Vision Camp

I spent last week in the Julian Mountains, attending and staffing our Vision Camp, a summer missions camp for teens. It lasted from Sunday afternoon to the following Saturday! There is no possible way that I can tell you about all that happened. We were honored to have in our care almost 60 students from the ages of 12-18. We partnered with Youth for Truth, which is a discipleship program that also send short term teams in the summer to South America. I was a member of a Jr.High team and .....well shall I say, it's been way too long since I had Jr.High experience! whew! The girl in the picture was one of our team members. Each team was named after a language group that just recently completed a translation of the New Testament into their language. Our teams names was Aukan. Our week consisted of 3 meetings a day, of which I taught two sessions on Tuesday and two on Thursday, and games and team/tribal times squished in between! We got to know each other throughout the week and by the end of the week God had done some tremendous things in the lives of the students. We experienced some deep worship times, and watched as kids eyes were open to the reality of the Christian experience. Some received Christ as their own and some decided to spend time this year under the care of Christians in order to find out what Christianity really is all about.
I was personally going through a tough time emotionally, because of stuff the weekend before, but God was also talking to me and revealing some necessarily character growth. He gave me Colossians 3:12-17 and I am still thinking on all that He has for my growth based on that. I needed the camp experience just as much as the kids. God knows all we need. He knows just what to allow in our lives.
I will be going to Wisconsin next week to visit with my students there and church family and friends. I am really looking forward to it. But before that, I am holding a sleepover tomorrow night for some of my small group girls from my youth group! We'll be together that night and I am waiting to see what God will do using that time. Our plan is to continue our time together on Saturday and go to Oceanside for the day at the beach. These "hang-out" times are usually the times that deepen my relationship with my girls in ways that Wednesday youth nights just don't do. So I am praying for these fun times too!

Summer camp

Yeah, I know the picture is TINY! I will get some bigger ones and change them when I can. Ok! I went to camp last week! That's why my blog wasn't updated. My youth group from Sunridge Community Church in Temecula took about 60 kids up to Pondo Pines Camp at Big Bear, CA! We left last Monday and returned exhausted but happy on Friday. I am so grateful that not only is my job flexible enough to allow me to volunteer for such events but it's even part of my job description! woohoo! How lucky am I?
I was privileged to spend the week in the cabin with the girls from this years small group. We spent the day, just about 24/7 with each other! *big smile* The theme of the camp week was "Shine" which was based on Phil 2:14-16 "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life- in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing". All 8 teams were named after stars. Our team was called Aimach, which is a star in the Andromeda constellation. The speakers topics were all based on astronomy. It was fascinating and although I've heard that kind of thing before; I was again amazed at God and His immensity and grandeur. That WAS the point actually! :-)
The best part of all of this was that as I sat in the meetings and spent some talk time with my girls, my heart was full to overflowing. I was so blessed by my time with them. I was again reminded of WHY I LOVE youth ministry. I was again reminded that THIS is WHY I do this stuff. That God has made me for this ministry. I can not believe, as I look back, the years that have flown by and the lives that I have had some influence in. They bless me and God blesses me by being allowed to be a piece of their lives. I LIVE for times like this. When God gives you something to do, He makes you LOVE it! :-) I got to see God work, meaning move hearts and change minds, last week. He did it with teenagers. He did it without our help. He spoke to me as well, through a continuation in the passage in Isa 40:26. I've been concentrating on verses 27-31, but then He added verse 26 for me. "he calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength not one of them is missing". I was reminded that He has not forgotten me. One among trillions. He knows me and He cares what happens to me.
Anyway. That was my week. I was blessed and rewarded. Teens saw God in their own lives and He showed Himself amazing. Whew! Can ministry be any better than this?

