Nate and Noah to Romania

Note: This post was originally created to be a review of July’s activities as well as a preview of upcoming events in the beginning of August, namely the summer camp for orphans in Ukraine. Due to some particular difficulties, the post was not published at the proper time, but I have posted it now (September 1) in order to give justice to the events of July. There will be a post soon upcoming that details the events of August, many of which are previewed in this post.

Summer is in full swing, and as we come to the end of July, I am overjoyed to bring you a mid-summer update! Summer is without a doubt the most active time of the year, and there are so many great things that I had the pleasure of being a part of in this past month, and there are still amazing things coming down the line as we enter into August! There is a lot to go over, and since I haven’t had the opportunity to do a video update in the last few months, I sat down for just under ten minutes to talk over some of the events of the past month, as well as lay out some of the big pieces that will be the center focus in the upcoming month. As always, a brief description of those events will also be provided below. So, without further ado: summer (thus far)!

July in Review:

July was a packed month from start to finish, with each week holding a large event. The month began with our SALEM Kids Camp, which was a great deal of fun and a huge success! Week two consisted of our SALEM Church Summer Retreat in the mountains of Arieseni, where we enjoyed amazing meals, serene mountain hikes, and a great deal of volleyball! Following up these two weeks of church activities was a two-week stint in which we had the distinct joy and pleasure of hosting a short-term missions team from Mannahouse! It was incredible to spend the final half of the month with some familiar faces from our Oregon church family, and they did an amazing job assisting Noah and I with physical projects around the church, connecting with our youth students, and hosting a three-day soccer camp for the youth of the community! It was such a special month full of wonderful moments with incredible people, and we couldn’t ask for a more exciting and vibrant summer! Below (in somewhat sequential order) are just a few of the moments captured from all of the camps, activities, and events of July!

Looking to August:

The momentum of summer continues into August, as on Saturday the 2nd, Noah and I will be traveling to Ukraine to assist for a week with a kids camp specifically set up for orphans in the area. We feel so blessed and eager to work again with several outstanding believers in Ukraine who have worked tirelessly to provide for and minister to the orphans of the nation and have continuously honored us with opportunities to join them in their work. Following our return on Saturday the 10th, we will have a week to recoup and make final preparations for our own youth camp from August 18th-22nd. We are so excited to be returning to Laz with our students to seek the Lord together as we run the race of this life well, pulling the inspiration for the camp from Hebrews 12:1-3. We approach both of these camps with great expectation, knowing that the Holy Spirit is preparing to do a deep and defining work in both the children of Ukraine and our Oxygen Youth family!

Things to be praying for:

Upcoming camps: Going into these camps, there is a great deal of spiritual and practical preparation that is required. Preparation efforts continue to increase as we get closer and closer to both of these camps, and in the camps themselves, much energy, vision, patience, and flexibility is needed! Pray that as we navigate a camp in Ukraine for the first time as well as our second Oxygen camp, the Lord would be clearly directing each and every moment. Pray that He would secure all the details and preparations ahead of time, prepare the hearts of the students, and meet all of us with the love and power of the Holy Spirit during the camp. We know that great things are in store!

Personal capacities: As you may guess, for as exciting as a full and active summer is, it also requires a great deal of energy and work. Pray for Noah and I as we hit the halfway point of the summer and jump into each opportunity that the Lord has provided to us in these months. Pray that we would be able to walk in excellence and overflow as we work through the details of these camps, interact with students, and lead teams. Prayers for good rest are always appreciated as well!