Hungerford Happenings - April 2010
C.A.M.P.
This month, we are now in the transitional phase as we finish up classes with our apprentices and start to shift our focus to summer camp. All year the students have been studying, learning and growing. Now it’s their turn to start applying what they have learned. Each student will be put into a position of leadership based on their abilities and talent. They will be in charge of summer staff, summer volunteers, and/or ranchers. It will be their responsibility to lead, train, and disciple those underneath them.
Of our three apprentices, Laura Rowen will be overseeing land-scaping this summer. Besides taking care of our many ornamental gardens, she will be discipling the 3-5 volunteer teens and adults she works with each week. Emily Levinson will be working on programming staff. She will be working directly with the counselors and ranchers. Kristine Knottnerus will be our ranch photographer this summer, as well as discipling our teen counselors-in-training. Please pray for these girls that God would use them mightily in the lives of those they disciple and come in contact with this summer.
Goodbye
We as a staff are saddened as we will be saying goodbye to two staff families in the next couple of months. This past March, Lew Sterrett resigned as CEO of the ranch, this will allow him more time with SOTM and the ministries in Mississippi that he is involved with. As a result, SOTM will be separating off of MMR. Ralph Magill will also be leaving us this upcoming August, as he is retiring after 35 plus years of service here. Both men will be truly missed as they have definitely been a major part of this ministry and our family. We ask for your prayers as we are now in a transition phase here as we make staff transitions to help fill the huge gap that will be left.
Christopher
These past few months have greatly challenged and stretched our family. On Feb 14, our 14 year old son, Christopher, was hit in the eye during one of our snow camp retreats. After several operations, they will remove his eye on April 12th, and replace it with a prosthetic eye. They tell us it will be a 6-10 week process in all. We are concerned because as of now, his eye lid does not work, and the doctors aren’t sure how much movement will be regained. We covet your prayers as Chris continues to go through this ordeal. Although, it has been a real trying time for us, it has also been a very blessed time as well. God has shown Himself faithful and merciful.
Family
This summer, Michelle will be taking a leave of absence from her job as a preschool teacher to once again work as a counselor here at camp. Tim will again be working as the ranch’s videographer. Chris and Matthew will be working in the trail ride barn, and Shawn and Kyle will be helping mom in the camp store.
Chip’s Thoughts
These past few months have been full of uncertainty and difficult decisions. It started with the decision of Lew resigning form MMR and what all that would mean to us as a ministry, as a family, and me as the business manager and all that will be involved in the separation of the two organizations. Then Chris had his accident. That certainly helped put the business/ministry aspect into perspective. As many of you know, if you have had children go through very difficult times, how heart wrenching it is. You feel helpless. There is nothing you can do to physically resolve the difficulty they are going through. These things are the things that cause us to cry out to God for help and answers. It is also through these times that you start to realize how apathetic you may have been, going through all the right actions without your heart really being there. It also helps us realize what we all know in our head, that we are not in control, that someone so much greater is. As doctors and nurses heard how Chris’ accident happened almost all said something like “What a freak accident” or “What bad luck”. True it was not something you could have planned or imagined. I am so glad that I knew that this was neither a “freak accident” nor “bad luck” because our God is in control and nothing happens without His knowledge. Now, I can not tell you at this point what God’s purpose is in this, but I do know that He has a plan and that He is in control. I also know that this difficulty has renewed in me a more fervent desire to be about the work that God has for me as well as being more diligent in my relationships with my wife, my kids, and those around me. It has also caused me to look at my prayer life. I realized how much I depended on my own knowledge and wisdom in decision making and not on God. Am I about God’s business and ministry or about mine? My desire and goal for this year is to become a man of prayer, prayer dependent, no longer looking to what I think but truly looking to God for His wisdom and direction in every facet of my life and ministry. Yet this is not just about prayer, but deepening my relationship with Christ in such a way that He is allowed to produce the fruit in me that He desires and stop trying to develop my own fruit.
Prayer and Praises
Praises:
- God’s love and mercy towards Chris in his accident
- Growth in the apprentices
- God’s provision
- Growth in our lives as a family
- Fruitful fall and winter retreats
Prayer Requests
- Continue healing for Chris physically and emotionally
- Godly summer staff who are willing to give their all this summer
- Changed lives this summer
- Discernment for the apprentices as they minister to others
- Wisdom as parents for Sandy and myself
- Smooth transition in staff and separation of SOTM and MMR
Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support.
Love in Christ,
Chip and