Destination: Home

Travelling overseas is one of my joys in this missionary calling I have.  I love exploring new cultures, eating different foods, immersing myself in the mosaic of God's people.

87 Apple pies made as a fundraiser for the
GO Conference we attended in October.

Discipleship Training School has two parts: the lecture phase where you dig into your understanding of God and build your relationship, and the outreach phase when you take some of that new understanding and share it with others, often in a different culture.  My previous DTS experiences have taken me all over the world, from New Zealand, to Southeast Asia, to India.  What a huge privilege it has been...some of the most challenging and rewarding seasons of my life.

Since returning from India last year I have been eagerly anticipating a return trip in January 2014.  This Outreach would be even more special than others I have been on because I would be returning to the place I went last year.  Working with the same family who I grew to love and cherish.  Eating the food that makes my taste-buds dance.  Wearing the clothing that reminds me each day, I am not in Canada anymore.

It made sense that I would staff the team going to India.  I had experience and going back to India was what I wanted.  I procrastinated praying about it because I felt like it was one of those no-brainer decisions when God would tell me something I already knew...yet at the same time I was a little bit nervous to pray.  What if He said no?  There was no other overseas option...

Finally with a little push from the other staff I sat down to ask God what was on His mind for me in this outreach season. I did not get the answer I was looking for. I'd love to tell you that I took it all in stride and submitted myself to God's plan without skipping a beat. However, the truth is much more selfish. I cried. I whined. I complained. I felt sorry for myself. I sighed deeply and resigned myself to the lot I had been given, dug my heels in and determined to make the most of it.  In my submission I have found peace and excitement to stay here in Canada for the outreach time and am really looking forward to seeing what happens in this season.

Home Sweet Home in Oliver, where I will be doing my outreach.

Initially I thought I would be spending six weeks in Northern Alberta working with a missionary establishing connections with First Nations communities, however that door has closed for me. A team of two from our DTS will be working there so please include them in your prayers.

It turns out I'm not going anywhere! The outreach team I am a part of will be staying in the Oliver area. When I moved here in May I had felt like it was time to put down roots here in Oliver, but never imagined that would also be happening during the outreach time.  It will be great to build on some of the relationships we have formed over the past seven months and to build new relationships as well.

As I prepare for this Outreach time please remember me in your prayers.

Prayer Requests

• Increased Revelation of God's Love and the Truth of my Identity: This DTS has been incredibly challenging for me personally as I have dug into some areas of doubt and pain in my own walk with God.  Although challenging at the moment, I know this will make me stronger in the end.  Please pray that I will lean on God for my strength during this time of pruning.
• Financial support: I am still praying for more monthly supporters to stand with me for my basic living costs.  I am grateful to my 17 supporters, but need another 37 supporters at the $20/month level.
  During the outreach time my expenses will not increase greatly as I will not need to fly overseas, but there will be transportation costs of around $200 on top of my regular monthly expenses.
• Team Unity: We have a team of 4 core members (3 students and myself), but also another 4 "satellite" team members (2 students and 2 staff) who will be working with us for parts of the outreach.  Please pray for team unity between this core team and also that we would have unity with our satellite team members, even when they are not physically with us.

Praise Reports

DTS students and Staff chopping beets at the
Okanagan Gleaners in Oliver.

• Provision: Over the past year of living fully on support I have only spent $200 of my own savings even though my monthly support is still not at a sustainable level.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
• Opportunities to Serve and Strengthening Relationships: We have had so many opportunities to serve our local community of Oliver during the past few months of DTS.  From helping with set up and clean up at the Festival of the Grape, to spending a morning slicing beets at the Okanagan Gleaners, to helping our neighbours with yard work in our community we are so thankful for the openness of this community.  Staff and Students have also begun to strengthen relationships within the Church communities here and have become involved with Church activities such as playing on worship teams, helping with youth events, reading scripture in services, working with catechism classes, and participating in church choir events.  I am also very blessed to have been able to meet one on one with the female students each week, and to have built some very strong friendships with the staff here at the base. Being a part of God's body is a huge privilege.
• Time Spent With Family and Friends: Living only three hours away from "home" means that I have been able to spend time with my parents, aunts, uncles, brothers, and friends during some of my weekends.  The encouragement, prayers, and rest have helped me continue on when the hill seems too steep to climb.
• New and Confirmed Revelations: Each week there is something in the lecture, in conversations with others, and in my own personal time with God which encourages me or gives me a glimpse of what God has in store.  The trick now is to figure out how to apply all these amazing revelations to daily life!

Thank you all for your encouragement and support!  Emails and messages are always a huge blessing.