Montana Update!

We are almost ready to move! We have been busy, busy, busy!

You can read our new update letter here.

Some of you have been wondering how and what Krystle feels about moving and working at Camp Bighorn. You can read some of her thoughts here.

We are so excited to begin this new journey of our life serving God!

Some prayer requests for us:

Safety as we travel to Montana with our household items during the transition of fall to winter.
Good weather as we travel.

Also, if you would like to get on our mailing list, please let us know so we can add you!

Once we get our address changed we will send out postcards to let you all know what our new contact information is! 

We LOVE to get mail and updates from you so don't hesitate to send us an update of your own! If you have prayer requests let us know so we can be in prayer with you!!! Thanks and we will keep you posted!

God Bless, Eric & Krystle

Open Season for House Hunting and Tag Filled!

God led us to a house while we were in Montana and we will be moving by the 20th! We are writing an update letter to send out and will get that out this week yet, we hope! In the update letter we share how we got to see Camp put on a Quilter's Retreat, Explore and Journey programs in action, and some nice locals we got to meet along the way! Keep an eye out for the letter coming to you soon! If you haven't received an update letter from us and you would like to, then just leave a comment below and we will get in touch with you to get your contact information or you can just email us your information and we'll get a letter out to you!

The house we are moving into from the door.

Exterior of the door, it has a detached garage behind where we were standing.

A cow moose and her bull calf came and ate off the Camp's orchard!

The Moose after running behind the cabins.

Two of the three Mule Deer bucks we found eating on the side of the road as we headed back to Camp one day!

 

-Eric & Krystle-

Lessons from God's Handiwork

As some of you may have seen on our Facebook earlier this week, we happened upon an underground yellow jacket nest.

I thought about titling this post "Lessons learned from Montana" but in all reality this was too great of an event to not see how God can be seen through this adventure of sorts.

We (our family) and another staff member decided to take a drive over to Siegel Creek - just down from the camp- and walk down by the creek. We parked our vehicles and got the kids ready and we headed down to the Creek to check things out there. Ivana was in the back carrier and the older two were on foot like the rest of us. Oh! do the kids ever love to "hike" around here! Ruger was keeping up with the men and Evelyn was doing well but kept tripping over some random stones (which we don't really have in Wisconsin) so Krystle was
helping her and lagging behind a bit. A "bee" got on Evelyn's Columbia fleece jacket and stung her hand so Krystle stopped and tried getting it off of her when she looked down and noticed the ground moving beneath them and had about 50 "bee's" stuck on her pants legs by her shoes. We all took off running towards the creek. Eric looked back and noticed there was at least 500 of the "bee's" swarming over the spot where Krystle and Evelyn were standing. After all is said and done everyone had at least one sting.

The tally was as follows:
Krystle: 13
Eric:10
Evelyn:6
Ruger:5 or 6
Ivana:1

Praise the Lord none of us were allergic! Some made their way through the woods on our clothes and we had a few stragglers still swarming our car the following day.

The lesson we learned (mostly Krystle though) was that fleece has no business in the woods. Had we not been wearing fleece we probably would not have gotten stung so many times. Eric was not wearing fleece and only got stung trying to help out the children from getting stung. Evelyn, Ruger and Krystle were all wearing fleece, which the yellow jackets legs really got glued into. Even after washing the clothes we had to pick out some yellow jacket remains. Performance fleece is great for working out or casual shopping but not for wearing into the great outdoors!

The "Lessons from God's Handiwork" is really quite interesting. Those yellow jackets are annoying when it is just one. You get stung, kill it and move on. When it is a whole hive of them the situation is totally different! They join together, fight to protect and they just do not stop! 

We were thinking that is (minus the aggressive part) how the church ought to be. Sticking together as a hive. Working in unison towards a common goal.

 In Matthew 12 God's Word talks about how a house divided cannot stand.
James 1:27 instructs the church to look after the widows and the orphans.
John 13:34 is a command to love one another as Christ loves us!
Ephesians 5:2 says to walk in love as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us as a sacrifice! Galatians 6:10 instructs us to do good to all when we have the opportunity- especially those in the body of Christ! Hebrews 10: 24-25 instructs us to think of how we can encourage each other to love and help others and also to meet together in fellowship. Don't stop meeting with others in the body of Christ!
Matthew 18:20 says that where 2-3 gather in His name God is there with us!

