Thank you to everyone who supported us this summer in our trip to Camp of the Woods. We felt your prayers as we labored together with our team in Northwest Ontario. The following is a summary of the summer in picture format.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Many thanks to everyone who prayed for our Teen week here at camp. Our prayer was that God would work in a mighty way among our campers. On the eve of camp our speaker Mark Gold (http://globallinkpartners.org/) shared some thoughts with the staff. One of his thoughts was that if God wanted to do a work He would, but if He chose not to certainly that was His perogative as well.
The week of camp went very well with no significant issues that one would expect when gathering a group of teenagers. Everyone of our staff did an outstanding job performing their individual duties and responsibilites. The week flowed as scheduled and was a testament to the hard work that everyone put in and certainly was an answer to prayer that God would protect us from any of the distractions that the evil one would try to employ.
Our speaker had a gift to be able to connect with the teenagers with a blend of humor, passion, and the truth of God's Word. Many teenagers as well as staff were impacted by the nightly messages. At the end of the service on Wednesday evening Mark asked any teenagers who did not know if they had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ to leave the chapel and go to the lodge. What an awesome sight to be able to see about two dozen teenagers spread out all over the lodge with our staff paired up with them! Through your support we were able to have a part in eight campers receiving Christ this week and many other personal decisions being made. These eight precious lives that have begun their journey with Jesus Christ have many of you to thank for being part of our ministry and allowing us to have a small part in their lives.
Please pray this week for our Jr/Teen week of camp. We will have a camp filled with 12/13 year old boys and girls. What an exciting and yet challenging week we have in front of us! Pray for our staff that we would have the energy and wisdom to keep up with the Jr. Highers. Pray for our speaker this week, Eamon Wilson, that God would use him to speak to our campers and staff alike.
Many thanks for your prayers and support for our ministry here at Camp of the Woods. We could not be here ministering in this capacity were it not for individuals who believe in the Great Commission. The changed lives we have been able to witness this week will be credited to many more people than are here on site at COTW.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Teen Camp
Thanks to everyone for all of their prayers over the past few weeks. Jeannette and the girls as well as her parents arrived safely this past Wednesday. They had an uneventful trip up from NC.
We were very blessed in having a group up from Signal Mountain, TN helping us this past week. They were a great help in getting final preparations for our evangelistic camps as well as doing a tremendous job stacking loads of woods for us. Many thanks to Jason and his crew for all their help and their encouragement to us!
The last half of the week was spent in training our staff. We had some great times together as a staff preparing both spiritually and operationally. We covered everything from "How to lead a child to Christ" to Emergency Evacuation Procedures in the event of a fire and everything in between. As a staff we have several praise and worship songs that are continuing to impact us as we listen and participate. One of them is "Glorious" as performed by Chris Tomlin. If you have never heard this powerful song listen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COHJSsvp9ns
Please pray for us this coming week as we begin our Teen camp. The campers are scheduled to arrive sometime mid morning with our first official event being lunch. Please pray for our speaker for the week, Mark Gold, that God would speak through him to our campers. Pray also for staff unity and for a smooth week as we all get back into the routine of camp, and as we are doing a few things different this year.
Thanks again to everyone that is keeping us before the Father. We covet your prayers during these days!
We were very blessed in having a group up from Signal Mountain, TN helping us this past week. They were a great help in getting final preparations for our evangelistic camps as well as doing a tremendous job stacking loads of woods for us. Many thanks to Jason and his crew for all their help and their encouragement to us!
The last half of the week was spent in training our staff. We had some great times together as a staff preparing both spiritually and operationally. We covered everything from "How to lead a child to Christ" to Emergency Evacuation Procedures in the event of a fire and everything in between. As a staff we have several praise and worship songs that are continuing to impact us as we listen and participate. One of them is "Glorious" as performed by Chris Tomlin. If you have never heard this powerful song listen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COHJSsvp9ns
Please pray for us this coming week as we begin our Teen camp. The campers are scheduled to arrive sometime mid morning with our first official event being lunch. Please pray for our speaker for the week, Mark Gold, that God would speak through him to our campers. Pray also for staff unity and for a smooth week as we all get back into the routine of camp, and as we are doing a few things different this year.
