Summer is here, and life is very very busy! We were very encouraged by all of your responses and your prayers following our last newsletter, so thank you. Life has moved so fast in the last year, and both of us truly feel like God is growing us through all of this. Part of the growing is constantly remembering that we have done absolutely nothing to get ourselves here… to get ourselves saved, to get ourselves married, to get ourselves in ministry, to get ourselves a source of income, to get ourselves a home, or to get ourselves a baby boy on the way! Every good and perfect gift has come from Him (James 1:17) and so our prayer is to ever be seeking after Him, the Giver.

One such step of obedience came last week during Calvary Chapel Saving Grace’s youth summer camp. With my (Barek) new work schedule (nights and weekend nights) I only get Mondays and Tuesdays off. Because of this, I couldn’t join CCSG’s youth summer camp for its entirety, unfortunately. But after praying, Ara and I felt it would be totally worthwhile to go for at least my two days, at the beginning of the week. So I got assigned to teach the Tuesday night session (in Hebrews) and we were excited.

But Sunday night, after work, I broke my contact for my right eye. For those of you who don’t know, I’m as blind as a bat in my right eye, so this made things interesting, for not only the youth retreat plans, but also for work! These are the kind of inconveniences that God allows at times, ultimately in order to have us walk by faith (and in this case literally) not by sight.

We went up the mountain to the camp a day later than planned, with Ara doing all the driving of course, and we had an incredible night and next morning. God moved so powerfully through this camp, and we got to witness His glory and His salvation! I got to teach on Hebrews 3, where Jesus is counted worthy of more glory than Moses, and where the Hebrews are warned to heed God’s voice while it is still “today”. By the grace of God, after the message and during worship, I got to pray with a young man to receive Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. All glory be to Him, who loves us, and saves us, and sustains us through everything. He never leaves us nor forsakes us, and there could not be a greater gift for Ara and I in pushing through the inconveniences to our plans, walking instead in His, than to see a life saved by Him. Ultimately 3 youth kids gave their lives to Him through the camp. Praise God!

We Got An Apartment!

I (Araceli) had been doing research on finding an apartment and we had no idea how quickly the LORD would open the door for us to move out of my in-laws. Within a week of searching and applying we got approved! It has been a month of living on our own. We were beyond blessed for the time we got to live at my in-laws. They had given us the entire upstairs of their home. One of the bittersweet moments was walking into our prayer closet knowing that we had to pack it all up. That was where we both sought the Lord, prayed together and did our personal devotionals.

Now here is a picture of our living room in our apartment. We can’t wait to create memories with our baby boy in this home, and to see how God uses this place for ministry!

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭10‬ ‭

Throughout my pregnancy the LORD has constantly been teaching me to be fully dependent on Him, physically, spiritually and mentally. I am constantly running to Him for aid and comfort and He has been so faithful to meet me there. The week that Barek and I were going to host some missionary friends, my heart was not in the right place. A part of me was excited to have them over, but physically and mentally I was wrestling with not being able to do it. I knew I needed to pray and I asked the Lord to encourage me and He did! He gave me the verse above. I held to this promise, and guess what?… God was faithful, and we had such a sweet time with the missionaries. Both Barek and I were encouraged by them and the calling that God has placed upon their lives. It is so refreshing to have likeminded people who understand the need to reach the nations with the gospel.

Another moment where I had to depend on God was when I went grocery shopping at night by myself. Out of nowhere I got a nosebleed so bad that I had to go to the hospital. My mother-in-law picked me up, and when I got in her car I remembered what I had read in the book that I am going through with some women at the church. One of the things the author wrote was, “Although such and such is happening, I’m going to praise you God.” So in that moment I said, “Although I’m having a nose bleed and it seems like the most inconvenient thing right now, I’m going to praise You God.” God is constantly calling us into a deeper relationship with Him, and sometimes that requires going through what seems inconvenient.

Praise Reports

• Praise God for the 3 youth who got saved!
• Praise God for His faithfulness
• Praise God for our new apartment

Prayer Request

• Pray that the 3 new youth believers would grow in the newness of life
• Pray that Araceli would see an OBGYN soon as she has transitioned doctors and has not been seen for two months
• Pray for Araceli’s health and baby Moses’ health
• Please continue to pray that God would provide a second car, if He sees fit
• Please continue to pray that Barek would be a witness at his job

Hi to you all, family and friends!

No we have not fallen off the face of the earth! We are so grateful that you are taking the time to read this and to keep us in your prayers. There have been many incredible things to write about in this season. It’s really too much info for one newsletter! But we are excited to share and will provide a glimpse into what God is currently doing in our lives.

Ministry Updates

For one big change to note, in December we were invited by the Youth Director at Calvary Chapel Saving Grace to join the youth ministry leadership! The youth at CCSG range from 6th grade all the way to 12th grade. We’ve been serving in this ministry for a little over 4 months now and it’s been so fun, challenging, growing, and exciting. For myself (Barek) it has been a great opportunity to hone the gift of teaching in a new and direct way. These kids I’m so privileged to pour into are no longer just peers or pastors in a classroom setting; they are a true mission field in and of themselves, and spending time with them, whether it be Wednesday nights, Sunday mornings, special events, retreats, or going to their big life events (sports, theatre, parties, etc.) For both of us, there is a constant, new aspect to ministry, which is discipling. Sometimes we think of discipling as a serious kind of‘sensei/pupil’ type of relationship, but what biblical discipleship really looks like is beautifully simple, and I’m so grateful for how God is growing me in this aspect of ministry, through the youth; it looks like doing life with them, supporting them in endeavors, inviting them over to hangout, to exercise, or whatever it may be; and to take every opportunity to speak biblical truth into their lives and situations.

