M I C H I G A N

It’s been quite a while since our last update and a lot has happened. Many things have changed in the last couple months but our goal is still the same. We will return to Germany and continue to Walk with the Lost, Disciple Believers, Serve Practically, and Fight Injustice... It will just look a little differently then we thought...

At the beginning of 2020, we finished off our last School of Worship and knew that God wanted to do something new and different the coming year. Things had gone very well and we saw much fruit in the lives of our students and in the people that were reached in Paraguay. This being said, we felt from God that He wanted to do a new thing. We just didn’t know what. Then there was Covid...

We will not be able to run the school in the spring of 2021 as we planned. Besides obvious hurdles in travel due to the pandemic, our staff would not be able to get German visas in time to return for the approaching school. We also are not in the country to prepare. So in November we had to pause our plans to run another training school. On the other hand, God still said He wanted to do something new, and we still have it on our hearts that worship is essential for missions.

As we return, Matt will still be focusing on the area of worship in the base and pouring into the lives of the missionaries currently there, to cement the understanding and skills of worship in their lives. We believe that this will give them some of the tools they need to thrive in ministry for the long term. Giving them the foundation to always look to God in the highs and lows that they will inevitably experience in life and on the mission field

In addition to this, I (Gillian) want to also pour into current and incoming staff at our base. Through member care and training I hope to also give practical and personal support so that the dreams purposes that God has for our base and also for each individual can be achieved.

Jesus said that the workers were few and, from our experience in missions, they are also not remaining. We want to build something that lasts. To continue worship and care in YWAM Herrnhut that will facilitate growth and have a lasting impact on Germany and the nations.

We are not the only ones, as this has already started and we hope will continue after we are gone from the base. We know this will be our last 2 years in Herrnhut so we want to finish off well in a place that we have served since 2013.

It was a surprise and a scary thought when we heard from God that this would be our last 2 years, but we know that this is not the end for us in missions. We want to do this for life. But God will be moving us on after two more years at YWAM Herrnhut. Where? We don't know yet. Nevertheless, "I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in (us) will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1:6)

As always, we thank you for reading and praying for our family and ministry. We continue to raise a team to support us and we plan to head back in February. We will be able to enter the Germany on invitation from our base as volunteers can now travel internationally. We will be heading back to Canada, storing our RV and then flying to our German home! More details of dates will come later. Just pray that it is soon :) We pray you all are having a great new year so far.

Matthew, Gillian, Elaina, and Emeth