Erin's Newsletter 15 Feb 2020

PHOTOS WOULD NOT UPLOAD BUT SEND ME YOUR EMAIL FOR A FULL COLOR PHOTO VERSION!

Aloha from the Big Island of Hawaii!

I arrived at Youth With A  Mission’s University of the Nations here at Kailua-Kona on February 4 and went from 15 degrees with snow and icy roads to 80 degrees with crashing waves and swaying palms.  Quite a change . . . 

     

Another vulnerable moment . . . . 

Monday was rough.  Sure, it was rainy and drippy all day (very rare for this part of the Island!) but something didn’t seem right inside.  Why am I here? Did I make the right decision? Will I ever get vision from God for this season of my life?? The questions haunted me, with no answers coming. But then I remembered my first day here, when my Korean roommate whom I had just met, had a word from God to me: “because you have love for God in your heart, you can fall and he will turn your fall into something beautiful (he actually said “into Autumn”, a sweet play on words!). God has given me many words lately to remind me of His great love and care for me in this season. I now know that as long as I want to please God as my main motive, He  will guide me into His perfect plan for my life!  I’m at peace!

Are you actually working yet Foster??

Well, yes, I started Tuesday!  I am a MANAGER in the base coffee cafe!  I thought they would start me out as a cook or cashier, then promote me later.  But at my first meeting with the cafe leader and his manager, they handed me keys to the cafe and the cafe van, then introduced me to all the crew that day as another manager! I was so shocked.  Miranda, my co-manager, said “we have been putting in 60 hours a week and have been praying for someone to come and help us . . . you are that answer to our prayers.” Wow.  Thank you Jesus!

A few God moments to share . . .

He was just another guy sitting in the cafeteria with about 400 other people.  But something told me to talk to him.  “Wow! I like your shirt brah” (Hawaiian for brother) he said.  I had brought a few “Body Piercing Saved My Life” shirts (with the pierced hands of Christ on the back) to give out as God led,  so I offered him one as a gift. Little did I know that Erwin leads a weekly outreach to over 50 teens known simply as “Skate Night at YWAM”.  Over 50 area teens come each week to skate and be loved by Jesus (through Erwin), and this week Erwin used the shirt I had just given him that day to share the Gospel with the teens over the microphone. I think that was a shirt well-given and God knew it all along! 

Rachel works quietly in our cafe, handing coffee out of the express window.  She mentioned to a co-worker that she was  a part of the Family DTS (YWAM’s main discipleship program) and I jumped on the moment to connect as this DTS trains teens to be missionaries alongside their parents. Rachel greatly encouraged me to bring my ideas and expertise to the base leaders on how to minister to the teenage children of the staff members here, saying “we would value your wisdom and experience so much!”.  Stay tuned for how God leads me to share my heart with them! 

As soon as I met her, God told me Sophia (one of my crew) was hurting.  Tuesday I simply asked her why she came to YWAM and she immediately opened her heart and said she had come from a very legalistic and critical family, and had rebelled for many years against God because of it.  But last April, God broke through and broke her heart for Jesus!  She cried tears of joy as she shared with me how God is making her new and how she just wants to live for God with no limits.  Her joy is incredible and her vulnerability is inspiring . . PLUS she is Russian and wants to teach me language!

There is so much more I could share . . . but there’s no more room!God’s faithfulness endures! I have all but my last month’s expenses (about $620) covered by the faith-filled gifts many have given. If you would feel God’s joy in supporting me, no gift is too small, and ways to give are listed here.

To give tax-deductibly for my YWAM housing, make a check to “Clearwater Church*” with memo “YWAM KONA” or online at https://clearwaterfc.org/online-giving/  (choose YWAM)

To help with my other YWAM expenses (airfare, meals, and incidentals):

Cash App: $Fostage

PayPal.Me/Fostage

Venmo: @Erin-Foster-71

• If you are sending a check, Clearwater Church’s Mailing Address is 2700 S Lemay Ave Fort Collins, CO 80525 

Mahalo (Hawaiian Thank you!) for your partnership-Erin

Only One Life . . . Foster is re-joining YWAM!

