GoWests!

Here we are well into March of 2024 already. Hard to imagine.  As the Winter is trying to hold on, and Spring is trying to enter, I can confidently tell you that we are all cheering for Spring!  While the Winters are beautiful and fun in their own way it’s time for a change 😊

We are also entering into a new season of changes at work, and with family. So much has transpired in 2023, and 2024 seems to promise more of the same excitement. Samuel and Kinley have since moved to her home town, Oklahoma city, to get settled into their first year of marriage. While they love YWAM and their time in Kona, their journey toward and into marriage happened quite quickly. They decided to step out of full-time ministry for the moment, and establish their own rhythm and routine as a newly married couple.

Joel is in his last semester at college here in Kalispell Montana finishing his AA. He has been accepted at Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman this coming Fall. He will move down there in August to complete his final two years of undergraduate study. We are super proud of him.

Eden continues to impress us and is doing so well.  She is in her last semester of her sophomore year (that’s 10^th grade for our Aussie readers 😊).  Volleyball has started up again, so our Spring is about to become hectic with travel, games, tournaments, and sleepovers.

For Molly and I, our work is transitioning a bit. Molly continues in her work with the Campus Directors. My role however has shifted a bit. Almost 6 years ago I was asked to take on the role of DTS Director on top of my other jobs.  I am so pleased and proud to have been able to identify two wonderful replacements for that role.

They are fantastic people, younger and filled with gifts that will allow them to grow the department into a new season of effectiveness.  I will remain as the Discipleship Team Leader overseeing DTS, Equip (our leadership development school), Summer Programs, and our School of Missions and Evangelism. But with the crucial role of DTS Director in [someone else’s] safe hands, I can focus more on coaching, leadership spotting and training. It also frees me up a little more to work on a few other personal ministry projects, as well as teaching in other locations.

One highlight from this month already has been an overdue trip out to California to visit dear friends, ministry partners, churches and family. A whirlwind 10 days, and so worth it. Thank you to anyone of you reading this! It was such fun!

We hope you are all doing so well and seeing the Lord interact with you and through you, wherever you are and whatever you do. We are all simply sent-ones where we are, if we will recognize it. We pray that you do!

Love and blessings,

Jeremy and Molly.

Update from the Westside – Dec 2023

Another year gone by, a multitude of memories made, saying goodbyes to some dear family and friends, as well as welcoming a new family member into our clan.  While 2023 was different than many of us thought it would be, many of the best things continued: the faithfulness of God in family, finances, work and ministry.

Life in the Mission:

On the work/ministry front, things are moving along at breakneck speed, as usual. Molly continues in her role as Exec Asst to the Ministry Directors here in Lakeside. She does a fantastic job, essentially helping to run the ministry! On my end, a big change is underway. After a couple of years of scouting and planning, I recently announced that I have found a successor to my role as Discipleship Training School (DTS) Director. I took the job in 2018 with some specific goals in mind. I am so happy with the people I work with and the growth of the department and ministry that we have accomplished together. Simply put, my work is done, and the future would be served best by a leader with a different gift-set, and someone a bit younger! I will continue as the Team Leader over all Discipleship Programs (this includes DTS as well as other schools and leadership training), while helping to train and establish the new DTS Director.

Family Update:

This year has definitely been a whirlwind in terms of family evets, changes and additions.  Sadly, as many of you already know, my (Jer’s) mum passed away in March. I was so blessed to be able to be with her at the end, making the trip down under less than a week before she passed away.  This itself was a gift from God, as I had already scheduled a trip to see her a few weeks later, but both Molly and I felt an urgency to change plans and travel earlier.  There is too much to share in this short space, suffice to say she was a wonderfully selfless and supportive mother, truly a General in the Kingdom of God, and many, many people will miss her presence.  As was stated in her eulogy, “she was loved in heaven, and feared in hell”.  We are all so grateful to the Lord for her life, and legacy.

