Dear Friends,

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight…. [We are] created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” –Ephesians 1:4, 2:10

Hello! I can hardly believe that I am already more than half-way through my time in New Zealand. My time here has made me realize once again just how much I long to be able to work full-time in ministry. It is such a privilege and such a joy. Thank you all so very much for the role you have played in my being here. I am exceedingly grateful. Some of the important updates I would like to share are below.

Personal assistant = school leader and book editor?
It has turned out that my role here has been different than I anticipated. I have been much more involved in the school than expected and am, in fact, seen as one of the leaders, not just David and Jodi’s assistant. I recently led one of the women’s meetings, usually taught by a guest speaker.

One of the most rewarding elements of this role is that I have been taking the women students out for coffee, simply to get to know them and pour into their lives. I find such joy in seeing who God created these women to be and speaking life into that deepest part of them, and of course giving them someone to talk to whom they can trust.

The other major task I have taken on is editing David Pierce’s next book. Our goal is to submit to a publisher, rather than printing it ourselves as Steiger has done in the past, so the writing must be high quality to meet professional standards. We have been working together on the finishing touches and have found that we are a good team, so we hope to have it finished by the beginning of May.

An unexpected privilege
One of the young missionaries in training attending the school has been struggling to connect with other students. Her upbringing did not teach her proper boundaries, and she also received many wounds that now interfere with forming real relationships with those around her.

The other leaders recently asked me to take on the role of discipling this young woman. Because we want to see her get everything out of this time that she possibly can, this mentorship is rather intense. I have been meeting with her at least four times a week, often for a few hours at a time. She has opened up to me to an amazing extent, sharing things that few, if any, other people know. We have discussed her childhood, practical application of healthy boundaries, relationships, having the courage and humility to let down self-protective walls, repentance of the ways we sin out of our wounds, and many other things.

I have been able to share with her many of the things God has taught me over the past year. It has encouraged me to see him using the challenges in my own life to bless another. He has also given me several prophetic pictures and spiritual insights into her life. But I still need great wisdom in order to help her grow and become mature and established in the love and truth of God, ready to go out and do the work he has for her.

What God is doing in me…
The verses above have been an amazing encouragement for me. As I was praying for the wisdom I needed to mentor the young woman mentioned above, God reminded me that if he was calling me to this task, he had actually appointed it to me long ago. That meant that he would give me what I needed for it. What a strange combination of humility and confidence this understanding brings!

This is not the only area where God has been working on me. He has been calling me to turn over deeper areas of my heart to him and has been creating a profound longing for him in my spirit. I spend a large portion of my prayer time simply expressing my desire and need for him. While I normally sleep like a rock, God has been waking me up almost every night in the middle of the night, to pray, to show me something new, to speak to me, to call me to surrender, to fight spiritual battles. I feel so grateful for his presence and the work I know he is doing in my heart. Perhaps the most important revelation I have had is that God truly does want good things for me. I encourage you to read my blog for the important lesson God taught me about this (basically, that instead of feeling sorry for myself for my insecurity, I needed to repent!). I have been basking in new hope and new possibilities, wondering where God might take me next, since I feel confident that it will be somewhere good!

Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong!

Molly S. Waggoner
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www.blog.myspace.com/mollysidera

Prayer requests:

-First of all, I neglected last month to give a huge THANK YOU to Lorie, a dear friend who is graciously sending out my newsletters while I am away. This is a substantial job, and I would not be able to continue communicating with you while I am in New Zealand if it weren’t for her. So praise God for her willingness to serve in that way!

-Please pray for great wisdom and discernment as I meet with students, particularly the girl I am working with so intimately. God has given me (and the other leaders) great responsibility to help these students grow into mature disciples of Christ, and I want to be worthy of being entrusted with their care. Please pray that I would be able to speak God’s truth into their lives in a way that renews their hearts and sets them on a firm foundation that will give them the strength they need as they go out to serve God.

-Please also pray that David and I would have divine insight into the best ways to write and format his book. We also need a graphic designer to take on the significant task of illustrating the book. I will most likely be spearheading this effort when I return to Minneapolis, so your prayers would be greatly appreciated!

-I am in the process of developing a plan for a huge new undertaking in Minneapolis. However, I do not yet have clear confirmation that it is from God, or that this is the right time. Please pray for very clear direction, one way or the other. If this plan is from God, I will need to be able to move into ministry full-time. God has opened up a few opportunities for a greater support network, so please pray that he would give me wisdom on how to move forward practically, and that he would provide for whatever he is calling me to do!

-My time here is flying by, and I still do not feel that I have found the balance between working, meeting with people, and spending time just being with God. I do not want to look back and feel that I have missed out on meeting with God in the way he desired, so please pray that I would find that balance here.

Thank you! You are such a blessing in my life!
MSW

Financial support can be given at www.steiger.org. Click the “Donate Now” button, and enter “Molly” as the purpose of donation.