JAM Camp

Last week was the big week of the summer, JAM Camp (Jesus, Arts, and Music Camp). This is the big event of the summer for the Hatcher Pass Baptist Association. While most other camps draw kids from The Valley (Palmer and Wasilla) and Anchorage, JAM Camp brings in kids from all over the state. JAM Camp also has twice as many campers attend than most other camps. It's also special because it focuses on the arts: music, drama, puppets, creative movement, etc. To make the camp even cooler, Christ is the main focus. This camp is really one-of-a-kind.

This week was amazing for me in so many different ways. The blessings that God poured out are just too many to count. One of the biggest blessings was that six kids came to know the Lord! Two girls also accepted a call to the mission field (more details about that later!)! Several kids also took the time to pray with their leaders about issues they were struggling with. The camp was a huge success! God was really moving during that week.

So what part did I get to play in JAM Camp? I got to play 3 roles. 1. Cabin Leader 2. Drama Teacher 3. Summer Missionary. It was a very busy week for me, but I loved every minute of it. I want to tell you a little about each of these roles.

First, I'll tell you a little about my Summer Missionary role at camp. A lot of planning came under this role. As two of the Summer Missionaries, Emily and I were in charge of putting the Talent Show together for Tuesday night. We held auditions (just to see how serious the performance was, nobody was turned down), put together a schedule for the show, and MC it. Those kids were so talented! It was amazing to watch them get on stage and have a blast showing off what they could do. Emily, Ericka, Rachel, and I didn't get to watch the show though. We were busy behind the stage getting ready for our next MC part or a "commercial." We wore a different hat to introduce every act, had funny "commercials" between every few acts, and I introduced the commercials as Zorro. We had a BLAST! Tuesday night's Talent Show is one of the hi-lights of the summer. We, along with other summer missionaries, also did a short skit during worship every night to introduce the night's theme. This was also a ton of fun. Some skits were serious, some were funny and covered everything from prayer to salvation. The kids never knew exactly what was coming during our skits. The night I was in charge of the skit was the salvation night. We did the Sin Box Skit. We had a tub labeled as SIN. One person got stuck in it and 3 others got pulled in and stuck in SIN with her. No matter what we did, we couldn't get out. Then Jesus comes along and explains that He is the only way out of sin; we can't do it on our own. It's a pretty neat skit.

The next role I played was the Drama Teacher. Those of you that have watched me grow up know this: I love drama! There are very few things in life that give me as much pleasure as being on stage does. However, I've never taught drama before. When Gary asked me to teach the Drama breakout sessions at camp, I was ecstatic and extremely nervous. It was an incredible experience! I had the privilege to teach 2 groups (one younger group and one older group) twice a day, a grand total of 4 sessions a day. Trust falls, vocal exercises, relaxation techniques, a projection activity, silly songs, and the Question Game were used to teach some of the basic principles of drama. After all of that came the hard part, casting. It was extremely difficult to decide who should play what part. I'm pretty sure that I walked away from the casting process with more gray hair than I started with! Things turned out really well though. Due to the size of the groups, each group performed 2 skits on Family Night. Each camper played their part exceptionally well and the crowd loved them! I AM SO PROUD OF THOSE GUYS!! However, above all else, THEY HAD FUN AND LEARNED ABOUT GOD!!! That was the goal of the week, and it was well met. I was extremely blessed to be a part of the camp as the Drama Teacher. I am very thankful for that amazing privilege, and I won't forget the smiling faces and fun times of the Drama Sessions.

Finally, the most important part that I played during JAM Camp was the role of Cabin Leader. While teaching a breakout session is a very important part of camp, above all, I was there to be a Spiritual Role Model and Guide to the campers. If one one of my girls needed me, they were my number one priority. I got to be a Cabin Leader for two 13 year-olds, a 15 year-old, and 16 year-old. Each of these girls had their own testimony and their own struggles. During the time I had with those girls we shared laughs, shed tears, and gave encouragement and support through words and hugs. There is one special story from the week with my girls that I would like to share with you. This story involves me and two of my girls, Cari and Anne. On Monday night, Cari and Anne came to me during the invitation asking to pray. Both of the girls, Cari especially, were struggling with feeling God's presence. They talked about being able to feel Him during the good times when their faith was strong, but other times, it was like He wasn't even there. I talked with them a little about God's faithfulness and His promises. I reminded them of Abraham and Joseph. Surely there were times when these two great men of the Faith felt like God wasn't there, but God always saw them through. I prayed with them and asked God to remind them of His faithfulness and to let them feel His presence. Within 24 hours, we got a powerful answer to that prayer. The next night, this time with tears of joy, Cari and Anne came back to me during the invitation. THEY HAD FELT GOD'S CALL TO THE MISSION FIELD!! (I'm tearing up right now just thinking about it!!) Our missionary for the week, Amanda, had shared her testimony with the campers. It wasn't a fuzzy, feel good testimony. She talked about the struggles she's experience since being on the mission field with the IMB, but she also talked about how the sacrifices were worth it all. God is in control and He is faithful. Cari talked about how that kind of scared her, but she prayed about it. She felt God moving and calling her. Anne also felt God's call on her life. Isn't that amazing?!?!?!?! GOD IS FAITHFUL!!! It's amazing to watch Him work.I just can't believe that He would allow me to not only witness this incredible event, but to actually be involved. I can't explain to you the joy I felt when I prayed with Cari and Anne. I really can't explain just how amazing the entire situation is. This story will be a memory I will cherish and treasure for the rest of my days.

A HUGE THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT PRAYED FOR JAM CAMP LAST WEEK! God heard the prayers of His people, and He answered them. Thank you so much for your prayers.

Catch up!

Sorry about the delay in updates! I haven't had much internet access for the past 3 weeks, and when I did have access, other things took priority. It's hard to believe, but this is my last week in Alaska. The last three weeks have been great. There is so much I want to share, but I don't have the time to tell everything. For now I'll just sum up Valdez and Big Lake Baptist's VBS. I'll do a separate post about JAM Camp.

