2025 is coming to an end. For us here in Montana we see our “season” of changes continuing into 2026. This last year we saw, among other things, the arrival of our first grandchild Wilder, spent the Summer in Kona staffing a leadership school, and Eden entered her last year of high school. 2026 will continue the trend. Molly will begin transitioning out of her role on the Campus Director’s Team. This is role she has filled for 15 years and has had a huge impact working directly alongside our Campus leaders here in Montana. What she moves into is still in prayer and consideration, but she knows it’s time to make that change. And on the family front we may become empty nesters! We’re not sure what that will look like, or feel like!
YWAM Montana continues to grow. We have seen an increase in students, staff, and initiatives this year. This has been very encouraging, and for us on the leadership team quite sobering as well. We know our role is to be stewards of this ministry for God, not just “leaders”. The Lord has used YWAM MT in some profound ways this year; locally, regionally and internationally, and we appreciate the responsibility that comes with that. September brought the launch of two of the largest schools we have run in a while. Our School of Biblical Studies (SBS), and our Discipleship Training School (DTS). This last weekend we sent out the DTS in 4 teams, to 4 different locations: Cambodia, Sth Thailand, Nth Thailand, and the Netherlands. Exciting things are happening with this generation (Gen Z), and a wave of anticipation is building for the coming Generation Alpha who will be entering adulthood in just a few years. For any of us who feel like the world is getting crazier, and worse, hold on! Change is coming, and in fact has already arrived. GenZ and GenA are hungry for truth, God, and change. We are seeing revival already begin in multiple places among the younger generation, globally.
To close we simply want to wish you all a very merry Christmas. Remember the reason we celebrate it! He is so good to us. The only reason we give gifts to each other is to remember the gift He gave to us, Himself, to live among us then, today and forever. Blessings, love and mountain-aloha! from our family to you and yours!
Up here in Montana, Fall (or Autumn for those of you outside of the USA) has officially arrived. Not the fall from grace (although it might feel like it at times), but Fall, the season. The Summer is disappearing and the colder months are approaching. This year it feels especially abrupt for Molly and I. So much has happened this year, and we have spent most of the summer in Kona. Returning to cool nights, yellow leaves, and yes, Halloween AND Christmas décor appearing at departments stores is giving me indigestion. Where have the first nine months of the year gone?!
Family Life:
Our first grandbaby, Wilder, turned 6 months during a visit with us! It was so special to have Sam, Kinley and Wilder with us in Montana for 10 days. He is such a fun little guy: so smiley, extraverted, and communicative! Sam and Kinley are settling in to life in Oklahoma, being parents, and for Samuel working as much as he can to make ends meet. A new growth season for all of them and they are doing it so well.
Joel spent his summer break (May-mid August) back in Lakeside at our house working hard and saving money for his final year of college. He is now 6 weeks into final year at MSU (Montana State University) in Bozeman, about 5 hours away. He has become a very responsible, principled and steady man. All of his working over the last 4 years means that his goal of graduating debt-free is in sight. He is doing a major in History with a minor in Economics.
Eden adding the peptides…
Eden had a very busy summer and we saw less of her than we wanted! In July she went on a sports outreach to Germany for two weeks. Once back, she was off to a volleyball training camp, after which she was immediately off to a church camp for a week. In there somewhere she also had a week in Kona with Molly and I. Mature, outgoing and dependable, she is entering her senior year well. Unfortunately, during the first week of Varsity volleyball competition she landed a jump serve and somehow blew out her knee. A little while later her MRI confirmed her worst fears: a completely torn ACL, and a double meniscus tear. With surgery scheduled late October she won’t be playing volleyball again this year. This is a huge catastrophe for her, as she loves and works toward volleyball so much, she is one the captains of her team, and was also investigating opportunities to play at college after this year. Being the woman of character she is, she is rising to it, still committed to the team, attending all practices and games while helping coach her replacement as setter.
