COME EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!
Many have come to EXPERIENCE the Adventure Learning Centre and Camp over the past 23 years; missions teams, families, individuals, church and youth groups, college students, school groups, working adults and many more! All have heard the gospel and what it means to have a relationship with God. Our daily prayer is that lives will be changed! You can come too! Would you consider serving as a facilitator (educator), cook, house keeping, maintenance? See below for an update on many who came to EXPERIENCE in the last couple of months.
At the beginning of March a team from Judson University(Chicago), led by one of our ministry board members Stacie Burtelson, came to serve alongside of us and other ministries. The days they were with us, they worked hard painting fences, and assisting during program hours. Having college students shadow program is a joy because they offer support by interacting with the kids. Many of our future facilitators come from groups like these.
A group from Woodlands Church in Stevens Point Wisconsin also joined us for a day of Easter Fun Day preparations. We had them moving tables, benches, putting up tents, constructing props, as well as digging and shoveling projects. Thanks again Woodlands team for the practical help as well as for carrying many requested items for us!
There were other teams that came in the month of March and April (see Mindy and Tim Seeleys blog for complete update on camp groups https://seeleyfamily87.com/2016/03/27/a-time-to-celebrate/ but those two are just examples of the types of blessings that each of them were to the ministry.
Families are also blessings to the staff! Our staff work hard and it is a joy to see the excitement on their faces when family and friends are able to come and visit. Micah(third from the right) finished high school last May and gave 1 year of her life to serve as a facilitator(educator) this year. Her family was a blessing to the staff as they too provided in very practical and financial ways. Thank you Godseys!
My parents also blessed me with a visit!
Just in time to celebrate their 44th Wedding Anniversary!
We had a couple of days to play......
and relax........
.......really relax....... AFTER.......
MARCH 28, 2016 EASTER MONDAY
FAMILY FUN DAY!
during the event. Mom worked in the hot kitchen all day.
The day started out with staff devotion and prayer.
Then it was off to our assigned areas. This year I was in charge of the climbing wall.
For those of you new to my blog, Easter Fun Day is NOT about the Easter Bunny and eggs. Though we do draw a crowd by providing an Easter egg hunt, we are a non profit ministry and rely upon donations and fundraisers like this to help offset operating expenses throughout the year. Why? So that we can continue bringing children into the program at a reduced cost. The good news of the gospel is shared. This is largely done through a drama as participants board the famous train ride. By the end of the ten minute ride, the message is presented, of Christ's death to pay the penalty of sin and his resurrection to celebrate victory over sin death and hell.
We had over 1305 people throughout the course of the day 11a.m. to 6p.m. Mark Wallace, pictured here also shares his passion for the gospel though a planetarium experience. See Mark's testimony and method in which he shares the gospel with thousands of students every year. Copy and paste in your browser and read about the tight rope story! His blog is:
http://compelledtotellthegoodnews.blogspot.com
Other ticketed events included:
and more!
THANK YOU DINNER!
Only a few days later, early April brought the board of directors together for a board meeting.
Thanks to their generosity, the staff was treated to a dinner out. Continue to pray for the board as they seek to add two new members to the board team. (not pictured here)
Please continue to pray for Mark, Tim and I as we lead this ministry in the interim while we wait for the provision of an executive director.
As the education coordinator, my main role is to take school bookings, coordinate field trips, oversee the facilitators and manage staff schedules and other administrative things. I have found lists to be quite helpful in the four months since the transition and I still forget things. So many moving pieces. Many times the workload goes home because of various distractions that can happen in a day.
Tika has been working hard in the event portion of the program director job. The latest event was in support of the Bahamas National Trust, an organization in the community that supports preservation of natural areas. Adventure Learning Centre was asked to represent our ministry at their annual Earth Day event. Please pray for Tika and I as we work out the kinks in dividing up the education and event portion of the program director job. We are moving into summer camp preparations now and in need of responsible and reliable volunteers for the summer. We appreciate your prayers for that.
When I am able, I try to get outside and teach! In the program pictured, 6 th graders create a food web. We review concepts like producers, consumers, decomposers and explain how the bacteria (decomposer) in the water of the mangrove swamp is feeding on dead things which then releases a gas called sulfer therefore causing the funky smell. We talk about how death must happen to begin new life which leads into the christian principle of the death of Christ being necessary for us to have new life in Christ.
Between the indoor planetarium program taught by Mark and the outdoor science programming, our goal this year has been to bring in all 6th grade students from the government schools on the island. We have almost reached that goal which means that nearly every child going into 7th grade will have heard the gospel and have been challenged to make Jesus Lord of their life!
In addition to our daily programming as you have seen in previous updates, we have a weekly after school program which seeks to foster deeper relationships and further provide for discipleship opportunities. We finished up the semester of Adventure Club (after school program) this week with an end of the year party at the Adventure Learning Centre.
What a great smile! And there have been lots of smiles from the young people as we continue to do Friday night youth group for students in the community. Organizing games continues to be my primary role for youth night. We are growing! The count last night was 30 young people!
As you can see, A LOT has been going on. The most recent trial by fire came in literal fashion. Thanks to the fire truck that was fighting this blaze from one end and the rest of us hauling water hoses and 5 gallon jugs around, the fire was contained with only a small portion of the east nature trail affected.
Many of you have been faithful to ask and to pray about the land issue. In the last month or so there has been some discouraging movement regarding the crown land in the back of ALC property that for years we have been blessed to use for educational purposes.
However, there have been some encouraging signs that God is still at work to preserve this natural area. Please continue to pray that this area would be preserved and that if there is activity going on behind the scenes that is not of God that it would be uncovered.
I am dreaming of a weekend away! Anyone want to meet me in Florida for the weekend of June 2nd - June 5th? We have a very busy summer ahead and I am wanting to carve this weekend out for some intentional rest before summer camp begins. I'm serious! Message me!
Thanks again to all of you for your prayers and financial support. If you are new to this blog and or would desire to support in a financial way please visit Shepherd's Staff Ministries
http://ssmfi.org
Click on Donate
Find my name Jennifer Rogers missionary # 4309
Blessings in Christ,
Jen Rogers