December 2016 Newsletter

Time. It’s the most precious investment into anyone we encounter. Even Jesus gave folks the time He had, even when in a hurry. He met them where they had a need, whether physical, emotional, relational and especially spiritual. It’s truly the most precious resource we can give to another person. Recently, I came into my favorite place to get coffee and have meetings with folks and planned on getting our December letter finished up to go to print in time. God apparently had other plans to prepare me for this letter in where we’d tell our story to others as of late. A gentleman had overheard my comment of being a missionary to reach military teens at YFC to a friend who is a local attorney whom I knew from my position with the bank before moving away. This guy chose to come and engage me from his own perspective of faith and through the time of over an hour expired, I learned a ton about this guy – his background, his passions, his gift sets, some of his sorrows and some of his dreams. At first, I wasn’t all about this engagement, but then God poked me in the heart, specifically showing me that all we can do for another while here on Earth is give someone our time.

The amazing group of teens we took to Journey Camp in June 2016.

As Amy and I reflect upon the past year, it’s been incredibly life-changing and challenging to say the least. In January, we were still in Georgia, planning the upcoming annual calendar and then preparing the teens of 3^rd ID for our pending move. We chose to face the hard news head-on and finished our season in Georgia excellently, by taking 56 teens to summer camp in North Georgia and watching 9 of them choose to follow Jesus and dedicating that choice by baptism. We prepared our leader team in a manner to take the reins of the ministry mission and run with it when we moved and prayed big that God would show up when we left Georgia.

The giant crew of students in Georgia after an epic color war together!

A wild group together preparing to play laser tag at Fort Stewart before our departure.

Amy and I with our amazing salesperson, David, before he
prayed over our van.

Our dream home ended up selling to a couple from Ft. Bliss, who had never seen it in person before physically! It had been a refuge for so many teens to come hang out, small groups of adults who packed it out on a normal basis and anything in between ranging from a good friend who lived with us for 7 months when he had nowhere to go and a HS teen who we allowed to stay with us after graduation so they could attend summer camp.

The gang of Lansing Campus Life students ready
for a hayride together!

As we’ve reflected on some of the highlights of how we’ve spent some of our time over this past year, we hope that has sparked some reflection for you as well. How are you spending your time? Are you making every moment count toward impact for the Kingdom of God? We have recently been in the market for a new vehicle with 3^rd row seating as we look to expand our family through foster care and adoption. We’ve looked at several dealerships and have been waiting patiently for the right one to come along. While we were visiting family in Iowa for the first time in 2 years, we thought we’d use some of our free time to poke around at a dealership just to see

A huge crowd together for an all-area
dodgeball & costume tournament.

what prices looked like. Wow! We were blown away by the new vehicle we walked away with, but we invested in so much more that day! David, the salesman, greeted us with a joyful smile and we began sharing a bit of our story about what was leading us to have interest in a vehicle with seating for 8. We shared that we are full-time missionaries and work with military teens. We listened to him share a little about his story and how he was also a Christ follower. When he was younger, he also felt called to become a missionary to the Philippines, but instead, his family ended up being his mission field. He shared with us about how he enjoyed leading a men’s Bible Study group and his heart for missionaries. We really enjoyed our time spent with him. He worked diligently with us and the deal for our purchase came together. We’ve never had so much fun with a car salesman before! As we wrapped up the deal and prepared to drive off, we snapped some pictures together with our new friend David, so we could remember him and pray for him accordingly. David then did something that completely floored us; he took the time to pray for us. He offered a humble blessing over our new vehicle. He prayed for our family to continue to grow and for Jesus to impact each and every person we transport through us spending time with them.

The 56 teens and 9 adults together after an epic VIP manhunt night game at camp! 

Finally, we ask you to prayerfully take your time to ask if God is asking you to partner with us in whatever way this looks to you and Him. Please know we are working on our partner development to raise the $1900 per month deficit we lost in the contracting from the Army and are praying that God fills the gap. Because so many amazing people have chosen to partner with us, that has kept us on mission for so long and we are incredibly thankful for those who have. Should you desire to partner with us in whatever way you are led, you may go to this site to join our team: https://yfc.givingfuel.com/30631.

