June, summer's here!

It's been a whirlwind the past few weeks... graduation was last weekend and today was the last day of school for students. Here's a quick update of what's been going on. 

Seniors! Last weekend was the baccalaureate service for graduating seniors. Students from our youth group planned and led the service, it was fun to see them in action, using their gifts. 2 of our students read Scripture, 1 gave the student message, our group praise team lead worship, and AJ gave the main message. He taught from Proverbs and encouraged students to make wise, Christ centered decisions as they set out into the world. 

^Our CP (career practicum) students! We made it through the year together. These are the 4 students that came during their school day to help us in the office and learn what it means to do ministry. We did a lot of discipleship with them and read and discussed a number of books. This fall, 2 of them are heading to Wheaton College near Chicago for Army ROTC, 1 is going to Concordia, Nebraska on a track scholarship and 1 is going to the Cadence Discipleship Training School in Chiang Mai, Thailand for a semester before heading off the Bible college next year. I'm super proud of each of them and can't wait to see how God will continue to grow them for His glory! 

^ Michelle turned 16 a few weeks ago and had a big party. She asked AJ and I to come and share a few things about her and the beautiful woman she's developing into. It was a huge privilege to be asked and it was fun to get to speak words of life to her. Michelle is a great musician and helps lead worship for both the middle and high school youth groups. She's also a great friend to many and consistently strives to be a Light to those around her. I give her a ride home from girls Bible study each week and it's always fun to hear what God is teaching her. 

My middle school girls! 

^ For end of the school year fun day, Suzan and I invited our middle school girls to a really cool park about an hour away. We enjoyed a picnic lunch, took a boat ride (and saw lots of huge carp fish and ducks) and then walked through a butterfly garden, an aquarium area, and we saw some monkeys and a lot of cool birds (like flamingos and penguins). 

 ^Suzan and I had a lot of fun with our middle school girls small group this year. We had four girls who consistently stuck it out with us ... we had about six other girls who joined us throughout the year too, but they were involved in a few other things and had to miss now and then. We recently completed going through the book of Colossians and discussing the supremacy of Christ.

May Update

Dear Team, 

Happy Memorial Day! I hope today is a meaningful day as you reflect on those who've given their lives for the freedom of our country and others. I had an opportunity to visit the Lorraine American Cemetery near Saint Avold, France a few days ago. The cemetery is 100+ acres and home to 10,489 graves - the largest number of graves of fallen WWII soldiers in Europe. This was my second visit to an American Cemetery in Europe. Over Christmas break, my parents and I visited one in Luxembourg, where General Patton was laid to rest. Looking out at all the crosses and reflecting on all the lives they represent is a pretty somber experience. So many young men laid down their lives for our freedom. 

Two days after visiting the cemetery, I received an e-mail that grieved my heart. A young Marine from Oregon was killed while on a mission in Afghanistan. He and his parents are extremely close friends to my good family friends the Lambert's. Keaton was 22, about three weeks shy of completing his second tour of duty and a month away from getting married. Instead of planning a homecoming and finalizing wedding plans, his parents are now preparing for a funeral. Would you join me in praying for Keaton's parents, Grant and Inger and for my the Lambert's as they grieve the loss of their son and dear friend. Praise the Lord Keaton walked with the Lord and is enjoying eternity with our Savior! 

Thank you so much for joining me in ministering to the military community. It's an honor to get to serve those who serve through sharing the love of Christ with them. I'm super grateful for your support that enables me to minister to military teens as they grow up in such a transient culture. Pray that they would  "grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge." 

Ministry Report:

Tomorrow night we'll honor our graduating seniors. We've had a great group of seniors this year and it'll be sad to see them go. But - I'm excited to see where the Lord is leading them, many of them are off to exciting things. Pray they'd find good churches to plug into as they transition into a new chapter and that they'd continue to grow in Christ! Moving back to America for college will be a major change for many of them, as most of them have spent their high school years abroad.

In two weeks, we'll have our annual PCS (permanent change of station = moving) farewell. We do a big group good bye for all students who are moving throughout the summer. Because many students spend their entire summer in the states visiting family, many of their friends will have moved away by the time they return. So everyone has a chance to say their good byes, we designate the last youth group of the school year as a good bye day. Military kids are good at not saying good bye. I'm the same way. Saying good bye so often is hard on the heart, so many avoid the sad feelings and say "see you later" and don't face their feelings. Would you begin praying for students as the PCS season approaches quickly and will continue throughout the summer. It's a tough season as students grieve friends moving away.

