NextGen retreat

To update you on all that's been happening here within NextGen, I'll start with the 2010 annual retreat. Held here in Cayucos, as you readers know, we had a regular 8 of us, and couple extra's a few days. Everyone loved being here at the Stone's house, the view for one is wonderful. We were able to rent a small place three streets away for sleeping quarters and the meetings happened here at the house, as well as most meals. By the end of the week, we felt like we knew where we were at as far as our strategies for this coming year, and we were moving forward in understanding each others jobs. We had discussed a marketing strategy and felt like we were finally all on board. We discussed the website I'm working on and everyone seemed to be ready and excited to use it.
We did a few fun things as well. We went canoeing in a large 12 person canoe and even did a little exploring in Morro Bay! Another evening after meetings we stopped to see "Gum Alley" in San Luis Obispo( a kind of gross alleyway covered in bubble gum) before heading our for our annual dinner "out" Overall, it was a successful and effective time as a team. We were able to accomplish discussions in person that, over the phone are either not possible or frustrating.
For the next week I was playing catchup and working on a few of the new ideas generated during the retreat. We're still working on the kinks for the new site, but the GetGlobal trips will begin to do their team planning and team meetings online there!
This week the challenge is the Kenya GG trip. We have hit a few snags as far as the trip dates, but we are also seeing the hand of God in it. My boss/friend Tracy will likely be able to make the new dates better than the old ones. We have seen God use the details of the trip and some new immovable barriers, as His way of making the details of the trip fit His plans. We see this particular trip as a "test trip" for our new partnership with Wycliffe Associates. We hope that this trip will help us work out the details so that next year and the coming years we will be able to facilitate more than one trip a summer and give student a broader range of opportunities to see the multitude of ways they can serve in Bible translation. My biggest concern personally is that I am to be the team leader, but also I will have been just moved to Georgia with Michaels new assignment. So, something to pray about. I really, really want to go to Africa with a team of students...but not sure if I "should" go. In the meantime, I'm the team coordinator...so if you know anyone interested in a summer trip to work alongside a community of people working on deaf translations in Kenya!??? Have 'em call me!

lots of web stuff

Hello from WET California! This week I've been working online on a website for our students that is not yet "live". Most of my week of Wycliffe work is something I can't show you....:-(...but soon! So I'll just include some links to things I've found that are fabulous!The first is a great video that we located on YouTube (hyper link there too, hard to see) that is quick and catchy. We've used it front and center on our new site. For example, a webzine that our partners JAARS has produced called Rev 7. (there's a link there on the words Rev7, it doesn't show up well) They produce this webzine quarterly, and this publication was about missions in Vernacular Media. How we work with new translations before the Word of God is actually published. It's considered non-written forms of translation. For example The Jesus Film. I got so excited when I saw this publication. I knew that it was in a format that students would enjoy. It has bright colors, short concise articles accompanied by fabulous photo's. The stories are written mostly from first hand accounts that give them so much credibility. Check it out, it's so interesting!
As for my family!
Michael and I spent this last weekend cleaning out his storage unit, where he placed just about all his belongings when he moved out here to care for his ailing mother. We need to sort out all of our now combined belongings in order to make our next move to Georgia in June. I got pictures the first day, but the second day it just downpoured and I didn't think about getting my camera out, while dodging rain drops and hustling back and forth to the nearby Goodwill.
We're doing well here. I'm keeping myself busy every morning (and usually into the afternoon, like today) with work stuff. The evenings are either Michael and I at home or like last night, attending Bible study with local friends.The next few months will be relatively quiet, until the months of travel and moving come. I'm soaking up (almost literally in this wet weather!) the time here in CA. The next adventure is almost on our doorstep!

is working on a computer , work?

