Embraced

We have a Everett's in Brasil facebook page. I just posted a thank you to Good Shepherd Community Church in Bellingham for what a great example they are of taking their role as supporting church seriously. I received a question from some one as to what was our perspective on a church who takes their role as supporting church seriously. I answered his question and thought I'd post it here.
Now, first though, I didn't at all mean it as a negative thing to our other supporting churches. We have enjoyed our time and appreciated all of the churches we have been to. We have been faithfully encouraged and we know that we have been uplifted in prayer. We love the conference we were recently in at Ferndale and felt very much how we did after visiting Good Shepherd. We went to Lewiston and got to stay in a little house near the church which was also a blessing. There are a lot of things we could say about each of our supporting churches that is special to us. It's just that what we experienced at GSC was so different. Well, I'll just post my response and you'll see what I mean.

I wanted to answer your question about a supporting church and what we consider a good example.
Good Shepherd community's support goes beyond the dollar amount they send us. They formed small groups within their church and took us on as their missionary. I don't think we were the focus of the group, but rather, we were just considered part of their group. They emailed us weekly asking for prayer requests, sent us prayer requests from their group, and even sent us surprise little packages. They were such an encouragement to us and actively engaged in our ministry.
Now being back on furlough, we went to their church yesterday. What we usually encounter is Steve speaking, us standing at our display at the back of the church afterwards, and an occasional person stopping to ask a question or make a comment. Then we go out to eat either with the pastor or youth pastor and leave to go back home. We don't see this as a negative thing, but what we experienced yesterday was quite different.
From the moment we walked into church, people began saying how they had looked forward to our coming, they were engaged by asking questions, and telling us what they had read on one of our prayer letters. Steve and I were interviewed during the service instead of Steve preaching and we were able to just share with them some instances in which they had been a big encouragement to us and probably didn't even know how much.
After the service we had a potluck. Steve and I ended up at different tables and I didn't finish my lunch or dessert because of how many questions were coming my way. It was a really good problem to have.
Support for us goes beyond the financial support and includes engagement, encouragement, prayer, and really being partners with the people.

Missionaries are normal people with an unusual job in a foreign setting. We have our own set of struggles, temptations, weaknesses and times of lonliness. We need encouragement, communication, engagement, and effective ferverent prayers of the saints. God has used you all and will continue to use you in our lives. You are part of His body and through His body, He touches us. He is good all the time and we thank Him for providing just the right email, phone call, birthday card or random package. These are all things that go beyond the financial support that a church gives.