Weeks 3 & 4

Exploring anemones at the Sealife Center in Seward

Evie & Taylor watch the sea lion swim

Visiting Grammie's- Norah and her Uncle Max make a mess!

Playing in the mud at Hicks Creek

The view from the creek bottom

Our friend Iso helped Evie and Norah make their own boat for the boat race

Dropping the boats in the water

View from Victory's airstrip

Justin & I prepare to teach the campers our life session on how to do dating in a Biblical way

Showing off our huge, abundant rhubarb leaves!

We have harvested twice and probably have around 12 lbs in the freezer. I need to try canning!

We ended week 3 of camp and then set off to Seward with the summer staff for a mid-summer staff break! We stayed at a church in Seward for 2 nights and the staff were free to rest, walk around town, and do some exciting activities like kayaking and white water rafting. It was hopefully a refreshing time for everyone, and then it was time to head back to camp for a few more days off and to pitch in on some work projects around camp. The girls and I used that time to go to Kenai to visit family and spend the 4th of July. It was restful for us as well! Week 4 of camp went well with only a few mishaps and injuries. A black bear was shooed away from the pack trip campsite, so pray that he doesn't get any ideas from the tempting horse and food smells and that he stays away!
It was awesome to be able to sit in prayer group on Sunday night and listen to a counselor tell how she felt that her week went terribly and how she continually clashed with her campers- only to see them completely changed at the end of the week and have them thank her for being a great counselor!
We are currently in week 5 of camp, and this week we have our one week of wilderness camp happening as well. Wilderness campers stay in unheated cabins about a half mile from the main Victory campus, and do several different hikes and activities that have to do with the outdoors. Several staff are having to shift roles and cover for the staff members doing wilderness camp, so there may be some stretching going on as people are pushed out of their comfort zones and try new things this week.

Some ways you can pray for us this week:

-That those who are sick or hurt will be able to recover and heal quickly, and that the rest of the staff will take their rest and stay well (most summer staff work 80+ hours a week)

-For continued unity with the staff. I feel like this part of the summer has gone incredibly well and that everyone has worked together wonderfully, so this is also a praise! Pray that it continues

Weeks 1 & 2

The staff hiked down to Hicks Creek during orientation to set up the campsite & eat dinner

Norah found herself a perch

Preparing to take the swim test in Index Lake

Evie wanted to document how big my tummy is

Welcoming new campers as they get off the bus!

Trying to beat the heat in our homemade 'pool'

A better way to stay cool was by running through the fire hose that maintenance man Ryan hooked up. Awesome!

We have had a great first 2 weeks of summer camp. We have had some crazy weather with new record high temperatures for this area, which left some of us a little too warm...you don't ever expect 90 degrees in Alaska and therefore none of the buildings have air conditioning!
We have only had a few minor injuries and a few summer staff sick so far, but there is still plenty of camp left and we are continuing to pray for health and safety.
We had a few moments of worry last week when the weather turned from clear and sunny to completely hazy and dark in just minutes- there was smoke from a forest fire obscuring everything. We quickly found out the location of the fire, which was hundreds of miles away, and were relieved that we didn't need to worry about it. The wind was blowing strongly and we were just seeing smoke from a fire in the Wrangell-St. Elias mountains.
We have a great staff this summer and I think the campers have been having a blast. To quote a friend and S.A.L.T. camper, "Wow! What A Great Week And A Half At Victory Bible Camp. I Learned A Lot Over The Past Week And A Half. Believe It Or Not, I Think God Made Me A Bigger And Better Person. I'm Not That Shy Girl Anymore. I Can Just Be My Normal Self Around People And That Feels Really Great! My Relationship With God Is Stronger Now Than Before I Went To Camp(:" ...It's also wonderful to hear counselors relate stories of campers who were angry and disinterested at the beginning of the week, and by Friday were involved and having fun with their cabin and some had even made decisions to accept Christ. We love knowing that God is doing things like this in the hearts of the kids who spend time here!
Today is the beginning of week 3, and new campers should be arriving in about an hour.
I've been privileged to get to lead one of the small prayer groups that the staff divide into after our Sunday night chapel, and it is always so cool to hear the staff praying for the kids that have just left the day before, and praying in advance for the kids that they'll meet the following day.

Some ways you can pray for us right now:
-For the kids who made decisions to follow Christ in the past weeks to stay strong after they've arrived at home, sometimes to unsupportive situations. Pray for them to connect with a youth group, or spiritual mentor who will encourage them to grow in their faith
-For this coming week of camp, for health, safety, and open hearts for kids and staff alike
-For our family specifically, for Justin to keep up his health and energy as he often works 15hr days
-For me and the girls at home, as my pregnancy draws toward the end it is often very tough to keep up with the girls and I don't usually have help. Pray for me to remember it's OK to rest!
-Pray for a community family, the Beachys, who lost their 29-year old son Ryan in a motorcycle accident last week. He was known & loved by the entire community and this is a very tough time for everyone here. Pray for comfort. Also pray for his girlfriend Tracy who was critically injured in the accident and has a long road to recovery.

