohoo!  July 14 is our departure date and I get more excited as the days pass on.  When I first looked at the price of our plane tickets, I could not believe how cheap they were—that was until I remembered that they are only one-way tickets! 

This marks a monumental step and huge change in our lives.  Matt and I are so grateful for the opportunity to proclaim the name of Christ to those who have never heard!

Some pastors recently went over and visited our team leader, Jason, so they have captured some good pictures of our village along with views of our houses.  We are not sure which house will be ours, but we would really be happy living in any of them—it will be thrilling just to know that we will finally be in Ruaruke.

March went fast.  Spending time with my greatest friends in the world, along with my family, makes leaving a little harder.  We love you all!

- Sukey [April 5, 2009]

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To the Ends of the Earth

At present, this is the longest amount of time I have ever lived in Lebanon, PA.  Years ago, when I first moved to Lancaster, PA I thought I was in the South.  Our move to Texas should reveal the rest of the story.  Anyway, it has been great to enjoy the beauty of the rolling farmland and better connect with the dear people of Sukey’s home church. 

In the meantime, this past weekend was another opportunity to beckon the church of God to embrace God’s mission for the whole world.  What exactly does it mean to be human?  Why, in God’s omnibenevolence, did He ever create humans?  Humanity, at its core identity, are to be imagers of the only and true God (representative “statues”) to the ends of the earth.  It is to this end—to reveal God in the corners of the world where He is absent—that we labor in our life and death! 

- Matt [March 11, 2009]

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Surprise and Surprised by Hope

My wife and family constructed a pretty amazing feat: they planned a surprise graduation party this past weekend.  It was rich and unforgettable.  Some of my most dear people in the world gathered together and celebrated my completion of seminary.  It was quite fitting seeing as I contribute them with the ability to finish: encouragement, prayer, conversation, and the unity of the gospel was the beauty of seminary and each of these people exemplified it.

Some of the richest things I learned at school have transformed my life forever: the aesthetic of the church, the centrality of the gospel, and the compulsion of His mission.  I have recently been impacted by N. T. Wright's recent book Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church.  One last thing I learned to do from seminary was to hope. 

I claim, unashamedly, the Christian hope of the resurrection of the dead and deeply long for the return of Christ.  This has given me the freedom to lament evil in the world, the constraint to be redemptive in the world, and the audacity to (prayerfully) throw my life away for Christ (as a mentor once taught me).  I trust you will ponder the implications of this truth: what you wait for determines how you wait for it!

- Matt [March 3, 2009]

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Professional Travellers?

I feel as if we have started a new career in professional traveling.   Upon finishing our stay in NY with Matt’s family, we went to Speculator, NY to his uncle’s cabin.  After snowmobiling, spending time with cousins, getting together with a college friend, and enjoying the peacefulness of a fire when snow was surrounding the outside—we packed our bags once again and arrived back in PA. WhoooWheee! 

A huge answer to prayer—we found out about the other couple that will be on our Team to Tanzania.  Their names are Brent and Amber: he is a farmer and she is a nurse!  We are so excited, and have had opportunities to talk with them via skype.  We look forward to getting to know our Canadian friends better, and it makes us even more excited to leave this summer! 

We have a busy month ahead of us, but our so grateful in all that God is providing.  This Sunday Matt will be preaching; throughout March we will together share our desire to go to Tanzania with various churches in PA and NJ.  In-between those engagements we are so excited to reconnect with friends and family!

- Sukey [February 23, 2009]

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Living in the North Again

We are back in the North East, feeling the cooler weather which our thinned out blood from Texas is not used to anymore. After a laborious drive we arrived in PA and unpacked some of our things and moved the rest of our belongings to NY.  The next 5 months we will be rotating back and forth between our families houses as we raise support to go to Tanzania.

We are excited about the times we have to share with our families.  Christmas was a memorable time as we got to spend treasured moments with them. Being with our little niece and nephew has been a joy: we feel they have grown so much since we last saw them.  We had our traditional breakfast at the Reed's and our traditional tea at the Lynskey's and enjoyed iceskating with our church in Lebanon.

Last night Matt got to be in his friend's wedding and we had a great time catching up with college friends on New Year's and at the wedding.   It is so incredible to see how God has placed our friends in various areas for His Kingdom’s work.

Monday we head from PA back up to NY until mid-February.  We are working on support letters and raising partners with us to reach the Ndengereko of Tanzania.  Our team leader is moving in this January to the Ruroke village where we will move Lord willing this June or July. 

- Sukey [January 2009]

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