March Highlights
March began with a prank. Are you sensing a pattern? This prank also involved balloons in a car, and blessedly not mine. Poor Sam was the victim of the students and Sandra. I had NOTHING to do with any of that.
Aidan & Ray got an old donated racecar up and running, much to Aidan’s absolute delight. He could not stop smiling and telling everyone about how awesome it is and how cool it sounded and how he can’t wait to drive it everywhere. These 4 guys are so interesting. Caleb is proud of getting an old dump truck running, Aidan is proud of the race car, Donny is proud of the roof project, and Logan is proud of his home-brewed RPG. They are all so different and I love them for it.
Logan & Aidan did a pizza cook-off for the staff Easter dinner. Confession time: I messed up Aidan’s pizza. I didn’t know that you don’t flour the pan, you oil it… Regardless, both he and Logan made some absolutely delicious pizza and I am proud of them both! Especially Aidan though for not throwing me under the bus. Which is why I’m throwing myself under the bus…
March 22-24 was the PGCC Women’s Retreat! Vicki, Kristi, and Abby were the speakers for the week and they made a lasting impression on myself and many other women. This year’s topic was on worship, worship through music, worship through confession, etc. I took many notes and have referenced them many times in the weeks since.
Unfortunately, I got the CMTS illness (no thanks to “Typhoid Caleb” and the other students who just continued to spread the unkindness.) During the retreat, I got so sick I had to go to bed early and miss Spoons, an event I have yet to see or participate in. From what I heard though, things got intense. Maybe I was lucky to miss it.
Before the retreat, I met my Dad for a lunch date. With him having off for his medical condition, he’s able to do more things like that. As of today writing this, he is on track to be back to work soon! Thank you for praying and please continue to pray for him as he heals.
March Ministry Highlights
My role in the office seems to be expanding still, in a good way. As I slowly take more off of Joel’s plate, I become more grateful for the skills God has given me, and for the patience of Joel and my other coworkers. They have such grace and love.
We had an Equip Open House, which 1 student attended! He has since decided that he will apply, so please pray that God provides for his tuition, etc.
In the Warehouse, we got an amazing influx of supplies that have been such a blessing to our ministry and many others. Justin & the others received a donation of 20 pallets of Gatorade, which will be used for One Luv’s summer outreach. They have also been prayerfully moving “dead stock” out of the Warehouse to make room for more “in-demand” items. Lack of room caused us to turn away a load of school supplies which is so upsetting because those things are always used up quickly.
Leam has been trucking away at rebuilding the relationship we have with the township. I don’t know how his brain can handle it all, but I’m grateful that’s his job and not mine, to be frank.
Sandra was back at it leading another Serve Day. It has been such a pleasure watching her take ownership of her role at the ministry and grow in her spiritual life as well. She’s been a huge encouragement to me and keeps me striving to pursue Christ, like she is. If she’s growing, I can too, is my thought process. Everyone at CMTS has been growing spiritually and it’s an honor to be a part of that (even if I’m part of the painful sanctification process).
At the end of April, I flew to California to help my friends Shellie & David move back to PA. They have 2 cats and a baby, so I was mostly just a cat ferrier and house mover. I played the most intense game of Jenga, and I think we all 3 felt a sense of accomplishment at being able to pack their whole house into just a Pod.
Helping move them gave me a newfound sense of respect for the Warehouse. If it was up to me, I would be ready to just throw everything out and start over. Not so in the Warehouse. Justin, Johnny, Lisa, and the volunteers put so much effort and time into organizing everything. They are truly a blessing!
April Highlights
The Equip Mexico trip this year sounds like it was amazing. Everyone came back with stories of how they saw God move and use them. I know that each year will be a completely different experience for the people going, and I look forward to how God continues to use this trip to build connections between our spiritual families in Mexico and PA.
While everyone (almost literally, everyone) was in Mexico, I discovered a baby fish in the office fish tank! Apparently, we have 2 corydoras; one is albino (that’s Albino Bob), so I never realized that they were the same type of fish (the mother is Catfish Stevens). I was cleaning the fish tank and saw this tiny little thing swimming around, then proceeded to spend a solid hour staring into the tank trying to find it again, every day, for the next week. I am DELIGHTED.