We, as the body of Christ need to continue to stand together. Encourage one another. Help each other. Love each other.

God is awesome. His glory far surpasses all that He has created yet there are so many intricate details in His creation one could never get bored seeing all that He has made. Let us keep in the Word daily, be renewed in our minds, encouraged and then sharing that with other believers around us!

So the lessons from God's Handiwork in summary is to be in fellowship with other believers, encouraging them, loving them, helping them and being renewed by being in fellowship with God daily ourselves!

~Eric & Krystle Townsend and Family~

*Stay tuned for another photo post coming!*

Sanders County Montana

Well, we have made it out to Montana and have been seeking out housing! House searching is hard, rent or for sale! We do know that God will lead us to the right one in His perfect timing! We are scheduled to look at 2 houses for sure this week, possibly a third also.

We found out that Sanders County is the poorest county in Montana. That is including all the reservation land also! The man we talked to back in June called this area "Poverty with a view". I guess he was not exaggerating!

We have been getting to know the area better, housing and neighborhood wise at least! Plus we have been meeting lots of local people and there sure is a variety of people out here!

Ruger and Ivana have gotten over their sinus issues and Evelyn is almost better! Krystle got a bad eye infection and by Sunday morning her eye was really swollen so we went to the walk-in clinic in Billings and found out that it was not pink-eye like we thought! Turned out to be cellulitis and an infection in the skin around her eye. The Doctor gave her 3 prescriptions and that is finally getting better almost a week after. Praise the Lord we went in when we did so it could heal up faster! Unfortunately everything was out of pocket and the prescriptions alone were $70 and the bill is almost $300 for just a walk in clinic! Thankfully we don't have to pay all that up front!

Some specific ways to pray for us would be that God will lead us to the right house quickly so we can empty our storage unit. Also for good health, safety as we search for housing and also while we continue to raise support out here.

We plan on coming back to WI the end of the month to collect the rest of our things, say goodbye to family and friends and finish moving into our house. God is good and we are so thankful to have you all supporting us!!! God bless you and hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Eric, Krystle & Family

Newsletter: At Towns End August 30, 2013

To view our newest update/newsletter click below!
Newsletter August 2013

The Journey Continues

(Main Lodge at Camp Bighorn)
June was a very educational month for us since we were actually able to get out to Camp Bighorn, get plugged in with staff training and then head back to WI to finish the goal set before us.

Now that we are in July, summer busyness has begun here in WI. Not only the normal daily things that come up but also as we continue and work towards completion of our fund raising.

We learned many things while at Camp, we posted the biggest thing we learned as to how to explain the format difference in their summer camp. It is really neat to be able to do "adventurous" activities and share Christ at the same time.

We also learned that the area, on a more local level is ripe for revival. The more we research the national,the more we realize our country needs people dedicated to reviving our nation.

Sure, we are a "reached" nation but our churches (generally speaking) are stagnant in membership and outreach. We can't help but ask the question "How does God feel about this"? There are many lost people groups in the world. We are sure many of you would picture in your mind tribal people deep in the rainforests of South America, out in the safari's in Africa or the steppes of Siberia. While there is nothing wrong with seeing those mental pictures, we must not forget about the people next door, across the street, across the state or across our country. While our country has the gospel freely available, many do not know the plan of salvation; many do not know they have a choice; many do not know there really is a Heaven and Hell and those words are not just adjectives in speech; many do not know because they have not heard and many are mis-informed due to do people just not knowing!

 (Video of going through part of Plains heading back to Camp)


What are we, as the body of Christ, going to do? Can we really just work our daily jobs, come home, sit on the couch and watch tv, see commercials or programs on missionaries or malnourished kids and think "man, too bad people don't do something about that" when it is in our power and ability to DO something? What if, instead we would work our daily jobs but then went out of our way to do something to further the Kingdom of God. What if we helped someone else out? Responded nicely instead of "oh no, you didn't!". What if we actually invited a neighbor to church caring more for their spiritual condition instead of our possible rejection. What if. What if. What if.

