Remembering Previous Ministries

I traveled with Dr. Jim Vangelderen (Mr. Van as he is know to the Team Captians) back in 2006 on the War of Special Forces team. It was encouraging to see this video and how the ministry is still changing lives today. Please pray for this ministry.

What would America be like if you prayed for your country as much as you complain about it's leaders?

 

1 Timothy 2

2 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. 8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

John Bunyan’s Dying Words Concerning Prayer

 

In all your prayers forget not to thank the Lord for his mercies.
When thou prayest, rather let thy hearts be without words, than thy words without a heart.
Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.
The spirit of prayer is more precious than treasures of gold and silver.
Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan.

John Bunyan, vol. 1, Bunyan’s Dying Sayings (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2006), 65.

“Brother John” Scheduled To Be Induced Friday Morning

Although we have not announced a name yet, Elizabeth has already picked a nickname for her new brother. She calls him “Brother John.” After reading the nursery rhyme “Frère Jacques” or as we know it in English “Are You Sleeping?” she began to call her new baby brother Brother John. She will pat or point at Becca’s belly  and say, “That’s brother John.”

With that said, I don’t need to refer to him as "baby.”
Yesterday we were in Cheyenne, Wy for a checkup and both Becca and “Brother John” are doing just fine. They also scheduled to induce labor at 7:30 Friday morning. If you have been wondering why there have been no ultrasound pictures it is because we finally got some this week. We are planning on getting a hotel room and staying in Cheyenne since the weather looks bad.

Thanks for your prayers and support. We look forward to sharing pictures of “Brother John”

Starting The Year Strong

As we rejoice over what God accomplished last year we press forward to the new year expecting God to work. We had between 20 to 21 present for our first two Sundays of this year. This last Sunday we had two first time visitors. I am continually reminded of my weakness and inability to meet the spiritual needs of our little community. This year, although it has started strong, will be an utter failure if God does not sustain the work. Please pray for us as we labor for the Lord here. Here are some specific areas that you can pray for..

1. Pray for power in preaching
2. Pray for divine appointments in our community
3. Pray for guidance concerning housing
4. Pray for spiritual growth in the lives of our immediate family as well as our church family
5. Pray that as God works people will recognize that it is Him and not us
6. Pray that God’s will would be accomplished this year

A Revival Account: Asbury 1970

This video is about 40 minutes long, but it is worth it. It will stir your faith and give you a thirst for what God can do. We need God today more than we realize. We don’t just need verses cut and pasted onto cute pictures that we share with our friends on Facebook, Twitter, and more as inspirational reminders to trust God. We need God’s active presence in our lives now! If believers would live with God’s hand on their life think of the difference it would make in our cities, states, country, and World. Let this account from the not so distant past stir you to faith in what God can and want’s to do to day.

Remember God’s nation, Israel, experienced revival at the lowest spiritual points in their history. Yes, America has given way to abortions, gay marriages, and so many other moral issues. But, it is not our job to determine when God is finished dealing with our nation. Our job is to live holy lives that are a living reality of the God of the Bible.

Monthly Updates and Prayer Card

We have been encouraged by all the support that God's people have shown for our ministry here. I just recently sent out a update letter to those who are able to view our blog online. If you have followed our blog you haven't missed anything but if you want a short two month summery please feel free to print our bimonthly update and give it to those who prefer to read from paper. To view/download our updates please use the link below.

Miller Family Updates

Christmas, Exercise, Growth

		Christmas VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Christmas With Family

This week Becca’s dad and two of her sisters were able to come and celebrate an early Christmas with us. They brought the kids some gifts and new pajamas. We had a lot of fun and then loaded their car up with Christmas gifts to take back to Minnesota for the rest of her family.

