Amsterdam, Netherlands

Great Commission Ministries

Trish is working in a hard place, a country that has forgotten their rich spiritual heritage.  It is a country of lovely people whom God loves. 

In August 2009, Trish wrote:

Embracing God’s Grace Seminar Update
I had asked many of you to pray for a seminar called Embracing God’s Grace that we hosted in June.  In a nutshell ... it went wonderfully!  Thank you for praying!

The teaching team (4 of us) learned so much.  I love the process of getting ready for the seminars, which seems just as valuable as the seminar itself.  We meet together several times to pray and discuss the materials to gain deeper insight and understanding as well as to practice the skills and give one another feedback on our teaching.  The teachers did such a great job of adding personal stories, bringing the material to life, and setting a tone of honesty, vulnerability and faith for the whole group.

The seminar participants were blessed in very real ways as well.  One man reported that he stopped using drugs a few days after the seminar.  He said that the seminar played a significant role in helping him hear God’s voice in this area of his life and teaching him how to invite God’s grace, strength and healing power to make this huge life change.  This broke a 27-year-long addiction!  Another man who was very honest — courageously confessing areas of sin and struggle during the small group sessions — reported being relieved of severe lower back pain for the first time in months at the end of the seminar.  Two young women asked to meet with me directly after the seminar to have support as they asked one another’s forgiveness for built-up tensions and frustration with each other.  They lifted their friendship up to God asking for His help to love one another with sincere affection.  So beautiful to witness this.  It brings tears to my eyes as I look back.

The seminars have proven to be a great way to help us all learn and practice how to live out the often simple but incredibly challenging principles and commands in God’s Word.  God encourages us “to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only ...” (James 1:22).  The seminars have also given many of us opportunities to grow as teachers, leaders, and ministers of God’s grace — building our confidence in God as we step out into new territory in faith.  I look forward to the future as we continue to teach these principles and skills and as the love and grace they release sink deeper into the heart of our church.  

On the financial end of things, I need to raise $900 in monthly support to get back to 100% of my goal, which will prepare me for the next season of ministry.  It’s hard to believe that I have been serving in full-time ministry in Amsterdam for six years now. You, my support team, have been so faithful in giving, which has given me the blessing of being able to focus on serving in Amsterdam these past six years.  I know that these are difficult financial times for many.  It is challenging to trust God for the support I need to cover my expenses for this next phase, but I am thankful for the amazing promises that God has given me to hold onto, including this one:  “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:19)

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
Please visit this website ... if you’d like to see a slideshow of some recent photos!