In addition to youth ministry, I (Barek) was asked about a month and a half ago to become an intern pastor at the church. This role has been so exciting to step-into (though for reasons we’ll share in a bit, I haven’t fully delved into this role!). But for us, this opportunity is monumental. When I think of where God has led me in the last 3 years, I have every confidence in Him that this role is so pivotal to our future in the mission field. And even more than that, to be on a road to becoming a pastor is incredibly humbling. We are both praising God for this new season and these opportunities to labor for the kingdom of heaven, here and now.

With Barek being raised up as an intern pastor I Araceli am being raised up to be a pastors wife. I have joined a pastor’s wife book study with our senior pastor’s wife, along with a few other women. It has been such a sweet time of gleaning and growing. During my bible college years I somehow had an inclination that I would be a pastors wife and wow how that is slowly becoming a reality. This is a new venture for sure, one that I don’t feel qualified for but praise God I have the LORD to lean on.

Closing Our Business, And Starting Something New!

In other news, we closed our business, Brea Barks! Although it was for such a brief season (about 9 months total) we experienced and learned so much. It was definitely challenging for both of us, in so many different ways, and we are very grateful for all of those who supported and prayed for us all throughout the endeavor. In some ways, we are still very unsure why we took the challenge of the business on, why we put so much into it, why we had to close it so soon into its inception, but if nothing else, it has been and still currently is a part of walking by faith. We have peace in this, for all the highs and lows of it, we have peace and we’re grateful.

And God has blessed our steps of faith! While we were wrestling with and considering the idea of closing Brea Barks, we prayed for a miraculous job opportunity to be given in turn. We have both never lacked nor will we ever lack in His will, spiritually, physically, or otherwise, and God answered our prayers. He provided us with a new job opportunity for myself (Barek). The day after we prayed for a ‘Gideon’s fleece’ type of gracious sign from God, a childhood friend of mine reached out to me in regards to a job opening in a new career, for me; working in local city government as a code enforcement officer. Although in some ways out of left field, we knew that this was God’s incredible gracious response of provision for us. Fast forward a couple of months, I am currently starting my second month on the job, and it has been such a huge life transition. We have so much to learn about hard work and stewardship, and this job, for however long or brief God wills us to have it, is and is going to be used to teach us those things, and much more. Also, I (Barek) have a new ‘mission field’ in this city and in my workplace!

A baby boy is on the way

The news you have been waiting for… We are going to be having a baby boy! We are so incredibly excited to welcome Moses Stephen Brzezinski in late August! We weren’t sure when we wanted to have kids in all of this figuring out marriage and ministry, but God has made it clear that the time is now, and we are grateful. His life is precious and our hearts are so full as we pray for him, see his movements in the ultrasounds, and feel him already punching and kicking. I (Araceli) am currently in my third trimester, and although this first pregnancy has been challenging for me physically in many ways, I am excited to be not only a wife but also now a mother. I have made it a goal to make Spanish his first language!:)

Missions is still on our hearts and although we do not know when the LORD will call us to go we are ready and available to answer that call in His perfect timing.

Praise Reports:

• Praise God for our marriage and for our sweet little baby
• Praise God for new ministry opportunities
• Praise God for providing a job for Barek

Prayer Requests

• I, Araceli have started a bible study with my mom please pray that it would be a sweet Jesus filled time
• Please pray for good health for the baby and I
• Please pray that the LORD would give Barek continual opportunities to share about Him to his coworkers
• Please pray for the youth at CCSG, to learn and draw nearer to the LORD.
• Please pray for a car for us! We currently have one, and are hoping to get a second for Momma and baby, LORD willing!

Til’ Kingdom come,

The Brzezinski’s

We are excited to announce that we are married! We can’t believe it has been a month already; it has been so awesome! Marriage is such a gift from God and we both can’t wait for all that the LORD has in store.

Leading up to the wedding it felt so slow at times, and yet at other times, time was flying! There were many challenges for both of us in our engagement season, lots of difficulties that we did and didn’t anticipate, but the LORD was absolutely enthroned through all of it. We can honestly say that we are grateful for all of the stretching and growing, for all of the various trials by which He has tested our faith and gifted us with perseverance, preparing us for seasons, trials, and victories yet to come, but now… as husband and wife!

The Bridegroom and His Bride

Right from our engagement back in February, we knew that this wedding was going to be centered on Christ and the good news of His death and resurrection; after all, it is the gospel that has transformed both of our lives and has brought us together for a purpose so much greater than we ever could’ve asked for or imagined. Therefore, we are not ashamed!

Our prayers were answered as our whole church family rallied around us in cooking, serving, planning, coordinating, setting up/tearing down, etc.; we were so grateful to see them being the hands and feet of Jesus, which was perhaps the strongest witness of the whole event to our unsaved family and friends. They heard AND saw the gospel in action. Do join us in praying for all of those seeds planted in their hearts, so that there will be a harvest for His kingdom.

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” – REVELATION 19:7

Something one of our pastors told us when we were first engaged is that a wedding is only one day, one party, as incredible as it is; but the true witness of marriage comes with time, with aging, with growing; therein lies the witness of two regenerate hearts beating after their Lord and Savior! We are His bride, and He is our Bridegroom!

