The Sun Still Shines in St. Croix

A Beautiful Mess

We braced ourselves for major devastation and detached interaction due to trauma from the major hurricanes that hit St. Croix a few months ago, but our first week here has revealed some glimmering surprises of hope beneath the gritty debris.

First Impressions:

• We were not the minority on the plane to St. Croix. The island has pushed its tourism invitation to boost the economy, so we have noticed more 'main-landers' here than before.
• The relief effort has been successful in many visible ways with most street lights working, power restored to the base, curfew has been lifted, and gas/ food lines are back to 'normal'. The storm seems to have smashed some buildings with force, while other homes were barely touched.
• There is a fiery resolve in the eyes of those who recall the catastrophe and we are amazed to hear stories of God's faithfulness even in the mess.

Glimmers of Hope

After Trauma Informed courses in preparation for our return to St. Croix, I wondered if I should even ask residents about their personal experience with Hurricane Maria or if it was best to just listen, work, and pray for the healing process to happen (maybe a few art therapy projects could help:) But everywhere we went, people were openly processing with honesty and courage about their situation.

An 11 yr. old on base who had storm flashbacks at the sound of  New Years fireworks asked the base leaders the question everyone was silently wondering, "Why would God allow the hurricane to happen?" Her mom responded with shrugged shoulders to avoid a trite answer, "I don't know, but someday we will".

One of the marks of healthy processing though grief and trauma is to attempt to make sense or meaning of the loss. One neighbor recalled how she and her family (one already dealing with anxiety) laid down in the closet together praying through the night as they watched their roof heave 3" up and down off the frame with the gusts of wind. She claims she found supernatural peace from God that night and she literally beams with gratitude as her family has overcome the constant anxiety they were familiar with before the storm.

Many families had to make the hard decision to send their children stateside for school as many here closed down after Maria. One dad said he was so grateful for the opportunity his daughter had while she was tutored there as she learned valuable tools to overcome her reading challenges , "If THAT is the only good thing that came out of this whole thing it would be worth it!"

One woman we met at the beach shared how the wailing sounds of the storm triggered her veteran husband and ultimately forced him to get the treatment he needed for PTSD that he had been struggling with for years. She is learning to trust God fully as they are separated during his healing process.

Broken Pieces

While so many have found ways to rebuild their homes and lives, there are still many who are left confused and hurting. Many families left during the warning and haven't returned- some may never come back as jobs were lost as well. The Pastor at a local church joked with his congregation while preaching in jeans and a t-shirt (usually in a tie & suit coat) about his tiny tantrum because his dry cleaners STILL haven't reopened. He challenged them to be grateful even when they have to wait in line for 2 hours at the power company to pay their bill, and recognize the comforts we all cling to when under stress.

Even though the storm has created plenty of messes to clean-up, there is something beautiful about people coming together to rebuild.

Our Joy

We have been welcomed back with genuine honor and love here. Our base leader yelled from 30 feet behind the security doors at the airport "The Fishers are here!! The Fishers are here!" and almost tackled us to the ground with her hearty Puerto Rican hug. It has been a transition for sure adjusting to the heat, bugs, and community living, but we feel God's love poured out to us in huge ways.

The boys were excited to help bring home 2 new guard dog puppies for the base the second day we were here. The staff decided to name them Irma and Maria (after the hurricanes) as they have been making monuments for their victories through the storm and moving forward.

It was so good to reunite with some of our old friends from the government housing project and to find that Matt's garbage can he installed on outreach 9 months ago made it through the storm!

We are helping with maintenance, staff intercession times, and base ministries as we prepare for the Northgate Alaska team joining us next week. 

We can't wait to have NGA 'family' visit and work hard together to rebuild his kingdom here. Some of the projects the Alaska team may be working on include: Tearing down the old trailer and hauling it off, rebuilding the base fence, repairing the shower house, cleaning the pool, tree/ branch removal, and installing wood flooring to name a few.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support. When we finally got to the beach Saturday, we all agreed that the challenges here- the centipede in the boys room, the rat the size of a kitten on our stairs- all of it is worth it- to go exactly where God sends us. Thank you for partnering with us. 

Hurricane Relief in St. Croix

"Whatever good things we build end up building us"

 

Here's what's happening:

St. Croix is in need of repair after 2 hurricanes hit the island in September. Our family is going again in January to help with the relief efforts there until March. We are excited about the team from Northgate church that will be rebuilding with us for 2 weeks during that time.

 Here's what we need:

You have been so generous before in supporting our family on mission and we are wondering if you would consider giving to meet our financial needs again as we go in January? Our major costs include:
$2400 for airfare,
$900 for health insurance,
$3500. for mortgage while away, and
$1800. for boarding fees in St. Croix.
We have been saving to meet these costs but need your help as well. If you find yourself in a position to give, we would be SO grateful for your 1-time or monthly commitment until March. You can let us know by replying to this email or giving directly by clicking here. 

                      





                       

Here's what we're hoping for:

* Base missionaries will be encouraged with facilities restored
* Crucians will see the tangible love of Jesus through our service and support
* Renewed faith as the kingdom of God is rebuilt in St. Croix

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

THANK YOU for your prayers!  Matt, Tina, Zane, & Bridger

* Learn more about YWAM base needs here: YWAMSTX

We're HOME.

Ahhhh. There's no place like it.

We've been adjusting to the familiar wild back in Alaska with a remodeled perspective of our small part in the BIG story. It always begins at home - in the many ways we define that place.

