"Lord, I Need You"

Lord I come, I confess Bowing here I find my rest Without You I fall apart You're the one that guides my heart Lord, I need You, oh I need You Every hour I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more Where grace is found is where You are And where You are Lord I am free Holiness is Christ in me Yes where You are Lord I am free Holiness is Christ in me So teach my song to rise to You When temptation comes my way And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You Jesus You're my hope and stay And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You Jesus You're my hope and stay

Another MK video...

God is good.

I GOT A JOB!!!

After what seems like forever...I finally have a job working part time at Sears! It has been super exciting to see how God has brought this job together. The owner of this particular Sears is a Christian and has a really amazing vision to make Christ known there. I am really glad to have found a job that looks like it will be better then anything I expected.

Things with Pioneers have been going really well! It was exciting to see 5 people go through our Candidate Orientation this past week. Each of these people are super excited about missions and hope to be on the field sometime soon. It was great to be apart of that through speaking in one of the seasons, building relationships with them, and hanging out with two of the kids whose parents were attending.

Lots of other things have been happening as well! Just yesterday we hosted an MK Workshop. It was a great opportunity to have 25 people come out from a variety of different mission organizations to share resources and ideas of how we can be a better help to MKs (missionary kids). We also had a speaker named Michele Phoenix come out and share, which was really helpful! (http://michelephoenix.com/)

I really encourage you to watch this video that Michele put together....

Something that a lot of mission agency in Canada have begun to notice is the big need for MK care. The USA has done a lot through re entry camps and special programs to help MKs. In Canada though we have very little resources, no re entry camps, and not many people devoting time to caring for MKs.

One of the ways we are hoping to be a better help in Canada is by starting up a re entry camp to happen next summer (2013). This will be a way for kids who are going to be entering university or who are in the first or second year, to process their life as an MK, help make their transition to Canada easier, and really be a support and encouragement to them. These camps have been really helpful to MKs who have done them in the US, and it would be great to start one up in Canada!

On a personal note, life has been going a lot better lately! It was encouraging to be able to meet up with my family in Michigan this last weekend. They have recently left Australia and are on their way to Minnesota to work with a mission agency called City Vision.

It is starting to now feel like I actually live here...not quite "home" yet, but it is getting there! I have been really encouraged by the exciting things I have been able to be apart of at Pioneers and also getting a job at Sears! It is hard though after seeing how much need there is to work with MKs and also in the other areas I am involved in at Pioneers, to really wish I could be there full time! At the moment though finances are still really low, so your continued prayer for funds would be really appreciated!

Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement!

PS...I will try and put some pictures up of where I live soon!!

Just keep swimming...

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;  persecuted, but not forsaken;  struck down, but not destroyed;

always carrying in the body the death of Jesus,  so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in

For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 

 So death is at work in us, but life in you”…

“So we do not lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 

 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

2 Corinthians 4

When life is hard… “Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming.” :) You know…for the last three years I have idolized the idea of living in one spot and setting up a place as home, and be able to really invest where I am. Now that I am finally able to do that…it has been a whole lot harder than I thought it would be!

It has been stressful not finding a part time job, finances, making friends, looking for a church…etc. I don’t usually get homesick but lately I have found myself missing so many different things! …Wishing this or that.

I even found myself driving to the  airport down the road at midnight to ease my feeling of homesickness. (Not to go anywhere, just sit in the car park.)

All these things,…but not stoping and truly thanking God for what I do have.  My dad actually sent me the verses above in 2 Cor., which have really challenged me! So often I think my life is all about me. But my life is a “treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not us.”!

My life’s purpose is to reflect the glory of God. I want to be a person who reflects His glory, and does not butt against it. I have been fighting what God is doing in my life, instead of being as clay. And though things have been hard…what encouragement there is in the verses….

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;  persecuted, but not forsaken;  struck down, but not destroyed…”

God is good – in the good time and in the hard times.

Unending Love

There's no silver or gold 
And no treasure untold
That could draw me away from Your heart
Neither love of myself
Or of anyone else will do

Jesus nothing compares 
To this grace that rescues me 
Saviour now and forever 
Your face is all I seek 

Now all I am
I lay at Your feet 
I'm humbled by the wonder of Your majesty 
One thing I know 
I find all I need
In Your unending love 
In Your unending love

Letting go of my pride
I lay down my desires 
Just to worship in Spirit and truth 
More than all of my dreams 
More than fame I will seek You Lord

Jesus nothing compares 
To this grace that rescued me
Saviour now and forever
Your face is all I seek

TCK Video

Update

Dear Friends and Family,

First of all I want to apologize for taking so long to send out an update! Life has been pretty crazy over the past several months! I am hoping now though that things will settle down a bit, and I will be able to send out more regular updates!