Speaking of moving... I'm not! But my co-workers and great friends, AJ and Anna Johnson are moving back to the states this summer. After 10 years of ministry with Cadence, AJ has decided to go back to school. He'll go to Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, OR. He's an extremely gifted teacher and would like to teach Bible and youth ministry at the college level. Anna and their daughters will head back sometime in June and AJ will leave the field in July after our summer mission trip to Hungary. I'm really sad to see them go - they are wonderful people and I'm really going to miss them.

Steve Harvell arrived this week. He worked with AJ and I last summer. He recently graduated from college and is recently engaged to my dear friend Rachel, who's active duty and on her way to Qatar for a yearlong remote. During her year away, Steve is going to work with me at Ramstein! It's a huge blessing - Steve does great ministry and all of our students love him. There's another couple, Kevin and Sharon Sheible who are currently raising support in Austin, TX. They are hoping to join us here this fall! I'm excited for them to get here and begin partnering with them! Would you pray for them as they raise support - their funds are coming in and they are excited to get here!! Would you also pray for Steve and I as we transition to working together and plot out the summer and fall.

^AJ, Steve and I refining our finger dart skills so we can beat the students! 

Well, team - again thanks so much for joining me in prayer and bringing the needs of our students before the Lord. You are a huge encouragement, and I'm so grateful for you! 

Spring Break Recap

Shorebreak 2012, The Illusion

Hey Team! Thanks so much for your prayers for Shorebreak! Sorry I've been slow in getting pictures and a report up. After getting back from the retreat we had a CSM Staff Conference for a week... so life has been full!

This year's theme of "The Illusion" was super relevant to our students. So many of our students are putting lots of time and energy into their "High School 401K" - multiple AP classes, varsity letters, joining multiple clubs and extra curriculars, volunteer hours... the list goes on. The speaker challenged students to think through the things they are pursuing, and why. What do they value and/or desire to get out of those things? Popularity? Materialism? Money? Relationships? We looked a lot at the life of Solomon - a man who had everything and still called it all meaningless in the end. All in all, we had a great retreat. At least 4 of our students accepted Christ for the first time! We also had a number of other students recommit their lives to the Lord. Praise the Lord! 

"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commands, for this is the duty of all mankind." Eccles. 12:13.

^ My small group! We spent our last day of camp at an amusement park - riding roller coasters and screaming our lungs out. : ) It was a fun way to end the week. Small group time is typically my favorite part of camp. After each session, we break into small groups to discuss the speaker's talk, answer questions and talk about applying it to our lives.

On a side note... one of my students recently moved here from Grand Forks AFB! She went to the same elementary/middle/high schools that I went to, had some of the same teachers and played on a lot of the same sports teams I did. It always warms my heart when I see her coming in with a Twining or Central hoodie on. : ) It's been super fun to reminisce about good ole' North Dakota and have someone affirm the beauty of wide open prairie spaces. I love it!

^ Two of our students stood before their peers and shared their testimonies with the entire camp! Both had been impacted by previous spring break camps. It was really encouraging to hear how the Lord used past retreats to meet them and set them on a path of spiritual growth!

^ Our Salvage Praise Band led the camp in worship on the final night. We've been extremely blessed this year to have a phenomenal group of musicians. We also have some amazing staff who are really patient and dedicated to helping our students grow and develop as worship leaders.

And finally, what's a trip to Italy without great pizza and cappuccinos?

Shorebreak 2012

Dear Team,

Spring Break is just days away. We are leaving Monday night and will drive through the night. We'll arrive at camp on Tuesday around noon. We've been working hard to get things packed and organized this week, so we can enjoy some rest before the retreat and be able to enjoy Easter. It's been really good to reflect on the death and resurrection of Christ as we get ready to head to camp. I'm praying students will fall in love with our Savior and embrace what He did for them on the cross.

Would you join in prayer for the upcoming week?! I've listed out a few requests. I really appreciate you taking these needs before the Lord and partnering with me for the Gospel through prayer.

Students: We are bringing 54 students from our community (that’s about 20 more than we were anticipating!). We are really excited about each of the students the Lord has drawn to camp this year. For several of them, Shorebreak will be their first event with us - it’s pretty cool to have so many new students joining us. Some of our students don’t personally know the Lord yet. Some of them have made a profession of faith at one time, but aren’t currently growing or walking with the Lord. Several do know the Lord and are excited for continued growth. Many of these students are praying for their peers who aren’t yet believers and are looking forward to sharing their faith with others. On Friday night our Ramstein student led praise team will lead the entire camp in worship during the evening program. They are really excited about the opportunity.

Would you pray that God would ...

- Begin preparing the hearts of all the students to hear His word

- Remove any noise and distractions for students as they process the speaker’s messages and engage in discussion with their peers and small group leaders after each talk

- Unite our group and that students would genuinely enjoy being with each other

Staff: We have 9 staff from our community. For the guys we’ve got AJ, Anthony, Shaun and Shawn. And for the gals we’ve got Emily, Heather, Nikki, Valerie and myself. We will each be leading a small group and spending intentional time with our small group students.

