HAPPY TO SEE YOU HERE!

In this newsletter, you will find:

• V4V DTS – it’s started!!
• How we are helping with Ukrainian refugees
• Transportation Strike causing problems
• My Baby shower
• New school calls for new rhythms

As you know, Lauren Edwards has joined us here in Spain. Please make sure that when you give towards Andrew and me, that you choose “Missions: Spain (Maiya)“. If you have recurring giving that doesn’t have my name in the memo, please also update that. If you have further questions please get in contact!

Here’s my “book” for the month of March. Grab your preferred beverage, kick back, and let’s jump in!

MINISTRY LIFE

V4V DTS

The Voice for the Voiceless Discipleship Training School (V4V DTS) has begun, and my incredible husband is the Director, with me as his co-director.

Above, is a picture of us with our staff – we have been very blessed with such a great team. Although we have all never worked together, it is very evident that God is in the midst of it all, as we all have worked VERY well together.

We have only been working together with our staff for 3 weeks now, and I have heard twice how this time, working in the DTS has been a time of healing for at least 2 of them. I am fully aware that this has nothing to do with Andrew or with me, but I am ever grateful to have the privilege to be part of their journey of healing. We are merely two vessels that are opening up a place for God to move our midst, and I am very grateful that He is doing exactly that…and not just in our students but also our staff.

We have a total of 7 students (above, we only have 5 pictured, as one arrived a few days later and the other a week later), coming from the States, Mexico, Argentina, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, and Israel.

Left picture: on the 1st day of a DTS, we always take the students to have a “typical Spanish breakfast” – Churros with chocolate. That morning, one of the councilmen of our city came to meet the students. Right picture: Andrew (with an interpreter) is teaching the students & staff about fasting, as we are fasting as a school together.

The first 2 weeks of the school have been very full with learning/changes (this is the first time that we are leading a DTS, so naturally we have had to make more changes on the fly as we learn along the way. Thankful for the team we have that have made these first 2 weeks pretty smooth though), growing, but ALSO seeing God’s hand at work ALREADY.

Last week, we had a class on the “Character & Nature of God”, and to see and hear our students being challenged throughout the week, to know why they believe what they believe, or even understanding or being reminded of God’s grace & mercy and love for us even though we mess up. Which then led to many of them being willing/challenged to surrender their rights (of whatever God put on their hearts) to Christ, at the end of the week.

Above is a picture of a homeless shelter that we work with here in Torrejón (the city where we live). Friday was our first “evangelism time” with our DTS, where they were able to live out 1 John 3:18, loving with actions and in truth, and not just with words or speech.

It was great getting to hear back from some of them about their time getting to talk to the various people there – to see how some of the people really just needed/wanted someone to talk to or to listen to them. One of our students shared with me that it was a bit of a culture shock to him, to be there talking/sharing God’s love with some of the people, but that he looks forward to returning each week.

We really do have a great group of people – students & staff.

Ukrainian Refugees

As you may have seen from the news, there are SO many Ukrainian refugees. With such great numbers of refugees, we as a YWAM base have jumped at the opportunity to serve where we can.

One of the ways we were able to help was through partnering with the pastors association here in Torrejon, ASET, with packing up 2 trucks with BOXES of food that were heading to the Ukraine to be able to feed the families in need, as they prepare to leave their country.

Another way that we as a base have jumped to the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus, is partnering with the organization REMAR in going to Romania and the Ukraine to help with the immediate needs of the refugees running. What Remar has been doing is taking trips of buses to the border of Romania and Ukraine to take families out of the Ukraine, and providing food and shelter for these families.

Some of our people have gone to help Remar during this time; some in Romania and the others in the Ukraine. There, they have helped to organize donations that have been received, built big tents, and just be with the families. It’s been a time of “non-stop work”, but worth it.

Food Distribution Problems

As you may remember, twice a month, we have a food distribution with about 15-16 families. Well, this month, we weren’t able to have our food distribution, due to a transportation strike that has been going on now for the last couple of weeks. We have already been seeing the effects of the strike in the grocery stores – especially with milk.

