Hello dear friends,
With this update we have news of some significant changes in our lives, and new events on the horizon. This is a long one (sorry!), but there is a lot to share, plus a personal prayer request at the end.
Family Update: kids, changing jobs, expanding opportunities
On the family side of things, we are doing well. Eden is 6 weeks from High School graduation, Joel is in his last year of his bachelor’s degree at Montana State University, and Samuel is almost halfway through his electrician apprenticeship. He and Kinley are doing a wonderful job raising their beautiful boy, our wonderful grandson Wilder!
Graduating our youngest and sending her interstate to college would seem to be enough change for one year; however, that would be too routine! This Spring Molly is also changing her role at YWAM Lakeside. For 14 years she has been a central figure on the Campus Directors’ team. In a move that has been coming for a little while now, the Directors are transitioning out of their role. Molly had previously stated that when they step down she would too, creating room for a new leadership team. The transition is a good one. A great guy is coming into the role, and has worked with all of us for a few years. The good news for Molly is that this now opens up the opportunity for some new adventures in missions, and the time to focus on some other key passion points.
While her exact role is still under development 😊, and with Eden stepping out on her own soon, we both look forward to working together more in training, teaching travels, and for her likely more involvement in Bible translation works within YWAM. The timing is amazing, as invitations to lead some significant training programs in multiple locations globally have been erupting. And the invites are coming for both of us together. Pacific, Asia, Americas, and Mexico. Having said that, our Spring, Summer and Fall are becoming hectic.
Spring and onward: I am currently leading a leadership development school (“DTS Equip”) here in Montana. 19 young (19-27 years old) staff and leaders working in various locations within the USA, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Pacific and the Middle East.
Summer: After some early teaching trips in the Pacific, I am off to work in various international DTS Equip programs, including Mexico, Kona, and then Cambodia. These aren’t regular trips; they are all connected to development in key discipleship, training, and leadership roles. We have also received some specific invitations to invest more time in certain locations this year, such as Kona and Cambodia.
We bring this all up to ask for your prayers at this time. We want our time spent in these years after our kids leave home to be focused and highly effective for the Kingdom of God. But limited time doesn’t allow us to be everywhere, and the rising cost of flying doesn’t allow us to afford it either. Chief among our opportunities are Mexico, Kona and Cambodia. While various ministries within YWAM can fund travel, many locations cannot; we must be prayerful, faithful, and selective in our schedule. Please pray alongside us as we strive to make the best decisions and be exactly where Jesus wants us to be at exactly the right time, for the greatest Kingdom impact possible.
A special request for personal prayer
Recently a local pastor and friend asked us to please include our travels, needs, and especially prayer requests in our updates. Well, here is a big one.
Recently Eden was driving and stopped at a red light. While watching something outside the car she accidentally let her foot ease off the brake and it rolled forward, bumping the car in front of her. There was no damage to the car in front (she hit the towing hitch), while Eden’s license plate received a dent. Conversations were amiable and details exchanged. Within a few hours after that incident we received notice that there was a personal injury claim being made against us for 6 passengers in that car!
This is actually very stressful for us as they are in the [legal] position to try and claim as much as possible from our insurance carrier, and if that is not satisfactory to them, file a further lawsuit against us. While we want any person actually injured to receive the treatment they deserve, this feels completely like opportunistic fraud and greed. It will have a huge impact on our insurance rates at the very least, not to mention any further legal proceedings and cost.
We are always tested on what we teach. I have been teaching a lot over the last year on ‘The Fear of the Lord’. A huge part of that is trusting Him. Is He really big enough? Does He really see me? Is He able to bring justice within a corrupt world? And if it doesn’t go the way we like, does that change my relationship with Him and others? Additionally the Lord challenged me personally with a gentle question: “Am I willing to forgive these people, regardless of the outcome?”
Could you please pray for just a minute for justice in this situation? We are not sure what that would best look like, but we need some divine intervention.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for following. Love and blessings, Jeremy and Molly.
GoWests! 