Orientation Week

The view from Victory road

The girls playing in the garden outside our house

We are right in the middle of orientation week, which is when the summer staff are trained for their specific jobs and schedules. This is also the week that's super important for bonding together as a staff and making sure we all have one goal in common: Christ-like servanthood and a heart to share Jesus with others. There are lots of classes that the staff have to attend to be educated on important issues that they may face with campers, and there are also lots of fun activities planned for the staff to get to know each other and camp better. We have been having lovely weather (for Alaska anyways :) with the occasional rain shower, which is a blessing because it keeps down the dust from the roads!
The ice is out on the lakes, FINALLY, and the docks were put in Index Lake today! Swim test for the staff is on Monday and the water should be right around 40ish degrees.
We're asking if you would join us in prayer for the coming summer. Camp starts Wednesday, June 12th. It's always amazing and heartbreaking to see the children that come through camp; some come from good homes and some definitely do not. We love that camp is a place where these kids feel comfortable enough to share their lives with their counselors and take steps closer to Jesus, whether they have a relationship with Him already or he is still preparing their hearts. Please pray:-That the soil in these young people's hearts would be soft and open to receive the seeds of the gospel

-That those who already know the Lord would grow in their faith in life-changing ways through their time at camp

-For health and safety for all kids and staff this summer

-For unity within the staff and a God-focused outlook

-We still have needs for chapel speakers and worship leaders for a few separate weeks of camp- pray that the gaps would be filled!

Thanks as always for your support of our family here at Victory! We love being here and God has made that possible through you!

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!

April 23rd Update

A more recent family picture

Evie, Justin and the Grandparents hiked with the dogs up Teepee Ridge in the snow

The view of the highway coming up to camp from the top of the ridge

Evie sits with Grandpa Steve at the top

It's officially breakup in our neck of the woods! While we are still having days when it snows, the sun is definitely winning in the long run, and the roads around camp are all mud and slush. The girls have had a blast playing in the puddles outside.
Our guest groups at Victory have subsided for the most part now, and the focus is turning to preparation for Outdoor Education camps that will be held next month, and being more and more ready for summer camp.
Justin's parents arrived for a visit this past week and we've also been kept busy with Justin's camp presentations. We spent last Saturday at Anchorage's Promise Kid's Day- a positive community event with 70 booths representing businesses, organizations and camps, and each one had an activity or game for children. There were an estimated 10-15,000 people who came through the Denaina Center in Anchorage where it was held, and we brought the girls. While Justin and the rest of the program team worked at our Victory booth, talking to people about camp, handing out brochures, and helping kids assemble a VBC headband craft, the grandparents and I walked around the center with the girls. It was a long day but hopefully a fruitful one for camp, and definitely a fun one for the girls!
We presented at Lazy Mountain Bible Church in Palmer this past Sunday, both for camp and to give a personal update on our ministry. We are hoping that these many appearances that have been made on Victory's behalf at churches and youth/children's events will draw campers and staff to come experience camp this summer, and learn about the awesome love of God.


Some ways you can pray for us right now:
-That the staff team that is being built for summer would be made of God-loving, servant-hearted, teachable people who will also be able to grow personally through their summer here
-That God would provide more college-age male counselors for the summer, as we still have a shortage
-That there would be safety at camp and on the lakes with all the snow & ice melting and making a bit of a mess
-That our family would remain God-focused through the last part of this exceptionally busy month

As always, thanks so much for your continued prayers and support! You all mean so much to us!

April 4th Update

Just over halfway through the pregnancy!

Easter egg fun at Grammie's house

Norah thought that the egg dye tablets were candy, and she was too quick for us. Good thing they're non-toxic!

Dyeing eggs with aunties and uncles!

The joy of finding an egg during the egg hunt!

Posing with their Easter baskets...or yawning

Norah finds an egg

Evie shows her finds

One of Evie's favorite things about visiting Grammie  & Papa is that her aunts doll her up. She loves it!

 We just returned from an 8-day trip to Kenai for Easter, and to North Star Bible Camp in Willow for a CCCA conference. We're glad to be home for a couple of days before hitting the road again, this time to Glennallen so Justin can present at Glennallen Community Chapel and Alaska Bible College on behalf of Victory.
We had a fun time in Kenai with family. The trip turned a little bit frightening when we experienced a health scare with my dad, but God is good and He did an amazing work, and I'm thankful to say my dad's doing much better now. We headed up to Willow very early Monday morning for a conference held with several other camps from around the state.
I hesitate to say it,  but breakup could actually be on the way for our part of Alaska! It has already begun in other areas and the patches of snowless ground outside are slowly growing bigger and bigger! I even saw several trees sprouting fuzzy buds as we drove around the state last week.
Camp has had a few issues lately with injured staff and damage to guest housing. We could use prayer as we are also shorthanded since a couple of the staff families are traveling to raise support this month. It's wonderful to see everyone step up and fill in where needed, but it definitely puts stress on staff and, in turn, staff families.

Some ways you can pray for us right now:
-That maintenance issues would be solved with some of the camp housing that was severely damaged due to water
-That Abigail, a member of the program team, would have quick healing after injuries from a snowmachining accident, and that a staff wife would have healing after being injured in a car accident
-For our family, that the issues with our housing would be resolved. Our pipes froze yet again while we were gone last week
-For a reminder during busy/stressful times that we are here working for the Lord and not for ourselves