The Lord is FAITHFUL, Isn't It Great? :D

Hey, guys!

     Well, I just received another $100 today and an AMAZING first check for $735 yesterday! The Lord is so good!! :D I still need about $5000 though, so please pray about partnering with me financially for this school! It's really cool, because one of the things I feel like the Lord has been speaking to me is that I am going to get a couple $1000 checks, and even though the above amount was not quite there, I think it was a little teaser for what's to come! Isn't He so awesome like that? He just continues to build my faith in the most wonderful, stretching ways.
     As I mentioned in one of my previous blog posts, the thing that I am most excited about for this DTS (besides the fact that I feel like I am finally stepping into the Lord's dream for my life, which has happened to just blossom into being my dream for my life, as well) is LEARNING. Not like academically (even though I am excited about that), but Relationally. My whole life I have struggled with relationships even though I LOVE people, due to bullying in elementary school. It really messed me up in feeling like I can trust people or that people really, truly care about being friends with me or that I can do something that is a little out there without feeling like people are going to judge and/or reject me. I have had massive issues with fear of rejection, and, honestly, have been the one to reject first to make sure that I didn't get rejected. It's feels terrible to admit that, but it's the truth. The Lord has been really teaching me about this already, and I feel like I am really coming out of that funk, and moving into how He wants me to be with people. I think this is partially due to going on missions trips, and basically being forced (in a good way) to trust and develop relationships with people, go out on a limb to share Jesus with people, and act in dramas (Which I NEVER would have done or even had a desire to do before that, and now love) and such. Another issue that I've had relationally (due to my very strong-willed, independent personality), is being okay with being under the authority of people that are not that much older than me (less than 5 years, probably). I wouldn't say that I'm a rebellious person, but I do have the tendency to think that I'm right... a lot... (eek!). lol! It's pretty bad, but I think the fact that I actually recognize that is a good thing, and the Lord has really been teaching me a lot in this area, as well. The past 2-4 years have been very humbling years for me, and I can really see the goodness of God in how He's dealt with me and multiple issues in my heart over the past few years. It's been very, VERY difficult, but I can honestly say that I don't regret it. I see myself now and compare me with myself then, and it's a pretty different person.  The Lord has been preparing me for this new chapter in my life, and I can't wait for a lot of the issues in my heart to be addressed during this DTS, and I have no doubt in my mind that they will be. Even though I know it's going to be hard, I'm really excited for the challenge and the opportunity to become an even better person! :D

Anyways, that's my shpeel for the day. :) I love you guys! And I love being able to share this journey with you! Modern technology is just so cool like that!

If you want to partner with me for this DTS, you can donate at this link http://www.gofundme.com/IEDTS or you can write a check to YWAM and send it to me. To receive my mailing address, email me at Illuminatetheworld@hotmail.com or contact me on Facebook.

Thank you so much!!
Rachelle

Email Version of F&F Ireland DTS Missionary Partnership Letter

The Time Has Come

     Well, Friends! The time has come. After 5 years of waiting, it is finally here! This is the year that I am going to do my DTS (Discipleship Training School) in Ireland with YWAM (Youth with a Mission). I have been on 3 missions trips and gone to 6 countries (Spain, Dominican Republic, Germany, Ukraine, England, and Ireland), and now I finally get to step into what I feel I am supposed to do with my life; full-time missions. This is just the beginning, and I am so thrilled to talk to you about this upcoming journey, and to share with you about what the Lord has been speaking to me about Ireland, this beautiful country with a broken heart. I’m going to share a little bit about what the Lord has been speaking to me about, my history with the Lord concerning Ireland, and then I will go into more details about the DTS. 