For Molly and myself we are very aware of the life transition we are currently in. Sam is in Oklahoma with his family, Joel lives in another city graduating college in May, and Eden is in her Senior year, graduating next May also. Our roles at YWAM Montana are steady and busy, but we also see a shift in focus coming. For one, Molly and I have been able to do some more traveling and teaching together and we expect this to increase over the next year or so (especially when Eden graduates). What this means for the present is navigating toward that, discerning between invitations to train and teach, as well as new mission-projects that are emerging.
Work/Ministry Life:
Here in Montana we continue to oversee, train, and send out short term young missionaries into the world. As I write this, we have teams arriving in Papua New Guinea, Nepal, Taiwan and Alaska. The work will be evangelism, encouraging the local believers with studies, practical help, and aiding in their local mission work. Each team also carries a focus on bible distribution, literacy, and translation help where possible. Add to this mercy ministry (water, health care, and prayer), they will be busy, but they will never be the same.
LTS Staff Team (yep, we’re in there!)
More personally for us, as you would know Molly and I were on the staff team of YWAM’s Leadership Training School for the last 3 months. The LTS is one of the key training platforms for YWAM’s existing and emerging leaders. These are the individuals and families who lead campuses, missions’ initiatives in nations, plant churches, and work in youth movements across the globe. This LTS was held at YWAM’s campus in Kona and was the largest one ever run. With 251 participants from 54 nations, and 150 kids added onto that, our staff team of 65 leaders had our hands full.
Everybody keeps asking us, “How was it?”. In a sentence… it was busy, hectic, chaotic at times, inspiring, rewarding, and very encouraging. Not only was I deeply impressed and grateful for the caliber of the leadership team (both in character and experience), what we witnessed in the student body was equally as encouraging. We are “Youth” with a Mission, yes. But this doesn’t mean that our global leaders and workers are amateurs. These people are running ministries that are literally impacting communities, cities, and nations. And, a lot of those places are dangerous and cannot be named for security reasons. We heard of work among unreached people groups, persecuted believers, mercy ministries, ship ministries in remote places (such as what we as YWAM Montana are involved with in Papua New Guinea). Ministry among the deaf, blind, bibleless, and sex traffic industry were only some of the more radical initiatives that are taking place in nations.
Until we meet again, here are some photos of the West clan: Kona, Montana, and Wilder. Thanks for reading. Blessings and aloha to you all. A deep thank you for all your support and encouragement. As we say in the islands, “Mahalo nui loa!”
LTS worship and intercession time – kids included!Meeting with Cambodian LTS participantsPraying for the nations.Always time for hunting with the nephews
Montana time with the boysBackdoor visitorEnjoying a beautiful Montana Fall4 generations on 1 couch!
Wilder David West!Sweet 50!Tijuana, Mexico Leadership training
Hello!
What a year so far! How did we get to June already? 2025 has already been full of work afar, work locally, and fun surprises. In the last three months we have been to Texas to teach classes in a church’s Leadership College, then to Oklahoma to meet our the newest “West”. In May, Molly turned 50 in style, followed by Jeremy taking trips to Mexico and Hawaii to teach leaders, staff, and students. We also graduated another Discipleship school here in Montana after their outreaches to Thailand and Papua New Guinea.
I (Jer) love teaching; not simply on passing knowledge, but helping to establish long term development in individuals. When some good friends who pastor a large church in Dallas invited me to teach in their leadership college, I was honored and eager to accept (https://churcheleven32.com). Molly and I both went and had a very fruitful 3 days with them. The work that this church, their interns, and leadership students are doing in the city among the low income, poor, and residential communities is inspiring. And for me, working with both existing and emerging leaders is at the center of my wheelhouse. But, what could be more important than that? Perhaps meeting our new grandson!
