Tuesday, July 31, 2012

VBS (Friday)

Our VBS went very well today! We had about 10 children but we also had between 6-7 adults who stayed for the program. It was very windy and looked like a storm might come but we never saw a drop of rain. The kids had a wonderful time and I preached a simple gospel message to conclude. This week we had one girl trust Christ as her Savior. Although she is not from here, she does live near Greeley, Co where the church that helped us is from. We passed her contact information along and are excited to hear about what happens as a result. In the next few weeks we will be following up on the contacts we have made. Please pray that the Lord would continue to use VBS to open doors in our community.

Sorry for posting this so late. After VBS I could not get an internet connection and then Elizabeth accidently damaged my laptop screen so it has been a little difficult to get online.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

VBS (Thursday)

Today we were able to have our VBS in the park as scheduled. It went very smoothly and we had the same amount of kids that we had last night. The kids really enjoyed the water balloon fight. No one came back for a decision tonight but we are looking forward to tomorrow nights closing program. Please pray that parents will come and the Lord will enable me to give the gospel as clearly as possible.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

VBS (Wednesday)

Weather

The skies were full of clouds all day long with drizzles and sprinkles hitting us off and on. It wasn’t raining when we were about to start VBS but several reports indicated that rain was on the way. We decided to have VBS at the church and it didn’t seem to bother kids.

VBS Outcome

Today we had 3 first time visitors today and had a total of 13 kids. We have grown every day from 8 to 10 to 13. Becca was privilege to sit down with one young girl and lead her to the Lord. Becca was very excited because it was a very clear decision. Please continue to pray for God to work mightily through us as we yield ourselves to Him.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

VBS (Tuesday)

After a hot day taking the visiting group to Guernsey State Park we prepared for VBS. Once again around 5-5:30 the clouds began to move in just like Monday. The weather online forecasted a 10% chance of rain for Guernsey; however, the clouds were telling a different story. Because we didn’t know what to expect we left half of the decorations on the trailers at the park and half set up at church. From about 5:30-6:00 it was raining cats and dogs outside. A few groups had gathered to pray for the rain to pass but it still came. The lightning was also very strong and several fire trucks left town with their sirens blaring as the raced toward the lighting strikes. All this took place as we were to be registering children.

As soon as the rain started to pour down I decided that there was no point in doing our VBS at the park with soaked grass and mud everywhere. Once again we were at church and this time we were better prepared for a indoor VBS. We had decorations up and the kids really enjoyed it. One little boy wanted to know about salvation. He saw that he was a sinner, but was easily distracted and not quite ready to make the decision to trust Christ.

Please pray earnestly against the work of the Devil. Elijah prayed that it would not rain and it didn’t rain for 3 years and when he prayed again it rained. Please pray that the Devils work will be hindered. We have had good VBS’s indoors but we believe that more kids will come if they see people in the park. Our VBS starts at 6 o’clock mountain time so if you can devote some time to prayer please pray for good weather from 5 – 8 o’clock (4-7 o’ clock central time). A storm before VBS will keep some away and a storm during VBS would be  a large disruption if we need to move.

 

Monday, July 23, 2012

VBS (Monday)

The VBS preparation went very well and everything fell right into place. As we were just finishing setting up in the park there was a storm cloud that came in about 15-30 minutes before we were to start. With lightning and strong wind we were forced to move to the church. In typical Wyoming fashion the storm was very strong for 20-40 minutes and then basically quit. As we scrambled to move to the church the Lord continued to work despite the weather. We had a total of 8 children and 4 of them were visitors who we had never seen before.
Everything we had planed and worked for was turned upside down in a moment and yet everything went very well. Please pray for the teachers to have wisdom as the teach and deal with children. Also please pray that the Lord would give us good weather for the rest of the week.

Vacation Bible School This Week!

Ready Or Not Here We Go…

On Saturday we managed to completely canvas Guernsey with flyers announcing Vacation Bible School this week. We had many positive responses and on Sunday afternoon we covered Hartville and Fort Laramie. Please pray that the Lord will multiply our efforts. Most of the group from Greeley, Co will be arriving today around noon and then we will begin setting everything in order for Bible School. We face a few unique challenges that we would ask you to pray for.