Presently…

We had prayed for months leading up to the wedding about where we would live and how we would be able to afford anything, and God has provided! We are living with my family while we grow our business and continue to train for missions. We do ask for prayer for our business, as it has been challenging, but also fruitful; we know we have been called to steward it in this season, so we want to do so with diligence and with grateful obedience.

We also want to share that we have struggled with health concerns, and we’d love for prayer in regards to these as well! Araceli has been struggling with her breathing, and though at this time we believe it to be asthma, we are not yet sure. I (Barek) have been struggling with a random and rapid onset of vertigo, These have been challenging for sure, but we are grateful to have each other and to have access to the medical/professional help that we need.

Missions Training School

We have started the new year of MTS, this being Araceli’s third year and my (Barek) second year! It has been so awesome seeing all of the new year one students who went through the School of Missions (CSOM) this summer. God is using this school, this small but mighty church, to reach out unto the ends of the earth, and it is the honor of our lifetimes to be a part of this eternal work. God be glorified! Please pray for all of us students as we seek to grow in ministry, in the word, and in our callings to fulfill the Great Commission.

Regarding the Mission Field

We mentioned in a previous newsletter that we wanted to go on a vision tour to the Middle-East, which took place in October. But between our business and the wedding planning, we strongly felt that it wasn’t the right time. Our hearts are still eager, however, to see this part of the world. Please join us in praying for an opportunity to go in the next year.

When we look back, we are astounded at the faithfulness of our God, for all that He has given both of us. We look forward to writing our next newsletter as we are praying through some exciting new ministry opportunities!

PRAISE REPORTS

• For the gift of marriage! We are so excited and grateful.
• For the gospel going forth in power on our wedding day.
• For provision in every way as we surrender our lives into His will.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• For our unsaved family and friends who heard and saw the gospel!
• For our business, as we seek to grow it and steward it well.
• For our physical health.
• For ministry and missions opportunities!

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter! We appreciate your support through prayers and ask that you continue to seek the Lord with us in regards to this calling on our lives. If you feel led to partner with us financially, with a one-time or a recurring gift, it would be such a great blessing. there is a giving link below! God bless you, and please reach out with any questions or encouragements.

Til’ Kingdom come, the Brzezinski’s

Hey everyone! It has been a couple months since our last newsletter, and we are really excited to share all the different things that the LORD has lead us into. We are truly grateful for every opportunity that has come about this summer, in regards to missions, ministry, marriage and so much more.

One of the biggest things that has been on our hearts in this season is the LORD’s provision; as the world would see, we face a lot of physical challenges as a nearly-married young couple living in Orange County, CA, serving at the church. But the main focus for us has been to fix our eyes upon Him, in every aspect of our lives, both together and individually. Romans 11:36 tells us that, “…of Him and through Him and to Him are all things,”. In this doxology of praise, we are reminded that there is promise, provision, and purpose in the LORD’s will: there is promise that He is sovereign over what we face, there is provision through Him and Him alone, no matter what we face, and He is the purpose for why we face what we face! He is more than worthy.

“Do not seek your needs, seek the God who gives you what you need”

I (Araceli) as I was praying about provision and the new business we have started (which we will talk about down below!) the LORD put Matthew 6:25-34 on my heart; as I read a commentary, the quote above stood out to me. God knows all of our needs and all I need to do is look to Him and trust that He will provide for the present, for the wedding and for married life.

Ministry Opportunities Keep Coming

I (Barek) am grateful for the opportunities that have come about to serve in different ways at Calvary Chapel Saving Grace. As we make ourselves available there are always opportunities that arise where a need in the body is to be met, and this is how the church is to function! With all of the staff and students who headed down to Mexico this summer for the Calvary School of Missions, there was a need for help with worship at the Connect Young Adults group, and I was blessed to be able to help with that.

I (Araceli) have continued to serve at the church in the social media ministry. I am blessed to be able to use the creativity with which the LORD has gifted me! I have now been blessed with opportunity to manage and oversee the church’s Instagram/Facebook pages. If you read the previous newsletter, you’ll remember that I was only managing the Saving Grace World Missions instagram, so this is an awesome and challenging responsibility to get to manage both!

Barek and I were able to go to the beach and evangelize with a group of friends from the church! Barek was able to head this up! More and more I see the need among our local communities for the gospel. We both want to continue to evangelize as this is an area the LORD has gifted me in, and I have to exercise the gift. We were able to have multiple conversations with people and we pray that seeds were planted!

Introducing… Brea Barks!

We don’t know how long we will be in training and preparation for the Mission Field, as we are about to get married and start this life together, but in the meantime, we are excited for this business that the LORD is bringing about. We have been blessed with an opportunity to start a small local dog-pack walking business in North OC! It is very slow going, and we still have lots of needs that we’re entrusting to the LORD as we seek Him, but this is one way in which we know we will see His provision.

PRAISE REPORTS

• For the new business and the clients that the LORD has already provided!
• For the opportunities that have come about to serve in new ways at the church.
• For His provision for a trip this upcoming weekend to the CC Rosarito Church Planting Conference!

PRAYER REQUESTS

• For provision for our wedding, honeymoon, and a place to live!
• For our engagement season, as we are excited to begin our premarital counseling soon.
• For us and everyone else attending to have ears to hear what the LORD will speak at the church planting conference!

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter! We appreciate your support through prayers and ask that you continue to seek the Lord with us in regards to this calling on our lives. If you feel led to partner with us financially, with a one-time or a recurring gift, it would be such a great blessing. There is a giving link below! God bless you, and please reach out with any questions or encouragements.

