Thankful

As we are coming into the Christmas season, most of us get to reflect on all that Jesus has done for us. There is the personal aspect of it and then the huge reality that He saved the whole world, and that all who would like to be a part of his eternal love, can be.

This last year has been so hard for all of us, with the unknowing, the tension and the unrest. There has also been so much to praise God for! So many miracles.

If you haven’t heard, I got my R1 visa accepted this last month! Accepted during wildfires in California (Where the USCIS office is), an election and a pandemic. I had so much around me to be a good reason why I wouldn’t get it, yet God’s word stood.

I want to share with you a testimony of what God did this summer in our kids. The summer seems so long ago, but this is a testimony of something that is continuing daily here. We just have physical proof of it. On week one of our summer camp, Camp Hope, we got every one of our kids to draw their self-portrait. Except to explain what that really was, we didn’t give them much direction, so it was purely them. 7 weeks later at the end of the camp, we asked them to do the same thing, again, without interfering.

The differences are huge! When I saw this, I cried as I got to see what God had done in some of our new kids in just 7 weeks. You see that they know who they are way more, their emotions are healthier, and their self-esteem grew! Then I got to thinking about our kids that we have had come to us for years, and the differences I see in them! Kids who used to throw chairs at you and get so angry very quickly, now walk in peace. Peace from an all-knowing heavenly father that is teaching them who they are. Peace that means that they now lack nothing, as when you have His peace you have everything.

When you live in this peace you live in a place of being content and your sustained. Our kids know it.

Please continue to pray for them, their families and our adult friends that come and play in our basketball gym, get food monthly and work and learn in our woodshop. Plus our team of missionaries.

I would like to send out my thanks for you. I need family around me to pray for me and support me. We all do! Know that I am here for you also. If you ever feel alone, do reach out to me as I would love to pray with you!

2020 can’t steal from us, but God’s mercy, miracles and beauty gets to reign! Jesus came, Jesus won!

Merry Christmas!

4 years

I haven't written here for over a year now. Not due to lack, but simply out of changing the way I share; however, 4 years of being at We Will Go, is a great milestone to celebrate!

The number '4' in Hebrew and the Bible represents: creation, wholeness, complete, pathways to Him, etc. The number '4' is shown through the letter 'Dalet'. It can represent the name of God and also 'lowliness'. I see it as, the places where we have the choice to open ourselves up to God. I am ready for Him to be fully in this next year, even in those deepest places.

When I first moved here in 2016, I lived in a house called 'Love House'. I have since moved to 'Faith', 'Hope,' and now 'Life House'. Each place has taken me deep into what God has for me around each title. Since turning 32, God has taken me back to the start and has taught me a lot more about His 'love' all over again.

'You don't believe that I love you Ruth' He says to me, with comfort wrapped in His gentle tone. I argue with Him and wonder where He is coming from. He then takes me through scripture and reminds me of things I have said to prove me wrong. He always has access to my heart as long as I remain open. God has gone deep and revealed hurts and insecurities that I didn't know I needed to deal with. 

With going deep in His love, I get to learn how to grow my roots even deeper. Something else God began to teach me in 2016. My thoughts varied echoed, 'I wasn't meant to be here this long.' 'I was only meant to be here for a few months, and then a year, then two.' In 2016 He began taking me through Jeremiah 17v8.

'They will be like a tree planted by the water

    that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

    its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

    and never fails to bear fruit.'

He showed me the posture He wanted me in. Full of faith with no fear, going deep and standing firm.

In my 4th year, I now look at what God did on the 4th day. He created all the aspects I need to place my roots deep. He made the ground, trees, dirt. This year is the year of things being complete...me being able to put my roots deep.


To be truly rooted in something, it needs to be on the inside out. Everything that God has placed in me gets to go deep.

I am excited for another great year! Excited to be whole in Him.

He is my solid ground. He is enough.

White as snow...

