Where did all this stuff come from?

I'm pretty sure that when we moved into our apartment nine months ago we had infinitely fewer things in it than we are finding now. I truly don't remember bringing in so many boxes!

As you might guess we are in the process of packing. I feel as if we have been packing for weeks now...yet we are still not done! It's not that we have tons of things, but packing and moving takes a long time.

I keep making piles. Piles of things to leave. Piles of things we must take. And piles of things that I wish I could have there, but not sure we have the space or weight for. Yesterday I was looking at the piles and thinking, man we are so blessed to have the issue of dealing with piles. As I stared at the piles I remembered the kids that rumage through the trash bins near an apartment we stayed in once while serving in Romania. Talk about something that really puts everything back in perspective. I am so grateful for the way the Lord has blessed us and know that although we feel as if we are sacrificing by letting go of our comforts and things here we know it is all for His Glory in the end. And that makes everything worth it!

Take a look...

Save the Date

We can hardly believe that we got back from our Orientation with CTEN in Kerrville, Texas, only one week ago. We are both so grateful for the time we spent there. While in Texas, we met other missionaries who are leaving to change the world in Christ's name as well as the incredible "home office" staff. Everyone we encountered was so helpful and caring. We both feel much better equipped now as we prepare to enter the field.

Another important landmark of this great journey also happened this week. Todd and I bought our plane tickets for Romania! That's right! We now have an official departure date! Drum roll please..... Todd and Rocio Stopher will officially be leaving to serve in Romania on AUGUST 17, 2008! As excited as we are to have a date set, there is still so much to do. For starters our financial support is beginning to be raised, but we know God will provide before we leave. Please continue to keep us in your prayers and look forward to hearing more about the great things God is doing in our lives.

The Stophers leave for Romania on AUGUST 17, 2008.

Greetings from Kerrville, Texas

Howdy!  Greetings from the beautiful Hill Country of Texas.  I'm sure many of you are wondering what we are doing in Texas.  Todd and I are currently attending orientation for CTEN, our missionary sending organization.  I cannot begin to explain what a blessing these past few days have been. 

I am not going to lie.  It has been exhausting.  So much information is entering our brains that it is hard to process it all.  All I can say is praise God for notes and handouts!  I've found it particularly challenging to stay seated and pay attention for long periods of time.  Suddenly, I can understand my students' struggles.  I guess it's been a while since I've had to truly pay attention in a class.  It's also been a blessing to get to know our missionary organization.  It is made up of such a neat group of people.  They truly love and care for us even though they barely know us!  This gives us such peace of mind to know we will be supported as we head to serve in Romania.

We want to thank all of you for all your prayers and support and just ask that you continue to pray for grace as we begin this transition and also for financial blessings as we continue to raise our support.

Officially Missionaries

It seems crazy when we talk about it and even when we hear ourselves say it, but we are "missionaries." Todd put it best when he said, "I never thought I'd be a missionary. I always thought missionaries dressed funny and acted strange." All kidding aside, it's simply that growing up we both placed missionaries on a different level. They were not "normal" people. I mean who in their right mind drops everything and goes to distant lands in order to spread the message of God's love? Yet here we are anxiously counting the days until we get to do the same thing. We are both so honored and amazed God has placed this calling in our lives.


Today, we looked on CTEN's (Commission to Every Nation) website and there we were listed as missionaries. It takes my breath away when I think of how God has prepared us for this precise mission. The CTEN logo on the right is a direct link to our missionary webpage, if you want to take a look. Other than that things are moving right along. We are preparing things in order to fundraise for support and starting to tackle the moving process. Both of us are also excited because in a couple of weeks we will be attending our Orientation/Training with CTEN in Kerrville, Texas. And attending that is just another step to our living and serving full-time in Romania.