In this Christmas season, we pray that your time is well spent. We couldn’t do what we do, if it weren’t for Jesus coming to earth, living His story, and giving us a story to share with others.

~Phil & Amy Parsons

November 2016 Newsletter

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

The HS group of girls during their rock climbing day.

Sometimes there are seasons of life where this verse is so difficult to live by. We would be lying if we said that everything has been sunshine and roses since moving back to Kansas. We have yet to find a home, which makes it hard to try and get settled. Trying to navigate this new season of ministry has been quite difficult as well.

The MS girls preparing cookies to enjoy together.

During the seasons of difficulty, God provides us glimpses of hope that help sustain us through the struggles. God is always faithful, even in the tough times and we are choosing to focus on these glimpses of hope with a spirit of thankfulness, trusting God’s perfect timing and His plan for both our family and the ministry to military teens here in the greater Leavenworth community.

Mr. Clay gives the talk during HS Club one evening.

A few of those moments have included a high school girl’s day to Kansas City for rock climbing and finishing up with dinner and fall pumpkin decorating together. The middle school girls also got together with a few leaders to enjoy baking cookies and playing some rousing games just to lay a foundation of relationships and spending time with one another. Some pivotal student leadership has launched as of late where Andrew came up and asked if he could take the lead on student prayer over specific prayer needs of the students each week. High school student leadership continued when Karis and Charlie teamed up to kick off a student-led small group Bible study to be held on Tuesdays and had nearly 20 in their first week getting together. Finally, Olivia, from Campus Life began brainstorming on what students who had personal struggles who would benefit from attending the weekly group we’re putting together to reach teens who would never trust or desire attending anything that looked like church.

Caroline on the right with Faith
showing off their pumpkins.

In Jesus’s day, as the early Church was getting started, it was certainly a slow process. Today as we try to navigate and redefine expectations of military youth ministry in the Leavenworth area, we’re also finding that it is a slow process that requires both a lot of patience and effort. Not only have we seen amazing continued growth in our on-post weekly middle and high school ministry, we have seen small groups and special events blossom with good attendance as well. Just this past week, we launched our first off-post ministry location for middle and high school students which allows us to work toward our overall vision of reaching every military teen. Our hope is that through this ministry location, students that do not yet know Jesus will feel comfortable enough to attend and get connected so we can point them to a life-giving relationship with Jesus. God is certainly on the move here is this community, despite all of our personal struggles.

Racing to text in fastest during
a HS game called 'emoji hunt.'

This season has really stretched us, but we are grateful for the opportunity to show our students that choosing to follow Christ doesn’t necessarily mean that everything will be easy. We have tried to be transparent with them about this season of transition we are currently in. Students have blown us away in sharing their own raw, personal stories of how they have struggled and how they have seen God’s hand at work, even through the darkest moments. It’s amazing what can happen when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and obey the Spirit’s leading.

Although we are seeing ups and downs you can see, just as the Christian rock band 7eventh Time down’s song would quote “God is on the move, on the move, hallelujah!”

We ask you to join us in celebrating:

·        Student leadership explosion in each place we’re reaching teens

·        Fall camp fully booked and experiencing “where stories collide” together

·        Adult leadership coming together to expand reaching more teens

Humbly we ask you to pray:

·        For us to find a home to settle fully into the area of Leavenworth County

·        Opportunities to connect and reach more off-post military unchurched teens

·        Continued partnerships with local schools

We thank each of you for keeping us in the mission, loving and reaching teens, just as they are. Should any of you feel the desire to partner with us in any way, you may go to the online giving link here: https://yfc.givingfuel.com/30631 and if you want to be added to our prayer team, feel free to email us at pparsons@yfcmail.org.

Phil & Amy

October 2016 Newsletter

Amy and I with SaraBeth and Luke at the
YFC Central States Conference in KC.

"We hope to reach a million lost kids with the Gospel within the next 5 years in America," states the overall Youth for Christ USA strategic plan. It was brought to our attention during our time spent with other YFC brothers and sisters at the Central States Conference in Kansas City at the beginning of October. Amy and I have noticed some incredible moments throughout the time back in Leavenworth County which includes opportunities to build relationships with folks throughout the area which will allow us to 'reach every military teen,' especially those far from God.

