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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

One month in


Here's an update from my monthly newsletter. Please contact me if you'd like to recieve it. If you've gotten the update and are following the blog to read more, scroll below to read on about Carmen's wedding & teaching.
Today, April 17, marks exactly one month since I kicked off partnership development (PD) at Gibbsville Reformed. It has been an exciting and overwhelming month. God has shown me again and again His faithfulness in provision. I have been humbled by the amount of prayer and financial support I've received from members at Gibbsville and various friends who've been eager to join the team and reach Spain with the gospel. It has been such a blessing and privilege for me to meet with people and share how God has led me to ministry in Spain and an even greater blessing to get to know my partners better and pray with them. Part of me wants to freeze this time as it is so special, but I know the goal is to bring the gospel to Spain and for that, we must keep moving.
I plan to finish following up with people at Gibbsville by the end of April and in May begin to connect with other family and friends to partner in ministry. One month in and God has provided 56% of my prayer partners, 25% of my outgoing costs, and 21% of my monthly financial partners!

I am very thankful that God has called me to World Team Spain. I feel so honored and unworthy at the same time. I'm grateful that God has given me a peace and confident trust in His provision. I know that He will provide all that is needed for the ministry in Spain; it's just a matter of when and how. I was encouraged by a friend who told me that God already knows everyone who will be my teammates; I just need to be faithful in following how God leads. What sweet peace there is in serving our sovereign, good King.

As we partner together, please let me know how I can be praying for you too. I would love to be praying in specific ways for you.

Continuing from my monthly newsletter:

Carmen's Wedding!

I am so excited that Carmen Corral (a friend from Spain who was a foreign exchange student to Oostburg) is getting married! I am also so honored that she would invite me to her wedding in Spain. At first, I didn't think I could go because of the cost. However, God has provided, and I'm going! Thankfully through some tax refunds, I can afford to travel to Spain for Carmen's wedding. I am so excited to be part of her special day and witness the promise she is making before the Lord. I am confident that Carmen and her husband will seek to please the Lord in their marriage. 

While I'm in Spain for the wedding, we're hoping that I can spend time with World Team staff as well. It'd be great to use the trip out there to visit my future teammates as well as get a vision for the work God has for me on their team. I am very excited about this!

Teaching

The teacher's aide position that God provided for this season of my life is so perfect. I love the kids and staff I get to work with! The small groups are really enjoyable, and less planning is great. Thankfully, God is providing for the fall too. Since the goal is to leave in February, I had major doubts that I would be rehired for the next school year. It would make much more sense, in my mind, to hire someone for a full school year. However, my principal has said they really want me back in the fall and are full aware that I'll be leaving. I mentioned that I will probably need a week off in September to go to Spain, and he said, "No problem. We'll work around it." Wow! God is providing for me in miraculous ways. I will not only be able to keep building on the relationships that I've formed thus far, but I'll also be able to keep earning money to help pay off my student loans. 

I'm thankful that God is providing in this way. I am also trusting that He will provide for this summer in some way. I'm not sure what job I'll have, if any. I'm surrendering my summer to the Lord and trusting that He will provide the work and money I need. If I'm supposed to focus solely on partnership development, then I will with great joy. I will also need even greater faith for the money to pay off my student loans. Yet I know that God is the provider of all things, and I will trust in Him.