Welcoming the New

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." (Isaiah 43:19)

wedding socks

These are not just any ordinary (cute) socks. They are the socks that I wore in our very own wedding ten years and 23 days ago. Not being one taken by girly frills and the excitement of picking out the perfect pair of shoes for my wedding--shoes that would likely kill my feet by the end of the day--I had decided to just forget the shoes altogether. But, being barefoot didn't seem like a good option either, since I was getting married in the middle of the Indiana winter. So I wore these cute footies and still wear them today. They are old, but I keep them because of the significance they hold and the memories that flood back of that beautiful day when Jared and I said "I do."

Joey's special milk cup

 This is not just any ordinary sippy cup. It is our son Joey's special sippy cup. Since he was a baby he would drink his milk out of this special cup, and now, having just turned four, he still refuses to drink milk out of any other cup. When we bought the cup three years ago, the package said it is intended for "6 months and older" kids, but I doubt the company really intends for kids to use them until they're ten years old, which is where we're headed if we don't put a stop to it now. We know its crazy and we should just stop giving him his milk in this cup, but the consequences of not giving it to him in his special cup have been so intense (read: tantrums) that we've just decided its just not a battle we want to fight right now. Maybe by the time of the next blog post in a few months, we can celebrate Joey moving on in his life and using a normal cup to drink milk out of.

There is a point to this discussion about wedding socks and sippy cups.  Sometimes old things (like my wedding socks) are important to hold on to, for the purpose of remembering significant events or lessons learned in our lives.  But sometimes we hold onto old things (like the sippy cup) and old patterns of life that are actually holding us back from growing up into the people we were made to be.

God, the author of life, is always bringing newness into the world around us and even into our own hearts--if He has been invited to do so. He wants us to be constantly growing, changing, and shedding the old habits that keep us stuck as spiritual babies (Hebrews 5:12-14). There is value in remembering the old, but generally only for the purpose of bringing Him glory and praise (Psalm 143:5).

The last few months our lives and ministry have been full of letting go of the old and welcoming the new. In October, we left our old camp apartment and moved into a larger camp house--an old house made new with lots of paint, carpet, fixtures, and hard work (thanks to our friends and neighbors who helped us out).  The extra space has been life-giving to our energetic boys, and we pray that the house will be life-giving to many people's souls in the years to come.

volunteers helping us paint!

our completed sitting room

Also in October, World Impact (the parent organization of The Oaks) welcomed in a new President and CEO, Efrem Smith, after forty years of leadership under president and founder Keith Phillips.  Efrem has a deep fervor for the urban poor, theological education, and training indigenous leaders for Kingdom service. As a preacher, motivational speaker, and author (of the books Raising up Young Heroes, The Hip Hop Church, Jump, and The Post Black, Post White Church), he is internationally recognized for his passion to see lasting life transformation, communities revitalized to reach the marginalized, and further Kingdom advancement within our churches.  God is doing a new thing in World Impact as its focus has recently turned to empowering indigenous leaders in the inner city. Efrem Smith's leadership is a provision of God to help carry out this mission!

World Impact's president and CEO, Efrem Smith

Along with changes in World Impact have come changes at The Oaks, and along with changes at The Oaks has come a change in Jared's position. After eight years in the program department (helping to carry out our summer and outdoor education programs), he now has a new scope of responsibility: marketing and communications. He is excited about the challenge and possibilities that this position holds! The Oaks has long had a need to better get the word out about the retreat facilities we offer. The more beds we can fill during the weekends and weekdays, the more inner-city lives can be reached through our summer camp programs. The profit the camp makes is used to offset the cost of our summer camps and family camps, so the kids and families can continue to come at minimal cost to them (which is also why we rely on support for our salary, but more about that later).  Another part of Jared's new role has been spearheading The Oaks' 2292 campaign, in which donors can sponsor inner-city campers, giving them a life-transforming experience at summer camp that they could not necessarily afford themselves. Click on the link to find out more!

some of our wonderful campers' faces!

The new things God brings to our lives often bring new people to love. Our family welcomed our newest member, Koleman David, on December 4th, saying farewell to life with two boys and saying hello to life with three boys! He is a sweet little blessing and we are so thankful that God brought him into this world.

Koleman David Meidal

brotherly love!

Part of welcoming the new is leaving behind the old, which isn't always easy to do. Its usually easier to keep things the way they are and minimize the amount of change. But there is always a reward for embracing the new changes God brings.  All of the changes our family and ministry have gone through over the past year have involved some kind of birth pains, a necessary part of the transformation process. But we see His constant hand of provision through it all as He has brought forth new life and growth in our family and in the ministry here at The Oaks Camp.

the sun setting over the hills surrounding the camp

                                                                                                                                           

Other News and Prayer Needs:

• Our first weekend of Winter Camp was awesome! 150 urban students took part in the weekend. Here is a video of what went on. Please pray for more hearts to be changed at our next upcoming Winter Camp, February 15-17.
• As mentioned earlier, most of our staff are fully supported missionaries, meaning we raise the money for our salary. The reason for this is so that our salary doesn't need to come out of the camp profits, and in turn the camp profits can be used to bring more kids and families to summer camp, winter camp, and family camps. Currently are support level is at around 80%. We are needing to raise an additional $800 a month to cover our monthly expenses and insurance. If 20 people gave $40 a month, we would meet our goal. Or if 32 people gave $25 a month, we would meet our goal. We are looking for people who can commit to give monthly in any amount. Your support is what allows The Oaks to carry out its mission of "Changing lives. Impacting Communities. Pursuing God's heart for the poor."  If you can help in any way, click here. (All donations go directly to our support account.)
• Please join us in praying for rain! All of southern California is experiencing an extreme drought and we could use many days of rain before summer arrives. In 2013, our area experienced only about 4 inches of rainfall total. We are now in the third year of record-low rainfall, and experts say this could be California's driest period in over 400 years.