August 2025

Catchin' up!

Hello friends and family, I'm back to give my monthly catch-up on how being a missionary is! This month has been filled with visiting family, prayer meetings, my birthday celebration, planning and prepping for fall, and ending my internship! Currently, I am in the middle of transitioning out of the Catalyst Internship, as I graduated on August 28th, and moving into staff! Although I am excited to move into staff, it's a process of trusting the Lord in the change.

In this internship, I learned more direction on where in the mission field the Lord is guiding me and what I want to do. My heart burns for Japan! My heart also burns for prayer and worship. The Lord has opened the doors for me to start facilitating morning prayer sets on Mondays, which has been really sweet! Through facilitating, I've realized my mission. I want to start a house of prayer and worship in Japan, where worship is once given to false gods. I want to see Japanese people come to Jesus and Him receive His Japanese worship as the reward for His suffering.

This is why I am joining the staff. YWAM Lancaster will teach me how to practically do this mission in my life.

I had no idea 5 months ago when I moved that I would call Lancaster home, but I am excited to announce that Lancaster is officially my new home for at least 2 years! As I went through the internship, I found out that this school was the introduction to my new season with a new community. With that being said, I am not ending a season. This is just the beginning of this season.

You might be wondering, "McKenzie, what does transition even look like in this time?"

I'm glad you asked!

Transition looks like moving back to Ohio to stay with my family till I have my monthly supporters locked in and can live on my own with the help of my partners! In September, I will be doing lots of meetings, praying, talking with churches, and working at my mom's coffee shop to help my family! Transition also looks like coming back to Lancaster for a few days for staff training (which I am excited for). Before coming back to YWAM Lancaster, I will do a week of sabbath with my family and focus on my relationship with God more.

Something I've been learning in this transition is to yield. Yielding my wants and desires to Jesus and then, in return, finding that He alone is my desire. Leaving Lancaster and my friends I've made can be sad, then thinking of leaving my family when I go long-term can be hard. But if I remain in a place of yielding, I will find myself desiring the One who is always with me. He is Immanuel, God with us. No matter where I go, He is the only One who will always be by my side. I want to encourage you that no matter where you are in the world or in life, Immanuel is near.

Prayer Points

• Financial monthly partners!

As I join the mission field, I will need monthly partners to join in with me financially. This way, I can focus on spreading the gospel and doing the mission God has assigned me! Pray that God would send the partners He wants me to partner with! Also, pray if it is you!

• Rest!

Pray that as I am in this transition, the Lord would give me supernatural rest and I would grow closer to Him as I work to come back to Lancaster!

• Grace to learn a language!

One of my goals for September is to start learning Japanese. Pray that the Lord would give me the grace to learn this language and even give direction on the most efficient way to do so!

Ways to support me in missions!

Feel called to support me? I have two ways you can do that!

FINANCIALLY

Like I said in my prayer requests, I am praying for monthly partners who will come alongside me and provide a way to take care of the basic needs in life! If you feel called to be one of these partners of mine, the link below will take you to my Aplos account, where you can check the box for recurring giving! If you would like to make a one-time donation, you can hit that same link and give one time!

I would love to chat with you if you have any questions!

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PRAY

The most important way to support me is through prayer! I am building a team of people who will support me in prayer and pray with me as I am in the mission field. If you would like to be a part of this team to take on the responsibility to pray into my mission field personally, I'd love to have you on my team! Click the link below and make an account with WhatsApp. I will give prayer points there!

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