Family vacation

We had a great trip! I returned to CA on Monday evening. It all started with Memorial Day party at the Pitts in Stratford, followed by a few days of moving the Pitts in Bethel out of their house. They will be moving in with my parents for the month of June, grandkids and all! We left for Virginia on Friday and enjoyed a week of being together. We were graciously offered a place to stay in Massanutten resort near Harrisonburg, by the Fellenbaums. The weather was wonderful, with the exception of one day of storms but even that was kinda fun. We explored the Skyline Drive at Shenandoah National Park and Luray Caverns as well as the resort pool and horseback riding stables. We took turns preparing meals and generally just enjoyed hanging out together. Our room sat at the back of the 11th hole of the resort golf course and it was fun just watching people putt! The trip ended with a memorial service for my grandfather in Scottsville, VA. That was a really hard day or two for me. I knew it was going to be hard, and it was. I reminded myself that Jesus allowed himself to grieve at Lazarus's tomb, despite the fact that he knew he was to raise his friend from death. So it's OK to grieve, even if it's simply to feel the loss of the persons presence. PopPop is and will be, greatly missed.
The day after I returned to CA I attended my second Para-chapel ministries meeting at Camp Pendleton, the place all the contacts there got started. It was fun to report on the new ministry youth group starting and it was also a personal benefit to meet some of those who also volunteer on base.
I am just getting rolling again with office stuff for my organization. I will be going with my youth group girls to summer camp next week. We had also planned a sleepover this Friday night, before I realized that it will be followed by a week of camp together! oh well! the more the better! :-) I was welcomed very warmly back to youth group last night and it was so encouraging!
As always, thanks for checking in!

New friends and New ministry

Some of you may be saying, "finally! a picture!". Yes, my friend Kate Sutton, our youth pastors wife, remembered her camera for our "girls night out" this Monday and I'm so glad she did! I always forget! A bunch of us "girls" got together to say goodbye to Kate and just for fun. Kate and her husband Terrance are leaving us and moving back to Chicago. So our church is looking for another youth pastor. I have been very blessed to get involved with a youth ministry team of fun people. We meet after group every Wednesday and this was our first girls night.
Also, on the job ministry front (as opposed to the personal ministry! lol ) We had our second meeting at Camp Pendleton for the new youth ministry starting there. God continues to do things His way, as opposed to the way I expect. A Young Life team is being formed, to be a foundation ministry for the fluctuating military community. We had some new people come, and a few from our previous meeting. I was a bit discouraged, as there were a number of people missing that I expected to see, but as is His way God brought those people that He wanted to be there. Everyone that came was really enthusiastic and ready to begin! The first youth gathering will be an ice cream social next Thursday. There are 800 young people on the South side of the base (which itself contains 30,000 people!!). Please pray with us, that most of these young people will show up. We'd rather have too little ice cream, than too much! :-) The Young Life director here says that the leadership information meetings have been exceptional. He rarely gets so many interested volunteers as we have the last few meetings. God is truly in this. I am just so glad God has allowed me to be a piece of that! It is hard to explain how good it feels, to be involved in youth ministry with military kids....it's kinda like coming "home". If you want to know more about this kind of ministry, check out www.mcym.org
Thanks for checking in! I'll be in CT as of Memorial Day, and then our family is going down to Virgina. I'll be seeing some of you soon!

Just a quick update!

I went to Idylwild, CA this last week from Monday thru Thursday and I failed to take any pictures! So I didn't have anything fun and new to show you. It was a Southwest Recruiters retreat. We meet twice a year and this was my very first time!
I was excited and encouraged as I heard stories from the other recruiters around me. We heard from each region, worked on some new reports done on our personality profiles, and heard from our recruitment director as well. Our days were full and our nights spent online! How funny that email has so taken control of our lives! We all gathered in the same room, but instead of gathering in chatty groups, we all sat facing our computer screens. The very last night we were all able to peel ourselves away from those screens and play a fun game of "Apples to Apples". What a fun silly game!
This weekend I got to go to the CA beach for the first time! I went with my neighbor to Oceanside! So California. It was so nice, and warm too! yeah!
Sunday I was so blessed to be surrounded by friends. Sunday morning after church we talked for at least 30 minutes and in the evening we were all gathered in a friends home to send off our youth pastor and his wife. I am so grateful to begin to have a group of friends, and girlfriends!
I leave next Sunday to go home to CT for a bit and then our family is all heading off to VA for a family vacation. As some of you know, my brother and his wife will be moving their belongings and preparing to leave the country for overseas service. We are getting in some good family time. At the end of that time, June 7 will be the memorial service for my grandfather, John L Pitts III. It is still hard to believe he is gone, and I think that that service is going to be particularly difficult for all of us. It will be held in Scottsville, VA our family "seat". I'd appreciate your prayers for us as we grieve all over again.
I'll update on Thursday and maybe I'll even have a picture next time! :-)