Then in May, Lisa set down by the tank and found ANOTHER fish baby! She was so excited and of course, it is now her responsibility to name it. (She named it Fishstick. We love her sense of humor!)
I took my sister on a very belated birthday/Christmas date. Being at CMTS has filled my calendar in a good way, but I don’t see my siblings as often as I might like. Ideally, I will put more effort into making time to see them and talk to them, but let’s be real. They’re my siblings and we’re cut from the same “I’ll see them when I see them” cloth.
Before the students returned from Mexico, Jen Darnell had been planning a prank on the dorm. Unfortunately, we are not allowed in the dorms, even when the students are gone on a trip. Fortunately, Peyton is.
The students returned late Wednesday night after traveling all day to discover that someone had stuffed a bunch of huge empty boxes from the Warehouse in their hallway, strategically placed photos of Jack Black throughout their rooms, covered their outside stairs with half-full cups of water, caution taped their entrance, and put photographic evidence of the culprit doing each part of the prank. Little Hope Darnell was all too eager to help prank the students, some of her favorite people. The students were, of course, delighted with the prank and they still have the photos on display.
April Ministry Highlights
One of my favorite things from April was the students’ newsletters. If you’re ever interested in reading them, I would be glad to give you a link or have them send it to you somehow! They are truly a good look into what they are going through, and what they are thinking, and you get to see how God moves and grows them throughout the year.
April saw a decent number of vehicle donations to the ministry, which is a huge blessing! When we get a vehicle donated, we usually fix it up and then sell it to a missionary, local ministry leader, person in need, etc. It’s a great source of income for the ministry, especially since we are struggling to raise funds for the different projects around us. But, as difficult as that may be, I have yet to see God fail in providing funds!
We are going to have a lot of work groups this summer. They are such an encouragement for us. We love having people who want to get involved at CMTS, even just for a day or two!
May Highlights
Since I procrastinated my newsletter so badly, I’m just going to add May in here, and maybe I’ll do a special June one. Imagine if I wrote a newsletter every month… Maybe that would keep me more in check? Let me know what your opinion is because I value your input!
After getting back from California, it has been nonstop. In a good way. There is always something to do in the office, and since evening programs at church are wrapping up for summer break, I’m looking forward to having Tuesday & Wednesday nights to spend time with Mel, work late, or make plans with a friend.
I took Kylie, Parker, and Jase Smith to a book sale. Usually, Danielle goes with but she and Joel had a weekend away planned. Luckily, I like these kids and enjoy spending time with them.
We I looked through the hundreds of books, found a few gems, promised the kids “just one more row!”, looked through 5 more rows, gave them the choice of either Chickfila or Pizza Hut, was asked “Does Pizza Hut have slushies??”, decided on Pizza Hut, then went to Sheetz for the promised and seriously sought after slushies. That evening, I was suckered into playing Mario Kart, at which point the students also heard and joined. No surprise, the youngsters are much better at the game than I am.
This month, Ronnie & Danielle Kocher stepped back from KFJ and serving with the children’s ministry at PGCC.
I would not be who I am if not for Ronnie & Danielle. They have been a second set of parents, always encouraging me and reminding me how loved I am, and just showing Jesus in the most beautiful way to everyone around them, especially the children at church.
If not for Ronnie and Danielle asking me to serve in Preschool when I was just a Freshman or Sophomore in high school, I can’t imagine what I would be like. It’s possible I would have gone “husband shopping” at other churches, and who knows what teaching I would have received or fallen prey to? Because they grabbed me and wrapped me into service, I have stayed at a theologically strong, Bible-loving/teaching church.
If not for Ronnie and Danielle, I never would have served with Danielle in Preschool, and we never would have cultivated the friendship we have. Danielle is my best friend, and I can no longer imagine life without her. I am forever grateful for Ronnie & Danielle putting us together in Preschool.
If not for Ronnie and Danielle, I would not be at CMTS because I wouldn’t know Joel & Danielle as well as I did when they asked me on staff.
