Ministry Update:
Happy Spring friends, family and ministry partners! This update has some very very exciting news that I can’t wait to share with you. But first, I just want to give a brief update on the past few months here in Coeur d’Alene. We are still going strong with our DTS Student Internship. Our students are increasing in maturity and excitement for unreached missions - seeing their transformation thus far is incredible and they still have nearly a year with us! God is raising up these young people for His glory! I have continued to teach and disciple, and am beginning to prepare for teaching during the fall DTS. Online school at Liberty University is still going well too; the progress is slow and steady as I can only manage one class per quarter with my responsibilities here in Coeur d’Alene. Our new website has been published with all of our updated information so feel free to take a look at www.ywamnorthidaho.org. In the coming months I’ll be continuing to run the communications ministry, bolster our website, prepare for DTS and pour into these interns. I am so grateful for your partnership and encouragement which enables me to do this.
Big Announcement
Through an immense amount of prayer and seeking guidance from many elders within and outside of YWAM, our entire staff team at YWAM North Idaho (including me) has come to the unanimous agreement that it is God’s will for our team to permanently relocate to Southern Thailand. While this certainly was not something we foresaw, God has made it abundantly clear that this relocation is the fulfillment of the vision He gave us to mobilize Christ-followers to communicate the gospel with unreached people groups in Thailand; this is not a redirection, but rather the next step in achieving the goal of seeing Thailand reached with the gospel of Christ!
I have been waiting for God to give me direction as to what I am to do after my two-year commitment with YWAM North Idaho expires and it appears He had been waiting to speak to us as a whole! I have taken much time to seek God’s will, not only for our base, but for myself as an individual, as I knew that this decision needed to be between me and the Lord, not dependent on the choices of others. I am confident in saying that I have decided to go to Thailand for as long as the Lord wishes alongside our team of ten for at least five years. Our goal is to continue to advance the vision the Lord gave to us by pioneering a ministry in the South of Thailand, the least reached region of the country. The largest people group residing in this region is the Southern Thai people who are only 0.25% Christian and have practically no ability to hear the Good News of Jesus. See https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/15067/TH. We are not entirely sure what God will want this ministry to look like, but we are certain that our vision statement will not change: our goal is to share the gospel with unreached people groups in Thailand, disciple, and then mobilize native believers to do the same. Long-term frontier mission work is a new ball-game, so we are anticipating many obstacles and necessary training for long-term advancement of the gospel. At first, our main priority will be language acquisition, cultural immersion and relationship building in the community (which will take at least two years). There are so many ministry opportunities and avenues the Lord may lead us down, from hosting DTS teams and church mission trips to college-campus evangelism, red-light district ministry and more. I am sure God will be faithful to show us the way, as He already has been so faithful in doing through this time of prayer and decision-making!
We are still focused on making this upcoming DTS the best it can be. Covid is making planning very difficult, so we are praying for the ability to go to Thailand, but there are many unknown variables which could determine exactly how DTS and Outreach pan out. Once the DTS graduates, we are anticipating a 3-6 month transition period as our staff team prepares to move to Thailand. I will most likely be returning home to Virginia to see family and raise the necessary financial partnership for my long-term move and ministry in Southern Thailand. I cannot express how excited and grateful I am to be a part of this re-location. I am dedicated to seeing every nation, tribe and tongue give Jesus the worship He has rightfully won. There is no plan B for me!
More News
I have been asked to join YWAM North Idaho’s Base Leadership Team (B.L.T.) and have accepted this new leadership role. Most essentially, the B.L.T. is responsible for the health and overall functioning of our base. Important decisions, while discussed amongst all staff, ultimately fall to the B.L.T. Finally, we spend much time in prayer for our base, staff, and students, and seeking God’s direction for our ministry.
YWAM North Idaho Ministry
DTS Student Internship
A live-learn preparatory school designed for discipling and training our interns in personal sanctification and relationship with the Lord, evangelism, missions, bible study, and apologetics paired with local compassion ministries.
Establishing Individual Ministries (Now)
Developing each of our ministries at YWAM North Idaho with excellence so that when our training schools are in session, these ministries will support, rather than distract from the discipleship and mobilization process that these schools are aimed at achieving.
