Author: Jess Boctor

Dear Reader,

I hate talking about money.

Wait, let’s be more clear, I hate asking for money.

I recognize money is a tool. It provides you the ability to purchase goods and services. It helps you estimate risk, invest, plan for the future. However, our culture often determines a person’s value on their net worth; or at least their appearence of worth.

And I’m still waiting for mine to show in the positive, so who am I to ask for your money?

I’m nobody. I’m the girl who spent $60,000 on a dream business which never took off. I’m the girl who hasn’t found a full time job which I can stay in for longer than a year. I’m the girl with $18,000 left in student loans. Oh yeah, and I’m married to the guy who bought a quad on a credit card; with a 22% interest rate.

Yup, that’s me and Paul. At least that’s what the accusing voice in my head says we are.

A more balanced perspective reminds me I worked for two years to try and make the business take off, while finishing my degree and working a second job during the housing bust when hundreds of new (better funded) businesses were failing. The more balanced voice reminds me I left my former full time job for a higher paying job which I should have been able to take with me to Germany. A company buy out changed their policies. The more balanced voice tells me many people in my age group have twice as much student debt (if not more) and reminds me that Paul and I worked hard to make sure my student loans were the only debt we have. Oh, and that guy I’m married to? He manned up and sold the quad to get rid of the debt.

So, that’s the real me and Paul. Are we perfect? Not at all, but we are working hard to do the best we can with the resources we are given. 

And trusting God with everything we’ve got.

You see, Paul and I are about to move away to a new country with a stronger currency than the dollar, where our current credit history doesn’t mean anything, with no jobs lined up and no idea of when we will get jobs. The only thing we know for sure is God pointed this way and said, “Go!”

So we are.

We have been extremely blessed in our preparations thus far; people have bought our stuff, we received unexpected gifts, Paul was given a temporary job with a large pay increase over the summer, and it was extended. Since April we have been able to pay off our remaining $1800 of debt, fulfill our commitment to the Sandals building fund, and save a little over $8000 for our move.

We also cashed in my 401k to create a “bingo fund”. In aviation, bingo is what a pilot calls when they have reached the point where they have just enough fuel to get home. In the event Paul and I find ourselves without jobs or prospects, this fund will be just enough to get us home again.

After doing some online searching and talking with friends in Germany, we expect our monthly costs to be around $1500 living very, very modestly. If Paul and I were to try and raise support for our planned two years abroad we would need to raise at least $36000 to cover our bare minimum expsenses. I share this with you just to give you an idea of where we are. Germany is a modern wealthy nation and eight grand doesn’t stretch very far.

Are we asking anyone for $36000? Of course not. Paul and I fully intend to pay for our time abroad by seeking employment to cover our expenses and help provide for Mosaik, the church we are going to serve. We are going to help them, not be a burden.

But like I said before, we are jumping into the unknown. We don’t know how long it will take us to get jobs or even what type of jobs we get. I day dream of being a market peddler and selling my art. Paul wants to work at the river docks, but who knows? There is a good chance I’ll be answering phones and Paul moving boxes. We’re going to do whatever we need to in order to show Germans that church is a family not a state institution and Jesus loves them.

So, if you have already taken care of your family and your home church, Paul and I would be honored if you would consider coming along side us and help fund our journey. Like I said before, we aren’t looking for monthly support, but will gladly accept a one time donation to help get us started.

Sincerely,

Jessica

Please contact me at Jessica[dot]Boctor[at]gmail.com with any questions.

PS If you would like to know more about our specific action steps, well, we don’t have any. We leave for Germany on October 17th and have adopted a posture of “wait and see”. We are going to Mosaik to see what their needs are and how we can join into their community to fill them. 

“What if I decided the only place I can be happy is Alaska?” I asked Paul. He sighs heavy in response and can’t understand why I couldn’t be happy any place else.

It’s 2002. Paul and I have just recently started dating and my name is still Schrader. It’s sometime very late at night and we are having the first of what will be a series of ‘discussions’ throughout our relationship. Paul is home based. At this point in his life everything revolves around his family and friends, most of which are all in Riverside. I have a gypsy soul. My life is focused on whatever is coming around the next corner. I have told him I want to move away from Riverside someday and most likely overseas. He doesn’t understand this. He doesn’t think it is something he could do if we were married.

“I feel as though I should have just pushed through to get my way. My fear is now that we’ll never go to Germany,” I’m crying as I say this. Paul tightens his grip on the wheel and wants to know how I could be so selfish.

It’s 2005. Paul and I have been married for two years and living in Long Beach. I attend Cal State and he has decided to quit school. My major is German Language and Literature and I desperately want to move to Germany to study abroad. We debated back and forth, asked for prayer, sought out the wisdom of our elders and chruch members for six months before we decide to move; not to Germany but back to Riverside. I am submitting to my husband, my pastor and my God but it still breaks my heart. I know I am a determined enough person that if I wanted to make it happen, I could.

“I brought you here for a reason.” God tells me this as I wander through the woods near my grandmother’s home early one morning.

