April 2026, Issue 9

Newsletter of
Ryan and Cherrybee

Serving as Missions Mobilizers

 

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

- Paul of Tarsus, Philippians 1:6

A Life Fully Spent

The life of Dawson Trotman has been weighing on my heart lately in the best possible way. Trotman was the founder of The Navigators, a man who gave everything he had to the cause of multiplying disciples. He took 2 Timothy 2:2 seriously, not just as a verse to quote, but as a way of life. He poured himself into individuals, trusting that faithfulness to the process of multiplication would produce fruit that outlasted his own life. And it did. He passed away in 1956, while rescuing a drowning young woman. A sacrifice of love so great, Billy Graham stated at Dawson's funeral: “Daws died the same way he lived: holding others up”

What strikes me most about Trotman is not the programs he built or the organization he founded. It’s that he simply made himself available. He was faithful with what was in front of him. He once said, “If you can’t see very far ahead, go ahead as far as you can see.” That kind of forward-moving obedience is something I find myself coming back to in this season. We don’t always have the full picture. Plans shift. Timelines move. But we keep showing up, trusting that God is the One doing the real work and that He is faithful to complete it.

MissionConnexion Northwest

In January, we had the privilege of conducting The Unfinished Story for Youth at the MissionConnexion Northwest conference in Portland. Over the course of two days, we ran two course offerings and saw 56 participants go through the material. We were joined by an incredible team, partnering with Bret Johnson of The Hastening, three young mobilizers with Frontiers, Max, Michael, Tessa, and Bianca Soriano. It was an encouraging reminder of what God can do when His people come together around His mission. We are grateful for partnerships like these and pray they continue to bear fruit in the seasons ahead.

Life in the Philippines

After spending 5 months in the US and spending time with friends, family, and ministry partners, our family returned to the Philippines for a season. We arrived in mid-February and have been settling into a good rhythm. It has been a quieter, more relational season. We have been visiting churches and ministries in the area, connecting with local leaders, and doing some personal witnessing along the way. One memorable interaction was with a Muslim couple visiting from the Maldives. God has a way of placing people in your path at just the right moment, and we are grateful to be available when He does.

We have also been putting work into our home here with the long-term vision of using it to host guests for discipleship and ministry. We replaced four windows that were in bad shape, tinted the rest, and are currently building a half wall upstairs to close off an open stairwell. These might sound like small things, but we believe in preparing the space God has given us so that it can eventually serve His people well.

Courses on the Horizon

We are believing God for a Kairos course tentatively scheduled for late May and an Unfinished Story for Youth course potentially in June. These are the very things we came here for, to see a Biblical worldview take root in local churches and to equip Filipino leaders for the mobilization of their own people. We are in conversations with key leaders in the area and are trusting God to bring the right people together at the right time. Please pray with us for these doors to open fully.

Growing Family Update

We are blessed to share that Cherrybee is expecting our second child! We are planning to remain in the Philippines through late June, at which point we will head back to the United States for her third trimester. We are trusting God for housing and transportation accommodations as we make that transition. Amaryah continues to be a joy wherever we go. She is so natural at breaking the ice and making everyone around her smile. We are grateful for God’s grace over our little family and are looking forward to welcoming the newest Betancourt in early September.

Thank you for taking the time to read about what's going on in our lives. We covet your prayers always (prayer requests below). Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing!

Prayer Requests

Partner with Us!

We would love for you to partner with us in faith as we follow God's call to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Whether prayerfully or financially, you can help us to mobilize the body of Christ so that the lost and least-reached may hear the Gospel and accept their invitation into the Kingdom of Heaven.