I am sitting on the wall of our outside pavilion, praying and worshiping before our church service starts. God was talking so clearly. I felt like my mind was being renewed as He reminded me all over again how much He loves me. He was taking me to those places of such intimacy that’s created for just me and Him. 

As I was sitting, my friend came and sat next to me. I think he thought something was wrong, so he wanted to sit with me out of kindness. Which is a huge thing! This friend and I have been through a lot together. His mental capacity is that of a ten year old, but on top of that he has been through so much trauma in his life. He has gone back to alcohol and drugs time and time again. He goes from living on the streets, to having somewhere nice to stay, to living with those who just steal from him and treat him badly.  

This man has threatened me many times, he has thrown bricks at my windows, refused to move from my doorstep when drunk because he has no other safe place to be. He has used my porch as a bathroom and I have had to hold his hand as he was holding a knife to his neck in a state of desperation. 

In it all, God has told me to remind him that God has created him to be kind. I always remind him how kind he really is. I have had to let God love him consistently through me, as in my own flesh that was close to impossible. I had to work through having a hard heart towards him so many times. I had to choose to get up and answer the door each time he was banging on it. I had to choose love. 

Jesus has chosen me so many times, that how can I deny Him in loving my neighbour as myself? Deny Him in loving His son. 

We have had many victories in him, such as when he decided one night to pour his beer out on the street, and go to bed instead of staying up all night drinking. 

One night he sat and listened to me read Psalm 139 over him. He sat and took in how His father really sees him. He burst into tears as he knew his need. 

One time he sat with my friend and cried out to Jesus in sheer desperation. He knows he can't do anything without Jesus. 

While I am sitting outside this pavilion, my kind friend comes and sits with me. He isn't drunk and wants to be a part of this family. He is choosing love. He still isn’t healed and fully whole, but he is trying to choose Jesus, and this is beautiful. It is our hearts that matter. 

While he is there, God reminds me of everything I have seen in him. He then shows me a day when he is fully whole. He reminds me that through His blood, His son is washed clean. That these moments with my friend will be testimonies of the past. That my friend’s future is so hopeful. 

I start to smile as I can see it. 

I can see my kind friend with a whole mind. Healed from all trauma and hurts. Filled with the Holy Spirit. Filled with Joy. I can see us talking about those moments with him having clarity of who Jesus fully is. 

During the service my friend sits next to me and colours this wording that he worked hard on. 

Jesus knows. Jesus is in it all. Jesus is consistent and His love changes people. 

In this together...

Merry Christmas to you all!!

Many of you will know that this time of year is my favourite. I get involved with it all! Carol concerts, Christmas movies, Christmas music, dressing ridiculously, gifts and going to see the lights that amaze.

The reason I love Christmas so much, is that it brings everyone together. It brings in the truth, that you are loved. It might be a stranger walking past, making the extra effort to smile and say 'Merry Christmas', allowing that person to feel seen. Or it might be someone getting you something that is that 'perfect gift' for you.

Here in Jackson, I will be spending my Christmas day with people from all over coming together to have a big meal! The body of Christ have come together with providing the meal, as individuals and churches bring different dishes. We will play games, pray together and eat together at our 'Family table'.

As you read about the birth of Jesus and the first part of His life, you see how people came together. His birth wasn't kept a secret, but announced. The shepherds left everything to go and see this baby. Leaving their sheep in a vulnerable place with no shepherds, risking loosing them. 



The king's risk their jobs and livelihood  as they went against Herod's orders and brought our saviour gifts! Gold = Gift for a King, Frankincense = Gift for a priest, Myrrh = Gift for one who died. These kings brought appropriate gifts for our saviour, who was fully God and fully man, and was about to grow up as a beautiful example for us and do the greatest act of love. Defeated death so we can live forever with Him, as we were created to do.