Also I want to say a big thank you for your prayers over the past several months! The transition of moving from Australia to the USA and then on to Canada, was rough, but I am so excited to finally be in Canada! I arrived here on March 4^th.  At the beginning I was staying with a family from Pioneers, who were amazing! It was really great to be staying with a family that made me feel so at home.

There have been lots of ups and downs along the way. One of the big dramas was that I somehow lost my citizenship card for Canada when I first arrived! Without this card I was been unable to work, register my card, get a driver’s license or bank account, and many other things! When I inquired about when I would be able to obtain a new card, they said that it used to be 9 months but that they have now shortened it to 6 MONTHS! Well 6 months is way too long for me to wait, so I was pretty frustrated about the whole thing! I sent in all my paper work and also attached a letter of “urgency”, and since then have been praying that someone would have pity on me and send me the card as soon as possible! Well those prayers have been answered!! Only a day after them receiving the paperwork, they processed it all and I had a new card after 3 weeks! Praise God!

Now that I have the card, I have been trying to settle into life here in Canada. I just recently moved into my “own” place. It is a basement “apartment” with a shared kitchen. It is nothing amazing by any means! But I think it will work for the time being. On top of moving, I have also been working on all kinds of practical things for settling in here! Man it sure was a lot easier when my parents did all of this. :).

I have been able to work part time at Pioneers. I have really enjoyed being able to be a part of all that God is doing here! The people in the office have really welcomed me in and have made me feel at home. Pioneers is now in a new office building, and also has a new director, James Kim. It has been nice to be a part of all the transition and feel a part of the team here.  I would really appreciate your prayers as I seek to figure out where God would have me serve specifically within Pioneers. Whether that be more with MKs or with short term missions, and just that God would give me wisdom in balancing the two.

At the moment I am working to connect with some of our MKs who will be transitioning to university this year, as well as connecting with some of our interns who are looking at heading overseas for short term missions. I am super excited about all that God has in store!

Also another HUGE prayer request would be, I am looking for another part time job. I am nowhere near full support, and so because of this I need to be looking for another job. If you are in London, and know of anything, let me know! Really though, I would LOVE to be able to work at Pioneers full time but due to finances I am unable to do so. If any of you would be interested in helping me out financially I would greatly appreciate it! Just send me an email, and I would be glad to pass on the details of how to go about doing that. :)

Thank you so much for your encouragement! During my time in Michigan I was so blown away by the many people that went out of their way to make me feel so loved. It has been a struggle adjusting to life in North America, but I have been really encouraged by the many people that have come behind me in prayer and support.

God Bless,

Victoria Cowan 

Joy.

"For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands."   Psalms 92:4

Joy is a word that God has been challenging me a lot with lately, and actually has been for most of my life. I do not reckon it was any accident that my name is Victoria Joy, but rather God had a real purpose by naming me the name that He did.

One thing that I have been thinking about is how the word contentment is strongly linked with the word joy.  Many years ago during difficult time in my life, God used this verse in Philippians 4 to challenge me in a lot of ways, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity, in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled..” This is the joy that I desire to reflect, a joy that flows from a heart of contentment.

Also yesterday I was thinking about how much I want to come back to that “childlike” joy in Jesus. I want my joy in Christ to ooze out of me!  So often the past few weeks I can slip into “pity party mode” thinking my life is too overwhelming or abnormal. I think that it is okay for me to feel sorry for myself and so I have become “me focused”. But yet what a lie this is!

I have Jesus Christ, the Hope of Glory, indwelling in me! But is it showing?! He has given me joy, all the joy I will ever need, but daily (each moment!) I need to choose to allow Christ to live through me!

Today I choose JOY.

Your prayers would be appreciated!

So somehow the most important paperwork that I own for living in Canada, I lost on my way from immigration to the place where I am staying. (Don't ask how this happened!) It is the only document that I have that proves that I am a citizen, and without this I am unable to work, register my car, get insurance, a drivers license, and I am sure there is other things! To get a replacement certificate it will take 6 months!! There is a high chance they will see the urgency of the situation I am in and send me a document sooner, but there is no way to know. I sent off the paperwork today with a letter attached explaining the urgency. I would REALLY appreciate your prayers right now! Pray that they are able to send me a new certificate as soon as possible!!!

