To Rest, Refresh and Reconnect

Dear Friends and family,

It is a true honor to serve the One and True Mighty God, and we are so humbled to see all that He is doing in and through our lives!  We acknowledge it has been a while since reaching out to you! Our last 3 months at YWAM Discovery Bay seemed like a whirlwind wanting to serve in all the ministries we were part of as much as possible, saying bittersweet goodbyes to so many amazing people God has brought into our lives and doing our best to leave the campus in good standing for the winter months and beyond. 

Now without a place to call home, we are in transition.  We finally hit the road on our 10-week sabbatical trip to see family/friends/supporters. Our first stop was YWAM Faith Harvest Helpers in Olympia, where we helped organize, setup, serve and tear down for their annual dinner/auction fundraiser. (photos below)

Next we went to Spokane WA to see Clarissa, who is doing well living on her own in an apartment with her dog while working at Crumbl cookie, and to visit with long-time friends Chet and Karla Roshetko. (photos below)

Much of this letter was written watching the amber fields of grass go by while aboard an Amtrak train to visit April's stepson Derrick and grandson's Denyon and Damick in North Dakota. Meeting Derrick's soon to be wife Tricia and kids was a delight. Even after being on solid ground, the lingering uncertainty of the swaying train left me feeling as though the ground was moving beneath me. It wasn’t until the feeling stopped that I confirmed it wasn’t my surroundings, but merely my perception. Much of what we have been learning is that we see God, ourselves and others through the lens of our experiences and circumstances that can give us false perceptions of reality.

We are now in Maine, blessed to have Mark's brother Dave and sister-in-law Rhonda who generously paid for our way to come see them.

Over the next two months or so, we are excited to make our way around visiting friends and family in Colorado, Arizona and Nevada through Christmas, thanking God for His provision each step of the way.

In January, we head to Kona where I (Mark) will be attending a “DBS” (Discipleship Bible School) at YWAM Ships in hopes of one day teaching in the course. (We are thankful that April was able to do some caregiving this summer to help pay for part of my schooling.)

YWAM leadership has observed that many young students are lacking a Biblical Worldview, underscoring the foundational need to understand the Bible before doing missions work and are encouraging them to take a DBS school right after DTS. (for more information: Discipleship Bible School - YWAM Ships Kona)

With the world in disarray, we are even more motivated to press in and on "defending the weak and the fatherless; upholding the cause of the poor and the oppressed, rescuing the weak and the needy; delivering them from the hand of the wicked. "(Psalm 82:3,4)

E’Lon will be attending “Healing for Harvest” medical mission school at The University of the Nations and April will be interning with Healing for Harvest and other ministries at the “U of N” and the YWAM Ships campus. For more information: Healing for Harvest - YWAM UofN Kona

All 3 of us are expecting to go on outreach to yet-to-be-determined locations for 3 months following our time in Kona.

E’Lon has her own newsletter that can be found here: E'Lon's Newsletter.

As much as we love YWAM Discovery Bay, our church and local ministries we felt the Lord nudging us to step out, expand our impact, and see what other ministries He would have us participate in. We don’t know what He has planned for us but are eagerly anticipating how He will use us in Kona and beyond.

We see God at work already as a young lady E'lon and April befriended who regularly attended our game and movie nights, decided to join us in Hawaii and attend her own “DTS” (Discipleship Training School). And a young man I had the privilege of mentoring in our 2023 Discovery Bay “DTS” has applied and may be joining me at YWAM Ships for “DBS.”

In Kona, God has already provided affordable housing for April and me 25 minutes from campus, (E’Lon has on-campus housing) and we would appreciate your prayers that He will provide an affordable vehicle for us to use while there.

Knowing you are part of our team through prayer and partnering with us gives us courage and strength and we are grateful! We so appreciate it when we hear from you, learn how we can be a part of what God is doing in your lives and how we can pray for you! 

Not knowing where God will send us can leave us feeling like the ground is moving beneath our feet even though we know our foundation is secure. It is uncertainty that builds faith and in uncertain times like these, we know that He is our rock and will guide each of our steps as we trust Him. 

Shalom,

Mark and April