Most of you know that we head to the USA every 2 years. Well that time has arrived again and we are in the beginning stages of our travel plans! This trip back to the States will look WAY different than any of our other past trips- not only because we are traveling internationally during a global pandemic and there are restrictions everywhere- there are many no entry countries we would typically transit through, vaccine/mask mandates and mandatory COVID tests. We are not looking forward to all the hoops but none the less determined to get to the States for a short visit! -What else if different about this trip!?? - Eric is Moving to Florida -At the beginning of this year the Lord began to speak to Eric about taking big chances and going for it. After a time of team fasting at the beginning of the year and some vision from the Lord. He placed a few things in front of Eric that were a sure call to a small transition. The last time Eric had this feeling was when we were called into missions in 2013. When you feel this urge and you know its Holy Spirit you better listen and obey or you risk the chance of Him asking someone else.
The school is quite difficult and time consuming and only about 50 people are accepted per school. Eric applied and through various applications, emails and interviews with the CfaN staff was accepted to participate in the fall school which runs from August 10-October 29. Then after the school he will do a 3 week initiation trip where the comes to Africa (I know- so funny) to put to work all he has learned. The school takes place in Orlando Florida at CfaNs headquarters. I know this raises many questions- What about us? What will me and the kids do? We won't be going with Eric. Due to the location of the school Eric actually has to find and rent an apartment and rent a car. We are hoping that he can find a room mate to help offset this cost. We have been so blessed by donations that have already come in! All of Erics School Tuition and Initiation trip have been paid for and we are saving funds for rent/utilities/food/car and extra spending money. We are hoping to raise about $5,000 more for this. Me and the Kids-The kids and I will be staying in Dondo for a couple months then we will travel back to Klamath Falls as normal. Our plan is to arrive back mid September. We will be in Klamath Falls and Eric will join us when he finishes his school late November. We are beyond excited to see what this new addition will bring to our future here in Dondo. God is always so faithful to supply all our needs and even most of wants! We can't wait to be back in the States with our friends and family. We will be staying once again with Terry and Mardi Etters, and will be looking forward to hangout with you all soon!! Much Love, Tawnya
0 Comments
I am continually grateful and in awe of God’s faithfulness to fulfill his promise that He will work all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purposes. A season of pandemic is no exception for this promise. At first glance, it would seem that a pandemic, with extensive lockdowns, would serve quite a blow to the momentum of our ministry. Our main work in Mozambique is to help disciple all the leaders and pastors of Iris churches in three provinces. As the months of lockdown continued to grow, we knew that we needed to have divine strategy to keep growth in the churches. I felt that the solution would be to provide weekly discipleship materials to every church and have the pastors divide the church members into cell groups of 10 members or less to meet in houses. Each month four new teachings are written and distributed by whatsapp, email, or by hand to each district. Then the district pastor copies them and hands them to the other pastors under him at a monthly district meeting. From start to finish, this discipleship program is helping bring the churches together, and helping to build relationships that to often are neglected with the commonly formatted program of once-a-week church services. Also, the most beautiful part is that God has helped us find a way to establish powerful, transformative teaching that brings our members to depth of relationship with Jesus, activates them for the work, and brings them to maturity. God has helped us redeem the time and reach farther and deeper than before. There are over 300 churches under our care that are continually crying out for visits, teaching, and help. We can not even physically visit all of them let alone give them the depth in the Lord that is so desperately needed. Even though we will continually visit the churches to release the Kingdom in person, we now have a powerful tool implemented that delivers 52 powerful, doctrinally sound teachings a year to churches all over Mozambique. Leave it to God to use a global crisis to help propel his good news throughout the bush of Africa on a magnitude we have yet seen! As we have traveled through all the districts to teach the pastors how to use the new discipleship program, God has been moving powerfully in our meetings. There has definitely been an increase of the power of the Holy Spirit in every gathering. God opened the door for us to travel to the northern province of Niassa to deliver the new program to all their churches. Niassa has never been in our ministry area due to the travel distance, but we felt the necessity to go. During our two days of meetings and services, God powerfully met us. Not only did they receive the tools necessary to disciple thousands of people, but the Lord met each of these district leaders in a powerful encounter. The power of the Holy Spirit was poured out, repentance flowed, they were on the floor under the weight of God’s glory, and some were even supernaturally filled with the joy of the lord. It was wild, and beautiful, and transformative, and God was in control. On the last morning in Niassa, the lead pastor asked us to pray for his son. His son was a drunk. He had a good education but could never find work. He then fell to alcoholism. He had been a disgrace to his wife, children, neighbors, and family for a long time. As our team lead the ministry and deliverance time with this man, the power of the Holy Spirit fell. The man felt God come and set him free! Since that day, I have talked to the pastor many times to follow up about his son. Each time he has confirmed that his son is still alcohol free, and he has returned to his land to tend to his own crops! He is now providing for his family again! God restores! We are in a time in history that we have a choice. We either let every trial of life derail us and we walk behind the wake and destruction of every crisis that comes, or we lock eyes with Jesus and follow his lead so that we are ahead of the situation in a way to not lose momentum for the Kingdom. I would rather ride the waves that come, rather than be pummeled by them. Remember, we are the head and not the tail. Let’s take our place in history! Much love in Christ |
Archives
May 2021
Categories
All
|