Our Inheritance | June Newsletter

“The Levitical priests—indeed, the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings presented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance. They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭18:1-2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

On June 18, Makayla and I celebrated a wonderful two years of marriage. We decided to celebrate by staying a couple of nights in Nikonsithamarat (a province north of Trang.) Hudson and I shared a beautiful moment as we stared at the enormous and untamed mountains that surrounded us. I felt God remind me of the verse above and its profound significance in spiritual service. Instead of receiving a land inheritance like the other tribes, the Levites received God as their inheritance. They were commanded to have a special and unique ministerial role in caring for God's holy temple and in return for their obedience and ministerial service, they were provided for by the offerings made by others.

This beautiful act of faith in God for provision reminds me of the missionary biographies that Makayla and I enjoy reading. Time and again these missionaries left behind the comfort and security that their modern world offered. Like the Levites of the ancient past, they exchanged normality for a unique service unto the Lord. Though they left friends and family, they gained priceless souls. Though they were ridiculed for not following the cultural norm, they gained treasures in heaven. And though they lost their lives in service to God, they gained everlasting life for all eternity.

I remember reading about the Livites and I honestly thought to myself, "Man, did they really get the bad end of the stick." I had the idea that if I was alive during biblical times, I'd want to be anything but a Levite (terrible, I know.) But here I am many years later, and as I hold Hudson in my arms overlooking a foreign land, I realize that our future is uncertain and our place of dwelling unknown. Similar to the Levites of old, we have no land inheritance, and I will have none to provide for my little boy. But God's promise remains still to this day, "I will be their inheritance." This is enough for Makayla and I.

“By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith, he received the power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised."

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Updates

Hudson Wells is 8 months old!

Hudson is 8 months old! He likes to army crawl toward a place where he can prop himself up and then stand. This is his favorite thing to do and he refuses to do anything else! I laugh at his stubbornness and I smile at how God might think the same thing about me sometimes. Hudson's favorite food is avocado and he's learning to say Mama." Makayla and I are competing to find out whether he will learn this word or "apa" first, but I don't mind if he learns to call his mom first. haha

New Friends

Recently Makayla and I met a couple who would love for us to visit their farm and teach their children English. This favor is a direct answer to prayer and is an open door for building relationships and for the Gospel to be shared. At one point in the conversation the wife asked me, "But you are Christian and I am Buddhist, will it be a problem for you to teach my children?" and we replied, "God teaches us that we are to love all people, there is no problem with us teaching your children."

Scouting Trip Wave 2

The month of June welcomes back the Baldwins, Kwan, Thaksin, and Becca from their scouting trip through Asia. They met with ministry hosts and made great connections with long-term ministries. Your prayers for safety, unity, and wisdom were much appreciated during this time that they were away. God bless you for praying. For more information regarding the "South Asia Scouting Trip" please click here.

Alexis Visits

This month we had the joy of being visited by some old friends: Alexis, Namwa, and Gain. Two and a half years ago Makayla led a DTS outreach team to Surat Thani to work with these three amazing women in evangelism, kids ministry, youth groups, and more. Alexis has faithfully been serving God as a missionary in Thailand for many years now. Please keep her and her team in your prayers as she begins to pioneer a base in Surat. This is an incredible answer to prayer as there will now be three YWAM bases in Southern Thailand!

Baby Holloway Has Been Born!

Thank you to everyone who prayed for Connor and Nicole to have a safe birth. Baby Elouise was born in June! She is a beautiful, healthy girl. Please continue to keep the Holloway family in your prayers as they plan to return to Thailand in the next month. Pray that Elouise would receive her passport quickly and easily as sometimes these things can become complicated.

Prayer Requests

Please click the photo to view and download our updated prayer request. Thank you as always for keeping us in your prayers.

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Special Message For Our Friends and Family

Hello family! Just as the Levites were sustained physically by the sacrifices of their fellow tribes, Makayla and I have been blessed abundantly by your prayerful support and financial sacrifice. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, we are all members of one body and each member provides their part so that through our unity, we may have success in accomplishing God's global mission.

Thank you,

The Gonzalez Family

Financial update

Reoccurring support: $2352.25

Monthly costs: $2,300

One-time donations: $912.77

Have any questions?

We'd love to hear from you. Comment below or reply directly to this email.

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Bibliography and Citations

1. Deuteronomy‬ ‭18:1-2‬

2. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

3. 1 Peter 2:11

4. ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:8-11‬ ‭