These pictures are from our "Convinced" Summer Retreat at Summit Lake last July.  They don't have anything to do with my entry, but I just wanted to post them because it reminds me of a time of incredible joy and hysterical laughter after our final evening of worship.  Both images also evoke a sense of teamwork and unity.  

The real point of this entry: Sarah and I are trying our best to head up to Kinistin this summer.  Now that we're no longer at GMC, it's harder to schedule and find time in the summer (we have a pretty packed summer ministry schedule here in Atlanta, including a week-long mission trip to the Dominican Republic), but we're going to give it a shot.  We may end up using our summer vacation time and budget to get up there in the beginning of July after our parents come visit us for the Fourth of July holiday.  We don't know for sure yet, but think about our friends at Kinistin often and would love to see them, do Kids Club, Youth Bible Studies, play basketball, walk to the New Core, etc.  But the only thing we can't do as we get older is the late nights.  Even if we can't visit this summer, we continue to pray for Kinistin and are hopeful of a future visit. 

In addition to thinking of Kinistin, I also think of a place called Maryland often.  I hope and pray all of you at GMC are doing well.  Just like we want Kinistin to know the unfailing hope and unending love that comes from walking with Jesus Christ, I also pray that we will be able to experience His love and power in our daily lives, whether we are studying in California or Nebraska, fighting through early mornings to get out of bed for our Montgomery County high schools, or adjusting to new surroundings in Atlanta.  I really do believe the God we experience in such awesome and amazing ways at Kinistin is the same God who guides and leads us everyday, even when there are no Native friends, northern lights, freezing lakes, dangerous playgrounds, fun trampolines, singing children, or pizza pockets.  Thanks for all of your encouragement and prayer. 

From Atlanta with love,

Pastor Will                 

"Hey Eugene,
    Great to hear from you.  We would love to have you and anyone else 
come during your break. I (Neal) will not be back from Mexico until the 11th 
or 12th of April, but you are welcome to come before then if you'd like. 
    I'm not sure what info I can give you at this time except that you 
all need to be in prayer that the res leadership will allow you to come 
again. This is always an unknown.
    Do you know who from your church is coming on SMI this year?  We 
really want to place a double team here, both guys and girls. 
    Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Neal" 

This is referring to roughly April 9 - 17, during public school spring break.  E-mail
me if you're interested, stretcharmstrng@yahoo.com. 

"Thank you for praying for Neal and the guys.  Praise God, they left this
morning with five young men.  (They will squeeze into our minivan for the
first 3 hours, and then switch to a borrowed van for the rest of the trip.)
Four (maybe all five) are Christians, yet struggling to different degrees.
Three have been down before.  Please pray that God will continue to work in
their lives; they are excited to be going, ready to be encouraged in their
faiths.  They are:  Justin, Clarence, Bryan, David, and Brad.  Please also
continue to pray for Tavis, Blair, Devon, and Tom, who are already down
there.  It is snowy and blowy here; please also remember to pray for the
long drive down, in winter conditions, as well as health and alertness for
Neal and Carl.  Thanks so much! "     -Darcey Alsbach