Last month I had the honour of speaking in Toronto at MissionFest 2012. The theme of the session I spoke at was “Ordinary women – Extraordinary call”. I was asked to share my testimony, how I got involved with “Into All the World” and what I do now with this organization. It was so neat to see God work even before I got up to speak.  I had the privilege of meeting and sharing the session with Susan Finlay, the Founder and National Director of Nation at Prayer. She is such a sweet lady and it was so neat to see how we were on the same page when it came to how we would end the session together. It was also neat to see how God planned for everything to come together. Susan and I had never shared with the worship band what we were going to say when we spoke and yet the words the worship band sang related to what I shared in my message and what Susan shared in hers.

God has definitely worked on my fear of speaking and I had peace when I went up on stage. After the session was over I had many moms and ladies come up to talk to me. It was amazing to have moms share with me what was going on with their daughters and yet it made me sad because I realized how many girls are hurting and how many girls Satan is lying to making them feel worthless. It was hard to hear some of the stories and it is sad to see moms in so much pain, feeling helpless. As some of the moms shared their stories with me I realized that God had me share what I shared for a reason. I love how He does that! One lady who came to talk to me shared how she wanted to do mission work, but really felt like she had done so much in her past that she wasn’t worthy of going on a mission trip. She came to me with tears in her eyes and shared with me how what I shared made her realize that this was a lie and that she was worthy and she was going to go on a mission trip and try to help others. Those kinds of stories bring a smile to my face because I am glad that God can use my story to make others fulfill the call He has placed on their lives.

I have continued to be in touch with some of the ladies who came to speak with me after the session. Speaking at MissionFest connected me to girls that needed help and I continue to receive emails from moms who heard about me and want me to help their daughters.

I am so thankful for my time at MissionFest! Thankful for the people that I got to meet and thankful that God used me and continues to use me to reach out to others. Wisdom is one of the things I need as I continue to meet with girls and deal with some very tough situations that they are facing. This past month has been a month where I have had to intervene in some of these situations so please pray for continued wisdom for me.  Also please continue to pray for the girls I meet with and that they would be freed from their distorted thinking.

“There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10

What an amazing weekend!!! The most exciting news that I have to share with you all is that this past weekend there were angels rejoicing in heaven as at the end of the ie girl weekend several girls gave their lives to Christ and made a commitment to follow Him. 😀

The whole conference was phenomenal. First off I have to say that the key leader Michelle and the rest of the ie team are all incredible people who have such a love and passion for God and for every girl who walked through the doors this weekend. They made everyone feel so comfortable and they did a great job at planning the schedule for this event where moms and mentors could connect with each other.

There were such special moments I got to witness this weekend like the girls sharing with their moms or mentors what their favourite memory with them was. I got to see moms and daughters hug each other and tell each other how much they loved them, got to hear their voices singing “In Christ Alone” and the most special moment for me happened at the end of the conference when I got to see mothers with tears in their eyes speak verses over their daughters and the daughters do the same over their moms. What an amazing and significant thing to see. It brought tears to my eyes.

Thank you to all who were praying for me and all who sent me encouraging notes before I spoke this weekend. I really appreciate it!!! I started to get sick with a cold and sore throat right before the conference, but God is good and He made me strong when my body was getting weak and He carried me through each time I had to speak. I am also so happy and excited to let you know that this weekend I did not have the same fear I have had in the past when I have gotten up to speak. Yes, I was still nervous but there was no intense fear. I have shared with some people that in the past when it was the day before or even the hour before I had to speak I would think in my mind, “this would be a great time for God to come back”. Not that I don’t look forward to my future, but because I really couldn’t see my self getting up in front of people. However, this time it was totally different. This weekend I spoke on Fighting Fear, Overcoming Obstacles and Finding Hope in Christ. It was interesting how they asked me to speak on Fighting Fear when I had a fear of public speaking, but it is neat how God works. In preparing my message I was able to learn so much too and apply it to my own life. I knew when I got up there to speak to everyone that God was with me and He would be the one to lead me in my speaking. I trusted him to help me do what He had asked me to do.

