Blessings,
Sunshine! 7am and I see sunshine! Thank you Jesus! Hopefully it will stick around. I’m not really sure where to begin because God has been blessing me all over lately.
All of the moms, dads, friends, and family at home; I can tell you our teenagers make me so proud. Since we have been doing the Ahousaht VBS, I have watched our youth group turn into mini-Jesuses.
Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
I have never seen such a loving group. They have been cried on, peed on, snotted on, and have given countless piggyback rides. You can see a sparkle in each child’s eye like they were just given a free trip to Disneyland with their favorite Disney character. But in actuality, they were just given a day with Jesus and our teens!
On a different note, Bev and Tommy Ann have been sustaining us with endless amounts of food. I really don’t know what we would do without them! In fact, I smell pancakes right now! J
The young men make me proud. Emerson, Bunker, and Josh are amazing. They love our girls in all the right ways. They play with the young children with such a soft heart. You can tell the kids don’t really get too much soft and strong love from a young man. I see the boys growing more and more men that will lovingly lead others and their families as a Godly example one day! They make me so proud!
And my ladies…Oh my beautiful ladies. God has allowed me to live a hard life with lots of mistakes, hurt, and brokenness. And by His grace, He is healing me. I now can say, I see His purpose for me, at least for now. Our young women struggle with a lot of questions, longings, and hurt. But with tears starting to well up in my eyes, I can say they are fearless and strong. They push harder than I have and they are determined to fully become and/or embrace the lovely, beautiful, and priceless women they truly are. They make my heart happy and I’m sure Jesus is smiling down on them.
I’ve never seen such a group become this close and be this determined to be like Christ.
It is such a blessing to see all this. Thank you all so much for sending me!
Hi Mom! I love you!
- Liz
Friday, July 10, 2009
From Jesse Duckett
Hello friends and family back home. Things out here (up here) are going very well. It’s hard to try and come up with the right words to describe the shared and individual experiences that have happened up to this point.
I’ll start by saying that I am having a blast. Watching these students dive head first into serving others, above themselves, has been simply amazing to see. There are quite a few students who have taken on roles way past their age. Abby Evans, for example with her story telling abilities (those who have not experienced this are truly missing something amazing). There is Alycia Gentry, who is the lead voice of the whole VBS program. She has to think on her toes a lot and she does it well. Then there’s Michael Bunker who has stepped way out of his comfort zone to dance for the children so that they could learn the motions to the songs. There is Sami Paul and Katie Norton who have shared the role of the outgoing, fun loving character who pops in and out of the day and shares what she’s learning all the way to accepting Christ. The energy they bring is … um…well, it’s energetic!! It’s really fun to see. Of course, I have to mention Sara Paul who I saw disregard the “wordly” view of beauty and show some serious Jesus love to some of the kids who would otherwise be outcasts because of their odors, skin diseases, or other conditions that make them “not attractive”. Now, she wasn’t the only one to display this love to the children, they all got the opportunity to love the “unlovely”, just like Jesus did, and still does :)
There are also plenty of great stories that are still developing or will be retreat classics. Like; Bunker’s sleep talking and midnight walks, the EXTREMELY cramped female living quarters, whale watching (OH MY GOODNESS!! How amazing!), the countless heart to hearts that have gone on since day one, the cross culture get togethers with the youth group in Tofino, the motorcycle crash, Canada Day, impromptu worship songs around the piano, and so much more.
Those of you who have children on this trip REALLY need to be proud of them. They have begun to take the steps to learn that this life isn’t about serving themselves, but that life is impossible and worthless without Christ. It’s only when we’re dead tired and sore, with days of ministry and LOTS of kids to love, that we realize that true strength and the power to love others comes directly from Christ Himself. Relying on Tim, the leaders, their friends, or even themselves for the ability to press on for Christ will all be in vein. Your children have grown so much.
I am so proud and blessed to be a part of this team.
Thank you for your continued prayers. I am excited to see how Christ will continue to use your kids through the experiences over the past few weeks. Please continue to pray that the experiences found here in Tofino would not be forgotten or drowned out by the reality that awaits their return.
