since last post (Las Vegas)

Lots to tell:
Sep 11: We rent a car and cruise 20 miles to Red Rock Canyon to see the desert and do a wee bit of hiking. Red Rock Canyon was absolutely awesome. Highly recommended. To see the full set of pictures from Red Rock Canyon, click -->HERE<--. We rested upon return and in the evening Jenny, I and Heymans cruised down the strip to check out Caesar's Palace, and the MGM Grand. Caesar's is so far the most impressive place we've been to, and the MGM Grand is the 2nd biggest hotel/casino in the States! BIG!

Sep 12: We take Heymans to the airport and he is off to Bethel. Las Vegas drivers are crazy! Not to mention a little impatient; settle down everyone. A bit later, Jenny & I toured Circus Circus and caught an amazing juggling act; I mean, this guy was the best juggler I've ever seen. Then we met 3 homeless people and chatted with them for 30 minutes or so. I love talking with homeless people, their stories are so interesting. We hope to meet up with them again.

Sep 13: Someone approaches us on the Strip (a common occurance here in Vegas) and asks us if we would be willing to give up a few hours of our time to come see a presentation and take a tour of the Grandview Resort, in exchange for an All-U-Can-Eat Buffet at the Excalibur, and 2 tickets to 'V'. It was long and boring, but we got to have a great discussion with a manager about Jesus and stuff, it was sweet. After that we checked out the Luxor, then had our salvation confirmed by a random preist on the Strip whom we got to pray for us. Then we did another presentation with Vacation Network Inc in exchange for 2 tickets to Steve Wyrick, 2 All-U-Can-Eat Buffets at the Tropicana, and a 2 for 1 buffet at Monte Carlo. Great deal. So we got 2 shows lined up for this week! Nice. We have been trying to scam some Cirque de Soleil tickets for free, but have had NO luck with that.

Today we went to the First Presbyterian Church of Las Vegas and were invited back to the house of Jack & Jan Kluever. Jack actually worked on the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) and was a test pilot for NASA and the US Army. They fed us tacos and were so nice to us. Their house was awesome (see the pics in our Vegas album -->HERE<--). We also met the Pastor, Rev Jim Houston-Hencken, who wants us to keep in touch and maybe be a contact while we're in Cambodia. He has some interest in digging wells over there. God puts things in place rather well.

Tonight we are going to Harrah's for supper with Jenny's aunt and uncle. 

For more of our wedding pics, click -->HERE<--.

bye St Kits. hello Windsor

Jenny and I have finished up in St Kits and have moved on. We completed our premarital counseling with the Woodwards, and we got LOTS of running around done. I got to eat at my favorite restaurant in St Catharines, Sahla Thai, for my birthday. And, we got our wedding bands tattooed on us!! Sweet!

Early wednesday morning, Pastor Geo dropped us off at the bus terminal and we cruised'er the 390KM to Windsor. Jenny's Dad picked us up and we started doing some running around. That evening, some of Jenny's family/friends had a potluck for us. Thursday, we did more running around and met with some people who Jenny wanted to see while here. Yesterday, Jenny and her Dad flew from London to Saskatchewan to attend Jessica's wedding. She will be back here monday morning. This is actually the first day I haven't seen Jenny since Dec 28th/07. Thats crazy.

So, I am housesitting (and cat-sitting) for the weekend. I have lots of research to do, and emails to write, and people to call, and tennis to watch, and sermons to listen to! 

And only 3 days to go before Vegas!!

I leave you with a good quote:

There is a strong drift toward the hard theological left. Some emergent types [want] to recast Jesus as a limp-wrist hippie in a dress with a lot of product in His hair, who drank decaf and made pithy Zen statements about life while shopping for the perfect pair of shoes. In Revelation, Jesus is a prize fighter with a tattoo down His leg, a sword in His hand and the commitment to make someone bleed. That is a guy I can worship. I cannot worship the hippie, diaper, halo Christ because I cannot worship a guy I can beat up. I fear some are becoming more cultural than Christian, and without a big Jesus who has authority and hates sin as revealed in the Bible, we will have less and less Christians, and more and more confused, spiritually self-righteous blogger critics of Christianity.

—Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church

return to the Manorites

If you have kept up with this blog at all in the last year, you'll know that some of my friends and I regularly ministered at Scott Manor. Leaving this wonderful place was hard when Jenny & I travelled to PEI and NY for the summer, but necessary. On teusday (in the midst of our St Catharines visit) we made time to return to the Manor and visit with these people who had become so dear to us. We gathered about 10 or so Manorites (a name we have tagged on them) and shared about our summer, and they shared about their summer, and we shared Scripture, and then we prayed.
We were worried that there would be no Spiritual care for these people after we left, but we were happy to learn that a Pastor from Central Gospel visits the manor bi-weekly to minister. That is a huge relief to us. We knew our ministry there was only temporary, but we did (and still do) have a responsibility to them.
We learned that Eddie suffered a massive heart attack and was currently in a coma-like state at the hospital. Jenny & I went to ICU and were able to pray over this great and kind man. I remember the first sunday I was back in St Catharines after returning from Africa/Russia last year; Eddie spontaneously got up and emptied his pockets (all $0.85), wanting to bless the children of Mozambique. It was the most memorable offering I have ever recieved.
So, we only had a couple hours with the Manorites, but they filled us with joy. It was such a treat for us (and them as well) to be able to surprise them with a visit. We pray for them, and they for us. We pray we will be able to return again some day, and have more amazing testimony about the road God has taken us all.

bye bye HH

Yesterday finished up what was called Alumni Session at Double H Ranch. It is an opportunity for those who are over 16 yrs old to return to camp for 4 days of activities at a much slower pace than regular camp. Alumni is for campers 17-21. It was a good week; I made my return to the Beaver Cabin to finish out my employment with the Ranch. It was a great summer and we had the privilege of working with an awesome summer camp for kids who don't have the easiest go at life. That being said, we are definitely ready to move on and jump into what God has for us next.
Like I said, yesterday, Alumni finished up and Jenny & I got a drive to the Albany-Renssalaer train station (thanks Rohan!!) where we hopped on a train and journeyed 595 miles south, where we presently are, visiting Mama Deane in Yorktown, Virginia. Not sure how long we'll be here but we plan to spend the few days we have here getting refreshed and being ministered to by God. What an awesome idea!!
To put the summer into words: What I learned most was I am so thankful to be in a relationship with Jesus. How is there any joy or peace without Him?! THANK YOU FOR SAVING ME FROM MYSELF LORD! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
After Virginia, we head back to Canada; St Catharines, Windsor, and then to Vegas!

2 awesome pics from NYC

Flatiron Building

Battery Park

NYC

Yesterday was pretty sweet. We left the AWESOME apt we're staying in at 9:30am and did not return till 9:30pm. It was a loooong day of walking and our feet were all in protest.
First we went to the Empire State Building and looked around NYC. Then we went to Cold Stone where the girls enjoyed ice cream and I enjoyed a cherry cheesecake milkshake!!! Best IN THE WORLD!! After that deliciousness, we went to Times Square. Then to Central Park where we got some pictures taken. After that, we were off to the site of the WTC. It is being rebuilt and should be completed by 2012. Next we went down to look at the Statue of Liberty. We all though it would've been bigger :(. And finally we went to an Irish Pub for food. And, of course, we got o take one final walk by the Flatiron Building on our walk back to our AMAZING apt. For the full set of our NYC photos click -->HERE<--. Today we jump on a bus and head back to HH for the last session of the summer. It is just about done.
The best part of Jenny and I's yesterday though was when Kylene went into a Starbucks to get directions to McSorely's (the Irish pub) and we noticed a homeless gentleman leaning up against the glass sleeping. We approached him and spent a bit of time with him. His name was James Miller and he did not have a place to live. He is constantly in and out of hospitals and alcoholism has destoyed his life and his body. James literally has no place to go and noone to turn to. He has tried shelters and programs to get clean but his disease has him defeated. We asked if we could pray with him and believe for God to work a miracle in his life, similar to mine, but he wouldn't receive it. James was obviously bitter against the church, and shut down when he thought we were there under its guise. It's sad. The Church should be a place James can run to :(. We are praying that God heals James and turns his life around.

in NYC for a couple days

Yesterday Jenny and I hopped on a bus in Glens Falls and cruised'er into the Big Apple to visit Kylene Compaan for a couple days. The bus trip was quite uneventful and we made it to the city in about 6 hrs, altogether. Arriving at 7pm, we headed down 8th Ave to meet Kylene at W34th St. We got a bite to eat, dropped our stuff off at the AMAZING apartment we're staying at (seriously, maybe the most amazing apt I've ever seen!!) and then went for a cruise around the area. The highlight of our walk was seeing the Flatiron building! We are staying in Manhattan.

