Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest
– Matthew 11:28

This summer, we took time to rest! Year 3 was busy and the end of it marked three years straight of non-stop program building. We were able to take some time off to rest our souls this summer and refocus on the Lord and His desire for this program and our lives.

We were so blessed to be able to visit new and old friends in Colorado and take advantage of their Isaiah Ministry, get off CMTS campus for a long weekend, and simply exist in God’s creation.

We’ve also had some time for reflection and realized just how much God has grown and developed the Equip program over the past three years!

Year 4 kicked off at the beginning of this month and has already been nothing short of amazing! We are again in awe of how Jesus has called these particular students to the program. We hope you get a chance to meet these amazing young men!

This year also comes with our first additional Equip staff member, found in a former Equip student! We are thankful for a good foundation laid in which to build off of as we teach and develop Donny in leadership skills, as well.

Praise God in all His ways! He understands our needs so well before we can even ask Him!

Equip Year 4 started on August 4th – We have three students this year who are eager to grow in their relationship with the Lord and to learn new, valuable vocational skills!  Charles, Robbie, Donny, and Nolan went on their first activity off-campus – kayaking!

Malakai joins us from Colorado. One of his passions is scootering, for which he has been ranked 9th in North America!

Charles is from the Lancaster area. He has an ear for music and can be found playing guitar or the drums in his spare time.

Robbie is from Missouri. Like Charles, he has also participated in his church’s worship team and has become the new resident goofball.

Equip Classroom

We have finished the new Equip room! This colorful room is dedicated to Equip use, including classroom time, fellowship, and free time. It’s located above the shop and is the first completed room of the office renovation!

Donny

Donny was a student in Year 2 of Equip. He returned to CMTS in February full time and has now been invited to join us as an Equip staff member. He will serve under Nolan as a Dorm Leader, participating in Equip activities, learning how a gap year program is run, and growing in discipleship. We are so thankful and excited to have him as part of the team!

Colorado

This year, we have combined two trips into one – Our previous domestic mission trip and our week-long camping trip at a local ministry will now be one trip. Similar to years past, this will be an opportunity to get out into nature, serve others who are serving God with projects around their campus, and time for bonding and fellowship. In September, we will be going to the western slopes of Colorado to assist with winter prep and other miscellaneous needs around the ministry’s campus.

Mexico

We are again planning on returning to Monterrey, Mexico, next semester. We are still praying about timing and the possibility of raising funds to build another Home of Hope!

Office Renovation

As mentioned in regard to the Equip classroom, CMTS is undergoing renovations above the mechanic shop! The ministry office will officially be moving over to that building upon completion of the project. Hopefully, it will be completed in the next coming weeks – we are getting very close! The plan for the current office space will be to convert it into apartment space for staff.

As we move forward into another year ahead, we would be remiss to not look back at all that God has done in us, with Equip and each student, and at CMTS and praise Him for His mercy, wisdom, and provision! We work in His strength, which is enough for each day.

Please continue to pray for us as we lead this program with the Lord’s vision and purpose at the forefront. Please also pray for wisdom in counseling the students through life’s trials and for the ability to continually turn them back to the Lord.

If you have any interest in participating in what we are doing here with Equip or at CMTS, please let us know! There are so many ways to get involved. God qualifies those He calls; no prior experience or degrees required! We would love talk to you about ways you can participate in God’s work at this ministry and in this region!

Thank you to those who continue to prayerfully support us. Prayer is a powerful weapon against the schemes of the enemy and we are so thankful to have prayer partners who petition on our behalf for the work God is doing in these young people. Please continue to pray for us and Equip when you think of us! If you have any questions or would like to know more, please reach out!

Please join us in praying for the students:

• Malakai- would like prayer as he is trying to overcome some habits in his life
• Charles- would like prayer that he would be find the positive in things that are hard, and that he would learn endurance.
• Robbie- would like prayer for growth in wisdom and direction
• Donny – He has taken a huge step in faith to join CMTS full time. He brings enthusiasm and a positive outlook to his work. He is balancing full time ministry with the new cost of living as an adult. Please pray for Donny as he raises support and trusts God with his finances and needs.
• Colorado trip – that we can be a blessing to those we are going to serve beside, for good time spent in fellowship and in prayer, impact for the students’ in their walk with Jesus
• Mexico – wisdom to know the right timing and if we should build another house, and if so, how to raise the money to do so
• Office renovation – wisdom in finishing the new offices and in renovating the old office space, for materials and labor assistance

Thank you for reading!

Nolan and Jenny Lapp