Moving in and making new friends!

Last Friday my two friends moved me into the new office. We got the desk and file cabinet and chairs all in and I was set! We will be bringing in some of the display from the old office to this one, and Kurt is gonna set it up for me. It will then look a bit more like a jungle. That ought to be fun! You'll see that next week. The next picture is me at my new desk. Looks pretty plain, eh? Wait till you see the fun stuff from the old office. Last weekend, after much mental debate, I went on the womens retreat from my local church. I have never attended a womens retreat and yet I thought this one might be different that what I've heard of before. Well, I was right. This group of ladies was quite adventurous! Most of us went rafting on Saturday and our little raft group had quite the adventure. We got stuck on a rock mid rapid, and although our guide had guided tours for three summers, we needed another two guides to get us "unstuck". That made our raft group a wee bit timid, but we made it the rest of the day and had two more good and fun runs down the river! The biggest reason I attended the retreat was to make some more lady friends. I was so blessed, and made some good new friends. One was also a girl who rode up to the retreat with me, and with whom I found I had a bunch in common with. We both lived in the same area in Hawaii and we talked and laughed about our love of Hawaii and it's idiosyncrasies. I even met another single gal and she is full of life! I thought I've done some pretty cool things in my 33 years, but she definitely beats me to the punch! She's got me thinking that I might try a half marathon! why not?
Youth group has been very rewarding, and the girls and I are getting along really well. We are trying to plan our next sleepover, and their thinking maybe the last day of school would be good.
I am continuing to meet with the Chaplains at the Marine base Camp Pendleton, and we are asking God to help us to know His plan for this ministry with youth and we are looking forward to watching Him use us in the lives of kids and in the building of a partnership with local churches.
Hopefully I'll be getting a new short term trip idea off the ground soon. We're hoping to develop a partnership with a sister organization and this could be our first group effort. The idea is to expose teens to the other sides of our work in our organization and let them see that God can use them in all kinds of creative support roles, working alongside translations projects!
Thanks for checking in again! Come and visit if you feel like it. I have a guest room!

Moving my office

Another year, another move! Hehehe. well, actually we are moving my office from the Temecula location South, to the offices of the National Network of Youth ministries in San Diego. Kurt Scorza on the left (formerly of the dog training episodes) and Paul Johnson on the right are helping me get it all there. I will be commuting from Hemet to the Rancho Bernardo area 3-4x's a week. We'll see how it goes. For now I will be continuing to live in the home I live in now. If the commute proves to be too much and God opens an opportunity for me to live somewhere near the new office, then I'd move then. For now, while the Temecula office continues to be open I'll visit the members there on Mondays and work from home 1-2x's a week. This new location has some very good points too! The office of the National Network of Youth ministries houses youth networking people who communicate with youth ministries all over the nation. Perfect for a member who wants to network with those exact people too! God may be expanding my reach and that of my organization through this opportunity.
I'm continuing also to work with my kids at the youth group at church. We will be losing our youth pastor in the summer and our church is already actively looking for a replacement. So my services are definitely needed at this season of ministry there. I have been blessed to be given the chance for deeper relationships with a number of the girls there and as you who know me know, I am so fulfilled by those relationships. God has specifically made me for ground level, local church youth ministry.
I have been talking to the chaplains at the Marine base and a ministry called the Military Community Youth Ministry and we are continuing to meet to build this youth ministry. I so enjoy getting involved in the lives of military youth and their families. It feels kinda like "home".
Also, it looks like we're finally getting a short term trip opportunity off the ground. It will hopefully be a trip to Cameroon, Africa next summer. We hope that it will be a trip for youth to see the other side of our organization, an area called Vernacular Media! I might even get to go to Africa myself. This thrills me, as I have yet to go to that continent!
So, little moves and big moves...God gets glory in all of them!