 

When we went out west the statistics came screaming out to us. Matthew 9:37 came screaming out to us. This is real people when Jesus said "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few". This is not only true where we will be locally in Montana, but it is also true here in Wisconsin and everywhere in the US for that matter.

What we found in that mountainous region is that people really do go to the mountains to escape their past whatever that may be. People really are 'doomsday preppers' and are preparing everything but their souls for the end times. People practice paganism and animism in ways that we have only heard about here in WI. People are searching there whether they realize it or not for something out there just like many do here.

(Looks remote but actually pretty populated locally speaking)

 

Our country is in a sad spiritual state. We are not talking politics here either. We are talking about the spiritual state of our nation and how other countries that we have reached for Christ are now sending missionaries HERE!!! What are we doing here?!

Together we knew God would have us do something for Him and we asked Him where would you have us go. Do you want us to stay here and live a "normal" life and reach those around us or are you sending us else where in the US or abroad? We knew God calls each believer to do something different (many parts make up the Body). So, like in Isaiah 6:8 (Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying," Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, Here I am, send me?). We said "we'll go where you want, show us the way".

Not everyone will go into camp ministry like us, though some will. Not everyone will become pastors, missionaries or move away from friends and family but everyone is called to do something.

Our call and job is to serve God through camp ministry at Camp Bighorn and also locally in Plains/Paradise.

(Going into Paradise, MT- the way the highway goes you have to go through Paradise before going into Plains.)


Help us fulfill the Great Commission by helping to send us to Camp Bighorn.

You can support us by going to Camp Bighorn's website and click the "Support A Staff Member" tab on the right hand side, then scrolling down to our name and clicking on us!
We need a dedicated team of monthly supporters so we can dedicate our time at Camp Bighorn and locally to reaching the lost and discipling the saved.

If you want to be added to our mailing list if you are not currently on it then let us know and we will send you updates as they come.

We pray the next update we post will be that we are officially moving and able to officially step in to our position at Camp Bighorn!

God Bless,
E&K

At the cross above Camp Bighorn

First Day of Summer!

It is neat that today, the first day of summer is also the first time Eric goes rafting! They left shortly after breakfast this morning and then me and the kids will meet up with them at the campsite in about a half hour to an hour!

This week of staff training has been very in depth in the Biblical principles behind their vision here at Camp Bighorn. With this deeper understanding and now ability to articulate properly how the Gospel is shared here at camp, we will be able to share our vision clearer, unlike the fuzzy vision we have tried to explain before. It's like we went to the eye doctor!

Eric and I have been discussing what our fund raising strategy will be now that we have gone through some staff training. One of the things I brought up as to why things are going slow for us (fund-raising)  is that previously, when we explained what they did here at camp people responded to us like all they did here was play and not serious about sharing the Gospel. After being here and getting to know the summer camp format (as opposed to the Explore format we experienced last fall) we realized the set up is totally different than the summer camps we grew up in.

I'm sure you all are familiar with the following (or similar) schedule for summer camp:
Wake up/ Cabin Devo's
Breakfast
Chapel
Free time
Lunch
Chapel
Team Activities
Free Time
Dinner
Chapel
Free Time
Lights Out

I did that so maybe you can see that there is a lot of chapel services and lots of actual "free time" which is unstructured in which kids can do obstacle course, crafts, swimming, boating, other camp time games.

At Camp BIghorn there is less "un structured" free time and the staff is involved in everything, more even than the camps both (E&K) were used to. I'm not  dissing other camp programs or the camp programs that we grew up attending. I am only discussing the differences in programs.

They have Chapel services daily and the amount depends on what type of camp is going on (day camp for younger kids vs. regular camp for older kids/teens). During the week the cabin essentially becomes a family for that week and that is their small group. Because they do everything as a cabin instead of just pairing off with a few friends it lends itself to community which lends itself to unity (ever notice that unity is part of the word community?).

After going through activities (ex. rock climbing) they, as a group have a debriefing afterwards explaining the activity as an object lesson our need for Christ in our life or another biblical truth!

