First off, I have to apologize that it's taken me so long to post again. I know that I said I'd be posting every week on my last post, and although things are busy it's something that I intend to do. I know it's important that I keep you guys up to date on how I'm doing so you don't forget about me, but also because I need you guys keeping me in your prayers cause I need them to help me through the tough times that arise during SBS.
Things have been a lot better these last few weeks. Romans was definitely a difficult week for me, and God's really been teaching me lately to be focusing on one thing at a time, and also about expectations and performance issues that have been causing me to have difficult times in my charting and have contributed to me feeling overwhelmed at points by the enormous amount of work that we still have to do in SBS, which makes it difficult to get work done. I got some amazing encouragement from my checker after he had gone through my Romans and my 1 Corinthians, which were the books that I was really feeling like I was struggling in, and he let me know that I actually did a great job on the books and really spoke truth into me and encouraged me and let me know that I gotta make sure that I don't have unrealistic expectations of myself. He really helped me realize just how much pressure I put on myself and how I seemed to think that I had to have huge epic interpretations for every observation instead of just asking God to speak to me through the text and to write it down.
Through that talk and studying 2 Corinthians, which has a lot about weakness, God did a lot of work in my heart and helped me realize that in SBS and throughout the future, the only thing that matters is that I am following His call and being faithful with what He tells me to do. He's really been teaching me that if I am going to make it in the life of being a missionary that I have to completely forget about what the world thinks is successful and thinks that I should do in order for me to be "successful", and just look to Him and realize that being obedient is what it means to be successful in my life. Especially with looking at the future and thinking about support and everything, I was starting to think more about what the world was thinking of my role in ministry and it was starting to affect my work here as well. So God's really been speaking into this area and helping me to realize that I don't have to have some epic crazy ministry in order to be successful or for people to support me, but all I have to do is follow Him and share with people what He's doing in and through me and why I'm doing what I'm doing, and I will be successful.
Another thing that God's been speaking to me about is doing my part while trusting Him to provide. When I started on this journey of following God wherever He led me, I really felt that He was telling me not to really ask anybody for money, and that He was just going to provide for me, which was awesome, because I'm more of a giver and I hate asking for things. But now that I'm almost a year into things and am definitely in this for the long haul, and plan on living my life following Him, I feel like He's telling me to start doing my part to seek out support now. Something that God's really taught me over the last year is that in following Him, you sometimes have to step out of your comfort zone, whether it be preaching the gospel or asking for support or calling out someone on something they're doing or not doing or whatever. God's really shown me that I need to show my dedication by swallowing my pride, stepping out in faith and asking for help.
The reality of my situation is that I basically have two supporters, one being my parents and the other being our next door neighbour who I almost feel bad taking money from because she is a widow and doesn't work or anything, but she still wants to support me, and that's it. This definitely isn't enough for me to live on long term. I've gotten by well so far because when I left for DTS I got an amazing amount of support from friends and family, I've received some support from some people during the time I've been gone, and I've basically sold all my possessions and got a great tax return back this year because of my old job. These sources of money have now gotten low and I basically should have enough for my next term of SBS, but definitely don't have enough to support myself past there.
I know that some people may be thinking that because I'm doing school and not out in the jungles preaching the gospel, that I'm not really a missionary yet so I should be paying for my schooling myself, and I don't blame them because from an external point of view that makes sense, especially since I had a good job before I left. I know that I could have waited to go to DTS and worked another year and saved up heaps of money and probably been fine for money for the entire DTS and SBS, which was actually what I originally planned to do, but the problem with that plan was that it was man's plan and not God's plan. God told me to go right away and to put my faith in Him and trust that He would provide for me, not only for DTS, but for my entire life. So I did the only thing that I could do and I followed Him and trusted Him, and now I'm living in Taiwan, which is actually a surprisingly unreached area and actually is a very spiritually dark place, and am spending my time studying the bible because God told me to so that He could equip me for what He has for me next, which I don't even know what it is yet. I know that in the world's eyes, I may not be doing things "the right way" or how some people think I should and that I should have a long term plan and should know exactly what I'm going to be doing, but God didn't tell me to wait and do it that way, He told me to go and trust Him. All that I know is that I'm doing what God wants me to do and am trusting Him to lead me to what He has for me, to make me into the man that He wants me to be so that I can do that, and that He will provide for me whatever I need.