San Diego and Youth ministry meeting

Well, it's been over a week now since I last wrote. Since then, my parents came out to visit for the weekend last. The pictures are of the Balboa Park area, and as you can see it's peak rose season!
The Camp Pendleton meeting was last night and it went really well. God drew 9 churches and 13 people, apart from the three of us leaders. The two chaplains did a super job, we had two videos of military moms answering questions about how we could help address their needs. It was very evident that God was in it, as the people who came were passionate about being involved and one church has even been praying for an opportunity like this for a few years now! The Base chaplain is very open to taking assistance and will do all he can to allow us to assist with the youth on base. We are all excited, and i am honored that God is allowing me to have a piece of the action. Not only am I able here to find ways to help more youth, but these are military youth too!
Throughout the process of contacting churches to come to this meeting, I've met and spoken to a number of really good contacts, one of them being the MCYM, or Military Community Youth Ministry. We have been able, through God, to connect with a few really good networks of ministries. It is gonna be really exciting to see how God moves in order to minister to the kids on this base. For some reason He is moving now, and boy am I glad that I get to be a part of it! We're just stepping up to something God has already begun. Can't get any easier than that!

Goodbye's and Airplanes

Last week was just a plain old work week, but I feel like I've lived two weeks in one!
The first two pictures are of our office closing celebration last Tuesday. The office in Temecula will be officially closing May1, but we are preparing the move out throughout this month. People from all over the area and from Florida came. We had a luncheon and a little meeting, as well as got a group shot!It was a time of tears for some, as they shared lots of memories. It was a good closure though for most.
Like I told you last week, last Monday I met with two chaplains on Marine Base Camp Pendleton, to discuss ideas of how we can minister more effectively to the young people on base, essentially the military "brats". Having grown up as a Navy brat, I am eager to find a way to get involved in any sort of ministry to these kids and as you know youth ministry is my "thing"! So through our discussions, God made is clear that we should ask the local churches for help in doing this. So we have set up a meeting on base for a few weeks from now and we are praying that many churches will come to hear the 2 big ideas we have for how they can assist the chaplain corps in reaching the youth on base. I am more excited than I can say, as this week I have been seeing a super response so far to the idea (which was God's) and I continue to pray that God will raise up the churches He wants to use for this work!
The last picture is a new hobbie of mine! *kidding! Actually I helped work on a plane this Saturday in San Diego, with a group of people I met, who love airplanes too. This C-45 was going through it's annual in order to be ready to fly this weekend. I was just helping screw some bolts in in an awkward spot! whew! but I learned some new things about airplane maintenance (have a longgggg way to go!) and I enjoyed simply hanging out at the hangar with the others.
Please pray with me over the preparations for the Camp Pendleton meeting. That God would help us to make those churches aware that need to come and that we would have a great response, enough to fill the need for mentors to kids left behind by deployed parents and the need for a consistent youth ministry on base. Thanks!

