The last seven years we have experienced just a few major life events.
Job changes, graduating college, our second home, our first child loss, our first parent going to be with the Lord, welcoming our first rainbow baby, our third home, a decade of marriage, losing our second child, losing our last grandparent, another job change, our third home, welcoming our second rainbow baby, another job change, God calling us into ministry, leaving our jobs, home, life and joining YWAM as students, welcoming our third baby, going overseas for two months and now serving on staff with YWAM.
So many good things.
So many life changing hard things.
As we reflect and look out into the next decade I am going to do my best to articulate what we need and how you can intercede for our family in 2020.
I don’t really like asking for prayer and to be honest I am not sure why? Maybe because of my pride as I have always struggled with asking for help or for fear of people shrugging it off and not really praying?
I am not sure.
What I do know is that prayer is powerful.
God does answer our prayers.
Maybe not in the way we asked but I truly believe all of our prayers are answered for the Glory of the Kingdom!
Our first prayer request is for a “home”
Over the last 12months we have moved 11times with our family. We are growing weary and we see the need for some stability not just for our families sake but our ministry as well. We know we are called to be here and serve but it has been a strain on us spiritually, emotionally and physically to endure the constant moves.
Please pray with us that God will provide a “House of Peace”. We have been faithful in going door to door (Luke 10: 1-12) and we are excited and ready for the place God has for our family. Please join us in praying that prayer over our family for 2020 (current housing that we moved into on Monday we will have until January 14th).
2. Our second prayer is the prayer of Elisha - we want a double anointing for our ministry
We ask that you request with boldness with us that God will give us a double anointing for our ministry. We are ALL in and we are willing to GO wherever He leads. We see (1 Kings 19) the call of Elisha and how he responded with obedience and left everything to follow Elijah in the ministry. Then (2 Kings 2) before Elijah is called up we see a request, made out of boldness and eagerness. That his ministry will have a double blessing from that of his teacher, Elijah.
Please join us in praying that God will give us a double blessing upon our ministry for 2020. That God will bring the right people to join us in our departments and that opportunities for outreaches will become available.
3. Our third prayer is to be lifted up (financially & through prayer)
There is a beautiful and powerful picture (Exodus 17) about obeying God and becoming weary. We are coming up on our “official” one year in ministry. It honestly doesn’t feel like a year … it feels longer, because we have experienced so MUCH in such a short span of time. But I would be lying if I didn’t say we are weary. We are heavy with the responsibility of raising funds to support our family and ministry. Our hearts our heavy with the weight of what God has called us to and the responsibility of peoples souls. Just as Moses could not sustain by himself the reality is neither can we. We rely on all of you to sustain us through prayer and financial support.
Please join us in praying for full funding so we can focus on our ministry and pray for those praying for us. I know that sounds weird but prayer is powerful and we NEED dedicated people to intercede for our family. Recently, our pastor said something that was so simple but powerful as it spoke directly to me and all that has transpired this past year. It has been one of those years where you can either cry or laugh as both are appropriate…I definitely did both hearing this.
“When you do what God has called you to do it almost always complicates your life it doesn’t simplify it! That is because the enemy will work double time on you. You are putting a bullseye on your back….I would rather take flack from the enemy for being on God’s team than have a life full of smooth sailing and cause no ripples for the kingdom of darkness.” Levi Lusko
We have felt the enemy doing double time on our family, marriage and ministry this last year.
Your prayers over us are felt and make a difference.
I would also like to ask that as you pray for us to send us any words or “pictures” that the Holy Spirit gives you. They might not make any sense to you but they mean the world to us! We are leaning out in this next season as we seek God’s will for what nation He would send us to. Any and all words of encouragement, wisdom or affirmation for our ministry would be a huge blessing to us!
It is because of your prayers, support and encouragement that we are able to be held up and sustained in what God has called our family to.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year
Thankful.Grateful.Blessed.
JT, Annah, Kennedy, Troy & Elijah
