Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Past, Present and Future

Greetings!

Jon and I (Lindsay) wanted to take some time to update you on a few things from the past, present and future...

Past: Grace Bible Church Missions Conference & Elementary Weekend Camp
We had a wonderful experience at our first Missions Conference at Grace Bible Church in Sun City! We enjoyed getting to know the congregation as well as the other missionaries better. It was great to see how God was at work all around the world and have the opportunity to speak about how the Lord is working here at SIMC! Words cannot express the kindness, hospitality and support we have received from GBC! From small conversations, to shared meals and gifts, Grace has been such a blessing to us and we thank God for the staff and congregation!

Elementary Weekend Camp was March 14-15. We had about 51 elementary campers along with 5 LIT youth who assisted staff in leading programs and activities. It was a blast! We talked about our super powers as followers of Christ and took part in activities such as games, worship, Bible class, and art class. We even turned our chapel into a movie theater and watched The Incredibles, complete with popcorn and drinks! Jon and I enjoyed being a part of this camp and getting to know our elementary campers. 



Present: Connecting, Networking, and Camp Planning
Currently, Jon and I are in the process of contacting everyone on our support and mailing lists and sharing the news of an offer we received recently. An individual connected with our ministry at SIMC is willing to match any new or increasing donations that we receive up to $250 per month for 2 years! What a blessing! Jon and I have been praying for an opportunity such as this one to carry us into full-time ministry. At the moment, we are involved in summer camp planning as well as networking with local churches on how they can get involved in and support our ministry, but these relationships take time. We are planting seeds that we hope to see grow in the years to come. But, in the present, we need help from supporters like you to get us over the hump to 100% funded so that we can begin to do the work God has called us to full-time. This will enable us to further develop our leadership development and camper follow-up programs, and fill other much needed roles. Will you join us in prayer that this opportunity would come to fruition and consider giving a new or increasing donation? (To donate online, click the "Donate" tab above.)

Future: Missions Training and Upcoming Camps
A little over a week from now, on March 28th, Jon and I will be leaving for our Missions Training in Colorado. We will be going through a month-long training course called Compass. Why is Compass important and what does it do? Here's a quote from the website:

     "Compass is designed to help you—and your family—develop the practical skills and attitudes that will successfully take you through the challenging and rewarding process of being interwoven with another culture. "

In a nutshell, that is what Compass is about- preparing missionaries to adjust to the new culture of their mission field and equipping them to be effective witnesses for the Kingdom. The Compass program is put together and carried out by Mission Training International. Many missionaries from all over the world take this training. For more information on Compass and MTI, please visit mti.org and click on the "Programs" tab. We are excited about this training and what God has in store for us there!

When are our next camps? Soon! They're coming up fast! Our next camp is May 2-4, right after we get back from our Compass training. This is another LIT Camp designed to prepare our older teens for leadership roles in our elementary camps. After LIT Camp, our four summer camps will begin in June and July. Our theme for camps this summer this year is The Great Adventure. Although we don't want any spoilers about camp to leak out, (we try to keep it a surprise for our campers), we can tell you that the theme will be based off of Hebrews 11:8-10. We will be talking about how following God on the adventure of life is a journey of faith. Summer Camps begin with our two Teen Camps June 15-19 and June 22-26. In July, we will continue with our Elementary Camps with Grades 4-6 July 6-10 and Grades 1-3 July 13-17. We look forward with anticipation of reuniting with campers and watching God work in each of their lives. 

Be sure to click the "Praise & Prayer" tab above to read how you can be praying for us, our ministry and our campers.

Blessings! 


Lindsay and Jon

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