The Year in Review
Woah! The 2021-2022 Encounter year has officially come and gone, and I cannot believe how fast the time flew. Yes, we had some long days and weeks, but God truly was at work!
God proved Himself to be faithful to us again and again, and we saw a lot of that faithfulness on display through you, our supporters. I know we have said it quite a few times, but I really don’t think we can say it enough: "Thank You."
From the bottom of our hearts, the gift of this year, all the friendships made, the growth that took place, the miracles witnessed, and the souls saved would not be possible if it were not for your prayers and your financial support. We do not take lightly that you were behind us every step of the way. We love you all!
“You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.”
2 Corinthians 1:11
So what have we been up to the last couple of months?
Starting at the beginning of June, the whole team returned to our home base in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to prepare for a full Mt Lou San season! This summer, we had 832 campers come on our camp property for weeks full of games, cabin devotions, delicious food, small groups, and spiritual growth. I have been on staff for many summers of camp, but I have never experienced one quite like this before.. and I mean that in the best way possible!
During training camp, we talked about expectations for the summer. One of the girls on staff raised her hand and said she expected One Hundred campers to come to Christ. This sounded great, but One Hundred is a pretty big number! I would be lying if I said all the staff members were convinced in that moment that is was going to happen. Well, God went above and beyond as we saw well over 125 young people trust Christ as Savior this Summer. We didn’t just see professions of faith but also genuine fruit. Some of the campers were waking up early to read their Bibles, inquiring about devotional materials, asking to skip games so they could read their bibles, and one camper was found reading “Mere Christianity” in their cabin!
Not only that, but every week we had a Friday Night Testimony Bonfire where the campers shared about how much the week had impacted their lives. Many others testified of turning from their sinful lifestyles, some rededicated their lives to Christ. Others committed to reading their Bible regularly. I would say that God was at work!
I want to share one of my favorite stories of what happened this summer:
One of our staff members was having a night of spiritual warfare that came in the form of a panic attack. He had to leave the night chapel and was being counseled by other staff members. They gave him the option of taking the night off or praying through it. He decided to stay with his campers that night.
One of the staff members who helped him through his panic attack brought the situation to the Girls' Operational Staff Team, and without giving specifics, she shared how they could be praying for him. For the next 40 minutes the Op Staff Team was in fervent prayer for their fellow staff member. After they finished praying, a staff member texted them: “I just drove by his cabin, and he is PREACHING to his campers!” Twenty more minutes passed, and this specific team member texted the staff group chat: “ALL 5 OF MY CAMPERS GOT SAVED!”
What an amazing experience! Not only for the camp counselor but also for the operational staff who truly saw the power of prayer that night! They also experienced first-hand the importance of standing in the gap for our brothers and sister's in Christ!
This was just one of many miracles that happened this summer. As Mark Batterson says, “God showed up and showed off!” and we were blessed to get a front-row seat to watch it all!
As the camp season concluded, we had to say goodbye to both our 2022 Mt Lou San Summer Staff Team and our 2021-22 Encounter Team as we sent them off to their next assignments. Some jumped back into high school, others began attending college, others started working, some are staying with the ministry, and one of the team members is going to serve as a short-term missionary in Thailand! We are so proud of them all! They truly let Christ work in their lives this year and have grown so much!
So, what’s next?
Our current plan is to remain with Encounter Revival Ministries for another year! The new team is already here, and we have had a blast getting to know and invest in them. The first seven weeks will be intense training in preparation for hitting the road this Fall. They will spend hours in singing and sign language rehearsals, classes, prayer meetings, staff-led devotions, learning how to lead small groups, growing in their relationship with Christ, and so much more. Bailey is teaching classes, doing book studies, preparing the team for the road ministry, and developing children and teen curriculums to utilize on the road. I have also have opportunities to invest in the girls on the team and guide them through a couple of book studies before we hit the road.
Our first day of travel starts on October 1st when we head to Rochester, NY for our first week of meetings. We are so excited to start off the year at our home church, and we would love to see you there! After that, we will travel to churches/communities in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Virginia!
So, what else have we been up to?
We visited Indian Lake in the Adirondacks with the Farrell family a couple of weeks ago for some much-needed family time! It was a relaxing weekend of games, ice cream, paddle boarding, four-wheeling, and a fun hike!
We also got to spend some time with the Tumia side of the family, which was also much needed! While we were visiting, we celebrated Reid Patrick’s second birthday! (Hard to believe!), and enjoyed each other's company.
Just this past weekend, some of the Farrell crew came down to Harrisburg to be with Reid on his birthday! We spent the day at Hershey Park, and we had a blast! I also learned that your body is not built for roller coasters after a certain age. Apparently, 26 is that age. 😂
Well, that is a short update that doesn’t quite seem to do this year justice. Just know that God is at work in amazing ways, and we are privileged to be a part of it.
Thanks for taking the time to read! We love you all!