money pit=vehicles



Vehicles are money pits. This probably doesn't come as news to most of you out there in the blogging world. Chances are, if you own a vehicle of any kind, you've had to dish out hefty sums of money at one time or another to fix what was broken or leaking.

Well, this month has been our money pit month. Both the mini-van and the Jeep needed extensive maintenance/repairs done. Thankfully, this is also the month we are receiving our tax return, so guess where that money is going in our budget?! Shaun has done as much of the work as he can, and the rest we are trusting to an experiences mechanic.

Today is the day we are getting our muffler replaced on the van. When we were given the van we knew it would need a new muffler so this isn't a surprise expense. We're looking forward to driving around in a vehicle that doesn't sound like a race car!

I have already begun to pray that God will enable both vehicles to last a long time without needing any more repairs. I know that this is one way that He provides for us each day and we know that we've been blessed by vehicles in the past that have run well for many miles.

Eagle Lake Update



Things around here have been picking up over the past month and a half! Here is an update on all things Eagle Lake:

Staff Housing project:
-We need your prayers as it is going to take a miracle in order for the staff housing project to be complete by the time we all need to move up to camp in May. If the building is not complete, all of the camp wives/kids will be required to stay down in Colorado Springs indefinitely until it is completed because we just don't have the housing available for all of the families. If the wives are forced to stay down that could make for some very unhappy men, so please pray with us!

Summer staff hiring:
-This year, Shaun needs to hire 7 new summer staff. All but 2 of those positions have been filled and it's only the 2nd week of February so it's going very smoothly! The other programs (Rez, Crew, Horse, and Day Camp) are all still needing to fill many more spots, but the applications are coming in very steadily. It's exciting to see all of the pictures go up on our "Summer 2011" board. We look forward to meeting all of these great people in a few months!
-Larae had the privilege of interviewing and hiring all 3 of the medical staff for the summer. She is excited about who God has brought to serve in that capacity this summer.

Camper registrations and all things office:
-Larae is keeping very busy now that camper registrations are coming in. We are praying for 2400 total campers this summer and so far we have about 600 signed up! She enjoys the office work and is able to help parents everyday try to manage their online accounts and answer any questions they may have.
-Shaun is in the midst of working out some details for our forest service permits. It seems like there is more red tape each year that we have to cut through but he is diligently doing all that is possible in the pursuit of a 10 year permit for the Excursions programs.
-Development of a new Excursions Bible Study is also something Shaun has been working on. We hope to provide a means for kids of all ages to experience God in creation by drawing from the Word while at the same time sharing the gospel with them and helping them learn how to grow in their faith.

We are eagerly anticipating May 20th, when all of our staff arrive and the real fun begins!

Encouragement from our LORD



Life is full of stress and challenges. They come in many forms but if you are reading this, I'm guessing that there is something in your life that is difficult from a human perspective. Over the past year there have been certain scripture passages that have been encouragement to my soul. The Bible is the best place to turn when you are feeling down and I just want to leave you with a few of my favorite passages. Take comfort in God's promises! If you have any favorite verses of comfort, please leave them in the comment section.

Psalm 4:7-8  You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Habakkuk 3:17-19  Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

Hebrews 5: 8  Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered.

Matthew 11: 28-30  Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Waiting on God's Timing

Last night we completed the 6th of 8 classes we are required to take before we can be licensed as foster parents. All in all, the classes have been very informative and enjoyable. We've met some new people and have been exposed to a whole new world of information and ideas that were foreign to us 3 months ago.

Thursday we begin the home study process. Shaun and I will each have individual interviews and then soon after that we will have an interview together. Then, they'll come into our home to make sure everything is up to foster care standards. We don't really know what to expect over the next couple of weeks, but we have been told that the questions can seem very invasive. We know that it's all for a purpose because they are trying to gain understanding into who we are and what children would be the best fit for us.

Last night we were told that just yesterday they had a 2 week old baby girl that they couldn't find a placement for! That is how difficult it has been lately to place kids. Good foster parents are needed. I found myself wishing we were licensed right now so we could have taken that baby girl. My heart yearns to care of a little baby and I had to remind myself to be patient and wait on God's timing. We won't be able to take a placement until July, and that seems like a long time from now. I often think to myself, "What if we miss out on the child that is perfect for us." However, I know that God has laid out our circumstances as they are, and when the time is right, He will bring the children to us that are meant to be in our home.

Part of me is very afraid of what lies ahead. Foster care has the potential of breaking my heart over and over again and I wonder if I'll be able to stand it. I don't know if I'll be able to welcome a child into our home, fall in love and form a strong attachment, only to watch the child go back to his or her biological family in the end. As much as it is sometimes tempting to say, "I can't do this", God has led us to foster care and I need to place my trust in His plan for our lives. He'll equip us for whatever lies ahead and all we can do is take one day at a time.

Worry and Rest

One year ago I was filled with hopes of having a baby. What seems so easy for most has been very difficult for us. It's been a year of whirlwind emotions, crushed dreams, many tears, and lots of prayer. Now we can even technically say that we have infertility since the definition of infertility is trying to conceive for 12 months with no pregnancy achievement.

Through it all, I know God has been molding us and making us into who He ultimately wants us to become. I have struggled to keep my hope alive and to find my true peace and rest in Him alone. Just this morning I was reading an article entitled, "Thinking Biblically About Worry". It proved to be a very timely article for my heart. I want to share a few nuggets of wisdom from this article that I plan on meditating on and praying over through the course of the next days. I think God is speaking very clearly to me right now and challenging me in some of my worries and constant struggles.

