Divine Encouragement

A friend gave me a small paperback book when we stayed overnight at his Mariposa, CA. home on our way to LA from the northwest. It was by Jack London and called Tales of the Pacific. I had read some short stories of his previously, but they had been set in the Yukon and since we’re going to be on the Great Barrier Reef I thought it would be interesting on both a cultural and geographic level as well as just being well written, granted it is London, not the most uplifting author, but one who’s great at adventure. So, I’m currently about a quarter of the way through it and have been delighted with the intensity of the short stories though they are rather grim. One in particular got my attention; it takes place on a Fijian Island over a hundred years ago with a few white men and some native tribesmen. The main character is a missionary who, having been fairly successful in his efforts to bring the local tribe to faith in Christ, feels inspired to continue on into the interior of the island to share the Lord with the other cannibalistic tribes. It is a tale of bravery conviction, cowardliness, and betrayal somewhat reminiscent of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Naturally, I put myself into the story as the missionary and wonder if I would perform the in a similar fashion though it ended tragically with his death and subsequent preparation for their dinner. This story was somewhat similar to Robinson Crusoe, which I listened to intently over a year ago in Forks, what a great and enthralling story! Therefore, when we were at the camping trip in the bush a few days ago and a stout Tongan man came over to me in an evening time of worship and prayer and but his thick muscular right arm around my shoulders and said in a very deep, broken English voice, “I pray for you?!” (I wasn’t sure if it was a question or command) I could not say, “no” and felt only a small fraction of the intimidation that the white men must have felt when first landing on the beaches of uncharted South Pacific islands. I was very impressed by the depth of this man’s prayer and the heartfelt love that he expressed toward me and God. His prayer covered a number of topics but what caught my attention the most was his emphasis on my working effectively with the youth of Australia. As I have mentioned with many of you in the past, when asked what I felt God’s call was for us over here I shared that God had called us through many scriptural references to bring the word of God to the youth, the next generation of Aussies. Also, that many of the references were from the book of Isaiah. Thus, you can imagine my astonished excitement when this Tongan man named, Isaiah prayed for me to be effective in youth ministry!

One more quick story before I sign off. On Saturdays the YWAM base puts on a youth oriented outreach called “Youth Street”. It’s well attended and quite a production to be sure. Last Saturday’s was an impressively realistic version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” though on other nights they will have bands and or dance performances and the like. I have attended every Saturday since we arrived usually with Ryan and or Aubry in-tow usually to skate the small ramps they have and mingle with the kids to develop relationships and get familiar with everything. One Saturday we watched as one of the house bands played a lively set of worship songs and observed how the staff interacted with the kids. Earlier in the week I was feeling a little discouraged as I hadn’t seen where there was a real need for us at the base. I was certain that God had called us and paved the way but with eighty plus young fired up gifted Christians on staff it really didn’t seem like we could make much more of an impact than what was already being done. Really it was just the enemy trying to cloud my perspective and get me off track. It’s really evident that he’s put a bulls-eye on us since we got here. So, while we were watching the worship band, one of the young staff men came to me and screamed, “Can I pray for you!?” over the blare of the music. It took me by surprise but not wanting to miss a blessing I nodded and hoarsely yelled, “sure” as loudly as I could. What came next wasn’t a prayer as much as a word of knowledge straight from God. He said, “I feel God wants you to know that you are here for a purpose, that it may seem like everything is running well and that all the needs are covered but there are needs that you cannot see. I want you to be confident and walk in boldness knowing that you’re here because I have called you.” And with that he smiled and patted me on the shoulder and walked off. I smiled back and nodded nonchalantly but inwardly was absolutely stunned and blessed.

The moral of the story is, if someone asks if they can pray for you, let them. Also, as Pastor Chuck always says, “Where God guides, He provides” both in material necessities, fellowship, and in confirmation and encouragement when we need it. Speaking of fellowship, we have been praying about a church to attend and possibly invest in and are still searching, but the last two Sundays we have been holding church at home. Last Sunday it was due to many of the kids in the family being sick, but this Sunday it was because we had some YWAM friends respond to our offer to be apart of our home church. It’s a long explanation for another post, but we’ve found many of our peers at the base don’t attend church on Sundays and are very hungry for solid Bible teaching…How about that! So we’re praying for the possibility of starting a church in earnest. I feel I need to hear directly from God on this though and don’t want to commit fully unless He specifically directs us even though there is apparently a need.

