The Balkans: Liddell Update
You may remember when Fred and Jonelle Liddell (from Peninsula Friends Church) shared with us last year about their calling to serve in the Balkans. Here is the video, in case you missed it or would like to rewatch it.
Over the last couple years, we’ve had a growing relationship with this family from upper Washington. Fred and Jonelle received a call from the Lord to take their young family into a new mission field: The Balkans. They were our featured missionaries for our 2023 Shine Retreat.
In April, Pastor Robert and Lisa were able to connect with Jonelle at Pastor’s Conference out at Twin Rocks Friends Camp. It was a great time to catch up, especially given their new update! ⬇️
Great news! Jonelle and Fred Liddell, the first household to respond to EFM’s Five-Year Goal, are now halfway to their support-raising goal. This is a major milestone because they can now join EFM’s missionary community full-time! They will pour all their energy into training for language and culture learning, partnership development, and preparing for the field. Once they finish this training and reach 100% of both their monthly financial need and prayer partner goals, they can deploy to the Balkans.
From Jonelle:
We’ve been praying about when Fred should give notice and finally felt God’s nudge and release a few weeks ago. His last day is May 22, and if God provides, we will go straight to full-time with EFM at that time. Next steps will include in some order: selling our house, moving in with Fred’s parents in San Diego, visiting some of the Idaho churches, deputation in another yearly meeting, a month of training in Colorado, a prayer and planning trip to Croatia, and hopefully moving to Croatia around December or January. We hope to start language school in the spring term, which starts at the end of February or beginning of March next year. God has been using this time of slow progress in ways we can see and ways that I’m sure we can’t see, but we are excited to be nearing this transition point. Thank you for you prayers and support, we look forward to visiting again after our first term and updating you on what God does!
Supporting the Liddells:
As we celebrate this benchmark, if you sense the Lord prompting you to support the Liddells through prayer and/or financial support, follow this link. It would propel you towards stepping into this amazing opportunity to share Christ’s love in a place of great need. It will be a great encouragement to them too!