Today we have a big day planned, including: spending some time with some homeless people, checking out the Empire State Building, Ground Zero, a restaurant called McSorely's, Central Park, Times Square, Statue of Liberty (maybe), Brooklyn Bridge.................I think that's it! Gonna be a busy day, better get movin!!

Camping in the Adirondacks

Jenny and I went camping for the weekend on this break. We went with our fellow HH'er Jessica Hemendinger and her boyfriend. We had a great time, save for the fact of sleeping on ground which felt like the hardest rock in the world!! Jenny had never been camping before, ever! On saturday we cruised to the Saratoga Race Track and seen a couple of races, and we visited some of the outlet stores in Lake George. I got a sweet pair of Merrell's; my Crocs are getting pretty worn and that means danger of slipping and falling and hurting myself and possibly a child riding on my back or shoulders. We had a really good time though. I havent been camping since last year in Mozambique on an overnight outreach with Heidi Baker and Co.
In other exciting news my second professionally published photo has been unveiled. Last year a newspaper in the UK wanted a picture I took (-->HERE<--) in Beslan for a story they were doing on the seige in 2004, and now Schmap has taken one of photos of Carter House in Nashville, TN for a website they host. Click -->HERE<-- to check it out! My picture is on the upper right side of the page.
Session 6 starts tomorrow and I can't wait to get another bunch of Muskrats here for 5 days of craziness. It has been a fun stint with this age group and the sessions are now flying by. 36 full days till we fly to Vegas!!!

Session 5: Christmas Week w the Muskrats

Session 5 is quickly coming to a close. We had a 'Holiday' theme this week (don't wanna offend anyone) and the Muskrats loved it. All week we told stories of how Scrooge was stealing HH's Christmas Spirit (although everyone wanted to keep the 'Christ' out of Christmas, it's kind of hard to keep remembering to say 'Holiday' all the time!!; funny how that is), and to be on the lookout for him. We played it up until last night when Scrooge (played by John Lefner) suddenly appeared at the dining hall and stole the North Pole which contained the camp's Christmas Spirit. We chased him all over camp while he mocked us in his golf cart. The climax happened at The Getaway room where we cornered Scrooge and Connor wrestled the North Pole from his hands. Scrooge subsequently fled the scene, never to be seen again. Then we celebrated with presents, cheese sticks and chipwiches, and we watched Elf. Sweet.
The sessions seem to be moving along quicker with the Scrats, which I totally expected. August is here and we've just over 3 weeks to go here in Lake Luzerne. It's hard to contain our excitement for September, but we've still a job to do here.
This weekend I believe Jenny & I are going camping with our friend Jessica and her boyfriend. We look forward to a weekend filled with Divine Love.

Session 4: Muskrats (Sharks)

This last session I had the privilege of being part of the youngest boy cabin at camp. Usually it is named the Muskrat Cabin, but this week we turned it into Shark Week! It is a much different pace from the 15-16 yr olds I was used to working with. The Sharks get up earlier and go to bed earlier, and they are WAY MORE high energy. I really enjoy the goofiness of the younger campers. You can let loose and have a lot more fun.
The week was filled with lots of camp stuff like the usual trip to Great Escape, and all the other things at HH that have become routine. The kids continue to have a great time, and almost all of them are so sad when the session comes to an end and their parents arrive to take them home.
Anyways, it was a good session that went by incredibly quick. Jenny and I have had some conflicting feeling about being here as of late, but the summer is flying by and soon we'll be waving goodbye to HH and recieving whatever God has in store for us next. We did however, get some good eatin from Galatians this morning!