God never created us to be alone and fully independent. Jesus even came as a baby and showed us that! He couldn't ever had done things without help from those created to look after Him. Mary willingly gave God her 'Yes' to birth and care for the son of God! Even Simeon, who was told that he was one day going to see our Saviour, didn't see him as an adult or even as a young child. But he saw Him at 8 days old and got to hold Him. He totally submitted to this tiny baby boy, knowing who He was. As he was soft hearted and allowed the Holy Spirit to speak though him. 

As you go through this Christmas season, I would love to challenge you to surround yourself with others. Seek community where you are. As God commanded us to love Him with everything in us, we get to also love our neighbours like we love ourselves. Not one person is not your neighbour, and you get to love them, as God teaches you to love. 

Thank you to each of you for being my community. For praying for me encouraging me and loving me. I couldn't do my every day with out you all! Thank you for being part of the story of all God is doing here in Downtown, Jackson! 

If you want to know more of my role here, or how to support me in it, through prayer or financially please do email me at wwg.ruth@gmail.com

Merry Christmas everyone! 

Change...

Change can be seen as a negative thing to most people. It disrupts and brings uncomfortable moments. It means you have to be flexible and willing. Change can also be a good thing. Change brings newness and produces growth. 

We recently dug up the gardens from the summer crops, put down more dirt and put in new seeds to produce the winter crops. We now have sprouts of green coming up and we will have food to eat during the winter time. 

If we hadn’t have gone with the flow of the change of seasons, trying to stay in summer and to keep eating produce that wasn’t growing anymore, we wouldn’t have been successful. Change does bring good things. 

The gym here at We Will Go has changed a lot! It is now calmer, contains more joy and is bringing in families. Our prayers for our young men is not just for them, but also for their families and their households. For all that they get from Jesus under our roof spreads to their house and into the community. From those prayers we have seen the guys bring in their children and girlfriends, their mom’s and neighbours. This has meant we have needed to change the way we do things and the way we minister, but this is ok! Prayers are being answered and we are learning!

We decided before the summer to start doing our daily devotion in the gym at the end rather than in the middle of the time they have to play basketball. This means that everyone has lots more freedom to leave. They don’t have the incentive of playing basketball after the devotion, to stick around. From this we have seen the guys choose Jesus for themselves. Their hearts have softened and they are choosing Jesus for themselves. 

Change can bring in new growth in you. Change can produce a new kind of beauty that has never been seen before, never been explored. 

"See! The winter is past;

    the rains are over and gone.

¹² Flowers appear on the earth;

    the season of singing has come,

the cooing of doves

    is heard in our land.

¹³ The fig tree forms its early fruit;

    the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.

Arise, come, my darling;

    my beautiful one, come with me.” 

Song of songs 2:11

Things are changing for me a little this week as I moved to our ‘Base 2’, which is about a five minute walk away. This is the base that our visitors stay on, so it will mean that I will get a lot more time with them outside of any scheduled times! We are also closer to where our kids live too! Please pray for this move to go well and for God to show all that He is desiring for me!

If you feel like things are changing for you in this season, or that things need to change, I encourage you to seek God in what that is to look like. Maybe it is to go overseas and be God’s hands and feet In another nation. Or maybe it is how you have been doing things that need to change to work with this new season God has you in. Whatever it is, I would love for you to share with me so I can pray with you! 

Softening hearts...

…She comes back time and time again to see us. Let’s us know how she is doing and is honest with when she is clean or not. She talks about dreams that God has given her, that she translates herself, knowing that God is crying over her. She chooses to give her life to God once again. She sees her son weekly on supervised visits and the father of the baby is also able to visit. 

The only hope is in Him. 

This last month has been one of stepping into new levels. God has shown me more and more of His heart for individuals. Hearts have softened dramatically. A miracle that I get more excited about than a physical healing. A miracle that brings people closer to Jesus. That brings people to that place of surrender. 

