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| Tim Tam (center) during visit to Belize Cenmtral; Prison with Midland, Texas mission team. File Photo by Jeff McDonald |
I'm back!!!!!!!!!
And I'm writing this letter with my own hands ...
Okay, typing it with my own fingers.
Seven months ago it was obvious that my fuel tanks were low.
Even when I met new people they would comment that I looked spent and that I ought to take some time off.
At that point I had been running full speed non-stop ever since the day we started this ministry, i.e. 14 years without taking a significant break.
But now my tanks are full and even overflowing.
A little less than a year ago I began hearing from God that some exciting things and significant challenges were soon to come. And, that I needed to come aside with him to be strengthened, fortified, and prepared for what's ahead.
Well here I am!
I feel like a new person.
My relationship with God has changed. There's an intimacy like I've never known and my prayer life has been radically altered. I've never been so much in love with my wife, Lisa, as I am now, And God has used this time to help me to reconnect with family and to heal other relationships as well.
I didn't really go anywhere on my sabbatical other than one week in Toronto and a weekend marriage retreat with my wife. Our Board of Directors said I could go anywhere I wanted except to Belize.
And my co-workers were instructed not to talk to me about “work”, only personal stuff was allowed, keeping up on friendships. More than anything, my time was spent reading and in prayer and taking care of some major chores around the house.
So for this set period of time my life was almost perfectly stress-free. And I found out just how important it was to guard that time,
Like I always say in our island debrief time, "The quieter you get, the more you hear.”
I've never been a person who keeps a journal.
But taking the time to be quiet and rest in God's presence led to a writing frenzy.
New stuff was coming in everyday. My journal filled up in no time.
And now I'm excited to see God actually bringing about some of the things that I've seen in dreams and visions.
My reentry has purposely been rather gentle, only starting full-time capacity two days ago.
Mollie had to field lots of questions.
"why isn't he back yet?”
"is he really coming back, or his sabbatical a euphemism for retiring?”
"what's really going on? Is he sick or something?”
Well, in the coming month you'll be hearing directly from me just like old times. I hope to see so many of you in person real soon.
Please be patient with me ... I have seven months of emails and phone messages to catch up on.
I expect to travel back to Belize in just a few weeks.
The sabbatical was such a gift.
I owe so much thanks to our board and the TWAW staff and generous friends for making it possible.
And thanks to all of you who prayed for me during this time. Prayers were answered beyond what I dreamed possible.
And a special thanks to Pastor Malcolm Sobers who was my mentor on this journey.
Tim Tam
#wearethewordatwork
EDITOR'S NOTE: Speaking from my own first-hand experience - working side-by-side with Tim, Kenny and our brothers and sisters in Belize - won't you give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to supporting the efforts of Tim, the Word At Work staff and their partners? Please please fill out this Commitment Card and return it to their office!
Also, remember that you can follow The Word At Work on their Facebook page!
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