Last week I mentioned that I’d try to be more specific on what responsibilities we will have at the base while the internship starts, so I’ll tell you what I know so far as it officially starts today, Sunday afternoon with a BBQ orientation. My supervisor, Jonathan has informed me that I’d be working in Community Life, a broad label for general base operations. That is, overseeing and set up of facility events, general base upkeep, housing management. Also, planning and executing events that work toward unity and family atmosphere among the staff and the students. The assignment is for at least three months and then I’ll have the option to move to another area or stay on for another three months and so on. It is also an option for me to be active with the Youth Street group on Saturdays if I choose. It will be interesting to see how much time Community Life will take up thereby allowing me to take part in other things, including studying for Sunday if the need may be.

Cameron will be taking part in the first couple of weeks of morning orientation lectures and then will attend weekly worship, prayer, and service times but will mostly be at home schooling the kids. Her service times will be two or three times a week working in the accounting office.

We are also looking forward to fulfilling our requirements for the outreach portion of the Discipleship Training School which we partially completed in Discovery Bay late last year. We’ve been told that we should be able to fulfill the requirements by taking part in outreaches throughout our year long stay in Townsville and we’re getting a jump on it by taking part in the Youth Street program offered on Saturdays (I’ll explain more next time).

So, we’re off and running. Still enjoying our time here and really blessed with our home, new friends, community, and calling though we’ve had some rough days in transition. One thing is for sure, it has made all the difference to know that we have a large group of friends and family who are praying for us and financially supporting us. We are greatly encouraged when we receive you emails and speak with you through Skype and Facebook. It would be much more difficult if we were more isolated and not able to stay in-touch. Thank you once again for being there for us! We look forward to more opportunities to connect and dialogue with each of you.

Answered Prayer:

­ Dressers and Shelf Units for the house: We had a couple young blokes show up at the house last week with a couple of large wardrobes for our clothes! Also, we purchased some furniture from the local thrift shops at pretty good prices (even a fish tank for the kids!). We’re nearly there though we need another dresser for the boys’ room.

­ For the family to get into our routines: All of our responsibilities have become more clear and the internship has begun so things are settling down nicely.

­ A good solution to the mosquitoes: Part of it is getting used to the local food (apparently the make-up of the food here helps to keep the Mozzy’s from biting as much. Also, we’re becoming more diligent with the repellent.

­ For God’s leading: We’re still praying for God’s will in the long-term picture of what He has for us.

Prayer Requests:

­ Jeremy, Cameron, and Peggy for wisdom and grace in fulfilling our responsibilities both at home and at the base.

­ A good church to get involved with or to start one.

­ Evangelism in our neighborhood.

­ Cameron and the kids to get hooked up with the local homeschool group.

­ Perseverance and wisdom with the kids’ homeschooling.

7/10
Praise the Lord, we’re here!