I am so thankful that I was asked to be a part of this conference and that I got to witness all the amazing things that happened through it. There are too many to share in a letter, but as I said before it was awesome. One girl I connected with shared with me yesterday that after this weekend she feels alive, she realizes she has a purpose here, she is reading the Bible more and that others are seeing a difference in her. Praise God!!! Please pray for all the girls who attended this event. Pray that they would continue to be strong and courageous in the Lord. Pray that they would be a light to others around them and that they would continue to grow in a deep relationship with their precious Saviour.

Thanks to all who were praying!!

Tracy Robinson has known me since I was a tiny baby in my mother’s arms. I grew up knowing who Tracy was but it wasn’t until I was in my twenties that Tracy and I developed a friendship of our own that became very strong. I remember the day we reconnected down by the water front and ended up talking to each other for hours. Since then our friendship has grown so much. She has not only become a close friend who I can share everything with but a mentor as well. We have gotten together many times and talked about what is going on in our lives and she has helped me through different situations I have faced. She has been an amazing blessing in my life and I am thankful that God placed her in my life!

Three years ago this month Tracy’s husband Scott had a brain aneurism and Jesus took him home. Scott was a wonderful man. He was known for being genuine and for loving his family the way a husband and father should and many people respected him for that.

Tracy and I have had many times where we have gotten together and talked about Scott and the wonderful memories and marriage they had. In fact I owe a huge thanks to Tracy for making me understand more of what real love is and for teaching me how to love Travis the way I should. It was through her that I learnt to really appreciate and not take things for granted with Travis. There also have been times that Tracy and I have talked about Scott’s death and life since he has been gone. Tracy hasn’t always understood what God has planned for her life and a year ago she didn’t know where she would be but her Saviour did. He knew that He was not done with her and would use her in a huge way.

At the beginning of this year Tracy came to Travis and I and confided in us that she had applied to Urban Promise in Toronto to be a site supervisor for the youth program. When Tracy came and shared this with us I was not surprised. I had felt for awhile like God would call her away from Barrie but I didn’t know where or when it was going to happen. I could see Tracy’s face light up as she talked to us about the position and what she would be doing if she got accepted. Trav and I said we would pray for her but as soon as she left we both looked at each other and said, “She has the job.” It was so obvious to us that she would be making the move and going and working in Toronto.

Travis and I were right and it has now been four months since Tracy has been working for Urban Promise and helping out with the youth down in the city. One of the things Tracy has been in charge of is putting lessons together for the students that attend summer day camp. When she was putting together the lesson on Jesus being truth she said I came to mind and knew I had to be the one to go down and share my testimony and share how Jesus has been truth in my life.

I went down on July 21^st and it was so neat to be able to see first hand the ministry of UP. I felt welcome right away when I walked into the room and a girl that was in the youth program came up to me and said, “What are you here for?” I said, “I am going to be speaking.” And she replied, “Then I will be listening.” 🙂

God gave me strength as I spoke and the next thing I knew I was done sharing. I was told after by two leaders that they couldn’t believe how quiet and still the kids were. Tracy shared with me after that the kids looked like they were on the edges of their seats waiting to hear what I was going to say next.

After I spoke I got to talk to some of the kids. One boy came up to me right away and asked me some questions and then after awhile he said, “But is your story true?” It made me laugh. I also had one of the leaders share with me that he was excited for the discussion that was going to come up in their small groups because of what I had shared.

From the things I heard and from what the kids shared with me I know that God used my story and what I shared to speak truth into the lives of the kids at Urban Promise. I was just sharing with some one the other day how sometimes my testimony becomes boring to me because it feels repetitive but it is always great to remember it is Jesus story not mine and that He can use it to reach others in whatever way He wants to reach them. I am so very thankful to Tracy for thinking of me and giving me this opportunity to go down and share my truth in Jesus with kids who needed to hear it.

Thank you all for praying for me as I went down to the city. Your prayers were so appreciated!!

These last two months have been months were I have realized once again how short life can be and how we never know when God is going to take us to heaven to be with him. We think we know our plans for our future but God is the only one who really knows.

At the beginning of April my Grandma was taken to the hospital and the Drs. told us she had had a heart attack. She was in the hospital for a week and it was a very scary time for my family. She is doing much better but she still can’t go out a lot and gets very tired easily.