Our week in Valdez was incredible! By the end of the week, we had 18 kids at the Back Yard Bible Club. This is an amazing number for Alaska and an exceptional number for the first BBC in the area. We didn't have any decisions made that week, but we could see the impact that the stories were having on the kids. They were learning something new every day! It also feels great to know that we helped to lay a firm foundation for future Bible Clubs they want to do in the area. This year's club was more about getting established and developing relationships than anything else, and that goal was met! We also got to see a lot of God's creation while we were in Valdez. We got to take a sea life tour where we saw puffins, sea lions, seals, otters, and whales! It was amazing! The scenery was also breathtaking. Of all the places we've been this summer, Valdez is my favorite. Not sure that I would want to live there (the nearest Walmart is almost 300 miles away), but it's a really cool place.

We spent the next week at Big Lake Baptist Church. I helped Rachel and Ericka in rec and I taught the kids missions at the end of the day. It was loads of fun getting to play with the kids each day and then drive home an important point at the end of the day. I really got the best of both worlds that week: play with kids and teach them valuable lessons about sharing Christ. I also got to pray with a little girl named Sophia on Thursday. She and one other young girl accepted Christ that week! Not only did we have 2 kids accept Christ, but the kids brought in a huge offering for missions! Less than 60 kids brought in over $300 for the Cooperative Program! How neat is that?? Everything about that VBS was awesome!

I know that's a very short summary, but know that those two weeks were among the best of the summer. For my next post, I'll talk a little about JAM Camp. JAM Camp was a very special time for me (the BEST week of the summer) and it needs a post all its own.

Keep praying! I only have 1 week left in Alaska; only 1! Emily leaves tomorrow, Rachel leaves on the 7th, and Ericka and I fly home on the 9th. Please pray that we will finish the summer strong and pray that the kids at the Montana Creek VBS will be open to God this week. THANK YOU!!!

Guest Post #3

There has been another adventure-filled week at a Vacation Bible School. The only Internet access was on Wednesday night and that was very brief. Heather and her friends are now headed straight to camp again for the upcoming week. So, once again Internet has to wait. This camp is called J A M. (Jesus Arts & Music.) This has been an anticipated week from the beginning of the summer. Can't wait to hear details! Thanks to finally having something besides dial-up Internet at home, we have had the chance to actually see Heather a couple of times over the last two weeks. This picture was taken while Skyping with her. It's great! Two weeks from Monday is the big day! She will be home for a short while before heading back to UNA for her Junior year. So hard to believe. It has been a wonderful summer.

1Corinthians 10:26

Just a Few Pictures

These are just some pictures that I've taken in the last few weeks. The first and the last pictures are of Mt. McKinley! The other three are just some of the general beauty of Alaska. Oh, and the picture of the sun and the lake was taken at 10:30 at night!

Valdez-The Journey and Day 1

This week my team is working in the small town of Valdez. It's over 220 miles from the Palmer-Wasilla area. Normally it takes about 5 hours to drive from city to the other, but we made a few stops on they way down. We got to stop and have a picnic in the largest national park in the world! We didn't get to see much of the park, but what very small part we saw was beautiful. We also stopped at a glacier and two waterfalls. The mountains we saw on the drive were amazing! It's hard to believe that we were in the car for almost 8 hours( including stops!). When I have a chance, I'll post some of the pictures. The homes we are staying in this week and the location for the Kids' Club we are working is actually in Keystone Canyon. We are surrounded by waterfalls and beautiful trees. The area we are in is actually considered Rainforest! (It was barely 50 degrees today and we were all bundled in our jackets. Have you ever heard of a cold rainforest???) This area is gorgeous!

As I've mentioned, we're doing a Kids' Club in Valdez. The club is scheduled for Tuesday-Thursday. Preschoolers come in the morning from 10:00-11:30 and then older kids come in the afternoon from 1:00-2:30. This is the first type of Bible Club for the church in this area so they are very excited.

Today we had 9 preschoolers and 6 olders kids. That may not seem like many kids, but for this area that is a big success! (We had a Backyard Bible Club a couple of weeks ago and only had 2 kids on the very last day. We were ecstatic that they came!) Most of the kids seemed to at least have heard about Jesus before, but I think they still learned something now. The younger kids talked about Noah and why it's important to obey God. The older group talked about Jesus's birth, the wise men following the star, and about the special gifts the wise men gave to Jesus. We also played some really fun games with the kids-Elbow Tag, Simon Says, Human Knot, the Trash Can Game (I won :)), and Gorilla, Man, Gun (full body version of Rock, Paper, Scissors). The kids really seemed to enjoy everything we did today! Here's hoping that we get all those kids and their friends tomorrow!

This week seems like it is going to be tons of fun. Please pray for our team as we prepare for two more days of teaching and loving on these kids. Also pray for the kids and their families and that this Kids' Club will open up the door for families in this neighborhood to share the love of Christ with their neighbors.

The Power of Prayer: Boys' Camp & Don Piper

I'm finally back on the net! I didn't have Internet access at Boys' Camp and this is the first opportunity I've had to do a post. Lots has happened that I want to share! The main point of the blog will be to talk about the Power of Prayer. However, first I'll give a quick look at the fun/crazy stuff that has gone on in the past week.

After finishing up at Cross Country Church, we had a little time off. We used the time on Thursday night to see a movie in Anchorage. Emily and Ericka saw Eclipse while Rachel, Rhonda (our host mom for the weekend), and I saw Toy Story 3. Oh the wonderful world of Disney! It was a great movie! The next day, I took a 7 mile bike ride with Emily and Rachel. If you ever have the chance to ride bikes in Alaska, try it! Later on, Rhonda took all of us back to Anchorage for a night of ice skating (which I haven't done since I was like 10!). We had a blast skating around, falling down, pushing each other down, and getting out-skated by 8-year-olds (embarrassing? oh yes)! Then to top it all off, WE SAW A GRIZZLY BEAR CROSS THE ROAD!! IT WAS AWESOME! The rest of the weekend was spent getting ready for a trip to Valdez, marching in the 4th of July Parade for Cross Country Church, and doing a block party for Cross Country on Monday morning.


