Introducing: Lifehouse Pottery

Amazing how long a new thing takes to really get started.

Eight months ago yesterday was my last day as the Mission business manager. Even before that, the Lord was giving me a vision for something new on the Navajo Reservation. That's grace! While I was still too busy to think or have a life outside the office, God was encouraging me by showing me what lay ahead: LifeHouse Pottery & Arts. It was while I was in Williams, Arizona in May 2013 that I first had the idea for a pottery, and it was about a month earlier that I bought a potters' wheel with part of our tax refund. By August, I recorded fifteen (15) different and specific events that, combined, confirmed to me that this idea for a pottery was not just my longing for earlier days (I spent 20 years working with clay from the 70s to the 90s). Key among these fifteen was the fact that Katrina (my very practical, no-nonsense wife) really believed this idea was from God and not myself.

Now I have carved out a bit of studio space in the back room that serves as a shop and built a shed out my backdoor for my kiln. I have started to revive the old knowledge and abilities of 20+ years ago: I have fired my kiln three times and have thrown my first bowls (with more planned in the next week). This is my personal beginning.

As for the broader idea of a place for Native American artists to create, be healed, grow as Christians, give back to the community, and share what God has done with them to the world -- the how and where is beginning to become clearer. While there is a building on our Mission grounds that I would like to use for the pottery, there is a space in the basement of one of our houses that would be ideal to clean up and use as studio/work space for the community to come to. The space is probably 20 X 50 feet and the whole of one 50-ft side is solid windows, facing the northwest. A group may be coming in June to give it its first cleaning!

A lot more needs to be done. I am going to start on a business plan, and continue to develop things I can make--that can be sold to the public. Thank you for your prayers and gifts. God is going to make this happen!

Steve

I Want to Live Like That

Today we had the funeral service for my friend Monique. I haven't put much about her on the blog but had sent you emails about her death. Her untimely death was hard for all who knew her--and apparently that was a whole lot of us!



Steve guessed that there were about 700 people at her service! For a town of only 21,000 that's a whole lot!

The one thing that I came away thinking is that when I die, I hope everyone that comes to my funeral knows how much I love the Lord. People at Monique's certainly did. The Pastor, in tribute to her, said that he's never seen a more gifted evangelist in his life. Appropriately, when they gave the alter call at least 15 of her friends accepted it.

As I think about her life too though, I realize I don't want to die like she did either: young, struggling, and ultimately defeated. What I mean by that is that I want to live a victorious, overcoming life--a life that shows God's glory in all of His gloriousness. . . a joyful, holy, life where there's victory over sin, forgiveness, compassion, love, and all of the fruits of the Spirit. Not only do I want to live that life, but I want to lead the ladies I work with into that victory as well.

Monique, Me, and Stephanie at the ladies conference recently

For quite some time I've been praying that God would clearly show me what He would have me invest my life into after the kids were grown--James, my baby, only has five more years until he graduates high school, and John and Anna will both be attending a dual enrollment high school/college this coming fall. As I've sought Him, I have come to believe that I should be in ministry to ladies like Monique: ladies who have backgrounds that are HARD and yet. . . .yet, God chooses to bring them to Himself, love them, and shower them with His grace.

Ladies in these type of lifestyles often have a whole lot more to overcome than your typical middle class woman: their role models are often non-existent or bad. Their lifestyle often prevents them from higher education, meaning that money and jobs are often scarce. Men in their life are very seldom in their lives for good, and usually while all too young they have children--sometimes a whole lot of them.

I crave your prayers in the coming days and months as I continue to lead the Set Free ministry, and train and learn how to teach my "girls" about living an overcoming, victorious life. In the fall I will be stepping into more ministry by volunteering at a women's shelter in Gallup part-time.To prepare for this ministry I'm working on being ready to teach money management skills, job skills, parenting skills and more!

Lastly I'd like to add that ministry costs money. Every time I go to Gallup to minister it costs about $20. Prayer letters cost $50. The training classes that I need are seldom held locally and that means travel to Albuquerque, or beyond. Travel to Albuquerque costs a minimum of $100. At this point our support is low enough that Steve is putting out feelers on part-time work. Please continue to pray for us that we'll be lead to those who can support our ministries. There is soooo much work to do, and so few workers!

And, continue to pray for me this coming Thursday as I expect that there will be several new ladies there who desperately need to learn how to walk with the Lord, and ultimately need to learn how to lead an overcoming life!

Katrina