Grateful for a Full Fall

Gosh, I don't know about you guys, but the last couple months have absolutely flown by. Ronnie and I have had some full and wonderful weeks that we wanted to share with you guys and ask for continued prayer.

A little over a month ago we had our first international flight as a family of three. We headed to YWAM Seamill in Scotland. We have been serving on the International Mission Adventures Circle for several years now, and one thing we always look forward to is our meeting in person which happens once every two years. Due to covid this meeting has been rescheduled a couple times, so this week felt extra special. We gathered for a week of prayer, strategizing, and fellowship. Our focus for this time was to pray into how the Lord is leading MA and youth ministry in Europe. While some of the old programs and formats have not produced as much fruit in recent years, the Lord is clearly still moving among young people, and it was exciting to begin brainstorming what the future could hold. After our week in Seamill, our little family explored Edinburgh, met up with dear friends we hadn't seen in several years, and explored the epic Isle of Sky in the Scottish highlands. If you are ever in need of surrounding yourself with some intensely beautiful scenery, just go to Scotland. It was a dream to get this time of refreshment in a gorgeous country.

the dreamy Fairy Pools

exploring secret gardens at an old castle

our amazing International MA Circle (minus a few)

dream come true to have coffee with dear friends in their part of the world

Shep loves a good adventure

exploring beaches where dinosaur footprints have been fossilized

spent a day in Glasgow

we hiked Old Man of Storr....it was EPIC

exploring the Fairy Pools

town of Portree, Isle of Skye

beautiful stained glass everywhere

Shortly after returning home Ronnie packed his bags again and headed to Costa Rica for a Homes of Hope build. A lovely team of 40 came from Colorado to bless two different families with a new home. This was Ronnie's first time in Costa Rica, and aside from the larger than life spiders and ants, he absolutely loved it.

Ronnie in his happy place, building homes

got to check out a coffee farm in Costa Rica

While Ronnie was still out of the country I kicked off our week long Theme Team for Mission Adventures in North America. We hosted a group of YWAMers who work with MA at various bases in North America. We spent the week praying for the youth in this region, waiting on the Lord, and ultimately creating a theme that will be used for MA programs across North America in 2024. This year we used Timothy Keller's book "Generous Justice" to help shape our content. If you haven't given this book a read, check it out. He does a wonderful job of exploring what biblical justice looks like and how we translate that into our everyday lives.

Last week I had the privilege of leading a week-long debrief for a fellow YWAMer. I am loving these opportunities to put into practice the principles I learned last summer in Montana. It is such an honor to be trusted with someone's story and help facilitate space for God to work. While I was debriefing, Shepherd helped Ronnie out at the office, running errands, and they took an adventure to the zoo.

the brainstorming and idea producing is non stop during theme team

starting the day fresh by asking 'what did God say to you last night'

feeling excited about a new theme after a week of hard work

talking about Gen Z and how they are uniquely equipped to live the gospel

Shep likes to make sure the mail carts don't wonder off

Thank you so much for continuing to pray for our family, and the ministries we are serving. W are blessed to have you in our lives.

Over the next month we will be serving in the office & hospitality. Ronnie will continue working with the transportation fleet, and we will both be fine tuning some of the content from Theme Team. We are super excited to have dear friends and family come out to the west coast for Shep's first birthday. Even typing that out it still doesn't seem possible that he will be turning 1 this month. What a wild year!

Prayer is always our biggest request. We continue to see God move in amazing ways through it. Below are some specific prayer requests.

- November is always a busy month as our bases are building several homes for families. Prayer for the teams coming down to serve and the families receiving new homes. May God's love be experienced in personal ways.

- Our desire is to be walking in the Lord's will. Prayers for wisdom and discernment as we make decisions for our upcoming year and continue to learn what ministry looks like for our growing family.

- I am struggling a bit to adapt the kind of art I love to make to the space we currently have. Prayers for creativity and organization.

- Finances have been a real challenge for us this year. Please pray with us as we seek the Lord's wisdom in fundraising and financial goals. And let us know if you'd like to partner with us next year!

Again, thank you for being a part of our lives, and a vital part of the ministries we serve. We love you guys and pray you have a beautiful and joy filled November.

* we took too many fun photos over the last couple months, enjoy some of our favorites below

hiking in San Diego

went to Tijuana to debrief a sweet couple

beautiful Scotland

rockhounding in Scotland

incredible castles everywhere in Scotland

finished a week of debriefing by exploring the Spanish Art Village in SD

Shep helping me in hospitality, ha

being warm has never looked so cute

mandatory after meal bath

first long-ish bike ride

castles in Scotland

perks of having friends who are good photographers, thank you Craig!

Enjoy your day as much as Shepherd enjoys his oranges