A Season of Thanks

The months of October and November have proven to be eventful and exciting here in Jackson.  My job as the "Children, Youth and Family Intern" has few dull moments, and I have been enjoying building and deepening relationships with the children, youth and young adults that I have the pleasure of spending time with.  Some highlights include: hanging out with ~15 Middle School students every Wednesday after school, going on an incredible High School retreat 3 weeks ago, helping organize a church-wide "Lasagna Mission" (where the church prepared over 80 lasagnas for the needy in Jackson), and learning how to play guitar on the side.  I hope to continue to make the most of the time that I have been given in this position, learn as much as I can, and serve those who I interact with on a daily basis!

Outside of work, I have been continuing to enjoy all of the outdoor adventures that Jackson and Wyoming have to offer, and have been having a great time meeting other people my age here.  Last weekend, I was successful on my first time duck hunting (pictures below).  My friend Chris and I went hunting south of Jackson in Star Valley, and I shot one goose and four ducks...not bad for my first time duck hunting!  I was excited to be able to serve Nate and Lizz the water fowl that I shot this Thanksgiving week while they visited.  

As I just mentioned, Nate and Lizz came to visit me in Jackson for Thanksgiving week, which was a blast!  We all stayed at Patty's house (with yours truly sleeping on the living room couch).  Among other things, we enjoyed a hike in Grand Teton NP, the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the local Thanksgiving morning Turkey Trot, a morning of fishing on the Gros Ventre river, and an ample amount of delicious food and conversation!  It was great to have Nate and Lizz here, give them a little taste of my life in Jackson, and also hear about their new life in Phoenix.  They even helped me out at Youth Group and Sunday School, which proved to be almost necessary this morning (as we had nearly 40 elementary kids in Sunday School).  

This Thanksgiving week (with Advent just around the corner), I have been thinking a lot about the abundance of things I (and we) have to be thankful for.  I found myself focusing on how thankful I am for the people that have been placed in my life.  My visit from Nate and Lizz was a physical reminder of the wonderful family I have, and how blessed I am to have a family that loves me, supports me in my endeavors, and brings so much joy to my life!  In addition, I am so thankful for all of my friends (both young and old) that bring happiness, excitement, companionship, and also joy to my life every day.  While voicing this thanks might sound cliche, I had to try to express my gratitude (even if it was a poor expression) for all of the wonderful relationships that God placed in my life!

While I have a hard time expressing my gratitude for the people that are a part of my life, one thing that my time in Jackson has showed me that no human relationship (with your family, best friend, mentor, etc) can ever fully satisfy our souls.  With more alone time than I had previously been used to, I have realized that while I still yearn for interactions with friends and family, it is my relationship with the LORD through His Son Jesus that truly nourishes me.  A relationship with Christ (and the gift of new life that comes through it) is something that nobody can ever take from us, has eternal value, and something that we can always pour more of ourselves into.  

As we begin to anticipate the coming of Jesus this Advent season, think about some of Jesus' words in the later stages of His life:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me!"  John 14:6

"My kingdom is not of this world [...] You say that I am a king.  For this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth."  John 18:36 and 37

The thought of a relationship with the King that rules over the entire universe (and also represents truth and life) is both mind-boggling and humbling, but I think the mere fact that we are able to have something of this value is what draws us nearer to Him...

Happy Thanksgiving!

High Schoolers on our Retreat!

Most beautiful drive home in the country?

Wringing the goose's neck (note my facial expression)

Successful hunt! 

Nate, Patty, and Lizz before eating some duck (excuse the blurriness)

Bacon-wrapped goose breast 

Post Turkey Trot picture (yes, Lizz beat both Nate and myself)

Thanksgiving at Patty's 

Halftime during the Apple Cup

Teaching the siblings how to fish

An Assuring Reflection

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight"

Proverbs 9:10

Our human nature and society tell us that we can prosper on our own.  We learn - sometimes quickly and other times very gradually - that there is nothing that we can do on our own that will fully prosper and bear any noteworthy fruit.  Whether this is a blaring mistake that many see, or an internal conflict that never seems to leave us alone, we always fall short of perfection.  I have been reminded of this recently.  

Luckily, this is the exact opposite of what God tells us.  In Proverbs 9:5-6, Solomon writes "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine that I have mixed.  Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight!"  