See you soon,
Jesse
I’ll start by saying that I am having a blast. Watching these students dive head first into serving others, above themselves, has been simply amazing to see. There are quite a few students who have taken on roles way past their age. Abby Evans, for example with her story telling abilities (those who have not experienced this are truly missing something amazing). There is Alycia Gentry, who is the lead voice of the whole VBS program. She has to think on her toes a lot and she does it well. Then there’s Michael Bunker who has stepped way out of his comfort zone to dance for the children so that they could learn the motions to the songs. There is Sami Paul and Katie Norton who have shared the role of the outgoing, fun loving character who pops in and out of the day and shares what she’s learning all the way to accepting Christ. The energy they bring is … um…well, it’s energetic!! It’s really fun to see. Of course, I have to mention Sara Paul who I saw disregard the “wordly” view of beauty and show some serious Jesus love to some of the kids who would otherwise be outcasts because of their odors, skin diseases, or other conditions that make them “not attractive”. Now, she wasn’t the only one to display this love to the children, they all got the opportunity to love the “unlovely”, just like Jesus did, and still does :)
There are also plenty of great stories that are still developing or will be retreat classics. Like; Bunker’s sleep talking and midnight walks, the EXTREMELY cramped female living quarters, whale watching (OH MY GOODNESS!! How amazing!), the countless heart to hearts that have gone on since day one, the cross culture get togethers with the youth group in Tofino, the motorcycle crash, Canada Day, impromptu worship songs around the piano, and so much more.
Those of you who have children on this trip REALLY need to be proud of them. They have begun to take the steps to learn that this life isn’t about serving themselves, but that life is impossible and worthless without Christ. It’s only when we’re dead tired and sore, with days of ministry and LOTS of kids to love, that we realize that true strength and the power to love others comes directly from Christ Himself. Relying on Tim, the leaders, their friends, or even themselves for the ability to press on for Christ will all be in vein. Your children have grown so much.
I am so proud and blessed to be a part of this team.
Thank you for your continued prayers. I am excited to see how Christ will continue to use your kids through the experiences over the past few weeks. Please continue to pray that the experiences found here in Tofino would not be forgotten or drowned out by the reality that awaits their return.
See you soon,
Jesse
From the beach house of Jordyn Wintersole
-Jordyn-
Wow…today has been a crazy day!!! Today we had our first day of VBS at Ahousaht and it was awesome!!! There were almost 40 kids there!!! (Compared to the inconsistent 17 we had in Tofino) but the kids were so adorable!!! There is no way I am capable of expressing how cute the kids were. They were so energetic and brought us the much needed energy. I know that all of us were really tired and we definitely showed that this morning, but we prayed that God would help us have the energy to push forward and give 100% today bcuz the kids of ahousaht needed us to be at our fullest potential. “They definitely don’t deserve our leftovers.” – Tim)… today was an over all good day…the devotion that we did today was about a martyr that we were first introduced to yesterday…it talked about suffering and how we need to endure it with joy bcuz to suffer for Christ is what we should live for…in the devotions there was also a section with the Creed of a Believer (or something like that) and it was written by an young African martyr … the basis of the creed was that we should be thankful for suffering for Christ…it made me really think about my life and the things that I am suffering in the name of Christ? hmmm…its interesting to think about how LITTLE I am suffering compared to the martyrs of the world … tiredness vs. being burned at the stake, soreness vs. torture, rain vs. whipped, not getting the extra dessert after dinner vs. being sawed in half … wow how little sufferings have I gone through compared to other Christians … I couldn’t believe how much of a complainer I am and to think I’m not even suffering…another thing that happened today was that Dutch Holt came up with a new name for me, ‘Agent of Destruction” … its not a good name to live out…so the story behind that one is after VBS we came back to the house to help Jerry do some landscaping around his house and it required shoveling rocks and putting them into wheel barrows and taking them to a certain location around the house… so I decided to shovel the rocks into the wheel barrows, but I got a square shovel and I was SO slow so Dutch took my spot and filled the wheel barrow…so I decided to try to take the wheel barrow to the destination which was about 20 ft away…I got about 3 feet and I tipped the wheel barrow over and it spilled out… =/ embarrassing!!! wow then I went back to shoveling…Jesse came up to me later and said hey Jordyn try to wheel this barrow bcuz its not filled so heavy this time…so I said ok…he talked me thru all the steps and I was doing great…meanwhile, Alan was dumping his rocks in the pile but I accidentally parked my wheel barrow behind him and he accidentally backed up, sat down in my wheel barrow, and the wheel barrow tipped over…I was so HUMILIATED!!! Oh my goodness…I felt so helpless and that I was causing more trouble than making things better…wow to be completely honest, I cried. I’m not exactly sure why but I felt like I was making everything worse; all my good intentions were worth nothing … but anyhow that’s a little bit of what I’ve been thru this trip…I’ve learned so much about myself on this trip…I cant wait to see what God has in store for me the last few days here in Canada. please keep praying for me and the team =) love ya’ll back at home =)))))))) xoxo jo jo
