The Spring Season
- Charlotte Watkins
- May 25, 2024
- 6 min read
I want to start by saying I am deeply sorry that it has taken me this long to send out an update. There has been many things keeping my life very full during this spring and I'm excited to share all that’s been happening!
When I first moved to Chilliwack in November last year, My goal was to plant some roots and be established in one place. Over the last 5 years of living in and out of YWAM, working at camp and taking job opportunities in various places, this past 6 months in Chilliwack is the longest I have lived in one place for over 3 years. I know… it’s crazy. After many moves and shifts it has been really exciting to be living in the same place, establishing some rhythms, routines and a new place I call home.
Hungry For Life
I began working in the office at HFL in January as Executive Administrator. For the first 2 months, everyday felt like sitting under a fire hose being blasted with all the new information. As much as I am new to this role, aspects of my job have never existed within HFL before, so it was a shift for others to get to know me and my role as well. The learning curve was and still is a steep one but I was met with so much grace and support by the amazing team of staff around me. I am incredibly blessed to work alongside a team that loves and cares for one another, who is passionate about what they do and love to see our vision of global thriving communities take place.
My role as Executive Administrator means I help provide admin assistance to the leadership team, assistance directly with our Executive Director, Dave, the admin work needed for our board of directors and help as the receptionist and general staff admin for our office. I have to say I love my job and what I get to do each day. Working in this capacity is not something Im trained for or have had tons of experience in rather more of a natural gifting. I come to work every day with a full heart and thankful for what I get to be a part of. This job has been many years in the making and is the answer to so many prayers.
If you want to see what my job is like, our communications department made a video.
HFL has continued to work hard these last few months facilitating projects all over the world. We have had a lot of teams travelling so far this year to places like, Ukraine, Philippines, Dominican Republic and Guatemala, to name a few. Teams from our local parters, Churches, groups, businesses, travel on short term trips to work alongside our international partners in these places. As much as there is change and life change that happens for the international partner from the work they do on these trips, there is tremendous life change that happens to the hearts of those that go and see first hand who are partners are and the work they do. It’s beautiful to see this growth and change happen time and time again, another reason why HFL operates the way we do. Im excited to share that I get to be a part of one of our team trips coming up! Im joining a local church partner, Yarrow Alliance Church, on their 9 day trip to Ensenada, Mexico near the end of July. We will work alongside our International Partners El Refugo, in supporting their local work around Ensenada and in running a girls safe home. Im looking forward to connecting directly with our International and Local Partners through this trip and completing my HFL Team Leader Training so I can lead teams in the future.
If you want to see a recent team video, here is a look at some of the teams that have gone out this year. https://vimeo.com/hungryforlife
Our communications team recently made an hour long documentary on the work HFL has done in Ukraine over the part 2 years. We have worked in Ukraine for almost 20 years and when people we know and love are going through the tragedy of a war it only impacts us that much more. With Them is a look at the response HFL has had and you can watch it through our website here. Have your tissues ready as it is heartbreaking yet beautiful story.
Youth & Church
When I moved to Chilliwack I started attending Broadway Mennonite Church. It's a church that genuinely feels like family. Broadway has many generations of people that are investing in learning and growing in our faith together. Our pastor Garry Simpson is passionate about coming together as a community of believers to love one another well.
Broadway has become a place of familiar faces and has made its impression on me in their generosity. I feel like this is a church that resembles the church in Acts, giving and ensuring no one was in need. I’m so thankful to be rooted in this church community that I know many of you are a part of.
Alongside attending church on Sundays, Caleb and I volunteer as youth leaders for High School Youth on Tuesday nights. I have the privilege to co-lead the grade 9 girls alongside two friends of mine, Lydia and Taylor. Together this group of girls have grown in their bond together and in their curiosity of the Lord. We have started a weekly bible study initiated by the girls, that meets before school at the local Tim Hortons. We are reading through Luke and learning more about how to read the bible and discovering who Jesus was. Although youth calls for late nights and early mornings, I genuinely love doing life alongside these girls and mentoring them into knowing God more and more each day.
Caleb and Friends-
Caleb and I have stepped into our new rhythm of doing life alongside each other dating in person rather than long distance. It has been a really nice change but also a change to adjust to. We recently took a short road trip to Portland with some friends, which ended with camping (tenting) in the rain but made some incredible memories out of that time together. We are excited for a summer with friends, spend time outside, time with Calebs family, and a few trips to continue to build some memories together.
Working at Camp-
In December I was asked by Southern Alberta Bible Camp to remotely help them with the administration side of their hiring process for summer staff. This was a big blessing as I was able to stay connected to the camp, do the work from my desk at HFL and have another job supplementing some income which helped me hit my HFL support raising goal a bit faster.
Working at camp in this way has been really fulfilling. Seeing so many people apply and doing hours of interviews hearing the reasons why people want to serve at camp. Now that summer is near, we are almost full for our summer staff! It’s such a blessing that we have reached this milestone.
Raising Support
I originally lowered my HFL hours to 32 hours a week to then do camp work for the rest of the time making it full time work hours. Now that my camp job is finishing, it puts me in a place where I need to raise a bit of extra support to help fill that gap. As an HFL staff, we commit to fundraising for our salaries so that we can uphold our model of sending 100% of project funds to the projects. Im seeking to raise an additional $300 of monthly support to be able to increase my hours to 37 hours a week. For any amount donated to staff, HFL matches it by 20% which makes donations go further in enabling me to continue my work here at HFL.
If you would like to donate or are interested in this partnership please see the ‘partner’ tab above or email me at cwatkins@hungryforlife.org
Thank-you to those of you who are faithful supporters and have committed to investing in what God is doing through me and HFL. I am humbled and feel immensely blessed on a daily basis to be used by God in this way, and it takes a lot of faith and prayer and community to see it happen. Thank you for your sacrifice in that.
Praying a blessing over all of you and your families and your summer ahead!
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