So what I'm getting at here is I am asking you all to spend some time praying for me and asking God about partnering with me and supporting me in following God's call. It doesn't even have to be much, it can be a one time gift or a regular gift, whatever you can give will be appreciated; even $10/month would help and make a difference for me. I don't want anybody to give out of obligation, I'm not writing this to guilt anyone into giving, I only want you to give if it is something that you want to do and feel like God wants you to do.
Unfortunately, because I'm not a full-time staff member with YWAM, there is no way that I can get anybody tax receipts, but hopefully that will be an option in the future. Right now, basically the best way to support me is to send a cheque or money to my parents so they can put it into my bank account. Their address is
Jack and Alice Stelpstra
48 Tweed Cres
London, Ontario, Canada
N5X1Z4
I also definitely need you all to be supporting me with prayer. Like I said earlier, Taiwan is a very dark spiritual place where Christianity is not followed much, so I need as much prayer support as I can get. Specifically if you could be praying for me that I won't get overwhelmed with the workload that we're going to have second term, which is considered the hardest term since we're starting the Old Testament and the books are much longer than the New Testament. Also please be praying that God will be speaking to me and giving me more of a vision for my future, and that He will also be filling me up and giving me peace when I'm missing my family and friends back home. This adventure has been amazing so far and I wouldn't change my decision to leave for the world, but it can sometimes be very difficult living far away from your loved ones in a place where you can't even really speak the language. Please also be praying that God will be helping me with my time management so that I have enough time to get my work done and still have time to work out and to spend time in prayer and to even have some chances to relax other than just one day a week on my Sabbath.
Sorry that this was another long message. I will definitely be updating my blog in the next week or so because I have my week off between terms, so I will have some time to relax and be refreshed and let you guys know how it's going. Hope you all are doing great.
God Bless!!
Prayer Points
Things have been a lot better these last few weeks. Romans was definitely a difficult week for me, and God's really been teaching me lately to be focusing on one thing at a time, and also about expectations and performance issues that have been causing me to have difficult times in my charting and have contributed to me feeling overwhelmed at points by the enormous amount of work that we still have to do in SBS, which makes it difficult to get work done. I got some amazing encouragement from my checker after he had gone through my Romans and my 1 Corinthians, which were the books that I was really feeling like I was struggling in, and he let me know that I actually did a great job on the books and really spoke truth into me and encouraged me and let me know that I gotta make sure that I don't have unrealistic expectations of myself. He really helped me realize just how much pressure I put on myself and how I seemed to think that I had to have huge epic interpretations for every observation instead of just asking God to speak to me through the text and to write it down.
Through that talk and studying 2 Corinthians, which has a lot about weakness, God did a lot of work in my heart and helped me realize that in SBS and throughout the future, the only thing that matters is that I am following His call and being faithful with what He tells me to do. He's really been teaching me that if I am going to make it in the life of being a missionary that I have to completely forget about what the world thinks is successful and thinks that I should do in order for me to be "successful", and just look to Him and realize that being obedient is what it means to be successful in my life. Especially with looking at the future and thinking about support and everything, I was starting to think more about what the world was thinking of my role in ministry and it was starting to affect my work here as well. So God's really been speaking into this area and helping me to realize that I don't have to have some epic crazy ministry in order to be successful or for people to support me, but all I have to do is follow Him and share with people what He's doing in and through me and why I'm doing what I'm doing, and I will be successful.
Another thing that God's been speaking to me about is doing my part while trusting Him to provide. When I started on this journey of following God wherever He led me, I really felt that He was telling me not to really ask anybody for money, and that He was just going to provide for me, which was awesome, because I'm more of a giver and I hate asking for things. But now that I'm almost a year into things and am definitely in this for the long haul, and plan on living my life following Him, I feel like He's telling me to start doing my part to seek out support now. Something that God's really taught me over the last year is that in following Him, you sometimes have to step out of your comfort zone, whether it be preaching the gospel or asking for support or calling out someone on something they're doing or not doing or whatever. God's really shown me that I need to show my dedication by swallowing my pride, stepping out in faith and asking for help.
