Hello to all our awesome supporters! I know its been a while so I thought you would like an update. Life is very busy here in Matamata Nz. I mean a lot of people came here and they were thinking they would be getting a rest from life and that defenetly has not been the case. Every week we are getting some amazing teaching that we must then try to process in between life. Its been so challenging and yet life changing. I have never been in a place where we are so open and transparent with one another. Like it’s a lifestyle not just an idea.

The boys are doing really well and we are really working on some things with them and have really assessed our family beliefs and made a whole mission statement on what the Platt family looks like. Our mission statement is:
” You’re a Platt…Lead the way!”
“We will center our lives around God, putting each others needs first. Be kind and humble to everyone.Boldly showing the love of Jesus to everyone we know. We will celebrate success and love thru failures. Ultimetly laying the foundation for many Godly generations”

We then went into what each others gifts are and how they relate to our family as a whole. It was quite an amazing thing to go thru. We made our family verse Deuteronomy 6:5-7.

Only less than three weeks till outreach so we are busy planning and praying about that and desperately seeking Gods power in the city of Matamata. Two other family’s are deciding to go on outreach to Figi, they have older children so it really makes sense.

This week God has been challenging in what my identity is…like what it should be and what it is. So thru the lectures I am learning a lot of things that He has spoken over my life to erase the lies others and myself has spoken over in the past. It quite hard and yet so freeing!

We really would love the prayers of you all. If I have learned one thing sit is Prayer is amazing and it works!! We are about half way done with our adventure here in Nz and I already know that our entire family will shedding a lot of tears. However we are planning and praying and chatting about what life will look like when we go home. So if you would pray for these things we would feel so honored.

Where will we live? Especially when we are getting back onto our feet.
Where will Samm work…we REALLY need wisdom over this..
Finances in general
General direction for the next leap He is calling us to do.
His peace and guidance thru it all.
Praying for outreach!!!

Thank you for not just financial support but how you have covered us in prayer and gotten the word out! We still look at the mountains and think ” are we really in NEW ZEALAND” God has been So faithful and merciful!
Lots of love
Samm & Ang

Hearing Gods word for some seems like a lost art in someway. Most people think” yea sure God speaks to people just not me and definitely not on a regular basis.” However this idea of a far away God only talking to the “chosen” is not biblical and is a lie from the pit. Your heavenly father is possibly trying to speak into your life right now and we are just so busy with our day-to-day lives we are rarely tuned into His frequency. It doesn’t mean He isn’t speaking He most definitely still is and its an amazing thing to hear the voice of your God. I just wanted to share some ideas that we got in class this week when we were talking about hearing the voice of God.

In the Natural

Thru creation. Most of us really feel close to God when we are in His creation, this is not a coincidence. Math 6;28 and Luke 12:24 Jesus tells us to look at Gods creation because it speaks to us about Gods invisible qualities.

 

Our Natural gifts and abilities.

What am I to do with my life? In Eph 2:10 God says that He has already prepared us for what he has called us to do. Understanding our gifts and what we are meant to do can speak to us about our calling.

 

Other People

God has many times used others to speak into my life and I knew right away that it was from God. Things that no one else knew about me. We should always seek the counsel of wise leaders and spiritual mentors.

 

Music

In worship God may wish to speak words of intimacy or give a direction to us. We all know that music is a very powerful thing. Just read the psalms and you will see why. In Acts 13:2 “while they were worshipping and fasting the Holy Spirit SAID….”

 

Through Supernatural Things

 

The Bible

The bible is not just a method for hearing the voice of God it’s the very framework we must center all other ways of hearing Him around. God will never speak contrary to the bible. I have found that this is the number one way He speaks to me. When I meditate and dig deeper I find his word comes alive.

 

Dreams and Visions

There are many examples of dreams and visions thru out the bible. Joseph, Abraham, Peter.

 

The still small voice

Most people really have a hard time discerning if its Gods or our own and you just need to pray on it and ask for confirmation from Him and all of sudden your ears will pick up certain things or pictures and you are expecting Him to speak to you. Read James 3:17 to see if it stands up.

 

Remember firstly He wants to speak into your identity. Isaiah 43:4 “you are precious and honored in my sight…I love you” If you ask Him to start speaking to you about your identity he will and you will see that He is good and longs for a relationship with you. I have so much more I want to tell you but I will let you chew on that for a while.

 

In other news this week has been extra hard we are facing some situations that are difficult and our neighbors who are the only one from the states has chosen to quit and leave so the left today. It was a hard goodbye and we are all trying to sort out things here. Please pray for wisdom and His will to be done here as we are preparing for our outreach. Samm and I have never in our lives been so stretched and pushed into greater things. God has spoken to us about our next step and honestly it frightens me and yet I know He is bigger. We thought we had to dig in for New Zealand, that was nothing. So please pray that God continues to reveal His will for our lives in this season.

 

Max turned four this week and I really anticipated it being hard because if anyone knows me they know I love to really celebrate my kids on their birthday and its very important to me that it’s their special day. I was feeling homesick and a little down that all his friends and family would not be there bit God showed us even in the little stupid things He is good. Everyone at dinner sang happy birthday and gave him little gifts and made animals out of balloons and its tradition for the father to pray over his son. I cried thru the whole dang thing…God knew that it would mean a lot to me. So in the midst we are carrying on, and seeing Him come alive here. We feel so blessed, thank you all for everything you did and are doing. Thank you for sending us support still remembering that we are relying on Him to fill all our needs. We just cannot find words to express our gratitude. He is so faithful if we step out in faith He is excited to meet us there.

 

Love ya all Samm and Angie