"HI" from my keyboard!
Whew! this week has been very productive, as far as it looks on paper, or should I say on the internet? I've been spending my "half" days, working on our new website, communicating with students through chat and getting "stuff" done for our Kenya trip. All that to say, when I push my chair back from my desk and get ready for the rest of my day I don't seem to have done anything. Well, anything that I can see, that is. I'm sure you know the feeling. The intangible "things" that we all do everyday. Relational jobs are just like that. We chide youth pastors for not "producing results" when really the results of relational ministries like that, are....relationships. I know more people who work in offices and in cubicles than I know otherwise, so yeah you do probably get what I mean.
So, I'm learning to count successful, a day of relationship building and a day full of communication, even if it is online.
Our website has taken most of my time, and I'm finding some really cool stuff to rouse the interest of students. First was a link to an article describing how Avatar the movie displays some of the technology we in Bible translation are preparing to use for the translation of sign languages! check it out! "Avatar and Bible Translation?"
Another really fun tool I just found today is a site that allows you to find Bibles and non-written resources in 3,000 languages of the world!

I also learned that a partner of ours JAARS, has a great resource called Rev 7, that is published quarterly, to highlight areas of ministry within the Wycliffe partnerships. The recent one was about the work of "Vernacular Media" or "non-written" communications. Fabulous! This is stuff that students can get excited about!

So, working from my computer.....I'm learning a lot and getting even more excited about the work of Wycliffe. Who'da known!
Dagney

Going Overseas this summer!

We getting ready to go to Kenya! I'm helping get a team together to take students to Kenya in partnership with another organization to assist the ministry of DOOR, a ministry to the deaf in Kenya.
We'll be sending the team from Dallas after training to Nairobi, where the will spend 2 weeks working on a school building project where deaf students will go to school using the local sign language in order to learn.
July 14-Aug3...if you know any students interested they can contact us at getglobal_usa@wycliffe.org and get an application.
I've also been updating and preparing our new website for activation. We wanted a site that would allow students to interact more, post pictures and join groups. A bit bigger that what is available on Facebook and a bit more interactive than our current wynet site. the address is www.nextgen.ning.com but it does require member to join to see it. We're hoping it will be a fairly secure place for students to interact on the subject of missions.
So far that's been my latest activity. Next month I'll be hosting our whole team, here in Cayucos for our annual retreat. Looking forward to "going" to a retreat that leaves me in my own bed at night! what a treat! Besides, we're gonna take advantage of such a lovely situation here in the Central Coast where the weather is at it's best in Jan-Mar!
I've been able to keep in contact with students from my previous residences and have been enjoying the interaction and conversations. Many of those talks have been about important things.
Thank you for your interest in this ministry! Thanks for checking in!
Dagney

What's been happening on the Central Coast?

Yup, married life has a whole new schedule. But I have been working right along with my organization, and we'll start with an update a few months back!
In October I went back down to Southern CA to attend a couple days of the Southwest regional recruiters retreat. There I presented the new outline of the future of NextGen and answer questions from the recruiters. It was a really good opportunity to solidify in my mind what my job really is supposed to be, by making a presentation. The powerpoint went well and I'm confident that our message was communicated to these busy people who will hopefully pass on some leads for our summer trips, GetGlobal!
Next, I attended the Missions weekend at Calvary church. I was really glad to be there this year especially, in order to re-emphasize the fact that I'm still involved. I was able to set up a nice display booth, provided through the recruitment department and had quite a busy weekend with friends and church members. I followed that trip up with a bit of family time as well.
After coming home, I attended another conference, this time to represent our organization at a youth convention of Assemblies of God Spanish churches. I had a great table display provided in part through my recruitment colleagues in Hemet. What a place that was, to hold a youth convention. Never in all my time as a youth leader have I seen such a place for youth. But I was able to chat with some teens, talk about the number of languages in the world that have no scripture AT ALL, and was pleasantly surprised to see such a compassionate response. I was also able to promote our newest available Get Global trip to Kenya in 2010. There seemed to be a high interest in that particular trip next July.
This coming December my team will be represented by my boss Tracy at the Urbana Conference, a huge gathering of college students to raise interest in missions. This being Michael and my first Christmas, and the first without Diane Stone, I decided that leaving on Christmas Day to get to the conference, wasn't the best idea for us. But Tracy will represent us very well!
In February we will be holding our annual NextGen retreat, and I am so excited to be hosting it here at our house in Cayucos! It will be a pleasure to use our house for ministry and I don't even have to leave Michael! woohoo!
The next year will already be bringing alot of changes for my new little family. We are to be stationed in Georgia starting in June, so we'll be packing up the house and preparing it for sale as well as saying goodbye to this lovely ocean I have become so fond of. We are looking forward to a bit more of "normal" after the last tumultuous year for Michael and his family. We'll even get to pick a new church home together for the first time! I also hope that I may be able to attend the Get Global trip to Kenya that I helping to organize, and my Mom and I are trying to fit in a trip to see my brother "over there" in April.
If you know of anyone interested in a work/translation exposure trip to Kenya in July 2010 who also may be interested in sign language work....give them my email address! dagney_stone@wycliffe.org
I hope that you have a Merry Christmas and enjoy time with those you love. Appreciate them for all you're worth!

