Trip to Redding & New Job!

Hello Friends,
I have some great news! As many of you know last year after being unemployed for 8 months, in July of 2008 I was hired at Adventist Medical Center in Portland to provide support and coordination for a large construction project they had undertaken. It was a temporary year long position, but I felt that it was the right opportunity and that it would lead to other open doors.

During the past year I have learned a lot about healthcare, hospital operations and construction, which I previously knew nothing about! My boss, who was the Senior Vice President at the time, 4 months into my new job ended up promoting to become the CEO and was unable to continue providing leadership and oversight for the project as he previously had. So I had to step up to take on additional responsibilities from December through the finish of the project at the end of May. It proved the perfect testing ground, as God used it to provide a way for me to demonstrate many of the capacities He has given me, some of which I didn't even know I had. I gained a new interim boss, who also became an amazing advocate for me.

Well, to make a long story short, I have been offered a new, permanent position working as the property manager for the hospital, medical office buildings and our outlying clinics. Its a great opportunity for me to continue to learn, not to mention build relationships with many of the physicians that work with our hospital. I will also be in charge of space planning, and making recommendations for how vacant space is used on the campus, including the hospital itself. (I will even have my own office and an assistant who will support me in my new position!) I am so grateful to be able to continue on at AMC, as this position will open up other doors for me long term.

Another blessing is that I will finally be able to turn loose of my second job!! {Hear the angels singing & dancing? I think I just saw Gabriel bust-a-move!) It has been a long road, but God has rewarded my perseverance and faith and given me an amazing opportunity. My last day as a Starbucks barista will be August 1st, and that will officially mark 4 years and 10 months. That's a lot of mochas and frappucinos people! It has been a good part-time job to have, but I am ready to enjoy my Friday and Saturday nights with my family again. Suffice it to say, we are all so excited for this new season- thank you Jesus!!

Now, on to our next bit of news...

Many of you have been following our updates on Josiah. He continues to grow and develop into a fun-loving, loud, busy little boy. With his upcoming MRI on August 17th, both Dana and I have been prompted to take opportunity to really seek God for a healing miracle on his behalf. Following the doctor's appointments he has already had, it appears that there is no easy solution for the issues with his back. There are many risks with doing any kind of surgery, and risks if there is none. Our neurosurgeon even admitted that he didn't have any clear ideas on how best to address the issues in Josiah's back.

So, after some thinking and prayer, Dana and I have decided to drive down to Bethel Church in Redding, California. We have been familiar with Bethel and Pastor Bill Johnson's faithful work there to raise up a church body that walks in the power of God to see healing miracles come to all people. Over the past years, Bethel Church has seen people healed from cancer, broken limbs, gastrointestinal disease, deafness - there are so many testimonies, we couldn't possibly list them all. Bethel has a ministry of their church called "healing rooms" where anyone who is in need of physical healing can come and be prayed for. Weekly people come to be ministered to in the healing rooms and experience God's healing power in their bodies. We believe that God has made provision for Josiah's healing and are therefore making every effort to get him in an environment where he can experience that healing.

Many of us become familiar with a construction company, or a physician, counselor or pastor, who has developed a reputation because of their skill and talent. People seek them out because of their knowledge, giftedness and wisdom and benefit from it. In the same way, God works through different parts of the Body of Christ who have cultivated wisdom, knowledge and understanding about teaching, evangelism, discipleship and healing. We feel it would be foolish to not take advantage of the wisdom that God has given to this fellowship of believers who have with sincerity and diligence pursued God for wisdom and understanding about how to walk in the supernatural. So Friday morning we are driving down to Redding, California to take Josiah to the healing rooms at Bethel and to attend church services. We will come back Monday evening, so we are doing our best to also make a mini-vacation out of it and have some much needed rest and relaxation for our little family.

Will you join with us in believing God for a supernatural intervention in Josiah's body? The Bible says that all things are possible with God, and scripture gives us example after example that Jesus has not changed- He is the same yesterday, today and forever! Like the woman who had the issue of blood for 13 years and no doctor could heal her of her condition, we are reaching out in faith to our precious Jesus to take hold of His healing power for Josiah. Thank you for your prayers- we will be driving down Friday all day - and back home Monday. Please pray for safety and traveling grace for us, and most of all for the healing miracle we so desire for our little guy. We will post an update next week after we return from our trip!
Love,
Shawn, Dana, Dara and Josiah