Happy Nearly New Year, everyone.

I've been so anxious to have a means of communication again, as we rarely had internet for the 3 months I was on the base, nor during our two months out of the country. It has been SO difficult not being able to communicate, but I know there was a reason God had me in a season of total solitude. He has required from me such an utter dependence upon Him alone during this time, and it is so clear, as I look back, how necessary that solitude was for my healing. Heading into this season, I knew the Lord was calling me to “return to Him,” but I did not fully understand what that truly required until I arrived and began digging deep into a process of surrender, healing, and

restoration that spanned the entire 5 months I was here. It's so funny to look back over this half -year, and realize that, even though I received some great musical training as a worship leader, God's actual purpose for bringing me here was a total transformation and restoration of my identity.More than any of the music, this was a season of healing. Week after week, I was poured into by various leaders, pastors, and speakers – being counseled, prayed for, and taught by some of the most godly people I have ever met. Not to mention the incredible family I had in my fellow students. We were just 7 – but I have come away with some of the deepest, most precious brothers and sisters I have had in all my life.

During our lecture phase, I was stretched and challenged in my view of nearly every aspect of my faith. We were trained and taught in SO many different areas – from Intimacy with our Father, to the biblical basis of worship,how to lead a worship team, how to record and produce music, and most importantly, how to be fully led by the Holy Spirit in every aspect as we develop a worship ministry.We wrote music every single week, led worship in churches and events in and around Nashville, and received some

amazing training in music studios, vocal lessons, and instruments.

It was an incredible experience that has prepared me for SO much more as I step out into writing music and leading worship wherever God takes me next.

We traveled to Mexico for our last 2 months (we didn't end up going to Spain because of some financial issues – so we remained in Mexico the entire time). Our days were spent working alongside innumerable churches and communities, serving, leading worship, teaching seminars, and spending the majority of our time in personal, and consistent relationships with individuals.God was able to use our team immensely in this currently war-torn country.

We spent many weeks working in Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation centers, praying for healing in hospitals, and feeding the homeless. During some of our other open evenings, we often worked in a place that we named "Death Street." It is known as one of the most dangerous streets in the city, not only for the drug abuse, trafficking, gang violence, and murder, but it is also one of the most highly saturated areas of witchcraft, Satanism and worship of Santa Muerte (Saint Death). It was a risk, but we continued to return (even after a local gang member tried to stop us and tell us it wasn't safe), because our hearts were passionate for the desperate people in this area.

Our months in Mexico were filled with beautiful opportunites to leave a piece of what God poured into us during our school in the lives of these precious people.

I recently flew home to be with my precious family for Christmas, and to spend some time resting as I prepare for the next season of my life. I'm returning as a woman completely transformed by the healing power of my sweet Father, and am anxious to continue walking in all that he has begun in me this year.

If you find time, would you mind praying for this transition phase that I am entering into? I have done it so many times before, but it is never easy returning home after such an intense season of growth and change. Please pray for sweet time with my parents, and for a heightened trust and assurance in the plans that God has waiting for me – even when I can't see them fully. That I will truly be able to receive this time of rest that He has blessed me with, and seek His face every single day, drawing deeper and deeper into the intimacy that He and I have rediscovered during this time. And that my natural desire to plan and know what's to come would be overwhelmed by my confidence and trust that my Father has a perfect plan for my future, and that He is already preparing the way.

I pray for a beautiful transition into this new year for each of you. May it be a season filled with new and magnificent things.

October in Nashville

Good morning, Faithful friends!

I know I haven't been great with my communication lately. Please forgive me for that. We don't have internet here, and hardly ever a cell signal, so I have been out of touch with life for nearly 2 months. School has been totally overwhelming, as our schedule has us running from 7am to about 11pm with barely enough free time to sit down for 5 minutes. We have lectures most of the day, intercession meetings, base-wide worship sessions, work-duties for a few hours every day, and by the time everything winds down at night, we get right back to work on our out-of-class work – papers, song-writing, music theory studies, etc. It is very intense, but SO wonderful.

I have been stretched and challenged

in so many areas in the past few months, and I am now anxiously beginning preparations for our trips to Mexico City and Madrid. God has really been preparing the way for a powerful time of “love ministry” in these places. This is definitely going to be a different trip than many I have taken in the past. There will be a lot less practical ministry – building, teaching, med clinics, etc. - but rather our heart for these months is to invest in personal, love-ministry. Building relationships with the people who are unheard and unloved – sitting down with them and tangibly demonstrating the love of Jesus by investing in their lives. I am SO excited and anxious for the chance to do this – as well as the other opportunities we will have to open doors through our music. It should be an incredible season of experiencing the raw, real heart of Jesus – Love Him and love People.

