Dear Key Club,

Thanks for praying this past week for me as I drove to OK - all went well! I was able to visit 2 friends along the way, which was fabulous, and my time with friends in OK has been great. On the first night we went to a restaurant called "Pops". They have hundreds of pops to choose from - the "sodagusting" ones were pretty funny - dog drool, bug barf, and kitty piddle... Yesterday I went horseback riding on Boomer.

On Thursday...I spent time with 3 retired Air Force couples in Omaha. We had a great chat about the ups and downs of military life and I heard testimonies as to what it was like for them to raise their children in the military community. I had an opportunity to share with them about Malachi. Although each family had served at least 20 years in the service, they hadn't come in contact with a Malachi youth group. (Currently, Malachi is only working in Germany and Japan because we just don't have enough workers to expand to other bases.)

On Sunday...I shared about Malachi in 2 chapel services at Tinker Air Base. This went pretty well and a number of people responded by joining the Key Club! I'll have a chance to visit with some of these folks again at Wednesday night Bible study.

On Wednesday...the Tinker chapel holds Bible studies for all ages. All the groups start out by eating dinner together, then split into their various studies. However this week, all the groups will be staying together, and I'll be leading them through a fun, interactive night. I plan to pair younger people with older people and have them discuss a variety of things pertaining to one's spiritual life and military upbringing. My hope is that different generations would engage with one another, and that some of the "older" folks would catch the vision and need for strong youth ministry programs, and consider how they might become involved in investing in youth. Would you please pray for this night? 50-75 people usually come, however, it's spring break week, so numbers might be lower.

On Friday...I'll be driving to San Antonio, please pray for safe travels. (This will be my first time in TX.)

On Sunday...I'll be sharing about Malachi in a chapel service at Lackland Air Force Base.

Thank you so much for you prayers - knowing that I'm being prayed for gives me tremendous peace and courage.

Because of Christ,
Beth

Dear Key Club,

Last week, I introduced you to Kaila and shared with you her highs and lows of military life. During the 3 years I worked with youth in Okinawa, I could probably count on my hand how many times Kaila wasn’t at youth group. I asked her to share a bit about her spiritual journey, and what it was that brought her to youth group, week after week.

“Quest and Impact played an enormous role in my relationship with Jesus. Especially since my parents aren't Christians, and we don't go to church very regularly. For a long time, Quest/Impact was the only place I could count on hearing God's word from people who actually had a relationship with Him. I could trust the sermons to be very relevant to me, without being watered down. I loved the sense of family I felt there, and being able to be around people who went to my school who were followers of Christ.”

Many of the students who come to youth group are unchurched and come from non-Christian homes. Some students come to youth group simply for “something to do” or they come because they were invited by friends. Because military teens move so often, they’ve learned how to build relationships quickly. This relational adaptability makes them open to getting to know people, who know Jesus. It’s my desire that youth group be a safe place for students to come and hear God’s Word in a meaningful way, while being surrounded with believers who will invest in students and walk alongside of them as they grow in faith.

When you see your key this week, would you pray that Christian students would boldly reach out to their non-Christian peers at school and invite them to youth group. Pray that the Lord would capture the hearts of students, like Kaila, as they hear His Word.

On Wednesday morning I’m setting off on a support raising trip. I’ll be spending time in SD, NE and OK this week. On Thursday evening I’ll be sharing about Malachi with a small group in Omaha and on Sunday I’ll be sharing in 2 chapel services at Tinker AFB near Oklahoma City. Please pray for safe travels (no March snowstorms!) and for me as I share the story of the military teen with potential supporters, please pray for open hearts!

Knowing that I'm being covered in prayer, along with military teens, gives me a tremendous amount of courage and peace! Thank you so much! I pray for the Key Club regularly, and often lift up specific individuals on the team. If there’s anything that I can be lifting up for you before the Lord, please let me know!

Because of Christ,

Beth

Two Good Reads

Third Culture Kids and Hurt are two great books relating to youth ministry that I have found to be very insightful when it comes to working with youth.

If you're raising kids in the military or on the mission field, (or you're interested in understanding how to support these kids) Third Culture Kids is a great resource. A "third culture kid" or TCK, refers to someone who, as a child, has spent a significant period of time in one or more culture(s) other than his or her own. The book addresses a number of issues ranging from personal characteristics, developmental issues and relational patterns of TCK's to help us understand where these kids are and what their needs are.