New Horizons Exercising

One of the new friends I made as a result of the funeral was a Master Sargent who works at the Armory in town. He is from a Southern Baptist background and looking for a church in town as well as he would like some personal discipleship. We are now meeting twice a week to work out and hopefully I’ll be able to keep up with him. He feels that while he is being a personal fitness trainer to me in exchange for some spiritual guidance. Although I would be glad to provide spiritual guidance without any sort of compensation I feel privileged to have access to the base. It has already been a great way for me to meet some of the soldiers on base who are stationed here year round. Please pray that God opens more doors of opportunity and gives me wisdom as I minister.

Growth

Our attendance has been fairly steady for the last few months. We have averaged about 17 each Sunday but for the last month we have had between 20-23 people. Today we had one couple for the first time and another couple who had visited a few months ago. Please pray for continued fruit.

Outreaches To Pray About

Tomorrow Becca is hosting a Christmas Cookie Exchange for the ladies and next Sunday we will be having a Christmas Candle Light Service. Please pray that the Lord blesses our efforts and opens new doors of opportunity.

A Full House For A First Funeral

The Funeral

Today I conducted my first funeral and I can truly say that I couldn’t have asked for it to go any better. The Lord enabled and blessed in a wonderful way. If there is an event that a pastor wants to go smoothly it would defiantly be a funeral. For the last week or so we have been communicating with the family and preparing details for the funeral, graveside, and dinner. Although it seemed like every day I got a few more details figured out there were still many loose ends this morning. Everything came together in enough time for me to be free and available to spent time with the family.

 

The Figures

Pastor Randy Simmons at Faith Fellowship told me over the phone that I would be experiencing a “baptism by fire” doing this funeral. Knowing that (1) the Martin family is well known in this area, (2) Wade was everyone’s friend, and (3) he was only 52, Pastor Simmons told me that the crowd could be anywhere from 100-150. There was no possible way that we could fit them in our little church when our church can only hold about 50 and there was no other church in town that could handle a much bigger crowd than that. The Family made arrangements to use the Armory’s Gym south of town. It was a good thing they did because there were about 300 people there at the funeral. The chairs and bleachers will filled and there was standing room only.
After the Funeral around 150 people came to the graveside service according to the funeral director. (The photo to the left was taken in the Hartville Cemetery, but is not the actual gravesite.) Everyone gathered around as I read Psalm 23 and made a few comments. After closing in prayer people began to comfort one another and slowly make their way back to their cars. There were about 10-15 mule deer that stood on the hill behind the cemetery watching the service. This was significant to many of those who knew Wade because he was always taking rides in the country looking for deer to take some pictures. He loved nature and was constantly taking pictures. The deer served as a good token for good to the family in this time of grief.

 

The Focus

The last time I saw Wade was when I was visiting his parents at their ranch. Wade saw Andrew standing by the four-wheeler with his hands in the air saying, “up” over and over. Wade picked him up and took him for a ride around. Both Wade and Andrew had smiles from ear to ear. As we spent time with the family I discovered that Wade had a reputation for making peace. I thought of how that beautifully pictured Christ who is the Prince of Peace.
The Lord led for me to prepare to preach along those lines. I opened Isaiah 9:6 and explained that Christ is the Prince of Peace. I then turned to Ephesians 2:14-24 to show that Christ as the Prince of Peace broke down the wall of separation between man and God.  I then read John 14:27 where Christ left a parting gift of peace to His disciples and the church when He ascended. I explained how the Holy Spirit was sent as the Comforter and true peace only comes from God. After establishing all of this I quoted Matthew 5:9 where Christ said, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Focusing on that verse I explained that peacemakers are those who make peace with other people, but also bring peace between men and God by declaring the good news of the Gospel. Shifting to the second part of Matthew 5:9 I explained that peacemakers have God’s favor smiling upon them. The verse says, “they shall be called the children of God" and I compared this to when a parent at a ball game or sporting event yells from the bleachers, “That’s my boy!” after their child does something well. God is in heaven watching His children on earth and when they are peacemakers by resolving problems or bringing others to the Savior He thunders from heaven, “That’s my child!” Before giving an invitation I closed with a quote from the Puritan Thomas Watson where he said,

