Decisions, Decisions

 Decisions are why I have not posted in more than a month.  When I came to Fort Dodge, I knew that I wanted the spiritual warfare teaching that was here. I have learned so much. Due to still paying a truck payment, I knew that I would not be able to begin traveling again right away, and I had planned to stay in the area and sit in on Pastor Smiths classes. God had even more plans than I did.

At the end of the school year, I had been asked to take over all of the kitchen duties, some care of the girls, and oversee some of other areas of the college office. At the end of May first of June, Pastor Smith met with me and some of the men who oversee the college and other ministry aspects. He asked me if I would help in the college office and Kitchen again. I told him I would since I planned to be in the area until the end of the year.

A couple weeks later, I had a counseling session with Pastor Smith, and I expressed my hope to be back on the mission field by the end of this year. I saw his countenance change, and he told me that he thought I would be here through the whole school year to work in the office and kitchen. We finished our meeting and I told him I would consider what he asked. 

I had forgotten to mention two things about the college, and I wrote a note the next day. In that note, I asked for two weeks to pray and get counsel about whether to postpone my missionary travels again. During those two weeks, I spoke with three pastors, and all three said that I should stay. One pastor said, " There will always be a need on the mission field, but if you know there is a need where you are now, and if you are learning things that will help you as a missionary, then you should stay."

Because of this counsel, I will be staying through the college year here at Harvest Baptist Bible College. I will be the secretary and cook. During my time here, my goal will be to create an office procedures manual so that the next person who comes in can learn anything they need even if there is not someone else to train them. 

I was also asked to teach English again, and I will begin creating an English course  that will incorporate writing as good communication is the main goal of the English classes here. Please pray that God will give me the wisdom needed to make the class easy to teach and easy for the students to learn what they need to be great communicators.

During my time here in Fort Dodge, I will also be working towards the goal of raising full-time support. Because of my college duties and my foster care job, I will be limited in traveling. Please pray as I will need to send out emails and letters with a short video presentation in order to raise the support. I will also hope to do video calls to churches who will allow me to present to the people. I hope to be able to visit some churches in person as well.

My goal will be to head for England hopefully by the end of May next year. From there, I will branch into Europe. Depending on the number of missionaries who need help, I will plan for at least a year of travel before returning to the states. If I have many missionary contacts, then that time could be extended.

With the cost of living in Fort Dodge, and the need to save money for missions from the support that I hope to raise, I believe $2500 a month will allow me to cover my costs when I am stateside, and will allow me to save half of what comes in when I am traveling. Right now, I have three supporting churches and about $250 a month coming in. All of that has been going into my missions account.

My immediate needs are to pay off my truck, pay off a credit card with some medical bills on it, and but either a small property and small house/prefab building, or a polarized travel trailer for four seasons living. Please pray for wisdom as I decide how and when to purchase a home.

Since the college students are away during the summer, I joined a bus route.  Last week, my partner and I met three good prospects. Please pray that they will come, that our bus route will grow, and that lives will be changed.

My parents need prayer for their health. I still have a heavy unspoken request. Please pray for my friend Joanne as she has made some decisions for her life that are leading her away from God. 

Life is a journey, and it has many twists and turns. God keeps putting stops in my life as He is teaching me, growing me, and using me to be a blessing to others.

School's Out!

 A whole month has passed since my last update. The end of the college school year had many ups and downs. It was very busy since I had to go to Maine to help my parents after my mom's heart attack. Coming back and playing catch-up with classes and grading along with getting in client visits for my job, and starting training for my substitute ESL job, has kept my schedule full.

Please pray for me as I have faced some opposition in my job for being a Christian and talking to clients who already have a background in the Christian faith. I almost lost my job last week. I am on a probationary period, and I am praying that I can work around the issues and continue to help those in my care. Satan is not happy with how people are beginning to wake up and realize there is a God who cares about them in their darkest needs.

Please pray as I continue to connect two people who trusted Christ with some counseling services that will help them grow in the Lord. I still have a long list of others that I have spoken with who need to be saved, and I have two new ones that I have yet to have opportunity to witness to.

My new substitute job will open more doors for getting the Gospel to people who might not otherwise hear. Please pray that God uses me and gives me opportunity to give the Gospel to those who are seeking Christ.

I am on a spiritual journey like I have never been on before. God is working in my life as I continue following Him through the doors He opens. I am praying that I will be able to start traveling in missions full time. In order to do this, I need full time support or an online job that I can work from anywhere in the world. 