Shortly after returning from Australia with Molly, I travelled to Hawaii to see a dear father in the faith, Loren Cunningham.  He was the Founder of Youth With A Mission with his wife Darlene, and was battling advanced cancer.  They are truly a gracious, humble, and kind couple. They happily welcomed me into their personal space where I could spend some time with Loren in his living room.  Many will remember Loren as a modern-day apostle and a visionary missionary leader.  For myself, due to our long history with the Cunninghams and their family from the early 1980’s (I was good friends with their son as a young boy), I will also remember him as a kind man to a young boy, and the father of a close friend.  In the early 2000’s when I was serving in Kona as an adult, I had the privilege of working closely with Loren as his P.A.  It was an education (!) and an honor.  Loren went to be with the Lord this October. Molly and I were also able to be at his celebration of life services in Kona.

In between all of that, our eldest son Samuel decided to get engaged, and then married within 4 months! Samuel is serving with YWAM in Kona. Late in 2022 while taking more schools for training and development, he met a lovely young lady, “Kinley”.  We are so happy to welcome her into our family as a second daughter, and to Eden’s excitement, “finally, a sister!” They were married here in Montana then moved back to Kona to continue serving with YWAM in Kona.  Back in Montana, Joel is doing well in his second year of college, while Eden is shining in 10^th grade now (hard to believe!).

Overall, this year has been one of extreme transition and change.  Through everything, we have seen the goodness of God, his provision, his leading, and the blessing of many close relationships. We have learned to be thankful in the good times and press into (not withdraw) from times of suffering and grief. The Lord is so good to meet us there, and helps to develop our gratitude, and compassion.

Thank you for your ongoing love and support. I know this was a long letter, so thank you also for reading this far!  Thank you to everyone for being part of 2023 with us, and here’s to 2024!

Love from us all, Jeremy, Molly, Joel, Eden, (and Sam & Kinley 😊)

September 2023, Westside Update

Hello friends.

As we roll into September, it’s hard to believe that our Summer is coming to an end (and for us here in Montana we are sad to see it go!).

What a whirlwind our Summer has been. On the Mission and training front we have been involved in 4 training schools these last few months: DTS Equip (our leadership school), Summer Programs school (a 2-month missions and discipleship experience over the Summer), and two DTSs: the Endurance DTS and the Summer DTS (Jeremy is leading that school at the moment, as well as overseeing the others as Discipleship Director). The Summer Programs School had a hugely successful outreach in Mexico and the Caribbean, working with local YWAMers, churches, Bible distribution, and evangelism, including connecting miraculously with the local Mexican cartel. Now, our two DTSs are heading out to Cambodia and Nepal until November. While this was going on we had the privilege of walking with two couples as they prepared for marriage. Last month, Jeremy then performed both ceremonies. Such a joy and encouragement to see wonderful and godly young couples get married, so well.

On the family front our lives have now been changed forever. Early this year we received the exciting news that our son Samuel had met that “special-someone” while studying with YWAM in Kona.  Kinley ‘West’ has officially entered our lives! Kinley is a wonderful young woman who loves Jesus, has her sights set on missions, and loves Samuel too! 😊 Her personal passion is working with women during their pregnancy, maternal care, and ultimately to become a midwife.  With their goal to be back in missions serving within YWAM and locally in Kona starting mid September, they decided it was the most practical thing to do was to get married late August.  So they did.  Well as practical as that was, it put us on an exciting, but rapid schedule for most of the summer! As I write this, it has been only a single week since their wedding here in Montana (I think we are still catching up on sleep and energy!). 

Over the next two weeks we have teams leaving for the field, a whole new DTS of 40 eager students arriving, a trip to Cambodia, teaching around the world via Zoom, and other ministry responsibilities here at home.  Thank you for following us on our journey, together, all this time. Love and blessings!

Jeremy and Molly.

(click on the pics below for descriptions)

Westside Update, May 2023

Hello friends!

