RISE

Soon after we arrived in Spokane I attended a Moody Aviation women's retreat where we began brainstorming about how to engage as a group of staff wives with the student wives and female students. We had a great time discussing goals and vision. We prayed for God's will to be done and wisdom in how to be a part of what He wanted to accomplish. We named our little group "RISE", reminded us that our goal was to Refresh in spirit, Ignite in passion, Strengthen in faith, & Equip for service, both students and ourselves. Since then we've hosted some events, gathered to pray, and wondered how it would all come to pass.

In reality, mostly we have prayed, seeking God's next steps. We have talked and brainstormed and wondered when we would feel more like a group, asking ourselves and one another how to move toward being who we wanted to be.

Over the past months we have seen investments budding into relationships, refreshment, passion, faith, and equipping. This growth hasn't happened overnight, but it is happening. Spontaneously. Women have begun getting together in smaller groups. Homes have been opened for play times with young children. Coffee shop gatherings have sprung up. Lunches have been shared. And slowly but surely, we have seen good things growing.
 
Not long ago we gathered for brunch-- a great spread of food and fellowship. The hostess had things set up beautifully, and so many ladies contributed. I loved watching the ladies mingle and chatting with different ones. I enjoyed the testimony of my friend who shared. I loved what happened as we broke into small groups to pray. I was thankful for the space and the time and each investment that was beginning to bear fruit.

This month our main event was a Ladies Tea to honor the wives of this year's graduates. A local business loaned us a beautiful space which some of us cleaned and decorated. Ladies brought fine china and plants to create beautiful tables, and we gathered for conversation and prayer. We enjoyed beautiful food and the quiet of the afternoon. We gave small gifts to the wives of graduates and had a short presentation on prayer. 

I love these women. I love what God has done in each of their lives and what He is doing in lives. I love their passion and their faith. I love the people we become when we are together and I am thrilled to be a part of RISE, investing in the generations in mission aviation here.

Alberta Adventures

It may have been my full heart when we came home, or it may simply be my poor memory. Whatever the case, I never posted about our March trip to Alberta. So, here goes-- nearly 2 months late, but better than never.


My original plan was to start with the top highlight, but I couldn't narrow it down to one-- was it the drive north with new friends, the amazing people we met, the stories we heard, or the families we visited?

We do not feel like gifted speakers, yet when the opportunity arose to go to the EMC Northern Alberta missions conference, we knew this was something we were supposed to do. We were excited about meeting the people there and the other missionaries we'd share the time with. And there was honestly nothing disappointing about the weekend, except saying goodbye at the end. It was amazing!

We shared at several services, some of them larger than others. We had brunch with a great group of people. We talked to people. We joined people in their homes for various  meals. We had tea most evenings with our host couple. We spent time with the other missionaries at the conference. And more than anything, God showed up. He showed up in people who are obviously passionate about following Jesus. He showed up when people shared their burden for their local community. He was there when people talked about world missions with emotion and personal connections.  He was there. And it was beautiful.

There are not just generalities that emerged over this weekend, but personal stories. However, those stories are not ours to share, so we are limited to generalities. Yet it was the individuals that impacted us, the stories that encouraged us, the people themselves that made the weekend memorable and encouraging. The impromptu invitations and the planned ones. The people who eagerly listened and those who passionately shared.

When Garry and I drove to High Level, we decided to go the long way around to check out the La Crete ice bridge. It was a fun experience, one I've never had before. The bridge was impressive, and I had to wonder who first started making ice bridges for public use. The drive was beautiful, a reminder of God's creativity.

Thank you, La Crete, Hillside, and High Level for loving Jesus, for being yourselves and for allowing us to be a part of this year's missions conference!