  • Our VBS will be a the park and not at the church

We don’t have the facilities at the Church to handle VBS so the park about two blocks away is our best option. However, that means everything must be transported back and forth each night. It also means that we could potentially have distractions such as cars passing by and dogs running through the park (It is very common to see stray dogs running around town). Please the Lord would hinder Satan from distracting the children.

  • Today is our first meeting and everything is new to all the workers

With most of our help coming from various outside sources the whole Bible School is new to everyone. Please pray that the Lord would give me wisdom as I make last minute decisions as situations arise. Also, please pray that there would be a great unity between all the workers.

  • Children to come

What is Bible School without children? Please pray that children will come. We don’t have a large base of children in the church to depend on to be there so please pray that our flyers will draw people in. Please pray that the Lord gives us the right amount of children.

  • Spiritual Transformation

The theme of our Bible School is Bug Zone: Transformed by our Big God! Please pray that the children who come will have their lives changed. We want to see clear salvation decisions, as well as, I am praying that God would use the Bible School to transform our workers also. I am praying that this week would be a faith building venture for our church.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Children Are A Blessing From The Lord



A New Face

Wednesday night we received a call from our church members Lee and Cindy that they had just had their baby. Thursday we took the kids to the hospital in Scottsbluff, Ne to see them. Elizabeth enjoyed holding the new baby.


Kid's Will Be Kids

Sunday after church as the adults talked for a little while inside, Elizabeth and Fawn (Lee and Cindy's little two year old girl) managed to find their way outside. As soon as we realized they were not inside we went to look for the two adventurous little girls. Both of them had made their way to the kid's pool and with all their Sunday clothes on they took a dip.







Sunday, July 15, 2012

Great Books At A Great Price


I know the two volume set about Hudson Taylor has been a classic for many believers. I myself have not read them yet because I always saw a $50 price tag and figured that I had a lot of other books on my shelf that I had not yet read. Right now there is a sale on this set directly through Overseas Missionary Fellowship and you can get them in hardback for $30 with free shipping. This is a new edition of the book and I don't know if there are any changes from the previous editions because there are no notes in the book about this edition. Please pass the word along as you see fit.  Here is the product information from their website.

Hudson Taylor: The Growth of a Soul/Work of Godhttp://www.davidsonpublishing.org/hudson-taylor1.html

Hudson Taylor The Growth of a SoulWork of God.jpgE-mail this product to a friend
   


NEW EDITION (2012)By Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor.The classic two-volume story of Hudson Taylor and the founding of the CIM (now OMF) hardcover edition. This detailed account includes many of Taylor's personal writings that express his vision, faith and frustrations. It is also an account of the miracles that took the young mission agency into the inland provinces of China. The first volume covers Taylor's life, the second describes the founding of the China Inland Mission.
1184 pages combined volume 1 and 2
Size 5 3/4 x 8 3/4 inches
ISBN for the set of two volumes 9971-972-64-6

SKU:HUD01
Weight:3.25
Regular Price: $49.95 (USD)
Special Introductory Price: $29.99 (USD) 

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Picture Update

Grandma and Grandpa have been asking for more pictures of the kids so I figured it was about time I posted some online.

Elizabeth Spinning Around

Monday, July 9, 2012

Showers Of Blessing

Much Needed Rain

This week as the fires continued to rage the Lord determined that the destruction was enough. With over a thousand men who had been fighting the fire at Laramie Peak for more than a week the Lord sent a heavy rain on Thursday that gave the firefighters the upper hand. Much of the land that lost its vegetation turned into a muddy mess as the dirt was washed away. Camp  Grace suffered a lot of damage but the Lord chose to spare some of their buildings. Please pray as the camp prepares for the next step and makes plans for the future.