Me, God, and Ireland

     I have loved Ireland since I was a little girl. I have always loved the accents, the idea of Leprechauns and gold at the end of rainbows, the musicality (singing, dancing, fiddles, and drums), the anti-conformist, adventurous outsiders that they are stereotypically portrayed to be, and the hard-headed, fiery redheads that I thought were really cool (even though the red-heads typically come from Scotland). It all seemed so whimsical and different than every other country and people group I’d heard of. As I grew older, these ideas were pummeled by a sober (and moderately devastating) realization that there were some very serious and deep reasons behind these stereotypes. The Lord started really speaking to me about Ireland in 2008, when I was 12 years old. I had a revelation that maybe my “fascination” with Ireland was actually much deeper than I thought. He really began to speak to me about how He wants to see His Bride united in Ireland, beginning with reconciliation between Protestants and Catholics. Throughout my life, the importance of looking at the root of things has been brought to my attention multiple times. This is where I went with Ireland. I began to research Ireland’s history and how it still reverberates in the present. As I have shown in the “A Little History” section, it is very understandable why Ireland is so split up between Protestantism and Catholicism. They were pulled back and forth, until there were severely divided between these 2 sections of Christianity. They were divided by national obligation and doctrinal differentiation, and they still are. There is so much wounding attached to the prejudice and persecution that has happened to both Protestants and Catholics (mostly at the hand of England), that has led to what I believe to be the Irish trying to medicate the pain of the past with drinking, taking their anger out on each other, but at the same time trying to portray their nation as a nation that is carefree and magical. All of this is due to the pain that has never been healed and the lack of understanding of the love of Jesus. There is a true identity crisis happening in Ireland. They have pretty much been kicked while they’ve been down several times over. A lot of the hurt has been caused by those from the inside, though; whether it’s bad leadership, economic troubles, or feuding. Ireland really needs the Lord to break in and heal them. 

    The Lord also started to speak to me about Ireland’s name, and the name of it’s people. He began to tell me that He does not call Ireland the “land of Ire”. Ire means “Anger caused by a wrong done”. God calls Ireland “Eire” (Air-uh), which was what the indigenous (Celtic) people of Ireland called the place where they lived in their native language (Gaelic). The Lord began to highlight to me the importance of Ireland as a praying people. The Irish people were also called Eireann which, I found, is pronounced the same as Aaron. The name Aaron means “High Mountain, or exalted”. Aaron was also Israel’s first High Priest, which I thought was really interesting, and I knew that was something the Lord was proclaiming over Ireland. He calls Ireland Eire, and the Eireann are His High Priests. He actually inspired me to write a song about Ireland on this exact topic. I really believe that when Ireland becomes united, they are going to be a force to be reckoned with and they are going to be a catalyst to bringing Europe as a whole to salvation. When they realize who they are in God as a people and as individuals, they are going to want to share that with others, and I want to help facilitate that. That’s just in a nutshell what the Lord has been doing. There’s so much in my heart that I could write a book about it. Basically, I feel called to be a full-time missionary to Ireland and the UK to see reconciliation between Protestants and Catholics. This DTS is my propeller.

A Little History:

• Ireland’s first notable evangelization was when St. Patrick came and told the Native Irish about Jesus through Catholicism around 433 A.D.

• Ireland was a pioneer in the Prayer Movement by continuing a House of Prayer in Bangor for 300 years; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They had 800 people who would split up into 4 groups (200 people each group), each taking a 6 hour block every day. This continued from about 580 AD to 824 AD. After 24/7 prayer discontinued, chaos ensued in Ireland.

• In 1536 A.D. King Henry VIII came into power, bringing in Protestantism with force, tearing down monasteries and forbidding Catholicism. His son, King Edward VI, failed to continue his work after he died.

• In 1553 A.D. Queen Mary came into power, bringing back Catholicism, killing anyone who was Protestant. There was strong prejudice against Native Irish (as opposed to Anglo-Irish) at this time.

• In 1558 A.D. Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary’s sister, came into power, bringing back Protestantism and enforcing strong prejudice against Catholics. She introduced the concept of “Plantation” (much like Indian Reservations). 

• Ireland became completely divided between Protestant and Catholic, and many wars were fought because of this schism. This struggle continued until 1916, when The Republic of Ireland finally became free from England. They had relative peace until 1960.

• The Troubles: 1960-1998 was a fierce time of fighting between Irish unionist (loyalist) Protestants (NI) and Irish nationalist Catholics (ROI).