Long story short, because of my obedience in following God’s command to serve and Ronnie & Danielle’s obedience to ask me to serve and teach, my life would be, dare I say, drastically different. The legacy they are leaving behind is so deeply rooted in Jesus that they can joyfully say that because of Him, they were able to serve for so long. I hope and pray that I can follow their example in faithful serving.
One Sunday as I was getting ready to leave church, I saw Aidan and Caleb across the sanctuary very obviously avoiding eye contact and rushing for the door. Strangely, when I left, Aidan’s car was still parked next to mine. I thought it was weird, but maybe they were with Nolan. This was not the case. As I leave the parking lot, I hear a thud and it hits me: they’re in the trunk. Aidan and Caleb had squished themselves into my car’s trunk, waiting for me to leave so they could scare me. Since they were essentially kidnapping themselves, they ended up joining the Noecker reunion and becoming honorary cousins. They were delighted to have pulled off such a prank, to say the least.
This week, I helped cover lunch in the kitchen, so Aidan and I prepped the night before and made pizza dough. It was our redemption arc. And we nailed it! This batch was SO good, from the dough to the sauce that Aidan made! He even made a special barbecue sauce for a BBQ chicken pizza. I was so proud of our work, and if you look at the pictures I share on the website, you can see just how proud he is. I was also glad to be able to redeem myself for the flour blunder.
The Students
As I write this, we are 3 days away from the Equip End of Year Dinner, after which the students will be leaving for home. I can’t believe it. Time flew so fast this year, and each of these guys has built a special place in my heart.
Aidan will be returning for E2 in late July, and we are all very excited! He will be spending the year with Justin in the Warehouse. The growth that he has shown in the past 10 months is so incredible. He has been humbled, and has proven to be a kind, caring, God-fearing man of God. He has a heart for service, never complaining about being asked to do something that might not be pleasant or exciting. It blows my mind how willing they have all been to sacrifice time for each other, for serving at other ministries, and for serving the ministry here. I know that God is going to use Aidan for amazing things. Also, Aidan is just a lot of fun.
Caleb, after MUCH deliberating and praying, will also return for E2. (We knew he would, it just took him forever to say yes.) He will be working in the shop with Nick, and occasionally with Ray doing maintenance around the campus. Caleb is the oldest of the group, both literally and figuratively; it’s not for nothing that he earned the nicknames Mennonite and Grandpa. This guy also blows my mind with his work ethic. But even more than that, his personality, attitude, and laugh are infectious. Even though he’s an old soul, he tries to throw in some GenZ slang, and it never fails to offer a memorable quote for the books. Caleb has also grown a lot in the past year. When the roof project was going on, he was one of the first ones on the roof, and one of the most difficult to get down. I remember him still being up there 15 minutes before class (not recommended); on Saturdays, I frequently find him driving around in one of the yard trucks tinkering or fixing things. I’m excited to see how God grows his leadership skills in E2!
Donny is going to spend the summer working for a girl’s camp in New York, and then in September, he will be doing the DTS in Monterrey, Mexico. While he was there, he felt God calling him to return for the DTS, but who knows? Maybe he’ll be there even longer. Donny has matured a lot in Equip. He is the one that, when I’m in a bad mood or feeling a little bit down, will always, without fail, make me laugh, turn my mood around, and remind me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. He is going to be amazing in Mexico, and I am so looking forward to hearing how God moves through and in him while he’s there.
Logan will be finding a job before doing some college classes. To be honest, I don’t fully understand what he plans to go to school for. In my mind, it’s computer stuff. I really should be better versed in this kind of thing, especially since I’ve been serving at Christ Link for 3ish years now. But what I do know is that he is going to be an asset for the Kingdom whatever he does. He loves to share his faith with those who have different beliefs. Whatever he does for God, it will be great! It’s been a lot of fun hearing him talk about nerd stuff, some of which I don’t understand, and the other parts he is quick to share about. I’ll miss his humor and puns. Maybe.
May Ministry Highlights
In May, Danielle sent out a message that I am taking on a new role at the ministry. Really, it’s just taking on more responsibilities and absorbing some of Joel’s work administratively. The less he has to do in the office, the more he can focus on other things for the ministry. We would still like a Front Desk person that can help me with some of the duties around the office. If you know of anyone that would potentially be a good fit, let me know!