Please pray for two girls who are moving in a direction which will most likely be a long dark journey. I have been trying to push them towards right, and they have been given much grace by many people, but they continue to move away from authority. Pray that God can break down the barriers of their hearts and minds towards His will.

I still have an unspoken request which continues to weigh heavily on my mind. The hold Satan has on this situation is getting stronger due to the choices those involved continue to make. The hurt and heartache caused to others in recent days has been difficult to accept, but I keep reminding myself that they are not acting in the Holy Spirit but in their flesh. 

Please pray for my safety as I drive 200-300 miles twice a month to visit clients. I had a minor accident in the country which could have been much worse, and I almost had another in town. Both were in this last week, so that along with the other stress has been hard emotionally and mentally. I truly believe God protected me from death in both circumstances.

Be still

 Sometimes God speaks to us in ways we can or understand. Sometimes it's a still small voice, sometimes a preacher, sometimes a tragedy. Ten days ago on April 7, we were having the first night of our Spiritual Warfare Conference at Harvest Baptist in Fort Dodge, IA. Bro. Johnny Pope was preaching on prayer.

Usually, my phone is deep in my purse, so I don't get distracted if someone messages me. For some reason it was sticking up to where when the light came on it got my attention. I saw that it was my sister Jacqueline. I had told my family I would be in conference, so I thought she just forgot. Two second later my sister Julie called. I knew something must be wrong. I quickly texted our family chat to ask if there was something wrong, and my sister said, Yes call me.

I called Julie, and she told me our mom had had a heart attack. After a few minutes of conversation, I realized the invitation was starting I hung up the phone, and quickly went down front to ask the church to pray.  I was soon surrounded by several women and girls all praying for my mom and me. It was a timely message that was preached that night.

I was able to talk to my mom late that night. The doctors told her had she been  even a few minutes later in going to the hospital, she would most likely not be here. Her right aorta was 99-100% blocked. They were able to do a stint through a heart cath. The outward squeeze of the heart is functioning at 48% and total heart function right now is 60%. The heart can heal, but it will take a lot of time.On top of this problem, my parents received one of the most hurtful messages they have ever received. It was sad to see someone be so hateful at a time when my mom could have died and was close to death. 

Throughout the week of the conference, God kept sending me messages about waiting, being quiet, and being still. On one night, Bro. Doug Fisher was preaching. He spoke about being quiet and waiting on God. After the service, I wanted to meet his wife..I spoke to her, and then Bro. Fisher began talking to me. After about five minutes, he asked if I wanted to sit down. He then talked to me for probably 30 minutes. For him to do that after preaching and having a long day (he has had a stroke and numerous seizures over the last several years) was an honor to me. He spoke to me about being still and waiting on God. He pointed out character traits that I had never really named in myself, but were how I try to live my life. All of this came at a time when I needed confirmation that I was doing what God wants me to do right now. 

After the conference was over, I then traveled to my sister's two hours south, and attended a ladies conference. The lessons I heard there were also about being still and waiting on God. I also received a necklace that said Be still and know that I am God.

I planned a trip to stay two weeks with my parents to help my dad finish cleaning out the house they were living in, and to give my mom some time to rest.  God provided me with the funds to come along with a young lady who will be able to sit with my mom while my dad and I are away for the day. On top of those funds, God allowed other funds to be given to me to help with any needs I might have while I'm away.

In order to leave for the two weeks, I needed to make sure that the college students had meals since the lady who usually cared for the meals has been extremely sick. I also needed to arrange my English class, and get in all my client visits for my foster care job. I spent four days cooking, visiting clients, working on lesson plans ... Most of those days were very late nights. I have been tired, and at times a bit overwhelmed in my thoughts when trying to get everything organized. Over the last two days, I have an anxious feeling, even to the point of my heart racing a bit. I believe it is simply Satan trying to get me discouraged and off kilter because there was no reason for me to be anxious anymore since all my ducks were in a row. The only other time I have had that kind of anxious feeling was during covid when I would have to go shopping.... because I did not want to deal with people who were trying to force us to wear masks.

Prayers for me, my mom, my dad, and several situations which I cannot deal with right now are greatly appreciated.

On another good note, I met a young lady who may be interested in short term missions. I shared two missionaries with needs with her, and I hope to hear back that she may be able to help them as I am not sure that I will be able to do so at the times they need.