Wow…today has been a crazy day!!! Today we had our first day of VBS at Ahousaht and it was awesome!!! There were almost 40 kids there!!! (Compared to the inconsistent 17 we had in Tofino) but the kids were so adorable!!! There is no way I am capable of expressing how cute the kids were. They were so energetic and brought us the much needed energy. I know that all of us were really tired and we definitely showed that this morning, but we prayed that God would help us have the energy to push forward and give 100% today bcuz the kids of ahousaht needed us to be at our fullest potential. “They definitely don’t deserve our leftovers.” – Tim)… today was an over all good day…the devotion that we did today was about a martyr that we were first introduced to yesterday…it talked about suffering and how we need to endure it with joy bcuz to suffer for Christ is what we should live for…in the devotions there was also a section with the Creed of a Believer (or something like that) and it was written by an young African martyr … the basis of the creed was that we should be thankful for suffering for Christ…it made me really think about my life and the things that I am suffering in the name of Christ? hmmm…its interesting to think about how LITTLE I am suffering compared to the martyrs of the world … tiredness vs. being burned at the stake, soreness vs. torture, rain vs. whipped, not getting the extra dessert after dinner vs. being sawed in half … wow how little sufferings have I gone through compared to other Christians … I couldn’t believe how much of a complainer I am and to think I’m not even suffering…another thing that happened today was that Dutch Holt came up with a new name for me, ‘Agent of Destruction” … its not a good name to live out…so the story behind that one is after VBS we came back to the house to help Jerry do some landscaping around his house and it required shoveling rocks and putting them into wheel barrows and taking them to a certain location around the house… so I decided to shovel the rocks into the wheel barrows, but I got a square shovel and I was SO slow so Dutch took my spot and filled the wheel barrow…so I decided to try to take the wheel barrow to the destination which was about 20 ft away…I got about 3 feet and I tipped the wheel barrow over and it spilled out… =/ embarrassing!!! wow then I went back to shoveling…Jesse came up to me later and said hey Jordyn try to wheel this barrow bcuz its not filled so heavy this time…so I said ok…he talked me thru all the steps and I was doing great…meanwhile, Alan was dumping his rocks in the pile but I accidentally parked my wheel barrow behind him and he accidentally backed up, sat down in my wheel barrow, and the wheel barrow tipped over…I was so HUMILIATED!!! Oh my goodness…I felt so helpless and that I was causing more trouble than making things better…wow to be completely honest, I cried. I’m not exactly sure why but I felt like I was making everything worse; all my good intentions were worth nothing … but anyhow that’s a little bit of what I’ve been thru this trip…I’ve learned so much about myself on this trip…I cant wait to see what God has in store for me the last few days here in Canada. please keep praying for me and the team =) love ya’ll back at home =)))))))) xoxo jo jo
We Return Saturday, July 11 at 9:30ish
There seems to be some confusion over our return date and time; so, please let me clarify...we will catch the 3:15 ferry out of Duke Point and arrive in Twassesen Ferry terminal at 5:15 with a border stop and a quick dinner stop we should arrive at the church around 9:30pm. See you there! It has been an amazing experience!!!
In His grip,
Pastor Tim
In His grip,
Pastor Tim
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
From the log cabin of Abby Evans
From Abby again…
So pretty much this was our fist day in Ahousaht and it was pretty much amazing! The kids were beautiful and very accepting. The tribe was definitely not what I expected and what other people were telling me it would be like. Of course it’s a bit deprived but absolutely gorgeous. Being on the reservations was truly a different and excited life experience. The people there are very nice and compassionate. I was definitely taken by surprise! VBS/Day Camp went wayyyy better than I thought it would be. Many of us were very tired from the previous week yet I believe we gave it a hundred and ten percent… all energy and enthusiasm from God. So the Bible Bayou today was very interesting! The story was about Moses and the burning bush. SOOO for the story we are supposed to have a CD track play the voice of God and half way through it just stopped for no reason so improvisation because vital!! YIKES, it turned out great. Despite all the construction and distractions around, the kids were really attentive and excited for the story and all the other activities. I was encouraged to see God work through all the kinks. I miss you all very very much and hope to tell you more stories later on.Peace y’all ~Abby~