The block party was a success. Lots of people that got fliers from the parade came out to join the fun. We put up the bounce houses, had games and a dunk tank, painted faces, played with bubbles, and we served popcorn, snow cones, and cotton candy! I had the pleasure of serving the snow cones (a very popular item) and seeing the kids' faces light up when they got their treat. The smiles made the numb hands worth while. The cleanup was actually the hardest part of the block party. The wind just happened to be gusting really hard the day and wind and tarps DO NOT AGREE! The wind kept blowing the tarp up and back. We were having to stand on it while folding it in order to keep it down. However, I knew that was a bad idea when the wind blew and I got drug a few inches and I decided to get off the tarp before something bad happened. I wasn't fast enough. While taking the first step off the tarp, another gust of wind blew. The tarp got snatched out from underneath my foot, I went flying, landed on my rear end, and almost got drug off by the tarp. How does my folding partner Rachel respond to this event and the look on my face? She laughs hysterically. I'm ok with that; I was laughing too! One of my finest moments.

The other interesting event happened on Wednesday night at 7:15. We had a 5.3 earthquake! As crazy as it sounds, it was actually really cool to experience! Rachel, Emily, and I were sitting in our cabin at camp when it happened. It felt like someone grabbed the bottom of the cabin and shook it. The sensation was very odd. Earthquakes happen all the time here in Alaska. They are usually very small. Upon our arrival, we were actually told not to panic if we woke up during the night to the house shaking. "It's just an earthquake, not a burglar. Just roll over and go back to sleep." Yes, I'm aware that a large quake could happen, but it's not something I'm concerned about. God is in control. There's no need in worrying about things we can't control. We should just enjoy the ride, including the earthquakes!

Ok, now on to what is REALLY important. This past week, I've seen the Power of Prayer in action. I've firmly believed in prayer for as long as I can remember, but there's just something about seeing God at work answering the prayers of His people. I'll start out telling you about Boys' Camp. (By the way, during this week I was working in the kitchen and doing cleaning duty. Our team was taking the place of a couple of guys that were normally in the kitchen so they could be cabin leaders. Another behind the scenes week, but it was week full of purpose. It was also nice to have a bit of a break!)

Starting out, Boys' Camp seemed unorganized and chaotic. However, it was prayed over. 28 boys were in attendance at 12 of them made decisions for Christ!! 12!!!!!!!!!! God was at work!! However, God wasn't just working on the hearts of the campers. He was working on the health of a little boy. One of the campers was a 7-year-old boy that suffered from epilepsy. It was normal for him to have about 2 seizures a week. It was also highly possible that the seizure would be long enough and severe enough to call for an ambulance. When the camp staff and volunteers found out about this camper's condition, one man named Mr. Joe stepped forward. He committed to pray for little AK during the entire week. Praying for AK was his project, his calling, for the entire week of Boys' Camp. The result? AK didn't have a seizure all week. For the first time in his life, he was just a normal little boy. He got to go out on boats, go fishing, play, and just be a little kid. At the first of the week, he was silent and withdrawn. By the end of the week, he was talking and interacting in the services. Our God is a God of miracles!! I don't know what will happen to AK after this week, but I know one thing for sure. God gave one little boy a week of normal life that wasn't plagued by seizures. How awesome is our God?

I was also reminded about the Power of Prayer this morning at church. Our team had the amazing opportunity to hear Don Piper speak today. For those of you who aren't familiar with Don, he is the author of the book 90 Minutes in Heaven. 21 years ago he was on his way home from a Pastor's Conference and was killed in a car crash. Yes, killed. Paramedics pronounced him dead on the scene. 90 minutes later, after a pastor from the conference and thousands of people all over the world PRAYED for him, he came back to life. The pastor who was at the scene of the accident was the only person who knew he was dead. All the other people who were praying just knew there had been a terrible crash. This pastor prayed for Don because God told him to. (It didn't make sense, but Don pointed something out. If we were only obedient when it made sense, we wouldn't do very much at all! Good point.) So this pastor prayed a bold prayer. He prayed that not only would Don's life be restored, but that he would live a fruitful life of purpose. He was praying this over a man who had broken almost every bone in his body, had severe internal injuries, obviously had brain damage, and was DEAD. GOD ANSWERED HIS PRAYER! Everything was accomplished through prayer!

Don admitted to struggling with being back on earth for quite some time. Why would God let him see Heaven and then send him back? Heaven was paradise! After much PRAYER, Don has come to the conclusion that God allowed him to see Heaven and come back to earth so he could tell his story. Not only has this story won many to Christ, but it has served as an encouragement and allowed healing processes to begin. Whether you believe that Don actually went to Heaven or not isn't what's important here. What IS important is that God is using Don to reach the lost and to minister to the hurting. I haven't read his book, but everything he said today was in line with the Bible. I've never heard that his book or anything he has said wasn't not Biblically sound.

I would like to close out by sharing a small bit of what Don said about Heaven and the question he asked. He said that when he went to Heaven, he was greeted by loved family and friends. They all had 3 things in common. 1. They had new, perfect bodies. 2. They had been prepared for Heaven. 3. THEY HAD HELPED HIM ON HIS WAY TO CHRIST.
After naming the last thing these people had in common, Don asked the congregation this. "If we are going to be greeting those we helped bring to the Lord, WHO ARE YOU GOING TO BE GREETING?" (Do you feel convicted yet? I know I do.) Really think about that. What are you doing right now to reach the lost? Who do you know that needs Christ?

As you can see, prayer is powerful. God hears the prayers of His people and He answers. With that thought in mind, keep praying for the people here in Alaska. Pray for my team. Pray for our country. Prayer for your family, friends, neighbors, and your enemies. PRAY.

2 Chronicles 7:14

Guest Post #2

Heather and her friends are back at camp this week. This time a boys' camp. So they are doing kitchen and clean up duties. They are enjoying their week. Heather is calling with new stories almost everyday (or night). She called sooooo excited at 12:45 am Saturday our time (only 9:45 pm Friday for her) after seeing a grizzly! Seems this was a little different from the couple of Smoky Mountain Black Bears she has seen. We love every call - no matter how long or short or what time it is! Latest story: there was a 5.3 earthquake last night near Palmer. Just wait to hear from her about all of this because there is no substitute for her way with words! How thankful we are for the steps Heather is taking this summer. Most of all that she was obedient to the call the Lord sent her way. For the record, we'll see her 32 days, one hour, and 5 minutes from now!

