Has it really been 90 days...so much has happened!

We have been here at YWAM now for almost 2 weeks and have had a very busy but amazingly enjoyable stay.  We have met and got to know so many amazing people and have been able to hear their stories of how God has worked in their lives.  Our "jobs" have been wonderful and we have sweat and worked very hard in completing them.  The kids, and the family as a whole, have continued to amaze me.  I am so proud of them!

Our first task here was the garden that Caleb fell in love with.  It is thriving and we have plants coming up already!  Caleb checks on it a dozen times a day, waters it, and tells the plants how great they are doing.  It is amazing to see how much love he has found in working with the earth and how much he cares for it.  We are about to pull our first tomato and I bet it will be the best one we have ever had!!!  Tonight he checked and one of the tomatoes are ready to be picked tomorrow.  He told me that he has 2 ideas for it.  1) He wants to give to someone who is homeless. 2)  He wants to share it with all of his friends here because he said they were very encouraging to him while he worked hard on the garden.  We also had a large task of clearing and leveling a LARGE amount of dirt.  A tractor, shovels, rakes, pick axes, chainsaw, concrete, and allot of sweat helped us to complete our second task rather quickly.  We worked to get this fence up to create an area for a new sign for YWAM.  It also creates a much nicer looking area to the entrance and gives direction.  We are so pleased that we were able to build this and even after the cuts, bruises, scrapes, bites, and baseball size swollen hand (I smashed my hand) we thank the Lord for the opportunity!

 

The infamous garden...we have new plants and a red tomato!

Getting started and dealing with some roots and stumps.

Playing in the dirt!

Driving the tractor with daddy.

Working as a team!

Finishing up with the fence and making it look pretty.

Caleb and Kamryn helped clean our this herb garden with our friend that came here from Vancouver Island and knows of the same folks that we know. 

 

Caleb is drying herbs that were otherwise going to be thrown to the compost bin.  He is going to make tea with them! 



We finished the fence in just a few days; allot quicker than we thought we would.  The benefit was that we worked great as a team and the heat, the sun, the work itself (and some pains) did not deter us from completing the work the Lord put before us.  We are waiting on some landscaping materials and we will see how things progress next. 



We were invited to dinner to the home of the person that Zachary cooks with each day (more on that in a bit) and the kids got to harvest from a bigger garden...they loved it!  This was  a wonderful evening with badminton, bocce, soccer, a walk in the woods, some play with the dogs, and an amazing dinner and great company.  They have a wonderful daughter that we have been getting some of our direction from and have enjoyed getting to know her and her beau; they are both part of YWAM.  The amazing story with this family is that they were in Biloxi, Mississippi at the same time that we were when we entered the Air Force in the 90's.  We were in (stood in) some of the same places at the same time, literally!  Also, they were in Hurricane Hugo when Kelly went through it.  This was only a bit of the parallel that we shared with this family but God really gave us a common interest to talk about!  This has proved to be an amazing relationship as Zachary has also spent time with Alan (the husband/father) as he was "interviewed" to help in the kitchen and has worked each day since, cooking for 30-40 people a day.  Zachary has shown great fortitude and has learned great things while being in there.  Zachary is also earning respect from the folks that he spends time with as he shows great respect and hard work.  

We are gathering items for dinner!

Zachary and Dan getting carrots.

Zachary is loving the kitchen.  He is doing so well being independent and learning so much.

One of the things that we prayed for when we arrived (after our family meeting) was that we would find strength and the "want to" in ALL tasks, no matter how difficult or how mundane.  We are thankful for answered prayer and this family serving in all ways that are put before us.  WE had another family meeting yesterday and followed up on how we each think we are doing in regard to the first meeting that we had.  Everyone is pleased and we continue to see the Lord working. 

