A New Season in Boise!

Hello again Friends! We are back home in Boise, Idaho, after a long and very impacting time in Europe this summer. Last time we shared, we had just left Cyprus and were spending time at the YWAM base in Scotland where we lived and worked for many years. We were welcomed back as part of the family and it was a lovely time of fellowship, reunions and sharing what God has done in our lives and through our ministry over the years since we left. We were invited to share in a community meeting one morning and received prayer for our season ahead, which was incredibly powerful as God confirmed many things we had been hearing in own our times of prayer. We also got to take a few days out to enjoy the beautiful Scottish wilderness that we love so much! After our time at YWAM Seamil we went on to visit our dear friends and mentors, the Ausdahls and the Howards. This was a precious time for us reconnecting with these couples who have had a great impact on our lives and ministry. It was also a chance for us to debrief, receive counseling and prayer ministry after a tough year for us. God really met with us and were able to have closure in some areas and see break through in others. We rounded out the trip with some time in Sweden, where we were again visiting with dear friends, and this time Tim was able to get his hands dirty working on a housing project that was part of a major renovation that our friends had been working on for the last year. What's Next? As we have been seeking the Lord for this new season in Boise, we have seen God reveal more of His plan and doors are opening for us to get involved in ministry with refugees. Just a few days after we landed Eliza was able to join a women's ministry that hosts baby showers for refugee mothers, showering God's love, fun memories and a crib full of baby gifts, helping these families who have very little get ready for their new arrival. Eliza and Eva have also joined a weekly English class for refugee mothers that provides basic English lessons, conversation, fellowship and childcare, which is not provided by the regular English classes in the city. Several women from local churches are pioneering this new ministry and we pray that it will be a great way of sharing God's love and friendship with these precious women and children. Tim has signed up to volunteer for the Boise Bicycle Project which helps people in need get access to bikes and training and allows him to use his practical skills to bless the local community. He is also planning to join the Mountain Search and Rescue team as a way to stay current with his RescueNet training. We are in the process of applying to be on staff with YWAM Boise and have been warmly welcomed by the team here. We are still working out the details of our involvement, but there are plenty of opportunities to minister in the city and use our experience with staff development to bless the YWAM team. God has also provided temporary housing in an apartment next door to the YWAM base, which gives us a place to stay until the end of the year and was a huge answer to prayer. We are still looking for a more long term situation and we ask that you would join us in prayer for this.

Another big prayer need for us is in the area of finance. We took a step of faith over the summer, taking a trip that not only gave us an opportunity to minister and serve among refugees on the front lines, but also to reconnect with some important friendships and supporters and be ministered to ourselves in some areas of personal need. Over the summer, we've seen a significant drop in our monthly support, causing us to have to dip into our savings, which was somewhat expected. However, we felt this trip was important for us before we stepped into the new season ahead and was well worth the investment. Now, as we look at serving with YWAM in Boise, we need to see a significant increase in our monthly support to cover the increased cost of living in the US in a pioneer ministry, where housing, health insurance and other costs are much higher. Right now, Tim is in the process of looking for part-time work in the community which will help supplement our financial needs but also allow him time for getting involved in the ministry with YWAM Boise. We are still preparing our budget and figuring out the details but we estimate our monthly costs will be $1700/month and currently we are seeing $500/month come in on a regular basis. If God is speaking to you about partnering with us in this new endeavor please get in touch with us or simply check out the details at the bottom of our newsletter. We have seen God prepare the way for us in many areas already and we have faith that God will make a way for us in this area as we continue in ministry here. We greatly appreciate your prayers, support and encouragement! We have had a number of people respond to us with scriptures and words of encouragement, since we shared our plans for ministry in Boise and we see God confirming, again and again, that this is a time of settling, building and developing. We look forward to all that God has in store and can't wait to share it with you! Love and peace, Tim, Eliza and Eva

#prayer #community #boise #refugees #baby #home