Seeking

During a meeting with Israel Contreras, the pastor at Iglesia Biblica Misionera (IBM church), he encouraged our Short Term Missions team of 7 to ask the Lord why He would send us to Queretaro, Mexico and consider the impact would outlast the week. Every time I pause to consider, there is a new facet for which to remain in awe! But one thing we want to highlight about our trip is God's gift to peel back the curtain to see a glimpse of that future day by witnessing  unity in the body, in service and in the hope & need we all share today .  STM Team + Pastor Isra (blue shirt behind wife Maru) & wife Maru (pink pants) @ IBM church on Sunday Our team stayed in 4 different houses of IBM church members, and we were welcomed like family - given their bedrooms, time and love. Before we even arrived, our host husband reached out to mine asking if I preferred almond or coconut milk, since I am sensitive to dairy. Late on our travel day, I was eager to get "home" to rest, tho...

Happy New Year, beloved! To start out the year, we want to highlight a missionary couple: Art & Emalou Norris, as told by Juanita Fike in, "The Hand of the Ancient One." They served the Navajo people faithfully at various reservations for 42 years as husband and wife (plus their time as singles, prior to marriage). This couple has spurred us on, and we pray their conviction, unity and humility spur you on, whether single or married, as you press on where the Lord has you to minister to those around you. If I can sum up this couple in one word, the word is: conviction. When sobered by the reality that many natives had died without hearing the gospel, Art prayed, " 'I can't do anything about those people, but as long as You [God] give me life, I'll do everything to make sure the present generation of Indians know about Jesus' " (3). On his way to Prairie Bible Institute at 23 years old, facing logistical "setbacks," he thought, "Unce...

In February, I attended a high-school parent appreciation dinner at our church. The Leader, Kumi, had students (including Zachary) write and read a eulogy for their parents. Kumi started this tradition several years back after attending a memorial service where a child spoke about their parent, and he thought if only the parent could have heard that during their life. Between January and April, we received the news of 7 deaths, and it has been sobering. As we have been, we want to encourage you to seize three opportunities before you today : 1) forgive one another, 2) redeem the time and 3) fulfill the greatest commandment.  "Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity... forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:26-27, 32, NASB). The reality is we get angry and sin against one another. I have heard it said, once upset, the clock starts ticking, to "get over it....

Beloved, it is that time of year when the season is about to change and students are going back to school. Recently, in a Q&A, a young lady shared her testimony and call to serve as a missionary with bible translation. She defined her "spiritually dry season" as a time of being lonely with unmet expectations, in a region where there are no thriving, strong or welcoming churches - she had to bear her burdens alone, apart from her strong church family and look straight to the Lord. This summer, while reading "God does His best Work with Empty," by Nancy Guthrie, it was made clear I am naturally dry and empty, but Christ is faithful to continue providing Himself  (see Philippians 4:19 and Romans 8:32 ). In her book, Nancy hones in on the perspective of seeing emptiness in our life as a pre-planned opportunity for God to personally fill us in ways no one and nothing else can. Instead, we tend to quickly and regularly feed on our 'disappointment or frustration...

This past month I had the blessing of two weeks off from work at CBU, since my job is active 10 months each year. With some of the time I was able to rest and reflect, quite a bit. For our update, we would like to share some pictures, praises and prayer requests.  Praise Reports: July 1, Husband, Zachary and I toured the Master's University, and Zachary said it was his favorite college tour, so far; he also enjoyed his first time eating sushi, and we had a great conversation (picture #1); July 4, Husband and I celebrated by taking "A," an international student athlete to the airport, before she went back home to Western Europe; I met her at work, and it was a gift befriending her; I gave her a copy of the "Gospel Primer" and pray the Lord continues drawing her to Himself (picture #2); Husband and I had the blessing of meeting up and sharing with two young couples that are courting; Husband and I were able to fellowship with a brother and another family for lunch...

"There [at Puteoli] we [Paul, prisoners and guard] found some brethren, and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and thus* we came to Rome" (Acts 28:14, NASB; *see Acts 13-28 for Paul's rugged missionary life). Husband and I are back from our vision trip to Rome and would like to share about meeting the Italian theological Academy (ITA) missionary team, visiting the local church and assessing whether this could be where the Lord would have us relocate to serve. The ITA team consists of three main leaders (+3 associate professors in Genoa and Florence): Johnny Gravino (missionary), Cesare Albanessi (missionary) and Sebastian Mendez (ITA graduate now pastor). The Gravinos and Alabanessis are in Rome, and the Mendezes are in Messina which is near Sicily in the south. The academy serves to build the church by  training and equipping men to understand and properly divide the word (click here  for more info), with a goal to plant a church in Rome . ITA classes have ...

Happy March beloved! While I do not like the rain, I know that that which is watered grows. This month, we have three areas that are bearing fruit: first, Husband, Hacob and I attended a one-day missions symposium; second, Husband attended the annual Shepherd's conference ; and third, the family and I are adjusting to me working 30 hours a week at CBU. Jonathan Jones (elder), me, Husband, Cesare, Johnny, Pastor Mike Berry, Yarislav On Tuesday, March 8, Husband, Hacob and I embarked on a journey to Santa Clarita at 5:30AM. I could not help feeling nostalgic, recalling two years prior, I was a babe in my understanding with missions and only two months at our new church. That was the conference where many had suggested linking up with Johnny Gravino (GMI missionary in Rome). Since 2020, we have grown EXPONENTIALLY; this year we were able to understand much of the topics being discussed. Also, we were able to have lunch with Johnny, two others from his team in Italy, our missions pasto...