Fire & Fragrance DTS    

     This is another part of this wonderful journey that the Lord has been taking me on. I had been planning on doing my DTS in Ireland in October 2013 for their Fall DTS for 2 or 3 years. I didn’t even know what Fire & Fragrance was until October 2012, and then 3 months later, I learn that they are having a Fire & Fragrance DTS in Ireland, starting in July. Fire & Fragrance’s vision is “to join with what God is already doing all over the world in calling His bride to a fiery devotion to Jesus married to becoming the very fragrance of Christ to the lost.” It is basically the House of Prayer and Missions in one whammy. This is so totally me, and even though I knew that, I was very thrown off when I found out about this DTS. The Lord settled it in my heart a few days later nonetheless, and now I know that this is what I’m supposed to do. Just in case you don’t know, a DTS is a 6 month school that consists of a Lecture Phase and an Outreach Phase. The Lecture phase is 3.5 months long, and is where we are taught about discipleship, leadership, relationship with God, and other teachings that will strengthen us in our walks with God while in missions. During this particular DTS, we will be traveling all around Ireland to different places to hear from different speakers and immediately going out and applying what we’ve learned through local outreach each week during the Lecture Phase. The Outreach Phase is about 2/2.5 months long, and is where we take everything we’ve learned in the Lecture Phase and apply it in the missions field abroad in 1 or 2 other countries; walking in signs and wonders, doing street and relational ministry, helping the poor, and fighting injustice. The countries to which we will be traveling have yet to be determined, but I will let you know when I know. During the Lecture Phase and the Outreach Phase, there will be a definite emphasis on prayer and we may be doing things called BURNs, where we will pray in intervals throughout the day and night for Ireland to create an atmosphere that is welcoming to the Lord. Cliche, but seriously, where the Lord is there is FREEDOM! Woo! Ireland really needs that, folks. Anyways, I am so excited for what God is going to do in my life, and in others’ lives during the DTS. I think it is going to be absolutely amazing.

YWAM Rostrevor, Northern Ireland

The YWAM Rostrevor base in Northern Ireland is where I am going to be doing my DTS. Not only is this base absolutely beautiful with it’s Victorian style, mountains in the background, and Carlingford Lough as the view (as pictured above), but this base and it’s location is very strategic to what the Lord has been speaking to me about His plans for Ireland. The little town of Rostrevor is located half way between Belfast (Northern Ireland’s Capital) and Dublin (Republic of Ireland’s Capital). The base also used to be a Protestant and Catholic Reconciliation Center. I just found out that there is also a BURN 24/7 base in Newry, which is the “big” town outside of Rostrevor (about 5 minutes away) and a House of Prayer in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. This is a very strategic move of God to bring me to this base because it is exactly where I need to be if I end up doing long term missions in Ireland (which I really believe I will be). Woo! I’m so excited!

Ireland’s Current State

Ireland as a whole is currently going through a very turbulent time. They have had a severe economic downfall since 2008, and it has been greatly affecting the lives of many people. A few months ago, I heard that 1 out of every 5 children was starving at the time. Northern Ireland (NI) has also been having some pretty intense rioting between Loyalists (those loyal to Britain) and Nationalists (those who want Northern Ireland to be free from Britain) because the predominantly Nationalist leaders of NI decided to only fly the Union Jack (infamous UK flag) 18 days out of the year, as opposed to year-round along with the Ireland flag. These riots have been going on for about 2 months, and have involved thousands of civilians protesting. Riot police have been present in Belfast for almost the whole time that these riots have been happening due to petrol (gasoline) bombs and missiles (glass bottles and other harmful materials) being thrown at known nationalists and police. NI Protestant Loyalist rioters have also been trying to engage Republic of Ireland (ROI) Catholic Nationalist bystanders into fights. This is currently happening, as reports are coming in about men being arrested for assault of a police officer, riotous behavior, possession of offensive weapon, etc. There is also a massive abortion debate going on in the ROI. Despite this somewhat depressing news that clearly shows that the wounds of the past are yet unhealed, there is also a massive movement of prayer that is rising up in the churches of Ireland. Please continue to pray with me for peace in Ireland!

Prayer Points:

• That I would raise all the money that I need for this DTS, easily. 

• That the Lord would continue to reveal His treasures that are hidden in Ireland to me and the rest of the students and staff in the DTS while we’re preparing for this school. 

• That everyone in the school would get along really well, and that we would all be united in Jesus. That long-lasting friendships would be established.

• That I would get understanding of the direction the Lord wants me to go in after I do my DTS. 

Please, Partner with Me!

Contact Information:

The Organization I am working with is YWAM Rostrevor

YWAM Mailing Address: 44 Shore Rd. Rostrevor, Newry BT34 Co. Down Northern Ireland

Website: www.fireandfragranceireland.com 

My Email: Illuminatetheworld@hotmail.com

My Phone: (925)-658-2947 (Leave a message if I don’t answer, I’ll call you back.)

Please email or Facebook me for my mailing address

All checks can be made payable to YWAM. Please DO NOT put my name in the memo section. 