Hurt is an exceptional book that explores the world of today's teenagers. If you're working with teens, or want to better understand teens, or have thought "teenagers today are way different from when I was teen, I just don't get them" - this is a must read. Clark discusses how today's changing family structure is impacting teens, he explores school life, extra-curicular activities, sexuality among teens, peer relationships, and adult relationships. He has years of ministry experience, and he provides thoughts and insights into how we engage students and meet their needs. Throughout the book, there's a reoccurring theme of abandonment - Clark believes that adults have become so consumed with their own lives, that they are overlooking the needs of teens.

Click on a book to link to amazon.com and read reviews.

Dear Team,

Thank you for your prayers this past week for my Malachi presentation at Eaglebrook Church (my church in Minocqua, WI). I was encouraged through numerous conversations with people and I’m excited to welcome some Eaglebrook’ers to the Key Club! We're growing!

This week, I’d like to continue introducing you to students who I've gotten to know over the years, in hopes of giving you an "insiders" view on what it's like to be a teen in the military and how we can pray for the military.

Kaila began coming to youth group in 7th grade and came faithfully until she moved to the states her sophomore year. She’s a very special gal to me, as she never missed anything youth group related - so I got to know her very well! Cool fact, Kaila now lives in North Dakota and is going to the same high school I did in Grand Forks!

^Remember Esther from a few weeks ago? That's her on the far left and that's Kaila on the far right.

I asked Kaila to share some highs and lows of military life....

“One thing that I really like about military life is being able to travel of course. It's so cool to be able to tell people that I lived in Japan for nine years. If my dad wasn't in the military, I'm sure I would have barely been anywhere besides the place that I was born. My favorite part is being able to meet so many different kinds of people. Even within the states, I've noticed that people in North Dakota have different lifestyles than the people in Missouri, and that the people in Missouri are a lot different than the people in South Carolina or Florida. It's also cool, because I've noticed that these different lifestyles effect the way that people view and relate to God. It's helped me realize that people can practice their faith differently, and that their views aren't necessarily wrong even if they weren't the ones I was brought up with.

At the same time though, moving is probably the most challenging part. It's tough when my dad has to be TDY [military acronym for “temporary duty”, like a deployment] for months at a time, but that's something that I can kind of get used to, where it's almost impossible to get used to leaving your friends and making new ones, because the experience is different every time.”

Over the past weeks, you've probably noticed a theme - The thing students love the most about military life is experiencing life in different states/countries and meeting a variety of people. The thing students dislike the most about military life is moving to a different state/country and having to meet new people.

This week, when you see your key, would you pray for ...

1. Students. Because we're created in the image of a Triune God, we've been wired for relationships. Pray that students would be willing to invest in relationships. Many get tired of making deep friendships, only to have to say goodbye after a year or two. Yet, as Kaila shared, relationships are so important to the development of teens. Through some of her relationships her worldview was expanded and she was able to experience God in new, profound ways.

2. Me. My upcoming support raising road trip is shaping up. I'm planning to leave on March 10th for about 3 weeks. I'd appreciate your prayers as I prepare for sharing about Malachi with a variety of groups in Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support!

Because of Christ,

Beth

Good Afternoon Prayer Warriors.

This week I’d like to introduce you to Wren, another one of my amazing youth group students from Okinawa. I have very few youth group memories that don’t include Wren - she faithfully came to everything! She’s the youngest of 4 and a daughter of a retired Navy officer. Her parents worked on Okinawa as missionaries to young Marines stationed on the island. (Not all of our youth group students are military dependents; some students have parents who civilian employees, contractors, teachers, etc.).

Wren graduated from high school last year and is currently a freshman at Liberty University (a Christian college in VA). I asked her to share about her experience with Malachi... “Impact and Quest (our youth groups) really showed me firsthand what it looked like to have an active and passionate relationship with Jesus. Through seeing the example of the staff, I learned what it looked like to be a growing Christian. I was given the opportunity to grow and learn about Christ and about who I am in Him. Impact/Quest are like greenhouses for young Christians.”

I just love that Wren compared youth group to a greenhouse. One of the things Malachi workers strive to do is create a safe environment, where students are free to be themselves, cultivate community with peers and staff, and meet and experience Jesus. It’s through these relationships that students are transformed and begin to grow and flourish into Christ-followers.

When you see your key this week, would you join me in praying for:

> Students, as they learn about Christ and begin to grow into disciples of Jesus.

