Prayer

Slowly I have been learning about prayer... and still I am learning slowly. Really what I mean by that is that I am learning of the need to pray. I'm coming face to face with the reality that I am weak... and what's even cooler... that it's ok to be weak. My desires are bigger than my ability and my strength, but God is bigger than all. If I were to live life with the best of all my efforts, great things might happen... maybe. But even so all my efforts can only go so far. But God has NO limit to what he can do, and in the end only that which comes from him will last. Why waste my effort on trying to force my own way only to produce something that will fade away like the drying up of the dew. So I call out to God asking to see his strength at work in this world and in our lives. All things are possible with him. And it is with this seed planted in my heart that I have started work at Camp Bighorn this year.

In the job that I have been given it is my intention that prayer be a central focus. Afterall, if we are in the business of teaching people about faith in Christ and helping them grow in their relationship with him, what hope do we have to do this if it is not through the power of God at work. And so we ask him to work through us and in the things we do.

My fear going into this has been that prayer seems to be one of those touchy things that you can't force on people because the heart of it is soon lost. So then how do you lead people into prayer in a genuine way without turning people from it? The bottom line is that I haven't felt very prepared to come in a lead in such a task, and it's for that reason that I've been asking God to be at work and to provide. Wouldn't you know he been amazingly faithful in answering that prayer! Honestly it still surprises me every time!

I am working closely with several college interns here at camp who do most of the hands on ministry with the college students. God has somehow created an attitude of prayer, an awareness of dependance on him within the hearts of these interns, that so far is permeating their leadership! I didn't have to life a finger. (The sad part in all this is realizing that part of me really wanted the credit for their praying. I wanted it to be my idea, my leadership that brought it about. But it hasn't been. God has brought it about in other ways. But thank God that he is freeing me from desire for my own glory so that I can more greatly rejoice in God and what he is doing!) So the only thing left for me to do is to encourage what I am seeing in them and to say, "Well done." Because the more we lean on the strength of God, the more we will see things happen that require his strength, and I long to see those things come!

Today we all headed up to Siegel Pass again to prepare for the winter skills that we teach. We are supposed to start teaching the students beginning this Thursday. But on our way up the one truck that was still working broke down, and we are left with none... no way to get up the mountain everyday. And so it seems that God has given us another opportunity to pray and to see him at work... another opportunity to unite as a people who call on his name rather than waving the banner of serving God, yet leaving him out of the picture. I am excited to see what he will do!

It's official...

Now me AND my car are both Montanian! You can probably tell the liscense plates are new by how clean they are in comparison with my snow cat of a vehicle. I took a 40 minute trip today to the government building where all the officialness takes place. It was fun seeing signs along the way that warned of bighorn sheep rather than deer... and the warning proved a good one. I probably saw about 8 of them at different times, either along the road or crossing it. It was also funny getting into town and passing a tiny motel that was advertising (in a very colorful sign) COLOR TV. Technology has arrived! Finally. Just not cell phone reception.

There be snow in Montana!

We have been preparing the way for our college students to come to camp for the winter. We had plans for what we needed to accomplish at the top of the pass, but getting there seemed to be the main task of the day. The last mile of road took us about an hour and a half, not to mention the other eight miles! There was much shoveling, fixing tire chains, packing down snow, clearing drifts in the road, and just a lot of driving back and forth in the waist deep snow until the trucks would finlly go forward. Did I mention that Montana's mountains are pretty beautiful all covered in snow? Well, they are. And after a lot of work up at the top of the pass setting up a large tent we got to enjoy the beauty of the crystal clear stars on the way down, not forgetting the fun of getting pulled in a sled behind the trucks. Enjoy the short video of our trucks forging the way up to Siegel Pass.

God is...

... faithful. Wow! Two months ago I was sitting in the Seattle airport on my way back to Maryland. As I was watching the sunset and waiting for my plane, I spent time in prayer with God. I sensed him saying that no matter what happened over the next two months I needed to know that he was faithful. Virtually every morning I was home I started the day in prayer as I walked around my community, reminding myself of God's promise to be faithful and asking for the courage to take the necessary steps of faith everyday. Now I sit back in my office at camp, my time of fundraising at home is done, and God has remained true to his word. I have returned to camp having reached the full $2000/month minimum requirement for raising my salary!

But being home was much more than raising money. It was spending time with so many friends and family members. It was getting to share with people about my life and work and how God has been leading me. It was getting to build new friendships. It was fun. It was challenging. It was encouraging, and a time to learn to walk more closely in dependence on the Lord.

Thank you so much to everyone I got to enjoy spending time with. I was overwhelmed by a strong community of faith who both supports me and believes in me. What an a amazing gift to receive!