Getting a moment for a snapshot with a
great volleyball player, Laney, who we
knew in Georgia, and now in Kansas.

One of these moments included an incredible tour throughout the local Catholic Schools and getting the opportunity to meet teachers, administrators and other vetted adults who love working with middle and high school teens in the private schools in Leavenworth. The big piece of the puzzle was that two students we've worked alongside attend the school and their mother is now the director of marketing and public relations for the local Catholic schools. I personally had the great chance to sit down with their leadership teacher, high school principal and counselor to hear what their needs were along with what our intentions were in the local community. God blew open doors for the relationship to bud even further as Amy and I soon after sat down with their athletic director and hear what he needs most and how we could serve their school in whatever capacity they desire in the current timeline. He shared with us how he needed someone for a line judge in one of his upcoming volleyball contests and I chose to help out immediately.

Another opportunity came from the relationship built from last month's Challenge Day at Lansing Middle School when the momentum at the end of the week's events continued to develop. Multiple adults shared their interest in helping continue the effects on a year-round basis in the school to impact their now-changed teens. Around the first week of this month, the phone call came from the school counselor pertaining to the pending launch of the Challenge Day program on a monthly basis. It wasn't just the phone call to include us into their monthly program, but to hear that there are over a dozen adults in the local community who want to see this impact continue! Every piece of this puzzle has built from the openness and willingness to serve wherever they needed and the counselor asked if we could help compile statistics from the student survey since her time is limited during the week. She even called mid-month to ask if we could provide an ice breaker game since we shared it was something we've done in the past and we'll help in whatever they need anytime.

A great panoramic view of the Lansing 8th Grade football game cheering on students from Challenge Day.

If those two doors opening weren't enough, we had another situation come together as we sat down with folks who we knew and approached us in helping shepherd their teens who gather each week at their 47-acre homestead in the county. Apparently, they had up to 40+ teens showing up each week and they asked us about this early in our arrival in the area and God has allowed us to discern about coming alongside them and raise up adults who want to work with these teens as well. Amy and I gathered with about a dozen of the key teens who had been coming before and we created a focus group of them to give us honest heartfelt feedback of what they enjoyed, would like to improve and what they'd like to see in the future for the weekly group of teens.

As Ecclesiastes 3:1 states: "There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under the heavens," and we truly feel that this is part of the season which is connected to our overall strategic plan nation-wide. God has opened doors in incredible ways that we never imagined and we deliberately ask you to pray for us in reaching every military teen in Leavenworth County, wherever God calls us.

Join us in celebration:

• Continued relationships throughout the schools in Leavenworth and Lansing
• Amy and I got an incredible weekend away in Omaha, NE, to spend some great time with family
• The group of teens of the focus group gave unashamed feedback when given the chance to be heard.

Join us in prayer:

• We still are seeking a home locally in the area as housing has been a continual struggle to find something financially workable for our familial needs and ministry hopes.
• In leading the local Leavenworth County Affiliate, we are seeking to partner with people who want to see our teens' lives impacted, for the Kingdom's sake.
• Pray for our challenges in continued seasons of change as we seek to reach teens in every place.

We thank you all for praying with us and being partners in the mission of going to where these teens deserve the love of Christ. Should any of you feel the desire to partner with us in any way, you may go to the online giving link here: https://yfc.givingfuel.com/30631 and if you want to be added to our prayer team, feel free to email us at pparsons@yfcmail.org.

~Phil & Amy

September 2016 Newsletter

Fifteen years ago, lives changed throughout the country along with the whole world in the attacks upon our country. One thing that hits me most is that the majority of our military teens we encounter on a daily basis don't know anything but continued years of war, deployment, training, fast paced-tempo and anything else that goes with the lifestyle of a country in a war on terror. It changed how I view our military and the immediate changes their lives were going to see in such a sudden moment of history.

Mr. Gus (orange shirt) as he shares his story with the MS teens.

