Joshua's 8 months old today

I don't normally write about mundane family stuff on this blog, where a proud parent will celebrate every small step in their first child's life. However, I felt today I would, as it has significance in our journey. Joshua celebrating his 8 month birthday (and also his first tooth appearing) has meant that we are rapidly approaching our two year mark, since we first came to South Africa to begin our work with YWAM. Two years ago today, we knew that we were being called into missions, but where exactly we would be working and what we would be doing was far on the horizon and we were just taking steps of faith away from paid employment and into Christian service.
As I walked down the street, quietly praying about things on my mind, I reflected on this amazing journey we've been on and how we have been looked after: first by God who called us here, but second by the network of people who have stepped in to (often sacrificially) support us. Every month we have paid the rent and every day we have food on the table to eat. It's not always been an easy journey, but God has been faithful throughout.
There was barely a penny to our name when we arrived after our visit to England in late 2010 and no furniture in our newly rented house, with Becky 7 months pregnant, we seriously wondered whether we'd done the right thing. A friend of ours lent us their car while they were travelling... so to anyone looking in from the outside, as we drove around in a new Jeep, living in a gorgeous scenic holiday resort, may think "they're doing well for themselves". Yet we wondered how on earth we would make ends meet.
Now, as we're thinking and talking about trips to Nigeria, Zimbabwe and back home for Christmas, we know that we have to rely on the call of God and to step out in faith. We still don't have all the money we need and still have to rely on prayer and the partnership of supporters for our daily bread. But the difference now is that we have learnt that we don't need to fear lack of provision, rather trust in our daily walk and obedience to him. We have seen Him provide and we trust he will again.