Merry Christmas, Everyone!

I spent my Christmas Day back in Akron with my parents. After a relaxing morning playing with my nephews and nieces, we went to the house of a family friend for a Christmas lunch/dinner. The food was good, the present-opening was low-key, and I had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time being quietly thankful for the blessings I've been given. After dinner a few of us went to see The Return of the King.

How wonderful the simplicity of the day was ... a wonderful way to honor the King of Kings and float in His graciousness. How was your Christmas? Do tell, I'd love to hear how you spent it!

real life underground church

We had 2 missionary friends, Bruce and Emma Behnken, come and talk to us around the campfire one night last summer (week 6, I think?) about living in a real-life "underground church" (like the game we played at camp). They go to Vietnam and other Asian areas where there is not religious freedom and Christians can be interogated, arrested, tortured, and killed for meeting together and teaching people how to know Jesus.

Bruce and Emma have emailed us many good reports of the things God is doing in the Phillipines (where they are living) and the other places where they work and live, but have just asked us to pray for some specific and urgent things happening to some Pastors and their friends in Vietnam.

1. After 15 Chritian leaders were arrested last week and some are reported to have been "badly abused" while in custody. They ask us to “Please pray for the safety of Quang, Nhan, Mai and other Christian leaders during this time of increased tension in Ho Chi Minh City, for the continued fight for religious freedom throughout Vietnam.”

2. Pray that God will help Christians in Northern Vietnam and southern China resist "the Eastern Lightning cult, noted for its brutal kidnappings and brainwashing."

3. Ma Van Bay is a Christian leader in this area that has been arrested. "Those close to him are concerned that he may face serious abuse ... Please pray for Bay's protection and courage, as well as peace and protection for his wife and children."

You can email camp if you want me to forward the full email to you. I can also forward messages from you to encourage them or let them know that you're praying for them and their friends in Vietnam.

Mmmm, a facelift.

The PVMcamp website has gotten a complete makeover this week, with new photos, camp information, and even a couple new sections. Here are some highlights:

• New photos are now found throughout the site, many of them featuring our very own staff from last summer (that may be you!)
• The new Outdoor Education Program that Amber is heading up also has a new home on the website ... find out more about where PVM is going in this direction as we seek to involve and educate schools and churches about God's creation. I think she's also seeking feedback about how to make this section more interactive and kid-friendly.
• All of the new information about next summer, including schedules and registration information, is now online. You'll also find that we're offering three new camps ... Monster Garage Camp, Wheel Power Camp, and Wilderness Camp!
• There's also a new section of the website devoted to downloads and links ... right now the list is very meager, but soon you'll be able to suggest new links directly from the PVM website for campers and families to check out.

So what do you guys think? There weren't many comments two weeks ago when I first asked for suggestions about the site, but perhaps the wheels have begun spinning a little? Pretty please?

Rockytop Tennessee

Would anyone be interested in visiting Lisa next weekendish? maybe the 25thish? It's about a 6-hour drive and I think I could get a car, but I'd have to check on that. We could walk if the car thing doesn't work out. Shoot me an email if you're interested.

If the 25th doesn't work out, we could always try the 19th thru the 21stish :)

~Stenger

Searching for Happiness, anyone?

I just read an awesome article from urbana.org about looking for happiness in the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's an unhappy time for a lot of people. I personally think it's because we put our hopes on what we'd like to happen with Christmas rather than taking joy in our blessings already. Well, this article references some of C.S. Lewis' thoughts.

"Lewis thought that if we think of this world as our home rather than a place we are passing through, we are repeatedly disappointed. The search for happiness led Lewis to believe in a Creator who "refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant Inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for our home.""

So right on! We are so blessed to have a home to look forward to. Those inns sure are nice sometimes. Let us not lose track of what we're waiting for.

:-)

a new camp to pray for

Last spring I met fellow program director named Raul who works at a camp called Kikoten in Mexico City, Mexico. They have a summer camp and off season programs for the kids and teens of Mexico City. I believe they have a lot of inner city families. Raul has aleady been praying for us at Pleasant Vineyard since last March, and I mutually pray for Kikoten. He has asked us to pray for him personally, as he walks with God and tries to obey, and also for his camp, the counselors, and the campers. Seguimos caminando juntos means "walking together", which is what we are doing with them and Christ's body all over the world.

Aargh, Ye Sons of the Sea !!!

Curious how next summer's theme be goin' t' pan out? Here be some recent brainstormin' notes t' whet yer appetite ...

The superficial theme for the summer is The Treasure of Pirates' Cove ... we'll be swashbucklin' through adventures at sea with the kids ... but the real theme for the summer is God's Scripture (a truly valuable treasure). We're going to be:

1. Searching through the Bible for eternal booty (Matt. 6:19-21, Prov. 2:1-5, Prov. 10:1-2, Prov. 24:3-4, 2 Cor. 4:7),
2. Emphasizing scripture memorization (Isa. 45:2-3, Luke 12:34, Psalm 119:9-11), and
3. Teaching the kids about the most valuable treasure of all, Jesus (Matt. 13:44-46, Mark 10:17-31, Isa 33:5-6, Col. 2:2-3).

Much o' it be still in rough form, but God be slowly makin' it known what He wants t' do 'n how we can do it. (Man the guns, ye cowardly swabs!) We're almost through the dense thicket o' administrative decisions (schedules, marketin' materials, facilities 'n program changes, etc) 'n ready t' put shoe leather on the teachin' 'n playin' portions o' the summer. Be ye ready to walk the plank?