In the words of Tara Riley, Missionary with YWAM (Youth With A Mission):
I remember the day clearly. I was homeschooling my 5 year old with a 2 year old on my lap, yearning to impart the passion that I felt in my heart about living a life for Jesus. What does it look like to truly live for the One who adopted me so I could have an eternal inheritance? I knew I was trying to teach my children about kingdom living but at the same time feeling like I was saying one thing and doing another.
My husband was an in-house employment attorney for Tyson Foods (and previously Walmart). His hours were long and travel was frequent. The more he embraced work, the more I embraced motherhood, and, in spite of the fact we both desired to embrace more of our relationship with the Lord, the more we found ourselves being wooed by our culture rather than by the Kingdom and the further and further we drifted apart.
My heart ached and I begged the Lord to make our marriage whole again.
I heard the Lord ask me this question, “Tara, can you leave this house and the job (as a pediatric occupational therapist) that you love?”
I said, “Yes, Lord, whatever it takes to restore our family.”
Even though I had never had an experience like this with the Lord before, I felt that it was significant. But, I had no idea how our world was going to change! I don’t know when the transformation began after that discussion with the Lord, but I know He was preparing my heart for all that was about to happen.
It was the beginning of July 2006. I was at my sister’s house several hours away when I received THE CALL.
My husband said, “I quit my job today.”
After a brief silence I said, “Well, good.”
And that was the beginning of the journey we are still on. We made a drastic change in every aspect of our lives, from a 6 digit income to living by faith for each meal, from the corporate world of suits and cocktail parties to ministry in the Smoky Mountain Trash dump in the Philippines. We lived on 4 different continents in 4 years, beginning when our children were ages 2, 5, and 7. We founded a non-profit ministry called FJ Ministries and became missionaries with Youth With A Mission.
Our God-given mission as a family is F.A.I.T.H. – Families reaching families, as Avenues to the nations, Inspiring passion for God and compassion for people, through Teaching and Training in God’s word, with open Hearts and Hands.
This year we are pioneering the Family Discipleship Training School (Family DTS) in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, at the University of the Nations Kona YWAM base. On April 4 we will welcome 8 families from 5 countries, including 21 children from ages 6 months to 15 years, and begin a 5-month long adventure training them in missions and ministry as a family. There will be 11 weeks of discipleship in Kona with international speakers each week, followed by 9 weeks of outreach in the Philippines, living love out loud.
Family DTS topics will include the Father Heart of God, God’s nature and character, the biblical foundations of marriage, family, and parenting, spiritual warfare, evangelism, relationships, missions, and the mission-minded family. It is time set apart to focus on who God is, His purpose for your family and how to live out His calling as a family.
We would love for you to join us on this life changing journey! We will be running this school at the same time next year. If you would like to step out of the boat and join us for 2 weeks or more this summer in the Philippines, then contact us!