So, while they will be given the Gospel during chapel services the ministry doesn't stop there, it only begins!

Also, a lot of the same kids come back every year and get to be discipled instead of taught the same thing over and over again. Instead of just producing a changed direction they encourage a changed life. It's encouraging to be part of a ministry that doesn't just want to see kids receive the Gospel and accept it, but also to be part of a ministry that encourages these new believers to grow after making the decision to accept Him into their lives!!!!

In saying all this summer camp is still summer camp, the program format may be different than what our friends and family are used to but both Eric and I highly encourage those interested to come out here and check it out! Come out and be on summer staff next summer and see what God will do with you and through you!!!

I hope I haven't caused any confusion in my feeble attempt to explain the program difference. If you have any questions or need any clarifications please feel free to email us! Also, if you would like to meet with us in person we will be back the end of June!!!

Now it's time I go and get the kids ready to go out to the campsite to see what Eric thought of rafting and the things they learned today. God is good, if you seek Him- you will find Him!!!

See you all soon!
E&K

Update

We finally got to see some Bighorn Sheep a few days ago!

We took these photos on the way into town! They were a bunch of females. Later that day on the highway we saw a huge herd of them with two nice sized males!

 

One night last week we hiked up the trail to the cross on the mountain above camp.

 

 

 This photo is taken at the top overlooking the camp, Hwy 135, the Clark Fork River and the train tracks with a train on them!

Here is another photo taken a bit farther away as to get the mountain range in there too!

I will post a photo of the cross taken from camp level as soon as I can get it rotated without the computer freezing up on me!


Today we are celebrating our son's 3rd birthday!!! What a blessing he is to our family!!! We are enjoying watching him as he grows. It sure doesn't seem like it has been 3 years yet. We are cherishing these younger years because kids sure don't stay little for long!!!

We are looking at housing options, staff training continues this week from Tuesday through Friday and we are planning on leaving the 24th or 25th to return to Wisconsin to continue (and God willing complete by fall) our fund raising! It is so nice to be able to see how summer programs are, meeting summer staff and interns and getting to know, in depth, the vision of Camp Bighorn's ministry here in the Northwest US!

Please continue with us in prayer for safety on our return trip, and as we seek out housing options for our return to Camp.

God bless!
E&K

We made it!!!

Praise God we have made it safely to Camp on Saturday afternoon!!

We spent the weekend getting the camper organized, talking with our friends at camp, meeting some new ones and Eric starting to work on camp vehicles!

The kids are on cloud nine with so many trains going by the camp across the river!

The few mosquitos I have seen I think we brought with us in the camper! Ha, total difference from WI in that aspect! When we left the mosquitos carried us away but here it is dry enough where I think the mosquitos all left and went to WI!


It is interesting to see wildlife and plants that we haven't seen in WI. We saw a Mountain Bluebird, Blue Grouse, ground squirrels, elk, deer galore, ground hogs (I think that is what they are?! praire dogs perhaps?!) and the list could go on.

The lilacs are just about done here, the fruit trees are all sporting baby fruit already! I guess it's not "already" here in MT as they had a normal spring compared to us in WI!

Otherwise please continue to pray with us that God will bring in the rest of our support we need as we are hovering at the halfway mark! We will be here a few more weeks then head back to complete support raising.

Thank you all for your prayers and support!
E&K

The Starting Line

Well after a few hiccups in our plans, we are planning on leaving for the west sometime tomorrow!

We are thankful we didn't travel during peak travel time during this Memorial Day weekend.

On that note, we are very thankful for those who have given their lives in order to protect our freedoms so that we can share the gospel! We remember those who are gone and they will never be forgotten.

Please pray for us that once we get off on our trip that God will grant us safety and good health as we travel.

We have multiple things to be thankful also!
Krystle's Grandma came out of surgery and is recovering well!
The weather forecast is nice and cool for our travels!
God is good, all the time!

Signing off for now,
E&K

The Final Preparations

Today we are making some final preparations for our trip to Montana. While we are not going out there to stay. . . yet. . . we will be gone for almost a month.