Daily worship has proven to be a real blessing.  Each day we spend time as a group, studying, praying, singing, and talking about the Lord.  Each day is a different way of worshipping and it has been amazing to experience the Lord this way each day.  A couple of days ago on "Creative" day, we went outside to praise God individually and spend time in Creation and come back and share what we experienced.  Caleb came back in and shared what he experienced.  Without detail, he shares an intimate relationship with the Lord and it is amazing to see how it is expressed in his own way.  Zachary has also shined in his experiences here.  He ended up wanting to go to worship on a day when the rest of our family was not going to attend.  He went to "intercession" day and afterwards, we were told that we should be very proud of him because he spoke out and prayed for the subject in a way that made the other adults pleased to be with him.  Overall, this YWAM experience proves to be a blessing as much for our family as it does for those whom we are able to serve.  One of the many things that we do each week is "Character Club".  This is a time when we go to a local community center, play basketball/crafts/games, share a short message, and feed those who attend.  I will tell you that it can be a very different world in inner city environments.  It is not only interesting but necessary for my children to experience the "happenings" of what these kids experience on a daily basis; some of these kids live a life that they should not be experiencing.  At the same time that I hurt and shed tears for some of these children and the life they are living each day, for some of them, I see so much maturity and potential.  It makes me so happy when they ask or comment about Christ or something that is a positive in their lives.  Zachary is doing a great job with some of the older guys.  He has stepped up and overcome any anxiety about being the outsider in a realm that he has never been exposed to.  Kamryn has proven to get along with the younger girls and Caleb loves just being a kid with the rest of them.  We are SO thankful to be able to meet all of these kids and  be a part of their lives.  I am so glad that the people of this YWAM love them so much.

A family night of ping pong with our friends from Brazil. 

Kamryn and Rachel having a girl date. 

Kelly learning a new skill from our Victoria friend.

I have to praise the folks that are "working" here.  They have dedicated this season of their lives to serving this area and spreading the Good News.  They serve in so many ways and have invited us to be a part of it.  They come from all over the country (and the world i.e Germany and Brazil at this current moment) and have a heart for serving with only support that they bring with them. 

We have some upcoming tasks lined up and look forward to being able to allow the folks here to fulfill their mission.  We are staying busy and also allow our home and space to be open at all times.  Our fifth wheel has become a great attraction for many of the folks around here, especially those who are here form Brazil.  The people we have met here are wonderful and we have a great time interacting with them and spending time with them each day.  We are learning some Portuguese as we teach a bit of English and share our story, laugh, and love on everyone we meet.  The cool thing is...they are loving us back more than we can give. 

 

 

 

 

We've arrived...but we don't know if they'll let us leave!

 

We arrived last Monday to YWAM (Youth With A Mission) and were met in the road by one of the staff members.  He was so helpful and showed us to the place where we would land our wheels.  I do have to say, we had to take a different route to get to the site and this was the hardest site that I have ever had to get into, but we had great help. everything worked out and we were settled.  We were here a few minutes and we were greeted by another staff member.  We chose to do a quick tour of the grounds, met a handful of folks, and it was back home to finish setting up.  We have met so many people  with so many different stories.  We even met someone from near where we left on Vancouver Island.  They know of one of our gymnastic coaches on the Island because they are from the same area!  God does amazing things!  We were also given a welcome box of food and allot of help.  We sat down for a bit in the yard and talked about the goals that we had for this opportunity.  The kids gave some amazing answers which included earning trust and confidence with each other and with new people; they also said they wanted to learn things and work hard.  These were just a few things.  That night, we also met some folks from Brazil that are here learning English.  We played ping pong, watched a bit of TV and otherwise hung out.  It was a great first night and we couldn't have felt any more welcomed. 



Our home!

Our yard, our play places, our work places, our eatery, and some of our friends' homes. 

Kamryn taking a picture during our family goal meeting. 

