You know when you discover something, and you think, “Why didn’t I do this years ago?” That’s how I feel about DTS.
If I could go back 20 years and do it all over again, I’d apply to a discipleship training school and begin my life as a full-time missionary. Of course, if I could do that, I would not be who I am today.
I know God did all the shaping and bending and molding and changing me during DTS, but I know so many other people also had a hand in this life-changing experience. I want to offer a thank you to everyone who supported us. Whether you showed support through prayer, finances, or just a “go get ‘em girl,” (or all three), we owe you much gratitude.
My life changed. My children’s lives changed. God put us through a refining fire so blazing hot that I literally feel like a shining piece of gold eager to share this treasure with others.
One of the new Create International staff members shared a Scripture with me Friday. She knows nothing of my life, so when she read the Scripture to me, I knew God was using her to share His heart for me. She read 1 Peter 1:6-8: “…though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire —may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, …”
That pretty much sums it up. I commit my life to God. I will serve Him until the day I can live with Him for eternity. And I trust Him and have faith in His promise to take care of us.
God has spoken clearly to us about where we are to go from here. Although I have no idea what will take place when we get to the places He is sending us, I will give Him the glory for the miracles that we and others will experience there.
We will volunteer here in Chiang Mai for the next month. A new school begins June 29, and we will lend a hand in the kitchen. I have hardly cooked at all for six months, and I cannot wait to get into the kitchen! The girls are excited also. They love to cook as much as I do. God has blessed us with this opportunity, and according to our base director, she had been praying for someone to take on the job, even if only for a short while. Prayers answered. Hallelujah.
We will leave July 16 for England, where we will participate in a two-week youth outreach. I am so excited for this. The girls will have their own opportunity to train and work in the field, serving communities and performing ministry in London as the Olympic games get underway. YWAM has a long-standing tradition of ushering in thousands of missionaries to minister during every Olympic games. We are blessed to be able to be a part of this.
From there, we will take a short break for about two weeks to visit my mom in Washington. She is flying my son out to meet us there, and I cannot tell you how excited I am to see him.
In mid-August, we hope to join the YWAM Tribal Winds base in Flagstaff, Arizona, as full-time missionaries, ministering to the Hopi and Navajo Native American tribes. I submitted my application last week, so I am waiting to hear if it will be approved. Please keep this in your prayers. God knows His plan for us, and I trust Him, so I know everything will turn out for good no matter what, but He wants us to talk to Him about everything.
I want to thank everyone again for your support and prayers. You are on the mission field with us! You are serving God with us! You are spreading the love of Jesus with us!
Blessings,
– Romans 1:19