Thanks again to everyone that is keeping us before the Father. We covet your prayers during these days!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
What I have Learned...
I have completed my first full week here at the camp and look back with excitement and awe at what we have been able to accomplish. With only a skeleton crew, but with a lot of determination and elbow grease we were able to accomplish a lot of work. We successfully cleaned the main dining lodge and chapel as well as six separate cabins that will house couples and individuals as they come through this summer. When I say "we" I am referring to the group of young ladies that were here for the week who did the heavy lifting on the cleaning. While all of us pitched in and helped with it, the bulk of the load was carried by them. When I say "cleaning" I an referring to genuine, bona fide cleaning. None of this cleaning we did as kids when mom asked us to dust a room and we hit the high spots. The spring cleaning that goes on here entails removing lights fixtures and cleaning the insides, if it is wood it gets wiped down with Murphy's Oil (including the ceilings thanks to the summer staff guys!), other surfaces get the Mr. Clean treatment, cabinets wiped inside and out, everything gets dusted and wiped down, swept, vacumed, and mopped, windows cleaned inside and out. Lots of work. In addition to the cleaning we had to get the water and gas turned on to several of the cabins which led to a few plumbing issues. A lot of other smaller "projects" were completed this week as well which will ensure smooth operation of the ministry throughout the summer.
At the end of the week this is what I have learned:
1. We have it easy in the 21st century.
I am reading a book by Frank and Marie Drown titled "Mission To The Headhunters." This couple served as missionaries in the eastern part of Ecuador for years ministering to the Shuara people. I had to drive 3 1/2 hours from an airport to get to the camp here. The area where the Drown's worked was accessible by traveling one day by train, one day on a crowded bus, several days on horseback. In addition the other missions outposts were only accessible by walking sometimes several days through the jungle. When MAF and Wycliffe (now JAARS) entered the area with missionary aviation it cut down the travel time drastically, but these early pioneer missionaries still had to live a very primitive lifestyle. Early on the highlight of their week was the weekly radio traffic on Fridays. It was so important to them they would ration their gasoline during the week so that they could run their generator long enough to catch up with the other missionaries in their part of Ecuador. Frank would later lead the search party and be one of the first to discover the fate of the five martyred missionaries at the hands of the Auca Indians.
2. There is a generation of youth still willing to serve God.
It has been awesome this week to work with some of the summer staffers here at COTW. These are individuals in their late teens and early twenties who have given up their summer so that they can impact the youth of this area for Christ. During all of the cleaning and jobs that were done this week there wasn't heard a single disparaging comment or complaint. It's not glamorous to wipe down an entire bathroom with Mr. Clean, or spend your day on a ladder wiping Murphy's Oil on the ceiling. But they did it and did it with the right attitude. Glamour trophies aren't given out for these kinds of jobs, but in my book these summer staffers and others that pitched in deserve one.
3. Anyone can help on the mission field.
We have a gentleman here at the camp for a few weeks from Tennessee. He comes up every year for several weeks for two specific things, help out at the camp and fish! I have enjoyed getting to know this guy over the past several days and swapping war stories with him. As a Vietnam Veteran he spent two tours of duty in Vietnam. After getting out he later re-enlisted in the Air National Guard where he recently retired. What an awesome testimony this man has of God's faithfulness through the years, and what an awesome example to others. Every year for the past eight years he has driven the 2 1/2 days to the camp. Once here he sets out to accomplish whatever tasks he is given. In the evenings he travels north a few miles to fish. Not for himself, but so the camp staff can enjoy a fish fry of fresh Walleye later on. Everything he does is about others.
