He restored my soul...

First of all, I have never been separated from ALL four of my kids for more than two ( or maybe 3) nights at the most. So last week was a new experience for all of us. Leaving the children at a sitter for the whole week was a stretch for me, but it was actually a good thing. Absence does really make the heart grow fonder!! Thanks to Noah & Suzie Zook (in S. Carolina) for unselfishly caring for our children while we enjoyed our training week at Myrtle Beach. We experienced a much needed soul refreshment.
I don't know how to even sum up what we experienced last week, but I'll try to wrap a few words around it- We had times of teaching by Steve where he explained how things work in our spirit & soul areas. He talked about strongholds & lies we believe from the enemy. We had times of listening to each others journeys (there were 13 couples at this training). We laughed & cried together. We experienced "church" in a new way. We prayed & worshipped together, ministered to each other, fought the enemy together, exposed ourselves, & tore down strongholds. We learned that we are all swordsmen. And there was a "call" for everyone of us to carry our "swords" & learn how to use them without hurting people, to cut the chains off of the people around us without cutting them. And there was a call to the "lion hearted" to take back their rightful place, to lead, & not be led astray by "Jezebel".
Along with the times of teaching & ministering, we had the afternoons off to rest. Dutch & I took the opportunity to enjoy each others company, relax on the beach, & even took a cruise to get Starbucks a time or two😃:)!! This week long experience was so refreshing & I can truly say as the psalmist says- "He restoreth my soul"!!! Hallelujah!!!

Ladies Retreat

Ladies Retreat at the Haft

April 26^th & 27^th

Arrival time 6-8 pm Friday – Departure at 5:00 pm Saturday

“Awakening Our Hearts to Hope”

Guest Speaker ~ Mary Wilson

Come away to the hills of PA. for a retreat. Drink in the beauty of nature. Hear from our “Spirit led” speaker. Take time to refresh your soul & be awakened.

Retreat Includes~

Worship

Teaching Sessions

Ministry/Prayer Time

Lodging & Food

You will need to provide your own transportation,

carpooling is encouraged!!!

Cost per person - $50

Price includes food & lodging. A love offering will be lifted for the speaker.

For more information or to sign up...

Contact – Rosa Fisher

570.363.2405

thedutchclan@icloud.com

Build with the Gold...

  For our school Bible reading the other morning we were reading in 1 Cor. 3 where Paul talked to the Corinthians, and he is rather disgusted with them because they are getting caught up in following man. They were saying stuff like "I follow Paul" & others said "I follow Apollos". And Paul is telling the people, "Look Apollos & I are just servants & we are each assigned our tasks. I planted the seed, Apollos watered, but it was GOD who made it grow." And he goes on to say- So its not about the one that planted or watered, but only GOD who makes it grow. Which is so very true & so often we get things all mixed up & think its about us and our abilities etc. etc.

  However, if you continue reading, Paul says the one that waters & and the one that plants have a PURPOSE, & they will be rewarded according to their labor. Because we are CO-WORKERS in GOD'S (not ours) service, you are GOD'S FIELD, GOD'S building.  And he talks about how he (Paul) laid a foundation which is Jesus, & another man will build on that foundation- he might build with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw. And he says, "Their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, & the fire will test the quality of each persons work." OK let me try to sum up what I got out of this, I'm sure there are many different takes on it. But it spoke to me because it was a reminder that everything we do ultimately comes down to GOD. We can't take credit for what we do or the people we help because we are all just servants with jobs to do & that job is to lead people to the Father. And how we go about that, or whether we do our job well or not (remember the gold, silver, hay etc.) is going to show up down the road because the Day will reveal it. So we can choose to put our hearts & minds into what He's called us to do & we can give our best (which to me is the gold & silver) or we can choose to do things half heartedly and  we can try to receive the honor & glory for ourselves (which is the wood, hay & straw), but our motives will be revealed!!

