Week 10 at Sambica

     Our summer is now dwindling down do its last day. While Amy and I will be staying on to do seasonal work, I have been reflecting a lot about this summer. It has been great serving at this camp. The staff comes from all over, and all have come together for one purpose; to further God's kingdom.

     The last two week there has been no overnight camp. This has given me the opportunity to work more closely with people and to develop relationships with both campers and staff. Last week (week9) we had our little tykes day camp (1st-3rd grade). I got to spend a large part of my day with these kids. It was a appreciated change of pace.

     The thing that has always struck me the most about camp, is the uncertainty of working with campers. There is never any way to tell  where these kids are coming from, and where they are going home to. Our job as staff, is to ensure that while they are here we offer to them the message of Christ and do our best to love them they way Christ loves them. This is no easy task. This week we have over 250 day campers (1st-5th grade). It is no coincidence that our last week of camp is also our biggest. There is no overnight camp this week either, and I have been taking advantage of my extra time. I have really enjoyed being able to single out smaller groups of children and spend time with them. I have been helping during field time and life guarding down at the waterfront, so I have been able to see almost all the campers and staff this week.

    My request is that you pray for the rest of the week, our last week here at Sambica. I would also ask that you pray for the nearly 2,000 kids who came to camp this summer. Pray that they are able to take home with them what they learned, never forgetting the week of God's good news they received. Also, please pray for the summer staff. I know first hand how life changing a summer on staff can be. As people are getting ready to packing up and head back home to school, jobs, etc please pray that they too remember what they experienced this summer.

Where we are and where we are going.

Well some summer is quickly coming to a close. Amy and I have greatly enjoyed our time here, and have loved being a part of the ministry at Sambica. The summer has finally drawn to an end. After prayer and consideration, we have decided to stay on at Sambica. This may last all the way through the end of summer next year, but at this point we are uncertain as to how long we will be staying. This will be a great opportunity to develop some relationships we have made over the summer. We are excited to be able to take a little time and enjoy the area around us.

     As seasonal staff we will be working a short set of hours per week in exchange for housing. Amy and I will both need to find extra work in the community in order to support ourselves. We are also still looking for a church home. We have been to many in the area, but have not found one that meets our needs yet.

     Please be praying for us during this time of transition. Amy and I are very much counting on God to help establish ourselves our here. We have seen first hand that there is a great harvest, and we are excited to able to further God's kingdom. More information will be on the way soon.

     Thank you so much for your prayers and continued support. If you wold like to write to us our address will still be at camp (4114 West Lake Sammamish Parkway S.E. Bellevue, WA 98008).

Week 9!?!? Almost Week 10?!?!

  Where has this summer gone? We are almost done with week 9 getting ready for our last week (week 10).

   Which puts us here for about 12 weeks. God has worked in miraculous ways that I'm sure I haven't even heard about this summer. He called just about a 900 children ages 4-18 into his kingdom this summer and we have a week left. Pray that we break the 1000 mark.
 
    God has answered so many prayers including our prayer on where to go from here. And God said don't go, stay. So, we have agreed to stay on at Sambica as seasonal staff helping with different retreats and groups in the off season. We are also looking for other work since season staff are paid in housing and not money. Pray for God to provide other mission fields and work in the next few weeks.

   Thank you for all your prayers. Become a pen pal with us. Mail has been our tangible way to stay connected with family and friends back home and we look forward to it. Also, if you would like to yourself to us, send us an email and we'll try to set something up.

The best is yet to come!

 Its Week 5 here at Sambica and it is our biggest week yet. Our resident camp (the one I supervise) is at max capacity this week. Our Day camp has over 200 kids here this week. It has been great to see camp run to its fullest potential. With this great opportunity there is a lot of excitement with the staff.

     Amy and I are enjoying our summer, but it is getting to that halfway point where things become difficult. After a few weeks of running around all day, people get tired out. We ask for prayers for rest and a servants heart no matter how tired we get.

     The summer continues here at Sambica and we are very glad to be a part of it. We are indeed missing our family and friends back home, but it has been great to be a part of what God is doing in this area. It has been such a change to be a part of ministry in an environment that tries so much to function without God. We appreciate your continued prayers and support. God bless.

Beginings, reunions and returns

    Last week, I left camp early to come back home to Michigan to take part in my best friends wedding. It was so great to be home and see family and friends. I was able to spend a day at Center Lake Bible Camp visiting all our old friends and going back to a place that has meant so much to me. My friends wedding was fantastic. It was a great celebration of a Godly couple. Going home was still difficult. I had just gotten to a point of being comfortable with the new freinds we had made here, and then I was reunited with my old friends back home. This has made the transition back to Sambica and Seattle diffuclt. However, I do feel rejuvinated in spirit talking to so many people who are praying and supporting us in our mission here.

     This week at Sambica is one of our few Jr. high weeks. These weeks are very important as these young adults are starting to determine what kind of lives they will live. Last night we had campfire time with the campers and just opened it up to discussion. Lots of campers talked about how they solved problems in thier lives. It was a great experience not just for campers, but for the staff as well. They were able to see that even though the campers are kids, they still face very serious problems everyday. We hope to encourage and lift these campers up and let them know that God is able to help them with the problems they face. We had the campers look up and stare into the night sky. As the sun was setting into a blazing our sunset and the stars were coming out, they got a look at creation. they were able to see what God made. In this we told them that the creator of all things, created them and watches over them. A God who controls the stars in the skies also controls what happens in thier life. God is able to handle any problem in thier life.

     Please keep praying for young lives to come to Christ this summer. Great things are happening here, but as the summer continues staff become tired. It gets difficult to have the same energy as the first weeks. Pray for rest for our staff, patience, and the ability to keep on loving. Thanks for your continued support.

HIS STRENGTH in our weakness-week 4

   God is moving. Week 4 (third week with campers) was great. Kids met Christ for the first time and had fun. Our goals were accomplished! A great week for Christ also means that the enemy was working harder than ever before. There were kids that went home due to illness and circumstances, some were just plain old naughty and staff were stretched to the limit. But HE was strong in our weakness and worked when we were unable too. Last week's numbers were 70 saved for the first 2 weeks. I'm excited to hear how God worked this last week.
  Please continue to pray for strength, wisdom and patience going into this next week. 
  3 down, 6 to go, 1000+ will hear about Jesus this summer.

What a week! end of week 3

    It was quite the different week this week. We had Pre-K campers for 2 days, classic day camp for 4 days, no rez (resident) camp and got the holiday off. But God is still working as yesterday a camper lead another camper to Christ while swimming. Praise God! This week has also been relaxing for most staff because for the low number of days and campers.
   But pray for us as we go into next week full throttle with day camp and rez and higher numbers.
   Mike is also flying home for a few days to stand up in his best fiend, Kiel's wedding. I'll be here hanging out at the female leadership house. So pray for us as we are apart. Also pray for health for the staff as there is a cold bug going around like wildfire.