Ups and Downs

The past few weeks have been a series of up and down days. I have to remind myself that when I really see the Lord at work, forces of darkness are going to be on the prowl. Over the past few weeks, ministry here seems to have been slow. I have had several weeks in which the girls here have had other obligations and have not been able to meet. It is difficult when you feel that you give your efforts into investing into these girls and then plans fall through. I have to remember, though, that there is purpose in why this is happening. Maybe (and I believe) the Lord is trying to teach me something, and I can only seek Him for His purposes.

On the up side, good encouragement is such a blessing in times like these. I was blessed to have the opportunity to spend a weekend with a wonderful couple that goes to our church here. They took time out of their week to serve Preston and me by having us over to ride horses, shoot guns :), and most of all enjoy uplifting fellowship. I was also blessed to have my family to come visit me here in New Mexico! I am so glad they were able to come and see where I have been living, working, and my New Mexican family who have been here with me.

Though the past few weeks have had down moments, God is teaching me to TRUST Him! I have such a desire to see immediate fruit and changed lives in sharing the Word of God. There is a time for labor, and a time for harvest, and the Lord’s timing is right. I have been encouraged by several friends, through whom the Lord has reminded me of this verse- Galatians 6:9 “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” I must consider the Lord Jesus Christ, who did not grow weary, who endured the cross and hostility by sinners, who despised shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. I must fix my eyes on His example so that I will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

I have only three weeks left here at Eagles’ Wings Youth Ranch. In my time here, I have learned so much, realized the blessings of being a part of God’s work here, and all God has richly blessed me with back home. I look forward to seeing all of you very soon, and I hope to maximize the time I have left! I am reminded of Ephesians 5:15-16 “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” Pray with me that I make the most of my time left here and take every opportunity God presents to me. 

Door ajar!

The past couple of weeks have been very busy, thanks to God's faithfulness in opening more doors for ministry. My schedule has picked up with opportunities to invest in girls through Eagles' Wings almost every day of the week now. My goal after our retreat back in February was to follow up further with as many of the girls who attended as I could. Just in the past few weeks, God has opened the door to do that! With one of the girls, we have established a time to get together every week and go to the park, cook something together, or just spend time talking about life. Two weeks ago, we discussed some things about different religions in the world. I asked if she would be open to investigating the God of the Christian faith, and she was very open. Last week, we began reading through the book of John to discover more about who Jesus Christ is. Pray that God draws her to Himself and give her understanding that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life!


I have had opportunities to spend time with another one of the girls who came to our retreat as well. Several weeks ago we got together and spent the afternoon talking, baking cookies, and petting the horses here at the ranch. One day this week, Ms. Dianne had the girl and her family on her heart. She mentioned that I inviter her to come to church with us. That night, the girl called me and told me she would not be able to get together on Friday, which was when our next get together to hang out would be. She asked about getting together on Sunday instead. God placed that opportunity right in front of me to ask if she wanted to go to church with us. She was excited, and came with us to church yesterday. She plans to continue each week for a while. I was so encouraged by God's obvious work and how He presents such opportunities. He is at work in both of these situations, and I am holding fast to His promise that what He begins He will bring to completion according to His purposes.


This past weekend, I took one of my Bible study groups to a conference in Albuquerque called Young Lives Ablaze. There are three girls in the group, but unfortunately, one of the girls did not make it to the conference on Saturday. Two of the girls went though, and we had a good time of worship, playing games, small group bible study, and enjoying a concert. Pray that the girls would retain what they heard, and that the seeds planted there would be watered and produce fruit in their lives. 


In my past blogs, I have mentioned Vanessa and Felisha Wells, who have been involved in serving with Eagles' Wings for many years and who helped with our retreat. The three of us and another girl from the community, who has come to Eagles' Wings as a camper and staffer in training, have begun meeting weekly to begin a small group type accountability/Bible Study time. We have begun reading a book together, Authentic Beauty, and discussing how principles from the Bible apply to our lives. Pray that this time would be fruitful, that we would all seek and follow the Lord as we live each day.


As of this week, I have only seven weeks left in my service this semester with Eagles' Wings Youth Ranch. Pray I would maximize the time God has given me and take every opportunity for ministry He presents. Pray against fears, discouragement, and struggles that I face in the battle against evil every day. Pray that God would bring to completion the work He has begun here!