Please send all checks to my address, so I can send them together, in bulk. 

Donations can also be made to my GOFUNDME account, please go to this link to donate:

 www.gofundme.com/IEDTS or go to my Facebook page, and click on the link there. 

Thank you!

This school is going to cost around $10,000 including tuition, airfare, and other things such as getting a Visa and buying things for the trip. I have a job, so I will be saving for about half of it. What I need to raise is about $6000. Also, if any of you have AIRMILES that you would like to donate for my flight to Ireland, that would be absolutely amazing. I will be sending updates to my partners as I get more information. Everyone will be able to see updates while I’m in Ireland, as well as when I’m raising support on my blog “www.velvetclimbingivy.blogspot.com”. The school is going to be July 14th, 2013-January 17th, 2014. You guys have no idea how much of a fulfillment of a dream this is for me. You guys are storing up such treasures in heaven by partnering with me in what I know the Lord is telling me to do. THANK YOUUUU! :)

Rachelle Butow

Pluggin' Away!

Hey, Guys!
Well, it's week 2 of fund raising for my DTS in Ireland (See previous post) and I'm still waiting for the funds to come in! I'm believing, in faith, that the funds will come in quickly and generously! I am so excited for what the Lord is doing and is going to do, and I'm SO glad that I have wonderful prayer partners and financial partners who are standing with me through it. Thank you to all of you who have supported me in this; prayer partners, financial partners, missions trip staff, teammates, and leaders, friends, family, and everyone in between since I was 12 and beyond, you guys have made such an impact in my life and have gently guided me (by the leading of God) to where I am right now, whether you realized it or not. I love you all.

Please continue to pray for me for the funds! I have no doubt in my mind that they will come in, but partnering with Jesus in intercession is really, really good. :)

If YOU want to donate, you can write a check to YWAM and send it to me (You can get my address from me if you message me on Facebook or email me at Illuminatetheworld@hotmail.com) OR you can donate on my Gofundme page at this link: gofundme.com/IEDTS.

Thank you so much, guys! Me heart is so ecstatic!

Much love,
Rachelle

And It Begins...

Well, folks! The adventure begins with.... 

SUPPORT RAISING! My DTS (Discipleship Training School) in Ireland starts July 14th and ends January 17th! Woohoo! 

To sum it up for those of you who don't know...

A DTS is a 6 month school run by the organization YWAM ( http://ywam.org/index.php/en/About-YWAM )  that consists of a Lecture Phase and an Outreach Phase. The Lecture phase is 3.5 months long, and is where we are taught about discipleship, leadership, relationship with God, and other teachings that will strengthen us in our walks with God while in missions. During this particular DTS, we will be traveling all around Ireland to different places to hear from different speakers and immediately going out and applying what we’ve learned through local outreach each week during the Lecture Phase. The Outreach Phase is about 2/2.5 months long, and is where we take everything we’ve learned in the Lecture Phase and apply it in the missions field abroad in 1 or 2 other countries; walking in signs and wonders, doing street and relational ministry, helping the poor, and fighting injustice. The countries to which we will be traveling have yet to be determined, but I will let you know when I know.
The particular DTS that I am doing is called a Fire & Fragrance DTS...

I didn’t even know what Fire & Fragrance was until October 2012, and then 3 months later, I learn that they are having a Fire & Fragrance DTS in Ireland, starting in July. Fire & Fragrance’s vision is “to join with what God is already doing all over the world in calling His bride to a fiery devotion to Jesus married to becoming the very fragrance of Christ to the lost.” It is basically the House of Prayer and Missions in one whammy. This is so totally me, and even though I knew that, I was very thrown off when I found out about this DTS. The Lord settled it in my heart a few days later nonetheless, and now I know that this is what I’m supposed to do.

I am so excited about this new adventure speeding toward me! I had been planning to start support raising in January, as I have quite a bit of money to raise by July 1st, but now, here I am, heading into March, and just now starting to fund raise! haha! Craziness. It's wonderful, though. One of the things I am MOST excited about this DTS is learning. I think that the Lord is going to teach me so much while I am doing this school. I feel like the last 5 years of my life have been crash course pre-learning for this new season I'm entering and it's going to be fantastic. 

I sealed 25 letters into envelopes last night, and am finishing up the other 25 today! Hopefully, I'll have these babies out by Monday or Tuesday to kick this off! I've already received first fruits ($80!!), though, and that is VERY exciting!