'Un'Traditional

Yesterday Jenny & I booked our flight/hotel for Vegas. For 10 days in mid-september we will be staying at the Stratosphere. This Vegas trip will constitute our wedding/honeymoon and it took a lot of online research before we were content to book. We did alright. The travel agents I was in contact with did their best but I ended up getting a bit sweeter deal for about $300 less! Nice job Duffy. We are so excited. On top of the wedding/honeymoon, we will be taking a couple of trips into the desert to do some hiking, and likely some evangelizing on The Strip. The Stratosphere is also home to the 3 highest thrill rides in the world.
Many people here at HH are surprised that "ministers" would want to get married in Vegas, but they think its pretty cool. The fact that we are also planning a Drive-Thru ceremony is a little over the top, but thats the way we like it. Jenny & I aren't the norm, and nothing we do is either.
We love this kind of life. And the fact that we are saving $1000's on these plans as opposed to a traditional wedding/honeymoon means we can direct those savings towards Cambodia or wherever the Lord would have us take the Gospel.
We are blessed, and cannot help but be, because the God we serve is gracious and merciful and loving.

quarantined

Yep, I have the runs. So if I can make it 72 hrs without RUNNING to the toilet, I can resume my employment here at HH. Session 3 ended today and I couldn't even say 'Goodbye' to my campers. I went on quarantine at about 6pm last night and will be off until at least 3:30pm on saturday. This sucks cause the next session starts saturday morning. Oh well, could be worse. The session was well though. The Beaver Cabin started out with 8 staff and 9 campers but 2 had to go home so we continued the session up one staff. That usually never happens. We did all the regular HH stuff like Great Escape, rafting, talent show, dance, activities, etc etc etc. The kids have been amazing to work with. On a side note; at Great Escape monday, I was 'helping dreams come true' or 'making magic' or whatever (I was loading a 16 yr old Beaver into a rollercoaster) when I SMASHED my toe on the lip of the ride. It hurt, and still does. Check out the photo -->HERE<--.

Today was Cabin change. Between the 3rd and 4th sessions, the whole camp changes cabins and gets to experience HH from another perspective. I was a Beaver (15-16 yr old boys) and now I will be a Muskrat (6-7 yr old boys). I go from the oldest to the youngest. Jenny was a Bear (15-16 yr old girls) and now will be a Deer (6-7 yr old girls). It should be a wild 4 sessions coming up!! 

We are now off until saturday and I will be laying low trying to get this sickness taken care of. 

If anyone knows some good movies for Jenny & I to watch over the next couple days, let me know and we can watch them online.

Here's a good song for you to listen to:

Regina Spektor - Oedipus

Engaged

Psalm 42:7

deep calls to deep

It's true; Mr 1Cor7 is engaged. Jenny has the bar far too high for anybody else to even come close. The thought of spending the rest of my life in service to God with Jenny is an abolute dream come true.

We got engaged on July 2nd, and we have no concrete plans for the date and place yet, but the word 'Vegas' has come up an awful lot.

Session 1: Beaver Cabin

Week 1 is over. About 75 kids came to camp for this session and there were 10 in my cabin. Most of them had hemophilia or sickle cell anemia. My cabin houses boys aged 15/16 and many of them are returnees; so they know the routine of camp and are usually eager to impart into the younger campers. They were was an amazing group of young men.

After arriving on thursday, the campers settled in and we had a big campfire in the evening.
Friday was Great Escape day. I took Jamil on the bumper cars, and I rode 3 rollercoasters!! Keep in mind that I haven't been on a rollercoaster since I went on Space Mountain in Disneyworld when I was 10 or so!!
Saturday, my cabin went white water rafting but only two counsellors got to go and I wasn't one of them :(. Maybe next time. They had a blast though.
Sunday, was a fairly normal day of camp. In the evening was the infamous..........dance!! Jenny spent much time dancing with one of her "Bear's" (Bianca). I spent most of the dance hanging out with Cooper.
Monday, my cabin was scheduled for the Ropes course. This is always a camp favorite. In the evening was the Session 1 talent show followed by a Wishboat ceremony followed by one last Cabin Night. The Wishboat is a small boat of wood constructed by each cabin that houses individual wishes the campers would like to experience. For our last Cabin Night, we watched Anchorman in the indoor pool. It was pretty sweet.
In between all these activities there was the normalicy of camp life: taking campers to the Barn, and to Creative Arts, and Arts & Crafts, and Team Adventure (sports), and the Waterfront (boating, fishing), and the Pool, etc etc.