4. Plastic water pipes + -40F temps = problems.
As the winter weather approaches later all of the cabins that are not lived in will be winterized. One aspect of this is draining the water from the house/cabin, blowing out the lines with air, and filling the traps with an antifreeze of sorts. When this is not accomplished properly havoc ensues! Imagine our surprise when turning on the water in a cabin came spraying out from underneath the sink in the bathroom. After repairing the shattered pipes we turned on the water again and more came spewing out from underneath the bathtub. More plastic that had busted. This time we had to wait until someone could run into town and pick up more plastic fittings to make the repair.
5. Bears can smell fish through bed covers on pickups.
This morning our friend from Tennessee showed us muddy paw prints from a bear on the bed cover on his truck. Apparently during the night a bear smelled fish through the bed cover and made a very rudimentary attempt to get them.
Thats it from the north for this time! Pray for this next week as we make more preparations for upcoming camp weeks!
At the end of the week this is what I have learned:
1. We have it easy in the 21st century.
I am reading a book by Frank and Marie Drown titled "Mission To The Headhunters." This couple served as missionaries in the eastern part of Ecuador for years ministering to the Shuara people. I had to drive 3 1/2 hours from an airport to get to the camp here. The area where the Drown's worked was accessible by traveling one day by train, one day on a crowded bus, several days on horseback. In addition the other missions outposts were only accessible by walking sometimes several days through the jungle. When MAF and Wycliffe (now JAARS) entered the area with missionary aviation it cut down the travel time drastically, but these early pioneer missionaries still had to live a very primitive lifestyle. Early on the highlight of their week was the weekly radio traffic on Fridays. It was so important to them they would ration their gasoline during the week so that they could run their generator long enough to catch up with the other missionaries in their part of Ecuador. Frank would later lead the search party and be one of the first to discover the fate of the five martyred missionaries at the hands of the Auca Indians.
2. There is a generation of youth still willing to serve God.
It has been awesome this week to work with some of the summer staffers here at COTW. These are individuals in their late teens and early twenties who have given up their summer so that they can impact the youth of this area for Christ. During all of the cleaning and jobs that were done this week there wasn't heard a single disparaging comment or complaint. It's not glamorous to wipe down an entire bathroom with Mr. Clean, or spend your day on a ladder wiping Murphy's Oil on the ceiling. But they did it and did it with the right attitude. Glamour trophies aren't given out for these kinds of jobs, but in my book these summer staffers and others that pitched in deserve one.
3. Anyone can help on the mission field.
We have a gentleman here at the camp for a few weeks from Tennessee. He comes up every year for several weeks for two specific things, help out at the camp and fish! I have enjoyed getting to know this guy over the past several days and swapping war stories with him. As a Vietnam Veteran he spent two tours of duty in Vietnam. After getting out he later re-enlisted in the Air National Guard where he recently retired. What an awesome testimony this man has of God's faithfulness through the years, and what an awesome example to others. Every year for the past eight years he has driven the 2 1/2 days to the camp. Once here he sets out to accomplish whatever tasks he is given. In the evenings he travels north a few miles to fish. Not for himself, but so the camp staff can enjoy a fish fry of fresh Walleye later on. Everything he does is about others.
4. Plastic water pipes + -40F temps = problems.
As the winter weather approaches later all of the cabins that are not lived in will be winterized. One aspect of this is draining the water from the house/cabin, blowing out the lines with air, and filling the traps with an antifreeze of sorts. When this is not accomplished properly havoc ensues! Imagine our surprise when turning on the water in a cabin came spraying out from underneath the sink in the bathroom. After repairing the shattered pipes we turned on the water again and more came spewing out from underneath the bathtub. More plastic that had busted. This time we had to wait until someone could run into town and pick up more plastic fittings to make the repair.
5. Bears can smell fish through bed covers on pickups.
This morning our friend from Tennessee showed us muddy paw prints from a bear on the bed cover on his truck. Apparently during the night a bear smelled fish through the bed cover and made a very rudimentary attempt to get them.
