February Monthly Update

Introduction

Today marks day one of our February ministry launch campaign! I have a lot of things I plan to share over the next twenty-eight days, and I am excited for you to hear what we have been working on as well as what OSAL has planned for 2024. Today is also our first ministry update blog! Moving forward, on the first day of each month, I get to share with you the big picture. You will get to hear how God moved in the ministry, our young adults' lives, as well as our successes and defeats. You will also get a chance to hear about the things we are planning and how you can specifically be praying for us.

Last Month

The month of January was full of ups and downs. Starting off with a new year, there were lots of things that we had hoped for and planned that unfortunately didn’t come to fruition. However, the Lord has been faithful through all of it and has continued to show His hand and favor across the ministry as a whole. The most notable of which was the cancellation of my trip down to California to meet with potential financial supporters of the ministry. Towards the end of last year, I was planning on making a trip down to California and hosting an event where I would be able to meet with and present to friends and family as I shared my vision for the ministry, what the Lord has called me to, and ask for their support in it. However, the venues I had planned to use for one reason or another were unable to provide me with the space to do so. Upon hearing this "no,” the Lord immediately reminded me of the time last summer when I received a “no” that I was not expecting.

Blessings In Disguise

In the summer of 2023, I was in the application process to join a missionary fellowship program that would have provided me with the means to collect funds under the cover of a 501(c)(3) non-profit as a missionary. The Lord had clearly asked me to apply to this organization, and after the time I spent leading up to this, I was confident that I would be accepted, and this is the path God had for me. As you can guess, the response from the organization was not the answer I had planned or was expecting. And as a result of being turned down, I had to go back to the drawing board and create a new plan for the ministry moving forward. Because of this, I registered Of Salt and Light LLC, rewrote the ministry’s vision as a whole, and acquired the means to receive financial support internally. This “no” from the missionary fellowship program ended up being a blessing in disguise. If I had gotten accepted, then the vision for OSAL as a whole would never have changed; the scope of the ministry and, subsequently, the people that would have been reached via this ministry would never have happened. With all of this in mind, it stinks to be present in the rejection, especially when you are counting on the yes to come through. But our God is a God who sees and knows more than we can comprehend, and for me, I choose to have peace in knowing He will be faithful regardless of what I cannot see. As Hebrews 11:1 says, faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the reality of things not yet seen.

This Month

As for the month of February, I am so excited for what the Lord has in store. Because I will be posting daily here as well as on our Instagram, I will be brief on what is planned for the month. There are three major things happening this month that I will share for now:

1. 29 Day media campaign

2. My financial needs

3. My rescheduled trip to California

29 Day media campaign

The 29 day media campaign is a series of videos, blogs, and other content pieces I will be creating as the public launch of OSAL to the internet world. My intent and prayer behind it is that I can effectively share this ministry with Christian spheres and churches across the Pacific Northwest, as well as provide an opportunity to go deeper into things such as our vision, what we are currently working on, praise reports of how the Lord is working in the lives of young adults, our financial goals and intentions, exciting new projects we are launching, and so much more. My ask for you is that you would support us in both keeping me, my team, and this ministry in your prayers as well as sharing our Instagram videos with your friends and families. Social media is a powerful tool and is something we at OSAL are ready to use and leverage in our building of the Kingdom of God across the Greater Seattle Area.  

My Financial Needs

Over the next couple weeks, I will be going into detail about OSAL’s financial goals, current spending, and needs, but as for now, I will share what is first and foremost. At the end of November, the Lord answered one of my prayers during a fast and asked me to trust Him to step out of my job and take on this ministry full-time. It was something I was not expecting and, while exciting, was a nervous decision to make. Upon doing so, I had the plan of living off of my current savings until I could have my event in January, expecting that to be the time and place that God would provide the financial support needed for me to pay myself a livable wage as well as cover the current and upcoming costs of the ministry. As I mentioned earlier, the trip in January had to be cancelled, and I was forced to go back to the drawing board. Currently, I have used up all of my savings and do not have the means to pay my bills coming up towards the end of the month and the months prior. However, I continue to trust in the Lord and know that, as He called me to pursue this ministry full-time, He will provide a way to fund me and the ministry as a whole.

My Rescheduled Trip to California

The final point is the rescheduling of my trip to California to meet with potential supporters. Because I cannot secure the facilities to have a multi-person event, I will have to meet with multiple smaller groups as well as individuals one-on-one. I will be driving down to California on the evening of Sunday, the 18th, and arriving back in Washington on Sunday, the 2nd, giving me just under two weeks to meet with as many people as possible. I am excited for the opportunity the Lord has given me to do so and look forward to meeting with you! If you are reading this, then I will most likely, if not already, be reaching out to you to ask for your support through prayer and financial giving.

Prayer Requests

With all of this in mind, I ask that you pray for me; pray that I draw near to the Lord and move only by His guidance and His direction. That any decision I make would not be of my own volition but of the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Pray that as I meet with people, the Lord will soften their hearts and that it will not be me asking for financial support but that through my words, the Lord is asking them and challenging them to faithfully give to this ministry. Pray for me as I continue the work I am doing in the Greater Seattle Area, that the hearts of pastors will be softened as I minister to them and ask them to trust me and what the Lord has called me so that I can partner with them and come alongside them as they shepherd their flocks. And above all else, I ask that you pray for the hearts of the young adults in the Greater Seattle Area. Pray that the Lord will send His Holy Spirit out and move those who feel lost, broken, and abandoned. Pray that those who know Christ will be soft and patient with them and that they will accurately reflect the love of Christ as He first loved them.

Thank You

Thank you for taking your time reading this, and I pray the Lord keep you. I pray the Spirit go before you and behind you, and that He will bind Himself to you through the storms of life. I look forward to the days and weeks ahead and encourage you to reach out to me personally with any thoughts, questions, or words of encouragement!