Stories & Updates
Why is Your Face Downcast?
Motherhood has taught me something surprising:
Sometimes, the best parenting… doesn’t “work.”
In Genesis 4, God noticed Cain before he sinned.
He asked questions. He offered guidance. He gave a way out.
And Cain still chose wrong.
That changes how I see my role as a mom.
I’m not responsible for perfect outcomes.
I’m responsible for faithful presence.
Even in the cookie aisle meltdowns. 😉
✨ New blog: Why Is Your Face Downcast?
A look at how God parents—and what that means for us.
The Questions That Shape Us
Something new is beginning at Umbwella’s Stand.
For the past year, we’ve been telling the story of how we’ve seen God move. Now, we’re stepping into the next part of the vision—raising up the next generation.
This May, we’re launching a five-part series, “The Questions God Asks,” written by my daughter, Austi. Together, we’ll explore how God parents His children—and how His example shapes the way we guide, disciple, and love those He’s entrusted to us.
Because the truth is… we are all missionaries.
And it starts right where we are.
Join us as we begin this journey. 💛
That changes how I see my role as a mom.
I’m not responsible for perfect outcomes.
I’m responsible for faithful presence.
Even in the cookie aisle meltdowns. 😉
✨ New blog: Why Is Your Face Downcast?
A look at how God parents—and what that means for us.
Extraction Day
“It’s Extraction Day. No one gets left behind.”
I thought I was just flying home.
But there was a battle in the air.
Intercessors awakened at 4:30 a.m.
Dreams meant to intimidate.
Healing the enemy tried to reclaim.
God was faithful.
New on the blog: Extraction Day
Chosen, Known, and Celebrated: A Birthday Invitation
Your birthday is more than a date—it’s a reminder that you were chosen, known, and deeply wanted. No matter how it’s been celebrated (or not), God has a personal gift waiting for you. This year, ask Him what it is.
Quiet Moments
In a quiet moment overlooking the bay in South Africa, five simple words changed everything: “You don’t have to fear.” A reflection on spiritual battles, belief, and unshakable truth.
Rewriting What I Hear
Have you ever asked the Lord a question you thought would have a simple answer…
and instead, it changed the way you think?
Sent to Serve
Rick and Connie Bohner return to Germany to support missionaries through presence, encouragement, and practical care.
Learn how you can pray and be part of their mission.
Biblical Culture: When Tradition, Freedom & Truth Collide
Religious freedom is a privilege many Christians take for granted. A reflection on worship in Africa, cultural theology, and why we must evaluate our traditions through Scripture.
Supernatural Relationships
What happens when God builds a relationship years before you ever meet? A story from South Africa about obedience, answered prayer, and what it truly means to be poor in spirit.
Blessed Are the Unoffended
A young mom reflects on loneliness, faith, and God’s work in the wilderness. A vulnerable story of learning to trust the Lord when seasons don’t look as expected.
Embracing Manasseh
“God has made me forget all my hardship.” — Genesis 41:51
Manasseh House was born from obedience and built for healing.
Our newest blog, Embracing Manasseh, tells the story of land redemption, restoration, and God’s invitation to steward what belongs to Him.
Training for Gold
What the Olympics teach us about faith, discipline, and joy. A reflection on spiritual training, perseverance, and focusing on Jesus.
When God Told Me To Burn A Suitcase
I've spent years learning to hear from God — and years repenting of the mindset that said I had earned the right to. On a missionary trip to South Africa, everything I had been trained for collided with something I didn't see coming: a demonic curse placed on a suitcase, a fire that shocked even a guy who grew up around fires, and photos that moved an entire prayer community halfway around the world to tears. I didn't go looking for a spiritual warfare encounter. I went looking for obedience. This is what happened — and what God confirmed every step of the way.
When God Asks for Our Yes | Raising The Next Generation Through Everyday Yeses
Have you ever felt God calling you to do something that made no sense? This is the story of how we moved across the country on faith alone—and discovered what surrender really looks like.
He Makes the Nations Submit
The Nations of the earth will eventually submit to Christ, the question is, will we as individuals do the same before the nations?
Listening for the Right Voice
When life pulls us in a thousand directions and we don’t know where to go, who are we listening to? What voice cuts through the noise?
Learning to Trust God in the Midst of Fear
When fear feels overwhelming and surrender seems impossible, God invites us deeper into trust. Through vulnerability, prayer, and surrender, I learned that true peace comes not from control, but from trusting the One who holds every outcome in His hands.
The Sleep War
From sleepless nights and strange attacks to powerful revelations of God’s authority, this story unfolds a deep lesson in spiritual warfare and obedience. What began as physical weakness became a journey of supernatural strength, prayer, and the discovery that when we are weak, God is strong — and He always wins.
Anointing the Land
Join me on a spiritual battle of cleansing, prayer, and redemption as demonic forces are exposed and God’s power restores peace. From battling dark spirits to redeeming land marked by past sin, this story reveals how obedience and prayer can shift atmospheres and bring divine transformation.