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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

With MUCH Thanksgiving


Hello to Team Awesome from the Hillewaerts in Durango, CO!!!

We write you to tell you our very exciting news concerning our support raising. Thanks to God bringing an amazing team of people to partner with us financially and through prayer, we are at 99% of our goal!!! We only have $42 a month left of our $4,000 budget - Seriously, PRAISE GOD WITH US!!!!

We wanted to take a couple minutes to let you know of God is doing, and to also ask you to pray the last bit our funds will come together before next semester so we can go on campus right at the beginning. We are excited to be going into a new chapter of ministry. God has taught both of us a TON during our time of MPD, but we are also itching to get on campus to do what we have been telling people we're going to do the last few months!

We are also attending the Men's and Women's retreats this weekend, and ask for you to pray for everyone going. At the women's retreat, we're going to be talking about honoring God with their bodies, with their mouths, and also dealing with competition with others/insecurities. All these topics are so needed amongst the girls, and we ask you to pray that the girls who come will learn what God wants them to learn, and also that they will connect together as women to encourage one another. The men includes not only our students, but men from all over the area. The whole retreat is on beating temptation and sin - which is also very needed amongst our men! (Click here to learn more about Men's retreats)

Also another small thing that we would like some prayer for. We are flying out of Denver on December 10th to go on our Honeymoon cruise!! We are super excited to go, have a nice vacation and break from support raising. But we are cutting it a little close with getting into Jacksonville to board... so could you pray that our flights will go smoothly and run on time, and to make sure we actually get on the boat? Thanks!

Seriously, we thank God SO MUCH for all of you!! We couldn't ask for better people behind us and encouraging us in our lives, marriage, and ministry!! And please let us know how we can be praying for YOU as well. =)

With Much Thankfulness,

Malcolm and Leah Hillewaert


Here are pictures from our Thanksgiving this year:


 
 For you bakers out there, I started a baking blog so I could still share recipes I found!
justanotherbakingblogger.blogspot.com


Monday, November 14, 2011

October/November Newsletter


“So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:31-34
Homemade Cupcakes for Malcolm's 24th Birthday!!

Trust 
If there has been one thing that we all have to do, it is to trust God. We’re not called to do what feels right, or called to do a whole lot of things to put us right with God, or anything else. We are suppose to put our faith in God, which is trusting Him from the get go of our relationship with Him.
Then what is our deal then? I (Leah) don’t know about you, but God has been constantly showing me how little I trust Him. With all the traveling, calling, meeting with people, the partnering with people, and the lack of partnering with others, and overall wearing down of my defenses – I admit, I’m really seeing how God is showing me my weak areas of trust in Him. It’s easy to trust when He plops everything in your lap in or before your time frame. But where the rubber really hits the road is when thing you have to chose to trust Him with HIS timing.
The verse that keeps coming to my mind is Psalm 103:14, which says, “…for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” God knows our beginnings. He knows our naturalness to do our own thing, go against His will, and do what we do best – sin.
In my quiet times, I’ve been looking up “mercy” in the Bible, which is the best reminder for me. He is extremely merciful – which I very much need!! God, thank you so much for your mercy! And thank you for pushing my limits… even if I may not enjoy it I’m glad for showing me my weaknesses. Because in my weakness YOU are stronger!!
Students playing Football in the snow at the retreat
 
Retreat

On November 4th- 6th we got to go to the second retreat of the year, which was a spectacular time to get away and interact with the students. I (Malcolm) love retreats because God is always doing cool things in people’s lives, including my own. At this same retreat 4 years ago, God turned my small world upside down with His love, grace and forgiveness.  That retreat will forever remind me of how great God really is.
  This last retreat God showed up in big ways! Three students gave talks about growing, intimacy, and talking to God. Each talk challenged students and staff alike. I walked away from the retreat knowing God is amazingly big. It was good to be flipped upside down again just like the retreat all those years ago. I can't thank and praise him enough for changing me all those years ago, and still changing me today.
That being said that was just what God is doing in my life, let alone the 40 or so other people that were there interacting with the God of the universe!
Jacob (student at FLC) climbing at Golf Wall
 

Love and Encouragement


Before we left for Paonia again, Connect started up Angels and Mortals again, which is known for being a fun and encouraging week for students and staff! We didn’t get to be a part of it this time around since we were leaving, but we got to see and hear some fun stories of the students blessing each other. Here is one story from a student:
“I had a kind of crummy afternoon, and was feeling super down after coming home from the store. I then walked into my room and found it completely decorated head to toe with pink streamers. I then looked at my desk and found it decorated as well with crazy straws and colorful puff. It completely changed my day around and made me thank God for my angel and blessing me when he knew I needed it. It made me smile from the inside out, and the glory goes back to him.”
Last of the fall colors in Durango
 

Prayer Requests


-       We are currently at 88.3% of our goal!! God is definitely showing up and coming through for our need – thank you for your prayers! We’re hoping to be on campus by the beginning of next semester, which is looking possible. So keep praying!!
-       Pray for the students to finish out the school year strong, and also that they will have good times at home over the holidays.  Sometimes students struggle going home because they aren’t in good fellowship and can easily be sucked into their old ways, but God is bigger than their circumstances!
-       Pray for the Denver Christmas Conference which is December 28th- January 2nd. The last couple years we’ve seen a TON of fruit from the students who attend, and we’re excited for another fun and challenging time!!
-       Pray for our marriage as we continue to learn to work as a team and follow God together.