The past six months have been some of the best and hardest months of my life. It’s been characterized by unexplainable joy, grief, new things, and growth. So much has changed since I last wrote a newsletter, and I am so sorry it has taken me this long! I’ll just be honest, there are some things that have happened the past few months that are very difficult to write about. I’ll go through the highlights of each month so that this isn’t as long as a book!
March was a very busy month in ministry and at home, looking back at my calendar I was fortunate to have a free night. Midway through March we found out that our apartment was not going to be finished in time due to having to get certain permits to go forward. It was hard news to take, but we just started looking for a backup plan. Wyatt’s grandparents Mike and Barb Boyer had an apartment below the main house that then became open because of some other plans that had changed. This is where we are at now and we love it, it’s such a huge blessing!
March 19th is a day I’ll never forget. Three good friends of mine were in a car accident on their way to school, and one of them didn’t make it. His name was Kenny. He was like a little brother to me. We went to school and vo-tech together. I’ve never experienced grief like this, and neither has his family. But because of who God is, He always makes something beautiful from the tragic things that happen to us. Praise God that Bethany and Aiyana (the other two people in the vehicle) were okay! This has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through. I remember thinking, life was still happening but I wanted it to stop so that I could have time to process and grieve.
In the midst of this I doubted whether or not God loved me. What I’ve learned is that I was looking at the wrong things, and I had the wrong perspective. To answer the question of “does God love me” I only need to look at the cross, and the character of God. Then the answer is undeniable. Of course He loves me, it’s who He is (1 John 4:8)! In the times I doubted His love I was only looking at the circumstances. But when we look at who God is, His love for us is undeniable no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in. Love is who God is at His very core, there is nothing He does that is outside of His character. Because of His great love I am a new creation and am being conformed to His image (Romans 8:29), I wake up every morning to be His dearly loved daughter. Because of His love I live dead to sin and alive to righteousness (1 Peter 2:24). I live alive to a righteousness that isn’t my own but has been given to me in exchange for who I was before (2 Cor. 5:21). The thing about all this is that no matter what the circumstance is it doesn’t change these truths! So I can live loved by my Father in heaven in the midst of trials, hardship, and grief because His love for me is not contingent on my circumstances, whether good or bad.
Mexico Trip!
The whole week was awesome, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to go. We did some evangelism, handed out Bibles, prayed for many people, did a children’s program, and got to visit a men’s rehab center. We stayed at a Y.W.A.M. base, they took care of all our food and drove us places which was such a blessing! I loved getting to know the people there and being a part of their community even though it was only for a week. Doing street evangelism the first day pushed me way outside my comfort zone! I’m so glad dignity is not a fruit of the spirit! The one time I was trying to say hello to someone and introduce myself but instead of saying “hello my name is Sandra” I said “hello very good Sandra”! It didn’t click until I had already walked away!! Talking to people with an interpreter was really cool, it gave me a few extra seconds to pray more during the conversation just asking the Holy Spirit to give me the words to say. Praying with an interpreter though was really weird! It made it harder to focus on what I was praying for! One of my favorite places we went to was the men’s rehab center. We got there and one after another they got up and wanted to share their testimonies with us! I was so encouraged hearing what God was doing in their lives. They had such a deep knowledge that they have been forgiven and that is what defines who they are now, not whatever horrible things they’ve done in the past. Jesus is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, and removes it as far as the east is from the west!! I just sat there feeling like I was with part of my family in Mexico! It was so awesome! I would love to talk with you more about this trip, but I do not have the extra space in this newsletter! Here is my phone number: 484-794-9660. We could call or set up a time to meet, I’d love to share more of what God did and has been doing!
May Highlights!
- Wyatt and I got married May 11th!!! We couldn’t have asked for better weather it was beautiful! We both enjoyed the day so much and are so thankful for all the people who celebrated with us! I remember just feeling so loved by all the people who helped us. From cleaning up, to serving food, showing people where to go, all the planning, setting up, the music, Pastor Bob officiating, and everything else. You know who you are, thank you so much!! We could not have done it without you!!!!
- We went to the Finger Lakes for almost two weeks which was a gift from Wyatt’s family! Wyatt did research ahead of time and found so many places to hike, waterfalls to see, places to walk and go out to eat. We just had so much fun! We drove up to Niagara Falls which was amazing!!! WOW!!
- We made it back for the EQUIP graduation ceremony on May 24th. We were glad we got to see them all before they went home! It was so weird not having them at the mission though! They add so much energy so it’s much more quiet when they aren’t here.
June Highlights!
- June 11-13 all of the CMTS Staff went on our yearly retreat. We went to Three Springs in Morris, PA. It was a great time just getting to build more community and unity among us! We rode horses, played volleyball, did camp fires, and had time where we just got to worship together. It was awesome! I am constantly so grateful for this community of believers I get to serve with 5 days a week sometimes more! It feels more like a family most days. They are so much more than just co-workers!
July Highlights!
- July 19th we had our Supporter Appreciation Dinner! We had around 100 people there. The purpose of this dinner was to just say thank you to all the people who have supported us financially, given donations of various items, or donated their time. We ate together and then listened to Joel and Justin share about all God is doing through CMTS. It was such an encouragement to me personally to be reminded of all that God is doing, and to see only the small number of people that have been a part of this over the past 42 years.
