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6/23/2020 2 Comments Unexpected Blessings Wow what a year it’s been !We apologise for the lack of updates !! We hope you are all doing well and managing to navigate this unique season well knowing God is with you and for you ! We so appreciate your love and support to our family over this year ! We could not be here without you !
I (Mollie) have just graduated from my second year of BSSM ! It’s truly been a very unique and challenging year for many of us. We started our school year with an emotional charge from our Papa Bill Johnson that our class was a “class marked for glory”. This felt like a marking moment for many of us as we felt the weight of his prophetic declaration over us. In the time that followed I personally had many incredible unique and powerful encounters with Jesus and the realities of the heavenly realm which we already have access to.  A few weeks later as a community we contended for the life of a precious baby girl who died suddenly. She was the daughter of our worship pastor. Our school and church contended for 5 days for this baby’s life with all night prayer and worship. It felt like as a body we were being so unified in our pursuit to see Gods power move. The atmosphere during that time was heavenly, thick and Gods nearness and presence was so apparent! Although precious Olive was not resurrected we saw an awakening happen in each of our hearts ! We watched as Kalley ( the mother of Olive) worshipped wholeheartedly and stood in such faith in the midst of heartbreak - this marked each of us with a new standard of faith. As a class our hunger went to a new level and the weeks following were incredibly sweet; God was really moving and revival was tangibly in the air. In addition to pursuing His face we also got the opportunity to learn so much and be taught by the best teachers on the planet. It has been stretching, hard and scary at times but I am so thankful I got to be here at this time. It seemed like just as we were seeing God move powerfully in our school and church COVID19 happened. It was such a disappointing blow to me personally as I was truly expectant that something special was happening. Plus it meant mission trips and any travel was cancelled.  In my moments of grief and heartbreak for what was going on in the world God met me powerfully and held me in my brokenness and despair. I had such a powerful time of resting in His love ; He is my fortress and strong tower ! I think I had bought into the illusion that I had control and independence - when I realised the truth that I am fully dependent on Him and He is so good I felt so much peace. God is so good !! A week later our school and church moved online !! This was a hard transition for me because I love people and there wasn’t really much closure as people left Redding without saying goodbyes etc. ;however it’s been extraordinary to see what is possible through a computer screen and now on Sunday’s there are people from all over the world checking into our ministry rooms to receive a touch from God ! The healing rooms and encounter rooms have also opened up to people around the globe and so it feels like the possibilities are endless with what God can and will do ! I was also incredibly honored and shocked to receive a special award at my graduation. This was a kiss from God as I know only He could have made this happen ! What's ahead?I received a word that in February we would get more clarity on whats next and on the 1st February I had a dream where God asked me if I would stay another year at Bethel for what he was doing in my kids’ lives. Throughout our time in Redding I have received so many words from people about my children and I know God has great plans for them. Our hearts dearly miss the mission field and long to be back but I felt like I couldn’t ignore this dream. We sought advice and council from multiple different leaders in our life to discuss this; they mainly confirmed that we couldn’t ignore Gods leading. When Covid hit we felt like it was another factor that helped us in our decision to delay moving continents. I was then invited to intern for a couple who I love dearly and respect who are truly powerful revivalists and apostolic leaders ( Ruth & Steve Moore ) . They oversee BSSM online / school planting / allumni /raising up the body of Christ in the supernatural . I received a word from a close friend that I should be with them and I didn’t think there was any chance this would happen but God opened the door for me to serve them ! I also have my third year tuition fees paid for because I received the award! So it seemed like God is being very clear that we should stay for a final year here!       Throughout the year I have felt and been in awe of Gods incredible intentionality - from the Revival group pastor, to the mentors he has put in my life, the groups I was a part of and the lessons God was walking me through each week. He is truly so in every detail of our lives and I am in awe of such a beautiful and majestic Father!  Currently we are trying to find a way to get a new stamp for our student visa before the beginning of August, this will probably involve doing a border run of some kind. We really wanted to return to the UK but we felt with the current international situation that we should stay and serve here. We are praying that either the Canadian border opens up otherwise we might fly to Mexico for a few days. In all honesty one of the hardest things we have navigated is financial challenges and keeping our faith that God is our provider for us to stay here in the USA. The living costs are significantly higher than anywhere else we have lived and the visas don’t allow us to work. So it has felt like finances has been the mountain that we have faced on a constant (sometimes daily basis) for the time we have been here. We want to stay full of faith and hope and also discern what God is asking us to personally do. (Please be praying for us as we navigate this and plan and pray for the year ahead.) Steve has felt the leading of Holy Spirit to learn and study the financial markets and stock trading with the aim to eventually help towards provision while on the mission field. This has been such a hard and challenging journey and at times very humbling for him too. However he has felt God’s hand upon it and there have been some encouraging testimonies of the Lord’s specific direction. He has been working hard studying to learn this with a view to have it as a skill that will help us in the long term. He has also been continuing to volunteer in the church planting side of BSSM and also at Iris Global; which he will continue to do this year. It has been such a joy for him to mentor BSSM students as they have planted their micro churches across the city.  The kids are doing great and we are truly amazed by them. Grace has such a heart for the homeless and loves to pray for them. She also has a dream to have an orphaned and rescue babies . She has such a heart for others and for justice. She is growing in understanding of her faith and loves Jesus. Benji is a comedian and loves to bring joy wherever he goes. We are excited at the prospect of him going to the Bethel Christian Preschool in the autumn as we believe it’s a great opportunity for him to grow in his relationship with God. Over the summer I am assisting Ruth and Steve Moore and also helping with online ministry for people from around the world. (Bethel Sunday ministry teams / encounter rooms) I am also wanting to go deeper with God as I have more time to focus on Him and pursing a deeper friendship with Him. I have made some beautiful friendships with my neighbours and have started a little weekly discipleship and bible study group which has been great and I’m excited about; they have been such gifts to me ! I am hoping to spend more time observing ministry in the transformation centre (Sozo ministry) when that opens up again. Also we just want to stay obedient in the big and the small everyday leadings of the Holy Spirit.
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