It was an amazing feeling finally flying over Townsville for the first time. Curiosity and a sense of adventure had filled our hearts over the last few months, but now actually arriving in our new home there is an overwhelming sense of relief. Sure, the blue ocean, green and brown craggy hills and historic architecture in the city are amazing and beautiful, but my greatest happiness at this point is just getting into our new home and unpacking. Traveling can be very exciting especially when many of our stops along the way have been with friends and family, but it is wonderful to be done and settled in.
Our first flight from LAX to Sydney was uneventful and went by fairly quickly. Thanks again to Mom, Brad and Shannon for helping us get to the Airport and sending us off. The real trial began as we changed planes and made our connection to Townsville. I won’t go into too much detail now, but it rates right up there with one the most difficult experiences that I’ve ever gone through, quite the boot camp. Kay threw up twice at baggage claim, then fell and knocked her head on the tile floor and she and Cam were quickly surrounded by medics and strict looking airline workers who nearly prevented us from catching our flight. Not to mention transporting 17 50 pound bags, guitar, 10 carry-ons to a different terminal! Nevertheless, it is mostly out of my mind now and the events of the last few days and excitement of the future is now paramount.
We had nearly a week to adjust to the time difference and to get moved in (more about the awesome house and yard later and our first Sunday morning church experience). During that week we had a few opportunities to be exposed to some of the ministries offered by the base. First, we enjoyed a sausage BBQ dinner at the base which is open weekly to the community. This was well attended and neat to see many of the staff mingling with the locals. Second, we were driven down to the Townsville harbor where we were fortunate to be able to take a ship tour on the Pacific Link, the YWAM Mercy Ship which motors through the western Pacific doing outreach to Aussies and medical missions to Papua New Guinea (PNG). The ship has facilities for dental, ophthalmology (eye surgery), and general medical. There are many health professionals and general ship staff/officers to run things as well as Discipleship Training School students on board to help out. Lastly, we attended the weekly youth outreach called Youth Street. This is an event on Saturday nights which gives the local youth an opportunity to listen to live music, watch dance and other kinds of performances, skate the small skatepark (Ya!), and generally goof around in a safe environment with many Christian staff to oversee and mentor the kids.
Having settled in a bit, Monday morning came and we were up and ready for our first real YWAM Reef to Outback event: the annual staff camping trip. With all the traveling and transition our family has gone through lately, I was not real hot on the idea to go camping, but I knew that this would be an invaluable opportunity to meet and spend time with our new co-laborers. We traveled north for about 40 minutes to an innocuous turn-off leading west across sugarcane fields to a place called Paluma. I was warned from here on up to the campground the road would get a little curvy but like many sayings in Australia it was a gross understatement. I was so thankful to be in the front seat and that it passed without any regurgitation from any of us. I guarantee next time though, I’m taking Dramamine! The camping area called Hidden Valley was the epitome of Australian bush. At about 3000 ft. of elevation we camped on privately owned cattle ranch land. We spread all of our 150 or so campers on about 50 acres of land bordered by dirt roads and a shallow chilly creek. At the center of the area was a field with abundant coarse wild grass and a steel outbuilding on a slab for nice shade where much of the cooking was done and all around us were hundreds of eucalyptus trees of varying sizes and shapes providing more valuable shade. The Kookaburras and gigantic huntsman spiders visited our camp daily as did various other critters such as miniature Kangaroos, their real name escapes me, and the odd grazing bull (Ryan thought it was a camel at first as they look quite different!). Being at elevation, the nights were clear, brisk, and full of stars, totally different stars than what we’re used to and the Southern Cross was plain as can be. The days were pleasant, though it is evident that the sun is of much greater intensity here. I’m told that you must buy Australian made sunscreen because other lotions aren’t potent enough to protect adequately. Our big goofy looking straw hats blessed us once again with valuable shade and we were envied by many because of it.
Our days were spent fellowshipping with our new friends, fishing in the creek, exploring the immediate area, playing board games, cards, and practicing field games like Frisbee, baseball, and especially Footie (did I mention I got to play in my first ever organized footie or Aussie Rugby game…I’m still sore!). The staff put together some great meals including an authentic island style pig roast and we all enjoyed extended times of worship and prayer in the evenings. On that first morning of our arrival in camp I realized and tried to explain to Ryan, that I was experiencing stepping into the photos and television shows that I had intently watched and studied in the past, what a strange feeling. After two nights and three days, we packed everything up and headed back down the windy road to the highway and on to Townsville. It’s nice to be back. I feel even more settled now and am eager to get to work.
The house is awesome!! It’s what’s known as a classic Queenslander house, up off the ground for lots of air flow, high ceilings, fans, some windows and shutters throughout (no windows on the shutters and no screens--pray for mosquito or "mozzie" season). The many doors and fans keep air moving thereby bringing some relief to the stifling heat which abounds for much of the year. We do not have any air conditioning and apparently with the right construction it’s not really needed, though we’ll wait on making a decision about that until the temperature starts raising. There are three bedrooms, a really comfortable living room area, two French doors that open onto a large covered back porch, and modern kitchen (the envy of many of the RTO staff). There is one bathroom with a jet tub (can you believe it!) and separate shower. There's also another toilet outside connected to the laundry room. There is a washer but everyone here line dries their clothes since the temperature is so high most of the time. The yard is a large, tamed jungle, perfect for four kids who are ready to get outside and explore. There's a see-saw, small rope swing, a yet-to-be-reinforced fort for the kids. With such nice spacious digs Peggy has fit right in with us. We are so thankful for her presence, and the extra money that we save as a result we believe to be good stewardship.