Dagney

A long time and alot to tell you!

I've got a lot of time to catch up on. I've been learning to be a wife and care for two instead of just me. We've had a number of visitors to our home in Cayucos. Michael finished one year of CalPoly ROTC and we're on the verge of beginning another. Mom Stone passed away in June and that ended up canceling Michaels temporary duty to Seattle and we stayed home instead. I've been painting and cleaning up and sorting and decorating in between visitors and events. (oh, yeah and burying dead seals on our beach...stinky!)
Recently I've started up my prayer email list again. I got off track on that for awhile (wow, its amazing how a wedding throws all schedule to the four winds!) but hopefully will be maintaining that again.
I've been up to Vision Camp as I said in the last post and since then had my coworkers, Tracy and Justin here in Cayucos for work meetings. In those meetings it was decided that Justin will be staying on for another year and will run Get Global trips as Director and I'll be helping him by coordinating one of the trips. I don't know which one yet. At the same time I'm to be assisting the trips by getting some more advertising and marketing out. Prayer would be helpful on that score.....
This Fall I'll be going to Connecticut for the Missions Conference weekend and updating everyone at home about what I'll be doing this year. I've scaled down to part-time, so my support has been scaled down as well. So for now I'm at 75% , but that is probably not completely accurate.
The seasons here have changed, from cloudy and strong marine layers to beautiful and sparkly. It'll start raining here soon, and the pelicans and dolphins will go away but...it's still beautiful. I'm learning to surf! The waves are free and the boards at Costco are perfect for beginners! Thanks for checking in!
Dagney

Africa??

Again, it's Thursday and this time, I've got a new picture. Well actually, it's two weeks old. This is the group of "us" from Southwest Region who went up to the Julian area and held two sessions about Bible Translation during the Youth for Truth's Vision Camp. I was the moderator, did the opening and closing and just introduced the others when it was their turns to speak and kept us on time. Well, they all did that by sticking to their timeframes, but I had the watch! haha! Truly though, we had Jr. High before lunch and Sr. High after lunch. We seemed to have held the students attention, even though the poor Sr.Highers had to endure a session AFTER lunch (always my worst time in college). We had a number of them show interest in getting involved right away and even some of the staff took interest in our short term programs for next year! We gave out a number of praying for the Bibleless people groups, prayer cards and the students really seemed genuinely interested!
It was a unique time for me, a time of memories from some emotional upheaveal I was going through last year at the same camp and it was refreshing to see how God had changed my path and brought me to where I am today. It was also fun to be again, working with my colleagues down in Southern CA doing what we all love to do.
I will officially be taking the helm of the high school short term program in NextGen as of September. I have also been asked to possibly co-lead one of the trips to Africa next summer. Oh my! would I!!! I am discussing it with my new husband, as he's been invited to lead as well, and we are considering it and the possiblility of us arranging a household move around the same time. My boss and friend, Tracy and I have been talking about co-leading a trip to Africa for a few years. This would be fabulous. You would think I was doing "youthbuilders" all over again! May be!!!! Where's Gordy and Bear?? :-)
Prayer requests would include the decision about going to Africa and also, that I would be able to seemlessly take the responsibility for the short term program from those that are doing such a good job now!
thanks for checking in again.
Dagney

Back from wedding and travels and...