Backyard Bible Club and Behind the Scenes Work

This past week has been very different from all the previous weeks in Alaska. We weren't surrounded by kids most of the time! Yes, we worked out a BBC (Backyard Bible Club), but it was only 2 hours a day Mon-Wed. There's also a very different spin on the BBC story. The BBC taught our team a lesson. Our main jobs for the week were actually at the local movie theater. Here's a quick blurb about this very different week.

I'll talk about the BBC first. During the first part of the week, our team stayed with a family that is trying to plant a new church in the area. (This was mine and Ericka's second time to stay with them. They are like my Alaska family! Love these guys!!) As part of reaching out to their community and potential church members, they decided to host a Backyard Bible Club. We went around and handed out some fliers on Sunday and we seemed to get some interest. However, when Monday rolled around, we didn't have any kids show up. Tuesday, a lady that was helping us had two of her grandchildren come, but they were the only kids that day. Our host family, as well as the rest of our team, were pretty discouraged and we decided not to hold it on Wednesday. However, God had other plans for us. On Wednesday, we were just about to sit down for dinner when two kids from down the street showed up! God is faithful even when we aren't! It was a great encouragement for our host family and a good lesson/reminder for all us. God has a plan for each of us, but He works it out in His time not ours.

In the mornings this week, we worked at a movie theater in Wasilla. Cross Country Church, a relatively new church in the area, meets there. This church was planted with the intent of reaching out to the community instead of just getting members from other churches. The option to meet in the theater opened, and the church pastor jumped on it. Normally, it would cost at least $400 an hour to rent a building to meet in, but the owner of the theater lets the church meet there for $50 a week! (Eventually, the owner and her daughter joined the church and came to know the Lord. It's really an amazing story!) The church tries to do as much as they can for the theater since the owner has been so gracious. So this week was full of cleaning a movie theater. I can now say I have vacuumed walls! We also helped the church prepare for the 4th of July Parade by folding 2500 evangelistic pamphlets. It was a lot of behind the scenes work, but it was a lot of fun and worth every minute! Part of ministry is being a willing servant!

This week was very different, but it was a good change of pace. We've got a parade and picnic to work tomorrow and then a block party on Monday. After the block party, we're off to Boys' Camp to be kitchen help and the cleaning crew. I'm sure that will be an interesting week!

As always, keep praying!

Singles' Night

On Friday night, after getting back from Girls' Camp, our team headed to FBC Palmer for an Associational Singles' Night. There were about 20 people from all over the Hatcher Pass Baptist Association. It was a great night for everyone there. In addition to having lots of fun with crazy games like Empire and Mafia, we were blessed by an incredible testimony and worship time.

The testimony that we heard is what I would really like to share with you. An 18 year-old girl named Kathy shared the struggle she has dealt with since she was 15. When she was a freshman, she was extremely active. Her favorite activity was twirling, and she was great at it. She had even been to other countries to perform! Kathy thought that maybe God had plans for her to using twirling in other countries as part of her own personal ministry. However, God has other plans in store for her. At the beginning of her sophomore year, she felt the need to pray for patience and to be able to completely rely on God. Obediently, she prayed. Within just a few weeks, her health crashed. She was constantly in pain and became crippled. At her lowest point, she couldn't even get out of bed. She had one question: Why God?

As bad as the situation seemed, she did become a better person for it. She became closer to God. Since she wasn't in school, she didn't have much time with her friends. Therefore, God became the person she got to "hang out" with on a regular basis. It was during this time that she became closer and closer to God. She began to realize that He was using this storm to shape her into a beautiful diamond. It was and still is very difficult situation, but she can see God working. In fact, she has been getting better over the past few months. She can now get up and move around without a cane.

Her latest struggle with her illness actually came up in the past week. There was a 15 year old girl that has been dealing with some terrible health issues. At a leadership conference, a group of her friends prayed for her and God healed her! This is an amazing miracle, but it was a difficult miracle for Kathy to be grateful for. Why hasn't God chosen to heal her? Her friends have prayed for her for three years. God is healing her, but it is happening at a slower pace than what Kathy, her friends, and her family would like. However, as Kathy pointed out, it is important for us to remember that God works in His time. His timing and plans are much better than our own. Sometimes we just don't understand what He's doing or why.

Even though Kathy is really struggling with God's plan for her life and His purpose for her illness, she has shown an incredible amount of faith and strength. Just the fact that she was willing to get up and share her story during this hard time in her life was an encouragement to me. It really put my problems into perspective. If someone like Kathy can work through a storm like that and still hold strongly to her faith, surely I can walk through a small shower. The Lord still has a lot to teach me, and my faith has a lot of growing to do. It all just has to happen "step by step."

Girls' Camp

This past week was spent at Girls' Camp. We had about 33 girls from all over the state turn up for the camp. The theme for the week was Daughters on a Quest for God's Kingdom. The entire week was devoted to studying the Armor of God and the story of Esther. The girls really learned a lot!

I had three girls in my cabin-Kyrstyn, Kaytlyn, and Caitlyn. It would be confusing enough to just have Kaytlyn and Caitlyn, but to add to it, Kaytlyn and Kyrstyn were identical twins! After spending a little time with the twins, it was easy to tell them apart. It still made for an interesting week though!

The girls in my cabin were between the ages of 10 and 12. They were just old enough to really start getting into the meat of some really good conversations, but they still threw in some crazy comments along the way. I never really knew what to expect during devotion time each morning and night. We did have some really great devotions though. We talked about how God created us, being a part of the Body of Christ, Spiritual Gifts, and Christ-like Love. The girls also shared their favorite Bible verses during one of the morning devotion times. We also had some great prayer times. The girls asked for prayer for some simple things like finding homes for some new kittens to more serious requests like finding a new, safe home for the twins and their mom.

There were also some pretty funny instances during the week. The girls went swimming everyday in a lake full of leeches. Needless to say, we had a lake full of squealing girls whenever somebody yelled "LEECH!" We also had a moose walk right into camp. We were sitting in the dinning hall for breakfast and all the sudden Rachel yells "MOOSE!!!!" Half of the girls and the entire ministry team from Georgia yelled "MOOSE" and ran to the window. We thought the moose was going to steal a towel from the one of the cabins, but he just kept walking. It was a fun morning. Haha.