VBS

Our VBS is coming up soon and we are busy getting things ready. Piece by piece things are coming together but please pray that the Lord would multiply our efforts for the furtherance of the Gospel.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Every Little Bit Counts

Many Hands Make Light Work

On Saturday last week we picked up Becca’s Sister Amanda at the airport in Casper, WY. She has helped Becca catch up with a lot of little projects this week. They have worked very diligently organizing and sorting things as well as sprucing up the outside of the church property. On Wednesday when several ladies showed up for Bible study they noticed right away the work that Becca and Amanda had accomplished.

A Fire’s Fury

Before coming home from Casper with Amanda, we stopped by at the teen activity that was going on at Pastor Robbins house. There were a lot of teens there that had come from Cheyenne, Wheatland, and even Scottsbluff, NE. Pastor Robbins and his wife have been a blessing and encouraging to us and it was always good to spend time with them. Little did we know that before one week had passed Pastor Robbins would lose his house.
On Friday last week, I was driving back from a meeting in Colorado when I could see the smoke on Laramie Peek. From where the smoke was rising I knew that the Robbins home was in danger. I called Pastor Robbins and offered to help if he needed but he informed me that the fire was so close to the house that by the time I arrived it would be to late. Several from the area had already came to help him with trucks and trailers and fortunately they were able to get most of their belongings out of the house. The house is now burn to the ground and they are living in the prophets chamber that they once used for guests.
My wife informed me that while I was gone on Friday the ashes from the fire at Laramie Peek were falling in Guernsey. The sky was filled with a smoke and the sun had turned a golden color. Buildings that were once white now had an amber tint and the smell of smoke penetrated the entire town. City hall placed warnings on their sign to stay in side if at all possible because of the smoke. That night we could see the glow of the fire from Guernsey and to put things in perspective the glow we saw was about thirty miles west of town. At this point the firefighters have not been able to contain this fire and it is completely at the mercy of the wind. But although men can’t control this fire God is still in control and we don’t need to fear. Today in Guernsey there is still a thick cloud of smoke resting on the town and the smell of smoke is penetrating everything.
The Robbins were not the only ones that we know who have suffered loss from the fire. Camp Grace has also had the fire pass through their compound. At this point we don’t know what all has been destroyed at Camp Grace but many feel that it is safe to assume that the camp has suffered a great loss. Here is a copy of some emails from Brother Driskel who is Camp Grace’s Director.

Email on June 29th

Dear Friends and supporters of Camp Grace,
I have had another long, strenuous day.  It started when I was rudely awaken by our Program Director, Paul Dickman at 1:30 am letting me know that the fire marshal had awaken him and gave us 3 hours to evacuate the campground.  With smoke thick in the air we packed up everything of value. As the sun started to rise we left the campground. I had a heavy heart and tearful eyes realizing that the fire might actually destroy the camp.
This evening we have received reliable and somewhat official notice that the fire did come over the ridge and into Camp Grace's Campground.  We do not know the extent of the damage, but it doesn't look good. Yet I know that my redeemer lives and "every good gift and every perfect (maturing) gift is from above, cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."(Jas. 1:17).
In the past 24 hours God has used the story of Job to remind me of God's Faithfulness in every gift He brings our way.  God allowed Satan to attack and devastate Job.  For Job it was not the end. Instead it was the beginning of a journey by which Job grew closer to God, learned a whole lot more about God, and lived to see God's double restoration and blessing.
I am thankful for the opportunity God has given all of us to grow closer to Him, to learn more about Him and to watch Him do a wondrous work. Out of the ashes of Camp Grace God can and, I believe, will create something even more beautiful than the old Camp Grace that will be used of Him to have an even greater and more profound spiritual impact on the hearts and lives of children, families and Churches.
Please pray for Paul & Emily.  They probably lost all of their possessions today. Pray and thank God also for comforting us and all of our staff as we face an uncertain rest of the summer. Finally, as we are in the midst of this very "dark smokey valley", thank God for the presence of His rod and His staff to  comfort and direct our next steps.
Pastor Marlin Driskell,
Director, Camp Grace
(307) 331-0218
 

