Crazy Week

On Wednesday during class, in middle of the day, our car was broken into. The right rear passenger window was smashed in and they ripped out our dash and stole our CD player. Honestly, we didn't mind that our CD player was stolen it was just a fact that we had to replace the window. We chose not to let the enemy have a stronghold on us and brushed it off our shoulders. We felt like it was a test from God seeing how serious we are about being here. Seeing how much we can handle.

So we finished our teaching on Hearing God's Voice this week. The pastor was very good and we got a lot out of the teaching. The last couple of months Levi kept hearing about people getting there pastoral credentials done and every time he felt a stirring in his heart. On Friday during our intersession time he really felt like God confirmed that. So he plans on getting the workbooks to start working towards his pastoral credentials.

Saturday, Levi and Ron went to a section of town where all they sell is used auto parts to find a window for the Jeep. They bargained and bargained for about four hours until they finally got a good deal. After that on the way home they both were feeling sick but didn't think it was a big deal. Later that night they both had fevers and muscle aches to the point they could barely walk around. This morning they are both feeling better but still have slight fevers so please be praying for their health.

Second day of school!

Today was the second day of classroom. This week the teacher/pastor is teaching on hearing the voice of God. It is really powerful and interesting. Although it sometimes gets hard to concentrate because we are at the other base where the classroom is outside. It is very beautiful being under the "palapa" which looks like a big tiki hut without walls. Sometimes there will be lizards crawling up a wall or unusual noises coming from the neighbors. Levi has been doing extremely well with his ADHD and keeping his focus during distractions. Thank you God for hearing our prayers.

This weekend we went on an adventure to get more comfortable with Monterrey. Ron and his family brought us and the Graf's to a mountain called"Chipinque". It was sort of like a national park with fun activities for families. Picnic areas, playground, and two big concrete slides that you slide down with cardboard. It was hilarious to see Levi with all the kids goofing around on the slides. We had a really nice time there. My favorite part was looking over the outlook and seeing the whole city. Here are some pictures:

Confirmation on Outreach

The second day of class Kelly was having a really hard time with her fear of spiders. The leaders were talking about a short outreach in November where we would go for three days and live in the mountain villages. No running water and most people don't even speak regular Spanish. For the rest of the week we would do other ministry work in a near by town. People have heard of tarantellas and other spiders being in the mountain villages. The enemy was on her heavy with the thoughts that she couldn't do it and shouldn't be on the mission field. It helped when we prayed and casted out the enemy. She has been surprisingly getting better as the days go by.



Today we decided for our outreach phase (which is the last two months of DTS) that we are staying in Mexico. Most of the outreach will be in Cuernavaca and southern cities around Mexico City.



Unfortunately, this year they are doing things different in DTS and only having one place other than Mexico to do an outreach. Usually they have two or three options. This year it was Argentina and Southern Mexico. They presented the options to us and then gave us only 10 minutes to decide. At first we wrote Argentina because we really wanted to go outside of Mexico for our DTS. Months ago YWAM said Spain might be an option and we prayed a lot over the past months about that country. So when we heard it was Argentina, we felt like that was our only option. Then after a few days of uneasy feelings and lots of prayer, we felt Southern Mexico is where we should be. Now we have peace and are excited to see what God has planned.



Thank you everyone for all your support and prayers for us. It means so much to us knowing there are a group of awesome people behind us. It's the most comforting feeling.

Starting DTS

Hey everyone! We just stopped by the base so we could quickly update everyone on how we are doing with our first days in Mexico.

Today was very eventful. We had to get up extra early to get to the 2nd base called "The Quinta" for 8am breakfast. It takes a good 45 minutes because of crazy traffic to get only 11 miles. It was our first day of DTS and it went well. Most of the teaching this week is orientation and the values of YWAM. There are 10 of us in the class so it is pretty intimate. We have been getting to know everyone and it has been really fun.

After lunch we had a tour of the city. First we went to the flag pole looking over the city. It was really cool going back to the place where we had felt the calling in the first place. It was exciting to see that everything worked out and we made it back to Monterrey, God is so awesome!!! Then we walked through the heart of the city called the "Metroplex". This is where all the shops, restuarants and government buildings are. To make it a little more interesting we jumped on the subway and then took a transit bus to the base. It took very long and was quite interesting. Once during the bus ride home the bus doors wouldn't shut. There we two boys standing in front of the door and when they finally pulled it shut it almost got their fingers.

Tonight when we got back to the base the staff had everything decorated and had prepared a nice meal. We listened to Mexican music and played lots of games. We had a great time full of fellowship. We are so exhausted and can't wait to get a good night sleep.

First Days In Monterrey, Mexico!!

Sorry for not keeping everyone updated these past days. Unfortunetly, this is the first time that we had access to the internet. There is internet at the main base but we learned that it is under construction in the boys bunk and bathroom area so we are starting DTS at the 2nd base that's about 45 min drive away. That base does not have internet so we can't communicate as well as we would like these first weeks. We are working on getting internet at Ron's house but that is a little bit of a prcocess. We are finding that everyday in Mexico that nothing is is instant like in America.

