In the first month of marriage, we're going global...
On January 14, Henry and I will head to Mexico City, Mexico for a week-long mission trip. For the first few days of the week, we will be in a small village roughly three hours from the City: Ahuaxintitla, Puebla, Mexico. This will not be the first time I've done remote mission work, but for Henry it is. Earlier this Fall as Henry and I were navigating our desire for marriage, and our relationship with one another, we each took time individually to seek what God wanted to do in our lives. We both had the desire to marry, specifically one another, but we wanted confirmation and our relationship needed some healing & re-focus with the Lord first. During this time of seeking, Henry began to feel God's call to pursue ministry vocationally. After a lot of prayer, and counsel from our local pastor, Henry decided to move the ball and enroll in seminary. Around this time he was baptized at our church and shared his testimony with our congregation. You can see it on our YouTube - it is beautiful how God has worked in his life - from the time he was a little boy! As all of this was happening, Henry received word that our church, Foundry Church in Jackson, MS, was helping sponsor a church plant in rural Mexico.
Tierra Prometida out of Mexico City has about 60 off shoots of smaller congregations. One of them so happens to be in Ahuaxintitla, Puebla, Mexico. There is a local church there pastored by Jose Luis Rosas. It is a growing congregation, and they are about to outgrow their current space. This December, our church raised $7,000 to send to them to help fund a new building. God laid it on Henry's heart to be the representative from Foundry to visit this small church to encourage them and serve them. He offered to go, and of course once I heard about the opportunity, I couldn't resist! Although this church may not be large in number, they are doing many things to reach their neighbors for Christ. They are assisting in education, health and wellness programs, as well as providing meals to their neighbors to share Christ's love in a tangible and practical way. We are overjoyed to meet them, get to know their stories, and help in these ministry areas while visiting. We are also planning on a couple of physical work days set aside to clear the path for the new church building.
In the midst of Henry pursuing the Lord's call on his life, God began opening the door to future relationship between Henry and myself. Once we knew what we wanted and were assured of our decision, we didn't wait around long! Henry and I eloped at the end of December, 2022! My parents were there as our witnesses. I am so thankful they were able to be a part of this monumental day in our lives. People always say when you know, you know! I'd like to take that a little further and say when you know the Lord is at work, you can trust Him for His goodness, no matter exactly how He is leading. The last month of marriage has been full of travel to see family, enjoying the holidays together, and supporting our dear friends Elle and Jonathan as they embarked on the same journey of lifelong covenant with each other.
We just moved into an apartment together, are blending a family, both working full-time, while also answering the call of God on both of our lives to the best of our ability. I'm thankful that Henry and I feel similarly called to share God's love, faithfulness, presence, and good news with all those who we encounter. I look forward in future blogs to giving more insight about our love story, our new family dynamic, as well as how we have seen the Lord at work. For now I really would like to solicit your prayers for our trip, and ask that if you feel led to donate or encourage us in anyway before we leave that you would. Thankfully the Lord has provided abundantly for our flight costs to get there, as we were able to sell a boat. However, we'd love to bring a few extra hundred dollars with us in case of some kind of medical emergency and to tithe to the churches we visit and serve. We are for sure toting some soccer balls that we can inflate once there, so maybe we will make a friend or two! :) Please pray for our emotional, spiritual, & physical wellbeing. Pray for open doors of connection with the people we will be meeting. Last pray for us that we will have soft and obedient hearts to however God wants to move on this trip! :) Again, we look forward to sharing more with you all about the goings-on when we return! We can't thank you enough for your support.
Lovingly,
Veronica Biemann
"Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 CSB
