Oh my! Where has time gone? I know it has been ages since I've written a post, mostly because I've been busy and partly because I haven't had some burning topic to write about. So I decided to just sit and start typing, hopefully I can give you an update as well as some encouraging words along the way.
Summer has been busy here!! We have served lots of people- married people, singles, pastors & wives, etc. Many people came looking for a quiet place to get away, and to spend time with the Heavenly Father. Some came and wanted counseling/coaching (Dan & Connie often get the counseling job around here, they're gifted in that area). We also had several engaged couples come to spend time in prayer, etc. before the big day. All of our guests were served to the best of our abilities.
We have also been part of ministry off-site of the Haft as well- Dutch made two trips to Somerset prison this year to share with the growing church behind bars. We've also made several trips to Lanc. for weddings where Dutch had the oppurtunity to preach. Dutch & I are always looking for ways to speak into peoples lives (not necessarily preaching, but engaging in peoples lives in general) so when we have oppurtunity to do ministry outside of here we're willing to consider traveling to do so because they are open doors to share the love of Christ.
As things are slowing down a bit, I find myself taking a deep breath. I've enjoyed the past two Saturdays where I had no guests to be responsible for, and no where that I had to be. I could just enjoy "being" here at the Haft- not "doing" much of anything!! But of course the not "doing" anything will be short lived, since I have a 10 wk. count down to Baby #5!! I find it interesting that with my first born child I had everything well prepared in advance- the nursery was set up in plenty of time, and every item was NEW!! Well Baby #5 will have a place to sleep by the time it arrives, but probably not too many days before... and all of Baby #5's equipment (crib, changing table, car seat, swing, & etc.) will be in USED condition. But that's ok, we will LOVE this child just as much as we did our first one :):)!!!
As for the ministry this fall- well fall and winter, I'm sure, will be somewhat of an "off season" for us. But that provides a great oppurtunity to plan events, retreats etc. for 2014. I hope to have dates for some of those events posted in the near future. IMPACT was a mentoring program that Dutch & Dan were working on for Sept. 2013-Aug. 2014, but since they didn't have enough applicants for the Aug. 1 deadline, they decided to postpone that program for this year. They are tweaking it and hope to offer it again sometime in the future. We do, currently, offer adventure trips through the Haft through our DARE program- in fact, one such trip will be going to the Adirondacks this Friday. Last I checked there was still room available for a few more people. These trips are designed to take you out of your comfort zone, into a different enviroment, where you can experience a time of personal growth and development. Each trip is led by an experienced guide with wilderness trip training. If you have a group of guys or a group of Father's & sons that would like to do this kind of a trip- contact us at the Haft and Dan Lapp would be happy to help you customize your trip. There are a variety of trips to choose from- such as backpacking, hiking, canoeing, etc.
This post is becoming more of a letter, so I'm guessing I should wrap it up soon. I just want to had a few words of encouragement... Life is about so much more than our earthly eyes can see. God is at work in His Kingdom and that is what we as Christains should be looking to be a part of. We get our eyes fixed on everyday living, and earthly kingdoms, but God's work is so much more than that. It's about living and seeking Him and His Kingdom- it's about knowing what God created you to be doing on this earth. It's operating in the gifts and abilities He's given you... and doing it for His purposes. Oh that we would grasp the overall picture- the BIG picture, and be a part of it!!!
