We are an American family of 4 from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania who, in trying to follow God's call to serve Him wherever He might lead us, have found ourselves living in West Africa! Knowing that the Lord wanted to use our interest in international missions for His purposes, we applied and were accepted by SIM in 2005 to serve as long-term missionaries. Our current (and first) assignment with SIM has us living in Mahadaga, Burkina Faso, working with the Centre for the Advancement of the Handicapped since July 2007.
In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven." Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" -- Isaiah 6:1-8
Get to Know Us a Little!
Dale is a pastor's kid born in Dayton, Ohio. Having grown up in a Christian home, he began his own personal relationship with Jesus Christ at the age of 15. He went to university at Messiah College in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and studied electrical engineering. While at Messiah, Dale felt a strong call to missions work, and went to Mahadaga, Burkina Faso as a student to work on a solar power system. He was hooked. He then spent six great years working for PPL (an electric utility) before moving back to Mahadaga with his family. In the meantime, Dale also earned an M.A. in Ministry at Lancaster Bible College, completed most of an M.S. degree in Engineering Management, and gained his PE license.
"There are some things in life that are silly, and some things that are serious. Sometimes we get these confused (okay, sometimes I get them confused). But Candy Land is one of those things...it's serious. It looks silly, sure. But there's nothing more serious than a game of Candy Land. If Caleb wins too many times, what will that do to my credibility as a parent? It would be anarchy! For more advice, check out my parenting books, 'Begging Your Way to Obedient Children" and "Daddy I Cleaned the Computer, and Other Phrases You Don't Want to Wake Up To'"
The daughter of missionaries, Florence began her relationship with Jesus Christ at the age of 6, while living in Honduras, Central America, where she spent six years of her childhood. Those years played a key role in developing Florence's heart for international missions. Upon finishing high school, Florence intended to go straight back onto the mission field, but God led her instead ot Messiah College where she received her BA in Communication and minored in French. Relationships in college exposed her to the West African mission field and opened the doors for future ministry.
"One of the most challenging aspects of being a missionary mother and wife has been living those roles out without the support of my friends and family back home. It certainly stretches me to the limits and forces me to find strength for each day in God. He alone knows how many times I've gone beyond empty, and yet by His grace, I'm still standing! A good sense of humor and the ability to laugh at yourself are helpful, too! Picture me at 8-months pregnant, fairly newly-arrived and frustrated beyond words that those pesky shepherd boys will not keep their sheep out of my yard, no matter how I rant and rave! Transition to the next scene: same 8-month-pregnant white woman running after these boys, bare-foot and shaking a stick at them. Hmm...maybe I need to work on my 'missionary image' a little more."
Caleb is "all boy". He loves to play "mechanic", somehow managing to cover himself in black soot from under the car every time. He begs to "drive" the Yamaha rhino at every chance he gets. He chases the cat with sticks (and sometimes his little brother and the neighborhood kids, too). He is obsessed with cars and airplanes; his favorite movie is "Cars".
Any parent will tell you that the baby years fly by, and Caleb's baby years are no exception. When we first arrived in Mahadaga, Caleb was an 18-month-old baby, and now he's a 6-year-old "little man". He is quite sure that he's the boss around here and does not hesitate to exercise his "authority". But despite his somewhat dominant and extroverted ways, Caleb is also very sensitive. He worries about mom and dad if we are not home when a storm comes and often informs us that he will be our superhero and take care of us. He does not like to make mistakes and would rather wait on trying a new skill until he is sure he can really do it.
What a fun, energetic little guy! Joel rarely walks...he runs everywhere. He has a ready smile and a cute giggle. Much like his brother, Joel does everything in earnest...including trying to get his own way. He loves to follow and imitate his big brother, but he's still definitely "his own man". Joel is the shyer one of our two boys (if you can call either of them shy). He is much clingier to mommy, is often frightened of strangers and loud noises and does not like big crowds. Since his 3rd birthday, he's become quite the talker, peppering our days with incessant (and sometimes rather comical) chatter.
Joel is a true Burkinabe: born in Ouagadougou 5 months after we arrived in Burkina Faso. He prefers eating with his hands, much like the local custom, and would rather do his business outside in nature than in our man-made porcelain throne. Joel loves chasing animals, dancing to music, coloring, and reading books.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Anniversary: | Jan 8, 2000 |
| Birthdays: | |
| Dale: | 2/13/78 |
| Florence: | 7/19/78 |
| Caleb: | 2/04/06 |
| Joel: | 12/22/07 |
| Education: | |
| Dale: | Penn Trafford High School, '96 |
| Messiah College, '00 | |
| BS Engineering, electrical emphasis | |
| Lancaster Bible College, '08 | |
| MA Ministry, leadership studies | |
| Florence: | Lebanon Christian Academy, '96 |
| Messiah College, '00 | |
| BA Communication, French minor | |
| Previous Employment: | |
| Dale: | PPL Electric Utilities, 2000-2006 |
| Customer Service Engineer | |
| Florence: | Capital Blue Cross, 2002-2006 |
| Customer Reporting Data Analyst | |
Quotable Quotes:
"I believe now that I had to fail...before I could recognize the reality standing bold as life before me. In order to welcome redemption, one must first embrace the utter hopelessness of failure. For how can a man look for rescue unless he knows he is truly lost?" - Stephen Lawhead in Pendragon
"When you hear me, daddy, I will call you." -- Caleb Johnson
Silly Soundquips:
Trivial Trivia: Hobbies, Recent Reading and other random facts about the Johnson family
Coming soon...