Til’ Kingdom come,
Barek & Araceli

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭5‬ ‭

Hello, Barek here! We are both so excited to welcome you to our conjoined newsletter. It is wild when we look back to over a year ago; we were communicating through email about CSOM, Araceli as an office admin and myself as a student, looking to set-up this very newsletter account! The same now as He did then, God has plans for us, and we can’t wait to share with you what has taken place the last few months. Thank you again for your prayers, support, and messages of encouragement!

One constant lesson among many that has been on my mind is how unworthy I am of all that God is doing in my life; what He has called me to, the woman that He has called me to love. The closer I draw to Him, the more grateful I am. Araceli and I are daily realizing more and more that He is sanctifying both of us through this relationship, through ministry, through study, through service, through failures and successes. But it is one of the greatest freedoms in Christ; knowing that we are inadequate for any good work in our own strength. This truth frees us up to get out of the way and watch Him use us, not in spite of, but rather through our weaknesses. Pray for us to remember this as we grow in Christ together!

I, Araceli, had the opportunity a week ago to pray over Jane. I loved her customer service and I decided to let her know about it because I wanted to encourage her. I then asked her how I can pray for her. This lead her to open up and tell me she’s been backsliding and she is having a difficult time because she’s moving out of her parents home. I was able to pray over her and invite her to young adults at my church. I am an awe of God because He knew that Jane needed this and I love being used by Him.

I was able to serve at a Voice of the Refugees event. The Lord reminded me of the heart He has given me for refugees. After Israel and having gone through the war the Lord began to do a work in my heart towards Muslims. I was always shut down to the idea of ministering to Muslims or going to the Middle East, because if you have read my previous newsletters, you’d know I have had a desire to go to an unreached, tribal country where no one has ever heard the name of Jesus; but the Lord is working on my heart, and I am open to whatever He wants! Barek and I are praying about going to the Middle East in October, and Lord willing, He will make a way.

New Opportunity

I am excited that I will be taking over Saving Grace World Missions instagram! This was something the Lord gave me a desire for; He has been giving me ideas to expose what our church is doing in fulfilling the Great Commission. I can’t wait for what the Lord will bring from this!

Barek here again! Among a few incredible opportunities that the Lord has led us into, one was being able to teach at the Young Adults camping retreat in San Clemente. It was a great weekend of beautiful weather, great teaching through Ephesians, and nights of worship. I was asked to teach a morning devotion on Colossians 3:1-3, setting our minds where Christ is seated! I am excited for opportunities like these, as they come. It is so easy for me to get in my head of if I know enough to teach, or if I am in the right place, etc.; the bottom line is, walk in the Lord’s will, be available, and He will put things in Your path, good works that He wants you to do; they have nothing to do with me or you or how adequate we are, just with how faithful we are.

Another cool answer to prayer that I’ve seen is how the Lord has been moving in our life group. This past week we had 19 people! Life groups have provided fellowship within the body in such an awesome way; it is held at my parents home. It’s been special to see how the Lord has given them both such hearts to host and welcome everyone who comes, to show them the love of Christ. I had the privileged opportunity to lead the small group discussions at these life groups for a couple of weeks. It was a special time of discussing the word, as Pastor Trent teaches through 1 Samuel on Sundays; it is also a really cool opportunity to see how leading a small group Bible study may very well look someday on the mission field! I have no doubt that the Lord is preparing Araceli and I for this in more ways than we even notice. We are so grateful.

Praise Reports

• Araceli’s mom began reading the bible! This has been one of Araceli’s prayer request for months
• For the opportunities we have had and the Lord opening doors
• For life groups and the fellowship

Prayer Request

• We are launching a business stay tuned for the next newsletter where we will talk more about it
• That we would grow in humility
• For provision for going on a vision tour to the Middle East

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter! We appreciate your support through prayers and ask that you continue to seek the Lord with us in regards to this calling on our lives. If you feel led to partner with us financially, with a one-time or a recurring gift, it would be such a great blessing. there is a giving link below! God bless you, and please reach out with any questions or encouragements.

Til’ Kingdom come,

It has been a little while since my last newsletter, right before leaving for Southeast Asia; I have been back for a few weeks now and I am excited to share all that has happened! I want to first thank all of you for reading my newsletter, praying, and partnering with me as I continue to seek the Lord and train for full-time missions work.

BALI and EAST JAVA

Getting to visit these islands in Indonesia, seeing the culture, interacting with those in local ministry, and witnessing the darkness of the dominant religions has altogether left me with quite a lot to process in this season. A lot of people have asked me what I thought of the region, if I feel called or if I want to go back. The one thing I can say for certain is that there is so much spiritual darkness there, and the gospel is needed; Jesus Christ is needed.

In Bali, where the team spent the majority of our time, we witnessed more Hindu statues than I could possibly have guessed coming into the trip. Quite literally every single corner (every single household) had a shrine or a temple of some kind. The architecture of these is always eerie and off-putting, and as you can see below, the statues are blatantly horrific and demonic. The people on this island most likely do not realize that they are enslaved to these rituals and practices; they live in fear of these ‘gods’ and nearly every aspect of their lives is dictated by this fear. The spiritual darkness is so evident.

In spite of the darkness, the Lord opened so many doors to work with local ministries. Though many of them differ in their approaches to missions, there was an opportunity to share the vision that Saving Grace World Missions takes straight from the book of Acts, aptly called “The Purpose of the Church.” I first heard this in the School of Missions, and through it God has given me a theological, and more importantly, Biblical conviction of my role in fulfilling the Great Commission. I’d love to share this vision of evangelizing and discipling the nations, through church-planting, if any one of you has questions!