From Dallas we drove up to Oklahoma City to meet little Wilder David West. What a treat! He is a bundle of communicating and engaging joy. After Wilder’s rough start – 9 days in the NICU with a collapsed lung, being fed via a tube, and unable to be held – he bounced back beautifully. He is a fat little bundle of happiness now😊. Mum and Dad are doing well too. They really rose to the challenge of a new baby, NICU schedules, sleep deprivation, and most importantly, loving each other and their new addition. For us, holding our son’s baby was both wonderful, and surreal to say the least (Thank the Lord for Facetime and videos!).
Precious NICU babyI want to go to there…3 Gen photo!Amazing eye contactIs Jeremy’s face that scary on Facetime…?Growing up!
From there it was back to Montana and work as usual, including another graduating Discipleship school, reports from Thailand and ministry from the YWAM ship Liberty in PNG. In May I was again off for an intense week of leadership development training, teaching at a large YWAM campus in Tijuana Mexico. Two weeks later, I was in Kona Hawaii to teach a week at their Ships DTS.
Kona, Ships DTS weekTijuana, Mexico Leadership training
Throughout this time, Molly and I have been attending Zoom meetings with the staff and students of the upcoming Leadership Training School (LTS) in Kona, Hawaii. As many of you will already know Molly and I part of the staff team for that school; a true privilege and milestone for the Mission as Darlene Cunningham, co-founder of the Mission, will be leading that with two other leaders. We head out from Montana for a two-month commitment early July, followed by two months remote staffing/school after we return to Montana. So many of you out there have been so generous and supportive in helping us to make this event a reality for us. Thank you! This school will literally have impact in regions across the globe, with almost 300 younger campus and ministry leaders within YWAM coming from locations across 6 continents.
Here in Montana, Summer has “officially/unofficially” arrived. We are (finally!) having some fantastic weather. While many of our far-off-friends seem to mock us for the difficult task of working in Hawaii soon, those in Montana are strangely silent; for they understand what it means to leave Montana in the Summer and go to the hot and humid pacific instead! We wait all year for our precious Montana summer here!
As always, thank you for following along in our mission-journey, and partnering with everything we are doing. We are a team: we do what we can do where we are, and you all do what you can do where you are. Together a difference is happening.
When you combine “local” and “global” you get “glocal”. For this update we thought a quick insight into how we do missions out of Montana both local and globally might be interesting.
Global:
PNG: As we have mentioned before, our campus here in Montana is actively working with a YWAM mercy ship, the Liberty, to provide medical help, educational help, and from us especially Bible translation help in the Madang [north east] region of Papua New Guinea. This is really taking off. We currently have 7 YWAM Montana staff on board as crew, helping lead ministry, serve onboard the ship in logistical roles, connect on land with outreach helps, and move translation forward. Our job there: to help begin the translation of the Bible into 33 new languages utilizing “Oral Mother Tongue” method. This creates audio translations for tribes, and among other things, makes the Bible accessible to the many people who are illiterate, but now able to receive the Word of God audibly. We have already made contact with 6 of these remote languages, and work has begun! This is all part of YWAM’s global initiative to “End Bible Poverty Now” (EBPN). Molly especially is becoming more and more involved in this area of our outward ministries.
The “YWAM Liberty”. Papua New Guinea
All of the 55 people onboard: medical staff, crew, admin, outreach teams…
India: Recently I have been doing teaching and training for a church planting and leadership training program in rural India. These precious saints have so little, yet they are growing in number, reaching rural and village communities with the Gospel, planting churches, helping widows, children, seeing miracles, and more. I will also be travelling to Mexico in May to work with training staff in the areas of leadership development and discipleship training.
Teaching online to India. Many of the participants logged in represent a house church group or 5-6 believers. Around 45-50 people.
Local: Being part of YWAM’s University of the Nations (UofN), we offer many training schools, opportunities and outreaches. We have a renewed effort on reaching our local community. Not in competition with the local church, but to partner with them, as well as investigate ways to minister to our community in general. We are blessed with many members who actively volunteer and connect that way. From our local Chamber of Commerce, to volunteer EMT response and Search and Rescue, as well as serving in local churches from child care to worship, our heart is for our local community to thrive and experience the transformation that comes through the Kingdom of God.