Also at the end of April we found out that our sister in law, Charmaine’s mom, Judy had passed away suddenly from a heart attack. The news was shocking and devastating to the family. Travis and I went to the funeral to be with family and it was a very emotional time. We are very thankful that Judy knew Christ and loved Him and we know that she is up in heaven with Him and that one day we will see her again. That gives the family peace. Charmaine has had an amazing strength and it has been inspiring to see her faith and trust in the Lord during this hard time.

Just after the funeral I went up to spend time with Charmaine since my brother in law works away from home during the week. It was great to be able to spend that time with her. During the day while Charmaine was at work I was really able to focus on things I needed to do. I took a couple of books with me and read them to prepare me for my speaking engagement in November. Though I am still nervous about speaking I was really encouraged by one of the books I read. It made me realize that a lot of other people that are or were well known speakers also had fears of getting up in front of people. Even Luther had fears but he preached because he was ordered directly to do so.

In May I was also able to go with the youth from our church to “Overflow” which is a conference that is for youth that happens every year. Rich Wilkerson who is the nephew of David Wilkerson spoke and he was very powerful! He really challenged the youth but he also spoke to my life. One of the things he said which goes along with my fear of speaking in public was “Run to the things that scare you. If you’re not scared then you’re not relying on God.” During this weekend I was also able to talk to some of the girls that I was staying in a room with. They all shared similar things they were going through and we were able to talk openly about their struggles and what they can do about them. Since we have been back I have been in touch with these girls and they have shared what God did in their lives through Overflow since we talked. One girl shared with me “I’m totally happy I went to Overflow it opened my eyes and my heart to so many new people and things that God has set me to do and now I’m really excited for the future of things.”

Another exciting opportunity has come up for me. 🙂 I have been asked to speak at Urban Promise in Toronto on July 21st. Urban Promise is an organization that was started by Dr. Tony Campolo and works to create safe environments where children experience nurturing care and attention during the critical hours for inner-city children. In July they will be studying Jesus as the truth and so I have been asked to go and share my testimony. I will be speaking to ages eleven to fourtenn but these kids are very street wise and older then most kids their age. Please pray for me as I prepare and go down to the city to share with the kids how Jesus has been the truth in my life.

Once again thank you to all of you for supporting me in all the ways you do! I have really appreciated the encouraging emails and letters I have received from you that are full of wisdom and truth.

i.e. girl (inspire excellence) is a program that is run by Women Alive and was designed to encourage girls between the ages of twelve and twenty. It is run by teen girls and women mentors. Their mission statement is:

“To RESCUE young women from the evil and deceit in today’s world.To RESTORE their hearts with Truth and purpose.To REBUILD each young woman with a rock solid foundation, resulting in a true identity.To RELEASE them with new worth.They in turn, being confident of their own “loved, honored and precious lives” will inspire excellence as they reach out to rescue others.We are raising the bar of excellence through the power of example with REAL TRUTH and TRUE LOVE.”

November 11^th and 12^th they are having a conference for teens, teen moms and mentors and I have been asked to be the keynote speaker. At the last conference they had, the video I was filmed in a couple of years ago sharing some of my story was shown and since then the leaders have been praying and feel like I am the one who should speak to the girls that attend this year.

I was really surprised when I was asked but was very honoured too. I shared with them that I had never done something like this before; I have spoken to youth groups and shared my testimony at different churches, but when I think of someone speaking all weekend to a crowd I think of my Dad. I know that if God wants me to do this then there is a reason and I am open and willing. Though it may be out of my comfort zone I know that God is right there with me when I am speaking and He will be my strength and my voice when I am speaking. He knows who is going to attend this conference right at this moment and He knows exactly what those girls need to hear.

They have already provided me with the topics I will be speaking on and they are Fighting Fear, Overcoming Obstacles and Finding Hope in Christ. The last topic is something I love sharing so I am super excited that is one of the topics I get to talk about.

So, could you please pray for me as I start to prepare these messages? Please pray that God would speak clearly to me on exactly what He wants me to share and say to these girls. God is so good! I am so glad that we have the Bible and that God gives us numerous stories to use as examples to teach others.

As I was preparing to speak to the youth last month I read about when God asked Moses to go and talk to Pharaoh to free the Israelites from the Egyptians. What got me were the words that Moses used to respond to God.