The reality of my situation is that I basically have two supporters, one being my parents and the other being our next door neighbour who I almost feel bad taking money from because she is a widow and doesn't work or anything, but she still wants to support me, and that's it. This definitely isn't enough for me to live on long term. I've gotten by well so far because when I left for DTS I got an amazing amount of support from friends and family, I've received some support from some people during the time I've been gone, and I've basically sold all my possessions and got a great tax return back this year because of my old job. These sources of money have now gotten low and I basically should have enough for my next term of SBS, but definitely don't have enough to support myself past there.
I know that some people may be thinking that because I'm doing school and not out in the jungles preaching the gospel, that I'm not really a missionary yet so I should be paying for my schooling myself, and I don't blame them because from an external point of view that makes sense, especially since I had a good job before I left. I know that I could have waited to go to DTS and worked another year and saved up heaps of money and probably been fine for money for the entire DTS and SBS, which was actually what I originally planned to do, but the problem with that plan was that it was man's plan and not God's plan. God told me to go right away and to put my faith in Him and trust that He would provide for me, not only for DTS, but for my entire life. So I did the only thing that I could do and I followed Him and trusted Him, and now I'm living in Taiwan, which is actually a surprisingly unreached area and actually is a very spiritually dark place, and am spending my time studying the bible because God told me to so that He could equip me for what He has for me next, which I don't even know what it is yet. I know that in the world's eyes, I may not be doing things "the right way" or how some people think I should and that I should have a long term plan and should know exactly what I'm going to be doing, but God didn't tell me to wait and do it that way, He told me to go and trust Him. All that I know is that I'm doing what God wants me to do and am trusting Him to lead me to what He has for me, to make me into the man that He wants me to be so that I can do that, and that He will provide for me whatever I need.
So what I'm getting at here is I am asking you all to spend some time praying for me and asking God about partnering with me and supporting me in following God's call. It doesn't even have to be much, it can be a one time gift or a regular gift, whatever you can give will be appreciated; even $10/month would help and make a difference for me. I don't want anybody to give out of obligation, I'm not writing this to guilt anyone into giving, I only want you to give if it is something that you want to do and feel like God wants you to do.
Unfortunately, because I'm not a full-time staff member with YWAM, there is no way that I can get anybody tax receipts, but hopefully that will be an option in the future. Right now, basically the best way to support me is to send a cheque or money to my parents so they can put it into my bank account. Their address is
Jack and Alice Stelpstra
48 Tweed Cres
London, Ontario, Canada
N5X1Z4
I also definitely need you all to be supporting me with prayer. Like I said earlier, Taiwan is a very dark spiritual place where Christianity is not followed much, so I need as much prayer support as I can get. Specifically if you could be praying for me that I won't get overwhelmed with the workload that we're going to have second term, which is considered the hardest term since we're starting the Old Testament and the books are much longer than the New Testament. Also please be praying that God will be speaking to me and giving me more of a vision for my future, and that He will also be filling me up and giving me peace when I'm missing my family and friends back home. This adventure has been amazing so far and I wouldn't change my decision to leave for the world, but it can sometimes be very difficult living far away from your loved ones in a place where you can't even really speak the language. Please also be praying that God will be helping me with my time management so that I have enough time to get my work done and still have time to work out and to spend time in prayer and to even have some chances to relax other than just one day a week on my Sabbath.
Sorry that this was another long message. I will definitely be updating my blog in the next week or so because I have my week off between terms, so I will have some time to relax and be refreshed and let you guys know how it's going. Hope you all are doing great.
God Bless!!
Prayer Points
- That I won't get overwhelmed with the workload in 2nd term
- That God will be giving me more of a vision for my future
- That God will be giving me peace and filling me with His love in times when I miss my family
- That God will help me improve my time management
- That God will continue to teach me to be alright with not being perfect and have realistic expectations for myself
No comments:
Post a Comment