Let it Snow!

When it snows, there is always the question as to whether to go to church.  For your safety and to aid you in making a decision, we have developed the following policy. Weekdays:If West Linn High School is closed that day, the church’s activities will also be cancelled. Sundays:If snow or ice on the roads makes travel treacherous where you live, don’t attempt to come to services. Check the blog or our Facebook page for any official announcements about weather cancellations. 

Bob and Barbara Montgomery in the News

Bob and Barbara Montgomery were featured in the Oregonian this morning. They spoke about the difference the Lord had made in their marriage, about New Life Church and about Coffee Cart. They have been married a mere 64 years! You can read the article here.

What do you love?

After the fall, the affections were misplaced on wrong objects; in sanctification, they are turned into a sweet order and harmony, the grief placed on sin, the love on God, the joy on heaven. -- Thomas Watson, Body of Divinity

Take Time for Rest

Sometimes, when the leaves are falling, and the sky gets dark at five o’clock, the world looks like I feel. We seem to be running short on time and energy together. This is a busy season. Halloween has come and gone. The elections are behind us. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year loom before us. Add to this the daily stresses of bills, shopping, traveling, studying, cooking, eating, working, parenting, and others and it’s hard to keep up.

At times like these, I am comforted by Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25-34. In these verses we are reminded that we are not able, through worry, to add even a single hour to our lives. He goes on to tell us that God knows what our needs are and promise us that when we seek God and His righteousness, He will take care of our needs. So why do we worry so much? We have no need to be anxious about food or drink or clothing or the many other things that burden us, because God loves us and provides for us.

Today, rest. Take some time to pause and step away from the flurry of activities. Again, Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” So sit and drink some coffee or tea, pray, read, reflect, or give thanks. It is a busy season, but it is in busy seasons that it is most important find moments, hours, or even days of rest.

CB America Hurricane Sandy Relief

There are many CB America churches along the Atlantic Coast line that have been impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Please uphold them in prayer! If you would like to make a contribution through CB America to help the churches and communities impacted by the storm, CB uses PayPal Service for online giving. You do not need to have a PayPal account to contribute to Hurricane Sandy Relief using this service. To do this visit the CB America website.

Library - New DVDs and Books

DVDs
Bibleman
     Divided We Fall / A Light in the Darkness
     A Fight for Faith - LIVE
     Lead Us Not into Temptation / Breaking the Bonds of Disobedience

ODYSSEY
    Welcome to Whit's End

VeggieTales
     Larry Learns to Listen

Sheila Walsh
     gigi: God's Little Princess DVD Treasury

Theo: God's Grace

Buck Denver asks... What's in the Bible?
     Israel Gets a King (1 & 2 Samuel) Volume 5
     A Nation Divided (Kings & Chronicles) Volume 6

BOOKS
PARENTING
GRACE BASED Parenting: Set Your Family Free by Dr. Tim Kimmel

TEEN SECTION
Horsefeathers! by Dandi D. Mackall
Tomo (I was an Eighth-Grade Ninja) by Bud Rogers
The Action BIBLE (God's Redemptive Story)
The Shining Sword by Charles G. Coleman - Book 1
Song of the Trumpet by Charles G. Coleman - Book 2
Sugar Creek Gang by Paul Hutchens
     The Green Tent Mystery #19
     The Bull Fighter #20
     The Timber Wolf #21
     Western Adventure #22
     The Killer Cat #23
     The Colorado Kidnapping #24

Prayer Week

This is prayer week at New Life Church. We are using Colossians 1:10-12 as our theme passage for this week,

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

Would you join us for corporate prayer, even for one hour, sometime during prayer week? We have every reason to expect God will be pleased to do great things in and through us as we pray.

Prayer for Missions

Several months ago Agnes Spidal gave me an article from E.M. Bounds about the role of prayer in missions.  I remember reading it and being convicted.  Then the article sat on my desk under a pile until last week when I cleaned off my desk.  This simple article, convicted me again and I knew I needed to share it with others.  I brought it to our Global Outreach Committee meeting last week and it encouraged us to be in prayer that the Lord would send laborers into His harvest field from New Life Church.  If you would like to read some of Bounds' stuff on prayer you can click here.  The chapter on prayer in missions is chapter 13.  You can click on it on the left side of the page.

