BIG UPDATE!
- 17 minutes ago
- 6 min read
We just graduated the first DTS! It was a great success, and gets me so excited for the next one. Speaking of next, read on to hear what God revealed for the next season of my life and ministry!
The last seven months have just flown by! It's crazy to think of how just a short time ago, all the students showed up ready to grow into more maturity in Christ and pursue His passionate purposes for the whole world. Some of them had an idea of what God was calling, some had no clue. All of them had areas that God wanted to grow in them, but at that point they didn't know what those even were. Now, just seven months later, all of them have grown immensely into the calling of Jesus. They all have plans for the next steps to continue to grow in Jesus, and they have been wrecked for the ordinary. My continued prayer is that they would never be the same, and that the unreached nations would rejoice at the sound of their feet coming over the mountains with the Good News. In fact, all seven of our students expressed perceiving that God has called them to be a missionary! What a joy.
I have always loved DTS. My DTS wrecked my worldview and broke my heart for what breaks God. It highlighted to me the greatest injustice in history, and God used it to bring me into a team even more passionate than I for the unreached. After this last season, I love DTS even more. To be a tool in the hand of the Craftsman to shape and mold the lives of these ready ones leaves me blessed beyond belief. I watched all of them be transformed to be more like Jesus right before my eyes. Some of them became unrecognizable from that first day when they arrived. Then to watch them realize one by one that God was calling them to join in the greatest mission, the greatest story since the world began? It brings me to tears even now. To see the greatness of God in a discipleship community, through the lives of people he disciplines because he loves.
Which leads me to big announcement number 1!
I will be training to be a DTS school leader at YWAM Trang! I am SO excited to be a part of this ministry going forward, and to be able to continue to accomplish God's mission in this way. Practically, that comes with an additional 3 year commitment to YWAM Trang. I still have no intentions to return to the States after that point. God could call me anywhere, and I don't want to assume it's back to the States, or anywhere else for that matter. Whether here or another unreached country, commitment to a specific ministry or no, my life is for Christ. Meaning I do not have the liberty to assume where I will live and serve at any given point in time.
Visa Update
As I mentioned in the last letter, I am in need of a visa. Prior to this last week, my only option for a visa was to be the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV). That still remains the most likely visa option. If that is the visa I need, there are however, some very high requirements. I will need to take a two week cooking course in Bangkok, leave the country every 6 months, as well as have $16,200 (500,000 THB) frozen in my bank account. One additional nuance to this visa is that I need the $15,000 to be in my account for three months before applying for the visa, as well as the $1,500 a month coming in monthly for six months before applying.
Now, that being said, as of this week I had the opportunity to apply for a Religious Affairs (Missionary) visa! Now, that is not a guarantee that get this visa. On Wednesday our friend is going to officially be submitting the application for me. Please join me in prayer that I receive the missionary visa. This would be an incredible blessing, and so incredibly needed. I would be able to remain on this visa for as long as I am in Thailand and be able to operate with much freedom to do what God desires here! It would be a miracle to be able to remain here without concern for what my next visa would be. I know that either way, whether it is the DTV or the Missionary visa, God will provide.
Time in the States
As you all know, I will be back in the States this spring! I just bought flights for April 14th! If you want to meet up in that time, please reach out to me now. The current tentative plan is to be in the Grandview area from April to mid-May, then to spend some time in CDA, and then back to Grandview until the end of June. If you would like me to share what God is doing, what I am doing, or about the importance of missions at your church or with a group of friends, please reach out! I would love to share.
My family is working on getting me a car for my time in the States, so I am able to go around and see all of you! I would love to be able to help pay for some of that. They are trying to find something around $1,500-2,000 USD. If you have a car I could borrow in that time, or are selling a car cheap, please let me know!
Additionally, as I've been praying about my time in the States and what God is calling me to in the future, I perceive that God is leading me to do a Bible Core Course at YWAM Montana Lakeside in the summer. I am so excited for how God is leading! As we go into another phase of YWAM Trang, those 12 weeks in Montana seem like a very timely pause in ministry to get away with Him. To prepare for the next steps of leadership and to reflect on God's faithfulness in the last. The school starts on June 27th. I will need $3,800 to pay for the school. I will also need a new computer setup, as my computer is already ceasing to function as intended. After doing a lot of research, I will need to get an iPad to replace my computer. It will be about $1,300 for the iPad and the rest of the necessary setup.
Financial Update
As you have seen throughout this letter, I have a few large expenses coming up! With travel back to the States, costs for the visa, the BCC in the summer, the iPad, some support for the car I'll be using in the States, and the need for an increase in monthly income, means I have a pretty big goal I'm shooting for! The good news is, when we follow God, he provides for all we need, when we need it!
If I need the DTV I will need to raise $25,000 as a one time boost and $400 more monthly. If I get the missionary visa I will only need to raise about $8,000 one time and $400 more monthly. Quite a difference!! Please pray that God would provide the missionary visa, but either way, pray with me that God would provide all the necessary finances for this upcoming season.
Prayer Requests
All our students as they walk out the next steps of what God is calling them to!
Pray I get the missionary visa this week!
Pray over all the upcoming financial needs. God's about to provide big! Pray with me and be a part of this miracle!
Unity for YWAM Trang in this next season as many of our staff will be gone for a considerable amount of time.
God would continue to grow me and lead me as I step into this training role for DTS school leading!!
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