It is about time for kickball

  Kickball begins tomorrow and I am excited for the first activity of the summer season. I am coming off some recent frustration because the fax machine is not faxing my insurance documents for upcoming paintball sessions and I broke one of our hideous cutting boards trying to make coupon booklets.I hope they don't dock my paycheck for doing them a favor!

  Yesterday I had a lovely time presenting the vision for Campus Life for Elmira in Veneta at the United Methodist Chruch. I was also blessed to present the sermon on ministering in the spirit.  It was also the first time I have ever been called reverend. I have been called Pastor, Minister, Crazy, Rabbi, and a few different expletives while driving but this was the first for being called reverend. 
  It is a privledge to go to the churches that support me. I have spoken at Fern Ridge Christian Church (where breakfast club is hosted) and have a true partner in Larry Gaskin, have given the Baccalaureate for Crow before Pastor Scott too his sabbatical, and I will be volunteering at VBS with Olivet Baptist next week. I still need to get over to Veneta Alliance, Fern Ridge Faith Center, and Open Bible. I am truely blessed by the support the aforementioned churches and look forward to our summer season together.

Events that are being promoted for summer!

Pray for camp and the myriad of events I have planned for Summer. I am planning Kickball right now, which some students are excited about. A few students think it is lame, but most of those see the baseball diamond and state that hate baseball. I enjoy asking what does the big red ball have to do with baseball, to which they ask if we are playing dodge-base-ball. Though the students have been receptive it is hard to tell how they will respond once summer hits.

Brock and I have made some progress towards a paintball area at the Fox's home in Noti. I am glad they are willing to host us and glad that I can benefit another campus life program as well as my own. I have collected names at the high school for paintballing, but Kickball is open field. I also have a last day bash at Dairy Queen. We will see how many students show up and if I can completely drain my club account. I will keep you up to date on how these events shape up.

You can see by the above picture not a lot is up.

New Blog

Welcome to what I hope will be a more inclusive way to connect with supporters of the Campus Life ministry at Elmira High School. The monthly news letters don't afford me the adequate space to communicate the less pressing information that I also find relevant to the ears of my supporters.

For instance when my volunteer Aleck Thompson broke his arm while running down the street chasing a kid for a game, that news simple ends up in the prayer column because I have more pressing information. With this blog I have enough time to explain the whole story and the blessing God has bestowed through the accident. I came around the corner to witness the same student who was running stop and help Aleck. I was impressed with the good heart of this student to stop and help (also to let the game come second). The student finished second in the game and believes he would have finished first, however in my mind he finished first. Aleck broke his radius and twisted all the ligiments in his left arm. He was in severe pain and we rushed him to the ER.

God has blessed Aleck with good insurance (and we would reimburse whatever his insurance didn't cover). The encouraging part comes with the bond and "street cred" this gives Aleck with the students. They love him and the student he was chasing keeps apologizing, though he did nothing wrong. Aleck has continued with his job virtually unimpeeded. Though he elected to have the screw taken out of his arm without medication. Imagine a doctor pulling out pliers and yanking with all he has to pull a screw out of bone. Not only that but the doctor got tired and had to rest half-way through.

I plan to share stories like this and provide more in depth detail from stories in the newsletter so keep posted.