Sue's Story...

I am so excited about this adventure and am amazed at HOW excited I feel!  If this would have been presented to me, even 3 months ago, I would never have considered it!  This is how I know it is GOD directing me and showing me that not only is this something I NEED to do, but it's something I WANT to do!! Michael & I did a devotional together about 2 years ago called, "If You Want To Walk On Water, You Have To Get Out Of The Boat" by John Ortberg.  One of the MOST influential, life changing books I have ever read!!  It's based on Mathew 14:25-32 - When Jesus called Peter to come to Him on the water and Peter obeyed and walked on the water because of his faith. (I will share more about this later) Just recently, I felt compelled to pick it back up and Michael & I both agreed to read it again together, not realizing that God was going to call us to go on this adventure a few months later...

You see, I have had severe, chronic health issues all my life, mainly food allergy & protein metabolism issues, which basically means I live off sweet potatoes, blueberries, little bit of chicken, beef and some fruits and that's about it.  VERY hard for me to even imagine going somewhere unknown and not knowing if I will be able to even eat their food...but this is where faith comes in, isn't it?  And believing that God will heal this in me!

  

Because I was so sick growing up, I couldn't leave my house much due to severe nausea.  I would try to go to school and would be so sick that I ended up going home each time.  I would have severe panic attacks because I would feel trapped on the bus & at school, so afraid I would be sick and throw up in front of everyone.  It was agonizing trying to be a part of the kids at school but feeling so sick & out of it.  I got to the point that I was afraid to even leave home. So home represented safety, security and relief from anxiety and panic.  Home is my "boat." (Boat - A place that represents safety apart from God - per John Ortberg)  Over the years as I grew up, God showed me many things regarding my health, especially the fact that most of my digestive, body pain, anxiety and panic issues were caused by what I was eating (allergies!).  Things have improved substantially for me, but I still have the whole home safety issue and to this day, I don't travel or leave home much except to go out on day trips.  I feel such bondage in this & I have prayed many years and have had many others praying for me as well.  OH, to be free from the imprisonment of my body and this fear of leaving home!  I LONG to be out in the world living for my God and being with His people, helping and ministering to them apart from my home.  SO many youth events and weekend retreats I couldn't be a part of!  The many times my family would travel and I couldn't go!  Agonizing to say the least.  I have been extremely frustrated over the fact that God has not healed this in me.  But through this process now, I realize that I have come to the end of what I CAN do and need to fully surrender it all to God, jump off this cliff and trust in Him to do the rest of the healing.  Not by my might, but by His!

So for me, the idea of selling my SAFE PLACE is very radical and extreme!  To  go and live in a "commune" type environment at the YWAM base in Kona with a group of people...geeeeeez!  What the heck am I doing??!!!  Oh yeah...keep my eyes on Jesus, on JESUS!!...not the storm and I CAN WALK ON WATER!!

This will be a process that will probably alternate between panic and excitement and everything in between.  This next 8 months will be my journey to "undo" and let go of everything that I have built over these many years...my nutrition/allergy practice of 8 years of blood, sweat and tears, my SAFE home (ahhhh!), getting rid of everything that I have spent all these years accumulating, etc.


My son Chris, 24, left for a radical trip to YWAM in Australia  &  Malysia when he was 18.  It was LIFE-CHANGING for him.  He was the catalyst for my son Nick, who is now 20, to go on his first YWAM trip to New Zealand & Fiji 5 months ago.  My daughter Cyndy, who is now 22, watched her brother Nick leave for a foreign country with great courage and that encouraged her to leave 4 months ago for her first YWAM trip to Hawaii & Amsterdam.  My brave kids paved the way for my husband and I to go.  Watching Cyndy take those very DIFFICULT steps to get on that plane to leave all that was familiar and safe to her, in the midst of her GREAT FEAR, was my catalyst to go.  They were all so brave & courageous to step into the unknown and God rewarded each one with radical heart changes and a deeper faith. My "adopted" daughter Savannah (19), is staying here in Seattle, living with us, and is living out her calling to seek out and "evangelize" the young girls who are so lost.  She is so amazing in her zeal to help these young people and bringing them to Jesus. I am SO GRATEFUL to my loving Father that they all love the Lord and are seeking Him with their whole hearts.  They have such passion to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.  Thank you my Jesus.

     
OH MY GOD!!  I am SO READY to rid myself of these chains!  Thank you God for allowing my precious husband and me to jump off this cliff and experience, for the first time in our lives, the true reality of giving it all to You and trusting You fully.  Amen