As you know we have a lot going on in our lives out here with YWAM in Montana. Part of that life is constantly discipling, equipping, and sending teams into the nations.  This month I wanted to send you an update from one of our teams in Cambodia at the moment.  We are so proud of them and can’t wait to hear even more stories in person when they get back later this month. I will sign off with this recent report from them. Read both parts! Part 1 finishes with them heading into Part 2, and the results they saw the following week.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for being part of the harvest!  Jeremy and Molly

Part 1:

Hello from Serei Saophoan in Bantey Manchaey!

We just left Battambang and are in Serei Saophoan for the next 2 weeks. We have had such a great time in Battambang getting to see God move in the big and the small! Over the last month we have shared the gospel to strangers, friends, school students, tuk tuk drivers, security guards and business owners. We have seen God heal at least 4 people and seen over 30 people give their lives to the Lord. It was hard to leave Battambang and say goodbye to our friends, but we are excited for what comes next. 

Serei Saophoan is a smaller town surrounded by rural villages. We are working with a ministry that provides dormitory housing for high school aged girls so that they can complete their education and grow in their relationships with Jesus. Most of the girls are new Christians and are from rural villages. In this province of Cambodia around 90% of students do not finish high school. 

Over the next two weeks we will be working in a village nearby, teaching English and speaking to people about Jesus as well as working with the girls at the dormitory after school. We are also preparing for a kids camp.

Part 2!

In Serei Saophoan, we had been visiting Kontuit Village everyday to run a kids English class and do some evangelism in the village. One Saturday we had the privilege of helping run an Easter program for the village. Over 47 people (mostly kids attended). We performed a skit about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and at the end our students got the opportunity to share the gospel. We invited the students to pray with us if they wanted to receive Jesus and 25 kids joined us in prayer. God has really been moving in this place. 

We are now in Phnom Penh joining up with the ASEAN DTS outreach teams and a bunch of churches/organizations in Phnom Penh to do a big evangelism outreach for the South East Asian Games (which is happening now in Phnom Penh). We will be doing street evangelism, helping run an Alpha course with university students and in a very exciting turn of events we will be performing 2 dances at a 3-day cultural celebration concert. 

Thank you for praying for us. We are so grateful. 

March 2023 – Update from the Westside

Hello dear friends, family and followers.

A lot has transpired since our last update. The usual schedule of family and ministry keeps us on our toes and involved in many lives and locations around the globe.

From a ministry perspective, we have graduated another Discipleship school, sent another on outreach, and are preparing for a solid season of leadership development and staff training. Our Fall DTS returned in February and was one of the most outstanding reports we have had. Multiple miracles, salvations, students finding calling. The teams in Thailand and Cambodia served selflessly and saw Jesus move through them in amazing ways. The Winter DTS have just left for Taiwan and Cambodia full of promise for the same.

On the family side of life, we have had a season of ups and downs. On the “Ups”, Samuel is currently in the middle of a 9-month school at YWAM’s UofN Kona.  This is a series of schools (Discipleship Bible School, Worldview School, and Communications School) followed by a month outreach in Uganda. He is loving it and thriving.  He has also met a very special young lady with similar goals and vision for missions😊. Joel is attending college here in Kalispell, and while he doesn’t “love” all of his subjects, he is moving forward with his degree study in order to use his time well. He is a man who is gifted with wisdom and a great sense of justice. Eden is in 9^th grade and crushing it. Volleyball is one of her favorite things to do, but one of our least favorite driving commitments all over the state! 😉

On the “Down” side, my dear mum just passed away this month. Mum had been plagued with health problems for many years, even decades. Yet she always battled on with great spirits and greater determination. I had arranged a trip down there to see her in late March as it has been several years since we have been together in person. In February we received word that mum was in hospital again and not doing very well. I immediately moved my trip forward; I am so glad that I did. Arriving on a Tuesday I had 4 days with mum before she passed away on Saturday March 4^th. Molly joined me and along with my other siblings and family were able to lovingly arrange her celebration of life the following weekend.

