Greetings from Toronto!
It’s hard to believe we’ve not only come to the end of February, but we are now in the final few months of our time here in Canada. We have been amazed by God’s continual provision for our family over the past four years. He has given us such generous and faithful supporters (all of you!) that we have been able to make it through this time of Home Education Assignment fully reassured that we are following God’s call as missionaries to Europe. So I just want to start with a giant thank you to all of you! We know that your partnership with us in all of this has made it possible to complete this training and re-equipping, so that David can serve and teach at Tyndale Seminary Europe.
There is something about being in 2025 – knowing that this is the year we move out of our lovely apartment here at Wycliffe College – that is really making it sink in how close we are to our family’s “NEXT”. And I write it like that on purpose because our “NEXT” is huge, and exciting, but also “in our faces” in a way that’s scary. It’s very much close, but also feels far away and unreal (since we’ll be moving far away). It’s something we talk about everyday, but also feels functionally detached from our everyday lives. It’s something that is hard even to imagine, since our kids have basically spent their childhood so far here in Toronto. But we are also filled with such energy and excitement when we think back on just that one week we spent at Tyndale last year, and when we think ahead to being a part of the amazing work God is doing – both there at the school and, through it’s students, to the world. All that’s to say, our “NEXT” is coming quickly, and with it a whole host of emotions.
One thing I didn’t expect, probably because we haven’t moved for a few years now and this is our kids’ true “home,” is that I’m already starting to mourn. I’m not saying that I’m not excited for these next steps, for this new mission placement, for all that God has in store for our family. But I am also becoming increasingly aware of what we are leaving to follow this call. We have been so blessed here at Wycliffe with community, friends, and a cozy (Dutch: gezellig) place to live. We are connected to multiple churches, Bible studies, (babysitters!), and prayer groups. For a couple that wouldn’t call ourselves “city people”, David and I have been able to live in a beautiful city, in a very convenient location, and get around with our three kids and no car. We’ve even been blessed with multiple friends who have loaned us their cars when we’ve had to drive farther away than the city center. We’ve taken the kids to explore museums, parks, and other fun places that we might have missed if we hadn’t lived in the middle of this bustling city. We’ve enjoyed regular visits from family – and been able to pay family visits – all of which has been a real blessing. And so as we’re getting close to the end, it’s sinking in so much more. While the “NEXT” is exciting (and both we and the kids are ready to go!), there is a definite loss in the “now” that we have to work through.
So, after all of that, what is our “now”? As I mentioned above, we are only a few months away from heading out of Toronto. While we don’t have a moving date yet, we are hoping not to renew our apartment lease at Wycliffe, which puts us heading out of Canada sometime this summer. David is getting very close to the editing stage of writing his dissertation. I am so proud of all the work he has done and is doing to finish this degree! And it has been loads of work. Editing his dissertation will similarly be a ton of work, but both he and his supervisor are confident that he can meet his deadlines. Please continue praying for him in these final (stressful) stages of his doctoral program!
As far as home life, I continue to homeschool the boys, but we are also starting to look into the mechanics of what it will mean physically to move our family. What do we ship …? What do we sell, or give away …? What do we store, and where … ? What kind of paperwork do we need to get started for immigration purposes months from now …? I’ve already begun making phone calls, but there is going to be a massive amount to organize and complete before moving overseas. Neither David nor myself are naturally organized people along these lines, so please pray for patience and wisdom as we move forward.
And then there is the “in between.” When we leave Toronto, we will be heading to the United States to search for new partners for this ministry in the Netherlands. When our family’s missionary account is fully funded to go and we have the amount in pledges we’ll need moving forward, that will be our green light to book tickets and head to the Netherlands. While we are looking forward to being able to see family and (hopefully) many of you during our travels in the U.S., it is also a bit stressful to have this feeling that we are moving into a time of limbo: out of our home here but without a date for heading to our new home in the Netherlands. Even so, we are confident in God’s faithfulness, in his calling, and in his provision. If it is God’s will, it will be a relatively short time before our family is settling into a new home across the sea.
So many changes on the horizon! So much excitement! So much to do … !
How then can you be praying for our family? Good question!
Please pray for David. He is working so very hard to finish in the next few months. Pray for wisdom, clarity, and good health as he finishes this enormous project.
Please pray for us in our final few months here in Toronto. Pray that we end our time well, that we get done the things we need to on this end to move, that we are able to explain well to our kids what’s going on, and that we can both mourn and rejoice over the many blessings from the past four years.
Please pray for our upcoming season of raising support and finding new ministry partners. It is such a blessing to be able to share this calling with others who want to collaborate in what God is doing at Tyndale. We love getting to tell people about the seminary, how God is at work there, and how God is calling us to be a part of it! And we especially love getting to share that calling with our partners. Knowing that God will provide is at once humbling of our pride and strengthening for our faith, and it is also comforting to know that He is giving us a team of “senders” to share the burdens of ministry as we go. So, please pray that we continue to trust Him in the working and waiting, and that we are able to move quickly to our new placement in the Netherlands.
And finally – and much closer to home – please pray for good health for everyone. Flu season is upon us, and we seem to have been sick nearly every other week since Christmas. (So, so many little kid boogers!)
Again, thank you for your prayers, your support, and your willingness to follow God’s call. We are so thankful for you and the many blessings He has given us through you!
May God richly bless you!
The Alenskis Family