Got some ideas or leads?

Hello everyone!  Sorry for the delay but it's been a hectic week at school.  I am finally starting to get caught up with stuff, so I wanted to let you know what is going on. 

CEF- pray for the kids to come; there are less kids than last year. This is okay, but it would be nice to have a few more kiddos.  Today five kids were there, and that includes Kadin.  But a small group lets them get to know the kids better, so that is okay too.   Concerning the possibility of a club at Baca, pray for hearts to change.  As it stands right now, we don't have an opening to get the club at the school.  We (pastor Jacob and Erin)  have decided that suing is not the route to go at this point, but that means we must keep this need before our Lord in prayer.  Erin was able to talk with a parent today during the club, and that was a cool development.  Progress is being made, but continue to keep the kids and ladies in your prayers.  Consistent workers and ones willing to take more of a leadership role are specific requests. Also don't forget Mrs. Soltero- she will be undergoing treatment in California soon.

Camp- ah, where to start?  We need a name for our nonprofit organization.  Any suggestions?  One we are considering is "Mesa Ministries. " Another is "As you, so I. " from John 17:18.  We will need an actual name soon, so I would appreciate any ideas!  The name would be for the overall ministry, and later we could come up with a cool name for the camp.

Next, coaches.  I want to start contacting prospective staffing, and I know some of you have coaching contacts.  Let me know about them, or pass on info about this idea and they can contact me.  Bottom line: I need Christian coaches that model Christ and love to have fun!  I want a ratio of four (possibly five) campers to one coach, so if we plan on fifty kids for the first year I will need about twelve coaches working the camp. 

Location- initially we planned to have the camp in Thoreau.  I believe we still should.  (I sent an email to my former principal today to make sure we could still have the camp at the Thoreau High gym.) But I want us to be praying about the option of moving it to Crownpoint.  I have not talked to the principal at the high school in Crownpoint yet, but there is a need for outreach in Crownpoint as well.  I want to make sure we pick the location based on God's leading and not necessarily previous plans.

Other thoughts- pray for the board of ABC as they decide about taking us on.  Pray too for the folks at T Bar M as they continue to assess their role as well.  Pray for me to stay focused on doing camp work each week.  In the busyness of life it is easy to put things off till "tomorrow".  Specifically, I want to have some letters ready to send out to some potential supporters or advisors, but I need to get them polished and ready to go.  (more info to follow at a later date) Finally, pray for my continued protection as I drive to work.  A county sheriff hit an elk the other morning as I drove in; he was fine, but it was a reminder of the grace of God.  I pray for travel safety daily, and would appreciate your prayers.  (by the way, the elk would have been a good trophy- it was a nice 8 point buck...)  God is so great to allow us the privilege of serving Him.  Thanks for your advice, thoughts, and prayers!

Childlike Awareness

Tonight we were praying when Kadin asked God to help the youth to remember to read their Bibles. Every Sunday we meet with the youth and ask the if they have read and spent time with God.  Most don't read at all.  But tonight, Kadin remembered what we hope the youth remember- the need for them to spend time with God.  It's amazing the simple reliance kids have on God.  It's too bad we tend to loose that as we get older! 

In other news, I wanted to share something God showed me a little over a week ago.  I meant to post it last time but remembered only after I finished my last post.  I was reading through 2 Corinthians, and right there in chapter 1, verses 8-11 it hit me.  I don't think it's a secret that our transition to my new job has been difficult.  I am not saying I was as bad off as Paul, but we have been been under a lot of pressure.  This passage encouraged me at just the right time.  I love how it mentions the reason for the suffering (v. 9) and the role of the prayers of others.  It reminded me of everyone that is praying for us.  Thank you!

Keep praying for CEF and camp.  Specifically prayer for Mrs. Soltero, as she is undergoing treatment for her cancer.  She has been advised by the doctor to not go back to work, and I know that must be difficult.  CEF meets again this Thursday, and the ladies have a training near Albuquerque in a few weeks.  Continue to pray for the kids to be reached through the program.  In camp news, we are awaiting feedback from Drew on some documents I have been working on, and the ABC elders are supposed to meet this week and further discuss taking us on as a ministry.  I will be contacting a few prospective board members this week, so pray that God guides those conversations and decisions as well. 