Visiting East Java provided our team with such an awesome opportunity, in that we not only were we able to see a predominantly Hindu culture in Bali, but also a predominantly Muslim culture. As soon as the ferry pulled into the East Java harbor we could see multiple mosques from which we would soon hear incessant calls to prayer. In all honesty, the darkness in this island was more palpable than what we encountered in Bali, despite the fact that we spent only three days in Java. On a personal note, I developed some kind of an infection that hit me full force while on this island, as I came down with a fever, sore throat, and strange ankle pain. Though the warfare was happening, I had a peace and a sense of gratitude for my team and my calling. This trip was just a taste of what cross-cultural missions is like, of what culture-shock feels like, and of what my everyday world may eventually look like! Don’t worry, I am not deterred.

The darkness of these places and the lostness of these people does not dissuade me but rather emboldens me in the LORD. If I could summarize what I saw in one word it would be bondage. I encountered so many people in bondage; whether it was a local Balinese woman whirling and breathing in incense to a ‘god’ at a food altar on the street, or a Javanese Muslim wailing a call to prayer in the streets with incessant and depressing repetition, or even if it was the tourists coming to indulge and seek empty lusts and thrills. Yes I encountered bondage, but I’ve never felt so free in Christ, in a unique and strange way. There was a time in my life when the bondage of these people would’ve either gone over my head, or it would’ve been rationally compartmentalized as something other than exactly what it is; they are enslaved to their sin nature, as I once was. They need to hear the gospel! They need to personally know the victory that is in Jesus Christ, a victory that remains always and resounds forever.

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

IN OTHER NEWS

Upon returning from Indonesia, the Lord has guided me in taking an exciting new step of faith. This past weekend I got engaged! I met Araceli over a year ago and together we have sought the Lord in our relationship, and have both felt it confirmed that we are called to reach the nations together; where and when we don’t know, but we trust Him and His plans, which He and He alone has always been faithful to guide us through. In each other, the Lord has given us both a helper, as Eve was given to Adam in Genesis 2. Please pray for us as we seek the Lord together in this season of engagement and with the missions program as we seek to spread the gospel, by the power of the Holy Spirit. God is faithful!

Thank you for reading this; I hope to continue to connect with you all, and please reach out to me with any questions about the trip, the next steps, or anything!

PRAYER REQUESTS

• For myself and everyone on the teams, both to Japan and to Indonesia; that we’d continue to unpack everything with the Lord and that He’d burden our hearts for these specific countries, if it be His sovereign will.
• For continued growth in His word and in the work that He has for me as I continue to seek to be used by Him in ministry.
• For my fiancé and I as we enter into this season of engagement, seeking the Lord, and eventually planning our wedding with Him in every detail!
• For a job, as I am currently looking for the best option given where I’m at and what the future holds.

PRAISE REPORTS

• For the victory that we have in Christ, always and forever!
• For God’s continual guidance and provision through my anxiety; He has shown His sovereignty so many times, I am learning and re-learning that He gives me no reason to doubt His love or His promises.
• For the amazing and eye-opening trip to Indonesia.
• For this new season of engagement!

It’s been too long, but I’m excited to be here writing my first newsletter of 2024! 2023 was a year of God’s faithfulness in ways that I can’t even begin to fully describe, but those of you who know me know this! To think where my heart was, my head was, not more than a year or so ago; all I can say is that God is faithful, so faithful. Missions wasn’t a blip on my radar, let alone all else that has come about. There is a lot going on, so I am eager to share with you all, family, friends, and followers, what His continued faithfulness looks like right now.

As mentioned, 2023 was a blessing of a year, and the way it played out was something I could never have predicted. Among the many things that the Lord gave me this last year, one of the most special blessings has been the church family at Calvary Chapel Saving Grace. It is a place, a body, a group of believers where to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). Something that came to my mind recently is how special it is to be in the Lord’s will, exactly where He wants you. In this, you so clearly see just some of the ways in which He perfectly moves and works all things for His glory and for your benefit, but you also get to see His movements in the lives of those around you; it is not about any one of us, and it’s not even about all of us! All glory, honor, and power is His. There is a fellowship in Christ that the world desperately longs for, so many just don’t know. Oh to taste and see that He is good!

Missions Training School

The Missions Training School at Calvary Chapel Saving Grace has been such a change of pace to my schedule, one that I am still adjusting to, but it is an invaluable resource, and the Lord is moving in this place. I am grateful… I’m grateful for the hours of sermons that we listen to, the many books on teaching, missions, the heart of God, the growth in learning to study properly, learning to teach God’s Word, and learning the importance of availability in ministry. The school is teaching me the importance of commitments, in a new way. Answering to man is one thing, and we ought to represent the faithfulness of the Lord in all our dealing with one another, but how much more ought we to hold to our commitments before the Lord, in light of who He is and all of His faithfulness?

1 Samuel 13:14 – “The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart…”

I feel called to missions, I know this, but I do not know where in this world or when. One thing that is clear to me is that I want to be like David, a man after God’s heart. Through our studies in 1 & 2 Samuel, it has been made more and more clear to me that no country, people group, or achievement for the kingdom of Heaven can be the goal. My call to missions, my call to ministry, my call to anything is only a call; yes I must obey, and yes I must work out my salvation, I must walk in faith. But the goal is always the same, the goal is Jesus, even when that goal feels like sacrifice. Just as Jesus prayed, “…not My will but Yours be done,” so I seek to daily pursue His will. There is nothing better than Him, so my will is rendered dead before His; what a joy!

