Steadfastness has been on my mind. What is means to be steadfast, how God has displayed His steadfast love repeatedly throughout the Bible, and recognizing my need to grow in this area. As I was meditating on this, I glanced down and saw on my wrist, “remain steadfast”. It took me by surprise and I felt choked up. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time I have forgotten that I had a tattoo or what it says. Kind of defeats the purpose of getting them, I suppose. As I was holding back tears, I was curious why I was reacting like this.
I got this tattoo six years ago. I thought getting scripture tattooed on my body would translate to my heart, silly I know, but I really did. At the time, I kept turning back to sinful patterns out of the desire for comfort and the avoidance of fear. I would get so irritated with myself for making a strong commitment, but then folding when times got hard or uncomfortable. It was like I thought that if I had this tattooed on my wrist, it would be a regular reminder and would stop me from falling back.
The reaction to cry, I think, was out of discouragement. Still, after six years, you are still struggling with remaining steadfast? Shouldn’t you be better? Be further along?
The truth is, the way I struggled with remaining steadfast back then is not the same as today.
I do see growth and spiritual maturity. I’m very grateful that God has provided me with strength and has freed me from my previous patterns. But the need for steadfastness remains. I may not run away when times get tough, but I have difficulty accepting discomfort. The truth is, discomfort accompanies any meaningful journey. It isn’t a signal to give up or to get discouraged.
Steadfastness doesn’t throw a tantrum when there’s a setback, but instead adjusts, course-corrects and keeps moving.
James tell us that, “The testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:3) and “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial.” (James 1:12)
In order to become more steadfast, we have to go through circumstances that test our faith. That is uncomfortable.
God’s will is for our sanctification (I Thessalonians 4: 3) and sanctification is the cultivation of God’s character in us. Steadfastness is one of God’s core attributes. Time and again in the Bible, God has to deal with human betrayal and failure. He reacts by remaining committed to His promises. He always chooses restoration over abandoning His people.
In the midst of my regular awakening at night, due to the discomforts of being nine months pregnant, my mind became alert to a memory. Right after being pronounced Mr and Mrs David Blessing, hand in hand, we walked down the aisle to the song “Africa.” This probably was fresh on my mind because David and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary on August 2nd. In remembrance, we watched our wedding video. The vivid part of this memory that stuck out at 3am last night was the image of us being one and heading out into the world with that song playing.
Following that memory came a flood of others.
In my singleness I was very specific in my prayers to the Lord about how my future husband had to love Him first and also have a heart for… Africa.
The moment that drew David and I to having our first conversation was because of our missionary work in… Africa.
Right after David proposed to me, we left for our first mission trip together in… Africa.
Our engagement photos were taken on a beautiful beach in… Africa.
Last fall David and I were both offered missionary positions working to serve the people of… Africa.
Shortly after David stepped into full time mission work, there was a moment when I realized, oh boy… I might be pregnant, while we were in… Africa.
These 7 memories coming to mind, one after the other and I hear the repeated whisper… “Africa. Africa. Africa.”
Before Jesus ascended back to heaven He tells His followers to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. To invite all of humanity- regardless of how far- to turn to God. To ensure that the Gospel reaches places where Christ isn’t known. That is the call David and I feel God has given us, a deep heart for West Africa and the unreached people groups there.
I wanted to share how our ministry actually works, and invite you to be a vital part of this journey with us.
Our setup is a bit unique: we live here at home, which serves as our operational base, and we travel to West Africa multiple times throughout the year for direct, on-the-ground ministry. Between trips, David’s full-time work continues from home—coordinating projects, preparing training materials, and supporting our local partners in the field.
A lot of people naturally assume that missionaries receive a regular paycheck from their mission organization. In reality, our ministry is 100% funded through individual support raising.
Every part of what we do—our travel and field expenses, direct ministry work, and our family’s daily living expenses—is funded solely through the generosity of individuals, families, and churches who choose to partner with us financially. Without a committed team behind us, we simply cannot do this work.
We are looking for partners who will commit to ongoing monthly gifts to provide the stability we need to stay focused on the work God has called us to. As our family enters a major season of transition—with my last day of work being this Friday as I step into maternity leave—our financial reliance on ministry support is becoming even more vital. Would you prayerfully consider joining our team as a monthly financial partner?
We are so grateful for your friendship, your prayers, and your willingness to consider partnering with us to reach West Africa. Our baby girl is due next week, but could surprise us any day now. Please pray for a smooth and quick delivery, minimal pain and good health. In my next post, I’ll be introducing you to the newest Blessing—quite literally. Subscribe at the bottom of this page so you don’t miss the big news next week!
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