Thats it from the north for this time! Pray for this next week as we make more preparations for upcoming camp weeks!
Friday, June 5, 2009
What a difference a day makes!
What a difference a day makes! I flew out of Charlotte NC yesterday in warm sunny weather. The flight up to International Falls, MN routed me through Atlanta and Minneappolis with no significant issues. That is exactly how I like flying too, with nothing significant to report! The border crossing was about par for the course, i.e. me being questioned in addition to having my vehicle searched. The drive to the camp was uneventful and full of scenery. Across 502 I did see three black bears at different intervals. All were close enough that I could have rolled down the window and slapped them!
There were two work teams here at the camp when I arrived. Apparently both groups come up the same time each year and help with different projects around the camp. Interestingly enough one group is from Mississippi and the other from Minnesota. It can get quite interesting sitting back watching these men from different parts of the country interacting with each other. (I use the term interacting quite loosely!)
While many in the southeast were enjoying hot humid weather, it was in the upper 40's and rainy here all day. Last evening was chilly and tonite is supposed to be even cooler. Here it is 10:30 PM local time and there is still a sliver of sunlight peeking across the woodline on the other side of the lake. What a difference a day makes!
Pray for the two work groups as they head out tommorow morning. Also pray for the annual board of directors meeting that will occur tommorow (Saturday) here at the camp.
There were two work teams here at the camp when I arrived. Apparently both groups come up the same time each year and help with different projects around the camp. Interestingly enough one group is from Mississippi and the other from Minnesota. It can get quite interesting sitting back watching these men from different parts of the country interacting with each other. (I use the term interacting quite loosely!)
While many in the southeast were enjoying hot humid weather, it was in the upper 40's and rainy here all day. Last evening was chilly and tonite is supposed to be even cooler. Here it is 10:30 PM local time and there is still a sliver of sunlight peeking across the woodline on the other side of the lake. What a difference a day makes!
Pray for the two work groups as they head out tommorow morning. Also pray for the annual board of directors meeting that will occur tommorow (Saturday) here at the camp.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Launching
Thanks to everyone for all of your prayers and support over the past few months. It has been a whirlwind of activity it seems for several weeks now. Several weeks ago we were able to minister at Lexington Baptist in Lexington, VA. It is awesome to be able to be in a church of a classmate of ours at Piedmont, Michael Wilburn. He and the leadership team are doing an awesome job there at the entrance of the Shenandoah Valley. This past weekend we enjoyed reconnecting with friends at Timberlake Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA. It is great to see that church thriving under the very capable leadership of Bryan Ferrell. Sunday evening we were able to share our ministry at Colonial Baptist Church of Blue Ridge, VA. This is the church where I first became aware of the ministry at Camp of the Woods. It was great to interact with other individuals who had been on missions trips to COTW in the past and be able to answer some of their questions about where the ministry is today.
Tomorrow is the big day as I will be flying out of Charlotte at 9:15AM. I am scheduled to arrive in International Falls at 3:49PM and will drive to the camp from there. Pray that all travel details will be smooth and for a safe drive north. It is only about three hours from International Falls, so I should arrive at COTW around 8 PM(CST).
Jeannette and the girls are scheduled to leave the Winston-Salem area on June 22 and head north. Pray for them as they drive, along with her parents, to the camp. Some were aware of our need for a new vehicle and God has provided.
Thank you again for your prayers and support. We are looking forward to what God is going to be doing this summer at COTW. We serve an awesome God are are looking forward to awesome things that he will do!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Storms
Last night we were able to visit a church in Greensboro and enjoy a musicial celebration of God's grace and mercy. During the service the worship Pastor quoted from a song by Casting Crowns titled "Praise You in This Storm."
"I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day. But once again, I say amen and it's still raining as the thunder rolls I barely hear You whisper through the rain, "I'm with you"and as Your mercy falls I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away."