God the Son is called the Prince of Peace. He came into the world heralded by angels announcing peace; "On earth peace..." He went out of the world with a legacy of peace, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." Christ's earnest prayer was for peace; He prayed that His people might be one. Christ not only prayed for peace, but bled for peace: "Having made peace through the blood of His cross." He died not only to make peace between God and man, but between man and man. Christ suffered on the cross, that He might cement Christians together with His blood. As he prayed for peace, so He paid for peace. (Thomas Watson, Gleanings From Thomas Watson (Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 1995), 86.)

The Fellow Laborers

There was no way that we could pull off everything ourselves. With almost a third of our church grieving their lost and another third with a sister in the hospital we just couldn’t see how we could pull it off ourselves. As a result we had help and support from many places and want to publically thank all who labored with us. First, we couldn’t have done it without the help of Faith Bible Baptist Church in Greeley, Co. Their Assistant Pastor Ken Curtis and his wife Bessie brought four ladies from their church to help with the food preparation, serving, and childcare. Second, Pastor Randy Simmons from Faith Fellowship and those who came from his church to help with the food and childcare also. Third, Pastor Roy Phillips from Douglas Baptist Church was there to lend a hand and support the family as well as me. Fourth, Jason Crossman, Pastor Robbins assistant at Pioneer Baptist and The Lunch Box did a great job getting food prepared for the group from Greeley as they made themselves busy preparing food for everyone else.

 

The Follow-up

Follow-up for this funeral began long time before the funeral. We were able to spend a lot of time with the family and support them through this time. Also a few days before the funeral I was talking to the librarian in Guernsey as I was checking my email and she asked, “What do pastors do to prepare for funerals?” Could you ask for a better question to open the door to spiritual things? I shared with her in a nutshell what I would be preaching at the funeral and before I knew it she was asking about church and said she intended to come visit. She also was at the funeral and was able to hear the full message. After the funeral as we were leaving one of the military personal in charge at the armory asked me what denomination I was and explained that he was from a Southern Baptist background, just moved to Guernsey, and was looking for a Baptist Church. There are so many other encounters and Divine appointments that have surrounded this funeral that I can’t tell them all. I also know that this funeral may have more effects than I even know as God works behind the scenes.

 

The Fatigue

Although everything went smooth, everyone was exhausted when it was done. The group from Greeley, Co had a long drive home and we had some last minute cleanup to finish. Even Elizabeth was so exhausted that she crawled up in mom and dad’s bed and went to sleep by herself before 8:00pm while we were still working. That was a shocker for us. Thanks for all the prayers and support. They certainly impacted today more than we will ever know.

 

The Flub-Up

Before the funeral, as we made preparations and spent time with the family I discovered that the family had a few computers that belonged to Wade that had passwords. Before they spent $50-$100 to get around the passwords I offered to do it for them. Back when Windows XP was popular I had a few tricks to erase the password but those tricks didn’t work with the new Windows Vista and Windows 7. After I found some instructions online I emailed them to myself so I could print them, but instead of emailing to me I emailed them to our blog and the instructions were posted. The post has been deleted but many of you may have received a strange email that seems completely irrelevant. Sorry about the confusion and by the way you might not want to let your mischievous teenagers read that email.

 

The Fond Remembrance

OBITUARY

Funeral services for Albert Wade Martin, 52, will be held at 2:00 P.M., Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at the General Spence Wyoming Army National Guard Armory in Guernsey, Wyoming with Pastor Jason Miller officiating. Inurnment will be held at the Hartville Cemetery near Hartville, Wyoming.

Wade died Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Wade was born August 29, 1960 in Casper, Wyoming the son of Albert Paul and Eldora Joann (Goolsby) Martin.

