Wow, can you believe we made it to June already?! SBS 2010-11 is almost complete. Students graduate from the program on June 23rd. They are busy finishing up their final books, writing their final papers and enjoying their last few weeks together. The staff are busy wrapping up grading, their final lectures for the year, and all the other crazy behind the scenes stuff that goes along with the last few weeks of the school year. Justin will be teaching Haggai and Malachi on the 13th. Please be praying for him as he prepares and teaches.
As always, the end of the SBS year presents lots of changes for students. It is time for them to take what they have spent nine months of their lives learning and take it out to the places God is calling them to. We have spent nine months preparing them to fly. They are ready. They will go and be salt and light to the world. Some of them over seas, some at their local churches. workplaces and universities. Where ever they go, they are now going hopefully having gained a better understanding of who God is, who they are in relation to him, and driven by the testimony that God's word truly does change lives.
This season also marks change for us as well. LOTS of it! For starters, we are expecting baby number 2! Thats right, you heard it we are having another baby due December 26th! We are of course thrilled! We love being parents and are so happy that Ella will have a sibling so close to her age. However this also poses many challenges for us. You might remember the physical challenges that I faced when pregnant with Ella. Well things haven't changed. I am sick night and day, which makes things hard for everyone, and is especially draining when I have Ella to look after. Your prayers would be appreciated!
change number 2, we are moving. thats right, AGAIN! As much as we have loved living in our little cabin, it just will not be big enough to accommodate our growing family once baby #2 comes. So in August we will be moving to a bigger house on the base. This will be my fourth move in 4 years! Such is life in missions! We will literally be moving a half a block away, which just makes us laugh. We feel so fortunate as to be able to have housing for families on this base. That is not always the case on most YWAM bases. You see, YWAM MT used to be an old air force base back in the 1950's. It was then abandoned for a number of years. YWAM acquired it in the '80's, and has since been revamping it to make it a wonderful place for training, housing and sending missionaries to and from all over the globe. So, as most military bases, have houses for the families of the soldiers, this one was no different. Now the families serving here with YWAM get to live in them. We are one of those families :-) As much as this is a blessing, we will definitely need your prayers for this move. Trying to pack when I am sick, pregnant and chasing a baby around is alot for me to take on right now. It will be so worth it though, once we are settled in.
...and the biggest change of all! drumroll........We are changing departments here on base! That is right, as we graduate this SBS, we ourselves will be saying goodbye to the School of Biblical Studies department for an indefinite season. Don't worry, we are still full time YWAM Montana staff, still missionaries, none of that is changing, but starting in July instead of focusing on bible training as a tool for making disciples will be shifting focus to another tool: Music.
That is right MUSIC. How many of you have been so inspired or touched by a song, that it changed you? Maybe God has spoken to you through a song. Maybe he has used it to draw you closer to him, or to minister to you through a difficult time. We at YWAM MT recognize the power of music and the arts to be a tool for reaching the nations for Christ and have an entire department that focuses on this area of ministry.
Justin is incredibly passionate about music. He is an extremely gifted musician and as the years have gone by and we have staffed SBS I have watched his passion for music grow, and have known that there would be a season that God would want us to take the time to allow him to walk in this gift in a more full way than he has been able to while staffing SBS. As the Lord has grown Justin's heart, he has also grown mine. I am not a musician, but I see the importance of it. I have experienced the power of music in my own life and I know so many people who speak the language of music. People who don't know Jesus but know music can experience Him through music in a very tangible way that they might not necessarily be able to in another way. Justin speaks that language, and it is time for him to explore that, and reach out to people who he can connect with in this way. It is time for him to use this incredible gift that he has that is just ready to burst and use it to further Gods kingdom.
What will this look like for us? Well Justin's main focus at this time will be to do an internship here where he will learn everything that he needs to know to build a recording studio, record, produce albums etc. We already have a small recording studio here on the base, but as the demand for this ministry is growing, we are building a new recording studio from the ground up. So Justin will literally be building a recording studio, and then learning everything he will ever need to know to run one. This is going to open many doors both here on base, and in the community as well as having a global impact. He will have an opportunity to influence, disciple and encourage missionaries from all over the world, and help give them tools to go and use their gift of music to make disciples in their areas of influence.
This will also give me the flexibility to focus on being a mom right now as I have my hands full being sick, pregnant and caring for Ella, and it is only going to get busier in the coming months having 2 children under 2. However, I am looking forward to offering my gifts to this department as the need arises and I am able, and I know that this change will give me the flexibility to do just that.
We are really looking forward to this new journey God has for us. We are trusting God as he leads us in this direction, and believe that it will open doors for us as we continue to trust him and follow his will for our lives. However it is bittersweet, as we have absolutely loved our time with the SBS and will miss it very much. Thanks you for believing in us, and praying for us as we take this step of faith. We are excited to share with you what God has in store for us, as you walk with us on this journey through your prayers and support.
We hope you have an amazing summer!!!
in Christ's service,
Justin, Annie, Ella and baby on the way Frase
