Hola a todos! Hey everyone!  

It is hard to believe that I left Canada 5 months ago. I want to start by thanking you for your prayers and support. During all the activities, Spanish classes, transitions, SENT teams and more, I have felt your love and support.  

I love the dependency we are invited into with Jesus, and this has been particularly evident in my life these lasts few months. With a new job, new culture, new language comes tension, discomfort, and learning. In all of my moments of frustration, joy, loneliness, laughter and everything in between, I have seen how the Lord draws near. No matter what I bring before the Lord, He is so quick to remind me of who I am and that He has promised to be with me always. He is my safe place to land. 

Wherever you find yourself today, I pray that you are reminded that we serve a God who draws near to His people.  

I have been focusing as much time as possible on learning Spanish. This has been a humbling and rewarding process. I know how important being able to speak and connect in Spanish is for my ministry. Luckily, I continue to grow in my abilities and confidence. I love being able to see the difference in being able to understand and speak as time goes on. I was able to visit one church in Guatemala after only 2 weeks of language learning and then again after 10 weeks of learning. The first time I could only understand a little and was a bit overwhelmed. By the second time, I was able to help teach a few 12-to 14-year-old girls as well as teach a couple of songs and games in Spanish. It was not perfect, but it was an encouraging start. Please continue to pray for my ability to learn Spanish. 

I also had the opportunity to work with a group of young adults from Western Canada, who are in a program called Kurios. This was my first experience with the SENT program as a Global Field Staff. I loved being another listening ear to help guide them through the process of being overseas. They were able to spend time with our partners in Guatemala in many different contexts. They were able to learn about the realities of living in Guatemala, see the church be the “salt and light” to their communities, and be challenged by their experiences. I am passionate about youth and young adults and helping them to continue following Jesus in all aspects of their lives and so it was very encouraging to work with this group.

Recently, I had an opportunity to visit our partner, IBAREDO, in the Dominican Republic along with a few other CBM staff. I love getting the opportunity to meet our partners, see how God has been working in and through them, and hearing about their hopes/dreams for the future. We had the privilege to see many different parts of the country, different projects and churches, and to meet many different people. Our hearts were full and encouraged through these meetings.  Then, I was able to accompany a SENT team from my sending church, Douglas Baptist. It was great to have some familiar faces from home. This was a great opportunity to learn more about the DR as well as build relationships. We laughed, learnt, served, and were challenged by all of our experiences. Dios es bueno, todo el tiempo! In our debriefs throughout the trip, the word partnership was continually mentioned. The team was so encouraged by seeing how the local church was partnering with people in their community, learning more about IBAREDO, and seeing the value in the partnership between CBM and IBAREDO.

Please pray for the following: 

• Continue to pray for my ability to learn Spanish. Pray for my capacity to learn new vocabulary and for the confidence to practice. 
• For the next couple of SENT teams that are coming to the Dominican Republic this spring that I will be accompanying. Pray that they will be encouraged and challenged through this experience. Pray for our partners as well as they prepare for these teams. 
• Pray for continued discernment as I continue to learn, grow, and seek the Lord’s guidance.

I want to thank you again for your continued prayers and support. I love knowing of the support that I have from home in Canada. I hope that you are encouraged that the Lord is at work in your life, in your community, and around the world.