It’s 2006. Paul and I are visiting my grandmother in Trier, Germany for three weeks. He loves Germany. He loves my family, the lifestyle and the countryside. He may not want to live there, but he finally understands my enchantment. The first week is difficult for me because we’re still young and poor, going to Germany seems like a financially stupid decision. This is the moment God confirms for me it is the right one and reminds me to trust him.

“I never realized just how spiritually dark it is there” I stare at my beverage while my friend across the table starts to encourage me maybe God will give me the opportunity to be a missionary. I shake it off.

It’s 2007. I just came home from my grandmothers funeral where I gave her eulogy, in German. I am also about to graduate with my bachelors degree in Germanic Studies. To me, all chances of moving to Germany died with my Oma. I feel defeated and empty. Paul is just trying to keep me and our marriage together. Germany is where I run to in my fantasies when things get bad, which they do. We start going to counseling and learn to negotiate our dreams and hopes for our lives.

“Jess, figure out how we will live out there and pay our bills, and I’ll go.” This is Paul during one of our many ‘discussions’.

“Would you like an intern for a year?” I am sending an email to Mosaik in Düsseldorf. They don’t know me and I don’t know them, but I reach out to them anyways.

It’s 2009. I had started my own business. It’s failing. We aren’t sure how much longer we will be able to afford the place where we live and we’re both stuck in dead end jobs. I decided now might be a good time to go back to school so I apply for a Fulbright Fellowship which will pay us a stipend while I am in school. Since we are going to be in Germany and our bills will be paid, I decide to contact Mosaik Church to see if they would like some free help. We begin correspondence and it turns out Alan, who is the first respondent, knows my brother. Paul and I go to visit my family during the holidays and get to have a chance to go to service. It feels like home even though we are in a different country and don’t really know anyone there. Alan tells a few people we are thinking of moving to Germany for a short time and they become excited.

I find out in January I didn’t get a scholarship. Paul says, “If it’s God’s will He will make it happen.” Paul feels safe in this statement.

“Are you ready?” God keeps asking me this question and I realize I’m not.

It’s 2010. I feel the urge to be prepared for any situation. I square away establishing my German citizenship and getting my passport. I start reducing the amount of stuff I own. I go on a shopping fast, not buying anything without actually needing it or waiting a significant amount of time for it. Paul and I are committed to getting our finances in order.  

“I personally would love you guys to be here and if you have green light from God: what are you waiting for??? We´ll do everything in our power to help you!!!” This is from Veronika, Alan’s new wife. I adore her even though we have only met twice.

It’s 2011. After a few messages on Facebook our communications with Mosaik had run dry. I had written Alan an email asking what it would really be like for Paul and I to come to serve there and had received no response. In the meantime Paul had started an application for a job in Riverside which would provide for us. We start dreaming of buying a small condo in the wrong side of town. We decide to live intentionally with the unseen and forgotten no matter what country it is in. We are just waiting for the response from his potential employer to get things in motion when we receive this email from Veronika and a similar one from Alan. It appears my last email had gone into his spam filter, which is why he never answered. The next day Paul receives a letter from his potential employer letting us know they choose another candidate. We commit to pray and fast over our decision.

“So we’re moving to Germany?” Paul asks me this question on the Friday of our week of fasting. He really isn’t asking though, he’s stating it. The strangest part is that we both are completely at peace, there are no ‘discussions’ needed.

Since then God has been doing awesome things. Debts have been paid, possessions have been given away or sold, funds have been raised and He continues to plan our path before us. Paul and I just smile and enjoy the ride; knowing that soon enough the real work will begin.

We leave October 17th, 2011.

Nothing is mine.

I may give the posseive adjective to many nouns, my book, my house, my studio, my dog, my parents, my husband, my uncle, but in truth it only serves as a way to describe the relationship of a person, place or thing to myself.

This truth hurts.

Deeply.

As we face loss, we are forced to grapple with intense and varied emtions; fear, anger, injustice, anxiety. How are we suppose to be able to cope with these emotions? Do you punch out a pillow? Talk through them? Cry? Or in my case, cry alot?

This morning, I am trying to understand how to communicate love and hope in the face of great loss. A family member had unexpected openheart surgery yesterday morning. While the surgery went well, the recovery is proving more difficult than anticipated. I am sitting and praying; waiting for the Holy Spirit to give me some words which will balm, soothe, and grant peace to others. As I wait for the Lord, my thoughts keep going back to two biblical truths:

Nothing is mine.

God is pissed.

Psalm 24:1-2 reads, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.” God created this world, Psalm 139 talks about how He knit each and everyone of us together in the womb, we belong to Him. As much as it hurts, it also gives peace to trust God and know He has a hope and a future for us, to remember we are only stewards of the life he breaths into us.

So why does the stench of death burn so badly? Why does loss and separation feel like you’ve just been gutted? Why is it so hard to bury someone under the earth?

Death was never a part of the plan.

