Mini outreach Spokane

Rapping her testimony

The girls dance at the cafe night. 

Parents in need distributor. 

Jake(one of the students) sharing his testimony at a youth group. 

Hey everyone! Just wanted to give an update on our time in Spokane, Washington for our "mini-outreach."  It went really well! We helped in all kinds of ministries there, including speaking to a youth group about missions, sorting and packing baby clothes for a parents and children in need distributor, and packing and sorting food at a food bank. We held an open mic night/cafe night and invited people from the community, and talked to people about God in malls and on the streets/stores, as well as pray for those we met. The whole school enjoyed getting to use what they have been learning and experiencing in class.  God was amazing to provide so many opportunities to share himself with people through us! It was so good to go  (personally one of my favorite weeks in DTS) and good to come back (home sweet home after the craziness).  Thank you again Mountain View Church for hosting us! We are grateful that we could partner with you in the awesome work you are doing. 

Love to you all! 

Jason and Erika

Happy New Year!

We are a bit behind on blogging....but I guess I can chalk that up to pregnancy and preparing to lead a DTS at the same time!  I am feeling so much better now that I am in my second trimester, for which I am very thankful!  We hope you all had a very merry Christmas and that your new year is off to a good start.  Jason and I spent a wonderful and relaxing time in Houston with my family and friends over the holidays. We felt SO blessed by all the love and generosity we were shown there....including 2 beautiful baby showers!

Jason went home to SC for a few days to spend time with his family, particularly because his Granddad was ill in the hospital.  He was so thankful for that special time together, as his Granddad passed away on January 1, just a few days after Jason left.  Granddaddy was so loved by his family and we are all missing him now.

The Winter DTS that we are leading started on January 6, so we had a quick turnaround.  We are grateful that God sent us this group of students and are really looking forward to what he will do in their lives during their time with us.  Please keep them and us in your prayers over the next few months!  We are thankful for you all and your care and involvement in our lives.

Jason and I got to go to the Nutcracker ballet in Houston!

An exciting announcement

So.. We're pregnant.. 

We are very excited to announce that Erika is due at the end of May! We're not sure of the sex yet, but we will let everyone know as soon as we do! Erika had been feeling pretty lame so far, but it seems as though things are getting a bit better.  She is growing a human after all!! 

So happy to announce this and have you share in our excitement.  Love you all 

Jason and Erika

Autumn for the Goodfellows

So far it is a lovely autumn here in Lakeside.  We have crisp, frosty mornings, and then the fog rolls in for most of the morning.  After that, we have clear blue skies and sun for the afternoon.  We are trying to soak it up, because winter could come any day!

We are currently busy getting ready for the Winter DTS students who arrive in January.  Jason and are setting up the school schedule, corresponding with our students, and booking speakers right now.  We meet weekly to pray with our group of 14 staff over new student applications, as well as just praying for God to work in students' lives, both now and when they come for DTS.  We are still helping out in a few logistical positions for part of the day, too.  Jason is working in housekeeping, and I am trying something new by helping in the accounting office.  I am blown away by the amazing generosity of all who support this ministry and the people in it as I work there!  You all probably have no idea of the incredible impact that people like you have all over the world by your generous gifts and prayer for YWAM's ministry and its missionaries.  Know that I thank God for you all and pray his blessings for you as I work there!

We are also helping out with the Alpha course this fall.  Our base is hosting it for the first time, and if you haven't heard of it, it is a weekly meal with a talk about various important topics in Christianity, followed by a discussion.  It is geared toward non-Christians, and a very relaxed and non-confrontational way for them to learn more about Jesus and to be loved by his followers.  We have a small faithful group that has been attending, and we are so excited for what God wants to do in their lives through this, as most of them are not Christians.  It is a time for them to discover the meaning of life, and the giver of life.  We would appreciate your prayers for this new endeavor!

Jason reached an important milestone this year.  He was honored this past week at a staff gathering for 5 years of service at YWAM Montana.  He is actually coming up on 6 years here, but they honor staff for 5, 10, 15, etc. years once during each year.  I am proud of him!  He has served faithfully during his time here, and is so committed to helping people discover God's calling on their lives.  Jason is passionate for people to realize how deeply they are loved by God, and for that revelation to transform the way they live their lives.

We really feel full of thankfulness in this season, and we are especially thankful for you!