Would you pray for...

- Endurance for the week

- Patience as we deal with teenagers

- Wisdom to speak the truth in love as we point students to Jesus and encourage them in their faith

On Friday morning, I'll be teaching a seminar called "Baggage." I'm going to talk about how living in a mobile military community impacts us relationally. My hope is to give students insight into themselves and prepare them as they transition into college in the states. I'd appreciate prayer as I finish up the talk and that I'd communicate clearly with students.

Safety: We will be traveling from Ramstein to camp by bus. It'll take 12-14 hours to get there.

Would you pray for ....

- a safe bus ride

- good weather, we’ll be along the coast of the Adriatic Sea (we’re hoping for some sun!)

- fun and injury-free recreational time, beach tournaments and free time afternoon activities as students spend time with one another and staff

Thanks team!! I'm looking forward to sharing highlights with you when we return.

Blessings,

Beth

March Update

Where in the world did March go. One of my middle schoolers told me about their upcoming April fools day shenanigans, and it dawned on me that they were talking about tomorrow!? Yikes. Time is flying by. Here's a quick recap of two of our March events and some prayer requests for our spring break retreat.

Indoor Skiing

A few weekends ago we took a group of high school students to an indoor skiing hall in France (just under 2 hours away). It was pretty cool - and a great place for beginners and not so good skiers. They offered both skiing and snow boarding. I'd never been in an indoor ski place before and it's cool. You don't have to worry about wind or extra coldness. It made for a fun day with students and it's definitely going to be a repeat event... like in July when we want a break from the heat!

^ The left side of the picture, in between the red barrier and wall is the bunny hill. To the far right is the "big" hill. There was a pully thing that pulled us to the top - it took 4 minutes to get up there.

Mad Hatter Tea Party

Last night Heather and I got some of our middle school gals together for a Mad Hatter themed tea party. It was super fun! Heather and Jess decorated the place and it looked amazing. The girls thought is was pretty cool. As we sat down at the table, the girls were really impressed with fancy tea cups and cute dessert-y foods. They thought it was special.

After spending a lot of time deciding on what type of tea to try and after loading it with sugar and cream , one girl began to sip her tea. Heather asked her how it was, and she said good. We looked at each other knowing she didn't like it, but was trying to be polite and drink it. Heather told her she didn't have to drink and that there was punch available. She said, "oh good, I think I'd like that." haha! It was cute to watch the girls practice being polite and lady like.

Our friend and co-worker Jennessa taught a lesson on modesty and did really well. She gave each of the girls a rose and reminded them of how special they are to God and how they should dress in a way that honors Him and protects them.

I like my middle school girls. : ) They've been faithful in coming to Bible study this year. Earlier this year we went through some Beginning and Growing in Jesus books. Last week we began a new study called "How do we know the Bible is True?" So far, we're off to a good start. The study raises a lot of good questions about how we got the Bible and why we can trust it.

Coming Up... Spring Break!

Shorebreak, our annual Spring Break retreat is one week away! It's coming up fast. I was anticipating about 35 students. As of this weekend, we have 55 students signed up! Whoa, 20 extra teens!? We are excited!

The theme is "The Illusion." We'll be looking through the book of Ecclesiastics and the life of Solomon. The speaker will challenge students about the things they are pursuing - popularity, materialism, etc. and how often they pursue those things thinking they will end in satisfaction and fulfillment. He will challenge them instead to pursue things of eternal value - i.e. a relationship with Jesus!

Today we met for a day of staff training, to prepare our volunteers for the retreat. We are extremely blessed to have some great, very solid staff this year. I'm confident that our students will be loved well.

Would you begin praying for students. Of the 55, I've got 30 girls. At least a third of them either don't know Jesus as their savior or aren't currently walking with the Lord. The remainder of the students do know the Lord. Would you pray for them as they process the speaker's talks and think through how they can grow in their faith and minister to those around them.

One morning at camp I'll be teaching a breakout seminar on being a Third Culture Kid. I'll focus on moving and transitioning. I'm going to spend time talking about saying goodbye and some of the things they might encounter as students move back to the states and transition to college. Would you pray for me as I finalize my talk this week? Pray that God would give me wisdom into knowing what students need to hear and that I'd be able to communicate well and encourage students.

THANKS for praying!!

The Ultimate Superhero

During Escape, one of our volunteer staff wrote a poem to share with our students. It's GREAT!!