Preparing for our DTS
Weekly Community Nights (Now)
A time for fellowship, worship, and bible study with our local community
Weekly Evangelism and Compassion Ministries (Now)
Serving our community’s physical and spiritual needs by partnering with local churches and non-profit outreaches in order to share the Gospel in both word and deed.
Thai Language (Now)
Every staff member has daily Thai language class (includes oral and written communication) - 5 hrs. Per week.
Staff Training (Now):
- All staff meet together weekly for a leadership training exercises
DTS (Oct. 4th 2021)
Discipleship Training School: to disciple and equip students to live zealous for God
The Rope Holders:
You Are Essential - Thank You.
Dear partners - you are essential! I wanted to use this space to encourage you all today: your encouragement, prayer, and financial partnership in this ministry is absolutely vital for all God is desiring to do in these young people and in the many unreached nations in Thailand. Your dedicated love to Christ in these ways is of great importance. As Paul writes in Romans 10:15, “How are they to preach unless they are sent?” Earlier this week, I presented a teaching with our base director, Brandon Oliver, expounding on prioritizing unreached missions. We talked about the imbalance of resources (missionaries, resources, and financial provision) which are currently being allocated away from the neediest places of the world. After this teaching, a missionary to India who has been home for the past year due to Covid-19 reminded me of something William Carey, commonly referred to as the father of modern missions, once said as he decided to go to India as a missionary: “I will go down the mine if you will hold the ropes for me.” In order to proclaim good news to the captives and bring about the worship of our Lord and Savior in all peoples, to reach those unreached places of the world, your sacrificial sending role is absolutely essential and is just as praise worthy before our God. “Well done, good and faithful servant” is not reserved for the goers, but for the senders too! I recognize your partnership as crucial to my ability to serve in the way God has called me. Truly, I am thankful for your continued partnership by holding the ropes as I continue ministry here and to Thailand, each of us fulfilling our role in the Great Commission for the sake of Christ!
Prayer Guide:
Below I’ve listed a few ways you can be partnering in prayer with me, YWAM North Idaho’s ministry, and the nation of Thailand. I hope this is a helpful resource for you.
Personal Prayer Requests:
With the upcoming long-term relocation to Thailand, I need more financial partners. Please consider if you are involved with or know of Bible Studies, churches, families, or individuals who would be willing to hear my ministry presentation and/or might be potentially interested in partnering with me. It would be a huge blessing to me if you could put us in contact with one another!
Growth and maturity in leading, discipling, teaching and fulfilling all the demands of ministry here.
My personal relationship with God to be strengthened.
That this next year would sufficiently prepare me for my long-term relocation to Thailand.
YWAM North Idaho Base:
Base leaders: Brandon and Angela Oliver and their two children: Noah (14) and Ellie (3)
Staff: Mikayla, Makayla, Jael, Connor, Nicole and I
Interns: Eli, Chris
Monthly Supporters for YWAM North Idaho (Rent for classroom space)
DTS: incoming students, speakers, successfully getting into Thailand for Outreach
Long-term Relocation: God’s guidance, ministry opportunities, language acquisition, visas, endurance and strength
Thailand:
Pray for the 77 Unreached people groups in Thailand. To explore the specific needs of these people groups visit https://joshuaproject.net/countries/TH
Another people group in Thailand has been reached with the Gospel! The Mlabri people group is responding to the gospel. Read more: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMuwEQZlZnv/
Thailand’s Covid-19 situation is still dire due to increased shut-down in the last few months.
The economy continues to deteriorate due to Covid-19. Please pray for those that have lost jobs and are struggling to provide for themselves. Please pray that through this struggle, individuals come to a deep revelation of their need for an eternal Savior, and that they find Jesus Christ.
Pray for the Christian ministries there: for financial provision, strength, boldness, and success in sharing the hope that is in Christ.
For those who have heard the Good News but need discipleship and a Christian community, please pray that the Lord provides a way for them to come into contact with support.
Thank you so very much for reading this update, and most especially for your continued friendship and partnership in ministry. I continue to pray for you, so please let me know if there are specific things I can be praying for.
“I thank my God in all remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all, making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in this gospel from the first day until now.”
Philippians 1:3-5 (ESV)