Today is our break and tomorrow a group of about 125 campers arriver for another week of craziness. I will be a Beaver for two more sessions and then we get to switch cabins and experience camp from another perspective. Jenny is a Bear (which is the oldest girls cabin) along with being Small Animals Assisitant at the Barn.

Don't forget to visit Jenny's blog (http://www.missionaryjenny.blogspot.com/) for her perspective on camp, and also our Flickr site -->HERE<-- for pictures, and our YouTube -->HERE<-- for videos. Keep praying for us. The Harvest is large and the labourers are few!!!

bring on the kids!!

We just completed a week of intensive staff training. I mean 14 hr days most of the time; 8:30am-10:30pm (or later). We learned all sorts of stuff. It was kind of cruel for HH to give us "Camp Inspiration" week and then make us go through a loooong week of training, but it's over now and the kids get here on thursday!! Everyone is pretty pumped. Jenny & I are really excited for what is to come in the next 2 months.

For the next 3 (maybe 4) weeks I will be a counsellor in the Beaver cabin (which houses 15-16 yr old boys). These kids have pretty much attended camp every summer for a long time and know the swing of things. Almost all the returning staff I've talked to expressed that the 'Beaver's' are their favorite group. Once a week (while I'm with the Beaver's) I get to go camping, and white water rafting. HH takes the whole lot of us to Great Escape once a week as well. That should be a crazy event!
Jenny is working in the Happy Barn, but is also a part of the Bear cabin for the first 3 or 4 weeks. The Bears are girls aged 15-16. After 3 (or 4) weeks we all switch cabins to get a better understanding of the children we serve here.

So, today and tomorrow is our break before the hustle-and-bustle of camp begins. Jenny & I hope to get to WalMart today so we can pick up a few things we are needing. Oh, and if you wanna see something absolutely AMAZING, check out the video below. It is of one of the campers proving that a disability is all in your head. Great stuff.

Jenny Brown: 'Small Animals' Assisitant

Our first video from Double H Ranch is available for viewing below!! It stars Jenny, some bunnies, and the notorious pigs (Harley and Petunia). Jenny helps children enjoy these animals daily; it's her job. How sweet is that?!
We hope to have more videos of the Ranch on our YouTube account. Enjoy.

Making it happen, whatever it is.

Camp is not fully underway yet but it has been AMAZING so far. After a few days of training, 'Camp Inspiration' week has begun. This week has families with children on respirators attending the Ranch and enjoying all the benefits of this wonderful place. For instance, yesterday, the brothers I am teamed up with got to play some pool, pet some rabbits and guinea pigs and see some horses, they went fishing, they got a ride in a horse carriage, they swam in a pool, they partook of a car race, and finally, they got to watch 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' outside on a big projection screen! All in one day; crazy!! It is absolutely inspiring to watch the kids get to do whatever they want. And I mean, whatever! Respirators and all are loaded into carriages, pools, etc to make sure the kids get to experience things that other children their age get to. No excuses are made; we make it happen. One of the girls who was bigger and on constant oxygen was lifted up into the horse carriage but could not take her respirator. The respiratory therapist got in beside her with a manual pump and fed oxygen into a hole in her neck by hand so that she could enjoy the ride! She left saying that the ride was one of the best experiences of her life. Being here really makes you feel alive. And the nursing staff are among the most amazing people I have ever met. Always keeping the situation light and calm, they put everyone at ease with their confidence to handle any situation. I am surrounded by heroes.

Camp Inspiration will end on sunday morning. The next week we have intensive staff training before the main thrust of campers arrive for Session #1. For those of us who have not been here previously, our anticipation is high. For those who have been here before, their anticipation is HUGE!!!

Lake Luzerne, NY

Indeed. Jenny & I landed in Lake Luzerne friday night. Everyday, I amazingly wonder at God's unconditional gracious love for every single human being. Why did we turn this world into what it is? God has done so much for us, and we wasted it; to such an extent that many completely disbelieve in Him. It's sad. More can be said in one action than a thousand words. Yet, the church is full of empty words. The world is waiting for the action.

Jenny & I are expecting much from God this summer, but not enough. We never think big enough. The opportunity set before us is grand. We want this summer to be completely life-changing.

