July Update 2023
I was struck by these stunning words from the book of Daniel this month. What stood out to me was how they responded to King Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful king in the world at the time. Scripture even tells us that God himself was the one who put Nebuchadnezzar as king (Jeremiah 27:6). So, for these three gentlemen to respond to the king this way is quite risky. Yet, was it?
As I pondered their response, it reminded me of a moment when my son decided to tell another adult, “You are not my daddy. My daddy told me I do not do that. My daddy is stronger than you. " There is a child-like faith that exists in this response. Like a child who believes their dad is a superhero, these boys believed God was their superhero whom they did not want to disobey and knew he would provide for them. They trusted God with a child-like faith, which empowered them to keep God's commandments central, even in the face of the King.
Jesus teaches us more about this child-like faith. In Matthew 18:3, when asked who is the greatest in heaven, he responds, “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." He says it a different way in Matthew 19, stating, “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."
These guys are an example of what Jesus had in mind when speaking of becoming like a child. He calls us to depend on him and trust that he will provide in all situations. The obedience these gentlemen display is one of pleasure in obeying their Father. The trust these gentlemen exhibit is one of delight in their Father’s strength. May we trust and obey God with the child-like faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Updates
Ministry
The month of July is a vacation month for most Finns. Most people use their holiday time in July to get away for weeks at a time. In light of that, the youth ministry is still on summer break and will resume on August 18th.
Though the ministry is on break, one of the most significant trips of the year happened this month. Seven students from the church and I went to a youth conference in Germany called TeenStreet. This conference is a product of Operation Mobilisation (OM). It started as a youth gathering for missionary students in Europe. Thirty years later, it is now one of the biggest gatherings of students. This year, there were nearly 3500 students. Twelve different countries were coming together to praise the Lord. To see so many people from different nations with other languages praising God was so moving. It is a glimpse of Matthew 28 of the experience of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation praising the Lord.
This was our first year attending. Seeing God moving so many students through worship, small groups, and the main lessons was encouraging. We had one student come to faith in Jesus and three others return to the Father. I was blown away by the grace of being part of such a great event.
One great moment of grace I experienced at this camp was with the Americans. There were 25 Americans at the conference. I thought, indeed, they were from any other state than Texas. Yet, they were from Texas! Then I pondered again; indeed, they are from any other city than Houston. Yet, they were from Houston! I cried joyfully to have a piece of home with me at this camp. This youth group was from a church called Woods Edge. The youth leader was from the Tomball area. To take it even further, the main speakers from the whole event live in downtown Houston!
Honestly, it is hard to write this out because I was just grateful for the moment. I got to spend some quality time with these Houstonians, get prayed for by them, and share what the Lord is doing in Finland. It was one of the greatest highlights of the trip. So, C3, First Pres., 7 Mile Road, I hope to see the youth groups in Germany next year. :) We will be there! There are plenty of service opportunities if you want to come as a family or by yourself. Here is the link to the website.
If you are considering it, here is a picture of the dates and the Pre Registration link.
Family
This month, I celebrated my 30th birthday. It was just a great time to spend with family and the church. I know, normally, people do big things for this birthday, but I just wanted to be with friends. To celebrate, I played basketball with some friends from the church. Afterward, we went to a lounge with friends, had dinner and a sauna, and just enjoyed being together. There was honestly no better way to spend this special occasion. Thank you all who messaged me with birthday wishes :)
We also had a week-long vacation this month. We drove four hours north to a city named Mikkeli. There we stayed at a campsite attached to an amusement park named Visulahti. This amusement park was dinosaur themed and perfect for our boys. We stayed in a small cabin, cooked on a portable grill, and enjoyed the great outdoors.
My last year of seminary is approaching next week. Since I returned from Germany, this week has been nonstop busy preparing for the youth group, seminary, and a Mother Tongue English class I am teaching at the school. There are a lot of exciting things to come this year. Please pray for great organization and grace to stay on top of all that I am responsible for.
We decided that the rest of the family should not come to Germany since it was the first year. So, Heidi and the boys went to a cottage with her family and friends. They had a great time getting away for a while.
Heidi is starting her new degree at Helsinki University this fall. She will be studying coding. Please pray for her as she embarks on this new journey of learning :)
Noah will start back to daycare and a finnish class in August. He has had a great summer outdoors, hanging with friends and growing. While I was in Germany, Noah caught his first fish at the cottage! Correction, he caught his first NINE fish!! I was so sad to miss it, but super proud of him and his growth. Continue to pray that the Lord would be his delight over all things :)
Lukas has said his first complete sentence! At TeenStreet, they performed this song called Lion. I just knew Noah and Lukas would love the song. So, once I returned home, I played it for them. We listened to the song on repeat for the next hour!
Lukas climbed up on me on the couch and said, "Hail the lion of Judah.” I don't know what my first sentence was, but this is a great first sentence to say :) Check the video out.
HEIDI AND THE BOYS ARE COMING TO THE STATES! 🙌🏾
They will be there on October 24th and return to Finland on November 2nd. I will not make this trip, but I am excited for them! The family will be coming to C3 Sunday, October 29th. Please love on the family for me. Noah has missed Houston so much, so I think this will be great for him.
Prayer Request
1) Please pray for wisdom for the preparation for the year. We have some great plans in place, but they will only have an impact by the hand of the Lord. Pray for dependency upon him and not myself.
2) Pray for Noah. He has had nightmares for the last two months. He wakes up around 2-3 am crying at the top of his lungs. We are not sure what to do. If you have any advice, please share.
3) Please pray for the start of the youth group. Prayer for the students that went to TeenStreet that their faith and experience would carry through to the everyday life here in Finland.
4) Pray for Heidi's start to the school year.
There are many things that God is doing throughout this missionary journey, and we want to encourage you to stick with us! As we think about this year's support, there are some ways in which you can partner with us so that we can continue to be a light here in Finland. One main area is your financial contributions. Expectant fluctuations have risen from different supporters and life here in Finland. If you believe in what God is doing here in Finland, I encourage you to pray about what it would look like for you to support this ministry financially. Our goal is to raise $600 recurringly for the next season of ministry to accommodate the fluctuations. We are grateful for any help you can provide.