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I was so proud of our students last Sunday Night at Lake Meridian. These last few weeks we've been asking God to prepare our hearts to reach out to people and invite their stories. On Sunday they were very intentional and I got to watch many great conversations. Keep praying for open hearts and open doors for the gospel. Our student ministry is changing and this fall will be much more focussed on prayer and reaching out.
Pray for
Cliff
Blake
Reno
Nathan
Sabrina
Conner
Skyler
Brandon
JJ and many others.
Aaron for FSM
After spending months prepping for the NorCal trip, we found ourselves praying for people to come to the park. We prayed so much that when people didn't come to the park in droves we didn't know what to do. Our sights were elevated to ministry all around us. We began to see people at souls not but bodies and God did amazing things with that.
Last Sunday night we went back to Lake Meridian park where we do Youth Group during the summer. This time the feeling was different. So many of us felt the tug to reach out but felt the tug of safety as well. After so much prayer to bring people to the park, the group was somewhat paralyzed by the hundred teens plus everybody else at the park. After a few reminders to a few students, that they had right here what they had been praying for in NorCal, it was clear we were going to need to regroup. We came face to face with our timidity and developed a plan for next Sunday Night. I am more conviced than ever that we struggle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers. The only thing that can hold back our group is fear induced by the enemy of our souls.
Will you please pray for the spiritual veil to be lifted?
Will you petition our gracious Father to command the angel armies to do battle over Kent?
Pray that our students would see what is at stake.
Pray that they would dig in and stand their ground and believe that our God is greater than their fears.
A new day is dawning and spiritual power is up for grabs and I greatly desire for our group to take hold of it to destroy evil and grow glory.
Pastor Aaron for the Faith Student Ministry
We are home safely from the Mission Venture and ready for some joyfilled rest.
Just a few notes before I conk out:
Ask good questions of your children and friends who just returned home.
1. What was one thing you saw God do this week?
2. What changes did you see in yourself?
3. Tell me about one person you met that you hope you never forget.
4. Who was the biggest encouragement to you on this trip?
5. What do you hope changes about your life in this next year?
. . . . . .
Just please don't leave them with the hopefully avoidable question:
Well, How was it?
That is a difficult conversation starter for an exhausted teen.
I love you all and was privileged to serve with some amazing students. Pray for them even more now that they MERGE with the real world. I am so thankful for the 6 faithful,dedicated, warrior-hearted volunteers. I am so proud of Jenny, Topher, Chris D, Tracey, Josh and Katy. Please thank them kindly.
Aaron for the Faith Teams
We're just packing up to leave a great time at the Denney's house in Manzanita. We got to spend 3 hours getting stories out of each other and doing some chilly body surfing/sand fighting etc.
Pray for a safe, productive,team building trip home to Kent.
Aaron for the Faith Teams
What a beautiful night of encouragement from God through the teams that reunited for the Youthmark Landing. There were so many stories of God's power overwhelming and utilizing students that we had to stop them at 11:30 to send them to bed. God has done amazing things in the towns we visited and in the hearts of the adults and students who believed God enough to get down there. Once we spent time in our towns we realized that God had been working so powerfully while we were preparing to come. Tomorrow we need to bring the power of three teams into one group that is only a portion of the greater group at Faith. Lots of prayer needed still as we dream, play and prepare for what God has for FSM in the exciting school year to come. I'm bringing home a lot of students who just might drag their parents along to reach out to their neighbors. I pray that your hearts have been prepared at home as well.
We love you and we'll see you at 9pm at Faith on Sunday Night.
Pastor Aaron for the 3 Faith Teams
PS. Last Night in Scott Valley, God let us be on hand while JD/Jake trusted in Christ. We commissioned Boston to reach the valley for Jesus and prayed prayers of faith over Shelby and Bev. 
Friday
To day has been an amazing day for my team. God has been working in their hearts so much it is amazing. God helped many of them realize that some time we may not understand Gods plans but in the end God will be glorified. This town has been such an amazing place at first i felt like an alien to this town but now i feel so welcomed and a part of this place. I than God for this opportunity he gave me to come out here with nine youth and work in a town were what we expected was maybe a little different that what God had in store for us.
Thank God for the amazing people of this town who we have come to care about so much.
Thank God for the effect that he has had on the hearts of the youth here and our own youth.
Thank God for PT or pastor Ted who has been an amazing person to get to know.
Please pray for the youth of this town that God would use the seeds we planted to change their hearts.