Last Sunday we visited a local non-denominational church that meets conveniently at the RTO base. It is a good church with many lovely Believers who’re really excited about the Lord, but not quite the flavor we’re looking for. We’re looking forward to getting settled into a comfortable fellowship, but the search will continue for another Sunday.
Blessings to you all, we’re so happy to be in God’s will and look forward to the next post when we’ll be able report with greater detail what specific ministries we will be involved with as the internship program begins July 11 and we’ll be working diligently in the ministry alongside our new friends.

Thanks again for your prayers and support!
The Botkin Family and Nanny Peggy

►Answered Prayer:
-We got here safely and only had one of 17 bags misplaced and that was only for a couple of hours.
-The kids made the plane flight fairly well, except for Kay's difficulties, but she was very much the survivor!
-The folks at the base have been extremely hospitable and loving toward us; all are excited for us to be here and say they've been praying for us.

►Prayer Requests:
-Dressers and shelf units for the house, so we can organize and put stuff away. (There are no closets or cupboards, except in the kitchen).
-For the family to get into a routine of napping, cleaning, schooling, cooking, and working.
-A good solution to the mozzies which will only get worse as the weather heats up and moistens, they especially like Kay and Cameron.
-For God’s leading in placing Jeremy (and Cameron part-time) in the ministries that are most appropriate.

Time To Go...

It was a pretty warm morning in LA and as my bother and I went to a disc golf course for 18 holes of frustration and elation. We made our way down Melrose to make a quick coffee break and passed many Jewish men dressed smartly in black on their weekly circuit to synagogue. As you might have guessed, today is Saturday and we were driving through the heart of Hollywood on the eve of our flight out of the US.
Today was filled with family, World Cup and packing….the packing never seems to end! It’s been a wonderful road trip down from Port Townsend where we set off nearly three weeks ago. Along the way south we’ve been hugely blessed with the generosity, hospitality, and fellowship of our relatives and friends who’ve taken our troop in for visits often lasting multiple days and nights. Thanks again for hosting us and dealing with the added stress of our large family. Thanks to all of you for your many prayers, the van and trailer have done really well and we’ve had no breakdowns or mishaps so far.
Sunday, we plan on heading out to church, packing more, and spending the rest of the day with family. What an enjoyable blessing to receive all the love and encouragement but we are definitely ready to arrive in Townsville and settle in to our new digs. It turns out that the home we were going to share with another family did not work out and so the folks at Reef to Outback (RTO) have worked to secure another rental for us near the base. We’re told that it is a three bedroom with one and a half bathroom home, fairly spacious with a nice patio and jungly vegetation out back. Apparently, it is difficult to find affordable and adequate housing in this area so we feel very blessed to have it arranged for us at such short notice.
The kids have had a blast with all their cousins and other family over these last few weeks. They are now eager to jump on the airplane, see their new home, meet new friends, and to settle back into a routine. We’ve been reading up on Townsville and studying the maps on Google Maps to try and get a good lay of the land but there will be plenty of exploring done soon after we arrive. With that in mind, the staff at RTO informed us that a few days after we arrive, we will be joining the eighty plus staff members and their families on their annual three-day camping trip out in the bush. This is a time of fellowship and relaxation where everyone gets to know each other and spend quality, focused time together. We “just happened” to have our travel arrangements line up perfectly with this exciting event and so we are looking forward to starting out on the right foot.
It’s getting pretty late, but one last note. We’ve ended our cell phone service, so our 360-640-4627 phone number is no longer working. As a result if you need to get a hold of us you’ll need to use one of the many IT ways. SKYPE: jrbotkin7, Facebook: Jeremy Botkin, Email: jrbotkin777@gmail.com
We also have a calling card which we will use constantly to keep in touch.

God has been wonderfully faithful in answering our every prayer…The list has been long and sometimes daunting in our estimation, but God’s powerful hand has moved on our behalf at every juncture, especially when it seemed like we hit wall after wall and this whole thing wasn’t going to happen. But though we might be at times faithless, He remains faithful and I am really glad for that!

►Please continue to pray for our trip:
For no lost kids or bags,
For opportunities to shine for Christ to those around us,
For good attitudes and patience through the trial that traveling can be sometimes,
For all the loose ends to be tied up back in the States,
For continued financial provision and wisdom as we get settled in and adjust to a different country’s economy,
For continued vision for our family’s role in walking in God’s will in Australia both in the short term and long term,
For perfect transition into serving with our new family at YWAM RTO and acceptance in the community.