But, because of this strike, we haven’t been able to receive the food to give to the families, which is a major problem for these families as they NEED this food. Please join us in praying for these families, for us to have other strategies to help these families in need, and also for this situation to be resolved.

MARRIED LIFE

BABY SHOWER

Yes, these incredible ladies (pictured above) threw me a baby shower (thanks to Lauren for being on the FB Live, allowing some of you to take part during & after). To be honest, I really wasn’t expecting it to be much of anything because it was in this weekend that so many changes were being made in order for some of our base folks to prepare to go to help Remar. It definitely surpassed my expectations, and this hormonal mama cried so much…haha.

For all of you who have sent gifts, whether monetary or from the list, THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I have been trying to write you as I have received, but I’m sure I’ve missed some. Thank you thank you!

I miss my mama and the rest of my family/framily, so being here without them and preparing for the arrival of our sweet girl without them has for sure been difficult. For the ladies to take the time to bless our sweet little Isabela with not only gifts, but with SOO much love, blessed me so much. I’m grateful for the community God has blessed us with here, and I know that obeying Him sometimes requires sacrifices in areas…my YES to Him remains.

Andrew’s birthday happened to come during our outreach time with the ABA Church, so during one of our team times, we took some time to celebrate him together as a team (which if you know him at all, you know he absolutely loved – sarcasm included). The team decided they wanted to have a time to pray over/bless him, which also ended in a time of washing his feet. He’s not a fan of celebrating himself, but I sure do enjoy it :).

PREPPING BABY GIRL’S ROOM

We have begun to organize baby girl’s room. It’s going a bit slower than I would like since much of the organizing/prepping involves washing clothes, but with the rainy days we’ve been having, it makes it hard to dry clothes quickly. However, I am very excited to see her room coming together and look forward to the days to come when I will be entering with her!

NEW RHYTHMS

With Andrew and I leading this current V4V DTS, our rhythm has had to change a bit. Andrew has been absolutely incredible, juggling being husband, director of the DTS, part of various leadership teams, & head techie of the base. I’m forever amazed by him, and appreciate him everyday. He is being such an example to our staff and students and I love to see it. I can’t wait for our little girl to meet her daddy.

With the new rhythm, we have managed to not only keep our house open to bless others, but we have also been able to find moments of rest for the both of us. The resting part is my struggle, as I feel like I’m needing more rest these days, but not wanting to haha. I KNOW I KNOW, many will tell me, “you better take the rest now while you can”. If you know me at all, then you understand my struggle… I enjoy having the DTS around, as it does help to keep sweets out of my house.

Now when I bake, I can save some here for Andrew and me, and send the rest to the base with the DTS students. Haha, it’s a win-win.

If you would like to come out to Spain to visit or to work, know that our house is open. Just let me know ahead of time to make sure someone else isn’t already staying AND to be able to send you our list of stateside wants 😉

Blessings!

Andrew, Maiya, & Isabela Kuettner

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Base-wide
  • Wisdom for the communities of faith.
  • For continuous protection & provision over the teams that have gone to help in Romania and Ukraine
• Impact
  • Wisdom for planning the summer outreaches & for how to prepare churches to follow up with people who respond to the altar call from the events.
• Transformation
  • Strategies for how to help our families in need while the transportation strike continues.
  • For hearts to be open to receive from God for the DTS students and staff.
  • Favor, direction, and provision for the national outreach portion of the DTS
  • Wisdom for how to connect with the current refugee situation developing in surrounding countries
• Andrew and Me
  • For a great meeting time with the doctor when we visit the hospital on April 5th.
  • For our baby to continue to grow and remain healthy
  • Increase in our finances
  • Favor with doctors
  • Opportunities to continue blessing those around us

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

We want to thank ALL of you for being with us in this fun adventure as missionaries. Thank you for faithfully praying and faithfully giving each month.

For those of you who have been with us since the beginning, we would like to ask if you would also pray about an incremental increase. Just an additional 10% each month would go a long way to help us keep up with the costs of living here in Spain, as well as welcoming a new member to our family!

Thank you all soooo much!!

WAYS TO GIVE

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