For now, I'll just give you a few quotes that really inspired me:

The Spirit of Jesus Christ is the spirit of missions. Our Lord Jesus Christ was Himself the first missionary. His promise and advent composed the first missionary movement. The missionary spirit is not simply a phase of the Gospel, not a mere feature of the plan of salvation, but is its very spirit and life. The missionary movement is the Church of Jesus Christ marching in militant array, with the design of possessing the whole world of mankind for Christ. Whoever is touched by the Spirit of God is fired by the missionary spirit.

The key of all missionary success is prayer. That key is in the hands of the home churches. The trophies won by our Lord in heathen lands will be won by praying missionaries, not by professional workers in foreign lands. More especially will this success be won by saintly praying in the churches at home. The home church on her knees fasting and praying, is the great base of spiritual supplies, the sinews of war, and the pledge of victory in this dire and final conflict. Financial resources are
not the real sinews of war in this fight. Machinery in itself carries no power to break down heathen walls, open effectual doors and win heathen hearts to Christ. Prayer alone can do the deed.

Is the harvest great? Are the labourers few? Then “pray ye the Lord of the harvest to send forth labourers into his harvest.” Oh, that a great wave of prayer would sweep over the Church asking God to send out a great army of labourers into the needy harvest fields of the earth!

Why We Love The Church

There are a lot "Christian" books out there these days which take delight in speaking ill of the local church.  They say most churches are too judgmental, too narrow minded, too hypocritical, too old school, too conservative, too cliquish, and too boring.  In addition these voices say that the church is not concerned enough about social issues like homelessness, aids, world hunger, genocide, and the environment.  I would say, that some of what they are saying is very true.  One doesn't write a book if there is nothing to write about.  And as the old proverb goes, "if the shoe fits, wear it."  Churches need to look at these criticisms and see if they are true.  We should ask, are their changes that should be made as we repent of sin in the church and seek to be the church Christ has created us to be?  Sadly, the message that many of these "anti-church" books are giving is, "let's all leave the institutional church and really be the church."

I recently read a book called, Why We Love the Church, In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion, by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck.  DeYoung is a 30-something pastor in middle American and Kluck is sportswriter who attends DeYoung's church.  The two have teamed up to write this book as well as the famous Why We're Not Emergent.   In the book they take turns writing chapters.  DeYoung's chapters are more intellectual and more preachy.  Kluck's chapters are more stream of thought and more every day man.  I have to admit, the preacher side of me really liked the DeYoung chapters but the part of me that really wants to know what the average church attender is thinking really appreciated the Kluck chapters.  The point of the book is to say, no, don't abandon the church, it is the bride of Christ.  Be a part of it, pray for it, show grace to other people in it just like you want to be shown grace, be willing to serve and lead the church toward being all that God wants it to be.

Let me give you just a few quotes to stimulate your appetite for this book:

In the first chapter DeYoung gives us some questions to ask when the church is in decline:  Are we believing the gospel, are we relying on the power of the gospel, are we getting the gospel out, are we getting the gospel right, are we adorning the gospel with good works, are we praying for the work of the gospel, are we training up our children in the gospel?

Going to church is not a quaint waste of time, but an essential part of a person's spiritual life and growth.  ~Kluck ~

Again, later in the book DeYoung gives some good questions for church leavers:  Are you rejecting the church or the faith, are you trying to have your cake and eat it too, are you making an idol out of authenticity, are you repeating the mistake of the previous generation?

Church isn't boring because we are not showing enough film clips, or because we play an organ instead of a guitar.  It's boring because we neuter it of it's importance. ~Kluck~

We need the church in visible manifest and sometimes hidden beauty.  We need the church of individuals and institutions.  Most of all, we ought to love the church- in all her organic and organizational mess and glory.  ~DeYoung~

If I could leave you with one thought, it's this:  Go.  Go to church.  Don't go for the coffee, the presentations, the music, or the amenities.  Don't even go for the feelings you may or may not get when you to because, no offense, these feelings may or may not be trustworthy most of the time.  Go for the gospel.  Go for the preaching.  God to be near God's Word... There are many people leaving the church, and supposedly finding God.  But I found Him here, and by His grace, I'll keep finding Him here.  I love my church.  ~Kluck~

 

Extra Pews Donated to Church Plant

 

On Tuesday, September 11, 13 pews were picked up by ten dedicated men from Outward Church in Salem.  It was not an easy task!  Half the pews were located in our upstairs attic and had to be lowered from the balcony.  The men carefully hoisted them down and loaded all the pews onto two large flat bed trailers.  They were grateful to have the pews and were are pleased to help a fellow church.  One pew was saved to donate to the West Linn High School dance team since they requested one. 