  When I read this to my children, my eyes were opened & I was enlightened!! And it made me want to "go for the gold". It gave me a desire to bless every single person we get to host here, and go out of my way to serve them. I want to do things well & I realize I/we are only a small part of the big picture!!  I can choose to serve well whether its washing linens, cooking for guests or just encouraging people-

I need to do it all for GOD & and build with the GOLD....

Just an update~

This blog post is actually a newsletter I wrote to send out by mail. I am waiting to send it until I have my "prayer cards" made, so in the mean time, I am sending it out electronically. Some of you will be receiving this same letter by hard copy in the mail in a week or two...

~ Fisher Family News ~

Dear Friends-

It is with great joy that I write this letter!! We are back in the Endless Mts. of PA. & it feels like home. We are back at the Haft & it feels right. I will say this tho, we are here in a completely different role & that part will take some getting used to. Dutch, who knows carpentry well, is slightly out of his element working on the computer & studying P&L reports. So his new position is stretching him. His task also inludes decision making, keeping Dan & Jason busy with on-site jobs, & doing other administrative tasks. On top of that he is seeking the Lord for wisdom to direct this ministry in the way He (the Lord) would have us go. Somebody quoted this the other week & I like it- “from small beginnings, come great things”!! So we are excited about how the Lord is going to use us, our on-site team, & the Haft itself to bring honor & glory to Him.

A little bit about the Haft. The word “Haft” means “the handle of a tool” and it also means “a dwelling like place”. Our motto is refresh, rebuild, retool. This is a place where people can come & feel the presence of Jesus. A peaceful place of rest & refreshing. Our facilities have many uses, they are being used for retreats, for individuals who are seeking direction in their lives, & for sabbaticals etc. And currently we are working to develop a discpleship & mentoring program that we can offer to young people. So as Dutch & Dan meet together, & seek the Lord, we ask you to partner with us in prayer that God will go before us to lead the way.

Looking ahead- for us personally we have a busy month of March. We are planning to leave here on March 8^th & travel to Noah & Suzie Zook friends of ours in South Carolina. We will be leaving our children with our friends & driving 3 ½ hrs to Myrtle Beach to a week long “Discpleship Training” course taught by Steve & Dorcas Stutzman. After this intense week of training we will head back to our friends house to re-unite with our children. From there we will head further south to the SUNSHINE state where we will be taking a 10 day family vacation in Florida. You might ask why we would take a vacation so soon after we've arrived here, but the trip was planned back in 2012, before we knew we were moving back to the Haft. We considered cancelling the vacation, but decided against that, knowing we would probably need it following our training week in Myrtle Beach.

We covet your prayers! The following are areas you can pray about- Pray for Dutch & Dan as they develop a discipleship program, for safety for all of the on-site team, & pray for our family personally as we travel many miles in the month of March!! Also be in prayer that God will provide finacially for our needs personally & for the Haft itself. This is again a journey of faith for us. We have a budget that we try to live by. And we receive a small monthly stipend from the Haft, & a rent check from our home in Lancaster but beyond that we trust Jesus to provide in whatever creative ways He chooses. If He chooses you & impresses it on your heart to give, our address is at the bottom of the page. Gifts given on our behalf are tax deductible if they are made payable to “The Haft” & should be noted “for the Fishers” on a seperate piece of paper. Any gifts made payable to “the Haft” but are not specifically marked will go into the Haft general fund. Gifts can be made payable to us directly, but are NOT tax deductible.

Thank you for taking the time to read our update!!

If you're interested in keeping up to date with our lives you may read our personal blog... thedutchclan.blogspot.com