Lastly, pray for us and our home.  It has been almost 7 months, and only two people have looked at the house through the realtor.  We have had several more just drop by, but it seems like God is wanting us to simply be still and wait upon Him.  The realty contract is up at the end of November, and we are praying about what should be done next. 

I hope I don't come across as being negative.  We are honored to be used however God sees fit.  We want to be sure we are following him, and not trying to fit God into our plans.  God is calling us to trust him even more, and we will do all that he asks.  God bless, and have YOU spent time with God?  ;-)

CEF and camp update

Cef went well last Thursday.  Seven kids showed up, which is not bad considering it was the first meeting.  Erin has some new help from the Baptist church, and it looks like a few more ladies will start helping in the next few weeks.  The Baca club is still on hold for now, so no new news on that front.  We continue to pray for an opening next semester. 

Jim from ABC called today, and we were able to talk about the nonprofit status.  The elders meet in a week or so, and the plan is to get the necessary paperwork done before then so the church can make a final decision.  I have some organizational papers I continue to work on, and will send copies of all the needed papers by the end of the week.  So it appears that we will be under the umbrella of ABC ministries in a few weeks.  I don't want to be presumptuous, since the elders have not had the final meeting, but everything looks good so far.  This is an answer to prayer and it is exciting!  One of the things we need to submit is a name for our organization.  Any suggestions?  One idea submitted was Mesa Ministries, and Erin and I have thrown around some ideas, but we have yet to make a decision.

I also talked to Drew this past week and we are working on getting more of the camp planning in place.  Hopefully we can set up a phone conversation for later this week. 

I also met briefly with my friend about being on the board.  He's quite busy, but I left him an outline of the camp idea and we will meet again soon. 

So despite my lagging, the camp idea moves forward!  It is exciting to see how God is putting this all together!  We serve a mighty God, and with His help, all things are possible!  Thanks for your support and feel free to email us any comments or questions.  (Of course you can leave comments here on the blog as well!)

Latest news

Here's the news from our neck of the woods...
CEF- The club at the elementary school in Thoreau has its first meeting this Thursday.  Pray for the kiddos to come and that they will be attentive as the Gospel is shared.  The club at the Indian school, Baca, is currently on hold.  There are some issues that still need to be resolved with the school board, so we are praying for a start by January. 

While we are disappointed about the Baca club, we can see that God knows best.  If both were to start now, we don't have the staffing to do them effectively.  This leads to an urgent prayer request for one of the key ladies in the CEF group- Mrs. Soltero.  She is the teacher at Thoreau Elementary that offered her classroom for the club.  She has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatment.  Pray for her, her husband and the doctors as they go through this difficult time.  Mrs. Soltero has been a key worker and supporter of the club, and her presence is missed.

CAMP- I meet with a friend this week to discuss the camp and his role as a possible board member.  We used to pray together when I taught at Wingate.  The meeting will be on Wednesday.  Pray for God's leading as we discuss the camp and his role.  I am also trying to set up a meeting with a friend in Albuquerque as well. 

In other news, it looks like we will fall under the 501c3 status of Angelo Bible Church.  We are in the process of setting up under them.  This will allow us to focus on camp stuff at this time instead of trying to start our own nonprofit organization.  The plans will be to go independent at a later date- a year or so after the first camp.  I am contacting Jim, the pastor of ABC, this week to see how the last elder meeting went concerning their willingness to take us on as a ministry.  In the meantime I am putting together some documents that the folks at ABC need concerning the camp and our desires.  Pray for us as we continue to get this camp idea off the ground.  I need prayer in figuring out the best way to continue with my new job and the desire to focus on just camp stuff (sometimes I feel overwhelmed with both tasks and I just want to avoid working on things altogether).  Erin and I are still getting used to my new job and the time it takes away from family.  It's been a difficult time as we wonder what God has planned!  But we know His way is best, so we just need to be faithful. 

The House- We did have a couple stop by today and ask about the house.  They didn't want to come in, but they said they would give the realtor a call.  This was the first interest we have had in the house in over three months, so it's an answer to prayer.  We will keep you posted if it turns into something promising...
That's it for now!  Thanks so much for your prayers.  We would be unable to do this without your help.