Dear friends and family,
I hope you're doing well. As many of you know, I was baptized at Harvest last November. Looking back over the past six months, I can honestly say God has been teaching me a lot. While life has not become perfect, I have experienced a peace and sense of purpose that I did not have before. Looking back, I can see how God has continued to work in my life through opportunities that I was not originally planning to take.
One of the most impactful experiences for me this year was participating in a Daniel Fast. To be honest, it was not something I had planned on doing. I was asked only a few days before it began and decided to commit to it. During those three weeks, I stepped away from many distractions and focused more on prayer, Scripture, and my relationship with God. It challenged me in ways I did not expect and helped me slow down, reflect, and rely on God more in my daily life. It became an important part of my spiritual growth this year.
Another major change in my life has been deciding to pursue a career in firefighting. As I prepare for that next chapter, I have been thinking more about how I want to use my time and opportunities to serve others. Interestingly, going on a mission trip was never part of my plan either. When the opportunity to go to Indonesia was first mentioned, I honestly did not think I would go. The more I prayed and reflected on it, however, the more I felt led to take a step of faith and say yes.
This August, I will be traveling with my church to Indonesia to serve local communities, build relationships, and share God's love. I am excited to see how God works through this trip and what He will teach me along the way. Since I will likely begin a busy career in the near future, I also see this as a unique opportunity to serve in a way that may be more difficult to do later on. Although this mission trip was not something I originally planned for, I am grateful for the chance to step outside of my comfort zone and trust God with this experience.
As I prepare for this trip, I would greatly appreciate your prayers. Please pray for our team, for the people we will meet, and that God would use this trip to impact both our lives and the lives of those we serve. If you feel led to support me financially, any contribution would be greatly appreciated and will help cover the costs of the mission trip.
If you feel led to support me financially, Support from you guys can be made through Harvest Church's online giving portal. Contributions help cover expenses such as airfare, vaccinations, and other costs associated with the trip. All contributions are tax-deductible.
Regardless of whether you are able to give financially, your prayers and encouragement mean a great deal to me. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for being part of my journey. I am grateful for your support and look forward to sharing what God does through this opportunity.
With gratitude,
Stephan