The Harvest!

Friday was our last day at camp – the finale to a week of excitement and expectation.  God blessed us with a wonderful sunny, warm day so much of it was spent outside when we could.  The parents were treated to the graduation session where the children got certificates and photos of their teams, as well as a gospel of John to get into the parent’s hands.  There were many wistful goodbyes and hopes for us to return next year.  We are confident that the true gospel went out this year – the depiction yesterday of Jesus death and resurrection was a very bold move, done with a narrated vignette showing man’s fall from innocence to sin and the separation that could only be bridged by Jesus’ sacrifice.  Many parents were there, and it was the type of thing that the children will remember in their hearts as they grow up.  We want so much for them to realize that they can have a personal relationship with the God of their faith, through Jesus Christ alone, and that He offers joy they can’t imagine!

The youth event Thursday night was incredible – about 70 people showed up on the beach on another beautiful night, and played games and ate food and heard the gospel.  Six young men prayed to receive Jesus – Hallelujah! - and hung around to get more of the fellowship they had seen that evening.  Tonight as I’m writing, they contacted our bunch and want to meet again at the beach, so a few of our older kids and younger adults have gone down to meet with them.  As mentioned above, today was a glorious warm day and this evening is no different, so they should have a wonderful time of getting to know each other more.

Andrea and Cherie also had the opportunity Thursday night to host about 7 of the women for coffee. Alexia was also quite the hostess and activities coordinator for the children who came along, organizing games for the boys, the Ukranian girls who had no English and the other girls.  The women had the opportunity to go around the circle and find out more about each other’s lives and we have such a deeper understanding of how to pray and support them as sisters in Christ.  It seems that while the Irish are reticent to share among themselves, it is easier for them to share with us, probably because we won’t be around getting into their business all year, but are willing to pray based on the knowledge we have of them, and they want us to get it right. J  We are hoping that the openness we have shown and the steps toward transparency that they have made will help them be more and more comfortable as a support to one another.

Again, your prayer support has meant so much to us this week and even prior to the trip.  You paved the way with your intercession and God has accomplished much.  Saturday Terry and his family leave for Arizona, and a couple others leave as well.  The very well-traveled group of 5 leave on Sunday and ask your prayers to get us all the way home on time, as we have to get to work on Monday.  And before then, we still have the women’s tea tomorrow night, the culmination of our week of spontaneous get-togethers and devotional that we introduced to them the first weekend.  Thank you for continuing in prayer!

Beautiful radiant day!

Today God blessed us with a radiant day - the sun was peeking through the clouds  or banishing them altogether for much of the morning and the children felt the excitement of both the weather and the message for today - "Prayer helps us stand strong".  It is such a joy to see the grins on little faces, and the enthusiasm of the crew leaders who are shepherding the campers this week.  After every day's activities are done and the children gone home, the music still plays in the meeting room and the team members continue dancing to the praise music and doing all the hand motions and steps that go with the songs - it is at the same time precious and hilarious!

Last night the men had their dinner with the men of the church and cooked tacos for about 40 people.  They talked for hours - iron sharpening iron was definitely going on there as the men shared openly with one another.  Drew and Tony came home well after 10:00 from cleaning up.

The women had invited about 5 of the church women for dinner at our cottage.  We had spaghetti and talked for several hours - just a relaxed evening to give them a break from having to cook at home and get some encouragement.  We ended up taking a long walk in the wind around the cliff walk, continuing our conversations.  What a blessed time of fellowship for both genders it was last night!

Today we had time for a well deserved rest - many of us napped in the afternoon and took care of shopping.  Cherie and Ericka had one visitor, Bridie, who came by and shared for almost 3 hours about her walk with Jesus -  that too was an amazing time of fellowship and precisely the focus of our women's ministry this year.

Thank you so much for your prayers this week.  We are feeling the support daily and can't do without it!  All those with health issues are feeling much better today and Terry's family is still working through the practical issues relying on God to provide guidance.  You are a part of our ministry in upholding us this way.

Tomorrow we have planned a youth outreach - we had to change venues and are doing it at the beach - pray especially for good weather.  If we can have another night like tonight it would be great!

P.S. Pray also for good sleep - it stays light until 11pm and we keep staying up to do more!!

JOY!

We are not Destroyed!

Dear Friends,

We have known for a while that this team was in the crosshairs of the enemy, but had hoped we were ready to start accomplishing what God had planned for us.  But Sunday another blow was dealt when Terry found out that one of his extended family members had been killed while fighting a wildfire in Arizona.  Our hearts were heavy as we prayed and sought God's guidance for Terry as he determines what course of action will best reflect God's heart for both his family and the ministry here.

How do we face this type of circumstance?  Monday morning we sang "Stand strong, when life changes, stand strong through the ups and downs…God is in control".  We read that afternoon that we are to put on the whole armor of God, "to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on all of God's armor so that you would be able to stand firm against all the strategies of the devil.  For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world and against evil spirits in the heavenly places……then after the battle you will still be standing firm.  Stand your ground….."

We are standing our ground.  God has a plan…for Terry, for Mia and the kids, for Dave and Jane, for the rest of the team, for Listowel Christian Fellowship.  This church is positioned where they could be a significant influence for the kingdom, and perhaps this week is a pivotal point for that.  Members of the team are poised to do battle with either personal issues or for the ministry, and maybe that is another pivot point in where God has His sights set.  We don't know.  We can't see the future.  We may never find out the meaning behind this battle, but we DO know that it IS a battle for souls in some way.

We just got word that another member of the Granite Hotshots was the son of a missionary family - he had had the opportunity to share the Gospel with the entire team just a week ago for a couple of hours.  While we don't know the outcome of that, we are confident along with his parents, that we will someday meet some of those heroes in the kingdom!

Meanwhile, we have work to do.  The kid's camp has now finished two days, and we are seeing faces from last year and many new faces.  The children are eager for the Word and enthusiastic in their worship.  Many of them only hear the Truth here during the summer but they come back year after year and hear it again.  We want to be ready to usher them into the family of God when they are ready.  The men are meeting with the men from church tonight for a meal and fellowship time and the women have invited a few of the women at church for join us for dinner and sharing in hopefully the first of a few small groups.  We have relationships to nurture through these times in this now short week.

This morning Dave Brown shared with us from 2 Cor 4:8 - "we are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed - always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."  That is where we are  - Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning, Great is Your faithfulness."

Enjoy these photos of what God is accomplishing in our work here!

The Lord makes me to lay down in green fields  

 My cup runs over!!!

 He comforts me in trouble! 

 Oh it good craic!!