Dear Pioneers,
Honest post - Earlier this year, I felt shipwrecked.
Outwardly, you wouldn’t have known—I was still pouring out, but my heart just felt tired.
I have always been committed to giving everything to follow Jesus and lead my family in this pioneering journey. But the only way I can explain it is that deep inside, I was worn down and spread thin.
Many years ago God asked us to move to the United States, following the call of God across nations, but it wasn’t until we returned to Australia for a trip in April that I slowed down enough to face the reality: I was burnt out.
Not from ministry, but from the constant movement—traveling from place to place, house to house, season to season, assignment to assignment. The pioneering life had become a rhythm of relentless transition, with no place of stability, no home, and no grounding community.
I longed for rest. I longed for something to settle my soul. But instead, I felt shipwrecked.
Shipwrecked: That place where you have followed the Lord’s voice to the best of your ability, but somehow, it feels like it’s led you to a barren shore with nothing in sight. It’s the unsettling realization that despite all your obedience, you feel stranded, exhausted, and unsure if you’ll ever find solid ground again.
Maybe you’ve been there, too.
The Lord began to speak to me about what it means to be shipwrecked in this way. It’s the place where we are stripped of all we once leaned on. It’s where we confront the brokenness and fatigue of having given everything, yet wondering if it was worth it. But here’s what He also showed me: The shipwreck is not the end—it’s where God revives you and puts a fresh wind in your sails again!
Pioneers, I believe many of you are in this same place right now. You’ve been faithful, you’ve sacrificed, you’ve given your “yes” over and over again. But it feels like you’ve reached a point where the waves have carried you to a place you didn’t expect. You feel stranded, weary, and questioning how you got here.
But the Lord is saying to you today, “This is not the end. I’m not done with you, and this place is not where your story finishes.”
In the wreckage, He is showing you what was never meant to sustain you in the first place. He’s dismantling the crutches of self-reliance, unhealthy alignments, and the illusions of stability that were built on shifting sands.
And He is using it to set you free from activity that is burning you out and leading you off course.
You may feel empty right now, but this is where He fills you anew. This is the divine pause before the great resurgence. This is where the old mindsets and methods break off, and the raw, pure faith that you’ve been called to as a pioneer rises up.
Listen to what He’s saying to you now:
You haven’t failed. This feeling of being shipwrecked is the precursor to something greater. I’m stripping away what no longer serves you so I can establish you in a new way.
You’re not lost. I am the anchor in this season, and I’m repositioning you for what’s ahead.
This place of desolation is actually the place of rebirth. Where you feel abandoned and exhausted, I am pouring out My strength and renewing your vision.
Pioneers, the shipwreck is a setup. It’s where everything that was dead weight is left behind, and you emerge lighter, freer, and more aligned with the Spirit of God than ever before.
Even now, the Lord is saying, “I’m turning this shipwreck into a launching pad.”
You’re not stranded—you’re being set up for a new journey, one where you’ll move with greater purpose, clarity, and authority than ever before.
What you thought was lost in the wreckage is actually being restored in ways you cannot yet imagine.
It may feel like you’ve been led nowhere, but God is positioning you for something greater.
So, take heart. The storm didn’t win. The waves didn’t take you out. And the shipwreck wasn’t your end—it was the beginning of something much bigger.
With you on this journey,
—Nate