> Me, as I prepare this week to share about Malachi with my church on Sunday!

Praise Report: Over the past weeks and months, I’ve asked you to pray for opportunities for me to share with churches and small groups about Malachi. Well, the Lord is answering those prayers - and in a very big way! March is shaping up to be a very full month of sharing! I’ll be taking a trip to Oklahoma and Texas to visit current supporters and to invite others to join the team. I’m so thankful for friends who are connecting me with people to share with! Please pray for me as I work out the logistics of the trip - I’ll be sharing with at least 4 small group Bible studies and with 2 congregations.

Thank you so much for your faithful, continued prayer support. It’s so encouraging to see God answering these prayers - I pray that you’re encouraged too, as you see God at work through your faithfulness in prayer!

Blessings,

Beth

Dear Key Club,

Thanks for praying this past week for Escape, the big junior high retreat in Germany this weekend. I got an e-mail from a fellow Malachi worker over there, and he said they took over 200 students to the retreat! The theme this year was “The Transformer.” The hope for the weekend was for students to experience the transformational power of Jesus in their lives.

Just as many regions across the US were slammed with a lot of snow this past week, Germany also received record snowfalls, causing some delays and hiccups for Escape, but it still went on! Please pray for safety as everyone heads home tomorrow. Also, please pray for students who made decisions for Christ this weekend. Pray for staff as they follow up with these students and teach them to grow in their relationship with Jesus.

Thank you so much for lifting these students before the Lord. I appreciate your weekly prayers for the military community and for me as I raise support to minister to them in Germany. In the coming weeks I have some opportunities to share the story of the American military teen and invite others to join us in praying for and supporting this ministry. I covet your prayers as I work out the details and prepare for these sharing opportunities.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Go on a date with Jesus this week : )

For the Gospel,

Beth

Greetings prayer warriors!

Hope you had a “super” weekend : ). I enjoyed visiting Four Corners Assemblies of God in White Lake, WI on Sunday. It was great to reconnect with so many Key Clubbers! I’m encouraged by your faithfulness and continued support! Thank you!

I’d like to share a praise point with you from last week. My dad arrived in Balad, Iraq on Tuesday with no problems! He’s getting settled into life there quickly and seems to be doing well. He was able to spend time with my brother in Qatar, so we’re all very thankful for that!

This week, I’d like to introduce you to another student. Josh started coming to Quest as a junior higher. He and his twin brother, quickly became regulars to the group. I asked Josh to share about his experience with Quest. “Quest helped me grow closer to Jesus. Being around so many people who shared the same love for Christ that I did was cool. When I had problems, I had people to talk to.” His favorite aspect of youth group? “The trips [retreats] were really fun and a major highlight for me.” In fact, it was on a retreat that Josh really solidified his relationship with Jesus!

Of course retreats are jammed packed with fun and wild games, no homework or bed making, and great camp food; but that’s not the only reasons teens love the getaways. Retreats are a great place for students to build deep bonds with peers, staff and Jesus. They are a place where students can get away from all the noise of life and focus their hearts on God. Some of the best and deepest conversations that I’ve ever had with students, happened over late night camp chats. Retreats are a safe place where students can pour their hearts out, and wrestle with tough things ... like friend problems, parent and sibling issues, deployments, moving, saying good bye to friends, and the biggest question of all, where do I stand with Jesus? Although some of these conversations are emotionally hard to engage in, as many students are carrying very heavy burdens, it’s such a privilege and honor to listen and point them to Jesus.

This week, the Malachi team in Germany is preparing for Escape, their biggest junior high retreat of the year. Several hundred middle schoolers are already counting down the hours to this weekend because they are stoked for Escape! Will you join me in praying for this retreat? I asked one of the Malachi gals over there to share a few prayer requests for Escape.

1. Logistics - getting a couple hundred teens and staff to one place is challenging! Also, please pray for decent weather and safety as the travel to the retreat site.
2. For the staff - good health and lots of energy! Also, pray for wisdom and boldness as they engage with students about spiritual things.
3. For the students - open hearts! Pray that God would be softening their hearts in preparation for the weekend and pray that students would respond to the Word. Pray that this would be a profound weekend for students, just as it was for Josh!

Thanks for your prayers team!
For the Gospel,
Beth

^ Group picture @ a junior high retreat in Okinawa! "Where's Waldo" - can you find me??