A few days ago, I spoke with one of my foster care clients who had been in jail. I led him to Christ while he was in jail, and now he is wanting to move to the Fort Dodge are to be involved in our addictions ministry, the church, and an accountability Bible Study the pastor has.

Please pray that not only this young man but also another one my clients can get housing in the Fort Dodge area.

I am still working towards  traveling full time. Please pray God gives me wisdom on how to raise the funds to do this.

April Showers Bring May Flowers.

 I was actually hoping that March snowstorms and then 75 degree weather meant spring was finally here. As I write this, we have a had a very cold, windy, wintry mix day. I am looking forward to when the warmth comes to stay. 

So many thing have kept my attention the last few weeks. A big win is watching Kaden as he learns about God. Due to some events at home, he is in a temporary living situation. He first had moved to his girlfriend's house. Her mom also lives there. After being there a day or two, he texted and said he wanted to get his own place so he could move in with his girlfriend. I quickly asked if I could call him. We talked, and I told him what God says about living with someone who isn't your wife and where it could lead. After a few minutes of talking about other things, Kaden said, "It kinda makes me mad." I asked what made him mad, and he said, "That God said it so I can't do it." He was referring back to living with his girlfriend. I wish more Christians could think this way. It would remove a lot of sin. Please pray as I still need to explain more about baptism before Kaden will decide to be baptized.

My other clients have been keeping me busy as well. Some are doing well; others are struggling. They are a diverse group of people. Please pray for two girls who lean towards LGBTQ. I am trying to find resources that are very soft touch introductions to  reaching these people with the Gospel. Both have had a lot of trauma and bad experiences with religious groups.

I have recently been hired to substitute teacher at a community college. I will be teaching English language learners. I have my first training day on April 14. Please pray that I can maintain this new opportunity along with all my other outreaches. 

I also started a group call SMILE with young ladies age 20-40 at my church. Please pray that I can really get this off the ground and find new ways to reach out into the community. I am still involved in my craft group, and I am praying for more ladies to join. Please pray for Marjorie. She will be 100 I think this month, and she is not saved.

 Please pray as our Spiritual Warfare Conference is next week. God is trying to do a work, and Satan has been fighting hard with our church members, staff, and students. Pray that God can break through the barriers that many have already set up in their hearts towards what is being preached in preparation for the conference.

 My mom has been working with a new surgeon who is trying to help my moms hip muscle to heal without surgery. Please pray that the sound wave and water therapies will help, and please for pain relief for my mom. 

I am still working to pay off my truck, and I am praying for more supporting churches or an online job which will allow me to work while traveling. God has been good by providing me with ,multiple ways of earning money right now, but I want to travel full time overseas, and that is not feasible with a small steady income to put in the bank for expenses when I am home.

Please pray for the unspoken situation which has continued for four years. recently I saw a picture of someone involved, and I am very worried for them spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Pray that God can get a hold of the hearts involved and do a work of reviving.

March Marched in with a Snowstorm

 We finally got the wet snow I've been waiting for all winter. The only problem, it kept me from getting to my clients. Please pray for Kaden who trusted Christ a few weeks ago that he will continue to grow. Pray for his mom Lisa who also trusted Christ. Pray for Rambo who trusted Christ. He has a lot of difficulties to overcome. I have two clients who told me that are already Christians, and I have four other clients that need to be saved.

Back at the end of summer or the first part of fall, I had applied to our local community college for a teaching ESL position. A week ago, I received an email asking if I was still interested. I didn't respond because I didn't think I needed to add anything else to my plate. The lady messaged me again, and I thought maybe God wanted me to take the job because most of the time if you don't respond,  people will not t reach out again. I will be teaching mostly Spanish and Thai speaking people English.  Pray that I will have opportunity to share the Gospel.

I will not be making a trip to Maine right now. I am waiting to see when my parents might actually need help with moving.  I will instead focus on my clients, do some training for my new job, and maybe visit my sister for a few days.

Please pray for my college students that they will really focus on class and doing well, being responsible...

Pray for my parents as they continue to make decisions.

Pray for my still on going unspoken request. The longer the situation stays as it is, the harder it will be to resolve it.

February Requires Focus

 Because February is a short month, it requires me  to stay more focused on the tasks at hand. Teaching and grading keep me busy on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Teaching a writing class requires a lot more hands on grading. Pushing the students to complete assignments can be very trying, but when they turn out something that has depth, it makes the stress worth it.

