Tahoe Resort Ministries - First Baptist Church, Tahoe City

At our first Parents’ Night Out of the summer the kids were singing, “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in my Heart.” The second verse is supposed to be, “And if the devil doesn’t like it he can sit on a tack, ouch! However, Reilly, a four year old sang, “If the devil doesn’t like it he can sit on a cat, Meow! Sit on a cat, Meow!

Jake, a preschooler, told his Mom that his favorite time of day was center time. I guess Jake’s been hanging around missionaries with a Southern accent because when Jake said it he said, “Sin-ters!

Addison, a preschooler, was playing in the kitchen center. Addison asked Jennifer if she wanted her to fix her a snack. The missionary said, “Sure.” Addison made a fake snack out of plastic food for Jennifer. Jennifer started to “pretend” eat the snack. Addison said, “Wait, we have to sing the blessing before you can eat your snack.”

Our newest A+ preschooler is a little girl adopted from China. She loves to tell people that she is Chinese. Miss Candice asked her if she could say something in Chinese. She said, "I'm Chinese!"

Favorite things I’ve seen God do this month:

Over 25 years ago I did a ministry with casino employees. We saw several people come to Christ as a result. One of the workers who became a Christian because of casino ministry showed up at our church this month. She now lives in another city in CA. She is a committed Christian and active in her church. She touched my heart by letting me know that the seeds of Christ which were planted in her heart so long ago have borne fruit in so many ways. She even asked me if she could send a “thank you” donation each month to our church! Be faithful in loving, serving, and telling and God will blow your mind with how He works in the lives of those He puts in your path.

The other morning one of my team members and I were standing in our preschool room. One of our moms came in to tell us about how her son was just sitting at the table and yelled out "Jesus loves me". Then she told us about his brother who randomly bursts out into songs such as Jesus Loves Me. As she was talking to us, her eyes started to water. Seeds are being planted in the lives of the children and they are passing the seeds along to their parents! Truly a “little child shall lead them!”

Our friend Rick continues to make to make movement toward God and Jesus. The great news is that he doesn’t have colon cancer or Crone’s disease. He also now has 100 days of sobriety. He just celebrated his first sober birthday in 35 years! He says, “I’m trying to fill the void with spiritual development.” He’s reading the Bible and rethinking things. He never used to allow himself to believe that he had a soul. Now not only does he know that he has a soul, he also definitely knows there is a God. He’s still working on the Jesus piece. Rick said, “I thought I could run my own world but I was wrong. I am letting go and am trying to fill the void with God.” He said, “I will have no more contempt about religion prior to investigation.” He continued to say, “I’ve discovered I’m not the center of the universe.” You and I know that that position has already been filled by God and Jesus. I thank God that Rick is making steady movement toward the Savior!

We had our preschool graduation and promotion this past month. We had 77 kids! The church was packed with parents, grandparents, and friends. I got all choked up as the kids sang “Jesus Loves Me” and “Only a Boy Named David” for their parents. Most of these families don’t go to church anywhere and others openly say they don’t believe in God. As the children were singing I looked out into the audience, parents were smiling and some were crying. It’s easy to see God at work in the lives of these children and their families.

One of our A+ parents has been attending Bible Study. She and her family were burned very badly several years ago by another church. They showed up at church one Sunday this past month and they loved it!

We were sad to say good-bye to our semester missionaries. It truly was a blessing to see these young women learn so many things about God, faith, and themselves. They brought joy to our lives and we miss them. We thank God for the blessing of knowing and loving them. We said hello to 11 new summer missionaries. It is our joy and honor to pour ourselves into their lives. We feel like God gives us these students for a reason. We want to “redeem our time” with them and mentor them to be leaders in the Kingdom of God.

I took our new summer missionaries to Yosemite this past weekend. For many of them this will be their only chance to see parts of CA. I had two favorite moments this weekend. We had hiked up to the top of Vernal Falls. It’s a killer hike with over 700 stairs. However, you get to hike through rainbows that are made when the sun shines through the mist. It’s amazingly beautiful and moving. Kori, one of our summer missionaries started crying when she got to the top and looked out at the waterfalls, rainbows, and rock formations. She said, “I’m just overwhelmed at how wonderful God is. He made all of these beautiful things. Then when He got done with these things He made me!” Of course, all the rest of us started crying to as we thought about how much God loves us. I would encourage you to stop and ponder the majesty of God and how much He loves you. We then hiked up to the next bridge where you can see Nevada Falls. We continued our tradition of singing, “How Great Is Our God.” This also moved us to tears. It was also a testimony to others watching and walking across the bridge. It was a time of worship and reflection. We got to the top of Nevada Falls and looked out at Yosemite Valley. The “rocks and the trees (and waterfalls)” shouted of the greatness and love of God!

We rejoice to tell you that God provided for our need of summer missionaries and for the semester missionaries we need for the fall semester. Thank you Jesus!

Please pray for safety and protection for us in the Tahoe basin as it is a very early and dry fire season here in CA. We’ve been praying for all of those devastated by tornadoes, floods, and drought.

To date: Cell Fund/Recellular-- $2,946.54	$2,946.54
To date: Empties 4 Cash --$ 47,846.45 + $496.86	$48,343.31
To date: Funding Factory--$1,380.81 + $25.60	$1,406.41
To date: Local Church Donations-- $121,975.11	$121,975.11
To date: Other Donations--$15,715 + $50.00	$15,765.00
To date: Interest--$1,507.17 + $225.33	$1,732.50
To date: InkSmile—$101.80	$101.80
	Total: $192,270.67

Total in checkbook and certificate of deposit as of June 23, 2008: $97,963.50! GOD IS AMAZING! Through your efforts we received $797.79 this month!! Keep up the great work for the Lord!! I appreciate you!!

Favorite quotes from the children this month:

Favorite things I’ve seen God do this month: