January 2008 Life for Youth

After months of planning, preparation and anticipation, on December 26, 2007 at about 2:00PM, we left

Eden Prairie

. 

The weather was not what you would consider balmy that day.

We drove south on 35W to just north of the

Missouri

border with the temperature  that night at 16 degrees.

We continued pretty much straight south and two days later the ice began to fly off the motor home.  We stopped for two night just southwest of

Pensacola

and stayed in a state park called St Joe’s.  St Joe’s is a peninsula in the Gulf.  The temperature went down to 27°F at night and got to a high of about 40°.  That was warm enough for us to put on the heaviest coats we had, along with ear bands, and stocking caps (still MN garb) and walk the beach.  Wind was blowing with gusts up to 35MPH.  We pretty much had the entire beach to ourselves.  Go figure.  I was colder than I have been in years.  We did meet one couple from

Canada

on the lea side of the peninsula.

January 4 at about 2:00PM we arrived at Life for Youth Camp in

Vero Beach

.  

The camp is 80+ acres of camp and kids activities.  In the high season of the summer, they have up to 700 kids a day that are at the camp.  Many of the kids attending would never hear the Gospel anywhere else but they hear the message of Christ at the camp in some way everyday.

There are thirteen (13) other couples here with us for the month, living in pull-behinds, motor homes and fifth wheels.  Christian friends from NY, GA, IA, MI, FL, all over the

US

.  Great and wonderful people. 

  Jenny has been doing landscaping in the prayer garden for several days. Loving being able to be working with nature. It is a beautiful place and even more so as the ladies work at it. 

      

I have been preparing floors for and installing ceramic tile in the chapel and several cabins.  We will be starting on our second pallet of tiles soon.  LOTS!

Jim and Ken as they toil with the tile.

Ken as he stands patiently waiting as I finish a cut so he can have the power cord to mix another batch of mud.

My duties today have been installing/reinstalling water heaters in cabins.  Always a new thing to learn.  Will probably be back on the tiling crew soon.

Thank you all for all of your prayers and support to enable us to do what we do here.

We will try to keep you updated a bit better as we get into a more manageable routine.

Love and God's blessings on you and yours,

Don and Jenny

I