I've been in Dallas

Last week I went to Dallas to do some recruiter training for our organization. We got a tour of the facility there and learned as much as we could cram into our brains about how and why we do what we do. My co-worker Tracy and my supervisor Ron and I spent our last few hours down in Fort Worth at the historic Stockyards! Good to see some history of a place when you visit.
While at the training, I came across an old friend! A guy named Michael, whose picture I put here. He was a member of my YouthBuilders 2003 team to Thailand! He and I enjoyed lots of laughs and talks when in Thailand and it was such a surprise to see him at our organizations facility in Dallas! I got to catch up and find out about him completing Moody BI and going on to study linguistics with his new wife. Wow. Where does the time go? I was so blessed though, to find that a Youthbuilders member is pursuing full-time missionary work! Of course I had to tell Gordy and Bear!
This week I met with some chaplains on Camp Pendleton and we are together planning a meeting on base, of a gathering of local churches. We want to present the needs of students on base and see if local churches can help. Pray that I can get in contact with all the churches that could help and that the Holy Spirit would call many of them to assist in youth ministry on the base.
I had my first sleepover with my new youth group girls! 9th grade and we had a really good time! I was blessed by watching them interact and we're already talking about doing it again! Thank you God for blessing me with this activity. I see a deeper level of relationship building and that is just what I prayed for!
The office here in Temecula also had a closing celebration this Tuesday. A few people came from Orlando and many from the local area who are working remotely or are retired. We had a good time of fellowship and of sharing memories. Of course, I didn't have as much to say as I was the newest member, but I could tell it was a healthy closure time for most.
I got really good news this week! I have a new office! I will be working out of the National Network of Youth Ministries office in San Diego. It will mean a 1 1/2 hr commute, but I am gonna try to make it work. We'll see. This is a super opportunity for me though, as it will keep me right there in front of important people in youth ministry. My organization will be a resource for those there who need input from a missions organization, regarding youth ministry. It's nice to have a plan for the future too! I'll move in there May 1.
It's been cold here in SoCal. I understand our weather has been the same as Menomonie, WI! Ah, Spring! brrrrr. :-)
Thanks for checking in again!

Is it Spring now?

Beautiful California! Recently my days have been full of youth ministry at my local church, everyday work at the office in Temecula and working on finding a new place to work out of. Looks like it's a great possibility that I'll be working out of the offices of the National Network of Youth Ministries! More about that when it is official. I had a great opportunity to meet with the Para-Chapel ministries of Camp Pendleton last week, and that has led to more opportunities, as i will be meeting with a couple of the chaplains in the next week or so.
I had a friend come out to visit me from Nebraska. Keith came for the weekend last, and I was able to take him with me to help me with a fly-over in the Palm Desert that I attended as ground support, and then I got to show him San Diego!
Next week I will be in Dallas for recruitment meetings at our offices there. I look forward to these times, as I get a renewed excitement for my organization. When I return next Saturday, I'll be making preparations for a sleep over of 9th grade girls, at my house! I am so excited. I am glad to finally be getting into a bit deeper relationships with these new girls. They seem excited to come too. I prayed that God would work in this, that we would have some good significant conversations regarding their faith and that it would come naturally.
I must update you on Gypsy, my dog training client. I will get more pictures. FOrgot to take me camera this week! She has learned heel, sit, stay, down and this week "come". She has breezed through most of her training until we got to "down". Surprisingly, she showed her little bit of passive aggressive nature, and was not doing down for a few days. Her owners wondered if she'd ever get it, but in the end it really was just a stubborn attitude in the way. This was the first command they had to really try to teach. But she does it now, and beautifully! Now we are working on her "come", which she is good at but....because she they haven't had to correct her very much, now that they need to use the "no" off-leash, it isn't affecting her as it should. She does not have enough experience learning what "no" feels like. We are needing to be creative to figure out a way to get her to respond to the verbal "no" without the correction. Anyway, she will be learning "place" next week and then we'll be done! wow! I've been told that she is much easier to handle with the kids around, that she will obey at the park and is much better with people in general. Our biggest task is to get her so comfortable with the commands as to stop the submissive peeing!
So, that's what's up here in SoCal! There will be more to come! Thanks for being a part of it with me.