Recently at a middle school Club we hosted, they were asked what places they'd lived and the best and not so great parts of each location they have lived thus far. Briefly in passing, a student shared with me that he'd lived already in 8 places and was only in 7th grade. This also made the impact of being a military teen more challenging in the constant shift of home places. Over the next week, we also had them share favorite and not so favorite moments about their places they've lived. It was apparent that these students were passionate about their places and being heard from their peers and adults. Something brought to light was that we were empowering our students to have a voice, no matter what happened in their lives. This has been powerful for our teens.

Mrs. Deb shares her story to the HS teens at Club.

Let's not also forget the harvest we've seen in our first few weeks of meeting at the Harrold Youth Center on post as well. We've seen an average group of 40+ high school students and an incredible 35+ middle school students gathering together each week. The energy is high and the continued excitement for Club day rolls around when we enter the center and the kids there will say to us, 'see you tonight or tomorrow for Club!' Part of the blessing we've seen is the ability to reach our teens 'right where they are' in the youth center. We've noticed a great 10+ middle school students showing up weekly ever since they were invited to just hang out and join us one evening as we launched Club together. Ever since that moment of being included, they anxiously await to see us to say they're pumped for Club that week.

A record crew at one of our HS Clubs!

If those aren't things to celebrate, we ask you also to raise your arms in a great cheer as I (Phil) recently finished up 3 days helping Lansing Middle School in an incredible annual event hosted at the school for their 8th grade students. It's called Challenge Day. The easiest way to share 'what it is' would be to say that it's the closest ability to do Club in a school in one day with a huge crew of 75 teens and 20+ adults and to get them to get 'real' with one another and allow them to build relationships together. To say it changes schools would be an incredible shortfall. It brings students together in a way that breaks down walls in all the areas of struggles for students in the schools. Cliques are realized and sometimes dissolved; bullying is confronted in a gracious and loving way; students are allowed to see one another for who they really are in their hallways and finally they get to see what's really under the layers of just our exterior they see each day moving from class to class.

The best part of the Challenge Day was that I personally got to engage with a majority of the Lansing Middle School 8th grade class. It was incredibly amazing and I got to meet students of all types, cultures, backgrounds and many military teens who attended the school as well. Life was shared each day and my own was shared in 100% participation throughout the mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting day. However, I wouldn't exchange it for a moment in being drained so much. New friendships with adults who are passionate for these teens were built and we got to envision the idea of 'carrying the torch' after the event ended which meant a further involvement in the local school somehow. Only God knows, but if it's anything like what was experienced, I should probably get myself a LOT of rest and prepare big time!

My view as I got to peacefully
enjoy mowing the lawn of our
host family's yard.

As we come to a close on our letter, pray BIG for what is on the horizon. A lot of things are moving within our sights which include praying and discerning small group development with our other staff person, SaraBeth. We also are preparing some girls and guys day events and also a camp which will be incredibly impactful in November. The semester is in full-swing and God's got us working toward something we've never imagined here before.

Join us in celebration:

• An amazing harvest of students attending middle school and high school Club
• Amy's part-time job working as a behavioral therapist with kids with autism
• The incredible amount of leadership team members interested in working alongside our teens in all capacities.

Please pray with us:

• We continue to press into the needs of our local community outreach on and off post, hoping to reach more military teens as possible.
• We are ramping up into a fast-paced season of events, weekly ministry and more, so pray for our endurance and that we slow down the pace to enjoy what God has for us even in the moments of doing absolutely nothing.
• We are still seeking a home God has in store for us to start an eventual family and ministry!

We thank each of you for your ongoing support as we can't do it without the ongoing prayers, financial partnership and encouragement as we work to reach every military teen here in Leavenworth County, Kansas!

Phil & Amy

August 2016 Newsletter

It's been a month and a half now since our move to Kansas, and it's been a different season God has us upon. Rather than rushing into the community and running multiple ministry events per week and jumping into full-fledged youth ministry, we did exactly the opposite. We were graciously given the right to ease into the community and take our time assessing things as we got familiar with Kansas and Fort Leavenworth. 

Amy and I with her cousin, Katelyn and her folks
at a KC Royals game together.

