July 2026 Update: The Doing Should Come from the Being

A Month to Breathe, Refocus & Prepare

July was a good month. March through June was a long and demanding season with our Introduction to Maritime Missions (IMM) school, filled with long days, lots of activity, and plenty of moving parts. So, it has been really wonderful to have a few weeks with a slower pace.

July gave me some much-needed time to rest and recover, while also preparing my heart and energy for everything that is coming this fall.

It has been a similar season for our staff team at YWAM Ships Corpus Christi. After the busyness of our IMM school, we have been able to slow down, reconnect as a team, refocus on what God has called us to do, and spend time working through strategy and plans for the coming months. I am grateful for these quieter seasons because they give us space to make sure we are moving forward together in unity and following God's direction.

Here are a couple of pictures from our July Beach Outreach.

Learning to Rest

One of the things I felt like God was reminding me this month is the importance of resting with Him.

It is so easy for us to get caught up in the doing, the accomplishing, and the achieving. We can become so focused on what we need to get done that we miss what is most important to God. He is far more concerned with who we are becoming and our relationship with Him than He is with how much we can accomplish, even when we are accomplishing things for Him.

That doesn't mean God doesn't have things He wants us to do. He absolutely does. But what we do for Him is meant to flow out of our relationship with Him. The doing should come from the being.

This is a constant challenge for me because I am definitely a "doer." I love a checklist, and I really enjoy checking things off that list! But I can get so focused on the next thing that I forget why I am doing it in the first place.

Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) This month, God has been reminding me, yet again, that I don't have to carry every burden. I don't have to have all the answers or figure out every problem. I can give those things to Him and learn to rest in Him. I can take the time to be still, sit with Him, get to know Him more, and allow Him to work in my life. My job is to listen and then walk in obedience to what He asks me to do.

Matthew 6:33 tells us to "seek first the kingdom of God." That is what I want to keep in front of me: seeking God above all else and trusting that everything else will come in its proper place.

So, that has been part of my journey this month: learning to slow down, be still, and rest with God instead of always feeling like I need to be doing something.

I'm still learning. But I thought I would share the journey in case it is a good reminder for someone else, too. Maybe you need the same reminder I do: the doing can wait. Come sit with Jesus.

Reaching the Islands of the Philippines

One of the families serving with us at YWAM Ships Corpus Christi has spent July, and will continue through August, serving with a ministry team in the Philippines. They have been sending us some incredible reports about what God is doing there, and it has been exciting to watch from afar.

Part of their time has been spent taking boats out to a more remote island where they have been able to spend time with the people living there. Their team has held evangelistic events and other ministry opportunities, built relationships and shared the Gospel with the community.

After one of these events, four people who had responded to the Gospel were baptized!

It is always exciting to see what happens when people are willing to go beyond the easy-to-reach places and make themselves available to God. Please continue to pray for this team as they finish their time in the Philippines this month. Pray for the people they are ministering to, for lasting fruit from their time there, and for God's continued direction and protection.

I've included a few pictures from their time in the Philippines so you can get a glimpse of what God has been doing.

Preparing for a Exciting Fall

While July has been a slower month, things are picking up momentum as we prepare for an exciting fall at YWAM Ships Corpus Christi.

We are working on a couple of fundraising events to help move the vision of YWAM Ships Corpus Christi forward. We are also preparing materials for opportunities to visit churches throughout Southeast Texas and share about the Great Commission, what God is doing around the world, and how churches and individuals can be part of His mission.

There is a lot to prepare, but I am excited about the opportunities ahead and looking forward to seeing how God opens doors.

Go Deeper in God's Word

One of the things I am really excited about this fall is our upcoming Chronological Bible Core Course (CBCC).

The CBCC is a nine-month training program designed to take students deeper into God's Word through in-depth study of different books and sections of the Bible. Our school is designed to be completed part-time, making it possible for students to participate while continuing to work, serve in ministry, or manage other responsibilities.

Students can participate either in person here in Corpus Christi or online. The online format allows students to work through the material on their own timetable, with approximately 12–18 hours each week devoted to class and study.

We already have students preparing to participate in person as well as students joining our online group, and we are praying that God will bring exactly the right people into this school.

If you have completed a DTS and have been thinking about doing a Bible Core Course, I would love to invite you to join us!

Our desire is not simply for students to learn more information about the Bible, but to encounter God through His Word and discover Him in ways they never imagined possible.

Prayer Corner

As we look toward the coming months, I would love for you to join me in praying for several things:

YWAM Ships Corpus Christi

Pray for wisdom and God's direction as we prepare for the fall quarter, especially our fundraising events, church mobilization opportunities, and other ways we can share the vision of reaching isolated communities.

Chronological Bible Core Course

Pray that God would bring the right students and that this nine-month journey would transform their understanding of Scripture and deepen their relationship with Him.

The Philippines

Please continue praying for the family and outreach team serving in the Philippines as they finish their time there. Pray for the people they have met, the new believers, and the lasting fruit of their ministry.

For Me

And, as always, I appreciate your prayers for me. Pray for continued strength, wisdom, and God's provision for all that He has called me to do. He has been incredibly faithful, and it has been exciting to watch Him work in my life in ways I could not have planned myself.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me. Your prayers, encouragement, and partnership truly make a difference!