Old friends and new ministry

I would like to introduce you to an old family friend, Father Frank McQuire. Two weekends ago I went to a church that our family attended when we lived here in the early '80's. I felt so welcome and such a part of community there at The Good Shepherd Episcopal church in Bonita. Wow. Ya know, I even got to sing with the choir! Choir robe and all! Yeah. That was the weekend that I was waiting to hear how my grandfather was doing and it meant alot to have the comfort of family ties all the way out in CA. The look of the church hadn't changed at all, and it was to my surprise to find that our old rector was still attending. He was as spry and spirited as always despite the affect that a stroke has had on his outward appearance. It truly meant alot to find that this church family even remembered my family and welcomed me so openly. Wow. I actually have a piece of "home" here in Southern CA! *sigh
I have also just realized that I need to step up my efforts to relate more to some local teenagers. The Holy Spirit caused me to realize that the very thing that I find most rewarding was missing from my life, ie. one on one relationships with teenagers. Although I attend youth group meetings and have a small group discussion, I don't yet have deeper relationships with girls here, like I had in WI and CT. So, this week with prayer behind me I asked the 9th grade girls about having a sleepover at my house this month. What a positive response! "YES" was the answer. So that is in the works and I am feeling really happy about the prospects of getting to know some girls a bit better.
A big prayer item these days is the decision about my office. As you may know our office here is closing and I must find another place to work in the area. I found out today, that my first choice was no longer an option, so now we are looking at sending me a bit further out, like towards San Diego. There is an option of working in the office of the National Network of Youth Ministries. I already know most of the staff, at least partly and they like the general idea. So please pray God would open up the best opportunity and that I would know what to do about where to live. I can either stay in my rent free place and commute or I will need to move. Moving would also, most likely mean that I will need to change churches! ouch!
Thanks again for checking in!

My hero, My grandfather John Lee Pitts III..May 1919-Feb 2008

John L Pitts III died Tuesday February 26, 2008 in Delray Beach at the Manor Care nursing facility, while in the company of his son John Pitts IV. “Jack” was born 22 May 1919 in Scottsville, VA to John L Pitts Jr and Laura Margaret Connellee. Jack lived in Scottsville with his mother, father and sister Alice until May 1929. Due to the national economic depression his family moved to Middletown, Delaware to live with his grandfather and grandmother Connellee. The family moved around over the next few years ending up in Bloomfield, New Jersey. During this time he and his sister shared their home with their first cousins, Alfred and Bill Connellee.

During these younger years, Jack became interested in airplanes and flight. He entered the Virginia Military Institute following his father’s footsteps, where he played football, ran track, and played guitar in the VMI band. While attending VMI he courted Marjorie Ann Gibbs of Middletown, DE whom he would later marry. They spent many weekends at Big Band dances and riding the scenic area on horseback. Graduating with the VMI class of 1941, he entered flight training and following the attack on Pearl Harbor, became a B-17 “Flying Fortress” pilot, ultimately completing 58 combat missions with the 97^th Bomb Group earning among other awards, the Distinguished Flying Cross, losing only one of his crew to enemy fire.

Within days after returning from the African theatre he married his childhood sweetheart Marjorie Anne Gibbs and was assigned to the Boca Raton airfield by the Army Air Corp to command a flight test group who developed night fighter tactics, testing and improving almost all known Air Corps aircraft and testing the then secret “G” suit for jet aircraft, as well as other duties. He left the Air Corps in 1946 and began a car rental business which he would own and operate in Delray Beach for the next 50 years. A son, John L Pitts IV was born to Jack and Marjorie on January 20, 1946. They continued to live in the Delray area in the house that Jack built for the rest of Marjorie’s life. Marjorie died in 1977 after a long battle with cancer. Jack then cared for Edna Gibbs, Marjorie’s mother, who had come to live with them until her death in 1981. He was very involved in the community being a Scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts, a Delray City Councilman, a senior warden at the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, President of the local Kiwanis Club and leader of a harmonica band that played at local hospitals and homes. Jack was well known to appreciate as well as play golf and to be a long time fisherman. Many locals will remember seeing him around town and in local restaurants entertaining with his harmonica. A few years after Marjorie’s death he married Ann Detwiler to whom he stayed married until she died of a stroke 19 years later. Once again he married, this time to a longtime local friend Bernice McNeece with whom he enjoyed a refreshing 9 years of marriage and who survives him. He is also survived by his only son John and his wife Patricia and grandchildren Dagney and John L Pitts V and wife Anne, great-grandchildren Aurora and Bryn Pitts. He is a much missed and beloved Dad, husband and grandfather. We are proud to have called him our own. A memorial service will be held in the Spring in Scottsville, VA where Jack will be buried alongside Marjorie Ann (Gibbs) Pitts. The family requests in lieu of flowers that gifts be made to the Pioneer Boys Association at 309 NE 1^st St., Delray Beach 33445 which supports the local Boy Scout troops in Delray Beach.