‘No fire can burn me
No battle can turn me
No mountain can stop me
'Cause You hold my hand
And I'm walking in Your victory
'Cause Your power is within me
No giant can defeat me
'Cause You hold my hand
No fire can burn me
No battle can turn me
No mountain can stop me
'Cause You hold my hand
I am walking in Your victory
'Cause Your power is within me
No giant can defeat me
'Cause You hold my hand
No fire can burn me
No battle can turn me
No mountain can stop me
'Cause You hold my hand
I am walking in Your victory
'Cause Your power is within me
No giant can defeat me
'Cause You hold my hand’

                                              Tasha Cobbs, You know my name

God is teaching me, that in the place of surrender He is calling me to, the place in surrender that allows me to be the daughter and Bride of Christ that I was created to be. 

In that place, nothing can hold me back, and I am never alone. I get to walk fully trusting that God knows it all and God is in charge. That I get to walk in the expectancy of miracles and for Gods will to be done. No striving. Just walking with Him, hand in hand. 

“There is no one holy like the Lord;
    there is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.

“Do not keep talking so proudly
    or let your mouth speak such arrogance,

for the Lord is a God who knows,

  and by Him deeds are weighed’

1 Samuel 2v2-3

Eye's fixed on Him...

She walked away from us across the car park. Not knowing where was safe to go or how long she was going to be clean for. She got new clothes and some food, but she needed so much more than that. 

She has just had a baby by c-section and it got taken from her straight away. Baby addicted to drugs taken to foster care from the first breath. His mom not seeing him, but left on the operating table not knowing that he was gone and that was it. 

She came to us with her wound weeping and she was leaking. She wasn’t able to see a doctor again since ‘that day’. 

She comes again the next day weeping and crying out to Jesus. We cry together. She has been clean for a week, from the day she had the baby, and she knows that’s from love. She sees how love changes someone. She talks about the realisation that there is no plan B. That Jesus is the only way. We hug and we cry some more. We talk about the fact that Jesus catches every tear and she doesn’t have to be strong, but can let God be strong for her. We talk about the fact that she doesn’t have to live carrying this for the rest of her days, but can give her pain and hurt to Jesus and let Him redeem. 

She named the baby after his father and he will forever be hers. She is forever Gods and He will bring her through this. 

I have a meeting so she sits with my friend and calls a shelter for women who are coming off the street. Women who used to sell themselves and would like to get free. She books a meeting for the next day. 

As I walk away my feet stick to my sandals as they are wet with her tears. My heart keeps on breaking and I’m reminded to keep praying. 

There is hope as long as she cries out to God. There is hope as long as she stays with Him, the one who has amazing plans for her. 

She comes again the next day talking about another program that would help her and if she got in, her social worker said she could stay there with the baby. The downside - it’s $600 a month. She says she’s not worried as Jesus will make a way. We gave her some chicken salad and she says goodbye with a big smile on her face. A smile of hope. 

The next time she is seen, she is back on the street corner. Lies came in again. Desperation to get her baby back. She tried to take control once again. 

Then God turns it back in my moment of sadness and frustration. How many times do we try and take control? How many times do we panic as we realise that we are walking on water, knowing we can’t do it on own. Not one part of me can do that. But only through Jesus in me. So I fall in the water and wonder why I’m drowning and call out His name again. He grabs my arm and pulls me back out by His mercy and I get to try again. 

Please pray for my friend. I don’t know where she is right now. But I pray that she will once again get back to that place that God is the only answer. 

'Camp Hope' 2018 has finished, but what God has done in our kids lives, as well as us missionaries has just started! The last week we had children crying in worship and choosing to pray in situations rather than getting angry. They proclaimed that the reason they come to 'Camp Hope' is because 'Jesus came for us all, He doesn't leave anyone out' and 'to get the ghetto out of our hearts'. As I write this, we are getting the baptism tub ready for church today. We are going to baptise a few of those who gave their lives to Jesus, plus one of our amazing summer interns! 

Keep praying for us as we transition back into the school year schedule. That our kids keep choosing Jesus in it all. 

He is so worthy. 

Keep your eyes on Him!