River Baptism 2012

We had another beautiful day on the Clackamas River for our baptisms. Please continue to pray for those who were baptized Sunday, Casey House, Perrin Dean, Sadie Hayhurst and Aurora Feuerborn. Thank you, again, to the Haugens for being such wonderful hosts!

Want to Serve Missionary Kids?

Tim and Wendy Tutty are hosting a Black Forest Academy (BFA) "Information Hour" on Monday, August 13 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at 6131 Barclay Street in West Linn. If you are interested in missions, or if you are in a ministry pointing others toward missions, please come! Eric and Lynette Sturgis, missionaries to BFA, will discuss how anyone can serve there. Childcare is provided. If you plan to attend the shared meal, arrive at 5:30 p.m. and bring a potluck dish.

Eric & Lynette Sturgis: Serving at Black Forest Academy in Germany introduce themselves:

Our heart for missions began in our younger years while growing up, largely because of exposure to missionaries at church and in our homes. In 2003, God strategically laid Black Forest Academy on our hearts. One of our former youth leaders shared about the ministry of BFA and challenged us to "check it out." The seed was planted and over the next few years God continued to prompt us to pursue coming here to serve Him.

As of 2010, we have been serving missionary students and families at BFA - Eric as a guidance counselor and Lynette as a school nurse. Eric helps students transition in and out of BFA. The Guidance Office staff also monitors graduation requirements and guides students as they explore their next steps. The nurses care for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the students, as well as injuries and advising the dorm parents when needed. We are so grateful to be able to use the experience and skills that the Lord has given us to serve in this capacity.

Black Forest Academy is a wonderful place to use God given skills to serve missionary families and students. There is a need for elementary teachers, secondary teachers, support staff, guidance counselors, counselors, dorm parents, resident assistants, maintenance workers, business office staff and personnel staff. There is a place for everyone! You can check out details at teachbeyond.org or bfacademy.com. Come join us in this vital ministry, serving missionary kids and reaching the ends of the earth with the Gospel through education. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions at esturgis@teachbeyond.org.

Think God works only through superstars and burning bushes? God works, unseen, through ordinary, flawed people. Beginning this Sunday we'll begin to look at the Book of Esther, in which God isn't even mentioned!

Outdoor Worship Service and Picnic

On August 12 all of New Life Church will meet together for an outdoor worship service at Willamette Park in West Linn.  The service begins at 10:00 a.m. and a picnic will follow.  Please bring a main dish plus a salad or dessert.  We hope to see you there! (No worship services will be held at any of the campus locations on August 12 so we can meet together.)

Czech Republic Mission Trip Update

The following update came from Justin Schroeder who was on a mission trip with Karen Hellweg and several others from the Portland area. They were in the Czech Republic serving in an English Camp with Josiah Venture.

Camp was amazing! Such a great week, despite the illness. Zach and Caro were the only ones of our team to make it through the week without vomiting. Gracey and Sean, fortunately, got much better as quickly as they became sick, and were up and running within hours. I was #26 to come down with the vomiting/fever bug on the very last night of camp, which meant I spent the last night (which are always epic) laying in bed. I believe about 36 people total had the virus during camp.

The thing is, though, that none of that stopped the energy of camp, and it was probably meant to be. No one was sent home, and those who weren't sick were full of life and energy that made this one of the sweetest camps ever. We had a super fun and crazy time, and got to make some great friends with the students there. At the end of the week, many had intense spiritual conversations with the Czech youth group members, and one girl accepted Christ right there at camp!

After camp was follow-up. Half the team went to Trebic, and a few of us went to Jihlova (YEE-hlo-va), the other town involved with the camp. It was a great chance to hang out with the students in their element, to relax and adventure as peers and to get those who had formerly not seen the local youth group a really good intro/plug-in to their respective churches. I think most of our team found the follow-up to be the most precious time of the whole trip.