Blessings as you serve Jesus right where He has called you,

Elmer (Dutch), Rosa, ShaLyn, Madison, MaKayla, & Gabby

1 Haft Lane ~ New Albany PA. 18833

Matthew's Begats

  The kiddos & I have been memorizing this song for school the past week!! I love the tune of it, but more than that I love the fact that God chose to bring Jesus to this world through a rather "messy" family line. Now it may seem funny to say that, but if Jesus would have come from a pretty "perfect" line, what would that say for the rest of us. I believe God clearly demonstrated through Jesus' genealogy that He can use anyone, in any family, with any kind of past. For instance in Jesus family line you have Rahab a harlot, Ruth a Moabite (check out how the Moabites came to be), Solomon who came from David's wife Bathsheba who actually came to BE his wife because David had her husband Urriah put on the front lines of the battle to have him killed because he (David) committed adultery  with her (Bathsheba). Messy messy stuff. And that is just naming a few of the details, a thorough study of OT history would fill you in all on the details. So as my children & I discussed this it was so neat to see them connect with what I was telling them & Madison said, "I didn't realize that Jesus came from that kind of a family line". We talked about the "imperfect" people that God chose to use & how we're thankful that we serve that kind of a God!!! Because even "good" people are "imperfect"  in God's eyes so in reality those of us who think we are "better than" the harlot or the adulterer because we have never done that stuff, are still sinners just the same. We need a Savior whether we grew up "good" or "messed up"! Discovering that truth is so foundational, & important because it's what keeps us from becoming "self righteous"!!!!!
My conclusion- God wants to use ALL of us for His glory & He will, when we realize it's all about HIM  & not about who we are!!

How did we end up back here...

  Someone once said that "if you go to bed with something on your mind, & you wake up with it on your mind, perhaps you need to find out why it's there, & what God is trying to say"!! In July of 2012 Dutch & I both started talking about returning to the Haft. We talked about it when we went to bed, & when we got up in the morning. On top of that, Dutch was dealing with a decision concerning selling his partnership in his construction business, Twin-Mar Const. His business partner proposed a change in the set-up of the partnership from 50/50 to 75/25. Dutch began to think about that, and he wondered if God was speaking to him through his business partner. Was God telling us it was time to cut more ties & seek something else that He had in mind?? We prayed about it, & talked about it. And we reached a decision- we would sell our share, closing one door to see what God would open next. Not long after our decision to sell Twin-Mar, we found out that Bruce & Joan Boydell (directors at the Haft) felt that it was time to move back to their home in West Chester. They were not sure why they felt a restlessness at the Haft, but they felt like God was saying move on even if their are no directors to take your place. They set a date in Oct. to move back home. Wow! So there was an open door for us. We could take their place, & move back to the house we lived in a year ago. But of course there was doubt. Dutch said, "I don't think I'm qualified for the job". And were we really supposed to come back only a year after we left?? We prayed about it, thought about it. Then one evening when Dutch was with a group of guys that he was leading in a Bible study he told them that he was carrying a burden, a decision he needed to make. He said "guys, right now I'm laying this down. I'm not going to wrestle with this anymore. I'm willing to let go." The very next day he came home from work & said- "We're going". As it turns out, Jason & Carolyn Stoltzfus were also praying about the Haft. They were here in July with their church leadership team for a weekend of prayer & seeking the Lord. During that time Jason's connected with the Haft & felt a sense of belonging here. After seeking the Lord, & seeking the blessing of their church where they were youth leaders, they decided to move here in Nov. They have commited to one yr. Their role here is first of all, to refresh from their busy life in Lanc. as youth leaders, refocus where they're heading, & also to serve as part of the on-site team. Jason does maintenance around here etc. And Carolyn helps out where needed with cleaning, cooking, etc. Plus they homeschool just like we do, & and that can be a full time job in itself.
  There is also a third couple living here- Dan & Connie Lapp. The story of how they came to be here is also another interesting one, but I won't take the time to share it. They moved here in Jan. of 2012 several wks after we left. They came here for a time to refresh after after living & working at Camp Andrews for 6 years. Their original plan was to be here for 9 months. When the time came to decide where the Lord wanted them to go from here, they felt that God wanted them to stay.
  So you might ask- "what are we actually doing at the Haft??" Well let me start by saying that when we came here the first time we (Dutch & I) knew exactly what we were supposed to do. Dutch, who knows carpentry well, was committed to refresh the facilities here. He used his carpentry skills nearly every day here. He remodeled the entire barn where the guests sleep plus remodeled the house we live in. We were also coached by Bruce & Joan during that time. Now coming back as directors, & looking at the ministry side of it, it looks quite different. Our job is to oversee the on-site team, along with scheduling, fundraising, & administrating. It will certainly stretch us. We also feel the responsibility of "making it happen" here. We have a great place to serve people, but if we don't have people to serve, then what?? Bruce's original vision here 5 years ago when they first began to re-build this ministry was to reach leaders who needed a place to go to refresh, retool, & rebuild. The idea was to make this a place where you could come during a sabbatical, or if you were in transition you could come here to seek direction from the Lord. We still feel that the Haft can be used in that kind of way, & Bruce & Joan are willing to come here onsite short term to walk with leaders or individuals in that kind of way should we have those kinds of clients. Bruce has the credentials for that very thing.  However, we personally feel that with the staff that we have here now, we are more geared to walk with people in a discpling/mentoring role. And not just leaders necessarily, but young people & couples. Dan & Connie also have some experience counseling  & dealing with heart issues. Along with that, Dutch & Dan have some of the same heartbeat when it comes to the young folks in Lancaster Co. & abroad. They see the need for them to be guided, & for them to establish purpose in their lives.  Also in the future we will be hosting some retreats here. Right now we are looking at doing a weekend retreat in Feb., using the series "Embracing the Father's Love" by Jack Frost as our topic. I'm also praying about a ladies retreat (possibly in April), where I will have a speaker come & share. The retreats that we as a staff facilitate here will be open to anyone that wants to come. And of course dates & details will be posted in the future.
  I will wrap up this lengthy post by saying, "We don't know what all God wants to do through us here at the Haft. But we are excited about all the potential." And let me add, we love hosting people here. We love to encourage people. So you're welcome to come, take some time off you're busy schedule, & we'll sit & chat. Even if you think you're coming to "visit & bless us", we look at every person that steps on this property as someone we can encourage & serve. Just so you know- you become "ministry material" when you set foot on this place. We look forward to seeing YOU here.