ANSWERED PRAYER!!! The Visa application has been accepted...time to buy plane tickets. Praise the Lord! Rev. 3: 8

May/June

AND AWAY WE GO!!!

That’s right, the time has come to depart from our friends and family in the Northwest and begin our long drive down to Los Angeles where we’ll, Lord willing, eventually fly over to Townsville, Australia. It’s rather strange, like having your mooring lines cut and floating off on the tide and current, but I take great joy in knowing that God is the one who’s directing out voyage and that He’ll get us to out destination perfectly.
We were waiting for two events to occur to be free to pack up and depart. First, our home in Forks needed to be sold and second for the Australia government to approve our visa. As some of you already know, I am pleased to announce that our house went into escrow for the second time at the beginning of May which brought measured rejoicing in our family since the first time things didn’t work out. Sure enough when the closing date came and went and extensions were signed, we were feeling like we’d heard this song before. But God came through wonderfully and all of the hard work of the real estate agents and loan officers paid off with the sale closing on Friday the 28th of May! The following Tuesday our bags were packed and we were ready to go. The visa is still in the works but we feel confident that it will be issued soon and we should be flying out by mid to late June.
It was with break-neck speed that we packed our belongings in our temporary home at YWAM Discovery Bay and piled into the van to begin our road trip south. Special thanks to all who helped in the packing and cleaning process, we’re unbelievably blessed by your servant’s heart and willingness to give of your time and energy. When I think of all of the effort that has been put forth by family and friends in getting us from Forks to where we are now it makes my heart swell and brings tears of love and appreciation to my eyes. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
There have been many times on this journey where we’ve needed to receive some kind of confirming encouragement from the Lord to let us know that we’re indeed, on the right track and that He’s opening the doors. Here’s an example of how He does this from a little over a year ago. Ryan, Aubry, and I were cruising around Big 5 in Sequim making our way onto the highway when we stopped at an intersection with a midsize Chevy truck in front of us. We were a bit bleary-eyed from a long day at school and piano lessons but as we were stopped behind the truck God drew my eyes to the bumper where on the left side was an Australian flag sticker and on the right another sticker stating, “Jesus is coming back, get busy!” The car just erupted with praise and astonishment from all of us as we accepted God’s confirmation of our direction. Likewise, a couple of weeks ago, having just left an emotional send-off from our home church, Calvary Chapel Forks. We were again, at an intersection awaiting our opportunity to enter the highway when a large RV passed us heading south, no doubt en route to the Olympic National Park…or Bella’s house. It was one of those Rental RVs that become increasingly prolific this time of year on the west end of the peninsula. I watched it slowly go by and then remarked to Cameron shaking my head in amazement, “Check it out.” There in the back window were two Australian flags. After a while these “road signs”, or as Cameron refers to them, “cups of water on our marathon” become almost commonplace and it’s easy to take them for granted, but the following confirmation really blew our minds. It was a week later, when we were attending Calvary Chapel Sequim, after second service, where I was able to give an update. I was in the foyer meeting people and handing out newsletters, when I was approached by a young woman who introduced herself as “Becky” and then proceeded shockingly to tell me that a few years ago she had done her DTS (discipleship training school) at the same YWAM base that we’re going to in Townsville! God is so good. He knows just when we need to know with certainty His direction and pleasure in our service for Him and I am once again speechless at His presence in our lives. As Psalm 46: 7 states, “The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
Currently, I’m writing this entry from Cameron’s brother’s home in Oregon where we’ve been spending the week. We will be sharing at Calvary Chapel Gresham on Sunday, June 6th and shortly thereafter make our way down to Redmond and then Redding to visit a friend and more family. Then it’s off to the Central Coast of California to see Cameron’s Grandma Lucy and more family, and finally to Los Angeles to wrap up our visits and catch the plane Down Under.
You may be reading this blog having just received out blanket newsletter mailer, and if so, welcome! I hope that you will join the blog and keep up with all of the entries as we continue on our adventure. We truly appreciate your prayers, encouragement, and financial support and look forward keeping you up on all of God’s divine appointments and blessings.
God Bless You,
Jeremy & Co.