I walked down the isle May 16, 2009 to become Major Michael Stone's wife. Our whole family had a great time. We worshiped God, enjoyed the day, partied and had a genuinely good time. The reception at Double Diamond hangar Oxford Airport was a dream. After we rested on Sunday, Michael took me to the Turks and Caicos for our honeymoon. The following week we returned to California for Michael to return to work at CalPoly's ROTC unit. We were continuing the celebration by planning our California reception in Paso Robles at Stacked Stone Cellars as we surrounded ourselves with Michaels California (and nearby) friends and relatives. My parents traveled to CA for the celebration and we were able to hold a vow exchange in Diane Stone's room as she continues to suffer from brain cancer.
To update you about my job. I am continuing with my organization. In fact we met in April to discuss the direction we want to take and to figure out who is doing what jobs. As of July or August the man who has been leading our short term trips will be moving to another position within the organization. My boss Tracy has asked me to take the job temporarily until we are able to fill that position with a full time employee. This means that I will begin to follow and support the short term trips that we are planning, for 2010. Sound familiar? It will be very similar to what i did with YouthBuilders! For now this is only temporary. I am not yet sure how this very busy position will affect my new position as Army wife, but for now I should well be able to maintain it. I am officially doing "part - time" with the organization but we don't yet know how that all works itself out. Next week I will be attending a camp called Vision Camp in Southern CA with my Southwest regional recruiter friends as moderator for the group. We will be presenting what our work is all about and hopefully encouraging and inspiring some youth to consider this work for themselves!
I have not yet found a church youth group home, although Michaels church, the Calvary Chapel of San Luis Obispo where he attends has a youth group. I told the pastor that I'd be checking it out but as of right now, the wedding planning and finding my place here at home have taken alot of time.
Also, would you pray with us (the Stone's) over Michaels Mom's health? She had a succession of seizures last week, of which I was in attendance for the 2nd - 7th. It was very dramatic and caused her son Jeff in Spain and Michael who had just left for Washington and a temporary duty station to return home to CA to be at her bedside. She has not been able to eat or drink on her own and was just taken off the IV. We do not know what to expect but at most it's a matter of weeks. It's a very draining time for the family.
Also with my organization.....NextGen is taking a new direction and we hope to roll out our new theme this year.
I'll post some more pictures of our wedding events, primarily the CA reception in my next update.
Dagney

Wedding planning firsts

What I've got to report this week is just all wedding stuff! The first picture is Carolyn my invitation creator/producer. She and I have been working on the design and creation of these darn things for months. She did a great job and printed them last week. She was a great lady to work with!
Next was Michael and my first wedding/shower gift. It arrived sometime last week and Michael waited for me and we got to open our first gift together. Kinda fun, as you can see!
And finally while staying at a neighbors house and working during the day at Michael's house, I've been working on just about one main thing this week. Invitations. Amazing how much detail goes into these things! whew! So here's me sitting at Michael's house assembling invitations and writing address's. Can't wait to get them IN THE MAIL!
Finally, we also got to see our engagment photo's this week for the first time! you can see them at http://www.robertandkathleen.com/blog/ .
I got to attend Michael's church bible study and we had some really good fellowship there last night.
Next week after Jury duty on Monday (hopefully that's all) I have a few days at home and then head out to Connecticut for wedding planning stuff. Michael will join me out there too and will get to meet more of my CT group! See many of you in the next week or so!

I've actually been home the last week!

