Merry Christmas!

Christmas is always a busy but really fun time here at THE OAKS, with a lot of parties and activities taking place.  In the last month, we have had A LOT going on, and I will attempt to highlight a few of them here!

Jared’s Trip to ACSI

Right before Thanksgiving, Jared took a trip to Anaheim, California for the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) convention.  He hung out in the exhibit hall and connected with teachers of schools that bring students up here annually for Outdoor Ed.  It was a great time of connection with those teachers and other local camps. 

Thanksgiving in Bellingham, Washington!

We left sunny California and visited rainy (but BEAUTIFUL) Washington state for Thanksgiving, where we hung out with Jared’s mom and sisters.  It was Micah’s first time meeting his aunties Lael and Elise, and they were in heaven!  Micah was in heaven, too, enjoying all the attention and giving smiles away right and left. 

In addition to spending time with Jared’s family, including his aunt Kris and cousin Sonya, we got to see several of his friends from high

school, which was really nice—many of them Jared hadn’t seen for at least five years!

It was harder than ever to leave Washington, and say good-bye to such amazing family, such yummy coffee, and such GREEN mountainous surroundings!

“Christmas at THE OAKS”

One of the big things that happens every year here is “Christmas at THE OAKS.”  This is a one-day event in which families (around 450 people total this year!) from World Impact neighborhoods in inner-city Fresno and Los Angeles come up to enjoy a day away and do Christmas-y things with their families.  This year was the first year that Jared and I were actually here to attend—that last few years we have been traveling the Northwest for recruiting during the time of Christmas at THE OAKS!  It was a really fun day—because our camp doesn’t program the event (the cities bringing the families plan the day and lots of volunteers come to help), Jared and I got to just hang out and talk to people.  It was encouraging to see some familiar faces of summer campers, and to see how they are maturing and growing in their walks with the Lord.  

Before leaving, the groups attended a service in which the Gospel was presented and they had the opportunity to give their lives to the Lord.  Several people responded—Praise the Lord!  Please pray for these people, that they will plug into one of the World Impact church plants in their neighborhoods, and that God will raise them up as leaders in their families and communities. 

It is always so neat to be reminded how God uses our camp to change lives.  Even though we don’t have day-to-day contact with these people, THE OAKS is the medium God often uses to start the transformation process in their lives.  How exciting that we get to be a part of that!  And it’s also encouraging to know that the World Impact staff in the cities do have regular contact with these people, and can disciple them and walk with them in their new discovery of faith in Christ.

Christmas Program at the Prison Camps

I have mentioned in previous posts that Jared is leading a Bible study each week at a local juvenile detention camp.  Last week was the annual Christmas program that the Valencia United Methodist Church puts on for the camps.  This is one of the few fun things the boys are allowed to do each year, and they really love it.  The church and volunteers shower the boys with kindness, craziness (Wendy, who is one of the chaplains, is known for getting them all riled up!), music and truth from God’s word.  Jared got to be Joseph in the program, since he’s a new dad and can relate a little bit more now to what Joseph went through the night Jesus was born.  At least a couple of boys gave their lives over to Christ that night, and all of them were impacted by the program.  They were still talking about it last night at the Bible study!  Please be praying for them as they are confined to the camps over the holiday season—that God would bring them peace and that His truth would penetrate their hearts.

 

We hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas!  We will be heading to Indiana from December 23-January 1, and we’re looking forward to seeing some of you while we’re there!