Hola a nuestros queridos amigos!!

Welcome and Hello! 

Bienvenido y Hola

We are so excited to be only 116 days (ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN!!!!) away from our mission trip to Mazatlan, Mexico to volunteer at YWAM, serving and loving on the staff, students and people of the city -- wherever God takes us we are ready!

So YES, this is us right now:

quietly,
patiently,
expectantly,
WAITING!

We have our tickets booked, arrangements made with YWAM, in the process of making farm plans for while we are away(where will cattle be, who will look after cats and dogs, chickens, etc) ...


... and waiting... and waiting.

We both feel like we want to leave RIGHT NOW! But we also know that in this time of waiting, we are preparing and learning so much through our personal studies, church services, reading books, talking to friends who have been on missions. This time is so precious as well, we are learning and growing in relationship with our Father; to me it is time that is very much like when your babes are small and your midnight feedings ... there is no one else - just you and the baby BONDING, growing in love and understanding - Precious and so needed! as we wait we are resting in this knowledge that He is with us and helping us to grow in so many ways!

We have also both been doing some bible studies (Dennis has just completed James and I am into Galatians!). We are waiting on actual Spanish lessons to begin on Oct 22 - so we continue to use the Duo Lingo app for Spanish;

Estamos aprendiendo más y más palabras y podemos formar oraciones pequeñas! (este no era uno de ellos) (still using a translator for some... ok many!)

{TRANSLATION: We are learning more and more words and can form small sentences! (this was not one of them) haha}

...And we try to use what words and phrases we know as often as possible!


We have also been reading a few books and a have few books that are on our TO READ lists:

Dennis:

Strategic Compassion By Barry Slauenwhite

Kingdom Man By Tony Evans

The Invisible War By Chip Ingram

Now is the Time By Angus Buchan



Jodi:

Fervent - A Woman's Battle Plan for Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer By Priscilla Shirer

Discerning the voice of God By Priscilla Shirer

Is that really You, God? By Loren Cunningham

Love Does By Bob Goff

ROOTED- The Hidden Places Where God Develops You By Banning Liebscher



TO READ LIST:

Everybody always By Bob Goff

We died before we came here By Emily Foreman

The Book that Transforms Nations By Loren Cunningham

Tortured for Christ By Richard Wurmbrand

Kingdom Woman By Tony Evans & Chrystal Evans Hurst


Some of these books were suggested by staff at YWAM Mazatlán and others are reading for personal growth and interest! Is there any books you think would be a good read for either interest sake or a good read for those thinking about (or already on) Mission?

There is not too much else to share right now, except to finish up with prayers:

We know that your prayers are so important for us as we prepare our selves, body, mind and spirit for this trip and we THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts and praise God for y'all!
We asking for prayers (have a look at the prayer request list on the top right of the page) for us but we also would like to know how  we can pray for you as well! If there are any requests of prayer that we can intercede on your behalf, please DO NOT hesitate to ask!

So until next time, our friends!

Que el señor te bendiga y te guarde!

Dennis & Jodi

SOLD!!

YEP! You read that right!! SOLD!!!

HOW AMAZING IS OUR GOD!!! (no question just a full out LOUD PRAISE and HALLELUJAH!! Great are you Lord!!

Our land is sold and in such a time that our heads are still reeling from the faithfulness of God! 

A quick break down of the whole land God story:

~ for a few weeks (possibly months)we decide to list the land after prayerfully time reflecting, waiting and listening

~ Tuesday,  we go to town to speak to real estate agent about listing

~ Thursday, she comes out and we finalize paper work and take photos of land

~ Saturday/Sunday, she comes out and puts up FOR SALE signs

~ Monday, a call with news of interested people with offers

~ Tuesday, comes out with THREE offers - we accept one 

~ as offer sits 'pending' 10 people inquire about land

~ following Tuesday sale is FINAL!!

It was all such an amazing (I know I've used the word already but WOW!) journey! 

Now we will pray about where He wants us to use this money and how we are to use it (once all the "official farm stuff" is out of the way). 

So continued pray  in this area would be wonderful - and that we BOTH hear the same thing from Him. (A side note on this was that we had the sale final on the day before our 26th wedding anniversary! So a double reason to celebrate His faithfulness!)

