Mission Work

The Equip Students had their gingerbread houses judged, Aidan won. We had our Staff Christmas Party and the 3 students that did not win put on a play about the winner. It was quite funny! It was written by them and they made their own costumes. It was about them 10 years from now and reminiscing about their year here.

We had a workgroup visit for the weekend, the Boys’ Brigade, and we got to serve and spend time with them. They have been serving here every fall for 10 + years and we are thankful they do!

Our donated building was also split, wrapped, and put on wheels! We are so close to getting it onto the campus! We had a professional donate his time to help us do this part of the project and we have another professional getting it onto the campus, hopefully early January! Praise God and His provision to fix our broken building!

 

Glennville, GA Mission Trip

Georgia Missions Ministry in Glennville, GA, is the ministry we were helping this week. This was our reboot into public mission trips and we had a curve ball thrown in, the Equip students. We were not planning on taking them with us to Georgia, but the location we were talking with about our 2nd domestic trip shut down. They were no longer accepting groups. We were praying on what to do and we felt God saying to add them to this trip. I am glad we did! They really brought energy and encouragement to the project.

One of my favorite parts was the unity of our focus. We knew why we were there and we worked at it. Some sang hymns together, some made jokes, some did paint wars, but overall the team was a team. We did have a mid week rally where we had to bring everyone together to refocus, but overall, it was wonderful. Another good part of what happened was the way our team was intentional and folded themselves into the community we were staying in. They were not shy or nervous, they just went forward and started talking to people. They saw someone sitting alone and they sat with them, talked with them, and sometimes got to pray with them! I had one lady ask me (Danielle) if we taught our team to just approach people that way. I said yes, but more so they do it joyfully because they want to get to know you. They are not forced to do this, they are excited to meet them and the team really was. They sang Christmas Carols together, had meals together, even got to do a food judging contest. Each night a large portion of the group would walk the town and talk to people they met too, it was so neat! We went to a retirement community that week for a morning to sing songs, do a craft, and some of our team got to share their testimonies! 

By the end of the week we were the talk of the town and had many people slowly driving by the house we were working on looking at what we were doing. It was a great “in” to share with people why we wuld fix a house for free and travel 13 hours south to do it. The house is not completely finished, but it is so much further along and I am glad we got to be an encouragement to Annette and her ministry!

Home Life

December is always a little busy! We served with a local Outreach Ministry in Reading, PA for a day as a family and then went out for tacos! Did our traditional pancake art during Christmas Break from school. Jett loves Zack King on YouTube and was making his logo and Kylie was making a dragon. Most others made Christmas themed pancakes. And we enjoyed time as a family and with our extended family! We got to visit quite a bit of our families and just spend time together over a meal. 

 

Homeschool Corner

We visited an Alligator National Preserve while in Georgia, unfortunately going in December is a little too chilly for them, so we really just went on a hike and learned cool things about their habitat.

We also got to visit America’s Smallest Church. It was really tiny!

On the way from the mission trip in Georgia we stayed in Williamsburg, VA, and got to visit the Jamestown Colony and Yorktown area. We also wanted to see the Christmas Lights that we heard so much about, but we did not find them. It was sad. But there was a lot of neat history there and we got to see some of the first houses built, how they made mortar to go between bricks, and how not to dig wells by the ocean! LOL

We did our worksheets and other desk work for the first 2 weeks of December and after we got home from Georgia/Virginia we had Christmas Break! It was great getting to pause on that and get caught up on any school work that we were behind on and then rest!

Upcoming Mission Trips

Mayreau, St. Vincent & The Grenandine Islands

The last week in February Joel and Parker (our 10 year old daughter) will be flying to Mayreau. We will be visiting our ministry friends, Ben & Jess Tangert of YWAM SVG. They run a base down there that focuses on sharing the gospel and their lives with the children and the adults on the island. Joel & Parker love to work with children and will be helping them with their ministry during the week and sharing their faith and love of Jesus. CMTS has helped provide donations to each household on the island over the past few years.

Monterrey, Mexico

April 2nd-April 10th. Around 10 of us (including the students, Danielle/Joel and Ace/Peyton) will be embarking on an adventure to Monterrey to spread the love of Jesus. This trip has been so impactful in the past, and we pray for God to move again on this trip. We have the opportunity to serve the community in the city through local churches street outreach, feeding programs, kids programs, Bible handouts, and more. Please pray for God to open the hearts of the people we meet, for boldness as we share and for the gift of language as they speak a different language than us.

How can I help?

Please pray for each team as we prepare now for each trip. Our family needs to raise additional funds to be able to pay our airline tickets and to cover other costs of the trip. Because of us taking 6 kids on one trip and 2 on another this raises our costs (of course). We need to raise $3000. We feel strongly that this is the best way for us to train them for a lifetime of serving Jesus and others. Praise God for for these opportunities!!

 

Prayer Requests

• Support: We are still not fully supported and are actively raising support.
• Homeschool: that is an ever going prayer
• Guidance, wisdom, and discernment as God leads us as we lead the ministry.
• Our smaller family car had the engine blow a piston rod, we need a whole engine repair or replacement. Prayer for finding an engine that is low in miles and affordable and funds to pay for this repair.

 

Family Needs

Support

We are currently at $1,750 monthly and where we need to be is $3,570. It has been by the grace and provision by God that we are making it. We could really use your help. Prayers and awareness of this need to others is much appreciated!

Here is further breakdown in each category:

Retirement: We are saving up to retire one day and being a good steward with our time in the future.

Misc.: Savings for emergencies and medical expenses like braces and casts. Education and field trips. Fun days with the kids as a family out, date nights with Joel & I (Danielle), and saving each month for vacations.

Transportation: gas, car insurance, maintenance, and repairs.

Living expenses: electricity, propane, internet, cell phones, clothing, food, and household items.

 

Would you like to join our team? We need your help to continue to accomplish God’s vision for us at the ministry. Would you join us as a monthly supporter so we can continue the work God has started? We want to take you along for the journey and we would be honored to be able to share the experience with you. You would become part of the team and we would share how God is working and the impact it is having on His Kingdom. Please pray and ask God if you should join us.