Moments of Impact

   A moment, one moment can change your life, your day, your plans!! You can have a schedule made, & plans on your calendar for the next 6 weeks, BUT one moment of impact can change ALL that. I experienced one of those moments last Sat. nite. when I was playing basketball with Madison (& he was so proud of me for it- he said "hey mom, I havent' seen you do anything like this for a while." And as I scorred on a lay-up he says, "wow your pretty good too.") So we were just enjoying this little competition & I went up in the air to get the ball that was over his head, & I don't know if it was my flip-flop, or if I tripped over Madison, or if I'm just plain clumsy, but somehow I manage to come down with ALL my weight on the side of my foot. POP!! Moment of Impact!!! The next thing I knew, I was on the ground writhing in pain, & ever since then I've been hopping, crawling, & using crutches to get around. I went for x-rays on Mon. to find out that I broke a bone in my right foot. So that moment of impact changed my week, & possibly the next several weeks. Dr. said to take it easy for three weeks, which doesn't sound bad compared to folks who are laid up much longer than that, BUT I am a mother of 4 active children (1 one & a half year old in particular), so sitting around with my foot propped is not exactly ideal. However, I have a lot to be thankful for, I am not in constant pain, the break did not require a cast, & I have a husband, children, mother, family & friends who have pitched in to help!! And in all reality, my moment of impact seems minor compared to some of the families who have experienced the loss of a loved one is recent weeks. I think of the families that are facing the same kinds of challenges we are, but not because mom is sitting on the couch with her foot propped, but because mom is not there & she won't be returning. These families "moments of impact" were FOREVER life changing, one minute they were a happy, complete family & the next instant they were making funeral plans, then standing over a grave bidding their young mother good-bye.
  Moments of impact can change our plans, & our lives!! And they can be reminders that we are not in control!! It's important to wake up each morning & be grateful, & to not take a moment for granted!! And plans & schedules are a good thing, but it's so important that we don't make ourselves to busy to live in the  moment. Take the time to smell the roses, call someone you love & tell them so, hug a child, play basketball with your son :), & enjoy the sunset!!!!