We have found ourselves in the middle of our own little storm. In the grand scheme of eternity, im sure it's just a blip on the radar. To us it is a significant event. In talking to someone today I tried to do the "mature" thing and act as if it was all ok. But it's not. But it's ok that its not, because God is still in control. It is during times like these that Romans 8:28 jumps to life,
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to {His} purpose."
While all things are not good, God is still right there working in the midst of the circumstances. And even when we pray that God would remove the situation from us, many times He doesn't. The question is, "What is God trying to teach us during these times?"
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Obedience
"Obedience" was a song that we used to sing as kids growing up in church. The first line says, "Obedience is the very best way, to show that you believe." I would challenge that and say that obedience is the only way to show that you believe.
In our Sunday School class we have been going through the life of Moses, using Chuck Swindoll's book as our guide. He brought a point out about obedience as evidenced in the lives of individuals in the Bible. I got to thinking about that. The individuals that God blessed are those who were obedient to Him and His will. Certainly there were people who were disobedient, and seemingly got away with it. But those individuals whom God poured out His blessings were those who simply took Him at His word, and obeyed.
The example this morning was the Jewish nation on the eve of the exodus from Egypt. If you will read in Exodus 11 you will see God giving them some fairly explicit instructions on how it was to take place. Here you have slaves, who had been in bondage for 430 years, and through Moses God tells them to "each man ask from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor for articles of silver and articles of gold." WOW! Strange request, but all they had to do was obey. And obey they did. The next verse states the they had found favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. They never would have found that out if they had not first obeyed.
In chapter 12 He gives them specific instructions on how they were to prepare and eat their final meal under bondage. Today when we look at the passover, through the cross, we can see pictures of Christ and the cross throughout the entire thing. To the Jewish nation, at this time, it was all foreign to them. Something totally new they had never done or experienced. Yet they obeyed.
Think about this. The Jewish people took Moses at his word, that he in fact was relaying God's instructions. This would be the same Moses who challenged Pharaoh in Chapter 5 which only caused their pain and misery to be increased. This would be the same Moses who killed the Egyptian in chapter 2. A mere man who said he represented Yahweh, and seemed to back it up with a series of plagues. A man who comes onto the scene 430 years into the Jewish opression and announces "it's over, we're leaving!" And yet they obeyed.
Today we have so much more. We have the inspired, infallible Word of God. Literally God's message to us! But many times we simply choose not to obey. For whatever reason. We have more sure information to go on, but we make a conscious decision to be disobedient.
Do you ever wonder why it seems that God isn't blessing His people? Maybe it is as simple as this. We are disobedient. We know what we are supposed to do, but we simply choose not to do it. Maybe I am oversimplifying when I say, if we want God's blessing to be poured out, just obey. Just do it.
In our Sunday School class we have been going through the life of Moses, using Chuck Swindoll's book as our guide. He brought a point out about obedience as evidenced in the lives of individuals in the Bible. I got to thinking about that. The individuals that God blessed are those who were obedient to Him and His will. Certainly there were people who were disobedient, and seemingly got away with it. But those individuals whom God poured out His blessings were those who simply took Him at His word, and obeyed.
The example this morning was the Jewish nation on the eve of the exodus from Egypt. If you will read in Exodus 11 you will see God giving them some fairly explicit instructions on how it was to take place. Here you have slaves, who had been in bondage for 430 years, and through Moses God tells them to "each man ask from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor for articles of silver and articles of gold." WOW! Strange request, but all they had to do was obey. And obey they did. The next verse states the they had found favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. They never would have found that out if they had not first obeyed.
In chapter 12 He gives them specific instructions on how they were to prepare and eat their final meal under bondage. Today when we look at the passover, through the cross, we can see pictures of Christ and the cross throughout the entire thing. To the Jewish nation, at this time, it was all foreign to them. Something totally new they had never done or experienced. Yet they obeyed.
