On August 25,2013 at 12:00 am I was abruptly waken to my wife screaming, "My water just broke!" My blood filled with adrenaline. This was it, my baby was coming. I began running around the house like a mad man. I even ran out to the car and realized I had nothing with me to put into the car! Amanda called the hospital and was told that she could shower and then we could come in. Well her contractions were instantly 5 minutes apart so things were going fast. I finally got control of myself and had the car packed. We got to the hospital, but there wasn't a room ready yet, so we had to wait. Finally the room opened up and we were moved in. By 6:00 am we were holding our little bundle of joy. I got to cut the chord, and I didn't even pass out! Grace Claira Meeuwse arrived weighing 7lbs 1oz, measured 18 3/4 of an inch long, and is cute as a button.
She hadn't even been in my arms for more than a minute and I was being changed! Out of all the names God has for himself like Lord, Jehovah, King of Kings, etc God has chosen one name for us to call Him, "Father"! It hit me that God chose that name to share with me! This is a great honor and a great burden. You see, He shares his name but expects me to be a reflection of Him to my daughter! And after watching Gracie be born I was able to understand God's love for us a little more! Gracie came out screaming, dirty, and needy. But my heart was overwhelmed with love for her that I didn't care about the mess. I changed her diaper, and I have never done that before in my life. This reflects God's love because its not at all what we do that makes God love us but rather He loves us at our most dirty and needy time. He sent His son Jesus to be a gift of life, to wash our filth away, to change our diapers of sin and to put on a clean diaper of His righteousness that cannot be soiled again. He died so we can live forever with our Good Dad. We are all born dirty and un-worthy of love but Grace makes us lovely through Jesus Christ!
I love being a Daddy and pray that I reflect Christ to my family and others!
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
Amanda's Perspective on Helimission
Hello Friend that is reading this. =)
I am writing this to share my experience with Helimission and what God did in my heart when Matt and I visited headquarters.
Matt and I traveled to Switzerland to go to the Candidate Decision Camp in June. Matt had already been to this camp back in 2009 as a single man. Since then so much has changed for him....mainly myself entering the picture! =) He got married and even though I was always on board with mission work and Indonesia, Helimission, as well as Matt and I, thought it would be wise for us to go through this process as a couple. And I am so thankful that we did.
Before the CDC in June I was on board with Helimission, but it was Matt's passion, Matt's goal, and I was going along for the ride. Being able to go to Switzerland and see the passion and absolute love these people have for Jesus and the way their heart is all about helping lost people meet Him changed me. I was able to shake hands with names I had only seen on an email before. I was able to hear the heart of Helimission, and all the staff. What an amazing group of people, they treated us like family from the second we stepped off the train at the station. They all are so on fire for Jesus. Seeing the lives they have an impact on, and how many tribes and people will never see hell because of what Jesus is doing through Helimission was pretty cool for me.
I now can honestly say that Helimission is OUR passion, and OUR goal. Not only am I okay with it, but I am excited about it! That is only something that God could have done. =)
Of course we have a few things we need to do before we go overseas, most importantly is have this little baby girl!!! =) But we are on track and of course we ask for your prayers. Prayers that we would keep Jesus at the center of what we are doing with Helimission, that it is never about us. That God would give us wisdom to make wise choices financially, health wise, baby wise etc, and that His hand will be over this whole thing preparing us and our hearts. Thanks for reading. =)
Can't wait to post pictures of our little girl soon! Just under a month away!
Much love,
Amanda
I am writing this to share my experience with Helimission and what God did in my heart when Matt and I visited headquarters.
Matt and I traveled to Switzerland to go to the Candidate Decision Camp in June. Matt had already been to this camp back in 2009 as a single man. Since then so much has changed for him....mainly myself entering the picture! =) He got married and even though I was always on board with mission work and Indonesia, Helimission, as well as Matt and I, thought it would be wise for us to go through this process as a couple. And I am so thankful that we did.
Before the CDC in June I was on board with Helimission, but it was Matt's passion, Matt's goal, and I was going along for the ride. Being able to go to Switzerland and see the passion and absolute love these people have for Jesus and the way their heart is all about helping lost people meet Him changed me. I was able to shake hands with names I had only seen on an email before. I was able to hear the heart of Helimission, and all the staff. What an amazing group of people, they treated us like family from the second we stepped off the train at the station. They all are so on fire for Jesus. Seeing the lives they have an impact on, and how many tribes and people will never see hell because of what Jesus is doing through Helimission was pretty cool for me.
I now can honestly say that Helimission is OUR passion, and OUR goal. Not only am I okay with it, but I am excited about it! That is only something that God could have done. =)
Of course we have a few things we need to do before we go overseas, most importantly is have this little baby girl!!! =) But we are on track and of course we ask for your prayers. Prayers that we would keep Jesus at the center of what we are doing with Helimission, that it is never about us. That God would give us wisdom to make wise choices financially, health wise, baby wise etc, and that His hand will be over this whole thing preparing us and our hearts. Thanks for reading. =)
Can't wait to post pictures of our little girl soon! Just under a month away!