The YWAM that we are working with does so much.  They conduct classes on Discipleship training, they teach English, and much more.  One of the refreshing things we do each day is meet for worship.  Someone new leads it and each day has a different theme.  It has been great to start each day with others and with the Lord.  They also have a ropes course and low obstacle course that presses the necessity of teamwork, encouragement, and confidence building and is intertwined with the Gospel.  They also do community outreach and support.  There is MUCH more that goes on here than we ever thought.  We were invited to see what some of the participants learn about confidence and team building.  After we all met for lunch, the leader hooked up the kids and let them do the rope swing.  The kids had a blast and indeed built some confidence.  Caleb went right up and scooted right off; he did great.  Zachary went up and also scooted off; just like the champ he is.  Then, as we thought she wouldn't go any further than the ladder, Kamryn continued to climb and remind us that we have taught her how to rock climb with the "body close to the rock/pole and 3 contact points".  Well, she was obviously listening...because she didn't stop at the ladder.  She just kept climbing and ended up at the top.  The leader took her and hooked her up and we thought for sure she wouldn't sit on the edge...but again, we were wrong.  She sat down and scooted off and loved swinging back and forth.  We were so proud of her and the boys.  Needless to say, they did it again a little bit later. 

A little introduction to one of the ministries that are here. 

Caleb climbing high!

The kids just waiting patiently and encouraging Caleb. 

He loved it as he scooted right off!

The flying Z!

We didn't think she would go all the way up the ladder...she never stopped. 

Yup...she scooted right off with no hesitation!

We met with those that wanted to meet in the morning and talked about the necessities and tasks.  Then we had an opportunity to clean up after lunch.  A wonderful cook completes lunch each day for 30+ people and we were able to help clean up this day as a family (and other days).  The kids were great; they were nonstop.  Caleb wanted to clean the tables and stove among other things.  Kamryn wanted to do tables and mop and worked as hard as any adult.  Zachary was involved in about everything and ended up being invited to help cook each day for all of those people (we found out that people don't just get invited to help in the kitchen  :)  ).  He reports at about 0930 and we eat about 1230.  He is loving it and continues to be asked back.  When we were cleaning up, we also had a better chance to spend some good time with Ty.  He has become a great influence on our family and has an amazing testimony...he is a walking miracle. 

He had asked to clean the stove and was so prod of it!

She is sweating!

Kelly cleaning up some dishes with Ty. 

Zachary cleaning some stainless. 

 One of our first tasks were to clean out two garden plots and figure out what to do with them next.  As a family, we put a plan together and started working.  An area of weeds (some about 8 ft high) about 10 ft deep by 25 ft needed to be cleared.  Everyone got to work and again, we were amazed at the heart of these kids and how they just didn't want to quit.  Caleb ended up really adopting the garden along with an existing pepper plant.  I didn't know he enjoyed it that much but he does.  He sweat unlike I have ever seen a 6 year old sweat before and became the most encouraging (he kept telling everyone how hard they were working and how great they were doing) kid I've ever seen.  Two days in the garden and it was cleaned out, had new compost, had some transplanted plants, new seeds, and Caleb to look over it.  We had a great time working together, sharing stories, talking Scripture, and getting dirty.

The did not like how the garden was looking.

A little planning and allot of work...

Our supervisor.

They were so proud of their work.  This wasn't the end of what they did with the garden but they made such a difference. 

 After finishing up with the garden, we moved on to another task.  A fence and sign needed to be installed but there was an overgrown hill in the way!  We loaded up the tools and started a tractor and headed out.  Two full days of work later, we have a ground that's ready for a fence and sign and we had a great time doing it.  We are looking forward to moving onto the next step Monday.  Kelly looked at me weird and said, "We have been married 15 years and I never knew you could drive and operate a tractor!"  So cool to learn something about each other after all of this time.  We had a great time together and also had an opportunity to greet some of the neighbors while working. 

Kamryn on weeds and mulch duty. 

Day 2 in the garden.  Moved some plants and planted a few others...so proud!

Starting down the road to move a hill to put in a fence. 

It was hot but they didn't mind. 

