July 25, 2006

Dear friends,

This is a note that I received from my brother the other day, also working
with foster kids at a camp in Alaska. Pray for him too if you think of it.

In Christ,

-Tim
www.bighouseministries.com
Tim Benedict
Thorn Creek Conference Center & Youth Ranch
21 Yellowpine Lane
Boise, Idaho 83716
208-392-6723
timbenedict@peoplepc.com

> Subject: Jeff's Alaska Update #2
>
>
> > Just wanted to send everyone another update and let
> > y'all know what has been happening since my last
> > update a few weeks ago...
> > The biggest thing is that last week we got an update
> > on how many kids that we know of accepted Christ so
> > far here at camp.  As of last Saturday, there were
> > about 30 kids that got saved and 17 that rededicated
> > their lives.  And last week alone there close to 15
> > that we know of!  I heard a really cool story from one
> > of the counselors about one of her little girls that
> > got saved.
> > I think it was Thursday night during cabin devotions
> > that she prayed with her counselor, and then in chapel
> > the next day they were sitting there listening to the
> > speaker.  The speaker had spent the week taking the
> > kids in very great detail through the crucifiction of
> > Jesus, starting with the last supper.  That chapel
> > that they were sitting in just happened to be on the
> > crucifiction.  As the speaker talked in gory detail
> > about how Jesus suffered for us, Alison noticed her
> > camper sobbing, and asked her if she was ok and what
> > she was thinking.  The little girl looked up and said
> > that all she could think of was "Thank you".  And then
> > she said that it was as if Jesus was sitting right
> > there in the pew beside her saying "Your welcome".
> > One of the guy counselors prayed with four of his
> > junior high boys last week.  And he was pretty
> > discouraged the first few days because he didn't feel
> > like he was getting through to any of them...
> > Another guy had 2 kids in his cabin get saved.  One of
> > them came up to him Thursday afternoon right after the
> > "Crud War" (an all out camp wide, shaving cream,
> > cooked oatmeal, and various other messy substances,
> > fight) and said that he wanted to pray the prayer.
> > The counselor said you don't have to do it right now,
> > that they could get cleaned up first but he said no,
> > he wanted to do it right now because he didn't want to
> > risk not going to heaven. He said that he understood
> > Jesus died for his sins and wanted to have a personal
> > relationship with him...  The counselor say alright,
> > let's do it!
> > It's just amazing to work with all the other
> > counselors and staff and see their dedication to these
> > kids.  Even though they are dead tired and want to
> > just go to sleep, they pull together and enourage each
> > other to keep going.
> > Everyone says it's going to be tough going back to the
> > "real world", but I think this is as real as it gets.
> > Right here, right now, working with the rest of the
> > staff to lead these kids to Christ.  There are so many
> > more stories that I would like to share, some
> > heartbreaking, some happy, but it would take way too
> > much time to write them all down.
> > On a lighter note, some of you might know Ray Fish,
> > who used to go to SBC and has been up here for quite a
> > few years now...  Well, he just got engaged last
> > weekend!
> > I went halibut fishing this morning and we caught 5
> > all weighing between 10-20 lbs.  No big "barn doors"
> > 200 pounders, but they'll make good eating.
> > Out at the saw mill where I've been cutting wood,
> > we've been seeing brown bear tracks, and his front
> > paws are about 7 and a half inches across!  There's
> > claw marks on the birch trees out there 12 feet up the
> > trunk.
> > Well, I gotta run, all of us counselors are fixin' to
> > watch the Goonies in a few minutes.
> > I'll be back in Phoenix August 5, so I'll see y'all in
> > a few weeks!
> >
> > Jeff
> >