Much love,
Amanda
Our Trip to Helimission Headquarters
Hello Friends,
I know this update has been a long time coming and do apologize for the delay. Life has been happening quite quickly. Amanda is less than one month away to bringing our little "huckleberry" into this world. We have her room pretty much ready to go and we both are very excited to meet her!
This past June, Amanda and I, flew to Switzerland and traveled to a little town called Trogen. This little town hosts a community of people that have a big heart, and a desire for the Gospel to go to ALL nations. Not only does this community serve the locals in Switzerland, they also serve communities around the world. This place is called Helimission.
Amanda and I got to Trogen a little earlier than most, as Amanda had never been out of the US (except for Canada) and she was seven months pregnant. This was a nice time for us to settle in, get adjusted to the time difference, and to build relationsips with the Tanner family. Over a few days we were introduced to 5 more candidates of Helimisson. We were all there for the same reason...to confirm that this is where God is leading us to use our talents to reach the lost.
God is totally at work in and through the work of Helimission. The leaders are in love with God, and it is evident in how they live. To them, its not about flying, or keeping the aircraft safe, its about relationships that are bent toward the good news of our Savior. The flying and the maintenance is a byproduct of us living on mission and serving our King! Aviation is a tool to get the gospel to people going generations without hope! The helicopter is a means to further God's kingdom into some if the most dark and rejected places on earth.
Amanda and I had a lot of questions going into that one week meeting. It was a time of refreshment getting to know the heart of Helimission, and the love they have for Jesus Christ. At the end of the meeting we had a time of evaluation. Good news, we passed :) Helimission would like Amanda and I to join the team in Wamena, Indonesia. We are hoping to be ready to go January of 2015. In January we would start a semester of Bible college in New York, after which we would move to Indonesia for 6-9 months of language school before getting on the field in Wamena. There is a lot to do in the next year but Amanda and I are excited to be a part of the Helimission team and to use what God has been training us for to serve Him, love people, and to see the Gospel advance!
We'll update you soon on things we need to accomplish, and hopefully let you all meet our little girl!
Please pray for Amanda as she is in the final stages of pregnancy and is getting a bit uncomfortable. Also, pray for a smooth delivery with no complications, but most of all pray that our little girl LOVES Jesus!
We love you all,
The Meeuwse's
I know this update has been a long time coming and do apologize for the delay. Life has been happening quite quickly. Amanda is less than one month away to bringing our little "huckleberry" into this world. We have her room pretty much ready to go and we both are very excited to meet her!
This past June, Amanda and I, flew to Switzerland and traveled to a little town called Trogen. This little town hosts a community of people that have a big heart, and a desire for the Gospel to go to ALL nations. Not only does this community serve the locals in Switzerland, they also serve communities around the world. This place is called Helimission.
Amanda and I got to Trogen a little earlier than most, as Amanda had never been out of the US (except for Canada) and she was seven months pregnant. This was a nice time for us to settle in, get adjusted to the time difference, and to build relationsips with the Tanner family. Over a few days we were introduced to 5 more candidates of Helimisson. We were all there for the same reason...to confirm that this is where God is leading us to use our talents to reach the lost.
God is totally at work in and through the work of Helimission. The leaders are in love with God, and it is evident in how they live. To them, its not about flying, or keeping the aircraft safe, its about relationships that are bent toward the good news of our Savior. The flying and the maintenance is a byproduct of us living on mission and serving our King! Aviation is a tool to get the gospel to people going generations without hope! The helicopter is a means to further God's kingdom into some if the most dark and rejected places on earth.
Amanda and I had a lot of questions going into that one week meeting. It was a time of refreshment getting to know the heart of Helimission, and the love they have for Jesus Christ. At the end of the meeting we had a time of evaluation. Good news, we passed :) Helimission would like Amanda and I to join the team in Wamena, Indonesia. We are hoping to be ready to go January of 2015. In January we would start a semester of Bible college in New York, after which we would move to Indonesia for 6-9 months of language school before getting on the field in Wamena. There is a lot to do in the next year but Amanda and I are excited to be a part of the Helimission team and to use what God has been training us for to serve Him, love people, and to see the Gospel advance!
We'll update you soon on things we need to accomplish, and hopefully let you all meet our little girl!
Please pray for Amanda as she is in the final stages of pregnancy and is getting a bit uncomfortable. Also, pray for a smooth delivery with no complications, but most of all pray that our little girl LOVES Jesus!
We love you all,
The Meeuwse's
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Hello from Trogen
Hello All
Amanda and I have arrived safely into Switzerland. We are adjusting to the time change. We got to travel into Austria on Saturday to do some shopping. It is nice to see this area and how beautiful it is here. We went to church with the Tanner family this morning. It is always so amazing to me to worship with other cultures and in other languages. It is proof that nothing can stop the Good News and that it transcends all borders. Some day every nation tribe and tongue will be worshiping King Jesus together and this morning was an encouragement to us to worship along side faithful brothers and sisters that worship the one true king. We saw baptisms today and heard testimonies of God's work here in Switzerland. He is alive and working in all places.
