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Update: December 24, 2025

Hi, ERBF

An update from Brooklyn and Cody:

We had an opportunity to meet our team in Kelowna in November for an overnight retreat! We had a blast connecting with teens our age who all have the same passion for Jesus. We played games, learned about Guatemalan traditions, cooked meals, worshiped, and got to have fellowship with one another. We’ve continued to connect with them over the past two months, and we were able to invite one to our youth group! These relationships have been so encouraging, and we can’t wait to work together in Guatemala.

We continue to meet on zoom every Monday, sharing what we learn from a really awesome book. It’s called When Helping Hurts. This book is about poverty, and how we can approach it without unintentionally hurting these people. Our perspective has really changed. North Americans think of poverty as people who don’t have stuff and are poor. This is true, but to help them get out of poverty isn’t just to give them material things. It’s about encouraging them and showing them that what they do have is a blessing, and that they are given gifts and talents by God to help them get out of their situation. Poverty happens from broken relationships, and to help fix poverty, it’s about building those relationships again with God, Self, others, and creation. We often go into missions trips thinking we are the ones who will fix their lives, but our mindsets should change, and go into it as we will build relationships to help them fix their lives through their talents God gave them to use and glorify Him. This perspective has changed for us, and we have really seen God work in our lives, and others.

We ask you to continue to pray for us, that our relationships will grow as we learn from this book and meet with our team on Monday’s, and that our hearts will be prepared with God’s wisdom and grace to bring on our missions trip to the share with the Guatemalans!

We are still collecting bottles until May, but we are so grateful for all your support, and the many bags of bottles we have picked up after church service and on Wednesday youth nights. Thank you for your generosity, and giving hearts. We appreciate it so much!

Thank you and God bless.

November 5, 2025:

On October 26, Brooklyn & Cody Thom shared some exciting news with the congregation! They’ve both been accepted into a school program called the SEAL Team — an eight-month Christian education and leadership program focused on Serving others, Exploring faith, Advancing the gospel, and Leading with integrity.

As part of the program, they’ll be heading on a missions trip to Guatemala in May 2026, where they’ll serve in the rural community through children’s ministry, home visits, evangelism, and community projects.

To help fund the trip, they’ve launched “Bottles for Blessings” — a fun and practical fundraiser collecting refundable bottles, cans, and juice boxes. It’s a simple way for our church family to come alongside them in support.

They closed their presentation with two meaningful verses:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” — Matthew 28:19

“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” — Matthew 20:28

Please join us in praying for them as they grow in faith and prepare to serve in Guatemala!