August 2007

June... No, July... No, AUGUST!
Time flies when you're having THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE! This summer easily goes down as the best summer I've ever had. I can't speak for Hana, but I'm thinking she would agree that it is the best summer I've ever had! Ha ha, her best summer too.Anyway...The short version:1. Full time @ UPC has been such a blessing2. Church Camp in TN rocked our world3. Missions Trip to Cherokee, NC rocked our world…again!And the long…

In mid May UPC moved me up to full-time for the summer. Since then Hana and I have been moving pretty much non-stop! Our summer schedule has included: service projects, sleepovers, Mini-golf, beach getaways, movie nights, ultimate Frisbee games, baseball games… and more. We have had the absolute blessing of hanging out with the youth group kids every week (almost every day!) this summer. We have learned so much from the Lord and from them. I just love the way the girls look up to Hana. She’s my favorite blessing, and I love when the Lord blesses others through her as well.

We got on a bus at 7am in early July and headed for Chattanooga, TN, home of Covenant College where Southland Student Conferences was holding their summer conference, “ELEVATE.” It was an incredible time of learning, growing, and best of all worshiping God. The speaker, Tim Melton, was great! He talked about the Father heart of God. I went thinking, “The kids will sure learn a lot this week.” My arrogance sickens me sometimes. I ended up learning so much I thought my brain was going to suddenly start flashing “WARNNING Nearing Capacity!” Best of all, the speaker didn’t leave the kids with, “Try Harder,” but instead, “Trust More!” Oh how I loathe Moralism, and there wasn’t one drop of it in his teaching! Praise God.

Finally, our Missions Trip with MTW to Cherokee, NC, was amazing. In the mornings most of us painted the railing on the deck of a Senior Citizens center, while some of us were inside the center doing crafts with the Seniors and talking to them about Jesus. A few of us gave our testimonies, and one day we sang to and with them. The Lord was working there, we could feel it. In the afternoons we went and ministered to kids who were at a Boys and Girls club on the Boundary (it’s not a reservation, because the Cherokee own the land). Just prior to departing for Cherokee we were informed that we probably wouldn’t get a whole lot of time to present the VBS we had been preparing. We prayed. On our first day there, we were told the only day we’d have a chance to present anything would be the next day. We prayed a lot. The next day, Tuesday, we set out to present the gospel and reinforce it with crafts and a workbook. “Will the kids sit still that long” we wondered? God is so good. He kept those kids calm and attentive for 5 hours!! The youth group kids did a fantastic, and more importantly God honoring, gospel presentation, and then we did a skit and craft and went through a workbook with them one-on-one. The kids were learning. They memorized Ephesians 2:8. I could go on and on. Our God is an awesome God.

Now Hana and I are preparing for the fall. She’ll be teaching in a new school, and I’ll be starting my 2nd of 3 years at RTS. We don’t know the future, but we know Him who holds the future. Therefore, we are so excited. We can’t wait to see how the Lord moves with the youth group kids this fall. Email us with what we can pray for you about.

To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

God bless,
MjR