Tomorrow the rest of the candidates will show up and the CDC will officially start. It is all ready a blessing to be here and to enjoy time of strengthening relationships. We look forward to creating new ones.
Please continue to pray that God will make our direction clear. Also Amanda is not feeling well so pray she can get rested and that she doesn't get sick.
Thank you all for your support and please spread the news that this blog is open for anyone that would like to follow us into foreign missions.
Love you all
The Meeuwse's
Amanda and I have arrived safely into Switzerland. We are adjusting to the time change. We got to travel into Austria on Saturday to do some shopping. It is nice to see this area and how beautiful it is here. We went to church with the Tanner family this morning. It is always so amazing to me to worship with other cultures and in other languages. It is proof that nothing can stop the Good News and that it transcends all borders. Some day every nation tribe and tongue will be worshiping King Jesus together and this morning was an encouragement to us to worship along side faithful brothers and sisters that worship the one true king. We saw baptisms today and heard testimonies of God's work here in Switzerland. He is alive and working in all places.
Tomorrow the rest of the candidates will show up and the CDC will officially start. It is all ready a blessing to be here and to enjoy time of strengthening relationships. We look forward to creating new ones.
Please continue to pray that God will make our direction clear. Also Amanda is not feeling well so pray she can get rested and that she doesn't get sick.
Thank you all for your support and please spread the news that this blog is open for anyone that would like to follow us into foreign missions.
Love you all
The Meeuwse's
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Our Journey to Switzerland
Hello Family and Friends,
We are just hours away from hopping on a plane to travel to Trogen, Switzerland. This is the headquarters of Helimission. Amanda and I have been invited to the "CDC" which is a time for new potential candidates of Helimission to come and meet with the staff of Helimission, to hear the vision and to seek God's guidence in a commitment to join Helimission. This is an exciting day for us as we have seen God open doors over the years of training that we have put into aviation for this purpose, to spread the Good news of Jesus Christ, using the talents that He has given us. We are excited for this opportunity and are looking forward to creating great relationships and getting clear direction for what lies ahead in the next couple years.
This is Amanda's first time out of the US (besides Canada) and she is super excited. It is fun to see her excitement and even though she is 7 months pregnant she is still bubbling with excitement. She hasn't been able to meet with anyone from Helimission yet so this trip will be a great time for her to see what Matt has been training for and to have many questions answered. It will help her have a clearer vision of what Helimission does and will put faces to a lot of the names we see on email too!
We would like to thank those who have generously helped fund the majority of our flight to and from Switzerland. We could not be doing this without the loving support you have given to us.
We ask that you all will come along side of us in prayer as we seek God's will in our lives. We are praying that God will meet us here and create a vision for us, that we get clarification on our possible future with Helimission, that we build good relationships with other candidates, and that we have safe travels (especially for my pregnant wife)!
Thank you all for your prayers and support.
Love,
The Meeuwse's
We are just hours away from hopping on a plane to travel to Trogen, Switzerland. This is the headquarters of Helimission. Amanda and I have been invited to the "CDC" which is a time for new potential candidates of Helimission to come and meet with the staff of Helimission, to hear the vision and to seek God's guidence in a commitment to join Helimission. This is an exciting day for us as we have seen God open doors over the years of training that we have put into aviation for this purpose, to spread the Good news of Jesus Christ, using the talents that He has given us. We are excited for this opportunity and are looking forward to creating great relationships and getting clear direction for what lies ahead in the next couple years.
This is Amanda's first time out of the US (besides Canada) and she is super excited. It is fun to see her excitement and even though she is 7 months pregnant she is still bubbling with excitement. She hasn't been able to meet with anyone from Helimission yet so this trip will be a great time for her to see what Matt has been training for and to have many questions answered. It will help her have a clearer vision of what Helimission does and will put faces to a lot of the names we see on email too!
We would like to thank those who have generously helped fund the majority of our flight to and from Switzerland. We could not be doing this without the loving support you have given to us.
We ask that you all will come along side of us in prayer as we seek God's will in our lives. We are praying that God will meet us here and create a vision for us, that we get clarification on our possible future with Helimission, that we build good relationships with other candidates, and that we have safe travels (especially for my pregnant wife)!
Thank you all for your prayers and support.
Love,
The Meeuwse's
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Hello friends...
We are just figuring out our blog and how we want to set everything up to start raising support to be a part of Helimission. This post will be deleted later, but for now, if you are checking out our site, then that means we have asked you to take a look at it and tell us what you think. =) We want your honest opinion. Spelling corrections? Is something hard to see or read? Does the way we described something not make sense? Just let us know. We want to have it right before we share it with everyone we know. =) Thanks guys.
Love,
Matt and Amanda
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