Like many of you, our family closed out November with words of Thanksgiving. Praise for a God who is ever faithful and loving, despite our shortcomings. Gratitude for daily blessings of food, shelter, and freedom. Thankfulness for family, friends, and the love we share with each other. We have so much to be thankful for.
As it does most years, December began with a flurry of activity. Christmas programs, parties, school activities, shopping, baking, etc. One thing our family does to keep our minds focused on the true meaning of Christmas is to celebrate Advent. Advent is a time of waiting. Not just waiting, but expectant waiting. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we are reminded that one day He will return. We wait expectantly for that to happen. Not passively, but actively preparing our hearts and minds for His return. Longing for that day like the Israelites longed for the birth of the Messiah. Each day before Christmas, we read certain passages of Scripture to set our minds on Jesus. We started with Genesis 3:8-15 which tells of our sin, and promises a Savior. We read Isaiah 9:2-7, Isaiah 53, and Micah 5:2-3 which tell of the coming of Christ. We read the account of Jesus’ birth in Matthew and Luke. Some of my most favorite moments in December were hearing my kids reading the Bible and asking questions about what they just read.
Many of you are wondering how our support raising is going. We currently have 56.76% of our needed support! We have been humbled and amazed by the generosity of God’s people. We know that many of you love Camp Barakel as much as we do, and understand the need for us to be there as soon as possible. Our goal is to be fully funded by May so we can be all settled in at Camp Barakel before the summer camping season begins. We are confident in our calling, and we know God is faithful to provide all our needs. This breaks down to only 20 families giving $100/month; or 40 families giving $50/month or whatever the Lord leads you to giving!
Please pray that our support will continue to come in. We would ask that you prayerfully consider partnering with us in this ministry. If you, your church, or your small group is interested in supporting us financially, we would love the opportunity to speak with you. Reach out to us! Email us at campcooksblog@gmail.com.
