Following In His Footsteps

This post is put on for Kara by her Mum.
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, 14^th 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),