Spending the week at camp was a wonderful experience, but it was also very humbling. Several of the girls came from families that are going through hard times. Many also came from broken homes. Most of these girls had very little, but they were as happy as they could be. It really taught me a lesson about being thankful in all circumstances.

Please keep praying for the people in Alaska and for our team! We're have a blast so far and we have seen several kids come to know the Lord. We have six weeks left and lots of work left to do. Prayers are needed!

Laughs

We've had some pretty funny moments while serving up here. Here are a couple of the funny moments from the past couple of weeks. I hope you'll find them as funny as we do!

While at FBC Wasilla, I got to be a cactus in a skit! I was one of two cactuses/cacti that made really lame jokes. Here are a few of them:

What do you get when you cross a pig and a cactus? a porky pine (nice play on words no?)
What do you call cheese that isn't yours? Nacho cheese
What do snakes take for an upset stomach? Repto-bismal
Have you heard the forecast? Chili today, Hot Tamale

And so on and so forth...very corny I know. The kids loved it though. Ericka and I were supposed to each be a cactus, but Ericka got a stomach bug the day of the skit. We had 3 or 4 earthquakes the night before so I texted Ericka and asked her if she was just motion sick. She appreciated my humor. :)

Second funny story-Flyleaf's Mosh Pit. I've never been to a concert where a mosh pit was formed. This was a new experience. No, it wasn't a really intense pit, but we had a couple of funny instances. Rachel was getting bumped by tons of people and was not very happy about it. The next thing we know, random strangers have locked arms with her and are pulling her away. The look on her face was priceless! The bad thing is, all we could do was laugh at her. She did make it out ok though, no worries!

These are just a few of the things that have brought all of us joy this summer. You may not find humor in any of this, but just enjoy knowing that we're laughing our way through the summer. Alaska will never be the same!

Guest Post by Mom & Dad

Heather, Emily, Ericka, and Rachel are serving at a girls' camp this week. Internet access is limited. This weekend they rested from a week of 6 hour VBS days, went to a Flyleaf concert, wound up in a 'mosh pit,' attended church at FBC Wasilla, and headed to the camp. A fairly long phone conversation Sunday afternoon revealed that Heather is really taking this summer "Step by Step" and just longing for whatever the next step is. The vibrance in her voice makes the 4,240 or so miles that separate us bearable. Sprinkled in with the witness and ministry opportunites she tells us about are text messages like this one: (to Dad) "10 at night. Sunshining.Glassy water. Perfect for flyfishing."

Heather will update as soon as possible. We thank all of you for your interest in Heather shown by your kind words and - most of all - your prayers. And a very special "Thank You!" to those host homes in Alaska! Above are airport pictures from June 1, the day Heather left.

Elicia & James

But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. Jeremiah 17:7

And The Blessings Continue

Things have been crazy over the past week! This blog post will be an attempt to play "catch up" with you guys.

God continued to shower blessings at VBS on Thursday and Friday. As far as I know, there were 28 salvations during the entire week. Yay God! Once again, there are a couple of incredible stories I would like to share with you.

On Thursday morning, the director asked if any of the kids who had prayed to receive Christ would like to stand up and let everyone know. Without any hesitation, a boy named Wyatt shot up. He wanted everybody to know that he was a Christian and that he is not ashamed. It was so cool to see! To make it even better, there was a girl in his class that wanted to receive Christ on Friday during Missions. Instead of going on to the next rotation, he stayed back with her. He is totally on fire for God! I really think that he has something special.

Another blessing sprang up on Friday. There were three kids, two girls and a boy, in the third and fourth grade class who wanted to get saved. They were brother, sister, and step-sister. These kids really had an incredible story. Unfortunately, they came from terribly broken families. They understood the pain of a family being ripped apart. One of them told me that they still cried about their parents' divorce. They also talked about how they had been afraid to go up and and talk to someone during an altar call. Their friends had told them not to do it. At one time, they did talk with somebody at a VBS, but they didn't understand what the Gospel was all about. "I was just repeating words. I didn't understand what they meant." It was empty for them. However, they finally understood! It was incredible to sit in on the counseling session with them and hear what they had to say. The oldest girl, Nadia, just blew me away. "When you asked Jesus into your heart, did you feel foolish for all the sins you had committed?" It was incredible to listen to her share her heart! I think she is another child that God has a very special plan for. She is wise beyond her years.

I also promised that I would share Gary's story with you. He is 70 years old, legally deaf, and has an incredible heart for missions. He grew up in home where Christianity was bashed and church was a taboo subject. He also has 3 learning disabilities so school was very hard for him. He was constantly being told that he was stupid. He finally figured out how to study in high school, but most people still thought he was dumb. It wasn't until he fell off of a building at 18 that things changed. He got pretty banged up. I'm not really sure what happened, but the government was somehow involved and offered to pay for any training he needed in order to support himself. He was given an aptitude test and found out he was a mechanical genius! He got training and went on with his life. He got married and had two kids. Things seemed to be going well, but there was a problem. Due to his work schedule, activities, and the company he kept, he became an alcoholic. He eventually realized he had a problem and changed jobs in order to make an effort to stop drinking.

During this time, his young daughter had been invited to church. The first time, he and his wife let her go without thinking much about it. When his daughter wanted to keep going, his wife decided that she needed to check it out. As a result, Gary's family began to get involved in the church. Unfortunately, he didn't buy into it. He had to move his family due to his job and church got pushed to the side. It was at this point that his alcoholism had become a major problem. However, a move wasn't the only thing involved in fighting his alcoholism. He began to read the Bible.

At this point in time, a family friend also invited them to a Catholic Confirmation Class. He and his wife attended, but Gary immediately noticed that not everything taught in the class lined up with Scripture. He would ask questions about every difference he noticed, but the priests always put him off. Eventually, he did get to sit down with them and ask his questions. There were answers for why things didn't line up. They had other writing besides the Bible. They had writings from their leaders, and if the two writings disagreed, the writings of their leaders were viewed as correct. Gary just couldn't accept that. He and his wife didn't join the Catholic Church and decided to look elsewhere for answers. Just a short time later, they were invited to a Church New Year's Eve Party. It was at this party that he began to understand his need for a Savior. He met with a guy that had invited them to the party and he received Christ. From that point forward, he lived a life for the Lord. He introduced his entire family to the Lord and has began to make an annual mission trip to Africa. He wants everyone he meets to have a chance to know the Lord. It was an incredible blessing to work with him in Missions. (He even invited me to go this year. I don't think that's what God has planned right now for me though.)