“But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”Exodus 4:10

I love God’s response and it is a good reminder when I feel insecure about getting up and talking in front of crowds.

“Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” Exodus 4:11

Did you know that when I was in high school there were times I would choose to get no grade on a project if it was a presentation because I absolutely hated getting up in front of people? I had such a fear of it, but God has helped me throughout the years to be able to speak in front of crowds and I know that He will continue to do so. This verse reminds me that it is Him that will give me the strength to speak when I feel I can’t and if He wants me up there to use me to speak into other peoples’ lives then He will be there with me as I speak. 🙂 Isn’t it awesome that God never changes?

At the beginning of March Travis and I took a group of nine young adults to a conference called Merge. I actually remembered when we were leaving the conference how it was at that same conference a couple years earlier that I heard God speak to me and tell me to write my book. It was also the conference where I felt God tell me that I needed to take a missions trip within the year and I went to Ukraine to work in the orphanages and with the abandoned babies in the hospital. Great things have come out of attending this conference in the past and once again great things happened this year. Instead of sharing what I learnt I thought I would let you know what two of the young adults that attended said about the conference.

“I personally have a past that I am not very proud to say I have. At the Merge conference, I was reminded that my past doesn’t define me and I should not let that be the case. God defines me. God is constantly working in and through me. He knows my past and is writing me a better future. The best is yet to come! I learned that I must make my dreams and hopes for the future bigger than my memories. In order for God to show me the future and work in me, I must refresh my relationship with Him and cut out of my life the things that may not be sin but do not strengthen my relationship Him. God is amazing and once we let Him, He will do amazing thing through us!”

“Merge was an amazing experience as an individual as well as for members of our Mapleview Young Adults group. Nate was a fantastic speaker and motivated me to push my comfort level in my faith. There was a powerful group prayer amongst MYA members on Saturday morning that created a stronger bond amongst us as a group. It is a conference that I have attended in the past and will attend again.”

Two weekends ago I was asked to share my testimony and speak about God being our redeemer and restorer to the senior youth at our church. Right after my message I had a girl share things that were going on in her life and since then many doors have opened to speaking into girls’ lives. I find myself again being surprised at how many girls this month I have met or talked to that have tried to end their lives or are feeling so down that they have those thoughts yet they walk around with a smile on their face and from the outside you would never know it.

Please pray for these girls. Pray that they would understand the true and real hope there is in Christ. Pray that they would not go looking for love somewhere else. I find more and more how girls want someone who cares for them and who will tell them they love them but they don’t realize that the one who cares for them and loves them the most is right there with open arms wanting them to grow closer with Him. They need to understand that even though He may not physically be in front of them He is there.

Our Young Adult study continues to go really well. We continue to learn more on different subjects like philosophy and ethics and we answer questions like who is man and who is God? As well this past Saturday we had a fun social night were we played a bunch of different group games. Twenty people attended and it was a fun night full of lots of laughter.

God is doing great things in my ministry! I have realized this past week once again how thankful I am to be able to have the time to do what I do. No, I do not make as much money as I used to and sometimes that can be hard but…God has been opening up doors this year and though right now I am not able to say anything until things are confirmed I am excited for what is to come. 🙂

I hope you all are doing well. I am praying for those of you who have shared what is going on in your hearts and your lives lately. May He give you wisdom and direction in choices you are making, may He give you the peace where you need it in your life, may He show you that things that you thought weren’t possible are and may He continue to open up doors in your own personal lives.

The past two months have been the hardest months that Travis and I have had in ministry together. We have had moments where we both have broken down in tears because we have felt so overwhelmed by things going on around us. We have had meetings with the pastors from our church and with the members of the Nexus team and we all agree it is time to close the ministry of Nexus and go on with other things. It is sad for me because I have been there from the start. I have seen great things come out of this group and I have seen people come to know Christ through this ministry. One of my husband’s best friends started going back to church through Nexus and he now helps out with Alpha groups and prayer groups at his church. Exciting things have happened! However I know that our decision is the right thing and I know that God is going to bless us and He has new things in store for us.