Think about this. The Jewish people took Moses at his word, that he in fact was relaying God's instructions. This would be the same Moses who challenged Pharaoh in Chapter 5 which only caused their pain and misery to be increased. This would be the same Moses who killed the Egyptian in chapter 2. A mere man who said he represented Yahweh, and seemed to back it up with a series of plagues. A man who comes onto the scene 430 years into the Jewish opression and announces "it's over, we're leaving!" And yet they obeyed.
Today we have so much more. We have the inspired, infallible Word of God. Literally God's message to us! But many times we simply choose not to obey. For whatever reason. We have more sure information to go on, but we make a conscious decision to be disobedient.
Do you ever wonder why it seems that God isn't blessing His people? Maybe it is as simple as this. We are disobedient. We know what we are supposed to do, but we simply choose not to do it. Maybe I am oversimplifying when I say, if we want God's blessing to be poured out, just obey. Just do it.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Tax Day Update!
Great news on the house we have to sell in Fayetteville...it is now officially under contract! Pray that the house inspection and appraisal would sail through with no problems whatsoever.
Another bit of good news is that we are at 31% for support for the summer!
God is good...All the time!
Another bit of good news is that we are at 31% for support for the summer!
God is good...All the time!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Update on house
We received a call from our realtor this morning that our original buyer had not returned the paperwork so the contract is not final yet. While that may seem like bad news it is actually good news. She also notifed us that 2 more agents were putting in offers on the house. Read this as bidding war! Not only is God moving to help us sale our house, He is seeing to it that we get top dollar! Isnt God Awesome!
Friday, April 10, 2009
God is good...all the time
We have had some great news this week on several fronts. First, we are now at 25% of support for our summer ministry to Camp of the Woods! We are so thankful for the churches and individuals who are partnering with us for this exciting summer ministry.
Second, we have had an official offer on our home that we own in Fayetteville, NC! After we left the military we maintained our house there as rental property. Early this spring we knew that we would have to sell this house so that we could focus our attention on our summer ministry, and later full time deputation. After being listed for only 45 days we have an official offer and contract with a closing date of April 30. Even in the days of economic downturn and a lackluster real estate market, our God has supplied our needs! This is another confirmation in our hearts and minds that our ministry at COTW is a God thing!
Please continue to pray for the Johnnie and Becky Bates who are on site at COTW. They have a lot of stuff to get accomplished before the summer camping season begins. A lot of planning is going on right now for the summer Bible camps as well as the missions camps. We still have space available during our two missions camps June 13-19 and June 20-26. These are two weeks that Youth groups from the US come up to the camp and assist us with projects around the camp while at the same time they are challenged for world missions. As far as cross cultural missions trips are concerned, you get a lot of bang for your buck. Please pray that more youth groups would schedule trips to COTW during this time.
We would also ask for your prayers on our behalf as we raise our financial support. We are very grateful for reaching 25%. At the same time we still need 75% more so that we can reach our goal of $8,000. Would you consider investing in this ministry opportunity? If interested you can donate online at http://www.northsidebaptistchurch.net. Simply follow the link at the top of the page to "Online Giving" and enter "Hollins Missions Fund" in the notes section of the missions giving. Any amount that you could invest would be awesome and greatly appreciated!
Stay tuned for more updates!
Second, we have had an official offer on our home that we own in Fayetteville, NC! After we left the military we maintained our house there as rental property. Early this spring we knew that we would have to sell this house so that we could focus our attention on our summer ministry, and later full time deputation. After being listed for only 45 days we have an official offer and contract with a closing date of April 30. Even in the days of economic downturn and a lackluster real estate market, our God has supplied our needs! This is another confirmation in our hearts and minds that our ministry at COTW is a God thing!
Please continue to pray for the Johnnie and Becky Bates who are on site at COTW. They have a lot of stuff to get accomplished before the summer camping season begins. A lot of planning is going on right now for the summer Bible camps as well as the missions camps. We still have space available during our two missions camps June 13-19 and June 20-26. These are two weeks that Youth groups from the US come up to the camp and assist us with projects around the camp while at the same time they are challenged for world missions. As far as cross cultural missions trips are concerned, you get a lot of bang for your buck. Please pray that more youth groups would schedule trips to COTW during this time.
