TRANSITION

We are in the midst of transition.  A few faces in this picture have already departed, some next month, and others in the coming months.  But with the departure of some come the arrival of others.  That is the nature of life is it not?  We are thankful for those who have served a year or many years and we pray God's blessing upon your lives as you journey on.  We also thank God for those that are joining the team whether full time or for the summer season.   We are reminded of God's faithfulness to supply for HIS work and we are thank ful to ALL for giving to the Lord.

The beginning of June was our last school year Staff inservice / care day before diving into a very busy summer in all of our various roles.  Dr. Kenneth Romer, our Executive Director, shared a devotion that was very fitting for where we are as a ministry and then spent the bulk of the day sharing his heart and vision for where he sees the ministry going.  

We ended the day with cake and sparkling cider to celebrate those that have served and will be moving on.  One thing I've learned over the past 5-7 years is that as a team comes together to serve, there are the natural stages of team development that occur: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and often one that is overlooked but just as important to recognize..... adjourning.  Though the busyness of ministry life and moving from one season right into another makes it challenging, it is healthy to put the effort into celebrating and recognizing those that have given a part of their life to serve at the Adventure Learning Centre and Camp. Stephanie Wittmer, Adam Greenhow, Debbie Degen, and Claudia (Sam) Robb are all missionary staff who have volunteered their time and resources to serve.   Thank you for giving to the Lord!  They have, or will be leaving in the next couple of months.

 Tim and Mindy Seeley have also announced their resignation but will be serving mission teams through the summer and into the fall with a departure date of January 2019 or earlier if another Camp director is found before then.

They have already begun what will be the busiest summer with missions teams since they arrived in January of 2013.  Please pray for persevering strength for the Seeleys as they transition while seeking to finish well! 

In spite of all of the transition of staff moving on, staff care HAS been a successful initiative this year!  Each of the 4 days that were blocked off the calendar were unique and designed to focus on different needs.  At the beginning of June, Joni Godsey and Ruth Anne Hill, two ladies that have been praying for the staff by name,  left their individual families and responsibilities at home in the States to serve us in the area of prayer, encouragement and Biblical counsel.  They also served us a magnificent and tasty Mexican food lunch! (Something that is rare to find here!)

 Joni, a licensed social worker and Christian family counselor, worked with the staff on assessing their level of empty or full bucket; provided techniques and tools for managing change and transition, played games and stress relief exercises, and met with individuals for counseling sessions.  It was a service different from what has been done before but something that the staff found very timely and beneficial.  Thank you Joni and Ruth Anne for your sacrifice of time, talent, and tremendous love!  We thank you for giving to the Lord!

A lot of changes happening in the ministry right now.  One of the desires of our director for the school year ahead is to take the Adventure out on the road to schools.  Having an outreach program will again allow us to reach schools and children without waiting for them to come to us.  In May, this was the team that went out to Windsor Prepatory School in Nassau Bahamas. A great opportunity for expanding and developing the programming at Adventure Learning Centre & Camp by going out into the community.  Continue to pray for needed manpower, reliable vehicles with temperature control for transporting animals, and resources in place to do this in addition to regular programming at the centre simultaneously.  

Celine and Kenny will be two out of three returning Adventure guide staff for next school year.  They both have a love for the Lord,  and children and will be a help in the fall with training new staff coming in.

Though going into the schools during the school year to bring the Adventure may be a new initiative for the coming year, what many may not know is that we already go out into the community for puppet shows, and events to share the ministry of Adventure Learning Centre.  This is the team that spent an early morning in March with the Royal Bahamas Police Force who had put on a community Fun Run 5K event.  After the run, participants were able to walk around to various vendors.  Sam, myself, and Kadisha were the team on the rotating schedule for this event providing Adventure and the love of Jesus through a petting farm experience.

Sam (left) reassuring participants of the docile nature of the Bahamian Boa Constrictor and explaining why this species is important for maintaining the rat population on the island.  Kadisha (right) will also be a returning Adventure Guide staff member in the fall.

I have transitioned as well!  Right up the stairs into another office space where I can step away from summer camp involvement and focus more on curriculum development.    Almost a year ago I am sure that I heard from the Lord that he was changing my direction.  What I wasn't sure of was if that meant changing my direction from ALC ministry to something else, or if it was a change internally within the ministry.  What I am confident about is this; I am to continue to press on until he makes it clear.    