We want to sign off with an encouragement…Keep at it!
On my desk is a photo of myself with 11 other young guys, taken over 22 years ago (the 11th is taking the photo!). These precious guys all worked with me in the Pacific, and all went out into Asia, Pacific, and the USA. Almost all of them, including their families, are still in ministry work; some with YWAM, some with other ministries. It is such a reminder of the faithfulness of God, the fruit of hard work and healthy relationships, and even some loss. I am so proud of these guys, and they inspire me today. As volunteers who raise all of our own sponsorship and support, this is truly the best paycheck for us! My encouragement to you out there? Keep doing what you are doing for the Kingdom! Sometimes the most rewarding fruit takes the longest time to grow. We don’t always see it quickly, but it will come. Keep at it! Thank you for reading and for following along with us!
2003/4. I’m the young guy on the far right! Destinations included: Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Taiwan, Pacific/Hawaii, Korea, and USA.
What a year for our family! Molly and I are one child closer to becoming empty nesters. Joel is in his 3rd year of college, attending Montana State University and living about 5 hours away in Bozeman. We miss him a ton, but he is doing well in life and that is a great blessing to us. Eden is in her junior year (11th grade for the non-Americans), and wonderfully still at home 😊. However, she is very social and involved with activities that it seems she is out more than home!
As for Samuel and Kinley, they are in the process of making us grandparents! (Our son is having a son!) Being grandparents is a wonderful addition to our job description, but honestly a slight mental adjustment (can we be that old already?). We can’t wait for his arrival in March! Molly is very much looking forward to being a grandma… or Grammy, or MiMi, or… Who knows?! My Team at work ran a survey to come up with “What Jeremy will be called as a Grandfather”. Oh my… a LOT of names suggested, ranging from Grandpa-Roo, to Papa West (for your entertainment you can see a few of the names suggested after the photos below). The overall voted favorite? “GrandMate”. Hmmm, we’ll see. As for Molly’s name, that jury is still out.
On the work front, ministry and missions are charging ahead. I (Jer) continue to oversee our campus’s various Discipleship programs. The most rewarding things for me are seeing our people grow, the Gospel making real change in people’s lives both here and around the world, and being able to continue creating space for others to grow and develop. I am very blessed to be working with many high value and high capacity mission workers, excellent leaders, and people-developers.
Molly is still the irreplaceable moving part in the Director’s office as she works to improve our campus, deal with high level decision making and facilitating mission accomplishment. As always, she is keenly involved in several lives of younger ladies in leadership roles, and an ardent supporter of our Bible translation and distribution efforts.
In other campus news we recently welcomed back our DTS’s from Cambodia and 2 other closed nations, and this weekend we will send out several more teams into the nations to plant seeds, water, and harvest!
This week we are also welcoming home Bible teaching teams from 6 nations: Cambodia, Taiwan, Ukraine, Thailand, and 2 other closed countries. These students are in their 20’s and are on fire to be teaching believers and pastors from many villages who have no Bible training. What a joy to be part of sending these young people to make life-changing impact!
You – our friends and partners in ministry – share in that too.
The YWAM Ship “Liberty”, which YWAM Montana is directly involved with for the purposes of Bible translation and medical ministry in Papua New Guinea, has now arrived at its base port of ministry, in Madang. We are directly involved in that project from here, especially Molly in her role within the Directors office and her passion for the Bible. The Liberty will be hosting continual medical teams to reach isolated villages on the coast as well as continual Bible translation for 33 bible-less languages. This is no small undertaking and your prayers for these translations is much appreciated.
