I met the Taylor Family in 2013 when we went through a 1-year discipleship program together in San Diego, CA. I was greatly inspired by their faith to completely uproot themselves from their home state of Colorado to go where God was leading. Toward the end of that year God would call the Taylor Family to join Him in a long-term mission in the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, Haiti. I had the privilege of joining them on that journey. I saw Jesus often through their generous and selfless service toward many. 2 Corinthians 2:14 says, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” The Taylors are living examples of this truth. I invite you to read their story below and to prayerfully consider supporting them in this next leg of their race.
- Mike Ortiz
Dear Friends and Family,
9 years ago was a significant moment for our family. Since then, amidst the travels from Colorado to California, to Haiti, and back, we’ve felt fully convinced to hold everything with an open hand; saying to God that our careers, our homes, our family, and our very lives belong solely to Him.
A little over a year ago, after our time serving at the Rock School of Ministry had come to an end, God started highlighting the thought of moving to us. At first, I resisted it because I had full-time employment with a church and our son was about to begin his sophomore year in high school, while our daughter was entering her freshman year. I was afraid that moving would create instability in their lives, and I would again, feel the reality of being deeply dependent upon God’s supernatural provision for our family.
Around the same time this was happening in our lives, my wife Andrea had a deep desire to “put roots down” after the previous 11 moves we had made in the 18 years of our marriage. During her birthday in 2021, I purchased some wall art for her. The wall art had an aspen tree and said, “Strong Roots Produce Beautiful Leaves.”
When she saw it, tears began to flow. The aspen trees reminded her of Colorado and the moment we fully surrendered to God’s will for our lives, stepping into the unknown of leaving our friends and family to move to California, where she knew nobody and we had no job lined up. The message on the wall art spoke deeply to her heart, that living in one location is not what necessarily builds beautiful trees, but it’s having strong roots deeply founded in Jesus Christ that will produce this. She surrendered that desire, and was once again, freed up and available to go anywhere the Lord would lead.
Fast forward to December of 2021. The house we are currently renting was sold to another person. This quickly began the reality that our time in our current home (3 years) was coming to an end. We, as a family, began to seek God and ask Him what He wanted, even if that was to leave California.
God began to make it abundantly clear that our next season would not be in California, but in Texas. This isn’t because of socio-economic issues, or because we’re following the many people who have left CA. We believe God is leading us there. We really don’t have all the details of what we’ll be doing, just the next step. I’ve found that God sometimes gives us the next step to take while withholding the details, and we've learned to be content with that.
We do know the things God has put on our hearts, which are: to serve God collectively as a family, and for us to serve as a part of an equipping school again.
The costs included above would cover all of our out-of-pocket expenses and would be such a blessing for us in this move! Things like: packing supplies, travel expenses move-in costs, one-time school costs, and the cost of some furniture items that we haven't replaced since returning from Haiti are all included.
Please know that your support means the world to us! We’re so grateful for you and for any way that God moves on your heart to support our family and partner with us in this move, whether by giving, praying, sharing, or all of them. If you’d like to receive updates from this campaign, please click the “follow now” button so we can update you as we hit milestones on the way!
With love,
the Taylor Family
How to Give
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