Here is the update letter as promised. Again if you want to receive this and other updates by e-mail or regular mail send us a message with your address and we can do that! Family and Friends, We had a fantastic summer ministering at Mandaville Camp and Retreat Center. There were some challenges but overall it was a great summer. We were sad to see the season end but we are excited for all of the events planned for the Fall and Spring. We would like to share with you some of the highlights of our summer at camp: · Grace was able to be a camper for the first time and she had a fantastic time! Our nephew Alexander also attended that week and loved it! · Ryan had 10 teenagers in the new Leadership Program called Base Camp, that lasted for 3 weeks. This is more campers than previous leadership programs have ever had. They had a great time and many wish to return for the second part of the program, Summit Camp, next summer. We are so thankful for God’s blessing of this program and the way that the teens were impacted by their experience. · Amanda had a great kitchen staff. They worked amazingly well together and served with smiles inspite of a lot of hard work all summer. We dealt with some serious food related allergies throughout the summer and had no incidents. Totaling up the number of people served for the summer comes to over 5000 meals! · We were able to have a fantastic nanny for our children for most of the summer. We are SO grateful for Olivia Bissell and how great she was with our children. She was able to fill in as a counselor for the campers for a couple weeks as well and was amazing at that too. She was/is a great blessing to us and to camp. · Amanda was given the opportunity to go on the trip the last week of camp to Stillwater Reservoir as a counselor. She went tubing behind a motorboat for the first time, enjoyed getting to know the campers and spending time in God’s great creation. She had a great time and hopes to be able to do it again. · We were blessed by the support we received from our church families at Cornerstone Wesleyan and Hermon United Methodist Churches. They gave financially as well as in donations of supplies to camp and everything was greatly appreciated. · We enjoyed a great weekend camping with the Hannon’s over Labor Day as a little vacation after camp. As we transition back to normal life at home with school and work we continue to pray for God’s timing in allowing us to be full time at Mandaville. Ryan has returned to his part time job at 20 hours per week for Cornell Cooperative Extension, doing after school 4H programs in three local districts. We are very grateful that although this is a part time job it does provide the family with medical insurance. Amanda will return to substitute teaching as often as the school district needs her. Obviously for a family of 4 this is a tight situation financially. We ask for your prayers, for many opportunities for subbing for Amanda and for those who have a heart to support us financially to begin doing so on a regular basis. We will continue to be in ministry at camp and in our church throughout the year. Ryan will be running a youth group through our church as well as Teen Connection events at camp and a Reconnect youth group for those in the area without a youth group at their church. Amanda will be leading a small group for teen girls as part of the Reconnect program as well as leading a Daisy Girl Scout Troop that Grace is a part of. We will be involved in the planning and putting on of retreats throughout the year at camp by cooking and programming as needed. You can join us in prayer for the following requests: · Financial needs to be met · Grace begins 1st grade and we pray she has another great year of school and does well. · For the teens participating in the youth group and teen connection programs to grow spiritually and benefit from the time spent · Successful events at camp such as the Teacher Training course September 27-28 and the Family Fun Day on October 5th. Those that are interested in giving towards the Mandaville Staff Support Fund can either send a check (with the designated account in the memo line) made payable to BCM International, 201 Granite Run Dr. Suite 260, Lancaster, PA 17601 or online at bcmintl.org/ by clicking on the Donate tab. The Account number to use is 14846.
Posted on: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 13:09:43 +0000
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