This last week I spent at home in the Temecula area. I was able to attend youth group this and last week and even got to spend some time with a student from youth group on Saturday. She and I got to go to the Wild Animal Park and spend the day, thanks to a Christmas gift of membership to the zoo from my brother. I haven't had a chance like this for a long time of spending a day just hanging out with a teen. It felt so good and I really enjoyed being with her doing something we both could enjoy!
On Sunday last, I helped staff a couple tables for some colleagues at their home church missions conference in Escondido. It was a very large conference and we had two big tables. I had a great chance to watch my colleagues work as recruiters and got to talk to a number of people myself. I also met a young lady preparing for missions aviation as a pilot for JAARS. We got teary as we talked about our passion for all things aviation. Nice to find a fellow female aviation enthusiast like my silly self! I couldn't help but be a little jealous as she's pursuing that job and learning aviation mechanics and has almost finished her CFI license (certified flight instructor). Very cool.
Things for the wedding planning are going well. All the big stuff is pretty much done and we're tweaking the little stuff now! It's something like 71 days and counting!
thanks for checking in again!
Dagney

news from CA

I have to catch up again. This time to tell some good news and answers to prayer! The NextGen retreat followed the Recruitment conference and it was at the NextGen retreat that lots of good stuff happened. I had asked previously for prayer regarding how I should move forward with the organization based on the direction that the organziation and specifically my department was going, and also based on my new station in life to come, as a wife.
We really got going Friday, the whole group of us plus our supervisor and the Director of Recruitment. We kinda started at the beginning and put all our "cards" on the table and thought through what we want to accomplish and how we might begin to do that. I was so impressed with our supervisors and their gracious way of handling our stress and our lack of focus. By the end of Saturday we had a list of goals, objectives and possible strategies to accomplish them. We set dates to review all of this and make decisions to move us forward this year.
I had some significant, and as I see it providential, conversations with my supervisor and the director over my feelings of insignificance in the work and real lack of work to do within the department. I was more than glad to hear that with the new changes in administration in our department and the renewed vision and focus that I not only will have a wider influence but am even being asked to participate in leadership roles that I otherwise would not have known about. These roles will be flexible enough to allow me to work from Michaels home once we're married and will likely move with me when he is reassigned.
I am re-energized. I feel appreciated for what I have to offer and I am excited about the direction that my department is taking!
Thank you so much for your prayers. I saw a direct answer to those prayers over that weekend and I am really excited.
These coming changes also allow me a bit more flex time right now as things are being reorganized, to spend the time I need on planning for my wedding and preparing to be married soon. August seems to be the month that I will begin to take a more active role in the direction of NextGen and will begin preparing myself for the tasks that I will be assigned in the revamped NextGen.
Thanks for checking in and thanks to the few friends who gently asked "so when will you update your blog"? Wedding planning......etc......(blah,blah)....I know not a great excuse, but it's the truth!
Learning along with all of you,
Dagney

We're all getting together in Orlando, Florida

Hello from Florida! I arrived last Friday night first, to visit my grandmother and then drove up to Orlando on Sunday to arrive in time to greet my co-workers and other recruiters from all over the States. This was a Tri-yearly recruiters conference. We really enjoyed this weeks activities. I played guitar and sang in a singing worship group, spoke with two other colleagues in a workship on "Engaging the Millennials" and assisted as a workship facilitator. I really enjoyed serving this group of missionaries in our organization. I benefited from the active time being a part of an event like this apart from the insights I gleened from listening to speakers and workshops.
We ended the conference today and after spending some time at the headquarters just catching up with others there we began our NextGen annual retreat this evening at dinner. For the next few days our particular group will gather to discuss the issues that we face. We will plan our next year and think over our goals. We'll even get to spend some time just team building as our team is spread out all over the United States.
I am praying over my role in our organization and how I will adjust once I'm married. I'd appreciate your prayers on my behalf in regards to this! Thanks! Just being with those in my organization and being at the headquarters reminds me of why I LOVE this organization. So inspiring to hear stories from all around the world.
Dagney

