May 22nd Update

The parking lot outside Miracle Lodge had to be completely dug up to reach the piping

The girls wave from inside their new fenced yard

Evie tries out her new big girl bike!

Norah tries out Evie's old tricycle which is now hers :)

We still have a few staff needs here at camp, but for the most part we are set and ready for summer! Orientation begins June 4th and the first day of camp is June 12th.
Most of our snow here is gone, but the lake is still frozen and that is a concern. We have one more guest group coming this weekend that sadly won't be able to use the lake like they normally do. It has just been one late spring for all of Alaska! Temperatures are still dipping below freezing every night and that makes it impossible for the lake ice to break up. Last weekend we had what we hope is the last snowstorm of the year. Apparently Anchorage and surrounding areas set a new record for longest season of snowfall, totaling 232 days of the year. That's a solid 2/3rds of the year! Sometimes I question why we live in Alaska! But then I see God's incredible creation that is everywhere you look, and I remember. :)
The mess with the water pipes to Miracle Lodge has been mostly resolved from what I know, and there is only a small hole left in the main parking lot instead of a gaping chasm. The maintenance men are certainly the unsung heroes of camp ministry!
We have transitioned into springtime with our family life, and the girls have spent a lot of time outside lately. We were able to get our front yard fenced, which gives Evie and Norah a lot more freedom because even if Mom is busy they can go out and play and I don't have to worry about cars driving by on the road that runs next to our house. Now it just needs to warm up a bit more, so we can swim!
Some summer staff has already arrived, mostly leadership, and they have been working on things like setting up summer schedules, taking CPR and first aid classes to get certifications, and next weekend they will take a camping trip together to build team unity! I am feeling led to take up the ministry of prayer for the summer and the summer staff, like I did the last summer we were here, as I know it's a very needed thing and something I can do to support the staff.
If you or someone you know is not sure what to do with their summer and would like to enjoy God's amazing creation in the Chugach Mountains of Alaska, we have a need for lifeguards, Wilderness Camp staff, and a few other spaces for college age and up. Contact Justin if you're interested! 907-745-4203 or justinh@vbcalaska.org.

Some ways you can pray for us right now:

-That the lake will thaw sooner rather than later so that the orientation swim test doesn't have to be taken amidst icebergs
-Continued healing for permanent staff Jennifer, Carole, and Abigail
-For the summer staff positions to be filled by people desiring to serve God this summer

Let the fun begin!

As Evie sits cluelessly enjoying her movie and snack, our friend Kyle's dog intently begs for a bite!

The girls love to swim!

...And they love to swim with Grandma and Grandpa even more!

Evie shows off the ice cream truck she made for the AWANA grand prix

She is so proud of her ribbon

Sadly, this is what our May has looked like so far. More like March!

Let's hope the sunshine melts the snow soon

Despite the snow, we have strawberries sprouting in our garden!

We also have rhubarb coming up. Looks like I'll be making pies this summer! Yum!

Today is May 6th and it has finally stopped snowing! We had several days straight of non-stop snowfall and it certainly didn't feel like May. But today it's 45 degrees (warm for here!) and we are enjoying sunshine!
There is a lot going on at camp right now, some of it good and some not so good. Today is the first day of Outdoor Education groups on the grounds, and Victory both hosts the groups and leads some of the activities for them. It has been a little tricky for the staff trying to figure out how to get everything for the groups done since there's not usually this much snow left at this time of year, and it has hindered some of the things that are always planned.
We have had some major issues with water again in the camp. Right now the maintenance men have dug up hundreds of feet of ground trying to find one specific break in the water lines that has left part of camp and the main lodge with little to no water. The phone lines were accidentally hit during the digging which cut off all our camp lines (at least we still have outside lines, thank goodness!) and the internet at the main lodge. But the men are faithfully working away at all the problems and it's so encouraging and humbling to see their happy attitudes despite long hours and little rest.
Justin is only planning 2 church visits this month which is less than last month, so there should be less traveling in our family's future. The leadership staff for the summer (the Alpine, Ranch, Frontier and S.A.L.T camp directors and their assistants) will begin arriving in about 10 days, which is very exciting! They are taking time to arrive early and have about an extra week of training before the rest of the summer staff get here for orientation, which I think is very wise and should allow for more unity and a very cohesive staff this summer. We are getting really excited to see what God is going to do in people's lives this summer, and in fact we have already begun to see the awesome works He is doing in some of the summer staff's hearts. We were able to talk to one girl who has had an amazing awakening in her life- the belief in God was always there but it is REAL now, she is soaking in the truth that only comes from God and she is excited and so eager to serve Him his summer! Seeing things like this happen in young people's lives are the reason we love being here at Victory!!

Some ways you can be praying for us right now:

-One of the staff wives, Jennifer, had to have unexpected brain surgery to remove a brain tumor last week. She is recovering well but is not able to come home yet. Please pray for her to continue to get well as she has to relearn some basic things, and for their 3 young children who are still here at camp. God has been very present in the entire situation but it is very hard on a husband and kids when mama is not well! Pray for encouragement!

-For continued healing for Carole and Abigail- 2 staff ladies who have neck & back injuries that require patience for healing and grace to cope with daily pain.

-For our water situation to be resolved once and for all! The maintenance men are super busy on a normal day, and to have this problem as we head into summer could be overwhelming.

-This is a praise- yesterday evening we had an amazing time of sharing God's word with each other, and prayer for the camp and each other as a staff. It was an incredibly uplifting time. It's awesome to be reminded of what we're doing here and what an awesome God we serve!