Dennis' message!

The count down is on for us to leave on our mission trip to build a home for a family in Mexico. The excitement is building each day and has been ever since I felt that God was asking me to go on this trip. I am not sure why He is asking me to do this as I have never had the desire to go on mission before this. I truly believe that my Heavenly Father is asking this of me and I feel completely at peace with the decision to go. 

The mission to spread the gospel has started long before we get to Mexico as we have been able to share our faith in Jesus Christ with friends, family and total strangers as we have been fund raising and searching out prayer support. Some (businesses and individuals)have excitedly accepted opportunity to share in the mission that our Lord has set before us, while others have outright rejected this opportunity.

 The Lord has asked me to step way out of my comfort zone and has been teaching me so many truths about Himself. This has encouraged me to dig deeper into scripture to learn more and has greatly improved my prayer life and time spent with Him. Through this process I have also learned somethings about myself, some of which are ugly and others which are not so much, either way it has began some  much needed healing in my life. 

I am so excited and blessed that our Lord has trusted me to go to the ends of the earth (Mexico) to share the good news of what He has done on the cross for us all if we choose to accept His free gift of salvation. I am looking forward to working  side by side with the others in our team that He has chosen to spread His word. I cant wait to meet the family God is blessing with a house as well as whom ever He asks us to love while on this trip.

A note from Hannah!

Some of you may know that last year I did my DTS with YWAM in Mazatlán Mexico. For me that was a life changing experience. That was where I started a more intimate relationship with Jesus, I made lifelong friends, where I found myself, impacted others life, and had my own life impacted as well. Now, I have the amazing opportunity to lead a team of 15 people (from the Grace Baptist Church) back to that place. 

During our time there, we will be working with a team called Homes of Hope. We will be building a house for a family in need down there. That will take us about three days to build, and then we will be doing other ministries around the city. As a leader for this team I do have many responsibilities, but I am very excited about this. I get to lead a team back to a place that I am pleased to call home to go back and do God’s work. I am excited to see how God will use me in every way that he can, for Him to use us as a team, and as individuals. I know that God can do amazing things, and has amazing things planned for this team. Each member of the team has a special gift, and I am excited to see how God will use them during our days there. 

I have always had a huge heart to help and serve people and have always wanted to go on a mission’s trip to love on people and help those in need. When I got back from Mexico I just had a strong feeling to go back and take a team with me, to serve a family there in need. At first, I did not know if this was just a feeling I had, because I had always wanted to do a mission’s trip, or if it was God putting this desire on my heart. I brought it before my youth pastor and we started planning a little bit of it, organizing a few things, and seeing who all would be interested in going. Once things started to fall into place I knew that it wasn’t just a desire in my heart, that it was God who has leading me to lead a team. After many months of planning and prepping for this trip, I am excited to see what God has in store during the time down in Mexico.

Mazatlan, Mexico... YWAM (where we will be staying)
 is about a 5 minute walk from this beach 

Our Mazatlan family!!!

http://www.ywamhomesofhope.org

We received an email yesterday with a bit of info and background on our family in Mazatlan that we are building house for! It was so thrilling to read and learn a little about them! I don't know if we are allowed to share that information, so I won't, but I will say this; they are a family of 7 and Dennis, Hannah and I are so eager to meet them! 
As we are putting the final preparations in gear for our trip, I pray that you will all pray for this beautiful family with us and our mission team! My heart is brimming for them and I can not wait to meet them and see where God has moved in their lives! 
There is still time to donate if you are feeling lead to do so via our GoFund Me page! 
We want to say a big thank you everyone who has texted, sent well wishes and love during this first ever time on missions! We didn't (and still don't) know what to expect of it all, but so far seeing how God our Father works is so exhilarating and breathless that it is just a huge blessing! Thank you again to those who have donated money and time to our efforts! We are truly blessed! 

And just like that....

... prayers are answered!! Mountains were moved!!


The house is paid for and so is the furniture!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God is good, all the time!

You can still donate and the money would to the team,  as there are still travel expenses that you can help with for the team and as always we need your prayers!

Faith CAN move mountains!

With only 19 days left until we begin to make our way to Mazatlan, Mexico, I can't help but be grateful for all that we have, all the people we have already encountered and all the prayers and blessings that have been bestowed on not only Dennis, Hannah and I, but on our whole team as well!
God's love has been literally shining through when we least expect it ... and all I can say is God is good!

Our auction has come and gone and was a success! I think all prizes have been delivered or picked up. We still are just shy of the cost of the house and it would be a wonderfully, beautiful blessing to be able to furnish for the family as well! So we leave it all in His hands (because like a business owner said to us when he was donating an auction prize "His hands are way bigger than ours!" -- Can I get an AMEN!!) and FAITH can move mountains! If you are feeling lead to help us to achieve this goal, you can use the GoFund Me page or contact me and I will help you out with it! (either way you will receive a tax receipt!)

Dennis and I are busy with the typical Christmas busyness and working to get things in order n the farm for us to be away. (Joshua and Dana will be looking after things for us, as well as their own farm). Dennis and I also finished a morning devotion in YouVersion that is to help us to prepare our hearts for our mission trip. It was an eye opener for us, with things you typically don't think about when getting ready! Since this is our first mission, we are a bit nervous but so excited to see what God has in store of our team and for us as individuals!

Hannah is working hard at studying the last week as she goes into her last week of exams before the Christmas break, so she is a tad stressed. We are always praying for our girl (and al our children of course), and we are excited for her to be back at YWAM and hopefully seeing some of her friends!

This journey has me thinking (and I pray, growing) more of my relationship with Christ. I see Him more each day in all sorts of unexpected places. I love my morning time with Him each day and I try to find joy in His wondrous creation daily... in the snow, the hoar frost, the cattle, the sunrises and sunsets, in my family and our little farm. I pray that I will see people (not just in Mexico but here at home too) through His eyes and find more GRACE and MERCY and COMPASSION in my heart for His sons and daughters; to find ways to share His love for them and to spread the gospel and not be afraid to do so.

I pray that each of you are having a wonderful Christmas season and you are enjoying His many rich blessings -- because it's all about Him, right!?

Thank you all once again for your prayers and love and blessings! We truly appreciate and thank our Father for each and every one of you!!