This school is going to cost around $10,000 including tuition, airfare, and other things such as getting a Visa and buying things for the trip. I have a job, so I will be saving for about half of it. What I need to raise is about $6000. Also, if any of you have AIRMILES that you would like to donate for my flight to Ireland, that would be absolutely amazing. I will be sending updates to my partners as I get more information. 

All checks can be made payable to YWAM. Please DO NOT put my name in the memo section. Please send all checks to my address, so I can send them together, in bulk. Donations can also be made to my GOFUNDME account, please go to this link to donate: www.gofundme.com/IEDTS or go to my Facebook page, and click on the link there. To recieve my address, please email me at Illuminatetheworld@hotmail.com

You guys have no idea how much of a fulfillment of a dream this is for me. You guys are storing up such treasures in heaven by partnering with me in what I know the Lord is telling me to do. PRAYER is also very, very greatly appreciated! It is so vital for me to have intercessors backing me through this process. There is often opposition when it comes to these things, and knowing that there are people behind me, holding me up with prayer, is a wonderful feeling! THANK YOUUUU! :)

Love you guys!
Rachelle

November/December Newsletter 2012

Hello, Dear Friends and Family!

     Well, these past 2 months have been packed full and super, super busy, so I thought I would put the 2 months together, since I haven’t had time to write a newsletter until now. God has been MOVING like crazy in my heart, in the hearts of people I’ve been speaking to, and in the church in general. I have very high hopes for this new year, 2013. I think it is going to be a year of breakthrough. That seems very cliche’ but this year has been a year of both trials and new beginnings, and the only thing I can think of that can come out of that is breakthrough. It’s the draw back before the shot, like a sling-shot. I am soooo excited for what this year is going to bring! God is being very faithful to providing something for me to talk about every month for you all (whether it’s an enjoyable lesson or not for me. haha! :P) These past 2 months, the Lord has really been highlighting loving people unconditionally to me. I have had a really hard time with fear of rejection since 4th grade, due to bullying. Since then, I have not been able to truly love those around me, except for the ones whom had been tested and tried for multiple years, and I knew I could trust. These past 2 months (really since October) the Lord has really broken me free of the fear of rejection. I’m learning that it is okay to be rejected, Jesus was rejected HUGELY, but he still loved us anyways. He kept loving us. He didn’t just say, “Well, then, forget you. I’m not going to be friends with you because you hurt my feelings.” He not only “hung out with us”, he DIED for us. That is crazy. Just thought I’d give that little nugget for thought. :)
     Everything is going really great for me, right now. The Lord is doing so much, my job is still great, and my family is doing relatively well, despite the crazy business (which is finally starting to slow down after this week). Thanksgiving was great, and our outreach was so amazing (more on that in a bit)! Christmas was delightful.

     Ministry: As you all know, in November we were preparing for our Thanksgiving Outreach. OH boy. Seriously, it was so amazing. I felt the Lord so intensely through the people who helped us, went with us, and in Round Valley. That Reservation was so impacted by the Lord on November 2oth. We had multiple volunteers who helped us pack all 130 (yes, 130) boxes  of food on our back patio, make fun gift baggies for kids, make bookmarks, put packages together, load the trailers with pies, salad, food boxes, and turkeys, etc the weekend before we left for Round Valley Indian Reservation. We had 27 people who went with us and eventually split us into 5 teams, going to 25 homes each. We touched so many lives in that short amount of time, getting to pray for each of them, and give them the gift of love, friendship, food, and JESUS. We have heard multiple testimonies coming out of that time that have brought us to tears in the wonder of what God is doing in this hidden valley in Mendocino County, CA. He sees the things that we don’t see, and He cares for even the seemingly insignificant. We were blown away by the provision of the Lord and the response we got. Thank you, to all those who were involved! You’re wonderful! In December, before Christmas, we also took some presents that Sanctuary Church in Concord donated to our main contacts in the valley, Julian and Lupe Medel to give to families that are in need. This was a fun time, and something that we will most likely do on a larger scale next year.
     Upcoming: We will be going to Round Valley in February  for a few days to just really spend some time with our friends that we’ve made there. We’ve been feeling the Lord pressing it on our hearts to do this for a while now, and we want to be able to pour some quality time into the new friends that we’ve made there, especially in the past year or so. We also are tentatively looking at having another BURN in Round Valley in August (more information to come soon). And, of course, as I’ve mentioned in all my newsletters, my DTS (Discipleship Training School)!! There have been some new developments on my DTS, and I am now going to be going in July!  I’m going to be taking part in the Fire & Fragrance DTS which is like BURN 24/7 and YWAM put together in one DTS. We will be traveling all around Ireland during the Lecture phase (first 3 months) and doing local outreach in Ireland, along with the lectures. I will then be going abroad to 1 or 2 other countries (locations have yet to be determined) during the Outreach phase (last 3 months). I am going to start officially fund-raising at the end of January/beginning of February. While I am doing my DTS, which will be July 14th- January 17th, I would like to have support coming in monthly. Please pray and ask the Lord if he would like you to be one of those that will support me monthly financially while I am in Ireland, or even leading up to my DTS, as well. I need about $6000 by the first week of July. I am so excited, and I know that this is what the Lord wants me to do! Support letters will be sent out soon! I’d also like to say, that the newsletters will probably be slowing down while I’m support raising, but I’ll try to get them out as much as possible. I will be posting short updates on my blog “Velvetclimbingivy.blogspot.com”. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me at illuminatetheworld@hotmail.com! 

