It's been a while since our last update but that certainly does not mean that things around here have been uneventful. Quite the opposite is the case as we enjoyed a wonderful time with Cameron's Mom, Lois who stayed with us for a wonderful six weeks! I have begun to do a verse by verse Bible study through Paul's letter to the Colossians on Sunday nights at Townsville Central City Mission (TCCM), and we are preparing for our next step in the Botkin Family missions journey, our trip back to the States and God's leading from there.
We'll start with Lois' visit:
Lois braved the long and multiple flights to blessed us with her unyielding joy and servants' heart. We were all ecstatic to see and spend time with her and couldn't wait to show her around the YWAM base and the territory surrounding it. Within her first week we went sight seeing all over town, including up Castle Hill for an arial view of the city. We visited Magnetic Island, located just off the coast of Townsville and had a blast playing in the warm waters and took in some of the sights. Though it was a bit of a blustery day, we made the best of it by staying active and replaced all of the calories we burned while playing and walking with a huge Mexican food dinner at one of the local island restaurants. There were many highlights to the Townsville visit, including my meager attempt to explain Rugby League footie as we watched two matches back to back well into the night, but I think what we all enjoyed the most was going down to the waterfront of Townsville (the Strand) for fish and chips and a swim. This time of year the jellyfish (stingers) are really out and dangerous so the lifesavers have strung nets out in the water for safe swimming and we took full advantage of them, the kids practicing their swimming and body surfing skills and refusing to come out even when it was time to eat. Many of our friends found meeting Lois a huge blessing and had some truly meaningful times of fellowship and home cooked meals. It was tough to see her leave but we were encouraged that it will only be a few weeks until we are reunited at the Rogue River in Oregon.
Teaching at TCCM:
Having had some time freed up with the conclusion of the Oct. DTS, Cameron and I decided it would be an opportune time to become more active at our local fellowship. I discussed the possibility of teaching through a book of the Bible with our good friend, Donna Emery (the overseer of Sunday night service) and Rev. Craig and was happy to receive their support and the green light to go for it. After some thought and prayer I settled on Paul's letter to the Colossians and began studying and preparing. Currently, we're three chapters and three weeks into the study and the feedback has been very encouraging and discussions lively and meaningful. We've been blessed with some of the current YWAM DTS students volunteering to do childcare and also have seen some interest from other YWAMers about attending. With only one more chapter and weekend to go, I pray that someone in the church will get a calling from God to continue the work. It's always such a joy to see the growth, interest, and excitement that comes from presenting an in-depth verse by verse expository teaching and I'm certain that great fruit will come out of the service and congregation if it could become part of the general ministry of the church. It's been great to get back into teaching and leading worship again and I look forward to the next step as I'm hopeful that God will place us in a position to use our gifts openly.
The Next Step:
We've really enjoyed our time over this last year in Townsville, serving with Youth With A Mission and attending TCCM, but with our return flights booked and our visa coming to an end, this stage of the journey is complete. We feel certain that God has more for us in Australia and will reveal more steps as we walk in obedience but for now, we are preparing once again to head overseas. This comes at a time when visiting family is really important, Cameron's Grandmother recently passed away, and reconnecting with those who've faithfully supported us; various churches, families , and individuals is a huge priority. It's with a mix of sadness and eager expectation that we conclude our time here in North Queensland. Sadness in that we've made some really great friendships and seen some wonderfully beautiful land and have been used by the Lord to touch many lives. Yet, we are eager to see where God will plant us and what He has next. The call to the Great South Land is still firmly within our hearts but for now we are resigned to follow God's path wherever and whenever He directs us.
Please continue to pray for our patience and spiritual sensitivity to possible open doors of ministry for the future, for God's provision and protection through the move back to the States, and for our family to be flexible and resilient with all the changes that are afoot. Once again thank you for your prayers, financial support, and words of encouragement over this last year and on into the future as the journey continues.
Jeremy and the rest of the Botkin Family