I hope these stories have blessed you as much as they blessed me! I should have another post up soon.

As always, keep praying!

Blessings

This week I'm working in the Missions rotation of VBS for FBC Wasilla. Only three days of VBS have gone by and God is already working. It has been a shower of blessing to watch His hand at work this week. We had 21 kids pray to receive Christ today!!! This is an amazing number, but we have to remember that it is NOT ABOUT NUMBERS. I just want to take a few minutes to share some of the amazing things about the past few days.


The kids this week have really been asking a lot of questions about missions, especially the third and fourth graders. They are really starting to get an idea of what a missionary is and that you don't have to be "career missionary." We're trying to drive home the point that you are a missionary everywhere you go. One little boy let us know that he really understood when he told us about his dad."My dad is in the army. He's a missionary when he tells people about Jesus when he goes to serve." He really understand that being a missionary isn't just a full time job! Every Christian is a missionary. The kids are starting to understand that there are different kinds of missionaries. How exciting!

Next up, I'm going to tell you about some of the kids that decided to stay back after the Gospel presentation this morning. Since the Missions rotation doesn't start until an hour after the Worship Rally, I got to go up and be a counselor for the kids that wanted to hang back and talk or pray with someone. We had five kids that accepted Christ right after the morning rally and one reassurance. This is very exciting, but there's more. A few kids that were already Christians stayed because they needed to pray with somebody. I got to pray with a little girl who's dog had just died. Was I let down that I wasn't leading a child to Christ? Not at all! It's amazing that children realize that God cares about all the little things in life, including when our pets die. That little girl was upset and she turned to God for comfort. She understood that God cares about every little detail in her life. It was a wonderful example of beautiful childlike faith. We don't see enough of that. For the teens and adults reading this, when was the last time you went to God with one of your "little" problems or hurts? If it's been awhile, why? If God is big enough to handle any crisis we face, how much more able is He to handle a little bump in the road?

I also have a story of Salvation to share with you. During the day, we made sure to give the kids another "altar call" in the Missions rotation. We had five third and fourth graders that wanted to talk. I got the opportunity to share the plan of Salvation with these kids and then take them to talk to the pastor. While I was busy with the third and fourth graders, two fifth and sixth graders stepped out and accepted Christ during their Missions time. Praise God for these decisions! However, the story I want to share with you comes from a first grader named Xandr. Two boys wanted the chance to talk to someone about becoming a Christian, and Xandr was one of them. I had the great opportunity to sit in on some of the counseling sessions with the pastor, but this one touched my heart the most. While we were talking with Xander, he said something very profound for first grader. "I came to Bible Camp this week because I didn't know ANYTHING about God, and I want to know how to become a Christian." We took him and one other boy through the plan of Salvation. Both boys understood, but I could tell that Xander REALLY got it. He prayed and told God that he was sorry for sinning and that he needed to be forgiven. It brought tears to my eyes listening (I'm tearing up now just typing this)!! It was such an INCREDIBLE BLESSING!! Who am I that I was allowed to witness that and be a part of such an incredible event??? Experiences like that are what this summer is all about.

There's one more blessing that I'd like to share with you, but I think that it would be better to post it in a couple of days. Over the past couple of days, I've been working with a man named Gary. He's been sharing parts of his testimony with me and I'd like to pass some of it on to you. I've been finding out a little more each day so I'll wait until the end of the week to post what I've learned. A complete story might be better than just a small piece of it.

Thank you so much for all of you prayers! They have been felt and are much appreciated!! Please CONTINUE to PRAY! GOD IS AT WORK!

A Fabulous Weekend

The VBS at Schrock Road has come to an end. There were a total of 25 kids on the last day. That's double the number that we had on Monday! It was a wonderful week!

On Saturday, we had a free day. Our host family took Ericka and me out for a day of true Alaska fun. First, we went to down to Colony Days. Seventy-five years ago, the government paid people to move to Alaska and farm. The city of Palmer was settled as a result and the people were celebrating the 75th Anniversary. There were lots of neat little booths set up and a parade with fun floats and classic cars. It was fun to walk around the downtown area of Palmer and see so many people out and about.

Next, we went to Palmer's Reindeer Farm. I actually got to pet and feed a moose! I got to pet and feed elk and reindeer too. There were even some baby reindeer to pet! They were so cute and their fur was very soft. I never realized how big elk are or that all reindeer, male and female, grow antlers! We got to actually walk in the pen with the reindeer and feed them pellets out of our hands! No, we didn't have to worry about getting bitten. Reindeer can't bite. They only have six teeth on the bottom and few molars in the back. They also can't kick backwards like a horse can due to a tendon in their back legs. However, this tendon lets them run up to 30 mph for up to 50 miles! (I think this is a fair trade, don't you?) So we had no worries in the pen. Actually, most of the reindeer were more interested in eating grass than anything else. Ericka went up to a few reindeer so she could feed them, but they just walked off. Instead of trying some different reindeer, she chased after them! It was hilarious!!! Watching Ericka chase reindeer was one of the best parts of the trip on Saturday. :)

After the Reindeer Farm (and a good hand washing) we headed up to Hatcher Pass. The actual pass isn't open yet, but the drive up the mountain is incredible. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. There are mountains on every side and a rushing stream flowing down. There's an old gold mine, Independence Mine, near the pass. We drove up to it and saw the old mining site. Some of the buildings are still standing and you can still see parts of the railroad that was used for transporting the gold. (An earthquake closed the mine.) It's an interesting bit of Alaskan history that you can actually walk through! It's really cool! As if this wasn't enough, it snowed while we there! Can you believe it? It actually snowed in June! For somebody (like me) that's used to sweltering heat in June, it was pretty mind boggling. Then to end the day, we ate fresh King Salmon with a family that attends Schrock Road. Yum!