After we said goodbye, we went to Prague! The last couple days were spent in the chaos of this beautiful city. First was the debrief, where Nate and Rob (of JV) essentially commissioned us BACK to carry on the spreading of the gospel in the places we live, not just for a couple emotional weeks in a foreign country. After debrief, we walked, shopped, toured, got lost, hit up all the major must-see points, got lost, and had a great time bonding as a team one last time. It was a magical time but also I'm still sore from all the walking.

I am so so extremely proud of this team and everything they accomplished this past week. It was truly incredible to see the way God worked through each member in a unique and powerful way. Not only did many people in various leadership roles express how impressed they were, but the students took to these Americans in a rich and beautiful manner.

So Gracey and Karen made it home safely to Portland! I immediately began the whole process over with another team and am back in eastern Czech ready to start camp tomorrow. Well sort of ready. Mostly just exhausted. And Caro, Zach and Sean are on a plane back to America as we speak!

Side note: as I am here at this new training, I'm seeing SO many people I've met in the past and have been catching up right and left with all sorts of individuals from all different towns and places in the country I've worked with. It is incredible to hear stories of people I knew back in those towns who have become Christians or are growing in their faith, leadership, and lives from the catalyzing effect camp had on them. Often times our job here is only planting a seed, but four years in and I can personally testify that God is bearing TONS of fruit in this country.

Ok back to the not-side-note. The middle note, if you will. Or whatever:

So thank you for helping make this journey possible through your prayers and loving support of each member. Please pray that the Denver team makes it home safely. Also please pray for each of these Americans, that this experience will not be lost in their personal lives and walks and that their growth will be evident from this point forward. Finally, pray for all the students, Christian and non-Christian alike, that God will continue his powerful movement through this atheistic nation, and that His light will once again shine from the Czech Republic.

God bless.

Peace, Love, and Kouzelné Hroch,

-Justin

A New Sermon Series: Gospel Lens

This week we began a new sermon series on looking at life through a gospel lens. This series is intended to help you understand your own life, and speak with others, from a gospel perspective. Here is a quick summary of the differences between a gospel lens and a Christless lens.

GOD’S STORY
If we view life through a gospel lens, we believe God’s story…

• Creation – God is the Creator and Originator of all things. This means that I exist because of Him and for Him. It also means that my value and identity are defined by Him.
• Fall – We rebelled against God and His word. This is sin. We die, through our rejection of God, because we are separated from the only life giving source. This rejection of God results in a broken world consisting of shame, suffering, death, inequality, and injustice.
• Redemption – God brings us into righteous relationship with Him by His work through Jesus’ death and resurrection. We put our faith in Him to accept this salvation by grace.
• Restoration – God has made us to be a new creation in Christ and continues to work in us through the work of the Holy Spirit. This means that He has prepared and enabled us for a new way to live, a new way to relate to others, and a new way to work. We anticipate that one day He will make all things new, resulting in a perfect relationship with him and an end to sin, shame, suffering, and death.

OUR STORY
If we view life through a Christless lens, we believe our story…

• Creation – I am what I determine myself to be. This means my value and identity are determined by someone else’s or my own opinion of me. I thereby establish myself or someone else as god.
• Fall – My problem is that I am not what I or someone else would like me to be. This results in my shame. Alternatively, I may believe that I am already perfect and acceptable in my own eyes. In this I deceive myself with pride. Beyond me, the world is broken and needs to be fixed because of suffering, death, inequality, or injustice.
• Redemption – It is through my work that I am saved, healed, or made acceptable by making up for my problem. Alternatively, I may hope that someone else will change my circumstances so that I will no longer have a problem. In this case I, or someone I determine, is savior.
• Restoration – I or something else can fix me and this place if I will just work harder and more effectively. My future hope is dependent upon my circumstances, resources, and abilities.

You may notice that the components of these stories relate to one another. The outline for the Gospel Lens series will address each component in turn: Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration.

GOSPEL COMPONENTS

• Creation addresses our identity. This is how we answer the questions: Who am I? Where did I come from? Why do I exist?
• Fall addresses where things are broken. This is how we answer the questions: What is the trouble or pain? Where did it come from? Whose fault is it?
• Redemption addresses how we hope to fix our brokenness. This is how we answer the questions: What has to be fixed? What is the solution to my problems? Who will be able to fix this?
• Restoration addresses what our future hope is. This is how we answer the questions: What do I hope will be? How will it become that way? Who will make it so?

Travis Team in the Paper!

