A Note from the Office...

By Tessa Thralls, Beyond Malibu Office Manager

Greetings from the Beyond Malibu office! This is my second year working in the Beyond Malibu office, and I am constantly reminded of what a blessing it is for me to work in this place. Part of my job is promoting the ministry of Beyond Malibu to others who may be interested in going on a trip or being on staff; I have found it is never hard to be excited about the ministry and encourage others to become involved. I had a passion for Beyond Malibu and loved the work of this ministry even before I began working here. However, over the last year, I have gotten the chance to learn so much more about the ministry; I have talked to dozens of trip leaders and heard the stories about how lives were changed on trips; I have served with other guides and seen how God uses their service to change their own lives; I have lived in the midst of the Beyond Malibu community in Seattle and witnessed how its members support each other incredibly well; and furthermore, my own life has been affected greatly through my time with Beyond Malibu. It constantly gets easier to promote Beyond Malibu’s trip and staff opportunities to others because I continually experience God working through this ministry in the lives of his children.

Not only does God choose to work through the ministry of Beyond Malibu but he also chooses to bless the ministry. One example of his blessing this year is the new office space that we moved into. We are thankful to Concordia Lutheran School for the office space they provided for us over the past few years. However, this fall we needed to move out of the space; it was a stressful time searching for a new office; Rob sent out countless letters to churches and surveyed Seattle for any place that might work. Being rejected time and time again, the process became quite discouraging. However, suddenly one week before we needed to move, we discovered the opportunity to move into a church in NE Seattle. The staff at Discovery House church graciously allowed us to move into their office space and have supported us throughout the process. We are now located in a prestigious corner office overlooking Hollywood Video and Dicks, and it is an especially good situation for me because I live one block away from the church.

So, although the summer is the season that we are able to see God’s work in and through this ministry most clearly, Rob and I are also reminded throughout the year of his blessings and provisions, and we are thankful to be involved in the ministry of Beyond year-round. During the long winter months, it can be easy to lose sight of why we are doing what we are doing; however, through conversations with trip leaders, alumni, current staff, and friends of Beyond, I am convinced that every minute I spend serving this ministry is valuable, and for that, I thank God daily.