God has been ROCKING our team and truly bowling us over – binding us together and pouring out his power in order to release us into these nations for this “love ministry” that He has placed on our hearts.

Our outreach is going to be far less about worship than it is about just investing in every one of the lonely, broken people we encounter. There is an incredible refreshing happening in my life – SO much healing has happened during these weeks in my heart, and God is raising me up for something bigger than I ever could have imagined. I want to waste it all on Him and His kingdom – pour out ALL of my oil at his feet ONLY so that He can fill me enough to pour it all out on his beloved lost ones. I am so, SO desperate to see people transformed and revolutionized! My heart is racing, just writing the words. He has transformed me in ways I can't begin to describe.

I have truly begun to walk in the inheritance that I have as his daughter – in this “Sonship” lifestyle where nothing is too much or too great for My Father to lavish upon me. When I ask for the nations – He is going to bring them to me! I am no longer on a hunt for my destiny and calling and purpose – I am walking in each one of them, because my destiny is to be like Christ and to walk in the authority I have as his daughter. All the rest, He is preparing and guiding every step -revealing a little bit more every day. I am so incredibly and completely SATISFIED in Him.

Again, please forgive me for not having the means to better communicate during this season. We truly have been without all forms of communication and technology since I arrived. But I trusted in the Lord, all the same, that He was caring for and providing for each of you during this time, just as he has been for me. And as I depart for Mexico City this coming Thursday, the 7^th, I will continue to entrust each one of you into the hands of our Father.

Would you please pray for safety for our team? We will be driving to Mexico, traveling non-stop for 5 straight days, and it is likely that we will encounter many different law officials and border control who are often very corrupt. Pray for divine protection and swiftness as we trust God to get us to our destination, so we can begin to love on the precious people of Mexico City. We will be returning to the U.S. In early November, and immediately flying to Madrid. Please join me as I continue to trust in God's financial provision, as I am leaving the country with only half of the money I need to survive. But my trust has not and will not waver – knowing that my Father is a God of miracles, and since He has asked me to go to these nations out of His brokenness for the hurting, I am more than sure that He will pay my way.

I am so very thankful for each one of you, and it would bless me so much to hear from you, if you have a chance. I am praying that we will find occasional internet access in Mexico and Spain, but if, for some reason, you do not receive a response from me, it is because I have not yet been able to find a connection. Just know that my prayers for you will not be interrupted. Thank you for standing with me and supporting the work that God has asked me to do as I find my heart breaking for the things that break His heart.

I pray that you have a beautiful rest of your day, and I look forward to hearing from you!

His,

Katie

Hello Sweet Ones,

I want to give you a brief update on some big changes in my life. Over the past 5 months, God has not taken me out of the wilderness (as I had hoped he would) but has actually asked me to step deeper into the desert. After many confusing and painful months of fasting and separation, God has made it clear to Esteban and myself that this is not HIS time for us to begin a marriage. He has asked many things of each of us, and as painful as it is to our human hearts, we have chosen to obey and walk this difficult path that the Lord is calling us to. Above all else, we are HIS. We do not belong to each other, and so, when God asked us to surrender our plans and desires and devote a season of our lives to seeking and serving Him alone, we said yes. We trust in the sovereignty of our mighty God, and stand secure, knowing that He is only continuing to prepare our hearts for the grand future He has in store for each of us.

God has opened the door to an exciting new season of opportunity and growth for me as I have sought his direction these past few months. I have been accepted into YWAM's School of Worship in Nashville, Tennessee, beginning July 11th. The School of Worship is a 5 month, encounter-driven training course that is set on knowing the Spirit of Truth so that we can worship Him in spirit and truth. As we come to encounter Him in a real and intimate way, both corporately and individually, we behold His glory(his ultimate beauty and magnificence) and therefore are transformed from one glorious state to another. We also learn from the biblical history of worship to get the foundations and then work with the Lord for new revelation on how to use those foundations in todays church, and world.

Jesus said in Matthew 22 that the greatest commandment is to “first, love God with all your heart, soul, and mind; and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself.” We see worship and missions as the marriage of the first and second commandment to obey the greatest commandment Jesus gave us. We also recognize that He had an order to that commandment and that loving God comes first with love-driven ministry following.

