(Note: If you click the attached pictures it will either enlarge if there is a single picture or bring you to an album if there are multiple photos.)
:: OCTOBEROctober was a special month as we had a team from Canyon Ridge bless us with a visit as well as some manual labor! A team of 8 - led by Garett and Jenny Fay - came to encourage Sean and I as well as bless our Holmsted Community by beginning a conversion project. They tore apart an old guys bathroom to convert it into a bedroom/bathroom suite. They worked hard and were able to get a good start on the project. Since then, we've had a few Holmsted staff members that have been able to put some time into it. It was such a blessing to catch up with some old friends and meet some new ones. Having the team here allowed us to feel connected and a part of the Canyon Ridge family. And of course they came bearing gifts! We had cards, we had candy, Oreos, ranch dressing and even artwork that was sent to us. It was Christmas in October. Thank you to everyone who contributed!
:: NOVEMBERIn November, Sean and I went to the YWAM DNA Conference. This was a chance to hear from the founder of YWAM - Loren Cunningham - and his heart behind starting the organization. YWAM was founded in 1960 and is still growing! Throughout the course of the week, we learned that pioneering is the heartbeat behind YWAM. We heard story after story about God's faithfulness as young people have stepped out in new and creative ways to bring the gospel to the world. However, in the midst of celebrating the sense of pioneering, Sean and I began questioning our place with YWAM. Pioneers attract pioneers. And we have learned that the nature of a pioneer is to always be moving on to the next thing. A pioneer can also have a tendency to prefer the chaos of "the new" over the stability of "the familiar." Knowing that we are very much structural and pastoral people looking to create longevity in ministry, we felt like maybe we had stepped into the wrong organization. But as we processed our doubts and frustrations with long-time YWAMers, we were able to come to the conclusion that a pioneering ministry like YWAM is definitely in need of structural, pastoral types like Sean and I. Oh yeah..Sean and I were also asked to help lead worship for the event. It was a blessing to be able to serve musically and to get to know some other YWAMers from Colorado.
I also celebrated my 29 birthday on November 7. Sean is dying for me to hit 30 so we can finally be in the same decade again! I'm looking forward to celebrating the big 3-0 Stateside this year.
Sean and I have also enjoyed our involvement at our local church - The Point. We have been on the worship rota about once a month. Our most recent ministry we've been involved with has been a Young Adults ministry. We are a part of a core group that is helping to develop the ministry. We have also been asked to consider a more active role as leaders with this group which is exciting for us as we feel God has called us to England to partner and support the local churches of England!
:: DECEMBER
From September through December, Sean helped to lead the School of Worship here at Holmsted. Following the school, there was a group of 9 (including Sean and myself) who went on a 10-day mission trip to Spain (December 12-22). We had a great team and enjoyed our time. It was quite easy adjusting to the Spanish way of life - late morning starts and siestas after lunch! Although we had translators for this trip, it was fun using the Spanish that I remembered from high school and from my parents who are both fluent. I was surprised how well I was able to communicate with the Spanish that I have retained over the years. While there, we were able to work with 3 different churches in Spain. At each church we played some Christmas carols and some worship songs. I think we surprised the locals as the team had learned a few worship songs in Spanish! We also worked with a Christian television station and were able to record original songs, some Christmas songs, and our personal testimonies. A few (including Sean) were able to give a teaching on concepts of worship. The recordings will be used at a later date and broadcast on Spanish and South American television. We also did a lot of sharing in public squares. We would play music and we would pray for the local areas. We also had one night where we did street evangelism. Sean and a few others shared their personal testimonies of how God has impacted their lives and it was translated into Spanish. Several people would stop to listen and a few stayed and asked questions.
After returning from our trip to Spain, Sean had one thing on his mind...getting our car registered! Several months back, Sean and I were given a car. Unfortunately, until one of us had a British license, we were unable to register the car or get insurance. So 3 driving lessons, a written test, and a driving test later; Sean now has an official British driver's license! Sean was told that the driving test is quite rigorous and that it is common for Brits to have to take the driving test a few times before they pass. Sean passed on attempt number one! It's been a lengthy and expensive process, but we now have our own car.Once we had our wheels, that meant we were able to spend the day out and about doing some Christmas shopping! We did our shopping on December 23...and we gave each other our presents the same day. You thought kids were bad! We just figured we didn't need to spend the extra money on wrapping paper. We had a fun night and on Christmas day, Sean played at a Christmas service. We then came home and he made a very non-traditional Mexican style roasted pork with rice. It was delicious!
All throughout December we had been receiving Christmas cards, and each one has been a blessing to us. We have especially loved the picture cards and the newsletters. It helps us to feel connected to those that we are unable to be within proximity of. We were really caught off guard when we received quite a heavy package in the mail. We saw that is was from Canyon Ridge and that they had Brought The Love! We had a TON of cards from people we know and people we don't know, all encouraging us that we were being prayed for. Especially as we have been missing home, it felt like such a cool gift to receive in the mail. We were not expecting anything like that and it came at just the right time! It was hard to read each card with dry eyes.:: ON THE HORIZON
As we are moving forward in 2009, there are already a few exciting things to look forward to. One of them being a short trip to Holland that we will be taking to see our friends D & D that are now living in India. This couple has been a catalyst in our lives as we have chosen to become involved with missions. They are very dear to us and it will be great to catch up with them and their family at the end of this month.
A huge change that is swiftly approaching is yet another leadership change for Holmsted. The current base leader and his wife will be stepping down within the next few months as they feel God is directing them back to the States. There are a combination of reasons that have pointed them in this direction and we are excited for this new season approaching for them. But what that means is that Holmsted is searching for a new set of leaders again. Since we have been at Holmsted, we have been in a state of transition with leadership. Sean and I have been feeling like this is a season where we can help bring some consistency and stability to the base by making ourselves available to continue serving at Holmsted for a longer season than the 2 year comitment we have already agreed to. We have also decided to put our names forward for consideration as the next base leaders. There are some great candidates to choose from at Holmsted and so the next few weeks will consist of narrowing down the right person. We would love your prayers in this area. If we do become the next base leaders, we will have some big shoes to fill. If we don't become base leaders, we want to find the right roles at Holmsted that will best use our gifts as we settle in to a longer-term commitment.
Thanks for bearing with us as we get you up to speed on a newsletter that has been long overdue. Hope the pictures add a little bit of life to the text! We love you guys tons and feel so cared for by all of you in different ways. It has been through prayers, cards, emails, phone calls, Facebook comments, and even personal visits that we have been able to press on with the work God has called us to in England. It is with celebration and excitement that we are able to say goodbye to 2008 and continue trekking into 2009! God is good and He is faithful!
Cheers!
Sarah and Sean