Wade was a football and basketball player for Wheatland and Guernsey High Schools. He graduated from Guernsey High School in 1978. Wade attended Torrington College on a basketball scholarship. On July 3, 1982 he married Shelly Dickinson, to this union they had two daughters, Tricia born on March 18, 1990 and McKenzie born on December 30, 1992. Wade worked at the Wheatland Power Plant for seventeen years and later took a job traveling for Intec Services based in Fort Collins, Colorado. Recently he returned home to be with family on the ranch that he had always loved. Wade enjoyed playing golf, bowling, hunting, collecting hot wheels, watching Lonesome Dove, hanging out with his nephew Ned, his girls, and Rock, his ever faithful dog. Wade had many loyal friends, a large family, and he loved every single one of them.

He is survived by his parents, Albert and Dori Martin of Guernsey; daughters Trish (Tristen) Martin of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and McKenzie Martin of Wheatland, Wyoming; his fiancé Tiffany Savageau of California; four sisters, Jackie (Bill) Holtz of Guernsey, Lynne (Dave) Mesenbrink of Casper, Liz (Eric) Henneman of Lead, South Dakota, and Ellen (Scott) Nelson of Hartville; two brothers, Pete (Sheila) Howes of Fort Laramie, and Matthew (Sabrina) Martin of Guernsey; as well as many nieces and nephews, great nieces and Great nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Wade is preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Jesse and Jennie Goolsby, paternal grandparents, Harley and Nellie Martin, and niece, Ashley Howes.

Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Dan Cooley, Doc Jeffries, Marc Martinez, Mike King, Rex Martin, Danny Martin, Dale Woodrick and all of his many friends.

A memorial to the Wade Martin Memorial Fund in care of Lusk State Bank, P.O. Box 1400, Lusk, Wyoming 82225 would be appreciated by the family.

Friends and family may call on the funeral home on Sunday, December 2, 2012 from 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.

The Gorman Funeral Homes – Platte Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.

Condolences may be sent to the family at gormanfh.com

Eulogy

Wade Martin was the kind of individual who could make you smile on your worst day. His presence filled any room and his laughter filled any heart. Wade never knew a stranger; he could sit and talk to someone he just met for hours. Always happy, Wade never stopped smiling. However, he seemed to be the happiest when he was round his family.

When Wade wasn’t spending time with his nephew Ned, his daughters, or his fiancée Tiffany, he was finding more stuff to pile at his mom and dad’s house. His dad was his hero, but he loved every member of his family unconditionally. His faithful dog Rock never left his side since Wade bought him some “special” Jerky. As far as his daughters are concerned, he was a hero. In his eyes they could do no wrong and he was always proud of them.

Wade always said he had a degree in everything, but one of his biggest passions was music. He knew a song for any occasion. One thing Wade was really good at was teasing people. He had a joke up his sleeves at all times. Wade enjoyed golfing, bowling, collecting Hot Wheels, and gadgets. Everywhere Wade went, he was taking pictures. His friends were as dear to him as his family and he kept in touch with all of them.

One way that Wade showed his affection was by placing two fingers on your cheek. Nobody quite knew why but they all accepted it as his token of love. Wade loved all and was loved by all. He will forever be in our hearts.

Going Home For Christmas

Hospital Visits And Funeral Preparation

This last week has been a fury of unexpected activity. On Sunday we were told that Wade Martin, the son of one of our church members, was in critical condition in the Hospital. He had had a tumor removed on Tuesday and by Friday he was able to walk around and play cards with his family. On Friday and Saturday things took a turn for the worst. We headed for the Hospital in Fort Collins, Co on Monday. On our way to the hospital in Colorado we stopped in the hospital in Wheatland, Wy to visit Ramona, the sister of two of our other members, who had congestive heart failure and they didn’t expect her to make it.