One of the nights, we went to a local school and helped out with another ministry.  I had an opportunity to meet some amazing boys, share the Gospel, and just chat.  It proved to be challenging but the Lord equips us with He knows we need.  We have to be put into challenging situations sometimes to allow us to meet new limits and rely on Him.  We had a great time and I can't wait to join in again next week. 

We took a break today and headed to the river for a bit; it was beautiful.  Large rocks, rapids, and people galore.  We had a little hike getting there but we saw some beautiful sights and had great conversation with some of the guys from YWAM and met a few new people down there also.  We played in the water, relaxed for a bit, shared stories and sang.  Then we back to the house, had dinner, and tucked the kids in.   We are headed to a local church tomorrow and going to someone's house for dinner tomorrow afternoon. 

Walking across a suspension bridge (under the traffic bridge) over the river.

Playing on the rock and rapids. 

Having a blast!

Chilling out.

Zachary is in the rapids with the boys.

Kamryn is putting on a dance show for all to see!

The Lord has us hooked!  It is so difficult to type all the things that we want to.  We love coming to a place with this sort of mission and being so welcomed by everyone.  He has shown us a new opportunity for "mission work" and we love it.  We want to do our best to Share His love in this city and others...we are researching and praying about our next "assignment" already.  We are told that some of the folks here are "praying us in" to stay here for good.  We still have about 3 weeks here and hope to stay as busy as we have the first week.  We are so thankful for this opportunity.

Four score and seven years ago...

We landed in Gettysburg at a horse ranch/campground and settled right in.  The kids went straight for the playground and then saw the catch and release pond.  On the way to the pond they caught a glimpse of the horse stables...which led their eyes to the pool.  Needless to say their brains didn't know what to do first but they were excited!  We talked with them about what we were about to embark on when we arrived at YWAM...hard work, long days, meeting new people, serving in any way needed, hot hot humid hot weather...they were receptive and excited to get to doing it...but...they went to the pond!  The fish were waiting to be caught and they must have caught 50 the first day.  The also caught a snapping turtle and a bullfrog that was half as long as Caleb when it was hanging.  Kamryn (aka Princess Tomboy) won the weekend fishing contest with the bass she caught.  She was fishing with someone we met and she caught a little perch.  She wanted to cast the baby perch back in and let it swim and the second it hit the water, WHAM! the bass was caught on a Frozen kid's pole and on it's way to Kamryn's hands.  We kissed it and let it go and she has a story to tell!  We also had a chance to go into "Santa's Workshop" and met a wonderful couple.  They display a house full of Christmas decorations on Saturdays and were great to talk to.

Caleb's first catch.  It was so vibrant! 

Kamryn's first catch. 

This was the small one.  He caught another that was about the size of Zachary's head when the frog was sitting. 

They loved this dock and worked so well together. 

I was the king of fish...until Kamryn caught hers!

The Queen of fish.  It was a healthy bass!

Christmas in July!

This was one of their favorite parts of the house. 

We met a nearly retired couple who had just bought a new fifth wheel and have never been camping before.  We asked for a future tour and it all went from there.  They were a great couple.  We shared a few (a million) tidbits of information about RV'ing and talked for a while.  Over the next 3 days we spent a great deal of time with them (whether they wanted us there or not).  We met their wonderful ex son-in-law, his girlfriend and the grandson and we all hung out. 

We also went into Gettysburg National Park, where we were greatly disappointed that we had to pay to get into most of the things available.  We opted out of paying and ended up doing the free stuff instead.  The kids enlisted into the Union Army and had a blast!  Zachary took Kamryn under his wing and she was SERIOUS about being a soldier in 1861.  She marched, shot straight, and never cracked a smile; it was great.  They all had a blast! The kids did their workbooks and were awarded a badge as a Jr Ranger of the Gettysburg National Park.

Falling in after being sworn in. 

Zachary did such a good job with her out there.  She was the smallest. 

See Caleb to the left in the front and Kamryn in the back with the pink short on by Zachary?  Hilarious!

