1. My youth pastor friend Joshua from Utah, that came up to visit in January to discuss living here to help renovate the ranch, is moving up here in several weeks. I am SOO excited. God unexpectedly provided him the money to move with. Praise God for working, and ask God to help his move go smoothly.

2. I am working on paperwork again to move this place forward. It frustrates me that I only seem to be able to work on ranch stuff one or two days out of each week, because the rest of the time, I am trying to make ends meet. Praise God though that I am finally starting to make ends meet, catch my child support up, keep rent on the ranch mostly paid, pay off personal debts from the marriage years, and still have a little bit left over to invest back into the ranch. Pray that I can be content in this, because I wish I had the time to invest every day in the ranch each week, instead of just one or two days out of each week. Pray also that I can get all the paperwork involved in getting this place operational, done correctly and in a timely manner, and that the various governmental organizations involved, also approve everything in a timely manner.

3. My friend Todd from Boise has been consistently coming up on his weekends to help out with various ranch projects. He has been a HUGE encouragement and blessing to my own walk with God and in a bigger picture, just with things related to being here at the ranch. He has even invested some of his own personal money in the place, simply because he wants to be a part of something much bigger that God has His hand on. He told me that he just wants to know that he helped build something for God, that God is and will be using mightily. Pray that God raises up more people like him to invest in the ranch. Pray that Go blesses Todd for his active, hand-on involvement.

4. The purchase agreement for the ranch has still not been signed. It's partly because I have to get more paperwork done and governmental approval on things, but also partly because the Pastor that wanted to personally pay for the ranch so that we can move forward, has come under spiritual attack. Pray for him. Pastor Ambrosio of Bethel Temple in Caldwell, Idaho. He had a death in the family several weeks ago which triggered an out-of-the-area trip for him that set him back on financing arrangements by several weeks. Additionally, several of his real estate sales have been held up, of properties that he is trying to sell to pay for the ranch with. He just keeps saying to me that God wants to use this ranch, and if there is no one else that can or is willing to help buy it for us, he has to, because God has laid it on his heart just how much God wants to use this place. So pray that his stuff goes more smoothly, and that God arranges the details smoothly for getting money together to pay for the ranch. Pray too that the ranch owners have patience with the delays (they apparently have 2 other buyers that also want to buy the ranch now - and neither of them include/involve plans for direct youth or Hispanic related ministries.)

5. There is a restaurant in Eagle, Idaho that has gone out of business and is auctioning off all of its stuff (pbx phone system, kitchen fryers, stainless steel sinks, racks, shelves, etc. this coming Thursday at Musick Auctions in Eagle. We NEED this kind of equipment if we are going to have a functional conference center/youth ranch kitchen. I was already planning to be in town on Thursday, but I have no money to go to this auction with. Pray that God outfits our kitchen one way or another, and soon, whether through this auction or through some other means.

6. God has been teaching me lots and lots of things on the personal level, about reflecting Him, about how I sometimes dishonor Him (and need to repent and change and/or let Him change me), and about just simply walking with Him. It's been rough in someways, but very good in others. I see His fingerprints ALL over my life and the ranch right now. I am convinced that He is going to bring the finances together for the ranch, though I have no idea how, simply because I keep seeing His fingerprints all over everything. I mean, why would He be leading people to live here if He wasn't already planning how to pay for it? So I am moving forward in faith. It's VERY exciting, although I still have my emotional rollercoaster days too. Just pray that I just keep my focus on Him. He is what makes my world turn. Pray that He puts this place together in a way that people can only marvel and say, "Now THAT has got to be a God-thing" (not a TIm thing).