After making hospital visit on Monday we spent the night in a hotel in Fort Collins, Co. In the morning we went back to the Hospital in Fort Collins, Co to be with the family. Around 11:00am, just after praying with the family in his room, wade passed away. It was very hard on the family and we grieved with them. The last time I had seen Wade before going in to the hospital he had taken Andrew for a ride on the four-wheeler and both of them were smiling from ear to ear.

On our way back from Fort Collins, Co we stopped again at the hospital in Wheatland to visit Ramona and her family. Her family was glad to see us again. We came back to Wheatland on Wednesday for Becca’s checkup with her pregnancy so, we stopped in again and were able to spend a more significant amount of time with Ramona and here family. She is doing much better and they plan on moving her to Casper some time this week.

Almost every day I have visited Wade’s family as they make plans and preparations for the funeral. This will be my first funeral and from the sounds of things it should be a fairly large one. They are expecting 40-60 family members to come and 100-150 other people from the community. Wade didn’t know a stranger and everyone liked him. In a small town like Guernsey it seems that everyone knows everyone. Here is a copy of the details from the funeral home’s website.

Funeral services for Albert Wade Martin, 52, will be held at 2:00 P.M., Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at the General Spence Wyoming Army National Guard Armory in Guernsey, Wyoming with Pastor Jason Miller officiating.  Inurnment will be held at the Hartville Cemetery near Hartville, Wyoming.
Wade died Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado. 
Wade was born August 29, 1960 in Casper, Wyoming the son of Albert Paul and Eldora Joann (Goolsby) Martin.
A memorial to the Wade Martin Memorial Fund in care of Lusk State Bank, P.O. Box 1400, Lusk, Wyoming 82225 would be appreciated by the family. 
Friends and family may call on the funeral home on Sunday, December 2, 2012 from 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.
The Gorman Funeral Homes – Platte Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.

Fresh Snow

Monday morning this last week we got some snow and before it was gone I went out to take some pictures. This is a banner I made from the pictures I took.

A Baby Shower And Electrical Problems

This last Monday we had a baby shower for Cindy and her baby Leyton Griebe. There were somewhere between 18-20 ladies who showed up and Rebecca said things went very well since this was the first baby shower she has ever planned. Several other opportunities in the last few weeks have opened up for us to meet new people in the community. Please pray that the Lord would allow us to be shining lights for Him.

After last Sunday, the electricity at the church began to brown out sporadically. After the city came and inspected the meter they thought that they had fixed the problem, but the next night we could see the electrical wires arcing outside. We discovered that the wires had arched at least half way through the wires because the copper and aluminum were not joined properly. Henry from Douglas Baptist Church came down and helped us get things back in order. We are thankful for friends who are willing to jump in and help in any way they can.

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

Our VBS follow up has went very well so far and we have been able to spend a considerable amount of time with some of the families who set their children to Bible school. We feel that the more we can interact with these families the better. Please continue to pray that God would give us open doors as we reach the homes here in Guernsey.

On Sunday our people were very excited when I informed them that there was enough money in the bank to make a double mortgage payment. The Lord has been giving us handfuls of blessings on purpose and we cannot praise Him enough. What is so exciting to me is the fact that no one person has poured a bunch of money into the church. Little by little God has been working through all of His people and as they learn to live by faith He blesses them.

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.

VBS (Tuesday) VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

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.

 

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.

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.

News Interview With Pastor Robbins and Pastor Marlin Driskell

KGWN –Cheyenne, WY– Scottsbluff, NE News,Weather, Sports

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.

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


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

The LORD Thy God Is With Thee

Deuteronomy 20:1

When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies,

and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou,

be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee,

which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt

The last two weeks we have been rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord. Like Joshua, who needed the sun to stand still to finish the task God had given him, we feel like, there is not enough time in the day to do everything that needs done. Although time may seem to be against us God is for us. In the last two weeks we have seen God working on our behalf and there is nothing to say but, “God did that.”

