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Hello Loved ones!! It's been a long season in the states and I'm thankful for it. I've been a little confused as to what I'm supposed to do since I hadn't gotten a Visa yet to be in Pemba, but I finally feel like I know!
Please take a minute.... to let me to express the main details of what God is doing, because it may surprise some of you whom I've maybe been out of communication with and I'd like you to get a full picture!
Some of you may know that I've felt for some time that God wants me to take Iris Arts to other Iris bases and that Pemba is the first chapter. You may not know that THIS YEAR has been the year I've felt it's close the chapter in Pemba. I had been hoping to have a few months there to do so, but I haven't had a Visa to go.
While I've been waiting Ive been unsure what next step to take. I never want to be someone who "quits" or doesn't follow through with what God has assigned me to do. My question was, am I supposed to keep fighting for a longer ending season in Pemba, or do I need to make it a short one and move forward into the next assignment. I had no idea.
But now I know!! God gave me a bullet point plan a week and a half ago preceded by a clear phrase, "A year off from Missions".
- I felt that I needed to go to Pemba for just a month on a tourist Visa and close the chapter there (july)
- go to Asia for another month and do a scouting trip for what is next (August)
-then take "a year", which I actually think means a SCHOOL YEAR at the School of Supernatural Life at Grace Center school! (september through next May!!)
The timing for this "A year off from missions" word, was hard to swallow. I felt as if id already "used up" my time off of the mission field in these past months. He responded saying that my heart hasnt been off of the mission field, but invested in Pemba and expectant to leave at any time. .I usually feel urgent to be DOING missions because I know it's my calling, but God has been speaking to me about that constant need to DO/prove who I am by DOING things. Being a missionary is WHO I am, not what I DO. So if He keeps me in the states longer than I would anticipate, it doesnt mean that I am shirking my calling or not living up to His expectations. I see that now. And Im reminded of His goodness in wanting to take care of me by giving me this "extra" time. And I remembered that I had actually planned to take time to renew my vision once finished in pemba and before going to the next location God sends me!
The month amount of time in Pemba made sense to me as I realized that the women are actually doing well without me and I need to relinquish control! I've done what He asked me to do already! It is the Grace of God That He has kept me away long enough to see that and let go of control over the everyday goings on of the Jewelery school. The women and Aline, the missionary taking over the responsibilities of Nathalia, are taking what I've taught and building on it and running the business!
I can't even BEGIN to express the pain of leaving my loved ones there (ive been crying a lot whenever I think about it) and I know that I'm not and never will be "finished" with the relationships that He gave me there. But God entrusted me with those relationships for this time for a reason knowing full well that is be leaving them eventually and I therefore trust that He will take care of them. He loves them more than I do.
So my final question was, why go to Sosl? And what is it? School of Supernatural Ministry from Grace Center is an amazing 8 month ministry school that has been running for four years under the leadership of Alyn and A.J. Jones that walks through inner healing, going deeper in hearing Gods voice, cultivating boldness in using the gifts of the Spirit, as well as requiring you to serve on the ministry teams at Grace center prophesying and praying for congregation members on Sundays. More info is at: Schoolofsupernaturallife.org
In terms of head knowledge I won't learn a ton of new information, but it will be repetitive in the best possible ways. It will be really good to set aside time for me to reset, renew, heal, and listen for the next overseas adventures He has for me , as well as make time for more layers of inner healing. I'm looking forward to being in the community of the School, learning things in my heart that have been prior head knowledge, connecting in a deeper way with the Lord, and remembering how to love ALL PEOPLE, not just the impoverished. Some of the trauma, death of many friends, tragedies that are normal everyday life on the mission field will have time to be dealt with as well. I'm so excited about this season!!!
Finally, God has spoken to me about going to scout out Iris bases to start the second chapter of Iris Arts in Asia for some time, and Im SO excited to do it! Im hoping to go to 5 different bases in a month and catch the heart of the culture and the Iris base, and fall in love with some new and different colored faces and languages!!! At this point im planning on going to Cambodia, Thaliand, Nepal, Tibet, and India. This may change a little bit based on the availability of the bases housing me there and how much money the Lord provides, but for now that's what Im hoping and planning for! So far I've checked out airfare for this leg of the trip and have come up with around 1,500 dollars to fly in between all of those countries which is amazing! A rough budget for housing and food for the trip is another 1,500.
So, with this price on top of the usual cost of 2,000 to go to Pemba AND The 3,800 SOSL school, this is one of the craziest adventures I've EVER believed the Lord for totaling somewhere in the 7,500 range!!!! (the School can be paid in increments though, which I plan on doing! so my more immediate needs are looking like 3,200).
My faith is rising every time He asks me to believe for giant things such as this, so I cant wait to see Him outdo Himself in footing the Bill for where He has asked me to go this time!!! As always, I'd be so thrilled if you feel God prompting you to help get me to where He is sending me and let me know if you want to give towards this trip please go to
IrisGlobal.org, go to donations, then in the COMMENT BOX write "Tetra Cierpke in Pemba, Mozambique".
Id also so appreciate an email letting me know if you donate, as I wont know that it's coming into my account until next month! Tcierpke@gmail.com
If you dont need it to be tax-deductible and you want it to get to me immediately you can use Paypal.com, click send money to friends and put in my email address Tcierpke@gmail.com
I'm going to be moving very quickly on all of this and need to buy a plane ticket to Pemba very soon. Please pray that I can get all this planned and ready very fast so I can leave on July 1st! And also please please pray for my heart that I wont be heartbroken and sad as I say goodbye (for now) to my amazing women in Pemba. This might be one of the hardest things Ive ever had to do, even if it IS really clear that it's Gods plan for me.
Thank you and love you all!!
Tetra Cierpke |
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