On February 5^th we had our last Re:sound worship night. We had the Nexus band and Levi denBok lead the worship. We did not want this night to be about the bands or one person we wanted it to be about God. We wanted young adults to come together and praise and give glory to the one who deserves it. I am so happy to report that this night was exactly this. We have heard great feedback about that night. One of the testimonies was this “It was truly inspiring and just an extremely powerful time of worship. I am still blown away, so once again thank you for inviting me.”

So where does this leave us now? Travis and I feel strongly we are to continue running a young adult group at our church. Now we can spend more time focusing on reaching young adults in our church and helping them grow in Christ. We have started doing the “Truth Project” in our small group. Though it is an intense study it is something that young adults need to learn. We are going to continue to meet bi weekly but are also going to start having more social events and add serving events as well. We have seen great things happen in this group already and we know there is more to come.

On March 4^th we are going to be going away over night and taking some young adults to a conference in Toronto. Pray that the young adults that attend would be touched that weekend. That they would learn something new and that God would really speak to them wherever they are at in their life. Also pray that friendships would grow and that Travis and I have a chance to get to know our group more too.

I am sure you guys are wondering what is going on with my book so I will let you know that right now one of my copies is in L.A and being read by a publisher. It is a waiting game so all I can continue to do and all I can ask you to continue to do is pray. I will let you know what is happening as I find out.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. I appreciate it so much!! Sometimes in ministry personal things come up that I am not able to share because they are confidential but it helps to know that even though you don’t know everything you are there praying for me and lifting me up to the one who knows all.

This December Nexus had their 4th annual Winter Warmup. There were so many yummy treats there like gingerbread man cookies, muffins, and haystacks for the young adults that attended. We had a couple of games and made the first part of the evening a time where young adults could come together, talk and get to know each other. We had a fabulous live music in the background playing as people enjoyed their warm apple cider and hot chocolate.

A couple of months ago Travis and I had a girl named Brooke come to us and share how she was interested in being a worship leader for a young adult band with Nexus. She was an answer to prayer as Travis and I had been praying for this. Brooke is an amazing girl and the huge thing is we know her heart. We know that Brooke loves God and wants to follow him. She is a sweet girl who many love and respect. Now Brooke has put together a band and they played at the coffee house for the first time. They did such an amazing job and Travis and I were so pleased. We saw young adults engaging God and it was just a great time of worship. After we had Craig Luff the youth pastor from our church share a word with all who were there. He spoke a very powerful and challenging message.  We have heard great feedback about his message and know it has made people think about their lives and what they are doing with it. All in all the night was a success and around 75 people showed up for it. Thank you for praying for us as we organized this event!

 Tomorrow is supposed to be our last study of the year but we don’t really know if we will actually have it because it has been crazy weather here in Canada. The snow just does not keep stopping. Though it looks beautiful on the ground sometimes it is not the greatest to drive in so we shall see what happens. Weather permitting tomorrow we will be concluding our book called “Crazy Love”. It has been a great book. Though as a group we would say we don’t agree with everything it has made us think. I have personally been challenged once again on loving like Jesus loves. Lately I have been faced with many situations were I am put right in front of someone who has hurt me yet through reading this book I have learned to just smile and try to act towards them as if they never hurt me. Sure you need boundaries still but there is a difference between being civil with someone or just totally avoiding them when you have mutual friends and are invited out together. I just want to be more like Jesus. I may not understand everything but I need to remember to be the better person because I know that is what God requires from me.

Well….I am sure you are all getting ready for one of the biggest days of the year. I have enjoyed blasting my Christmas music and seeing Travis give me this cute little frown as he realizes how I do actually love listening to Celine Dion Christmas music and even “The Gaither Band” Christmas CD. I have enjoyed our first winter as husband and wife decorating our home, buying Christmas gifts for our family and wrapping them together. Now I look forward to going up to Powassan with Travis and celebrating Jesus birth. I love that I am married into a family were they love Jesus as much as me and that we can all celebrate our Saviour coming into this world.

“It’s sharing your gifts, not purchasing gifts;It’s not wrapping presents, its being presentand wrapping your arms around the ones you love;It’s not getting Christmas cards out on time,It’s sending any card, anytime, at the right time;It’s not having the biggest and best Christmas light display,It’s displaying the Christ light that comes from your heart;It’s not Santa coming down the chimney,It’s Jesus coming down from heaven,and giving us the gift of eternal life.” 

May you all have a Merry Christmas!!!