Recently, I have been tempted to reject the LORD's bread and omnipresence in every moment of my life.  I have been relying on my own devices, thoughts and ideas.  Not only does this path lead to hurt and destruction, it is not the way that God wants us to follow Him.  God wants us to follow Him wholeheartedly, and become a new creation in Him.  He offers us life, and life to the fullest. 

Our need for God is like that of a tree: which possesses a need for water, nutrients, and sunlight to grow.  Without God - who is always there to intervene and steer us on the right path of growth - we are like a tree would be if it were shut in a shed without any light.  

Thankfully, the LORD never abandons us!  He is with us every moment of every day, and always ready to speak "I AM" to those who are willing to listen.  He also provides us with salvation, and the daily nourishment and sustenance we need for growth.  If you ask me, a God who can do those things (and many more) is more than worthy of our fear (i.e. reverence, respect and plain ol' fear).  Draw near to the LORD today, listen for His voice, and look for His presence.  Actively live your life with the intention of growing closer to the LORD each day.  You will be gifted with wisdom, knowledge, and new life!

10/20/12 Sunrise at 7:00am

October

A beautiful fall continues in Jackson, but hints of a long, cold winter are definitely showing themselves. The leaves are falling off of the trees, and will most likely be completely off within the month.  The mornings are brisk, with temperatures often dipping below 20 degrees F.  The past few weeks in Jackson have been unique and very eventful for me.  In this time, I turned 23 (and felt very appreciated by family/friends!), visited Yellowstone, began the season as a coach of a 5th/6th Grade boys basketball team, and continuing to build relationships with the community in Jackson and at PCJH!

I have really been enjoying my job the past few weeks, and find that this enjoyment increases every hour I spend with the youth and young adults at PCJH.  Preston and I began an 8th grade/high school boys Bible study on Thursday mornings which I have really enjoyed.  I find it incredibly encouraging to be able to spend time with 8th graders who want to read their Bibles and talk about Jesus!  The young adults ministry has energy and excitement, and it is fun to continue to make friends that are my age (or close to it).  I have also been coaching a 5th/6th grade boys basketball team which is a ton of fun.  While you might be surprised that I am coaching a basketball team (considering my minimal basketball experience), I am focusing on helping the guys learn something about basketball, play as a team, work hard at something, and have fun at the same time!

Outside of work, there hasn't been an absence of fun in my life.  With the exception of recovering from a pretty bad bug, I have been lucky to visit Yellowstone (some pictures below), go fishing/hiking a few times, exercise regularly at a local gym, and make more friends.  Yellowstone was absolutely stunning, and is truly unique (being one of the world's only Calderas (or large volcanoes) not under an ocean).  It has been a lot of fun getting to know Patty, and we have great conversations whenever we are both around amidst our busy schedules.  Today, I went fly fishing in a guide boat for the first time and caught 5 fish (with many more bites)!

Recently, I have been reading through 1 Samuel.  I have been particularly impacted by the development of the relationships between Samuel, Saul, David and God.  Through reading the accounts of these men's lives, I have learned that there is a clear distinction between choosing to follow the Lord, and not choosing to follow Him.  I have also been greatly impacted by the way in which David responded to Saul's pursuit of murdering him.  In 1 Samuel 24, David chose to act in love, with self-control and trust when presented with a chance to kill Saul himself (after running for his life from Saul for a long period of time).  David's maturity and trust in the LORD in this intensely difficult situation serves as a great example for my life.  Attempting to live in love, with patience, kindness, and self-control in all situations/circumstances we find ourselves in is something that is difficult to do, but can be done with God's help!

Hope you enjoyed this update!  More to some in a few weeks, thanks for the prayers!
Andrew

Cheezin at Yellowstone's entrance

A couple huge buffalo

Yellowstone Canyon

Yellowstone Canyon from by the falls

Beautiful geysers

Old Faithful going off

Friend of mine while fishing on the Snake River

Driving home yesterday...not too bad

Not a bad day for a hike!

Fall is Here

Fall comes early in Jackson, hinting toward a long and cold winter.  Right now, I am relishing the immense beauty that comes with fall.  Almost all of the Aspen trees have turned bright yellow, with shorter bushes adding hints of darker orange and red.  The evenings and mornings are often below freezing, but the day brings temperatures in the 70s and sometimes 80s.  In the past two weeks, I have taken every opportunity I have had to enjoy this beauty.  I have gone fishing a few more times, hiking numerous times, and even joined some friends on an antelope hunt!