Today has been a little more relaxed. We attended church this morning at Schrock Road. The kids got up and did the motions to four of the VBS songs they learned this week. I stood in the back and did the motions for them in case they needed a reminder. It was so much fun and they did such a great job! Even the preschoolers were doing the motions. Sure, one of the younger ones decided just to dance and kick her feet, but it was the cutest thing! She really stole the show.

This coming week I'll working at FBC Wasilla's VBS. I get to help with the Missions rotation this time! This VBS runs from 9-3. It'll be a lot different from the VBS's I've worked before, but the church seems to have a lot of success with running a longer program. We've heard that the kids really enjoy it! That's what is really important. This will probably be the biggest VBS I'll be involved with this summer. Please pray for the kids and the workers this coming week!

Thanks for reading and praying!

Schrock Road

The first full week of work is almost over. This week, my main assignment has been at Schrock Road's VBS as the Music teacher and Worship Rally leader. I've been having a blast!!! It has been so much fun to teach the kids the motions to the VBS music and watch them dance around. Not only are they enjoying, some of them are really thinking about what the words of the songs mean! How exciting!

Some of the kids have been on the rowdy side of things, but they've started to come around in the last couple of days. I think some of the things we're teaching them is actually starting to sink in! So far, the first and second graders have responded the best. A few of them are starting to ask questions and are really trying to understand what we've been teaching this week. For instance, Tuesday's theme was God Cares and the story was about Joseph. When I asked the kids if God cared about Joseph even when he was in the pit or in jail, one of their answers blew me away. "God sees you even when you can't see Him." A first grader said that! The little girl that said that understands that God is ALWAYS there. I know adults that can't even grasp that! God is really working in the hearts of these kids!

The other age groups have been fun to work with too. The preschoolers are precious! It's so funny when I work with them because they all think I'm really a cowgirl because I wore a cowboy hat and talk with a southern accent. They think I'm just so cool. Haha. Maybe it's only because they think I'm a real cowgirl, but they have been great all week. Just one or two minor behavior problems and lots of hugs! This is probably the best preschool group I've ever worked with. The third and fourth graders have been a little harder. Just a couple of the kids start acting up and the entire group goes crazy! But they were great yesterday and will probably be pretty good today. They just needed to get into a routine. The fifth and sixth graders have been a different story. We only have two and they didn't show up until Wednesday. I'm so glad they came! We've had to stick them in with the third and fourth graders during the rotations, so they keep pretty quiet. They do get to separate from the younger kids for Bible Study so I think they talk a bit more there. Overall, they seem to enjoy VBS and I think they're having fun.

I've also done a couple of other things this week besides the Schrock Road VBS. On Monday, I helped out with registration for First Baptist Palmer's VBS. They had over 100 people at their VBS on Monday! On Tuesday, I went out to FBC Willow to see the Club VBS** material for this year. (Members of my home church, FBC Sylacauga, came up a few years ago and helped build part of that church!) Ericka and I did a Gospel presentation with Evangacubes during the Worship Rally. The kids were very attentive and I saw a few really interested faces in the crowd! I also got to observe the first and second grade class during Bible Study time and show them the Evangacube presentation again. On Wednesday, it was time to restock the snow cone supplies on the Block Party Trailer and take inventory. We made a lot of snow cones on Sunday for a VBS kickoff at Fairview Loop Baptist!

This has been a fantastic week! I hope the summer just gets better and better from here! Keep praying!

**For those of you who aren't familiar with Club VBS, it is a downsized version of an old VBS theme. This year's Club VBS material is Route 254 which is the downsize of the 2005 Ramblin' Road Trip. In about five years, Saddle Ridge Ranch will be downsized into a Club VBS. Club VBS is a great option for smaller churches that want to do a VBS, but can't manage a large scale operation. Club VBS kits give you everything you need for about 50 kids. It is also great material to use for Backyard Bible Clubs. My team will probably be using the material in Valdez for a Backyard Bible Club.

Glacier Pictures!

Here are a few pictures from our glacier hike!

Pictures!

Here are a few pictures from our hike. Enjoy!

Ice and Mud

Today was a day for seeing some of the beautiful sights Alaska has to offer. Our main destination was Matanuska Glacier. We actually got to walk out to and hike ON the glacier! It was amazing!!! It wasn't the easier hike I've ever been on, but it was so much fun!!!! The view was BEAUTIFUL! Every angle was amazing. The mountains were breathtaking and the streams and pools on the glacier was spectacular! I think the combination of rocks, ice, and water was probably the most unique thing I've ever seen.

On the way back to the car, we ran into a little trouble. Walking on the patches of rock was much easier to walk on than the ice. We found a nice little rock path and things were gong great. However, we ran into a patch mud. This wasn't your average mud; it was glacier silt and water. Set a foot in it and you start to sink! All of our shoes were covered with the stuff, and in my case, the back of my jeans! I slipped and landed in a puddle of the stuff. The entire situation was hilarious!! I wish somebody could have stopped slipping in the mud long enough to get pictures of the rest of us battling the gray goop! That little adventure in one word: priceless!

It was really incredible to see God's work today. We saw it in the mountains, the glacier, the rushing water, and even in the mud. He really got to show off His creative side when He created Alaska. How can anybody who live in this state not know that God is real? Why is 95% of Alaska's population lost? His creation is proclaiming His name! Pray for the people of Alaska. Pray that their eyes will opened to the Truth.

It's All About Love

We had a wonderful day in Anchorage today! It was a day full of orientation and fun.

We started off the morning with a VBX orientation. VBX is the special Vacation Bible School for 5th and 6th graders. It highlighted the differences between VBS for 1-4 grades and 5&6 grades. We then had an introduction to a ministry called Grace Works. This is a ministry that is unique to the Anchorage community. Teams go to 5 different sites and perform a service project in the mornings. Then, during the afternoon, the teams goes to a central location and has block party, sports camp, or some other activity in a public area. The goal is to develop community relationships, teach kids and their parents about Christ through Bible Studies, and maybe eventually plant a church! We got to see all five of these locations today and spend time with some kids at four of them. One of the places we stopped at was the Boys and Girls Club of Mt. View. These kids were really friendly! We sat down to talk to a couple of the kids and before I knew it, another youngster had run up and wrapped their arms around my neck! We spent the next 15 minutes carrying the kids on our shoulders and loving on them! After all, this really is all about love. God's love. Grace Works has been sharing God's love with these kids for a couple of years now, so the kids were very open to us. This is the exception to the rule. Most of the time, it would take a little work to get the kids begging for piggy-back-rides and hugs.

