Dear Friends and Supporters,
Thank you for your ongoing support and prayers! It's always a blessing to be able to share how God has been working over the past few months.
Compassion in Action
Jude 22 has been a special reminder this month: "And of some have compassion, making a difference." This entire passage highlights the necessity of sharing our faith, but verse 22 emphasizes the necessity of true Biblical compassion in our witnessing. This truth was abundantly clear recently. I have several dear friends who have experienced a great deal of loss and grief in recent months. While they know that I am a Christian and that I regularly pray for them, I had not had the opportunity to share the Gospel one-on-one. However, in the past month, all of them allowed me the opportunity to sit down and have a very open discussion with them at their request. Although they did not yet trust Christ, seeds were planted and they are all open to further discussion. One, in particular, stated that just discussing the hope of Heaven was an enormous comfort to them. I am thankful for the friendship and love I have with each of them as I know that this is the best way for them to see Christ's love. Please pray for continued comfort for these dear friends and their faith.
BIMI Candidate School
In early June, I enjoyed a visit to my mission board, BIMI, for their Year 2 Candidate School. We had a busy week of classes, fellowship, and training. While Year 1 School focuses on the introductory process of deputation, Year 2 focuses more on the later stages of deputation
Deputation Travels
While I did not have quite as busy of a meeting schedule the past two months, I enjoyed traveling to Tenessee, Alaska, and Nevada for deputation meetings. The Lord provided safety and smooth itineraries! I am prayerfully waiting to hear back regarding several voting decisions concerning support but am grateful for the opportunity to visit each of these churches. I am thankful to report that my support currently remains at just over 33%.
I enjoyed getting to take part in a VBS in one of the Alaksa churches. It was a true joy getting to see how excited the children were regarding missions--both local as well as global.
"Bind up their Wounds"
A special blessing I am excited to share involves my growth as a nurse. Early this month, I was given the opportunity to take a national exam for my Wound Care Certification (WCC). Prior to this, God allowed me the time to complete the necessary educational requirements and clinical hours in between my deputation meetings. I have been working towards this since last August. An even greater blessing is the scholarship God provided to pay for the associated expenses! This certification will allow me greater opportunities to be of service in my mission field. One of the major concerns of the Amazon is the horrible wounds and skin conditions that often plague the villages. This certification will allow me to provide specialized medical assistance. I am so thankful for all the parallels the Bible gives between physical and spiritual healing such as Psalm 147:3, "He healeth the broken in heart, and
bindeth up their wounds." Although I will be assisting church planters with a variety of their church ministries, I am excited to use my nursing to help bring about greater opportunities for spiritual healing and sharing the Gospel.
Upcoming Months
The month of August and this upcoming Fall will be busy with visits to Texas, Washington, Oklahoma, and Oregon. I am also very excited to be part of another Medical-Missions trip to the Amazon with BIMI. I will be leaving at the end of August and will be away until the second week of September. It is a true blessing to be a part of this trip as this will be the first time our group hosts an outreach in this specific region. We will be partnered with a veteran BIMI missionary and his church. I can't wait to see how God works through this trip!
In Christ,
Sarah Goodman, Psalm 67:2
Prayer Requests:
Safety and health for travel
Deputation Meetings Opportunities--particularly for the winter months
The upcoming Amazon Medical Missions Trip (Aug. 29th-Sept. 7th)