Busy, Busy, Busy Spring!

This spring is turning out to be pretty busy. Cheryl's parents are coming out tomorrow to celebrate Easter with us, and to celebrate her birthday. They will be with us for a few days in which we are going to install an up-flush system down in our basement in order to put a bathroom in downstairs (the sewer line comes in too high to put a bathroom in without it). To be honest, my father-in-law will do the installation, and I will hold tools and lift things. There is reason I'm in ministry you know. My dad still doesn't allow me near power tools.

On Friday, April 13 (good thing we are not superstitious) we at Serve Our Youth Network will have our 3rd Annual Spring Banquet. I am responsible for coordinating table hosts for that event. You can read more about it by going to our Executive Director's blog post. It should be a great evening. Please be in prayer for that!

Immediately following the banquet I'm jumping in my car and traveling to Zion, IL to the Illinois State Beach Resort to speak to the seniors who are Christian Ministries majors at my Alma mater, Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL. The seniors' retreat has been part of the senior seminar class since before I was there (back then it was just a youth ministry major). My former professor, Jana Sundene, asked me to come share. I'm going to be talking to the students about facing uncertainties in ministry (and life), and juggling different priorities in ministry. Pray for that weekend that God would speak through me, and pray for safe travel.

The following weekend (April 20-21), I will be taking a group of kids from First Baptist Church in Pella where I lead the student ministries on an interim basis to Acquire the Fire in Kansas City. I'm looking forward to what God will do that weekend in the lives of the kids and in fostering community. Please pray for safe travel and pray that kids would be open to whatever God desires to say to them that weekend.

I come home from that to lead our volunteer orientation training on Monday, April 23 at Polk County Youth Services. Polk County Youth Services hosts a volunteer appreciation night the next night for SOY's volunteers who serve there. Then April 26 - 29, I'm off to Woodbound Inn in Rindge, NH for the Straight Ahead Ministries Affiliate Day & National Conference. I have attended this almost every year I've been with SOY. I'm looking forward to the training and catching up with friends & colleagues in ministry. For those of you who do not know, SOY is affiliated with Straight Ahead, and I am the primary contact person for them. This year I had to raise funds to be able to go and am thankful for two generous donors who came forward to underwrite this trip. I'm come back from New Hampshire on Sunday night and then lead our Mentoring 1o1 training on Monday, April 30.

May is a little slower as far as traveling is concerned. I'm going to be at the Central District Student Ministries Mentoring Retreat at Hidden Acres Christian Camp on May 1-2, I'm looking forward to spending time networking with E-Free youthworkers in my area and being sharpened by Duffy Robbins from Eastern University in St. Davids, PA (I think he's going to be there, at least that is what I heard last). I've got a couple of his books on my bookshelf so I'm looking forward to an training.

I teach twice in my adult Bible fellowship at Valley Church (5/6 & 5/27), and then I preach on 5/20 at First Baptist Church in Pella. Cheryl will also walk at Drake's commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 12 to officially receive her B.A. in Law, Politics & Society. She has been finished since December though.

Fortunately I usually don't have such a heavy traveling schedule. Compared to some guys in my church this is nothing! This spring please pray for the following:

• Endurance for the weekend of April 13-15. Pray that our banquet goes well. Pray that in this last week before, that our table hosts are able to have their tables filled. Please pray for my trip to Illinois, and that God would use me for His glory.
• Please pray for the Acquire the Fire Conference and for God to work in the lives of the kids from First Baptist who attend. Pray for safe travel to that as well.
• Please pray for safe travel to New Hampshire, and that I have a relaxing and renewing weekend at the Straight Ahead Ministries Conference.
• Please pray for my family when I am away for spiritual protection and physical safety.
• When I train, teach and preach that the meditations of my heart, and words of my mouth would be pleasing in God's sight, (Psalm 19:14).