In this school as we are trained to minister to the Lord and love Him with all we have, we will be filled with His Spirit and sent by Him to our neighbors in spiritual and practical ways. We will minister on outreach every week in Nashville after lectures to give away these truths in power to a lost and blind world. We also engage on an 8 week foreign outreach after the 12 week lecture phase to take the life we receive from worship and bring healing and restoration to the nations. (Rev. 22:1-2)

I am SO excited and blessed to have been accepted into this life-changing school. I know that God is asking me to continue walking in the grand calling he has given me to love him and take his love to the nations, and that is exactly what he is allowing me to do in this new season.

Thank you for allowing me to share my heart and circumstances with you
(even in the most painful of times) and to call on you for your support in both prayer and finances. Your prayers are the greatest gift you can give. Please also let me know how I can pray for you! I will be sending out frequent updates upon my arrival in Nashville, as well as throughout our travels overseas. Thank you, with all my heart, for walking with me through the trials and adventures God has set before me. He is my life, and I will give everything in me to glorify him and take his hope and healing to the ends of the earth.

"You were wearied with the length of your way, but you did not say 'it is hopeless'; you found NEW LIFE for your strength, and so you were not faint." -Isaiah 57:10

Faithfully and Forever HIS,

Katie

My dear family and friends,

Greetings from Montevideo!

After several JAM-PACKED months of life and ministry here in Uruguay, I finally have the opportunity to update you on all that has happened and all that the Lord is doing in this beautiful country!

LA MISSION – ATLANTIDA

The missions school that I am helping at here in the costal city of Atlantida has been absolutely bursting with activity over the past few months. The Lord has been moving and bringing about huge, powerful changes in the lives of each of our students, as they spend a significant part of each day in pure discipleship. They are learning to truly listen to the voice of God, and that has taken them to incredible new levels in their relationship and intimacy with Him. It’s been such a joy to share in that process – to journey with these passionate youth as they fall more in love with their Savior, and at the same time, are being trained and equipped with the tools and skills to be sent out and develop ministries of their own! God has also burdened a few of our students with a burning passion and call to overseas missions, which, as you can imagine, thrills me beyond belief! I’ve been able to encourage and pray with one student, in particular, who is now pursuing a future in missions and learning how to be obedient to the call God has given her … she is 13 years old!

When the students finish their classes and discipleship, they spend the rest of the day preparing for ministry. God blessed me with the opportunity to teach them dramas and choreographies for our evangelistic ministry, which are then taken to the streets, to churches, and right down to the beach. We also developed some awesome children’s programs that are done throughout our city and taken out on the mission field, as well as weekly service in local Assisted Living homes.

In April, a large team of American youth arrived to spend a week serving here in Uruguay, where I worked as a translator. The team was a huge blessing to this country and a great encouragement to the church here as well.

We recently returned from our second outreach trip to the interior of the country and Brazil, and WOW – God did HUGE things! We spent a lot of time ministering specifically to the Pastoral family of the church we were partnering with, as they find themselves incredibly alone and in need of support and love. We brought a Circus to the children of the town, complete with fire-juggling, unicycling, and some amazing Bible story re-enactments, and saw more then 30 children give their lives to Christ! One of my fellow leaders and myself were able to encourage and support the worship ministry of the church, and, through the street evangelism and dramas, numerous youth living on the streets accept Christ as well! Both trips were fantastic, and gave the students some awesome first experiences in missions.

La Mission was also asked to participate in a massive event in Montevideo for the World Day of Prayer at the end of May. The students performed a powerful, live-painting drama, and I was blessed with the opportunity to lead worship for more than a thousand people. This was yet another awesome chance to bring La Mission’s unique talents and ministries to the people of Uruguay, and God blessed it immensely!

We are now in our last 2 weeks of the students’ 6-month school, and will be busy until the very last day. Myself and two other leaders have just been called, last minute, to serve as translators/interpreters for a large missions team from the U.S. that arrived two days ago. We will be assisting in medical clinics and translating during their weeks of service projects and evangelism. On the 5th of July, our students will graduate, and each will then be heading back to their homes – some to the interior of Uruguay, others to the Unites States.

Thank you SO much for your support, letters, and constant prayer. It truly has been sustaining me here. I love you all SO very much, and look forward to seeing many of you soon!


His,
Katie

“Now to Him who is able to do FAR MORE abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen!” ~Eph. 3:20-21