She's peeking out.

This is when the Confederates were attacking and the Union Army rushed in!  um...Kamryn lost her hat...she stopped to put it back on. 

Ready for battle.

Proud of their badges.  We are proud of the history that they are learning. 

About the spot where the first shot at Gettysburg was fired which ended up being the bloodiest battle of the Civil War.  51,000 troops died here in 3 days. 

This was one of my favorites. 

This was being surrounded by the tree roots.  It was one of the many unknown soldiers. 

On/about the spot where Pres Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address.  In those few words, he said so much about the people that fought and the country that they were fighting for. 

 This was one of Caleb's favorite.

The end to the Battle of Gettysburg. 

We saw something pretty amazing yesterday...in front of our camper, a horse trailer pulled up.  Not to odd for a place that has horses but a young lady told me what was special about these.  She rescued them from being sent to Canada and being slaughtered and consumed for meat.  The horses/mules were so scared but so beautiful.  They came out of the trailer and went to a pen where they perked up and knew they were ok.  Then another 2 came and the largest came off of the trailer.  Immediately off the trailer, he started eating the grass on our site and went straight to the area where they were going to get checked out.  We chatted some more with the "rescuer" (her name is Megan) and learned so much more.  She welcomed us up in the morning and we let her go love on her new babies. 

They finally got the off of the trailer.  Just hours before, these animals could have had such a different outcome. 

The third.  He came right off and started eating.  It was like he knew he could relax for a bit now. 

My girls admiring a beautiful animal. (The guy is Megan's fiancée)

This morning we went up to see Megan before we headed out and she was excited to see us (she loved the kids and ended up liking us too :)   )  We were able to spend some time helping out and getting to know about some of the work that has to be done and about horses in general.  She was great with the kids and just loved all over them.   We stayed for a while and had to say bye but not before Kamryn gave her a card and $3.18.  Kamryn wanted to say thank you with a card and she "wanted to pay her" because there was a Gettysburg tour that could also be bought.  Meg slid us the money twice (Kamryn caught her once) and we took a picture, traded information, hugged and said bye.  We had such a wonderful morning and so glad and thankful that she took her time to love on us for a while. 

Caleb and his new buddy. 

So powerful but so gentle. 

Zachary riding the Clydesdale!

Caleb was being followed. 

Mommy is so happy!

Caleb led Kamryn on a walk. 

Kamryn wanted to share the treats equally. 

The kids with Megan.

After that we thought our day would be "normal" until we pulled into a rest area and saw a coach with Georgia Bulldogs all over it!  This was a family that we met on/about day 20 and talked and prayed with.  They were great and the kids played together and the adults had some great talks about our upcoming journey as they were also taking a full time RV journey for a bit.  Today, we chatted with the kids for a bit and we were on our way. 

That leads us to the campus that we are sitting on now.  Awesome history here in these old homes, the grounds are beautiful, and the people that we have met are awesome.  They welcomed us with curbside assistance, a box of food, and hands on RV parking.  The parking spot was a bit interesting to get in but I am thankful that I have had 80 days to practice parking.  We settled in, got a tour, met some people (including someone from Vancouver Island, BC) and two other families.  We gave a tour of our home and then we were off to play ping pong with the guys while the ladies chatted and the kids played.  We had a great night, we feel overly welcomed, and are totally excited to see what God has in store.  The mission here is to help local youth learn some things about fitness and work through a low obstacle course and a ropes course.  Set up to be done by teams, they help individuals build confidence, learn trust, and is intertwined with the Gospel.  We will find out more about our duties tomorrow but we know that we are ready to do His work. 

Our home.

The rest of the visible campus (aka our yard).

We sat down as a family tonight to talk about our goals while we are here and the kids really amazed me.  I truly believe their hearts are all in this and they are as excited as Kelly and I are.  Please pray for us to be filled with energy and good health and to be able to bless the socks off everyone we meet!