As we close this letter, a prayer point. We have recently been asked to staff a Leadership Training School with Darlene Cunningham next Summer in Kona Hawaii. This will be Darlene’s last, and it is a huge honor to be asked to be part of the staff team. But this will bring it’s own challenges: logistical, financial, work, and school stuff in Montana… Would you please pray for our process in this decision? And please contact us with anything you may be discerning for us. We will share more in the near future.
As always, thank you for being a vital part of all we do, as we work to “know God and make Him known”.
Jeremy and Molly
(Proud) Mom and daughterJoel – so big!Grandkid #1 on the way!Graduating Summer DTS Students, just back from two closed nations.Local outreach in Kalispell with the DTS studentsA grab from the DTS InstagramThe “YWAM Liberty”. Papua New GuineaThe Liberty on her way (Nth East) to her home port, Madang.
(If you’re still reading…) Grandfather names that didn’t make the cut… 🙂
The Old Cobber Papa Jer Skipper Bub Grand Pappy Hefe Granpy-J Grand Fella Old West Chief Tutu (Hawaiian) Jeremy Papí Puppy (Australian accent) Bandit Big G Kupunakane Sage Old Mate Jeremy (said in an Aussie accent) Sir Grand Mate Gramps El Padre Popdaddy Professor Papa J G-Pa Papaw Bush Poppy PeePa Jerome Grumpa Abuelo (Spanish) Papa Jer Bear Boss Grandpa Captain Jeremy Pop Grandpa Roo Mr West Grandpa Koala PeePaw Pop-Pop Oupa (South Africa) Papa Jerry G Daddy Pops Granddad Big Pop Mate Old Man West Baboon Pepe (French) Chuck Papa West
A picture is worth a thousand words. This quarter we thought it might be interesting for people see a picture of what we have been doing this year, painted by numbers. Focussing on two of our programs, DTS and DTS Equip, take a look at some statistics for the last [almost] year. Also, at the end is a link to a 2.5 minute video greeting from us we made a month ago sharing about this year’s work.
As a quick reminder….
DTS: Here discipleship is defined, presented and personally honed. DTS is where people personally encounter a God, whom for many, had only heard about previously. Each day becomes the first day of the rest of their lives. This is where we encourage people to ‘burn their ships’, and walk into their missions-destiny with Jesus.
DTS Equip: Training the Trainers. Leadership development is more than staff training. Equip develops disciples, to become leaders who discipleothers. The theme scripture is 2 Tim 2:2.
DTS Report
Fall DTS: 37 students(and 10 staff). 3 outreach teams: Taiwan 1 (Taitung and Yilan), Taiwan2 (Taoyun and Khaosiung), & Cambodia
29 Bibles distributed
6 healings
495 individuals received prayer 1 on 1
1449 people heard the gospel shared directly
140 made commitments to follow Jesus
Winter DTS: 15 students. Outreaches to PNG and Taiwan:
PNG:
9 village visits
1,194 people heard the Gospel (350 thru’ the showing of the Jesus Film)
361 people prayed for
6 healings
434 bibles given
86 salvations
TAIWAN:
Salvations : 12
Taught in 15 schools (3000 students)
Prayed for 300 + people
Shared the gospel with 300+ people
2 Summer DTSs: 27 people going out with teams to… Cambodia, Nepal and Kyrgyzstan
And starting right now!!!!!
Fall DTS 2024! 42 DTS students have just arrived! Starting their 5+ months of training and mission
DTS Equip Report
DTS Equip (Spring): 20 leaders and staff from around the nation and the world.
DTS Spring Staff Development quarter: 25+ Montana DTS staff. Plus 1 staff Outreach team to Ukraine
Fall DTS Equip: 7 participants from Asia, Australia, and the USA.
