News from the Marshalls – November 2024
2+ years of paperwork culminated in a sudden trip to Denver, Colorado in November. Now, Mary is a U.S. citizen. Thank you for covering this entire process in your prayers!
Having U.S. citizenship is a big step for our overseas ministry. Mary is now free to serve in Ukraine long-term without being required to return to the States annually.
Mary writes:
Many pieces came together for this to happen and that is how we can testify that God was the One making it happen! I want to reflect on the latest experience of this 2-year journey.
I was getting closer to the “no-flight” weeks of pregnancy when I received my invitation to the naturalization interview in Denver. We had a very limited travel window. As we arrived in Colorado, we had several car issues that God resolved one step at a time. I also struggled to breathe and generally felt terrible due to cold, dry air and our baby girl pushing into my lungs.
We came to the USCIS appointment on time. After two hours of waiting, we learned that the front desk lady made a mistake and hadn’t checked me in. Amazingly, even though we wasted those two hours, the Lord answered prayers for favor. He made a way for the federal officer to apologize and invite me to still have my interview and tests. I was scheduled to have only the interview that day, yet the Lord did a miracle and I was able to give the oath of allegiance and receive citizenship right that day.
This experience had a miraculous outcome but left me exhausted. I was tired of complications that seemed to arise at every single corner. I was crushed when I learned that the front desk lady messed up what I thought was under control. When the federal officer invited me to the interview, I was about to start crying from how unfair it was that I had done everything possible for this to work out and it was seeming to collapse right in front of my eyes. Have you ever felt that way? It makes you realize how powerless you are.
As Andrew and I were driving back from Denver, I remembered that we specifically asked God to make this trip smooth and free of stress. Ha, irony? Later, I chose to be thankful for the complexity of this story. It reminded me of the importance of walking in honest intimacy with God one step at a time. Later, as I processed, I chose to accept that it was important for Andrew and me for this journey to happen this way. And I am thankful that we could share this journey with you!
Andrew writes:
I have continued serving at the OMS Asbury student center, engaging with students and helping facilitate a men’s discipleship group. Some of our conversations this month revolved around the idea that everything God created is good (1 Timothy 4:4) and God can reveal his goodness and truth to us amid the everyday stuff of life. Instead of compartmentalizing and only making room for God at church or during devotions, we can practice his presence wherever we go. With the college guys—I shouldn’t be surprised—this conversation turned to movies. I was encouraged as they started sharing how they witnessed the gospel message in movies they had been watching.
Outside of the student center, God is continuing to provide me and Mary with one-on-one spiritual conversations with Ukrainians and Americans. We are always encouraged to witness how God is already at work in each person’s heart and how our role is most often simply being available and drawing attention to what God is already doing.
PRAYER: Please continue praying for these spiritual relationships. Pray for God’s continued work in hearts, for Mary and me to be faithful, and for wisdom and grace in these conversations.
Ukraine Fellowship (online)
November was full of encouraging and challenging moments in our fellowship.
We are very encouraged to witness group members living out their faith. Two members from our group felt prompted to serve kids in their local church, and both shared how they enjoyed that experience and want to be more involved!
There are a couple of members who are on their journey to receive Jesus and His salvation, and we want to invite you to pray for them. Please, ask God to give them eyes and hearts to notice His work and presence in their everyday life.
We also ask you to keep praying for our discussions. We encourage our fellowship members to always share their real questions, wonders, and struggles regarding their walk with God. One example this month was wrestling with questions of evil—where does it come from and why does God allow it? Sometimes conversations can get heated as they get personal. We love it when it gets very personal. We also want the Holy Spirit’s wisdom for each group member to know how to engage with one another’s difficult questions and emotions.
PRAYER: Please pray for God’s continued work in each heart, and for each group member to take their next steps in faith.
Preparing for our Baby Girl
We are officially in nesting mode, and we love it—I (Mary) think?! It is still crazy to think that very soon we will meet our baby girl face-to-face. So far, we’ve had great conversations with her through her kicks and movements. We are praising God that she is consistently growing and staying healthy!
PRAYER: Please, continue praying for us as we prepare for our due date, both physically and mentally. Also, pray for the Lord to provide a good (read: our favorite) midwife on call for “labor” day! Ask God to prepare us to meet our baby girl!
Andrew and Mary are Inspire Missioners and OMS missionaries in Kyiv, Ukraine. They are in the USA for a season studying at Asbury Theological Seminary. Read more of their news and stories HERE.
