Have you ever had a season where you had to trust God in a greater way to rebuild after, during, and through life transitions, loss, or changes? I know I have--hence the reason why it has been so long since I have written a newsletter to share with you.

To be honest, I have missed writing and expressing the journey my family has been on, but there have been so many changes, transitions, joys, tears, resets, and amazing new adventures. I hope that this newsletter encourages you to allow God to rebuild your heart, as He stirs up things through the work of your hands. Whether that is through a job, home life, community, friendship, or relationship.

To 'rebuild' means to build, construct, or put something together again after it has been damaged, destroyed, or taken apart. When we established the theme 'The Rebuild' through our church plant in January 2026, we had no idea what we would be signing up for. We didn't realize the rebuild meant God would take us to a deeper level of healing, trust, and transformation than we thought we knew.

The cover photo of this newsletter shows Marquis and Jaiden taking a photo at DR Missions' future pregnancy clinic in the Dominican Republic, where we have dear missionary friends who nurture the community of San Cristóbal. They have modeled what it truly means to rebuild in communities that are in need of hope, healing, and restoration. We will chat more about that later down in the newsletter.

Rebuilding City Ruins (February-August 2026):

Earlier this year, we sensed the Lord telling us to move our church plant to a street called Blue Ridge Boulevard in Grandview, MO. True story: when I first saw the listing for this storefront location, I was not interested in investing in it. I didn't think that space would accommodate our church plant, and not because of numbers; I was reluctant because I didn't want to get lost in a building when our church plant at home felt so comfortable and safe with gathering people. Marquis and I prayed through it, and the Lord opened the door fairly swiftly after we inquired about it. Transitions are huge for me and always have been. Every time, it takes me on a journey to become even more dependent on the Lord. Do you know what that is like? Have you ever walked through the need to give up control to understand what God desires to do in your life? If so, you are not alone in it. I have to relinquish this daily.

Though we were grateful for God opening the door, we knew that it would stretch us but did not know the level at which it would test us. In a world where the global Church has been under much hardship, I had to overcome many distractions to hear the voice of God, and let's be honest, I didn't always do the best at it in that season. Clinging to the opinions of too many, including my own thoughts above the Lord, and not seeking Him to order my steps brought a lack of clarity, yet thankfully, He always brings me back to listen to His voice.

"My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27

This scripture is a hope that I cling to as I remember that Jesus helps us to hear and know His voice. I am His daughter; I am a sheep who God snatched in His love, mercy, and truth.

Back to rebuilding in the city ruins. We took a leap of faith to trust God in providing and shaping the facility. The very thing we were envisioning it to become, we watched God provide the resources over the course of 7-months. We sensed we simply needed to allow God to fill the needs as we prayed, shared our story, and let local neighbors, pastors, and friends know what was being established here. Rebuilding for us was not just about the physical features, but also the spiritual foundation God was establishing and still establishing in and through our hearts; phew, talk about surrender. Our hearts have been pruned, stretched, and refined in many ways, and God is still working deeply to strengthen us to be healthier and more effective through the works of our hands. Quite honestly, we are still praying weekly about how God wants to show Himself in loving our neighbors in our local community. He is helping my heart remain tender, compassionate, and merciful through the times I want to throw in the towel. Truly, shoutout to Marquis for keeping our home focused and gazing on Jesus!

Family on Mission (April of 2026):

I was so excited that my mom and dad came down with us for the first time this past spring for a mission trip in the Dominican Republic. Given that I have been going back to this land over the past 10 years, it was a joy to be able to share time with my mom and dad, who sowed prayers and support in my first mission trip when I was 21 years old. As I always talk about family on mission, I am grateful to see how God is working through my family. We were able to spend a few days on the mission ground before going to the Grace Covenant International Conference in Punta Cana! We hung out in the village, played with the children, and fellowshipped with pastors and missionaries across different nations. I say this is a testimony of living out family on mission, as my mother has always kept the faith of our family doing ministry together, even through the layers of our own life transitions!

Pioneering New Missional Work (June-September 2026):

On September 15th, we opened up a homeschool co-op at our church plant called Missio Dei Learning Academy. It is designed for families to connect in community, learn together, grow in fellowship, and go as the hands and feet of Jesus. You know why I titled this 'Rebuilding Begins in the Heart'? It is because I had to overcome the fear of beginning another layer of our ministry work from scratch, and that started with God dealing with my heart. Surrendering each time the voice of shame and past mistakes shows up at our door, trying to delay the progress my family is making for Kingdom impact.

I knew that God was calling us to establish a fresh work for children's education, but it seemed like too many barriers to overcome as we walked through so much healing this year. How may God be asking you to overcome a fear and anchor yourself in faith to trust what He has for you to steward in your life? Keep praying; He will show you the way!

Tearing up an old, rugged carpet made space for God to provide flooring, tables, chairs, and supplies for little hearts to learn on a weekly basis. Missio Dei is a Latin word from 'mission of God,' and we know He will continue to lead the way in this work! What started as two summers of Gospel Storytime (June and July of 2026) in the park and a prayer walk in another nation transitioned to expanding outreach, education, and community in our church as Missio Dei Learning Academy.

Resting Through Rebuilding: Home Life

For the past six years, our children have been home, and as we are pioneering ministry, homeschooling, and connecting in community, we have learned to take every Monday off to rest. For us, this looks like resting from ministry work and taking intentional time for our marriage, children, self-care needs, and home tasks. If we absolutely need to attend to ministry work preparation, we save it for later in the evenings on Mondays. Thankfully, Marquis keeps our home focused on having a sabbath rest day. Oh, I didn't mention that our family garden has brought us great joy to learn! Growing food was on my bucket list. Though some of our vegetables didn't make it through the heat of this summer, we were glad to partake in the ones that did!

The Life of Rebuilding is Heartwork:

Maybe you are not rebuilding things through ministry work, but you may be rebuilding your life in other areas. It could be rebuilding friendships, community, finances, personal goals...etc. Whatever it is, I want to encourage you to know that building with God is a gift that He wanted to give you. He wants to be with you in the process and show you how to overcome the fears that come about through changes in life. Loss of any kind brings questions, grief, unknowns, and sometimes uncertainty. That is nothing God is surprised about. There were families and friends to support us through our own life challenges; this is why prayer is so foundational for our home. I have shed many tears this year through change, transitions, and loss, but I also have had a great amount of laughs, joys, and adventurous moments like our road trips to Branson, Missouri (May of 2026), and Texas (July of 2026), where Marquis was born and raised.

We are thankful for the hearts that pray for our family and encourage us when we get weary in the journey. God is showing His hand faithfully, even when I want to make sense of where He is taking us all at once. Yes, we get tired. Yes, we get discouraged. Yet most importantly, we keep saying yes to all that Jesus wants to do in and through our lives, which takes a daily surrender, trust, and endurance. All heartwork for the Glory of God. Was there anything that encouraged you through this newsletter? I hope so! Stay encouraged.

I’m not here to tell you to live on mission like my family, but I am here to encourage you that life on mission by faith is possible. We are here to champion you to live on mission! (Feel free to message me back anytime).

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