Welcome to my First Blog ever!  HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

“Only one life, ’twill soon be past! 

Only what’s done for Christ will last”   CT Studd

I started in full-time ministry to teens with YWAM as a Youth Missionary in 1992 and I’m going back to it in 2020!
(but maybe without the mullet shown here!)

Here is one little face I am going to miss!  I will miss YOUR face too!

(My sweet nephew Sebastian just turned 6 years old!)

A few of the HUNDREDS of teens I’ve ministered to over the decades  (and hope to minister to hundreds more!)

      ButFirst - What have I been doing?

I’ve been working steadily since April, both with the US Census Bureau and my school district as a Substitute Teacher and Tutor.  Although teaching in public-school environments is not my calling, on hard days all I have to do is show up at a school and start greeting bright, fresh, teen faces and before I know it I am enjoying engaging students with words of advice and support.  Some teens now call out “FOSTERRRR!” in the hallways when they see me . . . what a joy to be their friend in this season of life!  

A Vulnerable Moment . . . 

Since writing my rough draft for this newsletter, I had a sense of  “something missing”.  I now know it was sharing my heart, not just the facts.  The thought of leaving all those you love and the comforts of home to embark on a new journey has been a bit scary for me. My life here is very comfortable and I find peace and joy being close to my family, friends, and AMAZING church. But in the midst of big changes, God promises to be “home” to us.  Corrie ten Boom constantly traveled and spoke as a missionary for many years, and grew to realize that “home” was wherever she opened her suitcase in the place God had called her to go. Jesus has created a home in our hearts for now and will soon call us to  our ETERNAL home with Him.  What a Day!  So in this, as I move forward into God’s plan, I take comfort.

What a privilege to share the Gospel at Tyler’s Memorial in November. (Tyler gladly accepted Jesus when he was in our youth ministry and is now with Him in Heaven!)

And Now - What WILL I be doing?

God has opened a door for me to serve with Youth With a Mission from February 4 to May 4 2020! (and maybe beyond?). I will be serving at the Kona Hawaii base, mostly in the Banyan Tree Cafe, as a barista/cashier to over 580 students (the Kona Base is also the main University of the Nations Campus), staff, and missionaries from literally all over the globe.  I’m also  going to meet with heads of ministry to see how I can commit to 2 years (or more) in youth-related mission work.  Discipling teens and their families to go to the nations with the Gospel? Loving poor Native Islander teens in after school programs? Teaching English at Summer Camps in creative-access nations?  Pioneering youth groups on YWAM bases? Those are some possibilities! 

As an extra blessing, the Senior Associate Pastor (and former youth pastor of my Lead Pastor - what a church I have!) has championed me and promoted me to become a missionary from Vintage City Church. He is ALSO a regular speaker at the YWAM Kona base where I will be serving!! 

On January 12 at both the 9am and 11am service, the entire congregation of Vintage City Church (over 700 believers strong) will pray for me and send me out to fulfill the Great Commission. I would love to see you there ! 

Visit www.vintagecitychurch.com for directions

In preparing for my mission, faith is required and I would not have it any other way. Tis SO SWEET to trust in Jesus! I just received news this week that my support needs for 3 months in YWAM just went DOWN by over $1,200!  My airfare also came in very low, bringing my support goal to $2,031 by February 4.  But God has given me complete peace about pushing the “go button” and the base is excited to welcome me in 4 weeks!  Thanks for praying I will walk through every open door God provides to see His faithfulness manifest. If you would feel God’s joy in supporting me, no gift is too small, and ways to give are listed here.

If tax-deductions are not needed for you, I am accepting donations at:

www.cash.app/$Fostage

www.PayPal.Me/Fostage

www.venmo.com/Erin-Foster-71

A Missions Account for tax-deductible giving will be opened when I arrive at YWAM Kona in February! Let me know if this is how you want to give.

To learn more about the YWAM base I will serve, click:

https://vimeo.com/157811508

I treasure each of you as valuable partners in ministry-Erin

 “(Global) Missions Exists Because (Global) Worship Does Not”   John Piper