Kara has asked that 'thank you' letters she wrote be included here. I will start with what I wrote to accompany her letters in the 'mail out'
My letter:-
1.11.14
Hi all,
As you will realize this mail out has been a very extended process. For most of the time Kara has
been in the US she hasn’t had internet access and that is especially so over the last 18mths. I did get
the letter she prepared last October in May / June this year but then had to wait for names,
addresses and instructions of other means for people to access the documents and then wait until I
physically had the time to sit down and attend to these matters. During our trip together in the US,
during her spare time, Kara was working on a video / movie type presentation of her time with USA
YWAM. Then after completing it on the last night she was unable to burn it onto the DVD –
something about needing to update the software. There were difficulties doing this to the point
where it is still not on DVD. Hopefully one day this will be available.
Thanks for the support you have and do give Kara as she continues to do what she believes God
wants her to do at this time.
Kindest regards,
Lorna Martin / Beckett
(Kara’s Mum)
Ps I have had trouble getting the pictures to show that Kara had put in her letter. I was able to reinsert the one she had of her and me and the middle one you see below and I have substituted a couple of others that she had.
Monday,
14th of October, 2013
Dear friend,
I just wanted to say a huge
thank you y'all for supporting me through your prayers finances and
correspondence over the past 12 months. It is truly a blessing to know how many
people are still supportive of me (even though I have fallen many times), and
God, and His work and I truly appreciate it!
Most of you know that I first
came to America to obey God in doing YWAM (youth with the mission) at YWAM
Denver, and this was an amazing experience - one which I never expected I would
be doing and came completely out of the blue. Whilst things didn't go the way I
thought it would towards the end, I know (and am starting to see glimpses of)
what God's lessons and intentions were and that it will all fall into His amazing
purpose for my life, the life of others and changing the World, as we know it,
and shaping His Kingdom.
As some of you know, I
am now at Strong Tower (www.urmystrongtower.com),
which is based in Hitchcock, Texas, and have been for the past six months, and
will be, as a student, for at least another six months. This could potentially
lead onto me being here another 6 months to a year.
There is a bigger story about
how I ended up at Strong Tower that I can explain if you would like me too, and
I am only waiting for you to ask, but I also know some of you are probably
wondering, especially after looking up the website, what I am doing at a
"rehabilitation" centre. Let me just say straight up, it is so much
more than that. It is one of God's strong towers... A place to seek refuge in
the midst of our spiritual war we daily live in. Sometimes that war is
identified from the battle wounds and scars on and in our flesh and emotions,
and Strong Tower is a place for those who no longer want to be a victim of the
war but for those who want to be a victor, placed safe, to learn to fight as
The Lord fights. Those who are broken
and hurting and realised that they need a Saviour. They may not realise that that saviour is
Jesus Christ, but they are presented with a safe haven and it is here that they
begin the journey of knowing Jesus as their personal Saviour and who they are
in Him – valuable, worthy, victorious, conquerors… and making Him known.
In short it is a 12
month residential discipleship program for men and women who want to break free
of their problems, whether it is drugs, alcohol, depression, domestic violence,
homelessness, codependency, anger, grief, incarceration, etc. and start living
their life how God destined us to live it – with purpose, not for ourselves,
but for Him.
Inside of that discipleship
program also comes leadership and a multitude of other ships…
So we get our healing from God
and not from medication or therapy and in doing so we learn to trust God with
every aspect of our lives and give Him total control of everything.
In being here though, I was
given a confirmation of my calling, that God had told me in February (at YWAM)
again in May. That God has called me to
be a missionary, conquering the doubt, fear, and confusion that I have allowed
to creep in.
Whilst being at Strong
Tower is not my ideal location, I know it is where God has called me to be for
at least 12 months. It is a character
building stage, like Abram had 25 years before he was at an appropriate
character lever for fathering the nations (Israelites) through Isaac; like
David had over a decade, since his anointing (by Samuel) to be king, before he
was king of the Israelites; like the Apostle Paul had around a decade (from
Jesus calling Paul) to adjust his life and prepare, to walk the path God had
ordained for Him. It’s where God is working on
me, in this season, so that I am at the character needed for the next assigned
mission.
Over the last 6 months I’ve
gone from student, to student intern, back to student again, with my graduation
in May and whilst I don’t know what God has for me after May, I know I am still
to stay at Strong Tower until further notice from God.
So whilst I don’t know my next
steps I am totally thankful for you support and ask, if you can, to continue to
pray for me and my family.
I love y’all a lot and think
and pray for you often. May God bless
you and may you always remember His presence, devotion and love for you.
Lots of love and GBUG (God
Bless U Good),
(Above: Most recent
photo of Mum and I – taken near Houston, May 7th, 2014)
She had then written this letter which I received with the names and other instructions.
