So Busy

Lots of things have been happening down here.  First and foremost, I am a new aunt.  Scott's brother and his wife had their first baby, Abi.  She is a miracle from God.  Abi decided to come a few weeks early (six and a half) but was very healthy considering how early she was.  She was able to come home less than 2 weeks after being born.  I am excited to see her again but we are struggling with colds so we are waiting.

There are also lots of things going on at camp.  We are in the process of remodeling 4 of the cabins.  They are looking so much better.  There are real windows and tile in the bathrooms.  There is a floor and not just a concrete floor.  The gym will have a little different look to it along with the kitchen at the pavilion.  Those are just a few of the projects that are going on at camp.  One of volunteers goes through all the "junk" that we have laying around and takes the scrap metal and sells it.  He has made almost $1800 so far this winter.  If the new bunkbeds come in he may be able to take those too.

Scott and I are involved in a Missions Conference this weekend.  We are excited because we know alot of the people at the church and haven't seen some of them in awhile.  Scott is also very busy with his L&L job.  We are very thankful that he was able to keep that job through the new year.  I have been helping out at the kids' school 2 afternoons a week.  I have enjoyed getting to see them interact with the other kids and get to know their classmates and teachers.  Annie's class is going on a fieldtrip in March and I have been asked to go.  I am very excited.

The weather is still warm.  I heard that Greenville had snow and we had 80 degree weather that day.  I love to see the snow but the warm weather sure was nice.

Debi

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas . . .

which in Florida means that the oranges are on the trees and the orange pickers are out in full force.  :) 

Our tree has been up and so far only one ornament has been broken.  That is good for having an almost 3 year old running around the house.  All presents are still in our closet so that none of them can be unwrapped before Christmas morning. 

It is getting busier just because it is Christmas time.  Today is our last After-School Bible Club and we are having a special party.  Myself and one of the winter volunteers spent the last 2 afternoons doing an ornament to go in each of their gift bags.  I need to make cookies in preparation for decorating and so on and so on.  Please continue to pray for these kids.  Most of them come from very rough homes and we hope that many will see that there is hope in this dark world.  We have been raising money specifically for these kids to go to summer camp and we have raised around $600.  That is exciting.

The kids are ready for a break from school.  Dale complained today because he doesn't want to go to school.  His eyes brightened up when I told him the next Monday morning he woke up to would be Christmas morning.  We are planning on having brunch at our house for family and all volunteers who are at the camp.  So far there is one couple here and 2 more are planning to arrive this week. 

Scott called his work after Thanksgiving to see how it looked for it to continue after the end of the year (they promised his work through December).  It didn't look good.  We were a little down about it but knew that Scott could probably find something part-time, just not as convenient as working out of your home and with benefits.  Last Wednesday he received a call from his boss and found out that they are keeping him but upping his quota.  We are okay with that.  That has been a huge answer to prayer and thank you to those who have been praying.

I will try to update more frequently and am trying to get a newsletter out around the first of the year. 

Hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas

What a Thanksgiving

As many of you know, we went back to SC for the whole week of Thanksgiving.  We left Friday afternoon and hit traffic before we even got through Orlando.  It took us 5 hours to get to Jacksonville and one kid throwing up.  We made it almost to Savannah before another vomitting instance.  We put the window down to help the smell until we could stop and the window was stuck.  We drove the rest of the way (4 1/2 hours) with the window half-way down in almost freezing weather (it was 37 degrees when we reached Greenville at 2 a.m.). 

We had a get together with many of our friends on Saturday night and was excited about going to our old church the next day.  Of course, it was very sad being there because that is the one thing that we truly miss.  We know that God had us there and we know that He brought us to FL too.  Sunday night one of the kids started telling us that their tummy hurt.  Another vomit instance.  We spent that whole night taking care of a sick child. 

Two days went by and everyone was good.  Middle of Tuesday night, another vomitting instance.  Spent that whole night and next day taking care of a sick kid.

No other major vomitting problem until coming home on Saturday.  Vomit all over our luggage and in places that I couldn't reach because of how much stuff we had packed into our van.  I couldn't clean up anything until we got home the next day (today, Sunday).

Now I am listening to my husband vomitting.  Haven't had to clean up anything there but I'm not sure what is worse - hearing it or cleaning it.

Tomorrow is a new day!

Why?

I found something that I haven't seen in a long time.  It is a prayer of a guy from our church in SC.  He grew up in a Christian home with a father who has a degree in Bible.  He is the oldest of 3 children.  His friends and family prayed for him because it was obvious he either was very far from the Lord or not saved at all.  The year he graduated from high school his parents convinced his to go to summer camp with our church.  It was a struggle because he didn't want to go but went to get people off his back.  Amazingly, he got saved that week.  He became a leader in the youth group immediately.  This was a prayer written in his journal:

God please give me wisdom.

Please bless Steve and me s we explore Your Word together and begin to lead others.

Give us wisdom far beyond our years.

Help my passion for You to grow stronger every day God.

Please continue to work in my life.

Show me things that I need to change.

Please help me defeat my lustful thoughts.

Teach me to think of girls as my sisters in Christ.

Help me to live as an example to others of how You want us to live.

Mold me into your image, Lord.

Please become my best friend.

Teach me to truly worship anywhere, no matter what.

Give me a passion to worship You.

This prayer was written sometime in October of 2003 when Joseph was a freshman at North Greenville College.  He had just turned 19 years old.

On the night of October 26, 2003 Joseph was in a freak accident by himself and was killed instantly.  Someone found his car flipped over as he was going from school to home.  His homegoing service was the most incredible thing I have been to.  I will always remember.  It is very rarely that you see hundrends of people in tie-dyed shirts remembering someone who is dead.  Our church fit almost 900 people and it was packed.  And the most amazing thing was that we were singing praise and worship songs before the service even began. 

And now you want to know why we were intersted in camp work?  It not only touches the hearts and lives of the people that go but possibly 900 people or so.

Just a thought:  This was not an older person who was married and had kids.  This wasn't an old fuddy-duddy.  This was a cool kid who loved God and wanted everyone to know.  This kid would have been the same age as many of the counselors at camp this summer.  If he would have been at Camp Gilead he would have been on stage with his guitars and playing on a keyboard. 

TEEN RETREAT!!!