It's Miracle Season
- Charlotte Watkins
- Oct 16, 2023
- 7 min read
Hello Friends, Family, and those of you I haven't crossed paths with yet!
This is a miracle season. Some of you might not know what this term means. According to a dictionary definition, a miracle is a surprising and welcome event that is not explainable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.
I would say it's the work of God happening around us, the impossible only God can do.
To give some context, In the coming weeks, I will be moving to Chilliwack, BC and become rooted in a new season of life. I am going to be working as the Executive Administrator at Hungry For Life, which in a sense is my dream job, only by many miracles. After many years of moving around and being involved in missions overseas and ministry locally, I am excited to put down roots in a new place that will help me live out my passion for ministry and helping people, but also personally help me to maintain a healthy work/life balance. Plus, my amazing boyfriend Caleb, will only live 15 minutes down the road rather than the 10-hour trek of a long-distance relationship that we have done the last 10 months. It feels like a miracle of how God has led me here. I want to share part of the story of how God has brought me to this place and an opportunity on how you can partner in that.
Looking back 6 years ago, I went to Perth, Australia with YWAM for a 6-month Discipleship Training school where I met my friend Abby. We bonded over both being Canadian as she is from Chilliwack, and have maintained a close friendship ever since. We were both on staff in YWAM Perth together for the following few years.
As I worked in YWAM, Perth I was able to use my administrative skills for ministry, something I didn't see before as a needed skill or one that I hadn't seen displayed in ministry before. I grew a big passion for using the skills that God gave me, to enable others in many practical ways. During my time at YWAM Perth, I was involved in a lot of community work and outreach around Western Australia. Although the ministry we did was amazing in the moment, I was left feeling a sense of sadness and almost a lack of not being able to help these people more. We shared about God with them, but their basic needs for living were not met and because we were a short-term team, there wasn't a lot we could do about that. After 3 years in YWAM Perth, I was left with the sense of wanting to do more but not knowing what that would look like.
Upon coming home from Australia end of 2021, I took a few months to re-assess my life. I wrote a list of what my 'dream job' would look like. In ministry, using admin skills, helping people with the basic necessities of living, making a lasting sustainable impact, and having a healthy work/life balance so I wouldn't burn out. I tucked this list which felt like a dream, away in a journal thinking that it wasn't possible.
In the times my friend Abby and I were both on Canadian soil, I would regularly travel to visit her in Chilliwack. Her parents are the founders of Hungry For Life and they would regularly bug me to come work for them (I know you can see where this is going...) I would laugh and brush it off but found myself curious to find out more about the organization. September last year Abby used her match-making skills and introduced me to my now boyfriend Caleb, bringing me to Chilliwack a lot more frequently this year, which also encouraged the nudges from her family all the more.
My prayer coming into 2023 was the word 'rooted' and seeking what it would look like to settle more long-term in a place. God spoke to me a lot about trees and how the root system is vital to a tree being able to grow itself but also be a thriving organism for all the other things that rely on it. In order for a tree to produce good fruit it needs deep and healthy roots. Roots are also an anchor, when a storm comes, a tree will withstand with strong roots. I'm not saying I'm a dead and withered tree but I can see without a rooting and a healthy balance in life, the tree won't survive. Although I root myself in God which is the #1, I've been longing for rhythms, routine and a place to call home for years.
As I've gone through this year, I have learned more about Hungry For Life and the work they do, long-term partnerships between local and international partners to facilitate community development and spiritual growth. HFL has the aim of envisioning a world transformed by a global movement of compassion and justice, evidenced by the eradication of needless suffering. They believe that when you work towards changing someone else's life, it in turn changes your life and a spiritual depth happens when we are actively engaged in the work God has called us to; Isaiah 58:10. They work in 14 countries, facilitating 58+ projects with over 65 partners.
As I learned more about HFL and knowing that they were in need of administrative help, the vision of the 'dream job' I listed years before, became so evident and clear. HFL has been actively seeking for someone for over a year to administratively come alongside their Executive team in providing assistance to them. HFL is ever-growing and adapting to some unexpected changes in this season, this role is more greatly needed now than ever. The timing and opportunity for me being such a miracle, the same time there is a great need being fulfilled, again all to say, God's divine timing.
That is a glimpse into the miracle season that I'm currently in, the reasoning and the why behind my move and stepping into this role as well as a little look at what I will be doing. As I talked about the tree analogy and I am looking to become more rooted, I know that from that place of being personally rooted, there will be great fruit that comes from it impacting those around me. As I am stepping into HFL at their 20th anniversary, I am expectant and excited to see how they continue to help people all over the world and how God will work through me to see that vision happen.
Many miracles have happened to get me to this point, but I am in a place of trusting for many more. A part of HFL's unique structure is the 100% model. It takes money to create change, no matter what the vision. A traditional model seen in most non-profits is to take a percentage off every donation given, to cover the overhead operational costs for that organization. Although that model does work, Hungry For Life believes in 100% model, which means that 100% of every donation to an international development project goes to that project (which this year currently is upwards of 3.5 million dollars towards international projects, crazy!). HFL believes that donors should know exactly what their money is going to. This means that overhead operational costs and staff salaries are raised separately and each staff is responsible for raising the funds for their own salary. This is done through an annual black-tie fundraising event as well as staff relying on monthly partnerships with those around them to supply the funds available for their salary and expenses associated with their role. I am currently working to raise monthly support to enable me to begin working. As I am raising support, I work alongside HFL in creating a budget and a support goal that would make for a sustainable living wage (maxed at a local teacher's salary). HFL then matches 20% of what's given for staff support to help in the ways they can for staff to reach their goals. All that to say, even as a small donation, your money goes a long way. There is also a way for Canadians and US donors to receive tax receipts.
I am currently 25% to my fundraising goal which is attributed to many of you saying 'yes' in supporting me in this way. I feel incredibly blessed and don't take the generosity of those around me lightly. If you are interested in helping me reach my goal of what a monthly or one-time partnership can look like, please reach out to me or see the 'partnership' tab on my website that can link to the HFL donate page to set up donations. https://cjlwatkins98.wixsite.com/charlotte/partner
In the coming weeks, I'm going to be sharing more about what HFL does specifically how they engage local partners to do incredible projects all over the world. I am incredibly excited and already so passionate about this role and how God is going to continue to work.
I am also in Alberta for the rest of October, travelling around to different cities to meet with people, say goodbyes, and continue to build partnerships with those curious about supporting me. If you would like to meet up please message me and we will arrange a time!
Thank you for hearing my story and investing in what God is doing in my life. I am eager to see how God continues to work and the miracles He will bring in this time.
Love you all,
Charlotte
P.S. As I mentioned above, HFL holds their annual Black Tie- Fundraising event to raise the funds needed for the overhead operational costs of the organization. This year we are celebrating 20 years of HFL and the theme is Ripple Effect. If you are able to join the gala in person I would love to have you. For those of you too far to join in person, the gala will be live-streamed on Facebook and you are able to donate or bid on silent auction items through the website. There is more information about the event through this link. I've had a sneak preview at the silent auction items, and you won't want to miss out!
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