The pain you feel is a reflection of the pain God feels whenever He is separated from the creations which He loves so much. Genesis 1 describes God’s perfect creation; an earth and humanity which were designed for eternity. We choose different, and every generation has lived out the consequences. One day, God’s righteous anger will renew creation and we will live with Him for eternity. Until that chosen day, we (humanity and God) suffer the pain of loss together. Please don’t be fooled into thinking God is as morose about death as you and I, vengence is His and He counts each death.

I am not very good with empathy face to face. It’s not that I don’t sense and feel others, I do instensly. I’m just not very good at expressing it beyond backscratches and silent prayers. My prayer today is to be an open vessel, so when the Holy Spirit moves, I am ready to serve others in every situation.

Continuing the adventure, 

Jess

The past few weeks have been an awesome display of God’s movement as Paul and I have watched the tide of our life change.

In sharing with a friend recently, I told her how life seemed to be mostly about doing what I need to in order to keep my head above water as I let God’s current take us wherever we need to go. It has been amazing to watch as He has provided for us financially, He has freed us from our old commitments, and blessed our marriage immensely.

Recently, we even saw the safe harbor of a job on the horizons. I had applied for a customer service position and got through to the final round of interviews this week. This job, while not my dream job, would have provided security for us not only in moving to Germany but possibly moving back as well. It most likely would have allowed Paul to stay home and volunteer for the church full time. 

Today, I was notified the company went in “another direction”. I had to smile to myself at their phrasing, realising it may not have been them who moved. 

While I texted Paul “We trust God right?” my father in law was questioning me about why I didn’t get the job and consoling me that I went as far as I did. I just smiled at him, “I learned a long time ago not to pray for an outcome other than God’s will would be done.”

I think he expected me to be crushed, to be sad or disappointed. In all honesty though, all I really feel is free. I feel free to start writing, to start painting, to start anything which will allow Gods current to carry and flow through me.

Don’t be fooled into thinking I’m not terrified too. The job would have provided alot of securiy for Paul and I. Right now we are leaving for a foreign country without a source of income in less than 7 weeks. I understand fully the weight of our situation,

but what would an adventure be without a bit of uncertaintity?

 

Paul and I have been blown away by the support and encouragement we have received since we decided to move four months ago. People congratulate us, they envy us, they can’t imagine doing it themselves, they are excited for our adventures, they pray God’s movement for us; they all do a lot of things centering around us.

I want to illuminate to our readers there are many more characters in the adventure than just Paul and I. 

For example, there are mothers. Two specifically I wish to introduce you to.

Meet Martina and Sue.

My mother, Martina, has at least had some dreaded warning of this impending move. I think I was five the first time I looked up at her and said, “I want to live in Germany.” I tried to convince her to send me to live with my grandmother in grade school, jr. high and high school She would tell me she wasn’t going to send me to country where I didn’t speak the language. So I learned the language. She said I would have to get my citizenship cleared up, so I got a passport. She nearly started crying when I handed it to her.

“I didn’t think they would give it to you.”

Every now and again, I hear her mutter something about her punishment for moving 5,000 miles away from her mother. When Paul and I were praying through our decision she resolved not to give us any advice, “If I have a problem with what you decide, I’ll take it up with God.”

There have been highs and lows. After the decision was made and shared in our community she was bombarded with, “What are you going to do without Jessi?” I started warning people, “Just don’t ask her.” It has become apparent I have ruined a number of bands for my mother like Evanescence, O.A.R, and Paramore as she cannot listen to them without crying. 

For the most part though, she has been stout in her resolve to give this adventure up to God and to support Paul and I through it. This was most evident as we were once again patching and painting the building which was once home to our art studio. It was a nightmare of de ja vu as we prepped it for new tenents and walked away, but she was brave.

Sue, on the other hand, has found herself caught in a bait and switch. I’ll never forget the first time Paul told me, at age 15, that after meeting me his mother had directed him to “hold onto her.” I was on track to be a lawyer when I grew up and deemed a good girl with lots of brains, lots of determination, and lots of potential for producing grandkids and a stable homelife.

Sometimes I wonder if she would take those words back.

It turns out I am artist who hasn’t grown up, takes risks, is determined to travel as much as possible and after eight years, hasn’t produced a grandchild yet. Oh, and my idea of a good homelife means being wherever God calls us, including out of country. 

Would you marry your baby boy off to a girl like me?

It was the first family get together after we made our announcement that Sue accosted me. She grabbed my sweater by the collar and in the terrifying way only a small egyptian woman can, told me, “Jessica, this is what Paul has promised me. You are going to go, and have an adventure for two years. And then! In two years you are going to come back, settle here and make babies. SO go, for two years and come BACK!”

Paul, of course, was safely out of his mothers reach.

Since then, Sue has been supportative. She and my father in law have been amazingly hospitable, letting us stay with them to save on rent and utilties. She looks forward to coming and visiting us once we’re settled in our own place. Every now and again Paul teases me his mom will put a hit out on me if we don’t have kids in a few years, but I know, deep down she loves me. She hates that we’re moving, but she loves me.

So what’s the point? Just to give you a glimpse into what others are sacrificing for us to be obiedient to what God has called us to do. Paul and I get to go on an adventure, but we couldn’t do it without the support of those who are letting go.