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.
 

I raise my Ebenezer stone

As part of our worship this week, Shakespear (our worship leader) has been choosing Come Thou Fount. And one verse starts as "Here I raise my Ebenezer" so that is what I am doing. God has brought us through so much in the last 3 years. He has brought us through unemployment, homelessness, and so much more. But He has provided money and housing at every turn.  And now He has brought us to Washington, to work in ministry at Sambica. 

We're not sure what God has for us after this summer but we know that we will be in His hands no matter what happens. How has God provided for you? Do you trust Him with everything that you have? 

PS: We would love to hear from you. Our address is 4114 W. Lake Sammamish Prkwy SE Bellevue, WA 98008.

Week 3

It is now our third week at Sambica. Campers come next week and the staff is very excited for that I (Mike) have been able to play a large part in staff training. The staff have all been very eager. There has been a lot of bonding over the last week, and all the staff are greatly looking forward to kids coming next week!

 Over the last few weeks we have been able to understand more of our surroundings. We have talked to local people and return staff, and have been able to get a clearer picture of the purpose of this ministry. The majority of kids coming to camp this summer not only have not gone to church before, but many have not experienced a Christian environment at all. It is going to very important for all our staff to demonstrate Christ at all times.

Amy and I are beginning to settle into our roles. I have already had some great converstation with staff about how to help campers who need extra attention, and Amy is developing relationships with the girls she is going to working with. We have enjoyed getting to know some of the other married staff at camp.

We pray for continued support both fincial and prayer, not just for us but for all the staff at Sambica this summer. Soon we will post some pictures of camp and maybe even a video  tour!

Week 2

Week 2 at Sambica is feeling more like home. It's still not Center Lake Bible Camp but it is Sambica and it has been a blessing. We have had a chance to get to know more people, get more comfortable in our roles here, and be blessed being in a Christian setting again. 

Another couple (Rob and Carrie) and thier 2 kids have been a blessing most of all. They are allowing us to use an extra bed that they had which is a million times better than the one that was in the cabin when we got here. I (Amy) also got a chance to talk to Carrie and get to know her and her family and she has the quiet and gentle spirit that I have been trying to learn about. So I informed her that I would coming to her this summer for advice and leadership and she readily agreed. Praise God for answering the prayers of those back home and provided a couple who we can turn to. Thanks again for your support!