Nationalities on Campus
Ever wondered how many nationalities are represented here on the Montana campus? Take a look at these current figures:
Summer is here in the USA, and most excitedly …in Montana! A common joke here is that “we have two seasons in Montana: winter and visitors”. It’s almost true. We are no enjoying some of the best weather for the whole year, and possibly in the whole world 😉
June always brings other transition into our lives; time certainly wings by. Eden has now finished her sophomore year (10th grade) and Joel has finished his first two years of college here in Kalispell. As Eden begins her Junior year of High School in August, Joel will have moved to Bozeman Montana to attend Montana State University for his final two years of college. We are very proud of these two students of ours. High character, eyes on God, and a joy to have them both with us at home (for now ☹.
Samuel and Kinley are now settled in Oklahoma City in their own place, both with jobs where they have become valuable and trusted employees. It is truly amazing to see how much a good work ethic and character is valued in the workforce today. Just basic responsibility, integrity and a good attitude opens doors and secures favor. They are both people like this and see where they work as their personal mission spheres.
Life and work at YWAM has been very full, but with a couple of significant changes. As you may be aware, I (Jeremy) have recently handed over my DTS Director role to a younger couple here in Montana. I felt that I had accomplished what I needed to and was asked to do, but the time had come for younger people, as well as a different set of giftings, to take the reins. Our schools are running with excellence, and teams continue to go out regularly all over the world.
As a campus we have recently committed to a 3-year initiative in Papua New Guinea, focusing on beginning the translation of 33 languages in a region (Madang), into their “oral mother tongue”. This is different to a longer written translation, which will hopefully come later. And it is different to the local pidgin language that is used in many areas. The mother tongue of a person/group is the language they use at home, in their tribe, in their heart. What they are born into and recognize as their first and most personal language. In PNG so many of these don’t exist in written form, and in many cases the tribal people are illiterate. But to hear the word of God in their own mother tongues, truth that blesses and transcends all cultures and nations, is profound in its impact and receival. Molly is especially passionate about the Word of God and providing access to all languages, so she is likely to be more involved in the near future.
We recently sent our first MT DTS team to the area with fantastic success. We’re partnering with the YWAM Ship “Liberty”, which focusses on oral translation teams and medical teams. The area of Madang is difficult to reach by land, and the many coastal villages and tribes are accessible only from shore. This makes ship-based work (via Zodiacs) ideal. We also sent teams into Taiwan and Cambodia. The last several months have been busy and fruitful! I have included some statistics below for interest’s sake. While we truly don’t obsess over numbers (every single individual, family, village is precious) it does give us an idea of what is being effective and helps give a quick idea of what our teams do.
DTS and Ship Team with friends!
As I write this, I am in Santa Cruz CA teaching in a small DTS. YWAM has recently pioneered a new work here. It is a very new age, secular, and at times anti-Christian society here. However, the churches are very united and very active, and there is a true sense of another grass-roots revival on the horizon. The people want truth and yes, even God! These young YWAMers are doing a fantastic job being bold, faithful, and full of vision for their community. Enough writing and reading for now! We are leaving soon for an afternoon of ministry to the homeless!
Enjoy a few pics of life and ministry from the Westside at the bottom. We are grateful for all of you as friends and partners. We do it together!
Recent school stats:
Fall DTS Outreach: Dec-Feb. 3 outreach teams: two to Taiwan, one to Cambodia
29 Bibles distributed
6 healings
495 individuals received prayer 1-on-1
1449 people heard the gospel shared directly
140 people made commitments to follow Jesus
Winter DTS Outreach: Mar-May. 3 outreach teams: tow to Taiwan, one Papua New Guinea
PNG stats:
9 village visits
1,194 people heard the Gospel (350 through the showing of the Jesus Film)
361 people prayed for
6 healings
434 bibles given
86 salvations
Taiwan stats:
12 salvations
Taught in 15 schools (3000 students)
300 + people prayed for
300+ heard the Gospel
PHOTOS from Canta Cruz DTS, and PNG DTS Outreach (click for detail):
DTS making PB & J sandwiches for homeless ministry in Santa Cruz, CADTS runs a “Community Night” on the beach at Santa Cruz, CADTS and Ship Team with friends!Thank-yous and farewells
Here we are well into March of 2024 already. Hard to imagine. As the Winter is trying to hold on, and Spring is trying to enter, I can confidently tell you that we are all cheering for Spring! While the Winters are beautiful and fun in their own way it’s time for a change 😊
We are also entering into a new season of changes at work, and with family. So much has transpired in 2023, and 2024 seems to promise more of the same excitement. Samuel and Kinley have since moved to her home town, Oklahoma city, to get settled into their first year of marriage. While they love YWAM and their time in Kona, their journey toward and into marriage happened quite quickly. They decided to step out of full-time ministry for the moment, and establish their own rhythm and routine as a newly married couple.