In the passage mentioned above, the kingdom of Israel is taken from Saul and given to David. What is a man after God’s heart? It is a man who loves the Lord with all of his heart, mind, and soul. A man after God’s heart is one who knows that the LORD is the goal, and that He is the only love; all else falls where it will, but the Lord is his all and his only. This kind of man knows what he has, the sweet inheritance of heaven, yes! But what’s more, this kind of man has a relationship with the Almighty, and nothing else should matter more. As I mentioned at the beginning, missions wasn’t on my radar not much more than a year ago, but God has led me here; how will He not perfectly keep me and sustain me through what His will has yet to reveal? How could I doubt? I pray to be a man after God’s heart, not a man after his own idea of God’s heart. The real thing is what it’s all about, and I pray that all of you can know this… our goal is for the whole world to hear, to hear of the love of Jesus Christ, for He is the one and only way to life, and even better, to communion with the Father.

Indonesia

In three weeks we have a team flying out to Indonesia. It is going to be an incredible time of seeking the LORD and seeing firsthand what the books and classes have only told us about! It is going to be a time of seeking God’s will for our lives and for the lost people groups of Southeast Asia, all for the sake of the gospel being spread. It is a part of the world where darkness is evident; spiritual blindness, misguided religions, and hopelessness will surely be palpable. But greater is He who is in me than He who is in the world (1 John 4:4); we could not ask for a greater confidence than that our God goes before us, and that His work on the cross has defeated the power of sin; His ascension has defeated death! The world must know, and so we go.

I have purchased plane tickets, but for what we’ll be doing on the ground I am still in need of around $700. I have no concerns, as I know that the Lord will provide all that I need as I need it, as He always has. Should any of you feel led to partner with me financially, the link is attached below! Your prayers are absolutely essential. Prayers for the people of Indonesia who’ve never heard the gospel, prayers for the leaders of this team as they seek to ensure that our time is spent well before the LORD, and for us team members, that our hearts are set after God alone, our ears open to His voice, our eyes fixed upon Him, our hands open to do His work, as our feet take us where the Light of Christ has never shined.

“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.”

In the same vain of thought as mentioned before, the beauty of God being all that He is is that His ways overwhelm my ways, and His heart overwhelms my heart. Psalm 63:3 says, “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.” The lovingkindness of God is better than life; His presence is the fullness of joy, and He is always present. I pray for myself, the team, the body at Saving Grace, and every one of you reading this, for rest in the grace of God. The freedom of the verse above lies in the truth that this world is not my home; my home is the House of the LORD, where I will dwell forever (Psalm 23), thanks be to God. Until then I am here to be used exactly as the Father wills, in order to bring as many as will hear His voice and follow Jesus into His glorious presence. There’s one Way, one Truth, and one Life, and His name is Jesus Christ. I’ll gladly wear His name.

If any of you have questions, concerns, or need prayer, I am available and, more importantly, I’d love to hear from you and talk with you! Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

PRAISE REPORTS:

• The LORD’s faithfulness in this past year; using all circumstances to remind me of my desperate need for Him, and then to lead me into deeper fellowship with Him and His people.
• The vision tour to Indonesia; the LORD’s faithful leading, and His making a way for the gospel in the wilderness of Southeast Asia.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• For the people of Indonesia; that the LORD would bind the enemy, and that the name of Jesus would sweep through their hearts like a mighty wind!
• For the warfare that has already started for myself and the team. God is absolutely in control.
• For the remaining finances that I need; the LORD will always provide.
• For my heart to be after the LORD, in all things, all seasons, all places, always!

Hello to you all, family and friends! I’m excited to be in the middle of the holidays, spending more time fellowshipping and thanking God for His grace towards us. Praise God for this country, for our provisions, and for the freedom to fellowship in His name; I pray that these opportunities always point us back to Him, and the greater purpose of love that is always behind His giving and taking away! I haven’t written a newsletter in some time, and as always, there are praises to report and prayer requests. The Lord has given me eyes to see His sovereign hand working all things for His glory, and I’m excited to share these insights with all of you.

MISSIONS TRAINING SCHOOL

MTS has kicked off, and so far it’s been exciting and fruitful. I’m grateful for the individuals that we get to hear from, men and women serving all over the world, living out the same love and passion that we have to reach the “ends of the earth”; we have true fellowship with them in the gospel. We’ve had workers in the field come in and share from South Asia, South America and the Middle-East, most recently. In all the variety of their ministries and settings, a common theme between all of them that stood out to me was humility. They were all individuals who had their own directions and prerogatives in life, with missions not even on their radar; but God grabbed a hold of their hearts and showed them a greater purpose, the same purpose He has for every one of us; to know Him AND to make Him known.

In addition to the classes and numerous ministry service opportunities that the school is providing, I am also preparing for a vision tour that was mentioned in my previous newsletter. The vision tour will be to Bali, Indonesia, and it will provide myself and the team with a first-hand experience of what the work of missions looks like in a completely foreign culture. From weather, language, and food to social customs and expectations, I fully expect to be shocked and to learn a lot. Seeking the Lord, His will, and His heart for the people of Southeast Asia will be the central goal of the trip, and I can’t ask enough for prayer for our team, in preparation and in spiritual fortitude, as the trip is being planned for February!

