STEPPING OUT IN FAITH!!

So, if you’ve been following my facebook posts over the last few days and have noticed the change in name of our program, you might be a little bit confused as to what is happening!

I also became aware this week that far more people than I was aware of are actually reading my facebook posts. I had no idea.

When I posted about our resignation, I was reaching out for help and encouragement from my friends. Living overseas, facebook for me is a huge form of personal support. Even though I don’t always respond, your comments and personal messages go straight to my heart.

I’m not going to go into all the minute details of the past week, but I will speak in general terms and this is what I have to say.

Bottom line, though I can’t get into it, the darkness and spiritual intensity of what is going on here is beyond anything we have ever experienced before in 15 years of working in missions.

The enemy is angry (to say the least) about what is happening. He doesn’t like it when Christians begin to work together in unity. If he can prevent that from happening, he can prevent us from rescuing children in crisis situations.

Last week was a big example of that happening. The degree of mis-communication and confusion is beyond belief. But we pushed through it.

We stood together with other believers and said enough. This will not happen. And the peace we feel now is indescribable.

It was still the right decision for us to resign. It was still the right decision for us to re-name our program and have a clear division of lines between the property called “La Ola” and the work Scott and I do as missionaries with Youth With A Mission. We are separate and for the work to continue that is the way it needs to be.

In a lot of ways it has clarified our vision, and the new name, The Refuge, more accurately describes what we do.

In the past year of work with children at risk in the community, we have seen some incredible things happen through our children’s program. But we both feel that in our current situation we are only operating at half capacity of what we could be doing.

You all know our hearts. We want to be more effective, and if we can position ourselves in a way for that to happen we will do it, no matter what it takes. Our hearts are for children and this community. God has put that in us – we can’t let it go even if we try!

So we’ve made a big decision. A scary decision. A major stepping-out-in-faith decision. We’re nervous, but we feel peace. We’re scared, yet excited. We’re doubting, yet full of faith. All paradoxes, I know, but it’s the only way to describe our emotions as we stand on the verge of taking this plunge.

To take the ministry to the level it needs to go we need to live on the ministry site. Some may not understand that. Others may say it’s crazy. We need to have boundaries, etc., etc. There are a million reasons why people would say it’s not a good idea. If you want to talk more about it, send us an email and we would love to.

But for right now, we’ll just say that we have prayed about it for a year, and we feel this is what God wants us to do and that is the best decision for us and for our boys. Though shaking in our boots, we’re confident of that.

And so, by the end of the month we will be out of this apartment. We have a lot of work to do.

We are essentially moving our family into a home that is in need of serious repair – from termites, to mold, you name it. We will also be incorporating some hostel rooms into our living space. These rooms are moldy, and in dis-repair. It’s going to take some major man power to turn this place into a home for our family.

We also need to increase our monthly support by $800. Yes, $800. Breathe in, breathe out.

I don’t know how that’s going to happen. I can’t see how God will do it, but I know He can. And it’s worth it.

Because the money isn’t for us. We’re not getting a newer home or larger living space, but we are getting full access to the facilities we need to run our program for children and to expand it. And that’s worth any price.

Will you pray for us? We’re bursting with excitement about what God has on the horizon! But we need Him to come through in a major way. Would you consider helping us raise this monthly support? Would you share our work with your friends and family? If a few more people give even $10, $15, $25 or $50 per month, we can easily meet this goal.

The added benefit, too, is that with each new monthly supporter, also comes more emotional support and prayer support for our family. We are not lone rangers. We can’t do this work alone.

And so as the program expands, we need a larger team of intercessors and friends behind us in all that we do. Would you consider being a part of God’s amazing work here in Jaco?

Visit our finances page for information on how to give (the current budget listed needs to be updated, so disregard that) and email us: fivefreemans@gmail.com, if you have questions, encouragement, prayers, etc. You can also just leave a comment here and we’ll get back to you as well.

Much Love,

Scott, Leslie, Kai, Ezra, Jude and Koa Freeman

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