Amazing Grace

It’s hard for me to write just about the events of life in this blog, when what really matters is what God has been teaching us as individuals and as a family. God called us to Ellel, not only to learn from the classes but to heal and grow in him. I can’t begin to describe the amazing things he has been teaching me, my parents, and my whole family since we’ve been here. It’s not easy. My mom pinpointed the simile that describes NETS, “It’s like going through open-heart surgery with God.”

Revolution (a young people’s discipleship program) had to hand-build two boats and race them down the river. This is one of them – The Gentle Breeze. Most of the campus turned up to watch these teams battle the freezing river, fast rapids, and cramped quarters. Brilliant!

NETS is beautiful and tough and exhausting. It’s not just that Pam and David are being equipped, it’s our whole family that is being taught and healed from issues stuffed aside since the beginning. The teaching isn’t just bullet points of ministry, it’s allowing God to gently, oh so gently, point out the wounds and tears in our heart that our heavenly Father longs to heal. It’s about God revealing his love as a Father to our hearts. It’s about receiving and giving, overflowing with the Holy Spirit, changing lives because ours have been changed.

I have never cried so much since I came here. I’ve cried for my friends, I’ve cried because of the culture shock, I’ve cried because God is filling me, I’ve cried because of the beautiful prayers people around me pour into my life. Our whole family has cried buckets, tears of healing, tears of frustration, tears of ultimate joy because of how truly indescribable our God is. He’s teaching us love, how to love and how to be loved.

For Wesley’s birthday, he took James and Tim to a lazer tag place, then came home and ate Rachael’s amazing homemade cookie cake with his friends. A lot of fun, laughter, and Ninja was played until ten that night.

Peoples’ lives have been literally turned around here. I’ve seen first hand the pain in peoples’ lives being transformed by our God’s amazing grace. I’m not a witness. I am a recipient. My family is a recipient.

We came here with no expectations. We honestly didn’t even know much about Ellel. But the overwhelming blessings that God has poured out in our lives since we’ve been here is enough to make me fall to my knees. Sometimes all I can say is “Thank you, Father, thank you.” He is changing our family. We will never ever be the same.

Wesley working in MSG (Maintenance Service and Grounds) with Tim. He’s been helping these guys for the past five months and they really enjoyed teaching him and just pouring into his life. He’s learned a ton and these guys have really adopted him

Stage 2 ends in two weeks. We have been accepted into Stage 3 and I can’t believe its been five months already. My mom recently went on a day-long church visit with some prayer ministers and other NETS students to an Anglican church an hour and a half away. Ellel does workshops in other churches which include teaching sessions and prayer ministry. Mommy was very excited about joining and it apparently went really, really well. Besides being tired, she came home full of stories about how God is working through the Vicar (English terminology for a pastor) to bring in the truth of the Bible to that village. Daddy went on a church visit three weeks ago and was able to share a powerful part of his testimony to a room full of men. God is good! Kimry and I also got to hear Mommy and Daddy share the story of how we got here with the last big conference hosted on campus. That was amazing, especially since we were just one of the crowd, listening.

Please pray as the end of Stage 2 closes. Two healing retreats that my parents will be ministering in are coming up so please pray for the people coming to attend that God will speak into their lives. Love you guys!

David and Hannah Steele’s cell group composed of YPT (Young People’s Team), went on a two day retreat to Colchester. I was invited to join them for several reasons and really excited to do so. I love all these guys and we not only had a ton of fun but I really met the Holy Spirit on that retreat. Thank you David and Hannah for opening up your home and hearts to me and these amazing team members.