I believe what was saddest about my time in Georgia was that I owned a fishing license with

Peace on the pond fishing.

salt permit, fishing gear and all the rest and never once went fishing. It took less than one month and a half for that to happen twice as soon as we got to Kansas! It was absolutely perfect as my gracious in-laws are connected to folks who own a local orchard with multiple ponds on it and we got to get away and meet for an evening of fishing together. The best part wasn't the multiple fish all  us caught and released, but the serenity. God brought me there to woo me and share how He was going to put things together, just as He did in Georgia. Withdraw and just 'be' in His presence. Slow down and relax and get back to the things that pour into our souls.

Kyle and I grabbing food
and catching up together.

The Ackles' with CH Trogdon and his
wife, Connie with us eating some BBQ

together during their stop in KC!

If that wasn't enough, God was starting to give us a slower paced breath of fresh air so that I could get back into walking and running on a regular basis, something I've always enjoyed in personal reflection time with Jesus. Just walking along the 20th street corridor, I've had the wonderful opportunity to reflect on the beautiful Kansas blue skies, fields of corn, rows of alfalfa being cut to harvest along with the feel of country living outside of Kansas City - everything to enjoy of God's majesty all around me. Add into the situation some phenomenal humidity-free and cool mornings and God was speaking right to my soul about being back in the heartland of the country.

Although we had been relaxing quite a bit, reconnecting with some amazing people who had moved to Fort Leavenworth was also a joy. The Ackles, Ayers, Blumenfeld and Gwin families all were folks we were anticipating getting to see when we arrived to Kansas. God had amazing plans to reconnect the Ayers and Blumenfeld families back to us as we had previously served alongside one another as leaders with our good friend Damien over 5 years ago at Leavenworth and the Ackles and Gwin families were stationed at Fort Stewart during our time serving in Georgia.

We helped pick up my brother, Nick and his son,
Logan from the train station as they returned from
a long trip to Philmont, NM.

Finally, it's just been a peaceful entrance back to Kansas which was forced upon myself with a recent phone issue. Now to most, this isn't a big issue, but if one asks my wife Amy, you'll hear differently. My own cell phone went on the fritz for a period of 5 days where I was unable to do anything from it. Again, most folks wouldn't see much of an issue at all, however I do just about everything from my smartphone. Although it wasn't something I originally enjoyed, I noticed the freedom of just 'being' in moments in front of me that were starting to matter. I noticed that I could leave the phone (since it didn't work) at home and it wasn't any of a big deal at all. Conversations mattered more and were more fruitful overall with the people I was in front of regularly in this time.

Amy and I with the Ackles' girls.

So, as we are sitting in Kansas, pray as we follow what God is calling us to do with military teens throughout this area of Leavenworth County and Fort Leavenworth. Pray for the amazing leadership team that exists and new folks who will come into the fray to love on these teens just as they are.

Humbly thankful in the field, working for His Glory!

Phil & Amy

Please join us in prayer:

• For all the new students who will come join us this school year at Club
• For all of our new leadership team members who are ready to help reach every military teen throughout this community
• For our continued settling into the community, as we look for a home to live along with connect locally in strategic ministry partners all around.
• For our fellow staff, SaraBeth as she leans into staff work in transitioning from leadership as a volunteer and raising support for her position.

July 2016 Newsletter

"Welcome back, now what will you be doing?!"

The Kansas City downtown in the horizon as we arrived. 

It all hit home as I was driving our 20' U-haul into the landscape of the downtown KC horizon on the 7th of July. "We're really back in this area," I thought with emotion and some tears rolling down my face. Emotions were hitting me as I was coming to grips with the move from a place Amy and I had prepared to stay up to 20 years, and was now coming to an end. We weren't far removed from God's amazing and mind-blowing blessings of taking 57 teens and 5 adults to camp and seeing His glory show up ten fold and now we were stepping into the new landscape of our pending adventure in Leavenworth County, Kansas. 

Amy and I in front of the Royals' World Series 

trophy when we recently relaxed to see a game.

As I write this letter to you all, we have been in Kansas now for only 6 days. Usually, Amy and I visit this part of the country for up to 2 weeks, so we're waiting on it all to 'hit us' in this move in a couple weeks from now that we're officially in the Midwest again. Thankfully we have been graciously granted the first 30 days to slowly ease into our position here and adjust to living in Kansas and everything that comes with the ministry, to include visiting family, visiting ministry partners in the area and having intentional meetings with like-minded Kingdom builders in the area as well. It's a blessing overall to us so we can pray and discern about what God is leading us to do to make an impact to potentially reach every military teen in the Leavenworth County area. 