On Friday we had smooth sailing through the border. Ron Wilson meet us at McAllen and helped us get our visas and permit for the car. It was very very helpful having him and his family with. After we did the paper work we had to go through different checkpoints and if you get a red light that means they have to search the whole car. Ron got a red light once but had nothing in the car, so thankfully it wasn't us. Driving is very crazy everywhere in Mexico, and the roads don't help either. After we got through the checkpoints we were free and took the cheap route to Monterrey. There is either a toll road for $35 or a bumpy rough road directly next to it for free. Anyways we got to Monterrey safe and sound.

Saturday was unpacking ang getting ourselves situated. We meet the other students at the 2nd base (The Quinta) and meet up with the Graf's as well. It was very nice to see familar faces.

This morning we went to church with Ron and Sandra and the Graf's. It was very welcoming and interesting to see other cultures worship the same God. They even had a very good soup served after service called "Pazole" Sort of like chicken tortilla soup. Tonight we will be having an orientation dinner for DTS.

South Padre Island Anniversary

Yesterday we arrived in South Padre Island around 2pm. The weather channel said it would rain all day but to our surprise it was actually very nice. So we put suits on and headed to the ocean. We had a lot of fun. It was Levi's first time seeing the ocean.

Later on we jumped into the Jeep and drove down the beach about 10 miles! We had even more fun there. It was so beautiful we didn't want the sun to go down. Then we had a nice simple meal at Pirate's Landing.

Today there's not a cloud in the sky! So we plan on relaxing and just having fun before we leave to Mexico tomorrow. We will meet Ron at McAllen and he will help us through the border.

Dan, Houston, and Lone Star*

We had a really nice time with Dan Riley in Huntsville. We went to a a Mexican restaurant and had a little lunch. He showed us around his town and where he goes to college. We were impressed with the beauty of the city. When we left, we didn't realize that we forgot some of Dan's items that Kim gave us to give to him. So we had to wait for him at a rest stop to pick them up. Dan didn't know but we purposely arranged that to see him one last time! ( Haha, joking!)

Wow! What an adventurous evening we had last night!

It all started when we drove through Houston. The driver's and traffic were wild. It didn't help that we were driving right into a dark and eerry storm. The sky was a weird orange color, which I never have seen before. We thought, "Maybe tonight isn't the best night to camp?" So we decided we were just going to drive as far as we could get and find a hotel on the way. After Houston there are only a few larger cities on the way and are all spread out. Everywhere was either not in our price range or booked. Once we looked further than Corpus Christie there were more options. We stayed in Kingsville, Tx at EconoLodge. It was a little scary at times because of the weird noises from above some blood in the bathroom and a drunk man walking by. Next time I think I will spend a little extra money for somewhere nicer and safer.

Right as we were walking into the room, Levi noticed a little critter next to the bushes. It was a baby kitty! She had a little pink collar on and was very nice. We brought her in and gave her some water. We named her Lone Star. She looked skinny and hungry. We remembered that we had a can of tuna in our food bag. She ate like it was thanksgiving dinner. Before we went to bed we decided to set her outside because we had no place for her to go to the bathroom. At 6:30am we woke up to meowing. We left Lone Star in, but she kept jumping around the bed and waking us up. We locked her in the bathroom, but kept us up by meowing. I set her outside and went back to bed. We planned on bringing her to the animal shelter but this morning there was no sign of Lone Star.

We are heading to South Padre, and hope the weather is decent. Weather.com says it will be thunderstoms all today and tomorrow. We pray we will still be able to enjoy our one year anniverary here despite the showers, and no hurricanes!

God we thank you for your presence the whole drive down. We have felt you the entire time even though it has been scary at times. Thank you for keeping us safe.

Hangin' with Uncle Gayle in Dallas

Sunday evening we ended up finding a hotel off the highway in Kansas. It just got too dark to set up a tent. We woke up early the next morning and headed through Oklahoma to Dallas. On the way we had a false alarm with the Jeep. We were trekking along and our Jeep started smoking out of no where. We pulled off the highway and Levi checked it out. Thankfully we had wireless Internet so we could look up information. We found out that it was just the transmission fluid overflow venting because the previous owner overfilled it. It sprayed out onto the exhaust and made smoke, and lots of it. We were relieved that it wasn't anything serious.

We pulled into Dallas around 6:45pm. We stayed with Levi's uncle Gayle, he is super cool and very sweet. He took us out to dinner that night at Texas Roadhouse Grill. The food was amazing and they even give you a big bucket of peanuts. You just drop the shells on the floor. It was a really fun restaurant. He even gave us his big comfy bed to sleep in that night, and slept very well.

This morning he took us out for breakfast at IHOP and then we took off around noon from Dallas. We plan on seeing our good friend Dan Riley in Huntsville, TX in a couple hours. We probably will stop in and have quick lunch with him and then head through Houston to a campground south west of the cities. It's only $5 a night for tents!

