Into the New Year with a New Ministry

What a year 2023 has been! We have done lots of traveling and have learned a lot. From Norway to Iceland, to Nova Scotia to Newfoundland to Sweet Home, Oregon, where we ended off the year. It has been wonderful to look back and see how much we have grown and how the Lord has walked with us. We wouldn't be where we are without Him.

We came to Sweet Home in August with the intent of staying for a while to focus on my health. We didn't know what this season would look like; if I should get a job, and should it be part-time or full-time...and how long would we stay here, or how long could we stay here with James being Canadian. These were the questions that filled our minds and, if I'm being honest, stressed us out a little bit. But God works with us even when we stress and continue to knock on closed doors. Let me explain. Since September, just a few weeks after our arrival, I started applying for jobs. Now, I wasn't going from business to business handing out my resume, but I was applying to lots of positions online. I lost count of how many applications I turned in, how many forms I filled out. And, I wasn't getting much response - at all. But, I persevered and eventually started getting some interviews. Weeks would pass and I would receive a call or an email sincerely informing me that they had picked someone else for the position. It was very disappointing. I felt bad for living in my parents' basement, as a married couple, with no job, and no real plan. But I also had a feeling that maybe it wasn't the right time for a job; that maybe God wanted me to wait, or take it slow and be ready for the right opportunity. Well, that opportunity finally came in late October.

When I was growing up in Sweet Home I had some wonderful youth leaders walking by my side and encouraging me through the difficulties of my teenage years. There was one couple, Jenny and Aaron Savage, who were working for an organization called Youth For Christ. This last fall we got together with them to chat and catch up. They proposed to us an idea: to take over their role as Youth For Christ leaders in the Linn County area. They had accepted jobs at Tadmor Camp as maintenance supervisor and registrar. The job included housing at the camp, so they would also be moving. Since they wouldn't be living in their house anymore, they also offered for us to stay and rent their house. We went home that evening, almost in shock; we had just been offered a house and a job. God's timing is impeccable they say, and I truly believe that. We spent the next couple of weeks discussing and praying what this opportunity would look like and if we should go for it. In the end, we decided it was a good choice. Even if we wanted to go back into missions or do something else later on, this was a good opportunity to fill our time. Everything was in line with what we had been doing and ultimately what we would like to be doing, so it fit perfectly. It was a missionary position, it was with youth, all about connecting them with the church and walking with them in discipleship. It was right up our alley.

So, at the beginning of November, we started an internship with Youth For Christ. We moved into the house after Thanksgiving and have been immensely blessed by the support of everyone around us. James and I have been moving around a lot since we got married, so we own very few things to furnish a house. Friends and family have poured out their generosity on us and we have pretty much everything we need to live in this house!

We are still adjusting to all of the changes and transitions that come with a new ministry and a new house, but we are so glad that God is ultimately in control. If I'm being honest I was still applying and interviewing for jobs into December, even though I knew God wanted me to focus on ministry and not overwhelm myself with too many things on my plate. (This was me still knocking on closed doors). Luckily, I didn't get any of those jobs. Now, James and I can and will be focusing on local youth ministry in Sweet Home for the next while.

Thank you all for your love and support as we follow where the Lord leads. It is a blessing to have you all behind us in the ups and downs and uncertainties. We will keep you updated as we do local ministry here in Sweet Home.