The Journey Begins

Well, family and friends - a new journey for us is certainly beginning and we want to give you a quick update.Decades ago (man, that makes me feel so old), the Lord began a work in the hearts of each of us.  We knew that He was calling us to a life of service to Him.  We both felt it, before we were even married, and we both decided to say "YES, LORD" without even understanding what that would look like.  Being raised in a Southern Baptist Church, deep down, I (Carol) envisioned a life lived with my little future family in a remote village somewhere as a missionary, sharing the Good News.The Bible is very clear that each and every believer is on mission and has a calling to make Him known to the nations.  Knowing that and believing that, we simply surrendered our lives to exactly that and decided to just be obedient in each step that He called us to take and to walk through any open door that He provided.  It hasn't ended up looking like what my 20 year old self envisioned, but He is gracious to continually confirm in my heart that a love for and a life surrendered to missions is what He has called me to.It is incredible, humbling, and encouraging all at the same time to look back over the lives He allowed us to walk alongside and the countless things He has taught us as we've walked this journey with Him.  He, without fail, equips us for each and every new endeavor that He places in front of us - for His glory!  And I absolutely love being on His team!In the Fall of 2017, we were presented with an opportunity to travel to Germany and lead worship for the Middle School Spiritual Emphasis Week at a Christian School there, Black Forest Academy.  We had traveled to Germany on mission trips before and, for whatever reason, Germany has always been a place that we felt some sort of call to.  But, the door had never been opened for us to pursue anything long-term there.  Initially, we didn't necessarily think this Spiritual Emphasis Week was something the Lord would be calling us to do.  We felt like there were plenty of people closer than Texas that could fill this role - it was going to cost $$ that we did not have and it didn't really seem like that big of a ministry opportunity.  But, the Lord continued to tug on our hearts and push us to walk through this door, and so we said "Yes."In January 2018, we boarded a plane in Houston, Texas and traveled to Kandern, Germany.  Lance has a heart for worship and was excited about the opportunity to lead these students.  I, on the other hand, still questioned what my role in this trip would be.  I can invest in and love on students,  I can scroll through the power point of worship songs.  I can be a supportive wife.  But, was all of that really needed.  What was I doing?  As we spent the week at Black Forest Academy, it felt like home - literally.  It was exactly where we needed to be in that moment.  We needed to see firsthand the incredible vision this school has for affecting the nations, as it serves missionary kids and their families from over 100 different countries.  We needed to sit among them and hear their hearts and buy in to their mission.I walked away from this week in Kandern thanking the Lord for giving me a small glimpse of my future.  It's so scary to say yes to something so unknown when God prompts you to live overseas or be a missionary in a foreign place.  God was giving us a gift, and we are not unaware of how incredibly gracious that is of Him.  He was taking away the possibility of fearing an unknown place that He was calling us to - He was letting us spend a week there and allowing us to feel at home.You've guessed it - we have spent the last several months in the interview and application process with Black Forest Academy for a Chaplain Position in Kandern, Germany for the 2019-2020 school year.  Part of this process is to also apply and interview with a mission sending agency.  November 4-10, we will be traveling to Denver, Colorado for a week long interview/training with World Venture.  It is all fairly surreal at this point, but we just want to ask you to pray with us as we continue to seek the Lord and His direction.  We want to be willing and open to His leading.  To be honest, I would be perfectly okay with Him shutting this door, because I kind of like this camping ministry life and the school family that my children are blessed with, and being on the same continent with our many friends and family!  But, at the same time, we are willing and want nothing more than to be in the center of His will - for His glory alone!Your prayers on this journey for Team Dockrey are huge and we thank you in advance!  We will update as soon as we know more!

"We can trust an unknown future to a known God."  Corrie ten Boom