Mum was a truly remarkable woman. Loving wife and mother, dear friend and confidant to many, and a powerful minister of the Gospel to thousands over the years. She was a General in the Kingdom of God, and as was mentioned in her eulogy, “she was loved in heaven, and feared in hell”. We will miss her greatly. It is the end of an era for our family, as well as many who knew and walked with her in Australia.  So grateful for her life, and so grateful for the hope we have in Jesus. She was ready to go and be with her Lord; the entire hospital ward knew that! One of those people in our lives who inspires us to be more true, more available, more active, and more grateful.

Love to you all!

Jeremy, Molly, and Family.

Catch this and all our other updates along with some photos and videos on our site http://www.GoWests.com

Greetings friends!

It is our pleasure and privilege to be writing to you from Battambang, Cambodia. As you know, this is my second trip here in the last 6 weeks. This time Molly, Eden, and a friend of Edens – Katelyn – all joined me. Such a wonderful time. What have we been doing?

I (Jeremy) have been continuing teaching, training, and working with the leadership school “ASEAN Equip”. I was here for the first two weeks and am helping them close with last two weeks. It has been awesome. 26 staff and leaders from various YWAM ministries in Cambodia, and Myanmar. After class hours, I am enjoying meeting with many of the leaders and staff here, some whom Molly and I have known and watched grow, for over a decade now.

Molly, aside from teaching in Equip also, has been spending a lot of time with the long-term workers here: Khmer, and foreigners. Having extended coffee dates, meals, and just plain old sit-downs, encouraging, praying, …listening. They LOVE her.

Eden and Katelyn have been so impressive. They just get up and go, every day, to different ministries, classes in the elementary school here, slums, working in the kitchen, meeting with tweens, and more. In-between ministry gigs they are doing their schoolwork brought from home.

Spend a few minutes looking at some photos, and a few fun videos, below.

Greetings and blessings to you all!

Check out some short videos below and then some pics.

Hi guys. A few quick videos, and a few photos of some of my time here in Cambodia (9/23-10/7).

Hello from Lakeside Montana! 

Fall is here, and while we are having some glorious late summer September days, they are beginning to give way to cooler temperatures. Up here we have a very short Fall. It won’t be long before we see snow on our mountains. 

Summer has been wonderful, and a blur. In Montana the joke is that we have only two seasons: “winter, and visitors”. We had the joy of hosting friends and family from around the world. Over one particular two-week period we had 7 nieces, nephews and friends from Australia, Hawaii, and Canada all together. Such fun. 

On the work side, no letting up. In our discipleship programs, we pioneered a second DTS here in Montana, while continuing with our other two programs already in place. Our campus also hosted training and gathering seminars, to which people came from a variety of places and organizations. Some of our favorites were the Engage with Bible Translation, and Ending Bible Poverty Now, seminars. These drew over 100 representatives from various ministries and organizations, including YWAM, Wycliffe, SIL, and others. 

The kids are getting older! Eden has entered 9th grade and is driving! Joel started College here in Kalispell, and Samuel is in Kona, Hawaii beginning 10-months of extended missions training. All the kids worked jobs though the whole summer. 

This next season will be packed. Aside from Samuel in Kona, and Joel attending college, our big news is that Cambodia is now reopening after Covid in a way that allows internationals to travel there. This means that after 3 years we are going to reopen our Equip, leadership school there. This school has produced so much fruit in the region over the last 12 years. I (Jeremy) have committed to helping them get that up and running again. On Sept 23 I will be traveling there for 2 weeks, then again on Oct 23 for another 2 weeks. 

The best part is that Molly and Eden (and a school friend of hers!) will be accompanying me. Molly is die-hard for Cambodia and foreign ministry. She will be teaching in Equip and also in other groups. She has arranged for the girls to plug into a variety of ministries such as: serving in the elementary school, offering baking classes to younger girls, giving devo’s on being a godly teenager, evangelism in villages, serving at a children-at-risk home, serving in the campus kitchen, outdoor work projects, babysitting for missionary moms, and more. 

Thanks for reading, and for staying in touch! 

Much love,

Jeremy, Molly, Eden, Joel and Samuel. 