So pretty much this was our fist day in Ahousaht and it was pretty much amazing! The kids were beautiful and very accepting. The tribe was definitely not what I expected and what other people were telling me it would be like. Of course it’s a bit deprived but absolutely gorgeous. Being on the reservations was truly a different and excited life experience. The people there are very nice and compassionate. I was definitely taken by surprise! VBS/Day Camp went wayyyy better than I thought it would be. Many of us were very tired from the previous week yet I believe we gave it a hundred and ten percent… all energy and enthusiasm from God. So the Bible Bayou today was very interesting! The story was about Moses and the burning bush. SOOO for the story we are supposed to have a CD track play the voice of God and half way through it just stopped for no reason so improvisation because vital!! YIKES, it turned out great. Despite all the construction and distractions around, the kids were really attentive and excited for the story and all the other activities. I was encouraged to see God work through all the kinks. I miss you all very very much and hope to tell you more stories later on.Peace y’all ~Abby~
From the ranch of Lauren Fulton
Hey! Today has been go non stop. Woke up this morning and boarding the Ahousaht Pride, a water taxi to take us on the 30-45 min trip to Flores Island where the Ahousaht tribe lives. Tim describes it as a wet Mexico. Having never been to Mexico I can’t contribute to that but it is wet and dirty. Stray dogs are everywhere and some members of the group have a hard time ignoring the dogs like we were told to do. The cutest one was a little boy dog a girl showed us named Lucy (the dog, not the girl). The kids are so energetic, and love to have piggy back rides. Our VBS is in a gym where construction is going on in. So our singers have to compete with the banging of nails. But its ok, the workers are very open and kind. There’s another group here from Ontario doing a VBS in the evening. We got to meet them today and they’re really nice. I’ve really enjoyed bonding with the youth group here in Tofino. We are doing a Bible study with them tomorrow night, I’m excited. They have made me realize that though we are pretty close on the map, Tofino and Federal Way have different cultures. But hey, it’s good to meet other brothers and sisters in Christ and be mutually encouraged. It’s pretty tight in the house. 22 girls in the house and 2 bathrooms, the odds are not in our favor. However we have overcome and made a shower rotation so we have figured it out. I’m in the loft with Alycia, Amanda, Tiffany and in the other room Katie, Elaine and Rachel. Being in close quarters has tested me but it’s good. I’m depending more and more on the Lord’s strength. I’m excited to see what the Lord is going to do through us tomorrow and for the rest of the trip. I’m excited to prove wrong the guy on the water taxi with us today that commented to one of the leaders, “Working with teens must be like herding cats!” Like in Mississippi, I want to prove them wrong. And I’m excited to see what more God has in store for us! Love you mom, dad, Ben and the various pets! Keep praying for me and the team! –Lauren
Monday, July 6, 2009
From Abby Evans :]
Hey there down in Washington state....
The trip so far has been pretty moving and realyl amazing. The kids are sooo awesome here. we had about three kids who acdepted Christ in our first VBS! Doing the story time for VBS here has been inspirational. i wanna give alotta love to my family. i really miss you all but i love it up here.. i might move to Canada one day :P anyways... David, i really hope that you had a fabulous experience in the Rowing Club, you will have to tell me all about it when i get back. i have been praying for your trip... oh, btw Happy BIRTHDAY!!!!! all the rest of you kids, i thought of you all as you went to eastern washington ofr the fourth, i hope it was a blast. Mom and Dad, i love you lots and im experiencing a lot here. it has been a very maturing trip and has made me even more excited for the future to come.
So as you may have heard, Canada Day was a blast. the skate comp. was really cool to watch, i took some pictures so that you can see it sometime. hmmm, what else to say... well being in this culture has made me like this place more and more. it is a very artsy culture. i love the beaches too. it has been quite the adventure being in a small house with very very many girls. emotions run high but it also forces us to grow closer together at the same time.
well we are sitting in a coffee shoppe called tuff beans. its really expensive but nice. we did laundry today and roamed down 'town' Tofino. now its about time to go... its a very peaceful place and im glad to have God work in my life.
see y'all soon
<3 Abby
The trip so far has been pretty moving and realyl amazing. The kids are sooo awesome here. we had about three kids who acdepted Christ in our first VBS! Doing the story time for VBS here has been inspirational. i wanna give alotta love to my family. i really miss you all but i love it up here.. i might move to Canada one day :P anyways... David, i really hope that you had a fabulous experience in the Rowing Club, you will have to tell me all about it when i get back. i have been praying for your trip... oh, btw Happy BIRTHDAY!!!!! all the rest of you kids, i thought of you all as you went to eastern washington ofr the fourth, i hope it was a blast. Mom and Dad, i love you lots and im experiencing a lot here. it has been a very maturing trip and has made me even more excited for the future to come.
So as you may have heard, Canada Day was a blast. the skate comp. was really cool to watch, i took some pictures so that you can see it sometime. hmmm, what else to say... well being in this culture has made me like this place more and more. it is a very artsy culture. i love the beaches too. it has been quite the adventure being in a small house with very very many girls. emotions run high but it also forces us to grow closer together at the same time.
well we are sitting in a coffee shoppe called tuff beans. its really expensive but nice. we did laundry today and roamed down 'town' Tofino. now its about time to go... its a very peaceful place and im glad to have God work in my life.
see y'all soon
<3 Abby
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