Double H Ranch was founded by Paul Newman in the early 90's (don't quote me on that). It is a summer camp for chronically ill children. 120 or so children are on their way, and over 60 staff. This camp is anything but Christian, and thats the way Jenny & I prefer it. My favorite figure in Church history, Francis of Assisi, said, "Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words." That is our mandate for the summer. To live a life that challenges people out of their spiritual comfort zones. It may be a daunting task. The people we have met here are mostly in schools or universities nearby. They have loads of knowledge and plenty of compassion. They are all (so far) amazing people.

Coming from a Bible College where the students were anything but eager to demonstate their beliefs, I am almost embarrassed at the state of most of Christendom. It's a joke. We should be leading the pack, but we are mocked, ridiculed, and laughed at instead. I don't blame them. It's time to change all that. But, we have to do something about it. Actually, all we have to do is SOMETHING, ANYTHING!! Just get out and go!

We request prayer from anyone who reads this. We want people to see Jesus in us. We want to steward this opportunity in the most loving way possible. We want to do ALL THINGS FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOSPEL.

Visitation/Impartation Campaign: check!

Jenny & I's trip to the Island is just about done. We are at my brother's right now and will jump on a plane tomorrow and start the journey to the state of NY to work at Double H Ranch for the summer. In my opinion, the Island has been a great time; maybe the best time I've had here in years.
We did so much here. Something like 15 meetings; we spoke at 2 churches, a homegroup, and a daycare; we took teams out on the streets of Charlottetown on two occasions; Jenny got to see a lot of this Island of mine; and so on. But the time was so short, and we could list many other things we had wanted to do, but time didn't allow. Maybe in the Fall?
To see the full set of pictures from Jenny's time on PEI click -->HERE<--.

And now, we prepare ourselves for the emotional summer which lies ahead. I expect us to leave Lake Luzerne even more changed than when we arrive.

Apostolic Servanthood

On sunday I wrote about Jenny & I's experience at Harvest House. We led the service and then took 3 people downtown to share the love of Jesus with anyone who happened to be around. Right after the service a woman and her roommate were expressing their desire to come out with us but they weren't able to do it that day because of a prior commitment. They said that the idea of street evangelism terrified them, but the cost of NOT doing it was far greater than staying in their comfort zones. I asked what time was good for them and they said monday evening. So I told them that Jenny & I would come back at that time and take them out. I really feel that to be a true servant of God, we must inconvenience ourselves and our schedules for the potential betterment of others.

So, around 5:45pm the next day, Jenny & I made our way to Harvest House to see if they really meant what they said the day before. I left them feeling rather skeptical, because usually if you don't do something right away, it doesn't happen. To our great surprise, when we pulled up, there was 10 people waiting outside!!! At first we thought most of them were just hanging around, which is a common sight in this area of Charlottetown, but these saints were all there for the opportunity to stretch out of their comfort zones and obey the Great Commission Jesus gave us. It was a far better turnout than any time I ever tried to mobilize teams at Bible College! Amazing!

With Jenny & I included the team numbered twelve, so I divided us up into 3 groups of 4; Roy took Hillsboro St, Jenny took University Ave, and I took Queen St. EVERYONE was pushed out of their comfort zones.

Jenny and I led by example and demonstrated how Holy Ghost has taught us. Then we encouraged our teams to step out in boldness, and do the same. Tracks and Bibles were handed out, curses were thrown our way, some were not interested in talking, but others were interested. The biggest fruit we seen though, was in the lives of our teams. They couldn't believe how easy and practical witnessing was.

The best story was from Roy and his team who witnessed to Boomer Gallant!! Thats pretty sweet. For a second, I thought Roy was gonna get on the evening weather update! They also handed out a New Testament to a man who professed to be Muslim. I was kind of skeptical again but though, "Oh well, whatever." But, when we were walking back to Harvest House, this gentleman rounded a corner and began greeting us emphatically thanking us for the literature we gave him and saying he was eager to go home and read it! This man surely looked like he was from the Middle Eastern region.

It was an amazing couple of days. Never before had I been part of a church congregation whom immediately desired to apply the message that was preached. We left our teams saying that when we return in the Fall, we would like to be part of an existing evangelistic team rather than leading one. We pray that the Fire that has been lit would be fed, and not diminish.

We thank Noel and Harvest House for the opportunity to give out of what we have recieved.