Update Tuesday - 08/08/11

I am a bit tired as I sit and write this morning.  Last night was a bit crazy as we had three kids from the neighbourhood for a sleep over.  Add that to our four kids and it was a busy place last night.  It was shortly before eleven when I could still hear my son talking.  I was just about to yell at him to get to sleep when I overheard what it was that he was saying.  He was sharing the gospel.  What followed was a conversation in which he shared the gospel, discussed the divinity of Christ, argued for the authority and reliability of scripture and spoke of spiritual things.  I am glad that I did not yell.  This is what we are here for.  
It has been an up a down last few weeks.  Yesterday, we hosted a Canadian Baptist Builders Team from Milton (OK, my father in law...it was not that big a job) who helped my oldest son fix the steps on my neighbour's porch.  It was a great opportunity to serve in our community and to build relationships.  Although this lady is already a believer, she has not been able to attend a church since her car died over a year ago (and it seems that no one even contacted her when she stopped attending).  She is not currently a part of any particular faith family and being an only child, single and just recently retired she does not really have any community at all.   She has already expressed interest in being a part of what we are starting.  
Last week we had a great week as we were serving at a Christian camp.  It was startling to recognize that I have been serving there in some capacity for 15 years!  We were helping to lead the "Family Camp" week and I had the privilege of doing all the teaching for the adult sessions each day.   We saw God do some amazing things in the lives of some of the families.  Perhaps the coolest story is that of a lady who arrived with her two sons for their first ever week of family camp.  If I am not mistaken, it is the same lady that I had heard about from my friends a number of weeks earlier.  They had told me about a lady they had met who answered a Kajiji add for a kitchen table.  After meeting her and hearing her story they gave her the table and invited her to camp.  She, and her three sons (two of whom made it to camp with her) have currently going through the greatest challenge they have faced as a family.   One of the key themes for the week and a key emphasis in the teaching was weathering the storms of life.  She said that it felt as if everything was directed right at her.  During the week she saw her boys begin to smile again as they felt the love from the staff and were given the freedom and the safety to be kids and have fun.  She was also introduced to Jesus and what she had always sensed intuitively was brought into focus as she learned the specifics of this saviour who loves her.  She spent the week in a small group with my wife as they talked more about Jesus, discipleship, how to read the bible and other things to equip us to grow in our faith.  Please pray for this family as they continue to weather this storm and please pray for the journey of discipleship upon which they have just embarked!
The week did have one significant challenge.  When we arrived home from camp we soon realized that our house had been broken into while we were away.  They stole an iPod, my laptop, a bit of cash and some jewelery.  The jewelery was not expensive.  Its value was more sentimental being Kim's Grandma's wedding ring.  The laptop will be a bit more annoying as I continue to remember things for work that I have lost, but I did back it up not too long ago so I still have access to most of the information.  When we consider all that they did not take, the newest laptop that was in the kid's room, my music equipment and guitars and the one piece of expensive jewelery that we do own we can't help but feel blessed.  I am also thankful that has not seemed to affect us emotionally too much either.  We feel fairly calm and still at peace.  The kids are also doing really well under the circumstances.  The first night was a bit unnerving as the broken window still hung in our back room as we awaited the police.   Since then, they seem to have gotten right back into the swing of things having fun with their friends and living life to the full.  T.J. does still get a bit nervous around the house, especially at night and so we are trying to be sensitive to that.  Your prayers would be greatly appreciated, and although we can certainly live without the things that were taken, it would be great to have them back so if you could pray for that as well it would be great.   
Well that about sums up another week (well two weeks I guess, since I did not post last week).  Next week we will be traveling to Alabama where we are participating in a Global Impact Celebration mission conference.  We appreciate your continued prayers and support!