Prayer Requests:

Obtaining our visa
Safe and successful travel down to LA
Good visits with family and friends

UPDATE LETTER March/April 2010

Happy Easter and Spring!

It’s with little regret that I turn my attention from the quiet coldness of winter and to the growing activity of spring. The tulips are out, daffodils are bright like the constant sunshine that they’re bathed in (sorry Forks residents), and the grass is growing like mad. In fact, it’s hard to keep up with all the mowing here at the base (about 9 acres, I’m told). It’s like painting the Golden Gate Bridge; work your way from one end to the next and when you’re done it’s time to start over again. Thank the Lord for iPods! The staff are back at the base now and are prepping for the various church retreats and YWAM classes that are scheduled to begin soon. I’m staying busy giving the occasional Bible study at Calvary Chapel Sequim and helping out with yard work and general maintenance here at the base while Cameron is busy homeschooling the kids and keeping the house as organized as possible. We hope everyone’s Easter week was special and safe. Easter was a real blessing for our family as we headed out to Calvary Chapel Poulsbo for their rock’n Resurrection Service and then continued south to my parents’ home on Bainbridge Island. The kids did all the fun Easter stuff that kids do and had a blast with their grandparents. We finished the evening with a really tasty rice and chicken dinner accompanied by a salad packed with veggies and a sweetly dense pound cake dessert drenched with fresh strawberry and raspberry sauce. We rolled our way home and slept great that night. It’s a good thing my belt had extra holes in it!

You may be wondering, “Aren’t they supposed to be in Townsville by now?” Yes, that is true, the intern-staff program was scheduled to start by April 11. However, time was extended a bit due to a longer than expected amount of time the immigration folks took in approving the YWAM Reef to Outback (RTO)program. It has been approved though, and so we’re all scrambling to get our visa paperwork filled out and submitted. Feel free to keep us in prayer on this since they’re requiring a lot of documentation including FBI background checks, proof of international medical insurance, proof of financial support, etc. It can be quite a headache but with the Lord’s provision and the helpful staff at YWAM RTO, we’re getting through it. Cameron and I keep reminding each other, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” That’s just the bureaucratic stuff though. We also have a great deal of personal belongings that need to be sorted to determine what can be trashed, donated, stored, or sold. I must say, it was a real relief to let go of a lot of these things on our initial move from Forks. Our challenge is that we have to do it again. It’s a little more difficult since what we have now, though is not necessarily needful, is what we really value. Nonetheless, it has to be done and thankfully we’ve had friends and family around to help with the kids while we work on it.

Great News! Peggy Murphy has recently been added to our crew. As some of you know, our dear friend Peggy came up to Forks with us back in 02 to plant Calvary Chapel Forks and was a huge blessing to our family, to the church, and to the whole community. Eventually, she felt led to move back down to San Diego for family reasons. Last December while visiting our friends at Calvary Chapel Point Loma, Cameron prayed in her heart for God’s will with possibly stirring Peggy to commit to come with us as a nanny. While we mingled among the congregation, Cameron had a chance to share her desire with Peggy. She immediately said she was interested and that she had already been praying about it! Currently she has been accepted as a Mission Builder with YWAMRTO and is waiting on her visa.

We also received some hopeful news last week as we have had our home up for sale since last September 09 and you have all been so diligently praying for God’s will in it…Drum roll please…It is in escrow and should be closing at the beginning of May! We’re rejoicing and are excited though a little reserved since last time we were a little premature in our celebration. If it goes the distance, we’ll be able to leave for Australia without having to worry about the house and we should have a little more financial freedom which will help with being qualified for our volunteer visa. We were really concerned for the family who was renting our house since they were just getting settled in. Finding a rental in Forks can be difficult, but it only took a couple of days and we heard that they had found a newer home at a better price. What a relief. God is good.

So it seems we’re on the final lap of our journey here in the U.S. but just about to begin another adventure overseas. Thank you again for all of your support, your prayers, and encouragement. We’ve had some real ups and downs through this whole process but have truly felt God holding our hands and leading us along by your prayers. Each of you is vital to us in our efforts to be fruitful in the ministry in Australia. Our hope and prayer is that though we may be separated by thousands of miles of ocean, we will stay near your hearts and minds and remain in close contact with you. We hope that you will not only continue to support us but grow in your excitement and committed partnership in what God is doing through us and in us.