THANK YOU.  THANK YOU.  THANK YOU.

Feeling overwhelmed by how incredible this adventure has been for our family, we know that it never would have happened without the support of you, our family and friends, giving generously, praying for us, believing in God's timeless invitation to "Go".

What Now?

Restoring

Maybe the BIG GO was not so much about adventuring into a foreign country as it was about exploring the unknown places in our own hearts- and the uncharted territory between each other. Maybe it was about leaving home to finally find it.

With a renewed hope for our own marriage through inner healing and mentorship while on outreach, Matt and I are committed to pursuing family as our first mission. Sounds cliche I know, but through this process, we've come to understand IT REALLY MATTERS. The condition of my own heart in true communion with Jesus directly affects my ability to love well those around me. So I've got a few writing/painting projects started to deepen my own journey towards wholeness that may be able to help others along the way.

We are also excited to partner with Elias Rain Lodge during the early development stages in Wrangell- St. Elias National Park to host ministries that are focused on healing and restoration.

Matt is hoping to use functional fitness coaching at the Wasilla Teen Challenge home for young men this summer as part of their recovery process as well.

Rebuilding 

We have been enjoying our time reunited with family here. We are excited for the plans God has for  our oldest sons. Ashton is working in Anchorage and dreaming about his next steps. Ethan is planning to work with Matt this summer and begin classes at Mat-Su College this Fall. We are proud of them both as they are asking the hard questions about their future and their significance in the BIG story.

Matt has accepted a managerial position at Northern Utility Services where he worked for 9 years prior to our recent mission. As the company transitions to a new business model, we are so thankful for their Godly leadership that offered a promotion, considered his leave a sabbatical, and are supportive of our goal to return to St. Croix for short-term missions.

What's Next?

The plan for now is to work towards our local mission in restoration, partner with local ministries, and save to go back to St. Croix in January for 2 months as Mission Builders. Matt is hoping to continue to develop and help build the fitness ministry on the base there.  I would like to offer art classes to the kids in the community, especially those who live at the Paradise Mills government housing project that we started building relationships with on outreach.

We would love to catch up with you to hear what God is doing in your own families here in Alaska. He is up to something BIG and it all happens with our simple "yes" to him.

We're staying in St. Croix!
For another month...

It was bittersweet to say good-bye to our team this morning as they head back to Kona for debrief without us. We have treasured our time with this new extension of our 'family' and hope to see them when our paths meet again.

The Fisher crew has decided to stay another month in St. Croix as we are praying about our plans for the future. The base is in immediate need of a new septic system which Matt has offered to design and install along with several other maintenance projects (See photos of our housing and the YWAM base here), we are continuing a marriage study with our mentors here, partnering with local service ministries, and considering the invitation of long term or quarterly service here as the base is in leadership transition.




I wish there was a way to adequately share all the ways we have seen God build his kingdom here in St. Croix (Find out more about island needs here). Our newsletter overview will have to do for now, until we can visit with you in person when we return in mid April.

Celebrating Black History Month

It was an honor to be invited to join the  Martin Luther King parade ceremonies with speakers that shared perspectives on accomplishments and setbacks for their community. An 8-year-old islander recited Dr. King's famous speech, "I Have a Dream" and we shared a moment of silence for fallen community members. We have encountered many residents struggling with fear about recent presidential policies regarding race and government assistance programs they have relied on (Crucians do not have U.S. voting rights as St. Croix is a territory owned by the United States).


 (The Golden Woman of 2016) asked for prayer for God's protection as she works at the local Casino where she has witnessed brawls but is grateful for the income her job has provided.

Paradise Mills Ministry

Long term missionaries here have developed relationships with residents of Paradise Mills government housing community that has become one or our family's highlights of the week. We visit to play games and share circle time devotions with our young friends there. Matt installed a much needed garbage can on new their playground last week.






Some kids seem to find a way into our hearts more quickly than others.







Once a week the Paradise Mills kids are invited to the base for dance, skate, and day camp activities. (Watch video clip here).










Lighthouse Homeless Ministry & Tutoring

We help serve weekly at the Lighthouse mission in downtown Christiansted by leading morning devotions, helping with clothing distribution, and tutoring children after school.




Friends at Lighthouse Mission


Our team also helped set up the Lighthouse Annual Fundraiser Event

Kings Kids Camps

Another highlight for our family was the beach campout with discipleship training for youth in King's Kids.







Basketball & Fitness 

Several times a week, the campus gates are opened to the community for basketball that is a draw for many local young men. The base has vision for more functional fitness in the future and Matt has enjoyed designing the first pull-up bars towards these goals .





Building the Wall

Our team devoted almost an entire week to help rebuild a stone wall for a long-term missionary family. The wall was once part of the original driveway boundary for the entrance to the sugar mill plantation that the base is built on.









Real Life

While most of our time on DTS is devoted to serving others and sharing the love of Jesus in the community, there are so many moments that have built our character and friendships in simple ways through real challenges and surprises like trying to keep a van full of kids quiet or tackling the base pig that got loose and laughing with each other along the way.



We have also been learning how to process our personal growth in many different ways including using simple color and line expressions. (Watch video of blindfolded warm-up activity here).



As we have grown to love our new friends here we are missing home and look forward to sharing life with you all again when we return to Alaska in mid April.

Thank you for your continued support and prayer for our family as we are on mission. We pray for you often as you walk out your own!