Joel is in his last semester at college here in Kalispell Montana finishing his AA. He has been accepted at Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman this coming Fall. He will move down there in August to complete his final two years of undergraduate study. We are super proud of him.
Eden continues to impress us and is doing so well. She is in her last semester of her sophomore year (that’s 10th grade for our Aussie readers 😊). Volleyball has started up again, so our Spring is about to become hectic with travel, games, tournaments, and sleepovers.
For Molly and I, our work is transitioning a bit. Molly continues in her work with the Campus Directors. My role however has shifted a bit. Almost 6 years ago I was asked to take on the role of DTS Director on top of my other jobs. I am so pleased and proud to have been able to identify two wonderful replacements for that role.
They are fantastic people, younger and filled with gifts that will allow them to grow the department into a new season of effectiveness. I will remain as the Discipleship Team Leader overseeing DTS, Equip (our leadership development school), Summer Programs, and our School of Missions and Evangelism. But with the crucial role of DTS Director in [someone else’s] safe hands, I can focus more on coaching, leadership spotting and training. It also frees me up a little more to work on a few other personal ministry projects, as well as teaching in other locations.
One highlight from this month already has been an overdue trip out to California to visit dear friends, ministry partners, churches and family. A whirlwind 10 days, and so worth it. Thank you to anyone of you reading this! It was such fun!
We hope you are all doing so well and seeing the Lord interact with you and through you, wherever you are and whatever you do. We are all simply sent-ones where we are, if we will recognize it. We pray that you do!
Another year gone by, a multitude of memories made, saying goodbyes to some dear family and friends, as well as welcoming a new family member into our clan. While 2023 was different than many of us thought it would be, many of the best things continued: the faithfulness of God in family, finances, work and ministry.
Life in the Mission:
On the work/ministry front, things are moving along at breakneck speed, as usual. Molly continues in her role as Exec Asst to the Ministry Directors here in Lakeside. She does a fantastic job, essentially helping to run the ministry! On my end, a big change is underway. After a couple of years of scouting and planning, I recently announced that I have found a successor to my role as Discipleship Training School (DTS) Director. I took the job in 2018 with some specific goals in mind. I am so happy with the people I work with and the growth of the department and ministry that we have accomplished together. Simply put, my work is done, and the future would be served best by a leader with a different gift-set, and someone a bit younger! I will continue as the Team Leader over all Discipleship Programs (this includes DTS as well as other schools and leadership training), while helping to train and establish the new DTS Director.
Family Update:
This year has definitely been a whirlwind in terms of family evets, changes and additions. Sadly, as many of you already know, my (Jer’s) mum passed away in March. I was so blessed to be able to be with her at the end, making the trip down under less than a week before she passed away. This itself was a gift from God, as I had already scheduled a trip to see her a few weeks later, but both Molly and I felt an urgency to change plans and travel earlier. There is too much to share in this short space, suffice to say she was a wonderfully selfless and supportive mother, truly a General in the Kingdom of God, and many, many people will miss her presence. As was stated in her eulogy, “she was loved in heaven, and feared in hell”. We are all so grateful to the Lord for her life, and legacy.