May the Lord richly bless you this month!
Pastor Jeremy and Family

Answers to Prayer:
Last time we asked for prayer for:
­ Provision for our trip to Townsville; airfare, missionary health insurance, visa fees, etc. ►God is faithfully continuing to provide as the needs arise, Awesome!
­ Government acceptance of our visa agreement. ►The YWAM program has been accepted. Now it’s up to us to fill out our paperwork and submit it asap.
­ God’s will and direction with the house in Forks. It continues to be listed for sale and has been shown multiple times but no leads as of yet. ►It’s in escrow and should be sold by the beginning of May!!!
­ Homeschooling help in Townsville. ►Still looking into it.
­ Wisdom and diligence in preparing to move. ►God has provided folks to help and we’re moving right along as quickly as possible.


Prayer Requests:
Choosing the right Missionary Insurance plan
Finishing and submitting visa paperwork
Sorting through the rest of our belongings
Continued provision for insurance, airfare, and monthly support
God’s direction for us in being used exactly where He wants us when we arrive and get to work

UPDATE LETTER 2/10

Greetings once again from the Botkin family, we hope that February has been a safe and fruitful month for you. Temperatures are unseasonably rising as we have experienced a great deal of sunlight in January and February, in contrast to much of the rest of the States as snow is falling right now on the east coast. There are pink and white blossoms appearing on some of the previously slumbering trees around Port Townsend and even some rhododendron bushes beginning to flower. The Olympics in Vancouver, BC are about wrapped up and with them the Discipleship Training School here at YWAM Discovery Bay. The team arrived last Wednesday pretty wiped out but full of exciting stories and experiences from their travels in Asia. All are safe and have deeply grown in their walk with the Lord as they watched Him move powerfully both in and through them. It was a joyful time Saturday as many friends and relatives packed into the chapel classroom to celebrate the graduation and commission of the students and many tears were shed as we listened to their stories and testimonies of how God met them on farms, in schools, orphanages, and leper villages. I must admit that as I watched the slide shows and video, I wished we had been able to go with them, but our outreach is yet to come. It was bittersweet seeing all of our fellow students and friends again after these months apart and then having to let them go again into whatever future God has prepared for them. But, we take consolation knowing that He’s good and will continue the work that He has already begun in and through them and that we will see them again soon whether here or there or in “the air”, as they say.
We continue to abide here in Discovery Bay as we wait for word from the YWAM base in Townsville as to whether our visa has been approved. In the meantime we’re busy homeschooling the kids and transporting them between gymnastic and swim practices. Aubry’s getting more and more limber and can almost do the splits sideways and front and back…Ouch! Also, Ryan, Aubry, and Sean are all getting really comfortable in the water and progressing well through their class levels, a really good thing considering how much water is around Townsville. We’re helping out here at the base as well and are navigating our way through the process of filling out the piles of government travel paperwork and visiting churches to share the vision and grow support. God has been speaking to us more clearly through His word as to what we shall be doing in Australia and encouraging us in this waiting period. We have also been blessed with many visitors. We’ve enjoyed time with family as Cameron’s brother and sister-in-law and two boys visited. Also, Cameron’s Mom, Lois and step-Dad, Ron have visited on a few occasions and just this last weekend we joyously celebrating Sean’s 5th birthday with many friends and family. It seems clear that this waiting period is, in many ways, an opportunity to rest and connect with loved ones from here in the States since when we move those visits will be much more infrequent.
All in all, we are doing quite well and are very optimistic that God is going to continue to open doors for us to travel down under soon. Our most recent departure date has been the first week in April, but with the visa process going as slow as it seems to be it may be a few weeks longer. We would ask that you would continue to pray for us, for Townsville, and for Australia as a nation, especially the youth. God is at work and through your prayers and support I’m certain great things are going to continue to happen in and through us.

Pastor Jeremy and Family

Prayer Requests:

 Provision for our trip to Townsville; airfare, missionary health insurance, visa fees, etc.
 Government acceptance of our visa agreement
 God’s will and direction with the house in Forks. It continues to be listed for sale and has been shown multiple times but no leads as of yet.
 Homeschooling help in Townsville
 Wisdom and diligence in preparing to move