East and Back

I am back in New Mexico and in my regular schedule of work here! For those of you who do not know, I took an unexpected trip back home last week. My great aunt passed away and I am so thankful that I was able to make it to her funeral and be with my family during that time. In the time I was gone, a lot went on here at the ranch. We were blessed to have the semester missionary from last year, Sarah, back along with a mission team from her church to help serve with us for a few days. They helped with our spring festival, which follows up with a lot of families of youth who have been to camp before. We had a good turn out of those who came to enjoy food, games, and good fellowship with other campers and staff. The team also helped to restore our bunkhouse that the campers stay in during the summer. We are thankful for the team and for their help as they also did some other maintenance here on the ranch. The work on the bunkhouse is not quite finished, so we have a paint job to finish up in our future. J

There is a youth conference coming up in Albuquerque called Young Lives Ablaze. A group of kids from the church is planning to go, and we are seeking to take some of the girls I work with as well. It is just a one-day event, and I think it would be a fun event and a great opportunity for the girls to learn even more about Christ. Since I was gone last week, I am a little behind on getting the details together for the conference, so pray that everything comes together so that the girls will be able to go.

I am a little over halfway through my service here with Eagles’ Wings. I am still meeting with my three groups of girls each week, but I am trying to expand the number of girls I follow up with. Pray that doors would open for me to meet with other girls in the community, especially those who came to our retreat in February.

Ms. Dianne is back in New Mexico after the long battle with Mr. Albert’s cancer. It is a difficult road for her, and it is hard being back here without him. Please pray for the comfort and peace of God that surpasses all understanding. Pray that all of us on the ranch can be a blessing and an encouragement during such a difficult time.

Too busy to blog :)

The past couple of weeks have been busy here on the ranch. This past weekend, we had our first girls’ retreat of the semester. Our goal was to target four girls for the event. We ended up with four girls, just not the four we initially invited. God had His plan, though, for the exact girls He wanted to be there. Over the weekend, we discussed how a relationship with God is similar to the life of a flower. The soil- the love of God- is our foundation for life. The stem- Jesus Christ- is the center of life, and channels nutrients, God’s love and forgiveness, from the soil and gives stability. The leaves are essential for healthy growth. Just as leaves turn carbon dioxide, water, and light into food for a plant to grow, so God’s Word, prayer, fellowship, and sharing our faith are essential for our growth in Christ. If a flower receives all the necessary nutrients and has it’s proper structure, it will bloom. Our lives will bloom in Christ when we live in obedience, and we will produce the fruit of the Spirit. Throughout the weekend, we had several group sessions to discuss these truths. We enjoyed watching a movie, planting flowers, painting flowerpots, and spending time together. We also got to do the recently built high ropes course that we have here on the ranch property. There are many obstacles and challenges available to do on the ropes course that build team work and courage for the youth, but we only had time to do two, the giant swing and a partner challenge called Jacob’s ladder.

All of us here on the ranch were very pleased and excited that the weekend went really well! This weekend was the first time that I had met any of the girls that attended our retreat. Now, we want to follow up with the girls. I will be seeking to build even deeper relationships with them by possibly establishing another group, or meeting one on one with as many as I can. We desire to invest in each individual that comes through Eagles’ Wings to make an impact on their lives for Christ! Please pray that logistically, mentally, and spiritually, I will be able to continue investing in the girls who attended the retreat!

I was responsible for planning most of the retreat, but I was so blessed with so much help with it. Todd is always behind everything I do here, and helps me know the best ways to meet the needs of these youth. His wife, Jennifer had a book that gave us the flower theme idea for the retreat, and she helped encourage me, plan, and lead during the weekend. Two other girls I have recently met, Vanessa and Felisha, were also such a blessing to help plan and lead during the weekend! They are sisters, who with their family, have been involved in helping at Eagles’ Wings for years. Colleen was a huge help with her assistance with the ropes course. Preston was our cook for the weekend, and we really enjoyed the gourmet meals we were able to have with the girls. :)

With all the praises and good news to share, I do have some sad news. The weekend before our retreat, Mr. Albert, our director who has been battling cancer, went home to be with the Lord. It has been very hard for everyone at the ranch but we are seeking to continue our work here, and the work that God started through the Hagans at Eagles’ Wings. Ms. Dianne is planning to come back to the ranch very soon. Please pray for comfort and peace for Ms. Dianne and everyone who Mr. Albert’s life made an impact upon. Pray that his life would continue to be a testimony to everyone who comes through Eagles’ Wings and Immanuel Baptist Church. 