Our team's main goal was to observe the afternoon activities. We're hoping to be able to start something similar to Grace Works in The Valley (Palmer and Wasilla). However, there are more obstacles in The Valley. The culture is VERY different and a permit would be required for any type of block party or day camp on city property. It's a possibility that permits may not be given due to the that "Sharing Jesus" would be the main focus of the event. The Valley is also much more spread out than Anchorage. We would mainly be working in parks on nice days instead of at apartments on sunny and rainy days. Kids would come the events less frequently than kids attending events in Anchorage. Please add this to your prayer list! We have a lot of planning to do and lots of obstacles to work through.

We also took a hike today. God's creation is so amazing! He must have had so much fun creating the mountains of Alaska! When I have more time, I'll try to post of few of the pictures from our hike.

Keep Alaska in your prayers!

Greetings from Alaska

I have finally made it to Alaska! Thank you for all of your prayers! All of my flights went smoothly yesterday. I am very thankful for that!

This week will be full of orientation and getting to know the girls that I will be working with. Today we went out to Laverne Griffin Camp, a camp we will be spending a few weeks at this summer, and spent some time with the youth from First Baptist Wasilla. It was fun to hang out with some of the local kids. However, what really made this time special was the worship service. This week, the kids are busting common myths and misconceptions about the Bible and tonight focused on the reality of Heaven and Hell. At the end of the service, the group was given the opportunity to write the names of their lost friends and family on whiteboard. I think almost every student there wrote a name on the board.

After everyone had a chance to write some names down, we all formed a circle and prayed. It was amazing to hear those students pour out their hearts to God. Prayers for friends, brothers, nephews, and daughters were lifted up. I've barely been in Alaska for a day and God is already moving! This is going to be a great summer!

As always, keep praying!

Isaiah 40:31

Prayers

This goes out as a BIG THANK YOU to FBC Florence and FBC Sylacauga! Both of these churches have covered me in prayer and have committed to pray for me throughout the summer. These prayers are much appreciated and very much needed. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Here are some things you can be praying for:
1. Safe Travels
2. VBS
3. The children and youth camps that will be held during the summer
4. That God will prepare my heart for each new adventure
5. Unity within the team I will be working with
6. That God will preparing the hearts of the people in Alaska
7. For God to reveal Himself and be glorified in everything!

The North American Mission Board (NAMB) is sending out over 1,000 college students as Summer Missionaries this year! WOW! These students will be spread across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. There are also many students that will be serving in other parts of the world with the International Mission Board (IMB). I actually have friends that will be serving in France, the Pacific Rim, and the Philippines this summer through the IMB. Please keep these summer missionaries in your prayers during the summer. We could all use it!

Thank all of you so very much! I can't wait to get to Alaska and start sending you updates from there. God Bless You All!!!!

Philippians 1:3

Flashback: Walla Walla, Washington-2007

It's hard to believe that in just two weeks I'll be in Alaska! I am sooo exicted and I can't wait until the day that I leave! Please keep praying for me as I prepare for the summer. Prayer is a key part of this summer! Thanks so much!

Now, here's one of those stories from Washington that I promised. This took place in the last week of June 2007 in Walla Walla, Washington. At the time, I was serving with Blue Mountain Baptist Church. During this week I was the Bible Story teacher for 4-6 graders during the mornings for VBS, and at night I got to hang out with the church's small group of youth.

Here's a little background info on the church I was working with. It was small church (they were excited if 50 people attended a service) with an older congregation. Probably about 95% percent of the congregation was over 65 and there were only 2 kids, brothers, that came regularly. However, this church was passionate and dedicated. I have never seen a church that wanted to have a VBS so badly. Before my partner and I even arrived, they had gone out and hung door knockers on every door near the church and had commited to pray for at least 28 kids to attend their VBS. THOSE PRAYES WERE ANSWERED!! On the first day, we had 7 kids. On day 2, we had 14 kids. By the end of the week, 30 kids were not only enrolled, but excited about Jesus! It was such a blessing to see all of this! I can't believe that God allowed me to be a part of it. However, this is not the best part of the story.

In 2002, there was a 16-year-old girl that delivered twin girls about 1 month early. One little girl was born healthy, but the other baby had some serious health problems. The doctors didn't expect her to live. The Lord had other plans though. A few monthes later, little Miracle joined her sister, Precious, at home. Yes, their names were Miracle and Precious! Five years later, a young married couple brought these two adorable girls to VBS. Their mom had found a door knocker on their front door a few days before and decided to bring her girls to the VBS. "I want my girls to be involved in something. I thought that church might be a good place to bring them."

Here is the real miracle of the week: both of these girls received Christ!! On Family Night, their mom told me that each morning, the girls got up so excited about VBS and Family Night. They would squeal, "Mommy! Daddy! I want you to come to my church!!" She and her husband were more than willing to come and see what had their girls so excited, and they were thrilled with what they saw. In fact, they decided that they would start coming to Blue Mountain Baptist regularly! What a blessing!!!

Isn't God incredible? He uses whoever He wants to grow his kingdom. In this case, He used two little 5-year-olds. What will be in store for this summer? We'll just have to wait and see! KEEP PRAYING!!

2 Chronicles 7:14

Prep Work

God has blessed me with an amazing opportunity. In exactly 4 weeks, just 28 days, I will be on my way to Alaska! I'll be serving as a Summer Missionary in Alaska for 10 weeks. I am so excited!

Each day this summer is going to an adventure. I'm planning to share some of the summer's adventures by posting them here. Three years ago, when I served in Washington and Oregon on Summer Missions, I collected a wealth of wonderful stories! Looking back, having a blog to share some of those stories would have been great. I hope to post a few of those stories in the next couple of weeks.

In the mean time, there is a lot of prep work to be done. I've got a lot of packing to do! However, taking the time to pray is the most important part of preparing for the summer. Please start praying now for the people that God is going to touch this summer. Please pray that God will also prepare my heart for what He is planning. When God's people pray, He hears and answers those prayers.

Isaiah 40:21-31; 55:11