Now that we have settled a little bit and are absorbing information from Youth for Christ, we thought this letter would be beneficial to give some good updates for people who want to know the how, what, why of the ministry we'll be doing in this area. There were many updates along the timeline to multiple groups of folks and now that we're here in Kansas, we thought it would be good to share that information as best as we can with as many as possible. Please do bear with us as this will be an ongoing 'living document of Holy Spirit driven ministry' in which we will serve. 

1. Question: What will the ministry be doing in the area, specifically? 

Answer: Just so all are aware, we've been called to stay specifically with Youth for Christ Military in efforts to potentially reach "every military teen." We will be looking to provide ministry on and off Fort Leavenworth, literally throughout Leavenworth County which will allow us to reach many more military teens who may not ever get the chance to get on post but can be influenced by the ministry and mission that works alongside their life experiences. A few of our logos and such may change, but the mission stays the same!

2. Question: What will ministry look like?

Answer: This will be an ongoing Holy Spirit driven mission. We want to be influenced by Christ to be reaching our military teens in efforts never imagined before. Being the ministry will now be volunteer invited and non-contracted via the Post Chapel and overall community, this mission will allow us to adjust when necessary to the needs of the teens and military community. 

A great view to take in the game with Amy's folks as

they blessed us for our anniversary.

3. Question: What will you and Amy be doing in the ministry?

Answer: Our ministry role will look different than ever before, as we'll be led to raise up indigenous leaders within Leavenworth County (on and off post) to work to reach military teens right in their own locale. We'll be guiding and developing an overall ministry plan where the Holy Spirit can help us see the needs and adjust when necessary. We will be assisting with Club where needed and empowering leaders to 'run with the torch' in creating avenues to relationally meet our military teens and their friends whenever and however they feel led. We'll be training our leaders in the Youth for Christ methodology of relational ministry to include partner training with the other YFC Affiliate program in Kansas City. 

Found a new friend as we were visiting
friends at their home in the county.

Other pieces of this ministry will be developing the YFC Affiliate Serving Leavenworth County and reaching new ministry partners who want to see the impact unfold even more to reach all of our military teens in this area. An Affiliate program will include an advisory board of people who desire to see military youth ministry in the area strive and be a thriving program in years to come on and off post. Networking throughout Leavenworth County within the school systems will be essential and effective to reach teens 'right where they are' along with providing great support to the communities in places in rich need. Another area of development for Amy and I along with the advisory board will be raising up financial and prayerful support throughout the area for Kingdom impact. Items may include may be banquets for possible partners, Church partnerships for events and service projects, on Post relationships to serve and bless the Fort Leavenworth community and other items that may come up across our desk to build Kingdom impact. 

4. Question: Without contracts, what will change in military youth ministry?

Answer: Essentially contracting was the gateway of our presence on military installations in doing ministry. Being that we'll be working without them, we'll work from a presence of relationship building with our Chaplains on the installation and humbly ask them how we can partner in doing military youth ministry as it has been done in the past. This will become more of a partnership that is relational and desired and open dialogue between both parties will be essential to share intent and hope for reaching military teens for Christ's glory. 

Amy's new friend "sprinkles" in the home
of our dear friends in the county.

One big piece folks have asked about is without contracting, how will we be funded. This is the area where faith and sharing need will go ten-fold to whomever and however they feel led to partner with us moving ahead. Contracting did provide a part of our funding source, nearly about 25% of our annual need. Being we are no longer contracted, we will seek whomever and however God leads us to raise that additional support base. Sometimes the military installation can choose to partner with us in how they feel led with gifts to our support account, just like folks do today. All of it depends on God's plan and how it will all unfold accordingly but we are so thankful for people who have stayed on mission with us in this transition to Kansas. 