Most of our cars are out with missionaries for the summer! Righteous Rides has been a blessing for the ministry, and I personally am VERY grateful for the ability to just receive the info that’s been sorted out and do the easy part of giving the missionary their van.
Christ Link has wrapped up for the year! I am looking forward to next year and how that ministry will grow and impact the world for Christ. The work they do may seem almost minor, but it actually has a far-reaching influence. Wes and his team are an asset to so many people, and I know that I would be lost without him being there when I have a panic moment of “Wes, the website updated and something is wrong, help?!”.
Where’s God?
Everywhere! But specifically:
- He has been growing me and stretching me to my limits.
- He’s continued to provide finances every month. I’m learning to trust God with His money. I have heard, seen, and borne witness to God controlling money in such a way that it is so obviously Him (and His). I look forward to Him continuing to do so for the ministry, for myself, and for my coworkers especially. I have been blessed with consistent financial support each month and it can only be because of God. I can’t stress this enough, but I couldn’t do this without your support!
- I am halfway to being fully supported for the Canada trip! If you are interested in donating to that trip, I will gladly give you a support letter that has more details about what I will be doing, and why I’m going!
- He has protected the ministry. Sometimes, I am struck by the thought or realization that I will never fully understand the depths to which God has gone, is going, and will go to protect this ministry. I wish that I could see the ways He has moved, but then remember that it’s probably for the better that I don’t sometimes.
- He’s blessed me with a supportive family. My biological family, my spiritual family, and my chosen family. Life would not be the same without them.
- He’s provided food consistently for everyone at the ministry. God has provided low-cost resources through places like Hornings and Blessings of Hope, or donations of food from churches, etc. He promised to provide for our basic needs, and I have seen Him hold true to that promise.
- He’s shown me grace and mercy when I truly don’t deserve it. None of us deserve it, but that’s what’s so amazing about God. He is good.
- He’s proven His trustworthiness and His steadfast, enduring love over and over. In February, not knowing what was going on with Dad and why he was sick, it was scary. Now, he’s back to work! He is so happy to return to work, and I’m glad that the treatments seem to be working. Please continue to pray for him!
Prayer Requests:
- Continued provision! I know that God can and will provide my needs because He’s promised it, and His faithfulness is unending. That being said, He does tell us to remind Him (or ourselves really) of His character. So pray with me for God to be God.
- Please continue to pray for me as I seek His will, follow His plan, and surrender my own. Please pray for me as I seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness. I am striving to be content where I am, not looking for something that won’t satisfy like Christ will. These 3 months were really heard; 2 girls much younger than me got married, and I have done my best to rejoice with them and not let my own disappointment poison things. But it is so hard. So please pray for me.
- Pray for strength and wisdom for myself and everyone else at the ministry. Pray for strength and wisdom for myself and everyone else at the ministry. Especially for the men and women in leadership. God is bigger than any challenge we’ve faced yet. He is sovereign!
- Pray for the different projects happening around campus, for the finances to handle all these things, and for wisdom and protection. I know that God has provided and will, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still wonder how He’s gonna do it.
- Pray for the Equip program. These guys have been challenged and have grown a lot this year. Pray for them as they seek God in their lives after Equip. Pray for last year’s students too!
- Pray for E2. Caleb and Aidan have to raise support for their intern year at CMTS. Everyone has encouraged them to trust God to provide as He promised He would, but I know from experience that that is a constant and difficult process. Pray that God would move miraculoucly to provide all they need, and then some!
- Pray for the different aspects of the ministry: the Righteous Rides partnership, the Warehouse, the Automotive Shops, maintenance and hospitality people, the leadership, the administration, all the things!
- Pray that the Lord of the Harvest would send more workers into His field (see Matthew 9:38). We need help. A few of the major areas of need are in:
- the kitchen
- the office (with me!)
- Equip
- The Warehouse
- The Automotive shops
- Hospitality
- Pray that I would find contentment and fulfillment in Christ alone, and that I would be persistent in prayer for His will, not mine.
- Pray for my dad & family. We are so grateful for how God moved and kept us all in His peace. Pray that it continues as he heals and that we would surrender to Him.