SHARING THE GOSPEL, HERE AND NOW

“They will come and will declare His righteousness to a people who will be born that He has performed it.” (Psalm 22:31)

I mentioned in the previous newsletter that I have had and continue to get opportunities from the Lord to live out the gospel here and now. As much as I plan, pray and look to the future, to the foreign lands that have NEVER even heard the name of Jesus, there is also a purpose to where I am right now, and the same is true for you! There are good works that the Lord has set aside for here and now, and these have become more evident, the more that I die to self and act off of faith and not off of feelings. I have been able to take steps like these in going to the college outreaches through the church, and on certain weekends, to beaches in Orange County. This is a process, and I’m making mistakes left and right, but there is nothing greater than walking in God’s will, with no confidence in myself to make anything miraculous happen, but full confidence in Him. He always meets us right where we step out, perhaps we feel fear or uncertainty, but we still step in faith! It is His will that we give as freely as we have received. With that in mind, I have one invaluable gift to offer to absolutely anyone that I encounter; rather, God has an invaluable gift to offer through me, and that is the good news of Jesus Christ and His work on the cross! The cross is where Jesus performed His amazing love!

The conversations that I have had the privilege of being a part of have been incredible. I’ve spoken with individuals from all kinds of backgrounds, religiously, socially, etc.; I had a 40-minute dialogue with a kind and intelligent Muslim man named Zach. He is new to his faith in Islam, and though he has basic foundational knowledge of it, he was interested in hearing what the Bible says about who Jesus really is; I had the honor of sharing just that with him, as the Spirit gave me the words to work with him through his many deep and earnest questions. I hope to meet him again soon at the next outreach to Fullerton JC! Check out Pastor Nick’s podcast and YouTube channel (Convinced Ministries; Instagram: @askingconvinced) for this interview soon to come, and a lot of other great content, all glory to God. At Laguna Beach, Carter (a brother and a partner in the gospel) and I got the opportunity to spend a couple hours talking with a homeless woman named Barbara. Though very scarred by her past and spiritual abuse, she was friendly, alert, engaging and gentle in dialogue. Simply seeing that two young men cared for her, and enjoyed her company was a testament to how beloved she is, to Jesus and to us, and it’s our prayer that she recognize that, and that we get to see her again.

With these as just a couple examples of some of the opportunities that the Lord has sovereignly provided, my joy and confidence is in simply casting the seed (the gospel), and seeing the Lord do exactly what He wills when He wills, then getting me out of the way so He can continue HIS work; He knows what He’s doing, with or without us! It’s His loving heart that He should desire for us to be a part of it.

Thank you to all of you who prayed after reading the last newsletter; the Lord answered, and continues to answer. Should any of you feel led to partner with me, in prayer, financially, or in serving the Kingdom, please reach out!

PRAISE REPORTS

• MTS starting strong and already revealing God’s heart for us to be equipped for His work.
• For the Lord speaking clearly regarding what my next steps are in the near future.
• For the awesome divine appointments that have taken place while witnessing.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• For Zach to keep seeking the truth about Jesus, and for Godly men and women to be available to minister to him; myself included, Lord willing!
• For Barbara to know how loved she is, and always has been; that she would let go of the lies and look to Jesus.
• For more love and boldness in seeking and taking up opportunities to share the gospel.
• For the teams going to Japan and Indonesia to seek the Lord’s will in the coming months, and to trust His sovereignty.

Hello to all my family and friends! Im excited to be writing this newsletter, and to be sharing the incredibly exciting things that the Lord is doing in my life, post CSOM. I can attest that He has been faithful to continually show me my great need and desire for His constant presence. There have certainly been trials in this season, but I praise and thank Him for them, as they perpetually lead me to understand more and more just how sovereign God truly is. While in an abandoned tower on the Baja beach front, I felt the Lord give me a passage of scripture to work through with Him. The passage, in Genesis 32, is where Jacob becomes Israel, and it has been an awesome reminder as of late. Just as he was given a limp, a thorn in the flesh, with which he had to walk for the rest of his life, that same blow brought him to the place of pure faith in God and God alone to fulfill the promise given to him by God. I pray to welcome the thorns in the flesh as they come, inasmuch as I cease from catching heels and instead have faith in God to fight my battles.

“How pleased would you and I be to go halting all our days with such a weakness as Jacob had, if we might also have the blessing that he thus won!” – Spurgeon

IN THE NEAR FUTURE

Starting next month, I will be joining the Missions Training School (MTS) at CC Saving Grace. It can be thought of as a continuation of the training that started at the Calvary School of Missions, with a lot more opportunities to learn and serve in many aspects of ministry, and to connect with the body of the church. MTS will provide more classes, and even teaching opportunities, as well as opportunities for leaning into the Lord’s direction for my life in going about His work. In addition to starting at the MTS, I am also excited to be joining a team going to Japan for a vision tour in late January 2024! A vision tour to Indonesia is being planned as well, directly to follow the tour to Japan. These kinds of opportunities are an incredible gift from God, as we seek not only His heart but also His will for the unreached. More on both of these trips will be shared with you all in the coming weeks!

I don’t have a specific country, region, or people group on my heart, but rather I know that I want to be used to be a witness to Christ to the ends of the earth. With that in my heart, whether or not I feel called to a specific country upon stepping foot on the ground, I know that God is going to use these vision tours to teach me and show me so many things that I’ve yet to learn or even consider. The prayer is that He breaks our hearts with what breaks His, and leads us into fulfilling these words of Jesus; “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another,” (John 13:34).

