We made it through THE CRUCIBLE. What is that? I could tell you, but then I would have to . . . well, it is kind of a secret. All I can say is that it is fun, difficult and uncomfortable. While I cannot tell you exactly what we experienced, I can say that every single one of us grew spiritually.

That is about as much as we knew about the crucible before going. It helps simulate what it is like to launch. There are many uncertainties in the mission field, such as where to learn the language, which apartment to rent, which stores to shop at, which areas to avoid, and who to talk to, among others. We need to be adaptable. Jesus likened the Holy Spirit to the wind, and if the Holy Spirit is leading, there is no map or plan to follow, so adaptability is key.

There is a reason it is called the crucible. The adventure does what a real crucible is supposed to do. In metalworking, a crucible is a thick, ceramic or metal container that holds metal or other substances such as gold or silver while being heated high enough to melt. The metal can then be poured into a mold or purified.

And such is the goal of the crucible: to refine us as Christians and missionaries while giving us a taste of the stress of living in the mission field. As Nikki and I went through the crucible, we both realized what was ahead of us, but saw that with God’s leading and your prayers, we could do it. Thank you again for your generosity in giving to the Hrvati project. Please continue to pray for the people of Croatia and our family as we prepare to launch.

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