Real Ranchin'

This week has been a good week! It did snow again on Tuesday night, but we did not have as extreme cold as last week! And now we have propane to keep our heater and hot water going, so we are good to go! I was able to meet with each of my groups this week since we were not snowed it. Tuesday after I took the girls home, the snow began, and I got my first real experience of driving in heavy snow. The further I got, the worse it got, but I made it back to the ranch safe and sound, and with a testimony that I am becoming a pro at dealing with this snow stuff :).

Yesterday, Todd, our supervisor, and his family left for Louisiana to visit our director and his wife, Albert and Dianne Hagan. They were in Houston, receiving cancer treatments for Mr. Albert, but they have gone to their home state of Louisiana to allow him to rest and be out of the hospital. Todd and his family will be gone for the next week, so Preston and I are in charge of the ranch for a while! We have been given our assignments to take care of the animals on the ranch, and continue the ranch chores every morning and evening. We'll be taking care of the cows, horses, miniature horses, chickens, dogs, cats, and the bird! So I am getting the real ranching experience!

Mr. Albert is not doing so well these days, so please pray for comfort, strength, and encouragement for he and his wife. I am working to plan a retreat for some girls at the end of February, so pray that it would come together and that I would plan according to what God would have us do. Continue to pray for the girls I am ministering to, that they would learn, grow, and come to know the Lord if they do not.

Snow!!.. and COLD!!

New Mexico has taken a big hit from the storm that swept across the country this week! We've been snowed in at the ranch since Tuesday. I was able to meet with my group of girls on Monday, then the storm began! After our group meeting, I was on my way to take the girls home as it began to snow. Thankfully, I made it back to the ranch before the storm got too bad. Tuesday and Wednesday, were days of constant snow and wind, and frigid temperatures! We have ended up this week with at least 2 feet of snow, and the temperatures at night have gotten as low as -10. I don't believe I have ever experienced this sort of cold before, but thankfully God has sustained our heaters and pipes, which we are keeping running, so far! In the trailer I live in, we are low on propane, and are praying that the workers can make it out today!

Since I have not been able to meet with my groups this week, I have been trying to stay warm indoors most of the time. (It has been too cold, and the snow too powdered to go outside and build a snowman yet :)) So I have been doing a lot of reading this week! Not only this week, but in any spare time while I am here, reading is what I am generally doing. Although I would love to get on the internet and talk to yall at any time, I do not have internet access in my room, but this has been good for me in the time that I have as opportunity to read and study God's Word.

As I continue to meet with my girls weekly, we will be planning more events and activities for campers throughout the semester. Right now, I am working on a girls' retreat we are hoping to have the last week of February. We are planning to take some youth snow tubing this month, and the spring festival is coming up in March. Be praying for these events, as they are great opportunities to continue to minister to the youth who come through Eagles' Wings.

Provisions

Its only Tuesday, and I have already experienced and am encouraged by God's abundant provision for me this week. I have recovered and am feeling much better after my near 4-day stomach virus from last week.

This week, all three of my groups are beginning the Bible study we will be doing over the next semester. Thanks to Ms. Kim Campbell, I brought a few workbooks and studies that might have been possibilities for us to do. The one we chose is called True or False by Josh McDowell. The study talks about the big truths about God, and helps us recognize the lies that the world would rather us believe. A lot of the kids that come through Eagles' Wings know very little or nothing about the Bible. I am really excited about going through this study as it lays a foundation about God and how we can have a relationship with Him.

Yesterday, as I was preparing for my first group of the week, I was trying to find supplies I would need for an activity that relates to the lesson about being made in the image of God. The activity instructed us to go outside on a sunny day and trace our shadows on a large piece of paper. I had two problems, one, it wasn't a sunny day (and it actually snowed some), and two I did not have a big roll of paper. As I was brainstorming how to tweak the activity, we found a large tab of  paper that has just been waiting for someone to use! It would work without a shadow by having the girls lay down on the paper and trace each other.

I pick up the girls from school everyday that we have our group meetings. We then go to the church or go to the park for our group time. We made homemade pizza yesterday, talked about our lesson, and the activity was a success to help us understand that like the outline of ourselves portrays our image, as God tells us in Genesis 1:26, so are we made in the likeness and the image of God.

I took all the girls home and had a good conversation with one of the girls about what it means to have a relationship with God. I was a little worried about the weather, but my whole ride back, God cleared the skies, and I didn't end up having to drive back to the ranch in snow! God provided much for me yesterday- He does everyday! I was reminded and encouraged of His promises that He is always with us and makes a way to accomplish His purposes!