"Worry and rest always reveals the true treasures of your heart. You will rest the most when what you treasure the most is secure, and you will worry the most when what you treasure the most is at risk. What does your world of worry reveal about the true treasures of your heart?
Wow, that statement blew me away! For me, the answer is this....my world of worry for the past 12 months has been focused on whether God is going to bless us with children. My heart's treasure has rested on my great desire for children, rather than on His kingdom alone.

"Your life is always shaped by what you tell yourself you need. If need means "essential for life" to call something a need is a significant heart commitment. If you are convinced that something is a need, then it seems right to expect that you will have it and it seems natural to worry that you may not get it. Perhaps one of the sloppiest words used by human beings is the word need. The vast majority of the things we call needs are not needs. And Jesus would argue that the things that are true needs our heavenly Father will graciously provide."
Again, a dagger to my heart (a much needed dagger!). I realized as I read these words that I have convinced myself that my "need" for children is so great that I can never feel fulfilled and happy without it. However, I have misplaced my treasures. My greatest treasure has not been for my heavenly Father, but rather for a certain set of circumstances that I think I need to be happy.

"I am deeply persuaded that real, lasting personal rest of heart is never to be found in ease of circumstances. Even in the best of situations in this fallen world your heart will be able to find reasons for worry. Inner rest of soul and lasting peace of heart are only ever found when Jesus and His kingdom are your highest and deepest treasures. When you place your identity in His never-changing hands, when you find your meaning and purpose in the unstoppable work of His kingdom, and when you place your inner sense of well-being on the sure foundation of His promise to meet your every need, you will be able to rest even when the situations and relationships around you are broken."
I feel so far from this, but it is my deepest prayer and longing. I don't want to live in the place I've been for a year. I desire to find inner rest of soul and lasting peace of heart. May God mold me now into a woman who can rest in His hands.

For me, the struggle has been infertility, but I know that worry pervades all of our lives at one time or another because we are sinners in need of God's mercy and grace. I hope these words have been a comfort and encouragement to you, wherever you are in life's journey.


Excerpts taken from an article in "Tabletalk" magazine, January 2010 issue, written by Dr. Paul David Tripp

Filled With Appreciation

Since the primary purpose of this blog is to keep our friends and donors updated about our ministry with Eagle Lake, we wanted to use this post to express our appreciation for continued support in various ways.

In Mid-November we sent out a year-end letter asking people to pray about giving (maybe for the first time, and maybe just an extra gift) before the end of December to launch us into another year of ministry. God blessed that effort immensely and our hearts are filled with gratitude to all of you who responded to that letter and sacrificially gave of your resources to better equip us. November and December ended up being our largest giving months of the year! Praise God!!!

We are also grateful for all of the friends and family we were able to see over the last half of December. We were pleasantly surprised when 15 people showed up at Larae's parent's home for our appreciation open house. We enjoyed the time to visit with friends we hadn't seen in at least a year and we were able to give an update on our ministry. A few people contacted us about visiting over a meal, and we were blessed by those interactions. One of those evening with friends even ended in the mini-van that you can read about in my previous post :-)

Another highlight of our time in Illinois was the marriage of one of Larae's best friends, Kristin. Kristin was the last of my college girlfriends to get hitched and I had the honor of serving her as her personal attendant. I am incredibly grateful for Kristin's friendship, which we've maintained even though we no longer live close. It was a very fun day and even though we live 16 hours apart, I hope she and her new husband Jonathan will start making a habit of visiting Colorado. (Kristin, if you are reading this, that's a strong hint!)

Last but not least, we were blessed by time with family. Christmas eve and day were spent with Shaun's family, but we had many days before that to stay with Larae's parents and also visit her sister's family in Kansas. It's always fun to play with our nieces and nephews! During that visit, Shaun was dragged outside several times to jump on the trampoline even though it was below freezing outside.....not that he minds:-) He's a hit with the 4 year old twin boys.

GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS!

I know that God answers prayers, but when something happens that is so clearly an answer to prayer, it is SO exciting! Here's the story....

About a year and a half ago, Shaun and I made the decision to trust God with a major part of our finances. We decided to no longer save toward a vehicle that we knew we would be needing in the future, but to instead, trust that the Lord would provide a vehicle at no cost to us. This decision enabled us to give more each month to a couple of organizations that further the cause of Christ around the world.

So, we've continued to pray that when the time came that we needed a different vehicle (I was still driving the car that my parents gave me in college, a 2000 Kia Spectra) one would be given to us. We had no idea how this would happen, but we've heard too many stories from other people of God providing in big ways to not have faith that He could do it this time.

Now that we have decided to become foster parents, and we have a dog, we realized the time was coming to get a bigger vehicle, preferrably a mini-van because we take long trips and a mini-van seemed like the most practical vehicle for our needs. We started to share our need with family and friends as opportunities presented themselves.

On December 23rd we were having dinner with some friends in Illinois, and I decided it wouldn't hurt to bring up our vehicle need to them, just in case they knew of someone who had a mini-van available. Next thing we knew, our friend Jim was on the phone with his sister asking her about 2 vans she has that she was thinking of selling soon. After he got off the phone he told us that his sister might consider trading our Kia for one of her Dodge Caravan mini-vans! We felt as though this could be the way that God was answering our prayers, so we told him go ahead and see if his sister would seriously consider trading. He said he'd call her back and he'd get back to us in the next couple of days. We were leaving for Colorado on December 26th, so if this was going to happen it would have to happen quick!

Christmas morning we received a call from Jim saying that his sister would be willing to trade us for one of her vans. That night we drove to her house to check out the vans and next thing you know we were driving away in a mini-van! I have affectionately named our "new" van THE PURPLE PEOPLE EATER because it's a maroonish-purple color.

It is exciting to see God answer prayers is such clear ways. We are getting more and more excited to welcome a child into our home and drive him/her around in a spacious van :-) I know most people don't think mini-vans are cool, but we consider it a great blessing to receive this gift.