Training, Change, and the Blessings of a Home Church

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We were able to meet up with a few members of our team at the missionary enrichment conference in Pittsburgh this past week. In the middle are Matt and Barb Douglas, whom Hanna lived and worked with during a portion of her internship back in 2019. 



July proved to be a month full of challenge and blessing.
The challenge came in the form of time, as we are still at the early stages of support raising where it proves necessary for us to continue with our full-time secular work while balancing the ministry.
In order to leave for the field, it is necessary for us to pay off a good portion of our outstanding debt, the majority of which was accrued as a result of the multiple surgeries and treatments Hanna has had to have in order to keep her recurring autoimmune disease at bay. This has slowed the support raising process more than we would have hoped, but we are confident that the Lord is continuing to work regardless. And the blessings we have experienced this month alone are proof.

We praise God that our very first supporting church came through this month. On July twelfth, we were asked to share our ministry with a friends home church. It was truly a time of fellowship that we will never forget, and we are truly thankful to have them be a part of God's work in the ministry. Trenton gave a message on picking up your cross that evening, which I will include the link to below for anyone who is interested in watching. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VO825RY1LM&t=8s



On Sunday, July 24th, we were back on the road to Pittsburgh for the annual ABWE missionary enrichment Conference. While there, we had a wonderful time of fellowship, learning, and continued encouragement. We partook in many of the daily breakout sessions offered including the Heart, Mind, and Soul Seminar on Monday as well as the Conflict Management Seminar on Wednesday afternoon.
On Monday evening, we were introduced to over five hundred existing ABWE missionaries as the newest appointees to the field, and it was truly a special moment just to look back at all God has brought us through throughout this journey and look forward to how He continues to pave the way for the future.
From there, we said goodbye to many of our teammates, some of which are leaving for the field this month and others whom we are not sure when we will see again in the future.
We then traveled back to headquarters in Harrisburg, where we partook in a three-day security training.



We arrived home very early Monday morning, got a few hours of sleep, and then headed out for the Iosco Ministerial Association's 2nd annual Vacation Bible School which we had been selected to run. We were able to work through the account of creation on Monday and will continue to work through the "Way to Hope" devotional with the kids throughout the week. It has been a blessed time with very fruitful discussion, and we look forward to continuing in that over the next few days.
We were also blessed to be able to share our ministry at the 2nd annual Light and Life Festival Monday evening, and enjoyed our time of fellowship with many of the local churches in the area. If you would like to see an overview of our presentation, you can do so by clicking the link below. 
https://fb.watch/eFv34tdZY6/

Lastly, we would like to give you a little insight into what the next few months will look like for us. One thing we are sure of is that there will be alot of change, and we ask that you would pray for us as we move forward.
  1. August 1st-4th are the dates for the VBS we have been asked to run, so please pray for a fruitful last few days with the kids. 
  2. August 8th-12th are the dates for the Hale Baptist Church VBS, so please pray likewise for that ministry. 
  3. August 20th, Hanna will be at the Tawas Ice Arena for the art fair. She will have the table set up with flyers, prayer cards, and sign up sheets if you are interested in stopping by. 
  4. August 31st, we will be sharing our ministry with Calvary Baptist Church of Gaylord, Michigan. 
  5. And, September 1st and 2nd, we are having a garage sale to raise money for our general moving fund.

As time moves on, we continue to pray for guidance as to what to do in regards to our work and house situation. Trenton has just recently put his one-month notice in as the general manager of Burger King, so please pray that the Lord would continue to open and close the doors as He sees fit.
Every day we continue to praise Him for His blessings as well as for His sustaining strength in our weakness. He, indeed, is moving in a mighty way. 

 
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