As I said before, we are experiencing a lot of changes.  Good changes, like the needed leadership that we lacked for so long;  new people coming;  changes in systems and methods.  But then there are unfortunate changes like the increase of sales tax for all of the Bahamas (called VAT here- Value Added Tax) starting July 1st from 7.5% now up to 12%, (boo!) I'll have to speak to my boss about cost of living increase!  :) Ok....let me come off the soap box....back to unfortunate changes.  Yes.....the loss of really valuable staff, tools and platforms for teaching etc.... Have you gone through seasons of confusion? Disappointment? Discouragement? Hopes dashed?  Questions unanswered?  Prayers unanswered?  Or prayers answered the way you wouldn't prefer them to be answered?  These are all questions Ive pondered the last few months.  IT IS TRUE that things that happen in our lives can bring natural feelings and questions, BUT THE TRUTH IS that I CAN trust in His unfailing love and rejoice because the Lord has rescued me.....not only from my sin but in the little every day things that we wouldn't think about.  Just as this tower that stands strong along the ocean front with the wind and waves, I have a living and powerful God that promises to be my strong tower, shelter and help in time of need.

 

One night during a season of consistent wrestling with God and crying out to him in prayer, I woke  up and was tossing and turning in my bed.  I resisted the urge to get up and spend time in prayer.  Why?  I had been feeling confused, discouraged, disappointed, hopes dashed, prayers unanswered or at least not answered the way I had asked.  After some time of tossing and turning, I finally gave in "fine, I'll get up and pray."  Not a second after I turned on the light did I glance over a couple feet from my bed to see a 3 inch centipede crawling straight for me.  Immediately I jumped off my bed looking for the nearest object heavy enough to beat the thing to death.   I was so disgusted and creeped out by it that I just left it in its beaten state and went to another part of the house to pray.  Would you believe that an hour later when returning to the bedroom that the nasty disgusting creature  had moved a couple of inches away from the original slaughter point?  Now the Lord speaks to all of us in various ways and for me it is most definitely things found in nature.  In those moments shortly after the incident, the Lord reminded me that first of all, like the centipede, there is an enemy creeping and crawling all around us ready to harm with a painful bite.  Sometimes we are not even aware of his presence.  And just as the centipede didn't give up on life, Satan is relentless too.  He studies us and collects information on our weaknesses to devise a strategy for attack.  The Bible speaks about him like a lion prowling around, seeking whom he may devour.  BUT GOD!  If it hadn't been for the awakening that night which I have no doubt was from the Lord, I could have had a very different story.  In those moments after the incident, I was reminded even in my doubt that God DOES see and God DOES know and God DOES hear my cries.   If He cares enough to alert me of danger that I hadn't even asked Him for that night, won't He most surely take care of the needs and cares of my heart that I am praying to him about?  But as usual, it is a timing thing and so I would ask you to pray with me that my heart may take courage in Him as I wait for the Lord for the many answers He will give.

And so I press on, not knowing what the future holds but believing in the one who holds the future.  But enough about the future, lets look back upon God's faithfulness these past 5 years.

 5 YEARS OF MINISTRY

June 9, 2018 marked 5 years since I left my home and family and friends to serve here at the Adventure Learning Centre and Camp in the area of Curriculum Development, teaching and training.  When I arrived, we were preparing to celebrate 20 years of ministry.  5 years later, through the celebrations, fires, and storm (literal AND Figurative) we can still say that God has been faithful to carry us through. 

2013- To Serve Takes Sacrifice- left my home, family, and friends to come and start a new life here.

Curriculum Development, Teaching & Training

2014 - Forgiveness and Reconciliation- Difficult relationships restored to a healthy place.

  

 
Teacher's workshop & program marketing, Summer Camp Bible instructor.

2015 -  You Give and Take Away

 

 

Fire, Bush Medicine clinic & forest preservation, car given then taken away; Program Directors coming and going; Summer Camp Wilderness Adventures; Staff training prep; Looking forward to seeing the late Sean Wilson again someday in Heaven.

2016- Fire Flood & Storm 

 

Stepping into leadership role (Program Director) was a test of my faith.  Teaching, training, bus driving, Summer Camp logistics & registration, Fire, flood, and storm

2017 -New Beginnings & Seeking to Hear the Voice of God

Broken but not destroyed-away for 3 month sabbatical; mountain retreat; staff care day; offsite event ministry, staff training, teaching.

2018-Does God See Me? Hear me?  Yes he does!

Teaching, Inservice Days, Community outreach, teacher networking.  Still seeking and waiting and desiring to be faithful in service until the end.

Praise:  

• God's faithfulness to me in service here the last 5 years
• For healing and forgiveness of relationships both here and within my family
• For another school year using nature and science to reaching children, teachers and parents with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Provision of new executive director and support staff

Prayer:

• For God's continued leading and direction for my life
• For wisdom, guidance and  direction, creativity and innovative energy for curriculum development this summer
• For physical and mental healing for a friend here on the island.

Thank you all for your continued financial and prayer support for me and the ministry here in Nassau

Blessings,

Jen