2025 Recap

While I regularly have thought about updating my blog, but I regularly have not listened to myself.  It's been more than a year since my last post, and too much has happened to detail.  The stories that are truly worth remembering can be expected to come soon! (and not a year-from-now soon)

Buckle up.  I've got a lot to share, and the ride you're on will be chaotic.

The past year was full of missions!  In January, I traveled to Chiapas and Oaxaca in Mexico to visit two missionary families our church supports.  In February, I stayed home, and the missionaries came to visit us!  Our church held a missions rally to encourage and connect with the Native American missionaries in our region.  The dormitories were packed, and I enjoyed meeting and learning from several new missionaries.

In March, I toured with our school's quartet.  (We jokingly called ourselves the "Alpha and Omega Quartet," because we figured it would be the first and last time the school let us represent them.) We had services in Colorado, and while we were in the area, we stopped to visit Whit's End at Focus on the Family, as well as Ranch Haven in Crawford.  Our biggest event on that tour was Y4C California, the youth camp I had grown up attending.  It was wonderful to return and find friends with whom I'd attended camp more than ten years ago still serving the Lord!  On the return trip, our group detoured through New Mexico to visit the Mt. Taylor Coffee Company, and spend time with Zachary Buchanan (a young man from our church who had recently moved) and the Archibald family (missionaries).

In April, I was able to go to IHC in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  On the way there and back, our group stayed at Mt. Zion in Missouri, and the quartet had its final service the last night of the trip.  Unfortunately, I don't think there is a recording of the quartet anywhere.  You're missing out.

In May, I tagged along with Joy Albertson and her kids on their trip to Allegheny Wesleyan College in Salem, Ohio.  Several young ladies I had mentored during my senior year turned their tassels, which was so encouraging to me.  We were in Salem only for 24 hours, yet I managed to squeeze visits with Paul and Krista and their kids, Tom and Rachel Sanders, the Hardys, and several others.  

Sometime late spring, I helped plant a garden with grand intentions of staying home most of the summer (my first summer not being on the road since 2018).  It was not to be.  I'm not even sure where most of the summer went, to be quite honest, but I enjoyed very little of the harvest from that garden.

June was spent in preparations for a VBS in Canada, and I ended the month at Spring Creek Youth Camp.  July was VBS in Kingston, Ontario, as well as our church's youth camp in Miller, SD.  (June/July are stories well worth telling -- stay tuned.)

In August, I took two trips.  The first was a whirlwind trip to Phoenix.  Mom and Dad called me on a Saturday night to tell me that Mom needed to go to the hospital and would probably be admitted.  Because of my little brother Ryan's special needs, Dad needed help!  I was blessed to be able to throw my things in my car and leave the next day.  My second trip was a weekend in Rapid City visiting Charity and Evan Letonek, friends from college.  September held two trips.  First was a trip to Buffalo, Wyoming, to visit and encourage the Martin Hunt family.  Second was a trip with an outreach group to Little Eagle, South Dakota, where we helped Brady and Cynthia Cope with a project for their church.  That weekend, I checked off another state when we took a quick trip to North Dakota.

October was the only other month I did not travel out of state.  That month our church held revival, and launched a new youth group.  These ministries kept me occupied organizing music and planning lessons.

In November, our church sent a group to Gospel Center Camp in Phoenix.  During camp, I had the privilege of helping Chris and Samantha Castle with song evangelism.  After camp, I stayed in Phoenix through Thanksgiving to be with my family.  Paul and Krista came from PA, and our family had a wonderful time celebrating together.  I came home the first of December.  

I was only out of state one day in December -- driving home from Phoenix.  But it counts.  The majority of December was spent prepping for our Christmas program.  Our young people spent countless hours rehearsing "Rejected:  The Inside Story" by Rachelle Ferguson.  It was the first time the church had attempted a play of that magnitude. The play was a LOT of work, and it wasn't even the whole program!  So many people rallied together by planning music, organizing sets, setting up a new sound system, provide snacks for rehearsals, buying Starbucks for incentives, helping young people memorize their lines, and troubleshooting a printer that refused to print the programs.  I was glad to have a friend from Detroit, Kailyn Hollabaugh, join me the weekend of the program.  The young people were outstanding, and the program was an encouragement to our congregation.

There it is!  That recaps the past year.

I am so grateful for the privilege of laboring in Mitchell, South Dakota with Faith Ministries.  The Lord knew what He was doing when He led me here, and He has opened doors to do things I have dreamed of doing all my life.  I've been able to teach English, serve as assistant church pianist, work with a choir and numerous small groups, teach piano lessons, participate in a play, travel to mission fields, and work as part of the youth committee.

It makes me curious:  what adventures might the Lord have in store for this year?