Merry Christmas! / Happy New Year!
(Me on the line of life. Luckily I have the best Helper on earth!) (In reality it's the pool you would swim in on the YWAM base if you come visit!)
Hi every one, it is us again. Ivan writing this time! During this past year, we didn't write a lot. As Cate shared in our latest newsletter, we were in Switzerland, USA Florida, and now Hawaii Kona. It was many transition of countries and cultures. As well transition in our lives, as we got married! Ywam Chatel in Switzerland host that event in April, just before our flight took us to the US. I want to share some big point of our lives during this year, and some that will follow!
Marriage: We learned so much. And we are in need of more wisdom everyday. And I hope you have us in your prayer for all of this! People say many things about marriage. All that I know now is that it is a beautiful work. An amazing journey that we chose to accomplish with each other, and God! It has been really encouraging to see how God is working in us. We love each other more everyday. I see and learn more about who Cate is, how amazing God created her, how beautiful He shape her day after day. I am very excited to continue this adventure this next year, having our first anniversary the 22th February! (Civil wedding was at this date). We also never took the time to say thank you to all the people that were present. We definitely keep you in mind. We want to do something special for you, as to show our gratefulness. It might be a 5 year party, were we can hang all together again. Or something more personal. We are in prayer to search the Lord in how we can show you how happy we are, because of who you are, and because God allowed to know you! So thank you.
School (for me, Ivan): I have been continuing my growth into counseling ministry in February with the ATCM (Advanced Training in Counseling Ministry), but did not accomplish my outreach. I will have to do it here in Kona, where I will be with the counseling ministry for an internship. I need to accomplish multiple counseling session per week, as well as same amount of different ministry time such as worship, intercession, personal research and studies. All that will give me the credit for my AA. This outreach is yet not planned, but will be done in the next year and a half. Also, in April I will start the ABC school. (Addictive Behavior Counseling school) This will be a 6 month course as well, with 3 month of in class courses and 3 month of outreach. This school will allow me to be continuing in the University Of the Nation to accomplish my Bachelor. Communication and Worldview, as well as 2 other seminaries will complete the degree. This is my plan for my stay here in Hawaii.
Friends: Looking back, God knows how thankful I am. From our family to our marriage counseling, from my all life long friends to the one I met in Australia and the one in USA, I see how God blessed us. I still try to have some contact with my Swiss guys. I love sending them videos of me driving and listening to some reggae. I love seeing them change beard or haircut, or just partying all together for the birthday of one of us. I love them! I miss them a lot. And to help me, God really blessed me in Australia with few friend that I also now miss as my best friends. Again, God gave me friends in Florida at work or in my Bible studies group. Now, in Hawaii, God blessed us again, and I already have hardship thinking about the time we will have to leave to keep our adventure with God, answering His call. But this sadness, and the feeling of feeling friend and family, is nothing in comparison of the happiness that I have thinking about all these amazing people God put on my path. I am grateful. This past two year I grow my group friend so much. And I am so grateful. I already had many friend. All of them in Switzerland. I honestly didn't need anymore. Not many people can say they have 10 really best friend. Well I do. But God didn't stop there, he probably gave me 10 very close friend at every place I was. I don't know how to be grateful, it is just free gift from God. I felt important to share how God take care of us in this area too!
Money: An other area where God blessed us. I don't know if you heard about how we got our wedding ring, if not write me and I will tell you! It was very miraculous. In Switzerland, we felt God saying to not work. I did work a little at my friend Alain Auderset house, but just as volunteer. But to provide our needs, God made that a friend borrow us a car. We could use it all the time, whenever! As well, God sent 2 times an envelop with 2000$ cash (it was in Swiss franc) in our mailbox. It was incredible, exactly in times of need, exactly right amount.
My parents were able to help me pay my ATCM school. Many helped for our wedding, as we had no finances. In the USA, God provided work for us to be able to eat and pay the gas to go around. He never let us down! Cate family also helped in the process, they were so generous. To come here, we had to have some vaccination as this base goes into the pacific island and provide medical help to all these populations living on the Island. (If you are interested to help, I will put a link to help them keep providing!!) Anyway, these vaccination and blood test had a consequent cost. The doctor that accepted us was waiting with envelop for each of us. Inside, the money to provide for all our expense. Again, God called us somewhere, and provided. Our flight to come here has been provided from my father, and by a little miracle they gave us the money back because they had to put us on an other flight. Miracle after miracle, we are now here in Hawaii, with still some donation but never enough to pay my Green Card, schools, gas need, car, and all food expenses. All that to thank you again. Your prayer, financial help, and practical help just made our year and calling works. We fear not, and we trust in Him who call us. I want to thank you for doing the same, and everything you gave, you also had to trust that He will provide for you and your family. Every time you prayed, you did it just for us, not wanting anything in exchange. Thank you! We are deeply grateful. God is so much incredible, so hard to understand. He is amazing, and I want to thank you in this area as well, because it touch all of us all the time. So again, thank you.
I think it is around what I wanted to share. Just all the things we are grateful for. There is many more things. I would love to write a whole paragraph just for my family and the support they are for me. Maybe 1000 more lines for each of the friends we have. But I think you hear me, I thank YOU!
I want to send you our best wishes for this new year. Merry Christmas as well!! We will never be able to thank you all enough. And we will never be able to thank the Lord enough neither. This is the beauty of His love, and the beauty of the love you give us. We can just receive it, and be grateful for it. Wow! Isn't that amazing? My heart feel warm. Thank you friends! We love you, and we see you soon around the World! May God bless you and keep you and your families and friends.