Let’s begin with some updates!
What’s New?
It’s been far too long since we wrote you, which is indicative of our very full days. But our sparse communication is not indicative of our deep gratefulness for your sowing into what God is doing in our lives and ministry.
We graduated from Charis Bible College’s two-year program last May.
Nicola had received her minister’s license already in 2002, but that was a new landmark for me. The list of courses we completed together is very long —from Proverbs I to Business Planning. The past academic year served as one of several ways God poured into our lives. God blessed, humbled, and honored us when our classmates voted us the “most encouraging couple” of the school year.
Mission trip to the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming.
Wind River was full of divine appointments, practical and spiritual ministry to the native population. God used Nicola in the life of a native girl who was orphaned — losing both her parents to addiction. Nicola was able to minister to this young girl in a life changing way and followed up by sending her the Chronicles of Narnia to read. We were told the girl is a voracious reader and would cherish the books.
Trusting and resting…in Him.
We are trusting and resting in God during this season of preparation as He pours into our lives through the amazing teachers at Charis, our community of like-minded students, our church family, friends and supporters. We are excited for what God is doing in our lives during this season. He is preparing us for our next season of ministry as a couple. He is knitting Nicola and I closer together than ever before in every way. We believe God will use us in powerful ways. Not a week passes without God leading us to minister to a variety of needs of His people. Divine healing is definitely a gift we operate in, with lots of opportunities to heal wounded hearts and people’s bodies. Nicola operates in a wonderful prophetic gift of visions that she receives as we pray for people. I’ve witnessed her gift impact dozens of people this past year. We are frequently told that folks see something special about us. Sometimes they say we bring a godly peace or joy into our environment. This happens so often now that we are no longer surprised by it, rather we are excited to discover how God is using His anointing on us in this way. It is humbling and exciting at the same time!
We are simply committed to go where He sends us and do what He calls us to do for His glory in this next season!
We would like to see the road map ahead, yet God has told me “Be diligent in your work, be diligent in your studies and I will show you what’s next when the time comes.
The transition from the mission field to marriage and to school in Colorado has been difficult for Nicola at times.
I have seen and experienced reverse culture shock — that fish-out-of-water feeling one experiences when moving from one culture to another. Yet, Nicola’s experience has been subtler and more complex, nonetheless very real. Much of her life has been singly devoted to Jesus as her husband, teaching in Charis - St. Petersburg, Russia, ministering to orphans and widows there and in Central Asia. Imagine the shift to marriage for the first time, a husband, blended family, moving to Colorado, enrolling in Charis, while her heart is torn between her current season and her familiar ministry overseas!
We know that God brought us together for such a time as this.
God confirmed to her that I was the one by telling her “He’s yours” in Russian! And He called me to “…bring the power of the covenant of Holy Matrimony” to her. Yes, you read that right — God called me to Nicola. I’m in awe of His goodness because Nicola is quite literally the manifestation of God’s love for me. I’m focused on ministering to Nicola in the power of the Holy Spirit as best as I can allow Him to flow through me to her as unhindered as possible as I rest in Him. None of this is as easy as it may sound. But God is willing and able, therefore, so am I.
Now we are going through the leadership track of Charis’ third year program together.
The third-year program at Charis is optional, but it is the reason we moved to Colorado in the first place. When Nicola first graduated in 2002, there wasn’t a third-year course of study and we looked forward to going through third year together. Little did we know she’d enroll in first year at Charis again and we’d go through all 3 years together!
Charis’ third year is a hybrid program.
That means that we have 150 minutes of pre-recorded lessons each weekday, then a full day of in-person classes every other Saturday. We recently finished “Full Time Ministry, Full Time Married”, a course of rich interviews with eight couples, seven of whom have been married more than 40 years, and in full time ministry throughout their marriage. The hybrid program is described as a mix of Ministry, Global Training (missions), and Business school classes designed to cultivate one’s gifts while being surrounded with instructors and classmates who share the same passion. A key aspect of third-year leadership is a capstone project where teams of students strategize plans for a student’s ministry. I am working on building an app that will connect people in life threatening situations with safe, reliable help. Nicola is working on an organic farm that will be an outreach. These are intense projects, and by graduation our teams will formally present our project to a panel who will evaluate our projects are and grade us on our business plan and preparation. Each project will be up and running before the end of the school year.
Through the classes and projects, we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as new strategies and plans for Hope for Tomorrow come to fruition!
You share in spiritual fruit.
Your faithful support has been a central factor enabling us to envision Hope for Tomorrow’s next phase of ministry. You are partakers in the fruit of this ministry for all eternity! Our time of preparation has been challenging, quite frankly very difficult at times. Even so, God is faithful and He’s been faithful through you. We are so expectant for the upcoming season to be a time of increase and breakthrough for us in our calling to God’s kingdom work.
We look forward to keeping you abreast of His plans for Hope for Tomorrow during this time.
Thank you for your faithful support
And for your patience as we walk this path together.
Will you please pray for:
Our discernment of God’s leading in this season.
God-ordained helpers to come alongside us as we strategize on Hope for Tomorrow’s future ministry direction.
Divine unity and wisdom for Nicola and me as we complete Charis 3rd year leadership program.
Open doors and opportunities for us to advance the kingdom like never before.
We love you, appreciate you, and pray for you,
Drew & Nicola