Please pray that the strong holds that are rooted here will be dismantled.
Please pray for our youth as they come home and that the changes that have happened to them will not be forgotten. Please pray for our safe travel.
Thank you to all of you who have been praying for us and we all cant wait to see you.
g2g (Glory to God)!
Josh and Trent
Thursday Night
Following the park games we had some killer worship. It was amazing to see how many of the unreached kids were worshiping along side us. When we had finished worshiping Abby shared her testimony.--hey this is Abby =). Sharing my testimony was a challenging but remarkable experience. It was my first time ever sharing it with anyone and it was hard. I was super nervous before, thinking that it may not come out right or i would just forget what to say. I prayed a lot before and it helped me. In the end it all worked at. Everyone said that i did a good job and it came out clear; which i am so glad they said that because i felt like i was all jumbled the whole time. As i was sharing, i was hoping that i would at least make it half way before i cry but that definetly did not happen. As soon as i started talking about my grandpa, i lost it. He was a major part of my life and had a huge impact on my relationship with God. The whole time i looked at my cousin H annah and we were both crying. I eventually made it out of that and was able to finish the rest with a couple other break outs along the way.--Following her testimony, Jared had ask for us to pray for his mom who has cancer. So at that moment we had all gathered around him and prayed for him, his family, and his mother. During that time of prayer we saw satan tring to attack, but despite the distractions we kept on going. Also, during that prayer time, Rachael had ran outside in tears, because there is a possibility that she has cancer. So a group of our team had went out with her and prayed over her as well. Then a little while later we had another breakdown. Little Steve-O broke down and cried till he was out of tears because he felt everyone elses pain and he was truly taking to God. It was an absolutly remarkable time and he will remember it forever. A small group of us comforted him and listen to his story and empathized with him. Steve-O is an amazing kid of 9 years old. Pray for him and his family. Overall it was an emotional night. God is truly working in this town!!!!!!!!!
Please pray for Rachael, that she knows that whatever happens that God is in control and that she has faith in her salvation. Also for the kids/teens in the town, that they will continue the unity that they have built while we have been here.
Friday
We finished off VBS with a caotic water fight with the kids. Then after lunch, a family from the church took us to the lake to hangout on their patio boat for Christi's 15th birthday! We had a great time
Signed: Abby, Topher(Bam Bam), Justin, Alex, and Davy
Thad - Thank all of you so much for your prayers! God helped me do a great job serving and leading in VBS, and I feel I have been an important part of this team. I could never have been able to do this myself!
Wesley - This whole trip grew my faith. All the great people we've met here inspire me to live my life for God at home.
Billy - I've gone through lots in Fort Jones with my grandma's death. It has brought me closer to God. I also pray that we have encouraged the youth of Fort Jones to want to know The Lord better and go out and bring the other teens of the valley to know Christ
Spencer - God has blessed us in our venture to Scott Valley. We have been greatly encouraged by the people here and feel they have been encouraged in their faith as well.
Boston (local)- I am abslotuely thrilled that you came to this town. You have already done a large part of bringing faith to our community. I hope it comtinues to grow when you aren't here.
Sarah Jo -It has been such an amazing experience just be here. I want to very much come back here. It is just so beautiful here.
Eric -God has definitely blessed us. Keep praying for everyone here and pray for our safe adventure back.
Bev (local)- "I don't want to come up with words. It'll make me cry." "I'm sad"
Hilary -sleeping
Shelby - I pray that when you leave people still come to Jesus and have real fun in God worshipping Jesus
Aaron -(should be sleeping) It has been a stretching leadership experience for me these last few months. I've been out of town for much of the lead up to this venture. It has been stressful to not think of the planning needed while on vacation and then cram to make it happen. In all of it I have watched God set up amazing appointments with people down here. I've stepped out of any comfortable zone I have had to initiate conversations with Jesus.
Katy - (sleeping)
the Team for the SV Team
The students are finishing well at VBS right now, just one more hour to go. They have been so faithful and energetic and most all have amazing stories of how they have been stretched and used by God. He is expanding our horizons and challenging our hearts to follow a bigger version of God than most of us have been.
Pray for a great final push in these last few hours. We'll go out and look for divine appointments as we wash cars and pray like crazy for a breakthrough.
Aaron for the Scott Valley Team
PS pray for our "Landing" in Salem tommorrow as I prepare to lead the 5 teams in debrief and life application.