The Ultimate Superhero

Superheroes, can you name them all
Do they come to your rescue when you call
There are so many - Let me tell you why
No one super hero can cover your life

Superman's weakness was kryptonite
So what happens if the enemy brings that to the fight
Wonder Woman with her lasso and invisible plane
can she help you when school is driving you insane

Batman has cool gadgets and things
but he's only human, he's got a few dents and dings
When you need a super hero are you left standing alone
Do you text them or call on your I-phone

Spideman, well he's human too
if he's tied up across town who rescues you
Aquaman, king of the sea?
I don't do water so he's no help to me

Now I don't mean to burst your bubble
But will these super heroes get you outta trouble?

Let me tell yall about a man I know
I call him the Ultimate Super Hero
He raised up from Gallilee
and he always walks beside me

Supernatural power is in His hand
He's the creator of every man
He's the master of the sea
If He commands still it will be

What super hero do you know
That walked thru the fire with
Shadrach, Meeshach, and Abidnego
No burned flesh or even smoke inhalation
Causing the Devil huge frustration

The Green Lantern with his green light
But it was God that illuminated the night

What super hero was virgin born
and walked the earth in human form
Was hung on a cross; yes crucified
forgave us, hung his head and died

A crown of thorns is what He wore
Just to settle sins wretched score
On the third day he rose again
My God, My Father, My best friend

Faster than a speeding train
He rescues me from my pain
Leaps tall buildings in a single bound
He saved my soul, I was lost but now I'm found

Cloud by day, Fire by night
He gives us victory in every fight
Xray vision, He sees it all
Telepathic power, He knows before I call

CPT America, Oh Please
Can he supply all your needs
God holds the devil, your enemy at bay
He is the potter, we are the clay

As costumes go He doesn't wear tights
He doesn't arrive with flashy lights
He's rather quiet as super heros go
There's no way you can't disturb His flow

A super hero, yep, three in one
God the Father, Holy Spirit and Son

So when you think a Super Hero you need
look to the Heavens, your soul He will feed
He's stronger, He's faster, He's always right
He holds my hand, he paid the price
Take heart my children let your faith take flight
God the ultimate super hero will save your life!

-Leslie Dillard, Escape 2012

Recent/Current Reads

I enjoy reading - which is funny, because as a kid I really didn't like to read. My downfall with reading: I like to dabble in a lot of books at the same time and don't necessarily read them cover to cover. This past school year, I've enjoyed (an am still enjoying) reading a number of books... here's the rundown.

> Beginning and Growing in Jesus - middle school girl's Bible studies

This is a great middle school curriculum from Youth Specialties.

> Women of the Bible, Victory Over the Darkness & From Creation to the Cross - high school girls Bible studies/career practicum students

Victory Over the Darkness is a good book on spiritual identity. We went through it last semester. During that time, we were doing a dating/relationship series in youth group. The book seemed to cover some of the same topics, so I found it good for processing the issues with the girls.

This semester we're doing a study of the Old Testament and looking at different women as we came across their stories. I've used the Women of the Bible and Creation to the Cross to help me prep for my studies each week. Note: Creation to the Cross is a great Old Testament survey text if you're looking for one!

> The Year of Living Biblically & Radical - personal reading

The Year of Living Biblically is super funny! It's written by a secular Jew in New York. He's a big time magazine editor and he attempts to follow all of the laws laid out in the Bible (both OT and NT). I read through Radical with a book club. It's an easy read with challenging applications.

> Teenage Girls & Impact - youth ministry equipping

I've never taken a youth ministry class. While in Portland, I was able to attend a few youth worker training conferences, which I found helpful. Sometimes I feel super inadequate as I wade through teenage girl land and try to figure out how to help and encourage students. Teenage Girls and Impact have been helpful resources for me as I grow as a youth worker.

> Slaves, Women and Homosexuals & A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible - personal reading/theology and Bible understanding knowledge and growth

These are hermeneutic books (Biblical interpretation). Roles for women in ministry has been a huge topic among my high school girls this year. It seems I'm asked about women at least once a week by a student. As a women in ministry, it's an issue I've spent a good amount of time thinking and praying through. I've read a lot of books on the topic, from various spectrums. I'm currently reading Slaves, Women and Homosexuals because many people are following the author's redemptive or progressive hermeneutic. He looks at "trouble" passages in the Bible over slaves and women and what does that mean for us today. How can we figure out what is contextual/cultural in the Bible and what is the eternal truth? How can we determine what the text's meaning is? These are good books!

> NIV and The Message - The NIV is my preferred reading Bible and I've been using The Message in my quick (3.5 month read through of the Scriptures)

Podcasts:

I also really enjoy listening to a few podcasts. My go to is Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA. I like his "Religion Saves, and 9 other misconceptions" - the humor one is really great! He's currently preaching through his new marriage book. While I'm not married yet (or in a relationship), it's been a interesting series so far. I also listen to Matt Chandler from the Village Church in Dallas.