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Dear Friends and Family,  

We are still alive!  I know it has been a while since we sent out an update but for a good reason.  We have been heavily involved in the ministry of L’Arcada here in Spain.  As you remember we moved to Spain mid May and started right away to get involved in different things that where going on.   As most of you know Summer is our busiest time of the year and there is so much going on.   Let us give you an overview of how the summer went so you can see how the Lord is working over here in Spain.    

We started out with the English camp that my Brother – in – Law and Sister Christian and Tafie came over to Direct and it was so neat to see so many people come to improve engilsh and at the same time learn more about the Lord. Sylvia and I helped here and there running different activities and Sylvia was very involved in designing everything from T-shirts, stickers, postcards, brochures, etc etc.   Then Basketball camp hit which I did not get to be at much because I was helping Jordi, our program Director, finish programming the next camp which was our Native American camp.   

This summer I had the priviledge of codirecting the Native American camp which is 4 weeks long including the staff training week.  I moved out to camp for a month and was able to learn a lot about what Jordi had done all these years with the camp.   It is amazing how much work he puts into this camp.  For those of you that don’t know the Native American camps are our oldest camps.  This camp was the first one that we did when the Lord opened L’Arcada back in 1991.  It was a great experience and we where beat after getting done.   Sylvia was a champ taking care of Shania most of that time alone and if you know Shania she does not know what lack of energy means.  Sylvia also helped with the camp store and a lot of other graphic design projects that are constantly needing  to get done.  We saw 14 kids in this camp make a personal decision for Chirst.  We also got to see staff and Christian campers make Lordship decisions and grow deeper in Him.    

Folowing that was Family camp which was special to see how families grow closer together when Christ is at the center.   We love having the privilege to share with families what the Bible says about marriage and parenting.   Adventure camps came after that and we saw teenagers come to camp and do all sorts of crazy activities while the staff at camp got a whole week to share the gospel with them.  I remember a councilor coming to me all excited because her camper had just come to know the Lord but worried because the girl had told her she wished she could have a bible and the councilor did not know where any where.   We where able to pull out some that we have to give away and encouraged her to put some of her favorite verses in the back for the girl to be able to read at home.   Another councilor said that her girls would ask her to read her bible when there was free time.   WOW instead of going out to play these girls that do not know the Lord wanted to see what was it that was in this book that was so interesting and special to their councilor.   It is not over yet though.  We just finished hosting a Group that cameall the way down from Germany bringing 70 teenagers with them.  After that L’Arcada had a camp for adults 20+ and other things follow.  What a full summer.   

On behalf of Sylvia and I and the rest of the full time staff of L’Arcada we want to give all of you a huge hug of thanks.   Thanks for your financial support that keeps us over here in the ministry and keeps the camp going and things getting fixed and built.   Thanks for your Prayers.  Again this summer I have seen many different things that the enemy has done to stop the camp and to discourage both us as fulltime staff as well as the these great volunteers that give their summer serving and sharing at camp.  It is your prayers that help us get past that and the Lords doing amazing things through them.  Thanks so much for activily taking part in reaching Spain for our Savior.   We pray the Lord Blesses as he constantly does for all of us.  Let usshare some prayer requests we have as we move on into the rest of the year in this special ministry.

1) Pray for the Kids that have left and will be leaving the camp.  Both for the ones that have come to know our Lord as well as those that are not sure yet or flat out have said no.   That the new believers may continue to grow with both our help and others the Lord places around them.  That the spirit continues to work in those that have not made the decision yet.  Let it not stop at yes but follow with discipleship, growth, and multiplication.  

2) Pray for us as we try to balance being parents to a energetic 2 year old that we love to death with a ministry that could use 100% of both of our time.  This summer was hard juggling both. Pray the Lord will give us patience and wisdom.

3) Pray for our new jobs.  Sylvia is in charge of the graphic design area and I am in charge of New Technologies (website, media, computers, etc) and am the assistant to the Director of Programing (Jordi).  It is a lot of work for both of us so pray that we slip in to our roles well and be able to be of a huge help to the rest of the team.  

4) Pray for Positive attitudes!  Sylvia mentioned I was being negative the other day about a few things and she was right as she normally is :).  It is amazing when tired and stressed how the enemy comes in and tries to divide.  Pray that we focus on Jesus where true Joy comes from and look through his eyes at our own lives so that we are constantly growing.  

5) Pray for me as I pray about mentoring & discipeling a young man that came to serve as a volunteer this summer.  I see a lot of me in him and spent a lot of time sharing and listening to him as well as encouraging him to get into the word this summer.  I have never discipled anyone so it will be a learning experience for me also.  That the Lord would guide me and use me for His purpose in this.  

6) Please Pray for a car to use on the trip we are taking starting October 3rd.   We will need a car to travel with for the month and a half that we are traveling in the States (till the 20th of November)  and we have not been able to find one yet.  

7) Finally continue to pray for the rest of our financial support.   We are  now at about 51% which a lot of you are helping with and it is a blessing but be praying that the Lord will continue to bring in what we need to keep us over here and in the Ministry.