Youth group and Doggie update!

Here is a very recent picture of me and a few of my girls at youth group! When I asked to take their picture they were very eager! These girls have made me feel very much at home at "Epic" our youth program at Sunridge Community Church. It has been such a refreshing change to spend a number of continuous weeks at youth group. No travel! yeah!
Next is a couple pictures of our "love" poster, from which the quotes came that I posted in last weeks blog. As you can see, the poster was "full-up" with valentines wishes for God. Teens can express themselves in ways that I am sure God totally enjoys!
I told you that I would also update you on Gypsy's progress in training. Well, we met for her second lesson yesterday. She is doing remarkably well! Her "parents" practiced as they had promised and she is very comfortable with her "heel" and was able to try some distraction practice too. Then we taught her "sit", the formal version. Many dogs know a form or two of "sit", but my version includes an "automatic stay" and a one word command (vs."sit, sit, sit, hey! sit!"). At first she didn't understand that while she was "sitting" she wasn't free to go just because we sat down; but she very quickly got the idea, and by the end of the hour was reasonably adjusted to the idea. I am sure that this will be a foundational command for her and well used in the future. Her "mom" told me that she even made an hour+ long car ride this weekend without a single bark or whine! Tremendous results! We're all very happy! Next week she will be taught the "stay". I'll tell you how it goes!
Our department had a conference call today and we are moving forward with a number of our plans for this year, including filling up our stateside camps and our international trips. We are developing an idea for a new kind of international trip for teens and that idea is gaining popularity and possibility! I'm excited about that!
No need to be wondering if you should be jealous of our weather down here. It's been rainy, cloudy, foggy (need fog lights for my car!!!) and actually snowy! Although, I must say, nothing like those Wisconsin winters!
Thanks for checking in!

It snowed in Southern California!

"I love you God, so please help me be more nice!"
"Father, thanx 4 everything! I love u! love ur daughter"
"I love u God you're always in my heart"
"thank you for giving me a second chance"
"Father God, you're there when no one else is, you created love and i want to live by it. when the darkness closes in you're all that's left. you are all love and I'm in it. Love you dad...!!"

I think God probably treasures these love letters to him more than our best poetry. These are quotes from a banner on which our youth group kids wrote their valentine notes to God. These were some of my favorites and there were many more. Being in youth ministry has been very rewarding.
The first picture is from my drive home last night. You can see the sunset reflecting off the mountain that I live on. It snowed yesterday. So much so that our dirt road was very slippery and I almost didn't get to work, despite my 4x4 vehicle! But I did and caught these beautiful shots on the way home.
Today I met with my boss Ron and we talked about ministry and plans for where our "office" will be among other things. We also met one of "our" kids from our ministry's website. She and her father met with us for lunch. We have been trying to keep in contact with our website kids and hope to see that ministry develop into a healthy alternative chat room for ministry minded kids.
I met this week also, with the San Diego Mission Team and we discussed how we've been networking with youth pastors and youth ministries in San Diego. We are seeing the Holy Spirit prompt kids to begin their own outreaches to their peers in schools and we are getting really excited about the possibility this next generation finishing the "task"! I am beginning my contact with the chaplains to reach military kids on a nearby base and I hope to encourage them to greater outreach.
Update on Gypsy, the Australian shepherd. She had her first lesson in "heel" and boy did she do fabulously!! She responded so well to very few corrections and as I somewhat expected was one of the very few dogs who learn quickly. She amazed me and her owners. We expect to see her behavior dramatically improve. She is already quieting down in the car and staying calm for her dinner too!
Thank you for all your interest and concern for me and for youth ministry!

Ministry and dog training!