Financially

God has provided the needs of our church step by step and we are excited about the new promissory note on our mortgage. A local lawyer has helped us draw up the new promissory note and the seller signed and returned the note last week. There is still a lot of money that owe, but we have a little breathing room and by faith we expect God to move again on our behalf.

Practically

The fire that not long ago was encroaching upon our town is now completely out. However, the danger of fire is still very real. Yesterday as we drove to the airport in Casper, WY we could see the destruction from another fire just north of Douglas, WY and we also saw another fire raging on the south side of the interstate as we came into Casper, WY. With the extremely dry weather, it does not take much for a fire to start. We noticed as we surveyed the damage of the recent fires that the ground and trees may be scorched but the sagebrush does not burn and it is as if the fire leaves it untouched. I thought that this was quite an illustration of the Lord’s working in my life. I do not want God’s moving to work all around me touching lives and miss me because I am not sensitive to Him.

 

Pass me not, O gentle Savior, Hear my humble cry;

While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.

Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry;

While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.

Physically

Many have asked us how Elizabeth is doing after her month in the hospital. At this point she is back to her normal self and shows no signs of being in the hospital for a month. Becca is still trying to set up a follow up appointment for her in Denver. She should have had the appointment several weeks ago, nevertheless Becca has been unable to get someone to schedule the appointment. She has called the hospital repeatedly and has been unable to talk to the scheduling desk.

 

Spiritually

It was my desire to do some personal discipleship with Lee who is the father of the new family that has joined our church. We arranged to meet on Tuesday in Torrington after he was off work. When I arrived at his house his wife said he had already went to the coffee shop and had a friend from work with him. In a small way, I was disappointed that I was not going to have that personal one on one time, but on the other hand how could I complain about having more men along. At the coffee shop, we looked at the role of a disciple and then I asked them what the most important role in their life. After they offered several thoughts, I shared with them that the most important role in their life is to be a man of God. You could see the truth sink in as I explained that as men when we focus on our relationship with God and strive to be men of God everything else falls into place. Both were excited about next week’s lesson and had plans to invite more to join our group. As I drove home and talked things over with my wife, I could do nothing but praise the Lord for His goodness. Who knows how many men we will have next week? Please pray that the Lord would do a life changing work through our men’s Bible study.

Elizabeth’s Battle With E-coli (Video Summery)

Back In The Saddle Again

First Sunday Back

Yesterday was my first Sunday back in Guernsey, WY in over a month. I really missed being there with our church family and their feelings were the same. We are all looking forward to Becca and the kids returning but until then I’ll be flying solo and because Becca has our camera I don’t think I’ll be posting any picture as usual. There seems to be a lot to catch up to do so please pray for strength and wisdom. There is so much to do but I want to make sure I follow the Lord’s specific leading as to what to do each day.

Paperwork, Paperwork, Paperwork

After spending about an hour opening mail I realized there were many little things that needed to be attended to. We are rejoicing that the money came in for our balloon payment on the building but the agreement that the seller had discussed is still a little up in the air. (background agreement) At this point all I have is a Email stating what he is willing to do and some legal documentation needs to be drawn up to make it official. Please pray for wisdom as we work through this process.

Earthly or Eternal

Yesterday I preached from Mark 8:34-37 where Christ said,

Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

During my preparation the Lord had clearly showed me that he wanted me to preach on this passage and emphasize values. It is so easy for us to place value on all sorts of things when what we should value is knowing God’s will and doing it. Here are two quotes that I found as I was preparing that were especially helpful to me personally.

(Warren W. Wiersbe) This once-for-all dedication is followed by a daily “dying to self” as we take up the cross and follow Him. From the human point of view, we are losing ourselves, but from the divine perspective, we are finding ourselves. When we live for Christ, we become more like Him… (Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996), Mk 8:27.)

(Jim Elliot) “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”

This Quote from Jim Elliot is one that I have heard many times before but God has drove it home in a fresh and new way. You may remember that He and his friends died trying to share the Gospel in Ecuador.