Shortly after returning from Australia with Molly, I travelled to Hawaii to see a dear father in the faith, Loren Cunningham. He was the Founder of Youth With A Mission with his wife Darlene, and was battling advanced cancer. They are truly a gracious, humble, and kind couple. They happily welcomed me into their personal space where I could spend some time with Loren in his living room. Many will remember Loren as a modern-day apostle and a visionary missionary leader. For myself, due to our long history with the Cunninghams and their family from the early 1980’s (I was good friends with their son as a young boy), I will also remember him as a kind man to a young boy, and the father of a close friend. In the early 2000’s when I was serving in Kona as an adult, I had the privilege of working closely with Loren as his P.A. It was an education (!) and an honor. Loren went to be with the Lord this October. Molly and I were also able to be at his celebration of life services in Kona.
In between all of that, our eldest son Samuel decided to get engaged, and then married within 4 months! Samuel is serving with YWAM in Kona. Late in 2022 while taking more schools for training and development, he met a lovely young lady, “Kinley”. We are so happy to welcome her into our family as a second daughter, and to Eden’s excitement, “finally, a sister!” They were married here in Montana then moved back to Kona to continue serving with YWAM in Kona. Back in Montana, Joel is doing well in his second year of college, while Eden is shining in 10th grade now (hard to believe!).
Overall, this year has been one of extreme transition and change. Through everything, we have seen the goodness of God, his provision, his leading, and the blessing of many close relationships. We have learned to be thankful in the good times and press into (not withdraw) from times of suffering and grief. The Lord is so good to meet us there, and helps to develop our gratitude, and compassion.
Joel and Jeremy with 2023’s Christmas tree
Thank you for your ongoing love and support. I know this was a long letter, so thank you also for reading this far! Thank you to everyone for being part of 2023 with us, and here’s to 2024!
Love from us all, Jeremy, Molly, Joel, Eden, (and Sam & Kinley 😊)
Moonrise of over the mountains and lake, Lakeside Montana.
As we roll into September, it’s hard to believe that our Summer is coming to an end (and for us here in Montana we are sad to see it go!).
What a whirlwind our Summer has been. On the Mission and training front we have been involved in 4 training schools these last few months: DTS Equip (our leadership school), Summer Programs school (a 2-month missions and discipleship experience over the Summer), and two DTSs: the Endurance DTS and the Summer DTS (Jeremy is leading that school at the moment, as well as overseeing the others as Discipleship Director). The Summer Programs School had a hugely successful outreach in Mexico and the Caribbean, working with local YWAMers, churches, Bible distribution, and evangelism, including connecting miraculously with the local Mexican cartel. Now, our two DTSs are heading out to Cambodia and Nepal until November. While this was going on we had the privilege of walking with two couples as they prepared for marriage. Last month, Jeremy then performed both ceremonies. Such a joy and encouragement to see wonderful and godly young couples get married, so well.
On the family front our lives have now been changed forever. Early this year we received the exciting news that our son Samuel had met that “special-someone” while studying with YWAM in Kona. Kinley ‘West’ has officially entered our lives! Kinley is a wonderful young woman who loves Jesus, has her sights set on missions, and loves Samuel too! 😊 Her personal passion is working with women during their pregnancy, maternal care, and ultimately to become a midwife. With their goal to be back in missions serving within YWAM and locally in Kona starting mid September, they decided it was the most practical thing to do was to get married late August. So they did. Well as practical as that was, it put us on an exciting, but rapid schedule for most of the summer! As I write this, it has been only a single week since their wedding here in Montana (I think we are still catching up on sleep and energy!).
Over the next two weeks we have teams leaving for the field, a whole new DTS of 40 eager students arriving, a trip to Cambodia, teaching around the world via Zoom, and other ministry responsibilities here at home. Thank you for following us on our journey, together, all this time. Love and blessings!
Jeremy and Molly.
(click on the pics below for descriptions)
MT Summer DTSCheers from MontanaDTS team being sent out on outreach! Montana SummerProud parents, new daughter The beautiful couple
GoWests! 