One Year Anniversary!

We are finally off to Mexico! Yesterday we left the Hoyt's house around noon. It was such a strange feeling leaving knowing we wouldn't be back for a year. First we stopped at Kelly's sweet Grandma's house in Forest City , Iowa. She had a nice meal ready for us, bless her heart. From there we set off to Moravia, Iowa. Kelly's aunt and uncle live there and have a really cool chopper business right at their house. They took us out to dinner and got us a room at a nice hotel 10 miles from their house. It was nice to relax and reflect on our beginning journey. After a well rested night, we joined them at their local church. It was a nice service and they even acknowledged us and prayed for us up at the front of the church. After lunch at their house we took a tour around the bike shop. Levi was in heaven. Overall we had a great time with my family, it was a good bonding experience.
We just left Moravia, and are heading towards Kansas City. Not to mention it's our one year anniversary today!! Since we left later than planned we are pondering if we should just pay the extra $25 dollars and get a cheap hotel room for the night instead of camping. We are planning on stopping at IHOP (International House Of Prayer) in Kansas City, and than driving another hour to our campsite. If we go by our plans we wouldn't be at our campsite until 9pm at night. So we have to figure something else out. Other than that we have had smooth sailing so far and pray it continues that way!

Thank you God for where you have brought us so far. We feel your hand on us the whole way and pray you continue to guide us.

The last days in MN

Tuesday was our last night at Celebrate Recovery. It's weird to think that we have been a going since were dating. So it would be 4 years this October. We have gotten really close to lots of people there and will miss them very much! Also they were able to uplift our spirits because while running errands this afternoon Levi lost his wallet! It had about $70 in it and all our cards and most important his licence. So pray that we can make it somehow through the border without it.

Wednesday we got lots of things checked off our "to-do" list. We also stopped over the Kirchstien's for the RVC garage sale. The proceeds go to either us or the Graf's so we helped set up and gave our prayer cards. It was fun getting to know more people from church. That night we meet with a nice family from RVC. The Herrera's are such a great help when we need questions answered about Mexico customs. He is from Guadalajara, and gave us lots of tips.

Today we went out to lunch with my dad, sisters and brother. My dad lives in Las Vegas, so I don't see him very often and it was nice the the whole family could get together before we leave. This evening will be our last time at Beyond, so it should be fun! It is so weird having peace because I keep wondering, "why am I not emotional yet?" Levi and I both keep asking each other, "are you sad yet?" We both simply just have peace. It makes sense, because if we were emotional all the time then the enemy could start putting doubts in our minds. So I think God has us protected from emotions right now.

P.S.- Thank you Kim Backes for helping me out with the hair situation! I appreciate your blessing! You're awesome!

Unexpected Blessing

This past weekend went very well. Thankfully we didn't mess up on our words or forgot what we were going to say. We got an encouraging response from every service and that made it a lot more comfortable to be on stage. Being up there is a vulnerable place to be. You don't think about it much while watching the other pastors on weekends but once you feel the heat of the lights and see all the eyes that are watching it can be very intimidating. It was sad that it was our last weekend service at RVC.

Monday Levi and his dad Paul worked all day on making a bike rake for on top of our Jeep. Instead of paying about $200 for a used one or $450 for new, they made it out of wood for about $20. It was so funny seeing it all done. We really look crazy, but hopefully we have time to paint it black this afternoon so it doesn't look to weird.

Last night was such an awesome experience. After Levi was done with his crazy project, we decided to go to our favorite place, Fuddruckers. It is in Edina, right next to Centennial Lakes where we got married. We thought it would be nice to go visit one last time before we left. As we were pulling in we saw a paraplegic in a wheelchair that needed help. So we pulled over and Levi jumped out and helped him pick us a wallet that he dropped in front of him. He told him that his battery on the bottom of his wheelchair was dragging and couldn't figure out what was wrong. So Levi proceeded to examine the wheelchair and after an hour figured out that his struts had completely broken off. We couldn't get anything to work to make it not drag. So finally we put him in our car and trapped his wheelchair to our trunk with a belt and one bungee cord. It was amazing that it didn't fall out! During this hour and a half we learned that he was 36 and was in a car accident t the age of 18. We was a top wrestler at his high school. He was married but divorced. He was a very nice man with a nice family. He went to church every other week. He kept saying thank you.

Once we got to his apartment he told Levi to go into his place and get his manual wheelchair. We got him situated and into his place. He showed us pictures of his family. We gave him our prayer card and told him to check out our site. Once we were saying goodbye he started to cry and said thank you so much for helping me. We told him there's a reason you didn't die in that accident. God has plans for your life and gave him encouragement to keep pushing on. We asked if he needed prayer for anything but said no. That night we were way more blessed than we were able to bless him. God works in the strangest ways. We will never forget that night and the lessons we learned from him.