Les Therisod au Québec!

“It is my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:20).

Hello from the new Therisod family!

We are just a few weeks beyond our December wedding, and the reality and excitement of a lifetime together has begun to settle in our hearts. As we prayed together this summer, we asked ourselves and the Lord what the purpose of our marriage was. In our seeking, we read and agreed with the words of Francis Chan, who writes

<< We have better things to pursue than our own interests. Too much is at stake! God created us for a purpose. We cannot afford to waste our lives. We cannot afford to waste our marriage merely pursuing our own happiness >>

These words resonate in our hearts, and we are excited and ready to pursue a life of purpose together with our Heavenly Father. After much prayer and fasting, we believe God put it in our hearts that the first two years of this adventure begins in Joliette, Canada, and we hope that this letter effectively expresses the heart God has given us for that time!

The Call

Spring 2015: David first experienced the city of Joliette (in the Canadian province of Quebec) when he spent three months there participating in a Youth With A Mission (YWAM) school for youth ministers. It was at this time that David and I first “met” through Skype during the week that my parents taught at the school. From a distance, I was able to hear of the incredible things God was doing in David’s heart as well as in the community through the YWAM team and students there.

January 2016: David and I began discussing the possibility of “settling down” and investing in a community somewhere in the world – something we both felt God had been speaking to us. Up until this point, God had taken David here, there, and everywhere for short-term ministry - a lifestyle that didn’t allow David to plant roots and build relationships in a more profound way. It was also in January that we “randomly” received an invitation from YWAM Lanaudière (Quebec) to make Joliette our home-base for a time at the start of our marriage. This would allow us to have a more stable community surrounding us, which could also serve as a launching pad for ministry in the international world (something David and I both feel called to). Canada was not at the top of either my or David’s lists of prospective home-countries, but it seemed the Lord was saying something, and now we were listening!

Spring 2016 in ND: David came to visit me in North Dakota, and we spent many hours discussing the possibility of Canada, with great excitement growing in our hearts. Knowing we would be together again in July, and to allow me to focus on finishing my university studies well, we decided to postpone any further discussion or prayer about Canada until the summer.

Côte d’Ivoire: David and I were together once again for two months of ministry in Africa, and during this time we were engaged! The Lord provided ample opportunities for us to fast and pray together about HOW exactly our two lives would merge into one, WHERE this process was to begin, and WHAT He wanted us to do together as a married couple. We came out of Africa having made a two-year commitment with the King’s Kids/YWAM community in Joliette, Canada, scheduled to begin in March 2017!

The Role

The great Christian evangelist and teacher, Oswald Chambers, said that “One of the most difficult questions to answer in Christian works is ‘what do you expect to do?’ You don’t know what you are going to do. The only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing.” David and I can relate to this in some ways as we look forward to our time in Canada. We have an idea of the things God is calling us there to do (which I will summarize below), but many of the specific details remain somewhat of a mystery. What we do know, however, is that God is faithful, and we are holding onto what Chambers would call “deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways [we] may not understand at the time.” The Lord has called us to Canada, and we know He has great plans in store!

Building a foundation for our marriage: Knowing that we are brand-new to marriage, and that there are cultural, age, family, gender, and other differences between us, David and I want to take the time to intentionally develop a strong foundation for our marriage during this time in Quebec.

Principles of Child and Youth Ministry School: During our first three months in Joliette, David will be co-leading the PCYM school, while I will be a student. This will be a great opportunity for us to connect with our coworkers and the community of Joliette, as well as get a better idea of the things we can do to support and work with the people and ministry there.

Support & New Energy/Ideas for King’s Kids: King’s Kids has multiple ministry facets in Joliette, including work with Native Americans, partnering with the local Catholic Churches, community outreach programs for youth, work with a home for the mentally handicapped and disabled, biannual community seminars for families, and leadership training camps, among other things. We will be available to support these already existing aspects of the ministry, but will also have the freedom to develop any new ministry ideas we may have (and we already have a couple things stirring in

our minds).

Investing in the Community: David and I are both extremely relational, and our heart is to invest in the residents of Joliette. Through acts of service, intentional quality time, and even through maintaining our own marriage, we hope to live and build relationships in a way that leads others to our Father and the only true source of hope. This is our ultimate and highest calling.

Nursing: I am a nurse, and many have asked me if I will be able to use those skills in Canada. The hope is yes, the reality is uncertain. It is certainly possible for me to transfer my license to Quebec and work as a nurse there, and I will do what I can to make that possibility a reality. David and I both believe the Lord gave me that education for a purpose, and that His timing is much better than ours. So, while I want to work in the next two years, I will continue to trust God’s timing regardless of whether I can work as a nurse in Joliette or not.

RescueNet: RescueNet is a non-profit organization that primarily responds to natural disasters, providing emergency rescue services and medical relief around the world. David has been involved in this ministry for the past three years, and I will be receiving my first round of training in Central America this coming August. We both have an interest in medical work and the international world, and this ministry brings those two aspects together along with our hearts to display Christ through service. While we may not work with King’s Kids beyond the next two years, both David and I would like to continue and even increase our involvement in RescueNet, as there are many possibilities for action and development there.

The Need

Prayer (building a team!): We believe in the combined strength of the body of Christ, and we also believe there is incredible power in prayer! Any purpose of the Lord will face opposition in many forms, and we would ask you to please cover us and our marriage in prayer as we head to Canada for ministry. If you would like to receive regular prayer requests, praise reports, and updates from us, please let us know at daveli.therisod@gmail.com.

We would love to skype with you if you want more information and to hear more of what God has put on our hearts.

The Future

After our two years in Joliette, David and I will prayerfully consider the next step to take in our adventure together. What plan does God have for our family? Will we have children? Will we remain in Canada for an extended period of time? Will we move overseas? Will we work in a primarily medical operation? What role will RescueNet play in our future ministry? Will we be called to start a new ministry, or continue partnering with those already established? David and I have many varied interests, but our primary goal remains constant: to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that Christ has commanded us (Matthew 28:19-20).