Working While We Wait
- Oct 7, 2017
- 3 min read
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."
-Colossians 3:12
How does one come to care so deeply for someone that they have never met ? After 37 weeks of pregnancy, David and I already feel an intense and profound love for our child, whom we have never seen but who we look forward to meeting soon !
Eight months is a long time to wait for anything. Now that we are in the "final stretch," knowing this child could arrive any day, it is even more difficult to find the patience to sit tight. I have asked God to bring this baby into the world at the perfect time, but I add to the end of the prayer my desire that the "perfect time" be sooner rather than later. I tell this little one - now that we are officially at term, David and I are ready to welcome our little bundle whenever it is ready to come !
In the meantime, we continue to work, which helps the hours pass and the weeks go by.
YWAM Lanaudière Staff Retreat, September 1-3:
As summer activities came to an end and we found ourselves at the start of a new school year, it was time for the team to gather together and "plan." Our heart was not to create a vision for the sake of having one, but rather to discover the vision we know is already on the heart of God for our region and our team. Over the course of three days, we spent time in worship, prayer, fellowship, and discussion, and we came away with a clearer sense of where we are heading in the coming year.
The first day was spent revisiting the original vision that King's Kids Lanaudière was built on fourteen years ago, when Laurent and Patty Gerber received the calling to pioneer the ministry in this region. In order to move forward in any area of life, it is important to look back and see from where we have come.
Day two was a day of reflecting on the current vision and ministry situation, taking a look at where we are now and what has happened in recent years. Towards the end of the day, we switched to processing and discussing the future - seeing what values continue to be central aspects of our team and ministry, and what various ministry expressions we feel led to pursue in the coming year.
The retreat was a fruitful and unifying time for our team, although the concrete steps of how to put these visionary pieces into practice would only come later over the course of the weeks that followed. It was also refreshing to spend time together and have fun, enjoying each other's company and bonding as a team !
We are still in the process of confirming certain ministry opportunities that were discussed during the retreat, and others have been confirmed and set into motion, with the team currently in the planning and preparation phase.
Native American community centerOne of the doors God has opened recently is with the , where our team is now involved in helping students with homework after school. King's Kids Lanaudière has had great contact with this people group over the years, with reconciliation being one of the callings God has put on our hearts, and so we are excited about this opportunity !
David and I enjoy having a more regular schedule, with:
staff meetings and prayer every week
two full days per week working at Provision Compassion
work with the Native American center
monthly commitments at church and la Petite Cuillère
Quartier Libre games with children in a local neighborhood every Tuesday
days at the office planning upcoming King's Kids events
Just yesterday, we finished painting the room in our apartment that will become "Chez Daveli," our restaurant ministry for couples ! We also met with Mario, who has agreed to help us create furniture and décor for the ministry. Things are moving forward slowly but surely, and we are excited to start having couples over for some "trial runs" before we open it up to the public !
Two weeks ago, David, Baby and I flew to Pratt, Kansas for the wedding of my brother, Alex, and his wife Kayla ! It was a wonderful time when we were able to see the family (even Anders who came from Ethiopia to join us !), enjoy time together, and celebrate the beautiful alliance of marriage between two people who love and live for Christ.
Prayer requests:
Continued patience in this last month of pregnancy
Safety for mom and baby during these last weeks, labor and delivery. Unity in our team as we move forward with the vision we feel God has given us.
Wisdom as a team to know when to say "yes" or "no" to various ministry opportunities that arise.
Comments