getting to know the Stone family

This last weekend, after a good solid week at "home", I traveled by train up to visit Michael. We got alot done, meeting with his Pastor and spending time with family as well as talking over wedding plans. The picture includes Michael and Me as well as his brother Jim and Jim's wife Tamara. Jim took us on a tour of a few local wineries in the Paso Robles area. It really was our first time doing the day with Jim and Tamara and long overdue. While we were at it we kept our eyes out for good spots for our California wedding reception.
I got to attend youth group for the second week in a row! wow! lol. We had a guest speaker who related to the students his high school testimony of being shunned by his local youth group. It was a stunning testimony and very applicable to our students right now. While visiting Michael this weekend, we attended his church there and I looked around for the possibilities of getting involved in youth ministry there. Looks like there is a small youth group and youth pastor so gonna have to have a talk with him!
Tomorrow I fly over to Florida, and after a brief visit with my Grandma Benny in South Florida, I'll drive up to Orlando and attend the weeks events. First the Tri-annual Recruiters convention followed by the Next Gen retreat over the weekend. I get back to CA on Sunday.
Prayer items are for the workshop that Ron, Tracy and I give on recruiting the Next Generation. Also that during this time as I ask God for direction about the next phase of my life married, that He would answer and show me how I should arrange my job description.
Thanks for looking in on me again!
Dagney

Catching up and getting ready for Recruiters Meetings in Florida

Hi Friends! you gonna faint? Two weeks in a row? Yup! amazing. So this'll be short since there is a lot less to report since last weekend. I arrived in CA from CT's 22deg weather to find San Diego a lovely 77deg! YES! I had a little adventure at the very start.
An old friend of our family had taken me to the airport before Christmas and I left my car at their house to avoid the very costly daily parking fees at the airport. After she picked me up at the airport and we got back and tried to start my car, nothing happened. Not just a little "turn, turn" of the starter, nope, nothin'! I am more than grateful that this happened at my friends house as opposed to the public long term parking at the airport! So we ladies were brave, got out the jumper cables and got it going.
I've been making regular hours at the office this week, writing a newsletter for all my partners and putting together my part of a workshop that my collegues and I are presenting at the Recruiters Conference the end of the month. The conference happens Jan 26-29 in Orlando, followed by our NextGen annual retreat over the weekend. Last year, as you might remember, we held our annual retreat here in CA at Big Bear mountain, amidst the snow. This year we all decided that sunshine sounded good and since we're already all gathered it more than made sense.
So I'll be away again, but back in CA February 1.
Wedding plans have been a bit overwhelming the last week or so, but it looks like the clouds are clearing as we get the big items into place. It's now starting to get exciting. It is amazing how complicated this stuff can become! As the wedding day approaches some changes will be happening with my job.
I will be spending some time and thought in prayer during the conference and retreat and I would appreciate your prayers as I ask God how I can be involved in Wycliffe part-time and what the next phase of my life will be. My financial support will be reduced significantly, but my prayer support will definitely not! The forthcoming newsletter will explain all that.
Thanks again for your interest and prayers!
Dagney

