Raised:
CAD $3,845
Campaign funds will be received by Melissa Jonkman
For many years I have desired to work in ministry in some capacity. After spending time on mission trips of various lengths, God continued to lay this desire on my heart and show me the need for further study in the area of missions. By His grace I have now graduated with a Bachelor of Religious Education - Honours - Intercultural Studies.
God continues to open doors and Lord willing, I hope to move to Ontario, California, to take up a position there working alongside Pastor Taylor Kern and Pastor Daniel Ventura in the Spanish ministry of Ontario United Reformed Church.
The Spanish ministry of OURC is an outreach arm of the English speaking church and their desire is to reach people with the gospel in their first language. The population of Ontario, CA is heavily Hispanic and having a church that offers worship services, Bible studies and fellowship opportunities in Spanish allows many to experience the joys of Christian family without language barriers.
As with many missional ministries, there is need for outside support. As the name of this platform suggests, in order for any mission to work well, there are some whose calling is to support the Kingdom work through giving and sending, and there are some whose calling is to further the Kingdom work through going. If you are willing to partner in the work of the Spanish ministry of Ontario URC, any amount you can spare, either small or large, will help to fund my work so that I can focus on the work of ministry without the additional burden of financial worry. I recognize that money can be tight for many, and if you cannot give, please know that prayer support is just as valuable!
We look forward to seeing what God will do through the faithful giving and labours of all of His people!
Soli deo gloria!
Praying that this ministry is blessed and guided by God, daily! We love you!
Praying for you too Melissa, and the Ontario California church, in the work done and ministry that touches hearts and lives in the church and the neighborhood!
Praying that this ministry is blessed and guided by God, daily! We love you!
Praying for you too Melissa, and the Ontario California church, in the work done and ministry that touches hearts and lives in the church and the neighborhood!
Praying that this ministry is blessed and guided by God, daily! We love you!
So excited to see how God uses you in California!
Praying for you too Melissa, and the Ontario California church, in the work done and ministry that touches hearts and lives in the church and the neighborhood!
Praying that this ministry is blessed and guided by God, daily! We love you!
Praying for you too Melissa, and the Ontario California church, in the work done and ministry that touches hearts and lives in the church and the neighborhood!
Continuing to keep you in our prayers as you look forward to this new chapter in your life!
Praying that this ministry is blessed and guided by God, daily! We love you!
November 30th, 2024
Dear friends and family,
Yesterday marked one week since I was able to make my way back to California to begin working at Ontario URC. On Monday, November 18th I was able to get an interview at the US Consulate in Toronto. During that interview I learned that they would grant me the R1 work visa I had applied for, but I would need to wait until Wednesday to have my passport returned. On Wednesday, I picked up my passport from the Consulate, and got a flight out early Thursday morning. I have been able to jump back into working here fairly quickly, having been familiar with many of the people, and how the church functions, from my time in Ontario last summer as an intern.
It was a blessing to celebrate my first week back in California with Thanksgiving yesterday, and it feels especially providential that I've gotten two Thanksgivings this year, as I have a lot to be thankful for!
Going forward, I plan to send updates via email, so if you would like to sign up for monthly updates (including pictures!), please fill out this very short form (https://forms.gle/oL4CyAjRWjMtt2mN7), so I can add you to my email list.
Again, a huge thanks to all of you who are supporting me financially! This is huge right now, as even though I am working for the church here, they will not be able to pay me until I can open a bank account. That, however, requires a Social Security number, which I have an appointment for, but these things take time too. I will also need the SSN in order to get healthcare here, so please continue to pray with me that I'll be able to get these items relatively quickly. Your financial support is a great blessing to me during this time.
God bless!
Melissa
November 10th, 2024
Dear friends and family,
Time continues ticking on and the seasons change. How grateful I am that we have a God who never changes, who is faithful yesterday, today and forever!
We are now closer to the end of the Visa process that the beginning, and though it has felt like an excruciatingly long process for my human mind to comprehend, I trust that all is happening in God’s sovereign timing. I’m thankful that the US immigration has approved the Visa paperwork on their end. The final step we are still waiting on is an interview and approval from the US consulate in Toronto. Ideally this would happen in the next week and a half so I could travel back to California before the flight prices go up for US Thanksgiving and Christmas.
If you would, please join me in prayer for the following things
- Give thanks for a quick and positive answer to the first step of the Visa process.
- Patience and trust in God’s timing and sovereignty as I continue to wait for the final steps in the process.
- That the lawyer would put in the proper time and effort to get the necessary paperwork completed and filed so I can book the interview needed.
- For the church in Ontario, CA, and the way God is working in and through His people there.
- Thanksgiving for the financial support that has been received and continued prayer for God to meet all my needs in this season.
God bless!
Melissa
September 26th, 2024
Dear friends,
Yesterday marks one month since I returned to Canada, and if I'm honest, it has been a month of ups and downs. It's been a blessing to reconnect with people and worship with my home church, but difficult to live in a state of limbo. I'm thankful for a place to stay and work to do while I am here, but I am getting tired of living out of a suitcase, relying on borrowed vehicles, and waiting for the paperwork to hit the next steps. I know that this process has been relatively short compared to the experience of many, but what we thought would be a 2-3 week wait, has turned into a 6-8 week wait, and I'm ready to get back to California and begin the work that is waiting for me there.
The primary reason for returning at the end of August was to renew my driver's license and Ontario health card. It was extraordinarily difficult to renew my health card due to a lack of documentation of an address in Canada, but I'm thankful to say that these documents are now renewed and aside from Visa paperwork, I am ready to head back to Ontario, CA.
Regarding the Visa paperwork, my lawyer has it prepared now, and I am schedule to have a meeting with him tomorrow to go over it before we file with US immigration. Please pray that everything is in order as it should be so that the processing of the paperwork can go smoothy. Lord willing, I should have an answer from immigration two weeks after filing the paperwork, and then will need to go to the US embassy in Toronto before I can make my way back to the US.
I am often reminded that in all this, God is leading and has been opening doors for years that have caused me to be where I am today, and I trust that He will continue to lead and provide.
Thank you all for your support and prayers,
God bless you!
Melissa
August 24th, 2024
Dear friends,
I am thankful to God for each and every one of you! I am also happy to share that by God’s grace the many documents needed for my work visa have been collected and were submitted to my immigration lawyer yesterday! Now comes the more difficult test of faith as I wait and trust in God that He will work mightily and open the doors for me to begin working at Ontario URC and serving His Kingdom in that place.
Now that the paperwork has been collected and submitted I am travelling back to Canada (tonight!) and will wait there to hear the results of the Visa process. I am happy to be able to connect with many back home again, but my heart is also saddened as I must leave my brothers and sisters in California for a time. Please pray with me that things would go smoothly and that the Lord, in His kind providence, would provide the necessary paperwork and financial support for me to begin my work in Ontario, CA. To Him be the glory!
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