Love you guys

October 2012 Newsletter

Dear Friends and Family, 

    

   I’d like to say right off the bat, sorry that this newsletter is late. I’ve been ridiculously busy. With that said, the Lord is doing a lot right now (isn’t He always?). He’s doing a lot of things in my heart, that’s for sure. Over the past year and a half or so, the Lord has been really speaking to me about the “Renewing of the Mind”. Basically, He’s been really stressing the importance of making sure that my thought life is positive and encouraging towards myself and towards others. This has mainly been strengthened in the area of finance for me. I feel no fear in this area of life because I KNOW that if God wants it to happen, it’ll happen. End of story. But, I’ve been finding that in other areas of my life (the more trivial things) I’m having a really hard time keeping my thoughts positive and trusting towards the Lord. For instance, I have been absolutely terrified about driving. I’ve gotten over that initial “freak out” stage and I’m doing well, but even thinking about doing anything new in driving scares me. I didn’t even think about it until a few days ago that the Lord is King over even the seemingly small things in my life. He is not going to let me die or kill anyone else while I’m driving, as long as I’m listening to Him, and not doing anything stupid, because He’s good and He’s God!  I’ve also been, not stressing, but slightly worried about my school schedule, now that I have a job, and I realize now that as long as I’m being diligent with my time, He’ll make a way, because I know He wanted me to get a job, and I KNOW that He wants me to finish school (with good grades, too!). It’s cool because the there have been 2 men of God that I highly respect, David Sliker and Graham Cooke, who both talked about “Renewing of the Mind” this year! Totally confirming and encouraging. And, of course, I’m missing Ireland like crazy. Every time it’s cloudy and chilly (although the cold there is not so sharp), I just want to go to Ireland right then and there, but alas, I must wait a year, but only a year! Craziness!

     So, onward to other news; my job is LOVELY! I love it so much. The kids are so fun and I’m falling in love with them more and more each time I’m with them. I had been saving up all month for a Macbook Pro and finally ordered it on Friday, but it was coming from New York, so I’m not sure if Hurricane Sandy has delayed it or not, I’ll know if it doesn’t come today. Please continue to pray for the victims of this tragedy and for the volunteer teams going to help! Getting a Macbook was a good investment to me because it’s a reliable computer (I’ve never had a Mac before, always has been PC), and it will be nice to have a reliable computer while I’m doing my DTS (which I’ve mentioned in past newsletters). 

     In Ministry: Our official fund raising for our Thanksgiving Outreach to Round Valley Indian Reservation has begun and we only have 1 more week before our outreach! We will be going to drop off full Thanksgiving meals for 100 families on November 20th, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Any donations of nonperishable food items, especially canned vegetables (corn, green beans, peas, etc), boxed mashed potatoes, canned cranberry sauce, boxed stuffing, and bottled apple cider can be dropped off at Blazing Fire Church in Livermore, Sanctuary Church in Concord, or East Bay Foursquare Church in Danville. We also need to raise about $1000 still for all the perishable food items such as; pies, salad, turkeys, and bread rolls for 100 families of 10-15 people! Please contact us at Singingfeatherministries@gmail.com  or visit our website: Singingfeatherministries.org for more information. Please continue to pray for us while we’re fund raising for this outreach. We usually have a lot of spiritual warfare coming at us while we get ready for this. We will be making a run up to Round Valley before the Thanksgiving outreach to give clothes that we’ve accumulated over the months, as well. Also, as I’ve mentioned before, I am going to be doing my DTS in Rostrevor, Northern Ireland starting approximately in September 2013. This DTS is going to be around $10,000 but since I have a job now, I’ll be able to save about half of that. The other half I will begin to officially support raise for in January. Right now, all I know is that our outreach phase may possibly be in Palestine (if World War III hasn’t broken out, that is. :P). I will let you guys know if any other ministry opportunities come up before or after these 3 things!  I would LOVE to hear from you! Any questions or responses to this newsletter you may have. You can contact me at Illuminatetheworld@hotmail.com. 