The Travis Air Force Base Mission Team from New Life Church came home last weekend, but not before their work and the work of the Travis Hospitality House made it into the newspaper. You can check out the article in the Fairfield, CA Daily Republic by clicking here.

The article gives a great testimony to the work of Sandy and Sue Nafziger and the ministry of the Hospitality House to airmen at Travis Air Force base. The two airmen whose stories are featured in the article became our good friends while we were there. It is so cool to see the work God is doing in changing lives through the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Utah Mission Trip Update

The Utah Team is back, but here is the update from the last few days of their trip:

"Introverts make the best of friends because the social people are all about themselves"--Andrew Madsen

No sooner had the words left my mouth than I realized that I was testifying about myself; part of my big problem is self-glorification. Though Milton Vincent hits the nail on the head in his book, A Gospel Primer, when he writes:

"Compared to greater endeavors, self-love is mundane and tiresome. Consequently, the more thoroughly I can be done with such tedium, the freer my soul will be to soar at its God-intended heights."

Oh how this breathes so much truth in my own life. Here am I, broken by my sins before you and before God, more joyful than I have ever been. Because the lights turned on and I realized everyone was crying, so I stopped pretending i wasn't. God exposed me of my sin and I looked around to see us all broken--how beautiful. Simply the fact that God knew my wicked ways when he formed me but did it anyways... agape.

So instead of trying to love myself all of the time--God has helped refocus my all on Him. Instead of trying to be perfect enough to share Him with the world--I stand before you lavished with grace only wishing to give to others what has been given to me. And instead of worrying about what has yet to come--I am so in Love with the Lord our God.

Yesterday was our final day of Sports Camp. God demonstrated to us all how mighty he is as some of the rowdiest kids at the camp on Monday were the same ones asking how they could make Jesus the king of their hearts. He had taken some of the most selfish children at the camp and conquered their hearts with his love. Among all of the joyous stories was one of Jordan. His dad is the campus pastor at Alpine Church: Layton and his head was already full of the Gospel story; so when he asked me to pray with him I thought, awesome! perhaps he wants to pray for his fellow huddle-members or is learning more. It had not occurred to me that he was asking me to pray with him for his salvation. I opened the prayer and thanked The Lord for him and how much of a blessing it was to have him in my group, then he prayed silently to himself. When he said amen he told me of how he had thanked God for his loving family, for the Sports Camp, and all of the fun he had been having. But even more so how he thanked God for being a Big God and that his own problem wasn't too much for God to handle. When I heard this I rejoiced that an 8 year old was learning more about his faith. Little did I know that he also asked God to forgive him and be his King... I thought that that had already occurred. It wasn't until we went to the Layton campus last night for a worship service, and the pastor told us all--with true joy glowing-- that his son had accepted the Lord that day at Sports Camp. He told the congregation that Jordan was soooo excited when he got home to tell his dad that he wanted King Jesus to be the Lord of his life. I was struck by this with even more joy than before knowing that Jordan had come to faith; I couldn't hold back my tears--it was beautiful. Seeing how God worked even in my ignorance, my assumption was destroyed and my heart was filled.

I could hardly call my lack of current self-love loss, but instead liberating, to simply know that I don't have to waste my time building myself up for I stand on the Solid Rock. Now freed from such a burden I can spend my time praising and worshiping and glorifying and sharing the love of God. I am eager to see all of you soon and hear of how God is working in your life also but until that day...

Listen for Him

-Andrew Madsen

Travis Air Force Base Mission Trip Report #2

The last few days have been a whirlwind of activity. On Tuesday we went over to San Francisco to visit Nate Hanson and see his ministry at San Francisco City Impact. You can check out his ministry to people in the city by clicking here. It was really neat to get to experience the work Nate does there in the adopt a building program.

We have been very busy with helping in VBS, serving food, painting at the Hospitality House, and spending time with airmen. Each night we have team devotions where we pray together and encourage each other from the scriptures. God has been faithful to answer our prayers.

Please be in prayer for our team today as this is the last day of VBS, our last day of painting, and the end of our time with the airmen. Pray for God to open doors for sharing the gospel. Pray for Mark Maricle as he speaks at the Hospitality House tonight. Pray for us to have servant hearts that loves kids, airmen, and each other.

