Blessed Beyond Measure

Hey friends and family!

I’m so excited to share what God has been teaching me recently! As many of you know, I’m currently at pre-field training in North Carolina. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I wasn’t dreading it, but I also wasn’t particularly eager. I thought of it as simply another step along the way.

But the Lord’s plans are always good. I can’t express enough how grateful I am to be here. God has been teaching me so much about Himself, about myself, and about how to better serve His people cross-culturally. His timing is perfect. Coming back from Argentina, I was carrying so many emotions, a mixture of exhaustion, gratitude, grief, and joy. I felt frozen, unsure of how to transition back to life in the States while still processing everything the Lord had done in the past year.

Here, I’ve found rest. I’ve had space to reconnect with the Lord, hear my own thoughts, and be surrounded by a community of people preparing for the same calling. The friendships He’s given me here have been such a gift. We share burdens, celebrate victories, and encourage one another. The best word I can think of for this season is gratitude.

Do you ever pause and just think, Wow, I am so blessed? That’s exactly where I’m at right now. God has brought me from death to life, and now I get to serve Him with my whole life. What a blessing! The God who loves me, who gave Himself for me, has asked me to share this Good News with others, and He’s given me the joy and passion to do it. I’ve seen Him bring fruit and even salvation, which is purely a gift of His grace. On top of that, He’s surrounded me with a family who supports me, friends who encourage me, and His Word to guide me every day. I truly feel blessed beyond measure.

These next couple of months will be full of exciting opportunities. I’ll be able to connect with many of you personally, share what God is doing in my life, and talk more about my upcoming ministry in Mazatlán, Mexico, and how you can be part of it. I know God is raising up a team of people who will encourage, pray, and partner with me to make this possible.

It amazes me that God chooses to use us, weak and broken people, to carry out His plan. He does not need us, yet He entrusts us with the privilege of making His name known. What an honor it is to lay down our lives for the One who gave His all for us. As Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 4: “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” That is my heart and my prayer, more of Him and less of me.

During my training, I’ve also been learning a lot about spiritual warfare, and it is real. We live in a war zone. We have an enemy who comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. But here’s the powerful reminder that has sunk deep into my heart: my God is greater.

“Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.”

Through His Holy Spirit, the Lord has given us authority to fight, and more than that, He has already won the battle. I’ve experienced the enemy’s schemes, the distractions, the lies, the attempts to discourage me and more. And I know I’ll continue to face them. The truth is that the very thing God has called me to do with my life is exactly what the enemy hates. He despises it.

But I have no reason to fear.

• My God is bigger.

• My God has already won.

• My God lives within me. 

He goes before me. He fights for me. He knows what is ahead in Mexico, in these next months, and even tomorrow. And He has already been there, He has already fought, and He has already won.

What a God! I am in awe of Him. He is moving right now, all around us. Open your eyes, He is absolutely glorious.

He deserves my life. He is worthy of it all. Nothing in this world could ever satisfy the way Jesus does. We were made for a relationship with Him. He loves us. He saves us. He is everything.

And if the highest place I ever reach is at His feet, then I will have gained everything.

Thank you all so much for your love, prayers, and support. I could not do this without you, and I am so grateful to have you alongside me in this journey.

A few housekeeping items:

• I have created a new email specifically for missions information and updates! You will be receiving my newsletter from this email from now on. This will make it easier to organize everything. 

• I have created a website! There you can find all the information about giving financially, learn more about Shoulder to Shoulder, my social media,  and much more. https://www.naomixmissions.com/ 

• I have joined an organization that processes all my funds called Christian Missionary Clearinghouse. This will be the new medium for sending funds. If you go to my website and click on “Donate,” you will find all the instructions for giving.

• If you’re interested in giving and you would like to hear more about my call, my role, and what I will be doing in the future, I would absolutely love to meet with you in person or on Zoom. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

What a JOY it is to follow Jesus! 

Naomi