On The Ropes

Greetings To All,
How are you? Please feel free to contact us and let us know how you are. This week is slightly different for us. Monday and Tuesday we were in the classroom, but Wednesday and Thursday we are on the Ropes Course that is here on base. The purpose and design for the course is team building, trust, and leadership developement. It is very unique and extremely exciting. From an 800 ft. zipline to a 100 ft. pine tree to climb, you can push yourself, encourage some one else, and place your trust in others as well. Through trust, your faith is also affected. Many parallels are made between what we do in the physical sense and how that relates to our relationship with God. The leadership team for the course is phenomenal.
Kathy and I shared a moment today on the Giant Swing, which is a twenty foot steel cable that is attached to another steel cable stretched between two pine trees. (It really is thrilling!) To "ride" it you have to climb a twenty foot tower and then jump off when you are attached to the swing. Kathy and I did it together! While sitting on the platform Kathy got a little nervous. As great as our team is they all started yelling encouraging things to her. Even though they were well intending, what she need most was a single voice to focus on. I was privileged to be sitting right beside her. I said, "Just listen to me. You can do this. When you're ready, we'll go. Don't worry about them, just listen to me." Then we went! I'm glad we did that together.
How many times are we wanting to do something to advance God's Kingdom and there are well-intended voices all around us all shouting at the same time? They're all supporting us, right? Well, then why is the decision that WE ALONE can make so difficult? My theory: because we don't listen to the One Voice that truly matters. The One Voice that we should let be closest to us. It's awesome to be encouraged and supported, but if you only act on those words alone and not on God's words, you may act prematurely. God can still use what you do, but He will do wonders with those who listen to His voice above all.
I want to explain a little bit more about what I mentioned in the last update. (No, I'm not revealing the mystery country.) I love it when I hear a thought of mine put into words by some one else. We had a treat in class last week: we watched a movie. In it a man was leading a choir and trying to bring out the best in people. He wrote a song that contained the line "I want to live my life knowing I was good enough." It really explained what I want to help instill in people. I want to show them that they are good enough, but I don't want to wait until they have MANY obstacles to overcome. We feel that working with young children has been laid upon our hearts. Tell them that they are loved, not just by us, but by Some One who loves them even more than we do.
Well, good night. As you tuck your children in tonight, if you have them and they are tuckable, tell them how much they are loved and how they are exactly who Father created them to be. And that they are valued for who they are.
God's Love To You,

Carson, Kathy, Dakota