Email on June 30th

Many are asking for updates on Camp Grace. We do not have all the answers. What we do know is (1) The fire definitely went through the campground and the whole of Camp Grace's property (see map). (2) No one has been able to go to the camp and assess the damage to the buildings or property. (3) We are exploring possibilities to make sure we can yet have camps this summer. (4) We will keep you posted as soon as we know anything.
Please pray and thank God for giving us (myself and the board) the wisdom to make the best decisions about Camp Grace.
P6290035pict-20120630-110024-1 - Arapaho fire

Email on July 2nd

Dear Friends,
Two weeks ago Camp Grace was threatened by the Cow Camp Fire. God answered your prayers and gave each of us the privilege of watching God fight for Camp Grace by sending a hail storm that put out the fire that was threatening Camp Grace.
Today the outcome is different. Friday night at 1:30 a.m. we were were given three hours in which everyone was ordered to evacuate the property as the “Arapaho Fire”, which was started by lightning, started to cross the fire line at the Cottonwood Road. Friday afternoon we heard rumors that the fire had swept through the campground, but with no details. Sunday afternoon I was notified that all of the buildings are gone, completely burnt up, and that the cinder-block buildings turned to powder and only one structure remains, (I think the rock canteen building). Later Sunday evening I was given another report which was very similar and yet very different.  Basically the second report said that all of the buildings on the West side of the road (ie. House, Pioneer, Chapel, Deer, Bear, Trail Boss, Lodge, and Elk cabins) were destroyed, as well as the Restroom building, the Dining Hall, the well House, the old maintenance building and the little shed by the garage.  However this second report says that Lion Cabin and the Garage are yet standing and did not burn.
The exact details do not matter for all practical purposes. God has made it clear that it is time for us to quit trying to renovate old cabins and it is time for us to begin implementing a major Capital Building Program Fundraiser so that we can have the New Camp Grace up and running in a new facility by next summer. (There will be more on that in the next couple of weeks). Please pray for the leadership as we chart out the plans for the New Camp Grace.
Most of you have been following the updates on this "Arapaho Fire" which has expanded like greased lightening. As of tonight I am being told that this fire has grown to over 80,000 acres.  Though we were surprised by the fire that so quickly swept through Camp Grace,  we know that it did not take our Lord by surprise.
I believe God will be glorified as much from this loss as He was from the “save’ of a couple of weeks ago. Please be in prayer with us for wisdom to know how to proceed in the future. It is no doubt that Camp Grace has been delivered a devastating blow, but not a fatal blow. The Old camp buildings on the property have stood there for over 90 years without burning, and at this point we have no doubt that God will honor the labor and sacrifice of all of you who have sacrificially given and labored at Camp Grace through the past 7 decades to raise up a new facility for the purpose of using the unique activities of the camping ministry to reach young people for the Lord, strengthen families, and serve churches.
Please pray with our summer staff team, our volunteers, our Director, our board, and all our constituents, that God will encourage and strengthen our spirits and our hands, and that he will give us the wisdom and spiritual understanding to discern God’s will in all this so that we can proceed in all due, yet deliberate haste so that we can once again see Camp Grace used as a place of decision for the Lord Jesus Christ.
How God will do this will be a wonderful unfolding testament of His grace and power, for we are sure He will do it in such a way that those who witness it will say –“Only God could do that”! We will,by the Grace of God, rise to the occasion and step forward on the path He has laid out for us.
Though we are yet overwhelmed with the reality that Camp Grace has begun to transcribe a totally new chapter in the "Saga of Camp Grace" embodying the grace and divine enabling of our Great God. In the next twenty four hours we should have the plans for the rest of the summer solidified. We will announce our plans as soon as possible.
We would like to ask you to thank and praise the Lord for what He has done, and in faith, thank Him for the opportunity He has afforded us to watch him raise out of the ashes of this fire a citadel that will proclaim the Grace of God to many generations.
To God be the glory, great things He will do!
--
Pastor Marlin Driskell,
Director, Camp Grace
(307) 331-0218


View Larger Map
Legend
A - Oregon Trail Baptist Church
B - Pioneer Baptist Church
C - Pastor Robbins home
D - Camp Grace