On February 9, my client and his mom came to church. Afterwards, he asked me several questions about the sermon. I always love working with new converts because they are hungry to learn. Please pray as I continue to encourage him  to grow in Christ. Hopefully he and his mom will come to Sunday school the next time. Pray that he can get his license as there is a Bible study which would be perfect for his discipleship and helping him overcome his past, but it is at night, and his mom does not drive at night. Pray for his mom to grow as well. She hopes to bring her husband to church too.

I was pretty sick with the flu for a few days, one of those days being February 9. I attended church in the morning, but after my meeting with my client and prepping lunch for the college, I crashed for two days. I seem to be over the flu part, and now I'm trying to get rid of the congestion and cough. a lot of our church has been sick, so please pray it all passes quickly.

 I am being given a new client which will put me at 11. Please pray as I navigate the logistics of getting in two meetings a month with each one. The time and distance can sometimes be very wearing as there are days when I drive 200 miles round trip.

Continue to pray as I move towards getting back on the mission field. I know God has placed me everywhere He has wanted me to be, but sometimes waiting can be very hard. Paying off my truck is my first priority, and hopefully finding a small property is my second as far as personal finances are concerned. I just need a place to put my belongings before heading out again.

Witnessing and Salvations!

 God has opened the doors for me to witness to my clients. A week ago, I was able to share the truth that Jesus is God with a young man who had been visited by the Mormons. I showed him John 1 and genesis 1. He took down the name of the website i was using and the two chapters of Scripture. I had hoped to witness to him again last week, but he did  not show up for our meeting. Please pray that I can share the Gospel with him on Monday, January 27.

I was able to witness to a new client. Due to his background, I wasn't sure I would take him on. After asking him some deep personal questions, I asked if I could speak freely about Christianity. His mom and he said yes. I shared the Gospel, and they both bowed their heads and trusted Christ! Please pray as i continue to encourage them to get into the Bible and find a good church. The young man needs some counseling, so pray that he will come at least once a month for this. he lives a good distance from the church.

I was able to witness to one of my girls. She has a lot of things to overcome. She told me she needed time to process what I had shared. Please pray that her mom will start bringing the family to church.

 

Please pray for a children's home in Nepal. This home is run by my friend's sister and brother-in-law. The man who controls the home has decided that due to his family's needs, he does not want the responsibility of the home anymore.  Purna and his wife must raise the funds to prchase land and build, or purchase a land with a house on it. This is very expensive in Nepal. Besides those funds, they need about $200 a month to feed and clothe the children. Purna and his wife have lived without much salary for the last several years and have even used their salary  at times to make ends meet for the home. I will be posting more information in the coming days. Please consider giving towards these children who would not hear the Gospel were it not for the sacrifices of Purna and his wife.

Please pray for several unspoken requests. Satan is fighting hard for the lives of families and individuals.

Answers to Prayer

 The last few weeks have produced several answers to prayer. First God stopped someone who was about to make a decision that would send them back into a bad situation. There were no funds, no transportation, and nowhere else to go. I and several other ladies had been praying for this miracle. 

On Wednesday last week, I had asked God to show me he wanted me to continue the craft group I do two Thursdays a month. Due to the distance and the fact that only one lady was coming, I had considered discontinuing it. On Thursday, a new lady showed up.  she had clipped the notice out of the paper awhile back, but circumstances had kept her from coming.

I cannot explain the next miracle due to the delicacy of the matter, but suffice it to say that Sunday I saw a miracle, and I believe God is going to do some more among my friends who are praying for very specific needs. God is in the miracle making business, and so many times we miss the everyday miracles He gives us. It isn't until a big miracle happens that we express our joy. Never take for granted the life you have for there are others in worse situations.

Monday, my nephew Joel had an appointment for his heart. For the last few months, we have been expecting the doctors to set a third surgery date sometime this year. Joel's appointment went well, and the doctors think he can wait another year before he will need this surgery.

Please pray as I continue to try to get the Gospel to the people I have been working with the last few months. Also, pray for the 11 clients I have who are aging out of foster care. Pray that I can give them the Gospel and that they will decide to visit our church during the Spiritual Warfare conference in April. This conference would be so helpful to these young people who have been through a lot and some who have done a lot that has put them in bad situations.

Please pray that I have strength and wisdom do this job plus the teaching and ministering I do. College is starting again, and I will be teaching a Grammar and Writing class and taking more counseling classes.

There is still an ongoing unspoken request that needs the power of God to break the hold Satan has in this situation. Please pray that Gods spirit can break through the strongholds that have been built.