February, March, & April Update 

Updates

Ministry has been intense over the past few months, with our youth nights maintaining a consistent rhythm in addition to other things. We're thankful for the students who faithfully join us each week to dive into God's word and enjoy fellowship. Our initiatives to put faith into action have borne fruit as students actively serve the church, the community, and each other.

God has been drawing new people to our group, some of whom stay while others move on. Nevertheless, all glory belongs to God for His provision and for bringing those He desires to experience His goodness firsthand.

One significant event in the past few months was our annual preteen lock-in. Similar to the preteen trampoline park event, the lock-in saw almost triple the attendance. It provided a wonderful opportunity to explore what it means to do life together at this stage, diving deep into God's word.

Combined with our neon-themed night and a strong emphasis on loving one another, the lock-in facilitated growth and the formation of new friendships. We're grateful to God for the success of the event and the resulting positive impact.

As previously mentioned, the Bible study has become one of my favorite parts of youth group. It's inspiring to see students consistently attend this optional study to learn about practical Christian living from the Book of James. Now that we've finished our study in James, we're seeking God's guidance on our next book. Please join us in prayer for direction on where to focus our study next.

Our summer camps are all set and prepared! One of them involves attending the Teenstreet event in Germany again. Since this event comes with a higher cost, we initiated fundraising efforts to contribute to scholarships. One youth night was dedicated to baking goods for sale, followed by setting up a booth the next Sunday for our teens to manage and sell those goods. It was heartwarming to witness our church come together to support our young people in this endeavor. We're eagerly anticipating our summer camps and deeply grateful for the support we've received.

Another significant event in recent months was our Lent season, Good Friday, and Easter service. During Lent, our church fasted together, which was uplifting to witness as the local church took the call to fast and pray seriously in preparation for Easter.

This year, an artist in our church created three canvases representing the cross, resurrection, and Jesus appearing to Thomas. These visuals added a powerful dimension to our Easter service, connecting attendees with the Easter narrative.

As a church, we launched an initiative for everyone to invite 10 non-Christian friends to church. The response was incredible, with attendees including practicing Muslims who were connected during our Easter outreach. It was inspiring to observe intentional gospel conversations between different members and our visitors after the service.

Please join us in prayer that the impact of our Easter service will extend beyond March and deeply touch the hearts of those who attended. Ultimately, we're grateful to be engaged in overseas ministry with dedicated followers of Jesus living on mission!

Family

Family life has been truly wonderful. We feel grateful that God has answered our prayers for deep unity. Our marriage has been enriched by intentional date nights, adding fun to our relationship. We have found a deeper commitment to raising our sons in the ways of the Lord, embracing deep intentionality in our parenting.

Despite the busyness of completing my master's thesis, God has graciously provided us with time to be together in meaningful ways.

One of the highlights was our family vacation! We were joined by friends from the States (shout out to Anna and Phil Patterson) in Egypt for a week of rest. We stayed at a resort where we could tailor our days to our preferences—whether slow, full, or filled with excursions. The blessing was the intentional time spent in the Word, with family, and with friends. We feel refreshed from the rest we experienced and are eagerly anticipating finishing this season of ministry strong.

One of the main focuses of my time in the past few months has been my master's thesis. Just before our vacation, I submitted it to my opponent. This 78-page paper has been a journey of growth, filled with moments of frustration, late nights, deep conviction, and excitement for what lies ahead. I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far and am eager to wrap it up.

Next week, I have the presentation of my thesis. I kindly ask for your prayers for this presentation, as it is the final requirement before I graduate in May!

Heidi is amazing. She's continuing her studies at a steady pace, and I couldn't be prouder of her commitment to pursuing her degree. It's no small feat, especially at this stage of life, but she handles it with grace. I'm deeply grateful for her unwavering support during this intense final stretch of my seminary degree. Despite my increased absence due to the demands of this season, she's been incredibly gracious and understanding.

In addition to her studies, Heidi has begun investing in several young adult women in our church, which has been a joy to witness. These women appreciate her presence and wisdom. Please pray that this mentoring relationship continues to flourish and be a source of growth for these women.

On another note, Heidi and her friend will be attending a women's conference in the UK next week. This will provide her with much-needed time for personal growth and rest away from the kids. Please pray for her safety and for a fruitful experience. Meanwhile, I'll be handling things with the boys at home, as I have my own presentation and am required to attend other presenters' thesis presentations. Although we have help with the kids, we're praying for a smooth week ahead.

Noah is growing up quickly—it's incredible how fast kids grow, isn't it? He's blossoming in so many ways that it's hard to keep track! 

He and Lukas have become scooter enthusiasts now. Noah recently upgraded to a trick-style scooter, and he's thrilled about it. Additionally, Noah has recently advanced in his jiu-jitsu ranking. Despite being 2-3 years younger than his peers, he's doing well and is happy about his progress.

Next year, Noah will be starting kindergarten, which feels like a major milestone. His Finnish language skills have improved significantly, to the point where he mostly converses in Finnish with Lukas. Now, I'm the one feeling left out, which has sparked my desire to dive deeper into the language myself.

Lastly, Noah has made many wonderful friends—both at church, school, daycare, and through his jiu-jitsu classes. We're incredibly grateful to the Lord for providing these friendships and opportunities for Noah to grow and thrive.

Lukas, like Noah, is growing up so quickly! He's reached the stage where he wants to do everything Noah does, and he's quite capable of doing so. He's incredibly bright and agile.

Lukas predominantly speaks Finnish, which naturally draws him closer to Mommy. I'm working on improving his English skills, but like with Noah, it's a bit of an uphill battle when Finnish is the primary language he hears. Nonetheless, he's making progress!

Additionally, Lukas is close friends with Lukas (yes, they share the same name!), whose mother happens to be one of Heidi's great friends here. He enjoys exploring the forest and asserting his independence by rejecting help for almost everything :)

Overall, having these two boys is an incredible blessing. They bring so much joy and fun into our lives!