AARON AND AMBER BURMEISTER
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Dear friends and family,
During the last couple years we have been passionately seeking the Lord for his direction for our family. As different opportunities have come up in engineering, business, and ministry, we have taken steps forward in those directions, but have continually submitted them to prayer.
During this time of submission and waiting, many of those opportunities looked great at first. However, as we walked forward and prayed, they just didn’t seem right for our family. What was growing stronger as we sought God’s will was our desire to serve, share the gospel, and disciple young believers. As we have submitted our desires to the Lord and asked for His direction, our hearts have continually come back to these verses:
Mathew 9:37-38
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
As many of you know we have been blessed to be able to go to Costa Rica, Montenegro, and Nicaragua. While serving and helping with ministries in these countries, we have been powerfully impacted by the “work” that the Holy Spirit has done in and through our family. We have been so blessed to be part of the lives that have been changed for eternity!
We believe that God has been preparing us for “good works” that include being sent into “his harvest field”. I love that this verse establishes that the harvest field belongs to HIM. We are just going to “gather” what rightfully belongs to our loving Savior! We are “gathering” new friends that will see and know Him–that will experience the life and joy that comes from communion with the one true Lord Jesus.
Something that has continually amazed us is how God prepares us for these “good works” as we step out in faith into his harvest field. We have seen how the talents and skills needed, often match up with the gifts that God has given the different individuals in our family. God is so generous to prepare us and place us where He wants us to accomplish His will!
After much prayer and waiting for confirmation, we are excited to announce that we are joining an organization called Ride Nature! They have a saying in the organization “To the ends, until every ear hears”. Over the past couple years we have joined them on 8 trips total and have seen how fervently they are sharing the gospel and making disciples...and it is inspiring. Not easy…but extremely inspiring! Their strategy is to build relationships through Action Sports such as surfing, skating, and wakeboarding…and then share the gospel and provide discipleship through these relationships. Their mission is not to just share in our home towns but throughout the world. Ride Nature sees this community as a primarily unreached people group–a “plentiful harvest field”. During our trips we have experienced this reality and seen the Holy Spirit at work, changing lives. It’s awesome!
As a father of four, with two teenagers and two almost teenagers, I’ve questioned, “Is this what’s best for my kids and wife?” This is not something that we are entering into lightly and we have spent much time praying, fasting, and seeking wise counsel. In our time seeking the Lord about this ministry, there have been many valuable lessons and bits of advice. After processing and praying over it all, I think the following biblical principles have led us forward in this decision:
God’s word clearly calls us to go and make disciples.
God loves my children and wife more than I am capable of and it is His faithfulness that will continue to grow and guide them much more than my strategy or desire to protect them.
God’s word makes it clear we will have trials when we are living for Him. We are expecting that this will not be easy, in fact we know it will be hard. But we also know that God uses trials and hardship to make us more like His Son.
With these things in mind, we “press on towards the goal” as Paul describes in Philippians 3:14.
Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
During our first year with Ride Nature we will be primarily in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua at the Latin American Hub. We will serve with the team and learn how they do discipleship, church planting, outreach, and business as mission. We will also begin planning, developing strategy, and building a team for Ride Nature to launch a new hub in another part of the world.
One of the biggest blessings of being a follower of Christ, is being part of the “Church”...His Body. The Body’s purpose is to serve and equip each other as we live and carry out what Jesus has called us to do. We are so excited to be joining the part of The Church that is serving within Ride Nature to love and reach the lost. As we come alongside people with different gifts than us, we are eager to learn, help, and share with them.
We are also very excited to invite you to join us! We need your prayers, encouragement, wisdom, and financial support to go. Your prayers and encouragement will bless us and strengthen us when the days are hard. Your financial support will go towards our flights, transportation, housing, living expenses, schooling, and medical coverage while living in Nicaragua. Please consider partnering with us financially by committing to a monthly gift that will enable us to serve and share the good news with those who need to hear it!
Please feel free to contact us with questions and send me your email address if you would like to be added to our blog-email updates. We want to keep you in the loop with everything the Lord is doing through our family and team!
With sincere gratitude and anticipation,