First, we would like to thank so many of you who have offered us words of encouragement, lifted us up in prayer, provided company with cleaning or moving, and those who have literally helped to build our house we are now living in. It’s easy for us to say that we could not have gotten to this point without the care and support from those around us. Friends, family, and strangers have offered us their time, physical labor, and prayers, which have not only been so deeply appreciated but also have been a witness to us during this time.

We were hoping to have a letter to you sooner than this, but things have just been a whirlwind since December. We’d love to share everything that’s been going on, but we’ll give you the CliffNotes version, instead.

So in December, I (Nolan) started working on the home that we moved into at CMTS. There were a lot of renovations to do prior to the official move-in day in March. Three days after moving into our house, I went on a two-week missions trip to Monterrey, Mexico.

The primary purpose of the mission trip was to get to know the city and its needs and to establish connections with local Christian churches and parachurch organizations. This was done as a planning trip for the new Equip program, during which the students will be participating in this trip each year. My parents, Rose and Nathan, also went along on this trip. The three of us drove a trailer down to Monterrey to donate a food truck to a street mission so they had means to feed those they were sharing the Gospel with. Wonderful connections were made with the local chapter of Youth With a Mission (YWAM) along with a rehab and other local churches. We look forward to our first official Equip trip next Spring when we take students down to teach them service to others in another culture. There’s so much that has happened on this trip that can’t fit in this letter. I would love to share with you more stories and the things that happened on the trip if you are interested!

After getting back from Mexico, it was time to focus on the Maintenance of the CMTS campus. I have not been a professional maintenance man before, but I’m learning and developing so many skills in this new position. My first big maintenance project was to renovate the dorms where the young men in the Equip program are staying. I was very lucky to have so many of you willing to come and volunteer your time to help with these renovations. We could not have done it without all of your help. The dorms were completed just as the Equip program started. God’s timing is perfect!

The Equip program began in July, for which Jenny and I are Dorm Parents. We have two male students (Kai and David) and two female students (Grace and Emi). We are so excited to be a part of this program here at CMTS! Some of you may have met the students already, but if not, we hope you will get the opportunity! The students participate in a 10-week rotation through the trades. Currently, Kai is working with me to develop skills in maintenance, David is in the detail shop, and the girls are in the automotive portion of their rotation. They are also currently taking 4 classes, some during the day and some in the evenings. Please pray for the students as they step out in faith this year, are challenged in their rotations to learn new skills, and learn to live on their own for the first time. Please also pray for all those who are willing to volunteer their time to come out to teach these classes. We really appreciate the time they’re taking to invest in the students!

If you would like to pray for Jenny and me, pray that we can find how to best serve here at CMTS and in the lives of our new students. You can pray for strength and endurance because the days are full of things to do and not enough time to do everything. Pray that we remain strong as a couple and that we rely fully on the Lord in all that we do. Please also pray that we would be effective in this ministry with our students and that we could help them to grow in their relationship with the Lord.

Last but not least, I want to thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter and for all the support we have received from you. I will be doing my best to do a newsletter update more frequently going forward, so keep a lookout for them in the future! We are also planning to make a Facebook page to keep everyone updated on the goings-on of Equip and CMTS!

– Ease in selling our house

– Ease in the transition of moving, joining a new community, and working full time in ministry

– Courage, contentment, and peace as Nolan leaves his job for a support-based position at CMTS