Aren't they cute? Meet Gypsy! Your new client!
This week I've got really fun news! Through me, you my partners are able to supply some help to a colleague of mine in training his dog! A fellow missionary here has an adopted dog who is in need of some basic training. I am able to assist using my professional skills and do it free of charge, which to this family, who is severely low on support, is the only way they would be able to get help. I feel as though you, my partners are the ones giving this help to them. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here. So through me you are blessing another missionary! It is such a strong feeling that I am not able to sufficiently communicate this. I really feel like a conduit! Who would've thought that I could use my dog training to be a direct blessing to a missionary. Fun! I'll keep you updated on her progress as we work with her through the next 6 weeks. She is shy and fearful and many of her issues stem from her fears. I expect to see big changes in her very soon. She is afraid of people and dogs, submissive pee's and has a bit of separation anxiety. Wait until you hear what happens next. We're going to apply some basic obedience and she is going to blossom!
I'm doing youth group and loving it too. There are lots of new things to do in the office as well. So life is coming at me pretty quick. I'm learning to keep it within the right boundaries.
Thank you for checking. Aren't you proud of me? I've updated three weeks in a row now!
Thanks for your support and your interest!

Greetings from the sick one

Hello again! I am showing you a picture of last nights sunset. We rarely get big lovely clouds like this in CA so I just had to catch them, besides I needed a picture to show you and this week you wouldn't want to see me! As soon as I returned from the retreat I got sick. Literally, as soon as I drove in the driveway! So I was well cared for by two friends and by Tori and Richard my neighbors. I'm still recovering, but God has been teaching me that I must not worry so much. Worrying about recent events actually made me sick. So, humbly I am learning. Notice learn "ing", haven't quite got it YET!
My best news this week is that I went to youth group and was once again so blessed. The girls in my small group of 9th graders were open and real with each other and me. A few of them even impressed me with their prayer lives! wow! praying every night for world issues. They really do it too! I was honored by some follow up questions and felt like once again, it was one of those youth group nights I live for. I have been so wonderfully surprised by these kids. They are not what I was expecting. Much friendlier and much more open with me!
Prayer requests would be for one of my boys in Wisconsin who is struggling with spiritual warfare. Please pray that he is protected and that he wins over the enemy and is granted restful sleep at night! For me that I would be able to organize my work life and be able to meet with a few youth leaders in San Diego. Also, we are trying to figure out my future office situation. My boss's still don't yet know what the plan will be. Pray for doors of opportunity for a local office to open so that I don't have to move.
and to close a favorite quote..."Greatness is not revealed in vast miraculous actions but in daily positive attitudes"- Chuck Swindoll
love you!

Next Gen Retreat

I have been so late getting this blog updated! Since I got back to California I haven't stopped.
SO! here we are at the Next Gen retreat up at Big Bear Lake, CA. I was responsible for the food and activities for the group during the week. We had members join us from all over the USA and Canada. All of them are members of our organization and involved in ministry to teenagers. The purpose of the retreat is to discuss the future, talk about what we are doing and should be doing. Of course pictures of meetings are boring, so I am giving you shots of our big group activity! Snow shoeing. I have never done this before and only a few others had. The snow up here at Big Bear is beautiful and we had a great group time tromping around in the snow among the pine trees up here at 7,000 ft. Our meetings end tomorrow morning and we will all be making our way DOWN the mountain complete with tire chains!! yikes! Even me, the seasoned New England driver is nervous. CHAINS???
This next month I will spend completely IN California! My first full month at home, believe it or not! So I have an executive meeting of the San Diego Mission Project, and youth group and various organizational meetings at the office. My boss is currently in the State looking at office options for me, once our regional office closes. I'll let you know as I know, what is going on with that.
I pray that your days are warm, and full during this winter season! The snow here in Big Bear is reminding me of winter!!! :-)

Merry Christmas!

We're enjoying each others company. Visiting with church friends, and generally feeling very blessed. I hope your holidays are as special as our are. Well what to say, except Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from me and the Pitts family!