April Update

Hello APRIL: I cannot believe that as we begin this month that it means that I have been in Australia for three months. Time is going by much quicker than I anticipated. Each week brings a new adventure or experience to embark in. I LOVE IT. This past month has been a month of favor. The Lord continues to reveal himself to me more and more each day as well as reveal his visions & plans to me. I have been waiting for the perfect timing & best way to share some exciting news with all of you, so what a better time than now...

During a session that occurred week two of Colour Conference we were hearing about many different causes that Colour was raising money for. Once an organization in Cambodia was announced my heart skipped a beat. I desperately miss this country but didn't think that it would be possible to return until Ryan & I were ready to move there (tentatively July 2015). When your heart aches for a country this seems like an impossible countdown. While the organization in Cambodia was being discussed I felt like God told me, "Why not go in July". I sat back for a second & my next reaction was why WOULDN'T I go back in July! I immediately texted Ryan & shared with him that I really feel like we NEEDED to go back to Cambodia in July. I felt that it would be an opportunity where we could assess the need that is there, figure out what we can do to help with the need, as well as visit the country that we both love. Then reality kicked in, how in the world could we afford to go here? As soon as that thought entered into my mind God told me that He would take care of it, so that is what I continued to believe in. As Ryan & I began praying about what it would look like to go to Cambodia during our school break in July God started to reveal His vision for us. Some of the things that God shared with us are crazy, exciting, & extreme! I feel honored once again that God would pick us to do this! Ryan and I are so blessed to have our plane tickets bought for us by my parents. As we began to calculate out the final cost of what it would realistically be for us to spend 17 days in Cambodia we came up with $500 each. This includes our transportation while we are there, living expenses, and food. Yet, as we have been in classes we are constantly being reminded to live ON MISSION. I was brainstorming ideas of what could be done to be on mission while we are in Cambodia and I felt that God placed it on my heart to package up personal hygiene items (toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and travel size shampoo & conditioner) to bring with us. I realized that if we are going to a country where our hearts are at then we need to be intentional about loving & building relationships with the people there as well as start to envision what our long-term situation will look like there. This is where I need you help. I am already so incredibly grateful for all of the support that you have given to bring me to Australia & I am looking at this as an opportunity that we've been given to really begin the first steps of our ministry! If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me & I would love to share more of our vision with you!

There are several areas that I would greatly appreciate you help in. The first is to be in prayer for us. We are praying for God opportunities with organizations while we are there. We are believing that opportunities and meetings are going to come our way that only God could orchestrate. The second thing that I need help with is collecting hygiene products to bring to Cambodia with us. My parents are coming to Australia May 22 & have decided that they will bring us over an extra piece of luggage that will hopefully be full of hygiene products! I feel that there is such a need for this as I remember the last time that I was in Cambodia and I gave a nine year old boy named Me his first "bath". He never had access to soap or shampoo & God blessed me with these resources before & we are believing that He will do the same this time around. I've learned that sometimes the best way to show someone Christ's love isn't by giving them a bible but by meeting a practical need that they have. If this is something that you are interested in partnering up with us on please send any of the following: toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, travel size shampoo & condition and washcloths to: 3582 Elk Drive.Zeeland.MI.49464. Ryan & I are so expectant and ready to build relationships & love on the people of Cambodia with these items! The final need that we have is in finances. If this is something that you would like to partner up with us on please visit my website or send a check to: 3582 Elk Drive.Zeeland.MI.49464 & my parents will make sure to bring what is donated with them in May. Attached I have a Paypal link that you can donate to & it will go towards the direct cost that we will have while we are in Cambodia. 

Apart from all of the excitement that has been brought forward with going to Cambodia in July Ryan & I have so many amazing things that we are soaking up & looking forward to! Classes have been amazing! Each day I am being challenged, stretched & grown. It is confirmed each day that God has so much to teach me here during this season of my life. One of the greatest things that I have recently learned is the importance of setting goals! As many times as I have learned this before, this time it sunk in. Our senior pastor, Pastor Brian Houston gave us a challenge a month ago to take out a blank piece of paper and to write down our vision & dreams on it. If the things that we wrote down could be accomplished by ourselves then our dreams were not big enough. He challenged us to create God dreams that could only be accomplished by God. This is a challenge that I have finally accomplished & let me tell you, it challenged me to my core. Some of my dreams are crazy & impossible to man. That is why they're on there, they are impossible to man but NOT impossible to God. So to wrap everything up, Australia is amazing. I miss each of you so much but am so encouraged by your continual support, you continual prayers & your continual faith in what God has called me to do.

Love you each so much.

In Him,

Kristen Hoffmeyer