whew! all things New Year

well loyal friends. My life has been crazy and getting time to sit down and post a blog didn't happen. So where have I been and what am I up to.
First the BIG news (that to most isn't really news anymore) December 5 Michael proposed in his airplane at 5,500 ft and we got engaged! Our wedding is planned for May 16, 2009. That may also explain why I've been so busy!
Then Dec 9-12 I went to Waxaw North Carolina to take the last of our recruiter training. I was able to share my fun news with my co-workers and to see the famous aviation facility! To be honest I was all choked up when it was my turn to take the tour. I'd dreamt of working as a pilot for them while in college and there is a special place in my heart and mind for them. I was so glad to have a fellow pilot friend who actually flew for them and now works in Southern CA as a recruiter, who took me into the hangar after the group was gone so I could take some pictures with the planes. :-) I was so excited!!
December 18 I left for home and the holidays. There was a feeling of enthusiasm for the celebration and for Michael's arrival on the 23d but there was also a feeling of dread for the goodbye's and departure of my brother and his family. I wanted time to fly and I wanted time to STAND STILL! We as a family tried to soak up all available time and appreciate every last minute but the post Christmas separation the day Michael and I were leaving for Spain was gut-wrenching. I was especially grateful to have Michael as a part of this difficult time and learn to lean on him instead of my brother when I hurt. Perfect time for that.
We left for Spain taking planes and a train and getting a glimpse of the Old World. We were there to visit Michaels brother Jeff and his Spanish family including two little nieces. We were in Zaragoza most of the time and at the end of our trip got to see Madrid for a day. Surprisingly, the area of Spain that I saw, looked a lot like Southern California!!
Michael and I departed company in London Heathrow airport and while he flew to LA I had a 7 HOUR layover!!! Sooo, I took the Underground to downtown and looked around snowy London and got the stamp on my passport! (woohoo) I left for NYC and got to CT again late Monday night, just in time to celebrate Epiphany or Three Kings Day to the Spaniards.
I have been spending the last week here doing marathon wedding preparations and am due to leave for home on Monday the 12th. Whew!
Hope that's a good catch you upper! Will have ministry news forthcoming in the next blog but for starters I'll be leaving for Florida and the tri-annual recruiters conferences Jan 23. I have a 45min "seminar" that I share with my two co-workers on recruiting the Next Generation and I'm assisting with the worship times by playing the guitar and singing. I get back to CA again Feb 1.
Happy New Year everyone and thank you for your interest and prayers for our organization on my behalf!
Dagney

Thanksgiving trip

Hello friends! As you can imagine the reason I didn't post a blog last week was it was Thanksgiving! I traveled back to CT on Tuesday and stayed until Saturday am. We had a great Thanksgiving Eve service at Calvary on Wednesday night hearing stories of thanks and appreciation of what God had done in our many lives over the year.
Our family this holiday included my brothers family, his in-laws the Sarris's and our long time friends Jenny and Jonathan Nelson from Virginia, as well as friend Bill Robbins (who's missing from the picture).
We fit in a quick trip to the tree farm to cut a Christmas tree and then a quick run at the mall for a jolt of holiday craziness there! I flew home the next morning. Since it was Saturday and I arrived in CA early, I jumped on the Surfrider train up to San Luis Obispo to visit my boyfriend Michael and his family. Stayed through Monday to visit and attend his Bible study group and then headed home on Tuesday via the train. Somehow I picked up a cold while enjoying my time with family and friends (I guess the cost of such gatherings) and I'm slugging away at this cold so I'll be better for the holidays to come!
This week I've got a prayer request for you regarding one of my WI kids. She (who will remain nameless) is really struggling with a difficult home situation, not able to get a job and not having transportation. "Stuff at home is really hard and I don't think she's getting any encouragement for her faith. She says that things have just gotten worse since I left and she feels like she just can't please anyone. Please do pray for these students. I really miss them and I am grateful for such things as Facebook that keep me in contact with them fairly regularly.
On another topic that is similar, I've really been impressed with the girls in my youth group here. They are much much busier than my WI kids, but that just comes with the territory here in SoCal. What impressed me last night at youth group was how solid and serious they are in their faith. Not that they don't struggle and all, but they (my particular group of girls) really have a handle on what it means to stand up to peer pressure and to resist the daily onslaught of influences around them. They do have each other and we talked about the influence that good friends have on one another, but they have a strong sense of what is right and what pleases God. I pray that God will protect them from our enemy and the inevitable attacks that he will try to wage on them in the future. There are others in our group that are not so "lucky", who struggle just like my WI kids with difficult family situations and really hard lives. I do still love teens and am moved by their struggles. Please pray for this next generation, that they will be able to recognize the Truth and to fight off our enemy!
Thanks for checking in and thanks for your concern about what is going on in my life and ministries!