This past Monday, Ben, Preston and I took the day off and went on a 20 mile hike in Grand Teton National Park up Paintbrush Canyon, over Paintbrush Divide and back down the neighboring Cascade Canyon.  Paintbrush Divide is 10,700 ft high, and it was absolutely spectacular (look below at pictures).  Add in some great conversation with Ben and Preston, and it made for a wonderful day!  I hope to hike/climb to higher elevations in my time here (ultimately hoping to climb the Grand Teton peak of 13,800ft).

Other than having a blast outside, I have been working hard at both planning quality youth/young adult programs and events, and beginning to build and strengthen relationships with the youth and young adults here.  Two nights ago, we hosted a Middle School Lock-In at PCJH with youth groups from 4 different churches in Jackson.  It was a wild, crazy, but fun time.  One aspect I really enjoyed about this event was that multiple churches were able to come together around the common purpose of reaching out to youth and teaching them about Jesus.  A highlight of the Lock-In was our late-night worship service.  While it was initially difficult to get the tired MS students to focus, the service went long due to an abundance of questions about Jesus, God, and our purpose here on earth.  Despite the craziness that came with an evening like that, I was thankful to hear that the students were asking such important questions!  As I continue in my role here at PCJH, I pray that I can make the most of the time that I have with all of the youth that I interact with, asking the LORD to help me to show His love to them, and to serve them however possible (John 13:3-4, 12-17)!

Recently, I have been reading through the book of Judges.  The account of Gideon's discussion with God, and his request to test God's presence with him (Judges 6:36-40) really struck me.  After God did what Gideon reverently asked, Gideon was confident the the LORD was with him.  He went on to lead the Israelites to victory over the Midianites.  This passage has reminded me that the LORD is with us, is all-powerful, and will help us fulfill His purpose for our lives if we place all our trust in Him.  As I find myself a relatively new situation here in Jackson, and an interesting place of life, I am assured that the LORD is with me, and will not leave my side!

Looking forward to the next few weeks, I will be coaching a 5th/6th Grade Boys Basketball team for a community basketball program that PCJH puts on.  Each week, the team practices for one hour (with a 20min devotion), and has a game on either Friday night or Saturday morning.  This will be a great time to get to know some more youth from the community here, and I am excited for this opportunity!

Thanks again for all of your prayers!  That's all for now, enjoy some pictures from the past couple weeks!

Andrew

Tetons before fishing a couple weeks ago

Myself, neighbor Dave, Jackie, and Patty after fishing

Beautiful sunrise while hunting

Forest fires in Jackson from the top of the tram

The yellow Aspens

String Lake in the morning (perfect reflection)

Preston, Ben and Myself at the top of Paintbrush Divide

Ben and I with Mount Moran in the background

A busy week!

My second week in Jackson was more eventful than the first!  It began with being introduced to the congregation as "the new intern", and teaching Sunday School for the first time.  I continue to feel the hospitality and welcoming nature of the community here at PCJH, which I am very thankful for.

I spent Labor Day going fly-fishing with my friend James King (from Bellevue Christian) and his dad.  Fly-fishing (if you haven't been before), is absolutely incredible!  I had a successful, or lucky day and caught 8 Rocky Mountain Whitefish on the Gros Ventre River just south of Grand Teton National Park.  Fly-fishing is about as peaceful and picturesque as it is portrayed by literature and movies, possessing a calming and alluring draw.  This is definitely something that I will want to continue to do before the weather gets bad here in Wyoming!

On Tuesday, I enjoyed a ride on Jackson Lake with the dinner Rotary Club (courtesy of Patty, who is a member).  Jackson Lake is a large lake just to the east and at the foot of the Grand Teton range, naturally producing beautiful scenery.  Wednesday, we spent the day on a staff retreat, planning out the entire year and discussing how we can work best as a team.  Thursday evening, I went and heard Dr. Paul Farmer and Ophelia Dahl (the founders of Partners in Health, and large international non-profit) speak with my Senior Pastor Paul and his wife.  It was a lot of fun to hear what both of these individuals had to say about their work and what motivated them.  Even though I do not know if they are Christians, they both verbalized a deep motivation to care for the lowest of the low, and how "transcendent love" is an integral part of that.  Hearing the motivations of such influential individuals showed me how the LORD is working on the hearts of everyone, whether or not they realize it at that specific time.