We would also ask for your prayers on our behalf as we raise our financial support. We are very grateful for reaching 25%. At the same time we still need 75% more so that we can reach our goal of $8,000. Would you consider investing in this ministry opportunity? If interested you can donate online at http://www.northsidebaptistchurch.net. Simply follow the link at the top of the page to "Online Giving" and enter "Hollins Missions Fund" in the notes section of the missions giving. Any amount that you could invest would be awesome and greatly appreciated!
Stay tuned for more updates!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Lynchburg, VA Trip
Thank you everyone for their prayers. This past week I was able to travel to Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA and represent the camp. In addition to talking to many students about coming up and serving on summer staff, I was able to talk about the camp in three seperate youth classes. Thanks to Dr. Steve Vandegriff, the chairman of the Youth Department for the hookup! In the small world category, one of the Youth Professors, Jonathan Geukgeuzian, has actually been to the camp as a teenager during a missions week.
While in Lynchburg I was able to reconnect with Brian Ferrell, a fellow classmate while at seminary at Liberty. Again, in the small world category, he now shepherds the church that we were members of while there in Lynchburg.
Please continue to pray for us as we raise our support for this summer. While we have had some response we still need to raise quite a bit more. Feel free to contact us at thollins001@carolina.rr.com if interested in joining our team as we launch in June for camp of the Woods!
While in Lynchburg I was able to reconnect with Brian Ferrell, a fellow classmate while at seminary at Liberty. Again, in the small world category, he now shepherds the church that we were members of while there in Lynchburg.
Please continue to pray for us as we raise our support for this summer. While we have had some response we still need to raise quite a bit more. Feel free to contact us at thollins001@carolina.rr.com if interested in joining our team as we launch in June for camp of the Woods!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Talents
We have an awesome graphic arts guru at our church who never ceases to amaze me at the talent that God has given him. I have attached 2 posters that he whipped up in a matter of minutes that will be used for recruiting purposes next week at Liberty University. It reminds me that any and all talents and abilities that God gives us can be used for Him. While we may not think of ourselves as "ministry material" because we do not think we can preach, sing, or teach (or anything else that we think are "ministry related"), God can use and wants to use what He has given to us. Who are we to decide what can be used and what cannot be used? We need the youth of this generation to catch a vision of what God can do through us...if we let Him. We need the adults of our generation to set the example. What about you? What talent or ability has God given you that you are not using for Him?Monday, March 9, 2009
The Beginning
This was created so that we can keep those who are interested in following our ministry up to date. We are currently raising prayer and financial support so that we can spend the summer at Camp of the Woods in Northwest Ontario, Canada. http://www.campofthewoods.on.ca/
Camp of the Woods as a ministry has been around for more than forty years. Our first trip was during the summer of 1996 when Jeannette and I spent the summer working on the summer staff. Since then we have led two separate groups from North Point Baptist to the camp as well as two separate trips during the past twelve months. In the past couple of years the permanent staffing level has decreased and today there is one family working there full time. The need is great for workers and we are answering that call to go. One reality of answering the call is that we need to raise approximately $7,ooo in the next three months. While this may seem like a large amount, we are convinced that God will provide. And the way He provides is through His people as He leads them.
Not only do we need financial support, we also covet your prayers. WE CANNOT GO AT THIS ALONE! We dare not attempt this short term trip without bathing it in prayer. Please pray with us over the next days, weeks, and months.
1. Pray for Johnnie and Becky Bates as they are the only full time staff ministering on site at this time.
2. Pray that we would be able to raise the necessary financial support within the next several months.
3. Pray that God would bring together just the right summer staff for the summer camping season.
4. Pray that God would do something AWESOME this summer at Camp of the Woods!
Stay tuned for more updates!!!
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