- July 29th Equip 2 students moved back in which are Aidan Doorn and Caleb Hall. This year they each chose one vocation to stay in all year. Aidan is working in the warehouse with Justin Darnell & Caleb is working in the mechanic shop with Nick Vanwert. Instead of having classes and flip side crew in the morning like Equip 1 students they have vocations all day.
August Highlights!
- August 2nd the Equip students moved in! Sam Mechler from Macungie, PA and Isaac Harris from British Columbia. It took a few weeks for them to settle in, but it didn’t take long before it seemed like they were just a part of our family! Sam’s first vocation was the warehouse with Justin, John D., and Aidan. Isaac’s first vocation was with Doug Sylvia in the body shop.
- August was a fun month with the students back! They are all a blessing to have here. Each of them has such a heart to serve and help. It’s encouraging to see, and an honor to serve with them!!
September Highlights!
- Starting September 9th was a leadership class Wyatt and I were invited to take. This has been awesome! We’ve been learning so much about the character of a good leader and how to become a good leader.
- Wyatt and I are in youth ministry again this year with the Jr. High students! The first night was September 18th! We love being a part of this ministry and getting to see God work in their hearts!
- EQUIP had their first mission trip Sep. 16th – 20th. They spent the week at a camp that our church uses for different ministry events. They did repairs on cabins and helped with other maintenance things. It’s cool to have a trip like this right in the beginning that helps all of them get to know one another better and also grow more!
October Highlights!
- The weekend of the 11th – 13th we had the Jr. High retreat! The theme was trusting God, and overcoming fear, and anxiety. We had a lot of students open up about things going on in their lives. It’s so awesome to see God working in their hearts!
- Oct. 28th – Nov. 1st was the evangelism week for EQUIP! Monday, and Tuesday mornings they had classes about evangelism. They talked about why we evangelize, where our hearts should be, the huge advantage we have with the help of the Holy Spirit, and how to talk to people and share the Gospel. Wednesday we went out and practiced! Depending on the location it made it really hard to talk to people. Many couldn’t be bothered to talk to you, even for you to just ask them how their day is going. But the moment you asked if you could pray for them they would say no and walk away. God used this to teach me that those people are not rejecting me, they are rejecting the One who created them and loves them. They are rejecting the One who suffered and gave His life for them! This perspective shift changed my heart towards them. I was now broken for them not because of them. Thursday morning we spent that time debriefing, and planning for Friday morning when we would go out again. Friday morning our whole group went to Penn St. in Reading. A few of our plans had changed so we ended up walking around holding a couple signs that said “Need prayer?”. These signs were actually sooooo helpful! There were many times people came up to us or called for us to come and pray with them. This would lead to an opportunity to hear what’s going on in their life, and tell them who we are praying to. It was such an open door to love people and share the Gospel with them. I am so thankful to have had a part in this class again!
Work Groups!
So from May to October we have had a total of six work groups! Some had only 5-7 people, and others had 15-20. There were a couple that stayed for a week, and others that just came for the day. The goal with work groups is to inspire others to serve, and to encourage people in their walk with Christ wherever they might be. So we pick projects and prepare to share with them the impact it has, and then we try to split the group up a little bit into smaller groups to make it possible for good conversations. Of course it’s hard when you only see someone one day, but that’s why we pray ahead of time that God would open a door so that we could encourage and talk with them.
On a personal note with the work groups we had, I learned so much about organizing things ahead of time, how to speak in front of people better, and the type of demeanor I want to have as a leader. I learned the things that work and the things that definitely don’t work! I’m excited for next summer to hopefully have more groups come and be a part of what we’re doing here!!
Apartment Update!
Things with permitting are moving along! We have hired an engineering firm to take care of the permitting for us. They know better how these things work and can move this project along much faster! Thank you for your prayers with this! This whole thing has taught me a few things. God always provides because that’s who He is as our Father! His way of providing in this situation was through Wyatt’s grandparents. Just because it wasn’t our first plan doesn’t mean it wasn’t good. His plans are higher than ours! So this has shown me more of who God is as a good father! It has taught me to be content and joyful in the waiting, and to just trust Him.
Prayer Requests
- Pray for Kenny’s family. Pray they would see and know God more through this!
- Pray for the Jr. High students Wyatt and I get to know more. Pray they would seek God and want to live for Him!
- Pray for the EQUIP students that they would draw closer to God and learn to seek Him first in their lives.
- Pray for Wyatt and I. We are going to Mayreau Feb. 19th – Feb. 26th. Pray that God would provide the funds, and pray for us leading up to the trip. Wyatt will be working to help them rebuild some of their homes that were destroyed because of a hurricane back in July, and I will be spending a lot of time with the women and children there!
Once again I am so sorry for taking so long in writing a letter! Thank you all so much for everything! Thank you for your support financially, but most importantly thank you for your support in praying for us! And a huge thank you to our family who has stood with us and helped us so much with our living situation and supported us through all this!
Would you join Sandra as a monthly supporter so she can continue the work God has started? She would be honored to be able to share the experience with you and make you part of the team. As she shares how God is working and the impact she is having on His Kingdom, please pray and ask God if you should partner with her as a monthly donor/supporter.