Slovenia Mission Prayer Request

Wes Rogers wrote requesting prayer for this evening's gospel presentation at English Camp in Slovenia:

Tonight is gospel presentation night. Kids will be hearing that the Bible is relevant to today's choices. And that God loves them and is greater than their problems. Kids will be challenged to choose Jesus as the answer. Pray that our speaker Jim will have clarity of thought and words, the Slovene translators will have wisdom in choosing words, that kids will take steps towards God, some even choosing to follow Jesus, and that Satan will be pushed far away from camp!

Pray 10 am to 4 pm Portland time, 7pm to 1 am our time. GOD has been at work and tonight will be a life changing time for us all! Thanks for praying.

Anna's Utah Team Report

June 28, 2012

As the fourth day of Sports Camp ends I am happy to report that fifteen campers decided to make Jesus their King today. I know there are many people out there who would like to play this down, but I couldn’t be more convinced that God is changing hearts and lives. Even within my huddle group of 5th graders, who seem to have already accepted the Gospel, He is producing much fruit. The conversations that are happening every day remind me of why I'm even in Utah in the first place. Seeing a child truly grasp the seriousness of their sin and then go on to acknowledge the saving power of their Savior is a beautiful thing. Reminding me of the truth that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” is comforting in the midst of meeting these young believers. God has blessed me immensely through these loving girls, my amazing co-leader from Alpine, and of course the daily reminders of the Gospel in its simplest form: Big God, Big Problem, Big Solution, Big Change, and Big Joy! Aside from Sports Camp, I can sense the team maturing and growing in their walks with Christ. One of the most exciting things I've experienced on this trip is witnessing the younger students' ever-increasing involvement. Not only have they served selflessly for the past six days, but they have been swift to cast all of the credit on the One who is worthy of glory, honor, and power. Not once have I heard any remarks concerning self-reliance or even self-congratulations, rather every night I'm hearing God's name be praised more than the night before. I am amazed by the work God is doing in their lives. Early on in the trip, it was almost embarrassing how easy one could have this mindset of self-determination. Even as I went about doing the various service projects, I could feel myself start to think that I don't actually need God in order to paint this wall. I was frustrated and disappointed with the tasks because I believed that we should have been doing something more worthwhile. This attitude is foolish. Most of our lives revolve around the menial and insignificant tasks. Our daily schedules are consumed with jobs that could be seen as boring, stagnate, and lacking in spirituality. This is only the case because we often make it so. Personally, I do go about my life with an overwhelming amount of pride, which encourages me to belittle God's Hand in those tasks. If I would only acknowledge my need for an all-powerful God all-day-every-day, just imagine how those unassuming tasks could be used for His Kingdom! I know He is faithful. We could use lots of prayer. Energy for our last day at Sports Camp tomorrow, as we want to love on those kids as much as possible before we say good-bye, and also prayer that God would continue to humble us and have us trust in Him completely. Hope life is going well at home! We miss you all! -Anna Alcutt, senior

Utah Team Report

Monday night I journaled:

"Aching legs.

Feet worn sore.

Backs strained.

Laughter spreading contagious.

Repetitive brush strokes.

Long hours.

United team.

Hearts full.

Smiles inerasable.

He answers prayers for restoration, for strong voices, for growth in coaches, for kids (111!), for sufficient help, for united team, for patience, for energy. The days aren’t without failures, imperfections, and strife. But as He continues to work on us, He supplies us with sufficient grace.” 

The report today is the same. It has been a very different week from our group’s missions trip two years ago to Juneau, AL, or our at-home missions trip last year, but the verdict is the same—God is still exceeding our expectations. He is still faithful. He continues to answer prayer. We prayed for the right amount of workers, and we get exactly the right amount of help from Alpine—the right amount of guy coaches for the overload of young boys and just the right number of girl coaches. We prayed for personal spiritual growth, and every night as we debrief, we hear story after story of God’s work in our hearts. Kids are opening up, making decisions to follow Jesus, and loving every minute of Sports Camp. We asked for energy, and God has miraculously seen us through. We prayed for good relationships with Alpine and God is doing it! So keep praying!
The last two days of Sports Camp are yet to come, a couple more work projects on the way, more interactions with Alpine church. We anticipate that the best is yet to come!

 “Every step we are breathing in your grace.
Ever more we’ll be breathing out your praise.
You are faithful. God, you are faithful!”
(Never Alone, Matt Redman) 

 -- Report by Lauren Reavely for the team