Family Rhythms
Picking up from what I wrote in the paragraph above, as a family, we are enjoying our last few months of rhythms at home in Tauranga before we head into what is going to be a very different sort of year for us in 2025. As Cora and I head into our 25th year in full-time ministry, it’s time for a break, and it’s also time for what we’ve cultivated with our team to grow and multiply internationally. We’ve spent most of this year scratching our heads as to how these two things could possibly go together, but we’ve been trusting God to weave the plans together, and a clear picture is now beginning to emerge.
Our core staff team here in Aotearoa NZ are a huge part of our day-to-day lives. Naturally we have all had to wrestle together with what it looks like for each of us as we make this shift towards Cora and I being overseas more to serve what is growing internationally. It’s clear that there’s a huge opportunity now for each member of the team to grow in providing greater leadership and upskilling within their areas of responsibility. Bring it on!
Plans for 2025:
Kona - rest & celebration
Late November this year we will head to Kona, Hawaii as Keana will be graduating from her YWAM Ships DTS in early December. We cannot wait to get over there to celebrate with her, reconnect with our friends and partners in the Hawaiian Islands, and take a few weeks to rest together as a family. No words can say how grateful we are for this!
California - rest & prayer
In early January we will head to California, where we will take time to rest and seek the Lord. As a family, we’ve never spent more than 2 weeks in California together, so it will be rich and wonderful to have a longer unrushed season with my parents, friends, and ministry partners there, including new relationships forming with people from the Chumash tribe.
North America - ministry tour
In February, we plan to make ourselves available to serve various communities of people around the USA, Canada, and Mexico. This plan is in it’s formative stages as we are still considering various invitations we’ve received and putting together the itinerary. We want to use Restoring Connections training programmes to be a strength and a blessing to as many people in North America as possible.
France - growing Temps d’M & dwelling in mom’s homeland
In April, we will head to Coulommiers, France for an extended period of time. This will be an important time for us as a family to connect to our French roots while also working with friends and partners to grow the ministry of Temps d’M. The ministry hub building is now in it’s final stages of development and should be ready to accommodate our family for as long as we need to be there.
Some of our kids get super excited about travelling, and others get quite apprehensive about it. It’s been a huge challenge over the last couple of months to wrestle together as a family with what God is saying to us as a team, and what God is saying to each of us individually. Lately, I’ve been tempted to doubt God’s ability to lead us forward in a way in which each member of the family is cared for and nurtured. Yep, after all these years of trusting Him, I still deal with major waves of doubt and fear.
But we’re moving forward because our lives are not our own. We belong to Jesus and are committed to following the Spirit’s lead. We know God is calling us out of our comfort zone and into deeper partnerships with people we haven’t met yet and places we haven’t been to yet. Here we go!
Thank you for your love, encouragement, and friendship.
Partner With Us
Invitation to Give
Monthly Financial Support
As a family, our greatest need at the moment is for an increase in month-to-month financial support. We are trusting God to provide for our day to day living and travel costs as we seek to provide leadership for the network of people involved in Restoring Connections internationally.
Would you consider jumping in with the group of friends currently partnering with us each month in this way?
One-off Donations
The building work for the Temps d’M ministry hub in Coulommiers, France is now close to being done. We estimate that another $15,000 USD / $24,000 NZD will be needed for the final building elements, a heating system, and the furnishings of all of the rooms.
Would you consider making a tax-deductible contribution to this project?