Westside Story, June 2022

Hello dear friends!

3 months have gone by already since our last broad communication. If your lives are anything like ours, a LOT has happened in the last few months!

Ministry…

With life at home, and locations abroad approaching something akin to normal again, we are busy and moving forward with our ministry plans and calling here at YWAM Montana, Lakeside. Individuals are now able to apply for our training programs and attend from outside of the USA. And more importantly, we can now send our teams more easily outside of the USA. More good news for me (Jeremy), is that I have been able to increase our staff and leadership training team to almost 30 individuals now. This means we can take more students, go to more places, and investigate more ways of training and sending effectively.

DTS Equip, our leadership school, ran in April and May, and approached a near-record number of participants from multiple locations. From Cambodia to Europe, leaders and staff came to connect, deepen their training, and return refreshed and with renewed vision for discipleship, evangelism, and missions. Our Winter DTS returned from outreach, with teams in Panama and Columbia. It was a fantastic school, with many graduates making plans to enter more mission-work.

We are now running 4 DTS programs this year, with a new, second DTS running this summer.  Alongside those is our “Summer Programs” school. This is effectively a “mini-DTS” for individuals who cannot commit to 6 months of discipleship training and outreach but want to give their summer to missions. This is also a more unique program because we also accept students from within High school.

Something incredibly special we have only just completed this last week, was a 7-day trip to our largest YWAM campus, Kona Hawaii. This last week I was able to take 20 of our leaders and staff to visit with several of our founding leaders and missionaries. I wanted to put the current and emerging generation of trainers and mission-makers in the same room with as many of the original generation of pioneers as possible, and to ask many questions. It was called the “Mamas and Papas Tour.”  Alongside spending hours with Loren Cunningham, the mission’s founder, they were able to hear from other pioneers from that generation. Those who pioneered works in the French-speaking world and North Africa, as well as the leaders of YWAM Ships, who engage with some of the hardest to reach island, river, and coastal communities around the world. There was much more also. The goal was to receive an impartation of vision, pioneering and faith, to hear where they see the future of the mission going in our (younger) hands, to simply sit and “talk-story,” while being exposed to a different campus and YWAM culture (there is always something valuable to be learned from seeing different models). It was an incredibly significant trip for many.

Molly continues to help support and make the campus Directors in MT as successful and effective as possible. Everything from corporate structure to future vision and leadership lands on her plate. Most importantly (IMHO 😊) she is actively sought after by the younger generation for advice, mentoring, and counsel. She is a treasure. Then, if “work” wasn’t busy enough, the family side of things has been keeping us consumed, especially Molly, even more!

Family…

These last few months have seen an incredible amount of “new growth” in our family. Samuel graduated from his own DTS in Mexico and the Middle East. He is now working hard to earn the money and prepare himself for a 9-month discipleship and leadership course in Kona, HI. He leaves us in September. Joel just graduated High School! Amazing. We couldn’t be prouder of the man Joel has become; his love for truth, integrity, and consistent Christianity is a blessing beyond his academic achievement. It was a privilege for me to bring him on our staff trip this last week to Kona. And, can you believe it, Eden is starting to drive now! She finished 8^th grade with multiple awards, and then drove Molly home! 

Perhaps the icing on the cake for us this season, is being able to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary this month! I definitely “married-up”, and am so grateful for the partner, friend, Christ-example, wife and wonderful mother, the Lord has given me (I’m publishing this before she can change it 😊. Check out the photo below. She still fits into her wedding dress just 😉.

Life is full, and we are blessed beyond what we deserve. While family, work, and the world still offer a lot of daily challenges, we can still say that God is good, and we are blessed to be called stewards of his goodness to others.

May the Lord bless you in all you are doing. And thank you as always, for following along and partnering with us in our mission and sending journey. With much love,

Jeremy, Molly, Sam, Joel and Eden.

See some photos below: Joel’s graduation, Joel and I in Kona, and with Loren Cunningham, founder of YWAM (still going strong!), Molly and I …then and now, and Eden behind the wheel!