LifeKids Love Bus Adventure
Jul 20th
Our LifeKids team took the Love Bus out to deliver Otter Pops to children at Sunset Pool as well as surrounding parks in Longmont. Sunset Pool was packed with people as it was a very hot day. We offered the Otter Pops to the children as well as adults through the fence at Sunset Pool in addition to inviting them to our next Family Movie Night on July 25th.
The adventure came as we were driving home from the pool only to find out that the bus had vapor locked for a second time and we were stranded. Shortly after realizing that we were not going to be going anywhere anytime soon we were approached by some police officers. They offered to try and get it started for us as you see in the picture Bobby is trying to start up the Love Bus. After confirming that we were not going anywhere soon, the officer offered to put the bus in neutral to roll it out of the street. After calling for a ride back to church and having no luck another police car pulled up and made enough seats available in his vehicle to police escort our LifeKids team back to LifeBridge. =) Before entering the police cars the officers asked us if we would prefer to be tazed or handcuffed as that would be the only way we were getting in their vehicles. =) The officers were very kind to escort us safely back to LifeBridge and had quite a few laughs in the process.
The Love Bus is truly becoming known in the Longmont community!
Pinehaven Mission Trip
Jul 20th
Synopsis of Pinehaven Mission Trip
July 3-12, 2009
The old hymn says it well: “There is joy in serving Jesus”. Certainly our team of 18 experienced the joy of serving Jesus at the Pinehaven Christian Children’s Ranch. Pinehaven is a working cattle ranch in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Montana and they are always busy with the work associated with a such a ranch, including processing their own meat, milking cows, putting up hay, etc., etc. But the main focus at the ranch is rebuilding the lives of troubled kids. The kids attend school on the ranch, live in a Christian family environment (set of house parents, 6 girls, 6 boys in each home) help work the ranch, and through it all are exposed to wholesome Christian values and the Person of Jesus Christ. We witnessed one teenaged boy baptized into Christ when we attended their Church on Sunday! We were amazed at the wonderful work that is being accomplished in the lives of these kids at the ranch, and are thankful that we were able to partner with them in helping work the ranch for a week! And we did work hard! Our work projects included: staining the Office building, baking 60 dozen cookies for Camp, cutting and stacking firewood, hanging drywall, installing insulation, repairing a roof, painting a fence, putting up hay, installing electrical lines in new barns, and building forms and laying rebar for the foundation of a new addition to one of the children’s homes. I was very proud of how much our team accomplished and the spirit in which they served!
The fine folks at Pinehaven were also intent on showing us the beautiful part of God’s country that they are blessed to live in! On Saturday evening they took us to a pig roast and fireworks with the beautiful Rocky Mountains as the backdrop! On Sunday afternoon they took some of us on a hike to a beautiful waterfall, some of us on a fishing trip, and some of us on a trip to a Bison range. On Thursday, they gave us a day off from work and blessed us with an all-day trip into Glacier National Park! WOW! God did good there!! In the evenings – if we had any energy left – we enjoyed swimming, horse back riding, or a trip to town for ice cream (huckleberry is the unique flavor there)!
We met for devotions each morning before breakfast studying the book of Psalms and focusing on growing in intimacy with the Lord. Lasting relationships were built and strengthened with team members as we made wonderful memories together. Team members spoke of the spiritual growth they experienced on the trip and how their perspective of The Kingdom was enlarged. But perhaps the highlight was getting to know some of the kids at the ranch and seeing how God is transforming them into His image!
I loved the intergenerational aspect of our team. Most of us were 50 or better with the oldest being 75, but we also had three in their 40’s and 2 teenaged girls in our group! It was a blast!
Truly there is joy in serving Jesus, and I encourage everyone to try a short-term mission trip. I’d be glad to talk to you about trips we have coming up in the 50 & Better Ministry, or you can contact Don Drage, Mission Committee Coordinator.
Paul Stetler
Wednesday, July 15
Jul 15th
Excerpt of an email received this morning:
“I was behind you in the “BUS” this AM on my way to work… What a great way to start my day!!!! =) I was ALL HAPPY to see you in IT on the road… jejeje lol lucky you! I should have honked and gone crazy waving at you – but I don’t like much attention and people would have thought I was crazy and honking at them… LOL”