So yes, we are now working on 27years of marriage and I know I could NOT imagine the travels we have been on in those years. If you were to have told us that we would sell land to working on going to do mission work (even a year ago) we would have thought you were crazy! But here we are! 

Home Sweet Home for 2 nights! 

Dennis and I took time away (as we usually try to do each year around the time of our anniversary) to spend it with each other, reminiscing, looking forward to another year - either hiking, camping or doing something out in Gods creation. Rest and recovery is what we call it in our farming practice and we do the same with our marriage! This year we took 2 nights and stayed in  an Otentik at Lake Audy (in Riding Mountain National Park) and this year we did something different - we took only our bibles and a couple of study books we are each reading and a relaxing read and my camera -no canoe, no kayak, no hikes ... just us and God. That time was spent reading, talking, praying and enjoying the majestic wonder that our Father created! It was beautifully scenic with the lake, flowers, grasses, webs, birds and best of all NO CELL OR INTERNET service!!!

We found that even though we were both reading different books with different authors, different writing styles, He was speaking to us about the same things! It was fascinating to we talking about what we were read and be able to respond with a similar  view but from a different perspective on quite a few topics over the few days! we were able to take this time to also speak about our own journey and what we see and hope to see coming in our future. Overall it was a fantastic time away and oh the growth we see and experience as a couple as we talk, dream and share! God is so 

As we were packing up to come home,  our phones beeped and we both received our "daily text from God" - which is what we call the daily verse from the YOU Verse app:

We always find that the daily verse is exactly what we need when we receive it and that Friday morning did not fail us! (can I get an AMEN!?) How awesome is this!?! Does anyone else find this!?

Thank you again for being a part of or prayer team! We feel your prayers and are so excited to share more of our journey as we go! And again, if you haven't signed up for emails, please check out the top left corner and subscribe to the email to get updates!! (you will be sent a link almost immediately to click on to verify and then your set!) 

Thank you (we can't seem to say that enough and doesn't seem to be enough!)!!! I have some of my favourite photos below from our time away! Please stop to scroll through to enjoy!

Enjoying the evening with a fire, loon calls and each other!

Baby birds that were living under the roof!

Our books we have been reading and studying...
like I said different but so much the same!

Beautiful morning fog  that left perfect droplets on the webs
 in the grasses behind and beside us!

Our Lords handiwork cannot be matched!

His creativity is astounding!

Unmatched true beauty
that is found in simplicity!

Beauty is found everywhere!
Even in a "single" flower!

The beginning of the beginning...

Dennis and I know the power of prayer and how important it is for all walks of life! We have had many, many times in our years together, where we have gone to our church family for prayers and have prayed for others who have asked (and even when they aren't asked!).  So that is why we knew we had to start this journey with prayers not only from ourselves but from YOU - our family and friends! The bible says:

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Matthew 21:22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

And so this is where we begin with our beginning -  with prayer requests:

1. The finalizing of the sale of a parcel of land we feel that God was asking us to sell and use the money to pay off some farming debt and use the rest for possible future missions and/ or for other missions that He puts on our hearts! The ability to farm again was a gift from God and we have been trying to use it for His glory from the beginning and we want to make sure to continue to do so. We have already had such an amazing journey in this area!! We put our land up for sale and within DAYS, we had 3 offers and we accepted one of them. Now we wait to see that the sale goes through!











2. How are we getting to Mazatlan? Do we drive? Do we fly? Whatever the plans will be, we pray we BOTH hear the same thing.










3. Pray for our farm - the logistics of it day to day operating (feeding, weaning, vaccinating, etc.) while we are away and the future for the rest of our farm, when we return.










4.  Dennis and I also are working on learning Latino Spanish. We have an app we have been using and our prayer is that with all the other things going on with planning for our trip, the farm (and planning for next years grazing, feeding etc), our family, bible studies that we are investing in ... that we will not only find time for learning the new language but that the basic lessons will "stick".

5. Prayers for Dennis and I to keep handing things to God, to not hold onto what we need to let go of and to not pick up baggage we don't need to pick up. And that as we are on this new God adventure we both hear the same things from our Father.





We want to take this time to thank you, sincerely we thank you. We pray for each of you and love you!


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