There is some serious awesomeness right around the corner in the Booker world, which you absolutely must know about:

 1. Steve Mickel and Mike Alexander – our American church’s senior and executive pastors – are coming to visit us in Australia next month for a week. This is the first time that anyone from Westside Church leadership has come to visit us and see first hand what we do since I joined YWAM 13 years ago. Hello, groundbreaking. We will host Steve and Mike in our home and show them the ins and outs of what we do on the base and in the community. We are sooooo excited to have them.

2. Ryan and I are taking the whole family… and pastors Steve and Mike up to Papua New Guinea with us on outreach. Again, it will be so wonderful to show our pastors first-hand the work we do with our young people and through our YWAM Medical Ship in PNG. We’re seriously beside ourselves that this is actually happening – a dream come true. Steve and Mike will stay with us in Port Moresby for a few days so that they can see the clinics and how the ship operates and then they will head back home and Ryan and the boys and I will stay and continue our outreach with the Medical Ship.

There has also been some serious awesomeness just passed that would be a shame not to highlight:

1. Adriel’s dad just joined us here in Australia for three weeks as a mission builder as part of the Building Blitz. What is not awesome about that? Nothing.

2. Five others from Adriel’s church in Oregon have come and gone (two are still here!), also as Building Blitz Mission Builders – Gail Gumpert, Jessica Wolfe, Doug and Trevor Hull, and David Metcalf. (Trevor has forever been renamed “Treasure” by Levi – a sweet little name that will surely follow him for the rest of his days.) We have been so blessed by all of these guys coming to serve.

3. Four more have come from Ryan’s church in Sydney as Mission Builders for the Building Blitz: Richard and Sandra Laney, Mike Fordyce, and Laurence Veness. These guys have been such an encouragement to us and we’re beyond grateful for their willingness to serve our ministry, our family, and always get behind what we do. Again, what a blessing.

4. The trip to America for Adriel and the boys was wildly successful – healing, restful, and fun. And just what the Doctor ordered!! (Photos of our adventures here.)

And our awesome prayer requests and present needs:

1. (Urgent) We still need finances for our family outreach to Papua New Guinea in July to the tune of about $2500, which covers our airfares, visas, food, accommodation, and local transportation. (If you can contribute, all the info you need is here.)

2. For wisdom and discernment as Ryan and I plan for the next season and the future of our family and our ministry commitments. We absolutely need your prayer covering right now.

3. Grace as we try and scale a few things back and make sure our priorities are in alignment with God’s best for us.

4. Passion and strategy for the task set before us in the here and now –in work, in parenting, and in marriage.

We thank God for you and all your awesomeness.

As always, we are increasingly grateful for the love and support of you – our friends and family – who make it possible for us to continue in the things we believe God’s called us to. We literally couldn’t do it without your prayer, encouragement, financial support, and care.

Love, Adriel for the Bookers