Thanks again!!

September 2012 Newsletter

Hello, Dear Friends and Family!

     As this is my 2^nd newsletter, I will try to keep it much shorter than my last one (which I’ve included with this one for some of you, who maybe didn’t get it in my last send-out). My newsletter will typically be less than a page long, but I like to write, so forgive me if it’s long. I’ll get straight to the point…

First of all, I (and everyone around me, it seems) am going through a huge transition phase at the moment. Soon after my August Newsletter, I began to look for a job, as I felt like it was something that the Lord was telling me to do. I have been at the International House of Prayer East Bay since January 2011, and I wasn’t raising enough funds to support myself, or at least to take some of the financial burdens off of my parents. I wanted to be able to do that, but I trusted the Lord to see where He led me. Now, slightly ironically, I feel that my season of being on staff at the International House of Prayer East Bay is coming to a close, and my time to be a working class citizen is coming up. However, I plan to continue to send these letters to those who have supported me in the past and labored with me in prayer for my many endeavors. As I began looking for a job, I knew that I wanted to do something that was personal, and something that I would love. So, I signed up on a babysitting website, and went to 3 or 4 interviews, one of which was a 22 hour nannying position. The other 2 or 3 (I can’t remember, at the moment), were occasional babysitting jobs that were on an “as needed” basis, which is really good. I got 2 of the jobs, as well as the part-time nannying position. I started last week, and I absolutely LOVE it. I babysit for 1.5 year old twins (a boy and a girl) on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. It’s wonderful. One thing that IS a real bummer is that I will be going off of staff at The House of Prayer while I have this job (God can do A LOT in a month), I just can’t do both, and I feel the Lord releasing me to do so.  I will, however, still be totally involved at EGS (Encounter God Service on Thursday nights) and on Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 10am-12pm. To all my amazing supporters through the House of Prayer, thank you SO MUCH! Please consider supporting me as an individual missionary, as I transition into this new time in my life. The amazing thing about this new job is that it allows me to save for more than half of the cost of my DTS! So that brings me to…

     Upcoming things in ministry: As I mentioned in my previous letter, we (my family and a few others) were asking Jesus about whether or not he wanted us to do a reservation tour in Arizona in October. We feel that it is not the right time for it. It may be something that we do in the next year or so, but not in October. ALSO, we have now started to fundraise for the THANKSGIVING OUTREACH IN ROUND VALLEY INDIAN RESERVATION, CA. This is a yearly thing that we, Singing Feather Ministries, do, and we will be feeding 100 families (of approx. 10-15 people) in the Valley. That’s HALF of the residents in Round Valley. They will be getting a full Thanksgiving meal with a 20lb turkey, stuffing, canned cranberry sauce, pantry items, rolls, salad, and pie. Then, of course, my DTS (Discipleship Training School with YWAM), which is coming up in exactly a year! In September 2013, I will be going to Ireland to do a DTS. The total cost of the DTS will be around $6,000 (price has lowered, since I’m now working, and am able to save). Please continue to pray about supporting me for this school, as I will begin officially fundraising in January.
     I’m still working on my website, but once it’s up, you’ll be able to see all my past and upcoming ministry opportunities, and much more!  If you would like to still support me as an individual missionary, please write the check to RACHELLE BUTOW. Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter! If you would like more information about my DTS or if you have any questions at all, please contact me at Illuminatetheworld@hotmail.com, I would love to talk with you! If you would like more information about the Thanksgiving Outreach, please contact Cindy Butow at singingfeatherministries@gmail.com. If you would like to write a check to this organization and/or outreach, please write it to SINGING FEATHER MINISTRIES. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you and God bless!

Happy Autumn!