TFC Camp Recap and New Year Plans - July and August Newsletter

TFC Camp is over and WOW has it been an adventure! From NVTFC, we had 9 kids total come to camp. Our theme this year was Simon Says, and we dove very deeply into the life and growth of Simon Peter. Throughout our 2 weeks of camp, we saw a lot of students grow in huge ways as they got to see themselves in Peter's life.

One of my favorite stories was watching 2 of our kids come to the point where they felt God has given them a family outside their own and love coming to TFC Camp or TFC because they feel they belong there. That's an incredible victory, not because of anything TFC did, but because God's family is the where we all belong, and TFC just tries to help be that for teenagers in our area!

Jesus over and over invites people to follow Him and join into a new kind of community or family. This is exactly what TFC is all about, to help us move away from being a part of our own little community and into a godly family. One that is very different. One that means you belong. One that gives you the responsibility to care for and lift up others. This new family is different from the rest of the world. Instead of needing to worry about pleasing folks or doing the right thing, God's family is all focused on Jesus and what He's done. When we all see how much Jesus has forgiven us and recognize how much we have sinned, we see others in the same light. That Jesus loves them because He also loves us. Even though I had sinned deeply against Jesus, He still loves me. That changes things in God's family. Now I see others around me in the way Jesus sees me.

Suddenly, even when others are a complete mess, I can still see them as a Jesus does. They need love too. And that's what those teens started to experience at camp this summer. It's the thing we are trying to create in NVTFC. We want the teens coming to know that they are a part of God's family, and they are accepted there always! Then to teach them to treat everyone else there in the same way. Once that happens, they bond in powerful ways. So with that, I wanted to ask you all to pray that we can do that well this year, even with a handful of changes coming to TFC.

At TFC this year, we are planning on moving things back to Almena and inviting highschoolers back to TFC. The goal is to continue building our group back into that family of God that I was describing. It's our prayer that we can get back to having a regular JH and HS group coming and pouring into teens, just like Jesus does. That being said, we are in need of adults. If you are available on Wednesday nights, please prayerfully consider being a part of NVTFC by contacting me at: 785-302-1664. We need some other adults, especially as we have highschoolers again.

Also, if you are interested in cooking for TFC, please let me know as Abbie has 3 goofy kids and one just a few months old this year, so she won't have the time to cook this year!

Finally, thank you all for praying for us over the summer months! It's because of your financial support and prayers that Abbie and I can do this! We are SO grateful for you all!

The past months have been VERY busy! With TFC Camp, Chris was gone and Ty was just 2 months old! Right after camp, we tried to get back to feeling normal, but then went to Colorado for a vacation with our kids! It was such a great little trip! We may have not been on a lot of hikes, but where we did go and enjoy with our kids was a lot of fun! It was healing for our family! Now we've been sending Josiah to preschool too!

Remember that you can help by contacting me about helping out at TFC through either food or being part of the team on Wednesday nights! Please let me know if you or someone you know is able to help! Also, if you haven't, consider donating to helping us out by going here!