Now things are getting interesting, friends! If you’ve read any of the previous blogs, you’ve probably enjoyed the sense of harmony and peace that have marked the mission so far. But things are heating up! The scoop is that our trip was planned in response to an invitation to our church to put on a conference in England this summer. Initially, the main thrust of our trip here was to travel to European YWAM bases meeting missionaries, praying for them, and doing a little teaching as preparation for that conference in June. Graciously, the Lord has put the brakes on that particular plan, saying it’s not His time. However, we are already here.

The Lord has spoken to us that there’s much more to come in this strategic season with Seamill, and they’ve responded with hearty agreement and welcome. The lovely wrench in the whole works is this: Seamill, which normally has loads of space and is known for its hospitality, has one time of year that it fills completely up to the top for an extended conference called LDC, the Leadership Development Course. The LDC brings leaders of ministries from nations all around the world who are seeking training, rejuvenation, and restoration. Guess when it is? Right now!!! So while there’s nowhere in Europe we’d rather be, there’s just no room at the inn! For the sake of our kids and our sanity, we need our own space for the next 3 months as we minister to this community

The leadership here feels strongly that they’d like us to stay, and so from our arrival we’ve been seeking out a place to stay but nothing has materialized, right up until now, when we’ve had to move out of our rooms for the guests that have arrived over the weekend. The base found one last unoccupied room with a couple of bunk beds in it for us to stay in to give us a couple more nights to search, but it is not sustainable for a family of four for more than a few days.

Now if there’s anything YWAM knows about (and they know about a lot of things), they know about faith for provision, and how God comes through in the last hour. They must own more miracle property than any organization in history, and so everyone around here is nonplussed by our circumstances, trying to find us a place, offering to contribute furniture, pots and pans to our cause when we find a flat to rent. Never mind that in our planning for this trip, there was no thought for paying for rent and food for a couple of months in Scotland! These folks think it’s absolutely normal to do that sort of thing with no money and see God provide. We’re in the right place for building serious faith muscles!

So far every possibility for a flat has fallen through until yesterday when Dave (one of the base leaders) sent us a link to a furnished flat for rent right within walking distance of the base, and close to everything. It seems just perfect, and the owner is willing to work with us on a short term basis (for a bit more rent money). We are meeting with him tonight, and are excited to pray for God’s provision! In the meantime, since we’ve not yet had a place to go, we’ve been around to meet the LDC students who are coming in from around the world.

We can not tell you how EXCITING it is to be here now at this place at this time. For God to have brought us to the UK and then to Seamill when we had no idea this conference was going on we believe is so STRATEGIC. We have met people from dozens of countries who are having impact in dozens of places around the world. There are missionary leaders here from Mongolia, all parts of Central Asia, the Middle East, many African nations, several European nations, North America, and South America. All of them are here at this LDC for these 6 weeks to get renewed vision for their ministry and their lives. Because the primary ministry that we do is in strengthening and encouraging leaders by helping them break down strongholds, many are excited that we are here and are asking to set up prayer times with us so that they can be encouraged by their design and so that the Lord can expose the schemes of the enemy against their lives and ministries.

Financially, as I mentioned, we don’t have resources for staying here in a flat and feeding ourselves, as that wasn’t part of the original plan, so we are asking friends of the ministry to join in and be part of the ministry here at this exciting time! If God puts this on your heart as a strategic opportunity, we will need quite a bit of financial help for the next 3 months of rent and food. If you open the link at the top of the website to “Prayer/Financial Support,” you will find a page with instructions for how to help.

Check back weekly for updates. We are looking forward to all God has in store!