Please pray with us for these prayer requests:
*Safety while traveling on one of the busiest traffic weekends of the year
*God's guidance in the search for housing
*God's continued provision so we can be at 100% quickly
*Good health as we travel and work

We will post once we get out to Camp and hopefully post some pictures too!

Now off to continue and (hopefully) finish packing quickly!

Take care, God bless and thank you all!

E&K

OP's

Organizing & Packing

We have been busy packing away winter things and organizing our summer things!

With packing away comes organizing and decluttering.

Sometimes while I work on organizing and decluttering I think of how it's important to declutter our lives, not just physically but also spiritually.

Our busy, fast paces, technologically advanced lives get so cluttered up it takes away from our relationship with Christ. Crazy how things that are supposed to save us time actually take it away from us!  I like that photo going around on the internet that says "If you are too busy to read your Bible and pray, then you are busier than God ever intended". Hmmm. Interesting.

We will be heading out west soon for a few weeks, pray that God will grant us safety traveling and to continue to show His provision!

God Bless!
E&K

Preparations for Summer!

We are so thankful to have Immanuel Baptist Church of Wausaukee to be one of our supporting churches! We look excited to have them partner up with us in camp ministry!

We are also so thankful for all our friends and family that have partnered up with us financially and prayerfully! What a blessing it is to have people join up with us and share in the sharing of the Gospel!

We are getting so close to the 50% mark! We are praying for God's continuous provision and we will be able to get to the 100% mark quickly! God has called us to this mission and we will continue to follow Him, for He knows all of our needs (Matthew 6:31-34).

We are planning on leaving the end of May to work at Camp for a few weeks to help them get somewhat caught up on their vehicles in preparation for their summer camps starting up in July, also to get some staff training/orientation and finally look for a house/apartment.

Our prayer is that by the time we return to WI from this interlude at Camp, we will be at or very close to the 100% point so we can gather the rest of our belongings and head back out to stay! All in God's timing, but this is what we are praying for! Please pray with us God will bring in the rest of our finances quickly so we can get out there (to stay) before summer camps begin.

If you feel God has led you to partner up with us in camp ministry by monthly financial support you can send in a check to Camp Bighorn or you can give online by going to their website and clicking on "Support a Staff Member" then scrolling down to find us!

Special gifts are also needed to help with the cost of fuel during the moving process and move-in costs once we find a home/apartment to live in. Financial giving for this is also done the same way monthly giving is. All gifts are tax-deductible and Camp will send you a receipt for your financial gifts.

We are very excited that May is here and we are looking forward to our trip out west to begin our ministry at Camp! We can't wait for it to be permament!

Following Christ,
E&K

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserve in heaven for you. . . " -1 Peter 1:3-4

April snow showers bring May flowers (we hope!)

One thing we can be sure of is that God knows exactly what is going on in our lives and wants us to talk to Him about it!

Krystle is planning on making some curtains for the "Montana Kitchen" this week, while we all hope the weather changes for the warmer. We had a little taste of spring on Saturday which was a nice blessing in the midst of this extended winter we have been having!

 

We are excited to see how God will continue to show His provision for us this week! 

Hope and pray you all have a great week too!

~E&K~

Head(ing) for the Hills!

Here is a photo of the terrain behind the Camp we will be working at! We are almost done getting the camper all fixed up for us to take it out west! Just a few more things to be done then we can begin getting it packed up and ready to roll!

We are going to a local church this Sundayto give a presentation of what we will be doing out west. Just a few more support/update letters have to get in the mail this week. God is continuing to provide and we are so excited to have this opportunity to share what God is doing in our lives with others!

Please continue to keep us in prayer as we continue to raise both financial and prayer support. Our target date to go out west is May 20!

Just a quick ending thought:

 If everyone of our Facebook and Twitter friends donated $10 every month we could begin serving at Camp Bighorn as quick as we could get packed up and go!!!! Just $10 a month from all our online friends could send us packing and heading for the "hills" to serve God and share the Gospel with the people in the Northwest region of the US!!!! That fact amazes me. That is like a Netflix subscription except that the funds would be going directly into ministry!!!!

Please, feel free to share your prayer requests with us and come back often to catch up with us here at our Lodge! God bless!!!

 

~E & K~