IN THE MEANTIME

There is a ministry at CC Saving Grace called Convinced, led by Pastor Nick. Going every Thursday to either Fullerton JC or to Cal State Fullerton, he is looking to take the gospel to any and all on these campuses, and it is a work of the Holy Spirit. I had the honor of accompanying him this past week, and though I confess to having a fleshly spirit of timidity in these circumstances, I have complete faith that we receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon us to be witnesses to Christ (Acts 1:8). I’ve never felt such a calling to be bold in my faith here and now. It is one thing to look with excitement, fear and faith in where God is leading me to spread the gospel throughout the world, but it is another thing to admit that He also has a mission field right before me, right here among the secular campuses of universities in Southern California. I share this in part to hopefully spark the same conviction that God has been speaking to me, but also so that you who read this hold me accountable! My spirit is surely willing, but my flesh is incredibly weak, so I beseech and ask that you beseech the Lord of the harvest to send workers into HIS harvest field (Matthew 9:37-38); where He guides, He provides. Engaging in discourse with these souls on these campuses is not man against man, or our values and beliefs against theirs; it is the God of the living universe reaching out to the lost whom He so loved, and, “… we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us;” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Thank you all for your prayers and support. I feel led to share one last thing, and I know it’s a truth that is for myself just as much as anyone else right now. Our service to the Kingdom of heaven is not accomplished in spite of undesirable circumstances or painful trials; rather, it should be elevated by such things, as God manifests His great strength in our great weakness.

PRAISE REPORTS

• The season that I have been called in to; immediate opportunities to share the gospel.
• The next steps that God has been faithful to provide.
• The unchanging truth that we can have peace in the midst of storms.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• For every student and staff member of MTS to be in prayer and to be prepared going into next month.
• For everyone going on the vision tours to Japan and Indonesia to trust in God’s timing and will throughout each respective process.
• For the hearts of any and all who we will encounter on the college campuses to be good and fertile ground, ready to receive the good news of Jesus Christ.

6 weeks in Mexico have come and gone, and I’m now at a beach in Baja, California. This past week’s sequence of traveling, lack of sleep, and stomach discomfort are all a blur, and yet there has been solid ground beneath every step I’ve taken; the best thing about that, what I’ll describe as blessed assurance, is that it’s more than a feeling, which is fleeting. To know Jesus Christ is to live, and yet the grace of God does not cease there; as the Son alone knows the Father, we are invited to know the Father, solely by way of the Son. This is amazing grace; this is the infinite (God) reaching down to the finite (you and I). Furthermore, we get to imitate Christ, being His hands and feet in reaching out, inviting the lost to life, and to communion with God. We’re given the privilege of joining in the greatest cause this world has ever known.

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: …“O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:1a ;25-26).

THE KUARE TRIBE

We took the trip up a mountain last weekend, spending three days with the Kuare tribe. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and as you can imagine, there was a lot of uncertainty and plenty of discomfort, but that blessed assurance was among each and every one of us; thanks be to God, and thank you for your prayers. We partnered with Pastor Antonio and members of Calvary Culiacán. Though the drive up was straight through the night, we were immediately greeted by the Kuare children, as warm and playful as could be.

The weekend was full of too many stories to be shared in this one newsletter, but we got the incredible opportunity to be a part of one step in the much grander operation of reaching this beloved people group. In order to truly penetrate a culture with the gospel, as I mentioned in my last newsletter, there must be full-time missions (church-planting). There is currently no church or discipleship program for the handful of converts in the Kuare tribe; the prayer request remains that God would raise up individuals to live amongst them, equipped and prepared to plant a church and live the Gospel, day in and day out.

Though only there for three days, we were able to do multiple outreaches, going from house to house with clothes and blankets, finding opportunities to serve and praying with each household. On Sunday we held a brief devotional on John 3:16, taught by Pastor Antonio, which was then translated into Kuare by a local.

Our goal of joining in the process of reaching this tribe was by showing them the love of Christ. We spoke hardly any of their language but a few phrases, and the primary form of communication was some Spanish with those who spoke it. In spite of our legitimate time and resource restraints, we got to show the Kuare tribe that they are deeply loved by us, and I believe that they most definitely understood as much. The next goal is to continue reaching them in whatever ways God continues to provide, with the purpose of showing them the why behind the love we have and share; “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19).

The time down in Mexico is over, and I’m so beyond excited for what is next. Life in Christ is life with inexpressible purpose, the only true purpose, and that blessed assurance, found no where else. If you’ve ever longed for purpose, look no further than the cross; though I’ve heard this phrase for most of my life, it is indeed God who truly grants this knowledge to the heart, and He has done so for me. There is a song by a 90s Christian band (Audio Adrenaline) that my brother and I grew up listening to. I remember my Mom would tell me that this song was about me. In truth it’s about every one of us who has a personal relationship with Christ; it’s about showing that light in this world, standing apart for something infinitely greater than yourself; “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16). The song is called Jesus and the California Kid. I’ll end with these lines from the song, which I pray could be said of me, by the grace of God.

He’s got a personal life with Jesus,
and he walks on the narrow path…

PRAISE REPORTS

• The successful outreach to the tribe.
• The Spirit moving throughout these six weeks, bringing a unity in the class.
• The Lord answering prayers throughout the entire process, bringing souls to redemption, and sustaining the class through warfare, sickness, fears, anxiety, contention, etc; Him being greater than all.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• That the Lord would raise up full-time missionaries to plant a church and live amongst the Kuare tribe.
• That my next steps in the service of the Kingdom would be in the Lords will, and His alone.