It is good knowing God is in control! :)

Welcome to Canada.

Thanks so much to everyone that was praying that I would have no complications crossing the border into Canada! Everything went real well! Only one slight drama, but God really had His hand on me through the whole process. :) God is good. 

So now I am officially in Canada! :) I still can not wrap my mind around the fact that I am actually here. After 3 years of pretty much living out of a suitcase, and lots of moving around...I get to make this place home! How crazy is that.

Today I already had the opportunity to go to the Pioneers office and be part of prayer and fellowship. This was great to be apart of, and I am real excited to begin working there!

Also, Friday night went real well with the dessert night at Griswold Street Baptist. Thank you so much to everyone who came! It was very encouraging, and I feel very blessed by the many amazing people God has brought into my life. 

6 Days!

In 6 days I am moving to London, Ontario! I have been planning and thinking about this for a year and a half, and now it is finally happening. I find it hard to believe that something that has been talk for so long, is now all happening on Sunday! I am super excited. I would REALLY appreciate your prayers in the next few day especially as I get everything organized to move. The big prayer request is crossing the border with a car and all my stuff. There is a strong possibility that I could be given a real hard time about a few things, so please pray that everything goes smoothly! 

When I first arrive I will be staying with a family from Pioneers, and will continue to until I find a place of my own. The first week or two will be spent organizing details of settling into life in Canada, and then middle of March I will be starting work at Pioneers!

My time in Michigan has gone really well! It has been great reconnecting with family and friends, and being able to share about what God is doing in my life. Thanks so much for being apart of this journey with me!

I want to make much of you, Jesus!

You are Invited…

To come share dessert and hear more about what God has been doing in my life as I head to work in Ontario with Pioneers! 

On Friday, March 2nd at 7:00 pm. 

At Griswold St. Baptist Church

1232 Griswold Street

Port Huron, Michigan

I would love for you to come and be apart of this! Please RSVP asap at victoria.j.cowan@gmail.com. 

Trust.

I just wanted to share something that the Lord has really been challenging me with recently, and that is:

Do I really trust God?

We say we trust God all the time, but how far do I believe this? It seems like God has been trying to teach me to trust Him over and over again and yet it never fully sinks in! I think this is because I trust Him, so that He will change the circumstances I am in, and so maybe God will be pleased that I trust Him and fix everything for me. 

But do I trust Him. Full stop (period)! Not based on if things go good or bad or just in between! But do I fully trust Him no matter what circumstance lies ahead? So that when God blesses me, I can trust Him, when God allows life to be hard, I trust Him. From now on I want to live my life in confidence knowing that God is in control! He knows what is best and has a plan!

I will trust the Lord. FULL STOP.

“Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

At the beginning of this year I heard a sermon on Joshua 14, and choose verse 8 to be my verse for the year:

“Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear, but I followed the Lord my God fully.” Joshua 14:8

I was challenged by this verse because so often I am like the other spies that went into the land and all they saw were GIANTS.  Caleb on the other hand, all he saw was GOD and how God would deliver them. So often I find in my own life that all I see is the big giants in front of me and up head and I lose focus of God. The giants seem too big. But I want to be like a Caleb and be able to say no matter how big the giant that I have to face –

I followed the Lord my God fully. 

45 Hours Later....

After traveling by plane for 45+ hours, I arrived in Michigan! And it is…Freezing!

It has been a big adjustment coming from Australia, and I do not think I have ever had “culture shock” this bad before. Slowly though I am getting used to things here, and trying to get on top of the “list of things to do” that seems to grow every day! :)

I will be in Michigan till March 1^st, and then I will be moving to Ontario, Canada. Between now and March 1^st I am hoping to raise enough funds to at least begin working part time with Pioneers.  Seeing that all my funds may not be there when I first start, I will be looking for a part time job. I would really appreciate your prayers in regards to finding a job! Any of you that live in London area, and have any suggestions I would appreciate hearing from you!

During my time here in Michigan I am catching up with old friends, building new ones, and visiting different churches. If you live in Michigan I would love to catch up you! Feel free to reach me at – 810 985 5328 or email me at victoria.j.cowan@gmail.com!