This weekend consisted of a number of activities, including a community 5k run, which I completed!  My time was not impressive, but I was satisfied to have completed the race considering the elevation (6200ft), and the fact that I am still recovering from knee surgery.  Today, we had our first youth group of the year!  It went well, with around 30 jr. high/high school kids showing up.  It is a very energetic group of kids, and I already enjoyed working with them!  We have three tag-lines for youth group this year that will serve as our way to share God's love and hope with the children.  They are Experience Jesus, Prioritize People, and Choose Joy!  We will be focusing on these each week as we meet with the kids, hoping to help lead them towards developing living, authentic relationships with Jesus.  Tonight showed me that this year will be full of many surprises, and that I must continually be watching and listening for what God has next!

One passage that stuck out to me this week was Ephesians 4:25-32...read it for some conviction!  This passage motivates me to continually build up those around me (especially the youth I am working with) in my every day interactions with others!

That's all for now, enjoy some pictures from the week!

Andrew

First Buffalo on the way to fly-fishing (Tetons in back)

James and I before Fishing

My first fish!  Not huge, but sweet to catch something!

Reeling in another

Late afternoon by Jackson Lake

Pie eating contest at the Kickoff Youth Group of the year!

Address

ALSO...if you want to send me anything in the mail, my address for now (i.e. Patty's address) is:

847 E Wild Rye Drive, Jackson Wyoming 83001

First week in Jackson!

Hello friends and family!

I decided to make a blog (even though I have never been a huge fan of them) to keep you all updated as to what I am doing this year in Jackson, Wyoming!  As some of you may or may not know, I am working at the Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole (PCJH) as their Children, Youth and Family (CYF) Intern for the coming year.  If you aren't familiar, Jackson is a town of about 10,000 people about 20 minutes (yes, 20 minutes!) south of Grand Teton National park, and about 15 miles east of the Idaho, Wyoming border.  It is a large tourist town, with many people coming to visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in the summer, and also indulge in world-class skiing during the winter months.

One week ago, my sister Britta and I and headed over here, and arrived in Jackson on Saturday evening.  Except for some minor car trouble in Missoula, MT on the way, it was a beautiful drive that went very smoothly.  I am currently living just north of Jackson with a woman from the church named Patty, who is just a little bit older than my parents!  She has a small dog named Roxie, and a comfortable house that is situated right by the Jackson Hole Golf and Country club.  I am very thankful to have a place to live here, and am already enjoying living with Patty (who is quite outgoing and very friendly) and Roxie!

This week was my first week on the job, and it primarily consisted of orientation with various staff members, trying to learn how everything works at PCJH.  I enjoyed many a number of free breakfasts, lunches, and dinners with small groups and fellow staff members.  For those of you in Seattle, there are a couple connections to the great northwest here at PCJH, which has made the transition easier for me!  The Senior Pastor Rev. Paul Hayden attended SPU for undergrad and also pastored a Presbyterian Church on the San Juan Islands for a few years.  The associate pastor Ben Pascal (i.e. my boss) is from Bellevue and attended the University of Washington.  It has been great getting to know both of these men already, and I look forward to all the time I get to spend with them.  It is obvious that they both love the Lord, value and use His Word in the Bible constantly, and really enjoy their jobs as ministers!

As far as what I will be doing, I am learning that one day at a time.  I will be working with PCJH Youth Coordinator Preston primarily with the youth and young adults  My week will mainly be focused around Sundays and Wednesdays.  On Sundays, I will be leading Sunday School classes in the morning and leading Youth Group on Sunday evenings.  On Wednesdays, I will be helping lead an after school program and young adult ministry later in the evening.  The rest of my time will be filled with meetings, hanging out with other staff members and youth, finding helpers for youth group, and office work.  Stay tuned for more details as to what exactly I am doing!

Other than working, I have been attempting to get my feet on the ground, meet as many people as I can,  and have some fun outside!  I have already met some people close to my age (with the aid of Preston), and am having a blast with everything I have done (hiking, climbing, etc).  I even saw a baby bear yesterday evening on the road-side, which I learned was a very rare sighting...

Here are a few pictures from my first week in Jackson.  

Britta and I under the antler arch

Hike to some waterfalls with Britta in Grand Teton NP

PCJH in background with church community garden in foreground

Taggart Lake in Grand Teton NP

Thanks so much for your prayers and support!  If you remember me in your prayers, please pray for my continued transition to the community here, and to completely trust in the LORD in this new season of life.

That's all for now, thanks for reading my blog!

Andrew

"This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it.  For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful.  I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened of dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1: 8-9