We continue to meet with as many people as necessary to share what God's mission and vision will be for us to work alongside amazing military teens. Please know our hearts still pray boldly for our Georgia teens at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield. We are adjusting to the emotional change of location and excited for the next piece of the journey. As Amy shared with me in this transition, she felt like we were like the Apostle Paul who journeyed all over and then had to move from place to place after raising up ministry in each location. We too have had to do that, but are thrilled to be on Christ's mission for His glory. 

The official 'tagline' of our mission with YFC as we 

get to know our students' stories and share our own.

That being said, should you feel the desire to join us in this mission, whether interested in our Advisory Board, financial partnership, prayer partnership, reach military teens in Leavenworth County or anything of the like, please reach Phil at pparsons@yfcmail.org or Amy at amyparsons7414@gmail.com and we will gladly correspond with you. For our online page for giving, you can go here: 

http://www.yfc.net/missionary/pparsons 

Honored to be still on His mission for military teens, 

Phil and Amy Parsons 

The Journey Camp 2016

You can't make this stuff up......!

September 2015 - Amy and I were sitting in Charlotte, NC, with our friends who worked with Club Beyond as we were having an incredible dialogue with the guys who were running and directing a possible summer camp we had heard about. Nathan and JD were the real deal in understanding relational ministry, plus they LOVED military teens. As we finished our time together in prayer, we were looking forward to having up to 5 installations together at a summer camp for the first time in history stateside. The momentum was starting to build.....

We brought back the feeling of Kingdom building for camp and how epic it was going to be to take our students in summer '16 together in late-June, possibly with up to 4 more installation locations. Something everyone was starting to feel the vibes hit.....

Move ahead to November and December toward Christmas and the bottom falls out.....all my buddies are looking at other options as Club Beyond at their locations are closing the doors and by the end of the semester in December only about FIVE kids were interested in camp and literally wanting to go at all. To say that I was expecting camp to fall through and not attend would have been 100% accurate. Nobody was interested at all and I shared with folks that we probably will take a small 5-10 group of kids to camp maybe. 

After getting into the spring '16 semester and still sharing the opportunity for our teens to go to camp, we started to see some wheels turning. It wasn't until early March that BOOM....we were 100% booked....FIFTY SEVEN.....yes that's 57 teens were booked to attend camp along with 5 adults. We even had a waiting list if people dropped out. We shared with the camp our group grew to a point beyond our original estimate and they were more than pleased with God's momentum on our eventual arrival to camp. 

Not only we had our regular teens booking spots, we had one teen fly all the way from Qatar to join us as they were stopping over stateside for a trip to see friends and families. Then, we had another student who spent time with us a couple years ago, recently PCS (move) right back to Fort Stewart and book their spot within minutes of our opening of spaces available. Yet again, another student who was with us had moved across the country and his family drove down from Montana...yes, that far, and spend camp with us as they were in the area for summer plans. Finally, we met up with one of our homeboys who moved north of us a couple hours at Fort Gordon, GA, and we were able to include him in our camp plans. To say that we roll deep as a family and spend whatever time we can together whenever it is....this is exactly it! 

We'd been doing summer camps with our teens for every summer we had been here, so to expect something to happen with the vehicles would be expected. Every year, something would occur where we'd wonder if we had the transportation necessary to get our kids to camp. This year was nothing different. Our group was so big that we knew immediately we'd need a bus and 2 vans. It was via multiple issues with bus classes and getting people into them and then the classes being dropped/closed that we knew God would have to show up with our bus driver situation. It ended up being a 'no fail mission' via the Chaplain and we ended up getting what was needed, only days before departure. Then, the TMP (van) driving situation was even more of an issue as apparently being our leader was a 'okayed' driver to take care of it, her boss didn't like the idea overall. Thank the Lord I had my license and we were set, but goodness, another thing with the vehicles to get our 62 to camp! 

Continuing to watch the days evaporate on the calendar, we noticed that an amazing number of students didn't drop this year before camp. Perhaps it was the reason they knew this was our finale with them and the final camp we'd go together, or God had something else in store, but we'd see. The normal drops literally hours before camp did come though. However, God still reigns supreme and it was UNREAL who was allowed to go when those drops came together. 

As we all gathered at the Victory Chapel at 0730 so we could get our teens together with their gear, stuff and emotions, the trip was just beginning. Although the van ended up getting there later than expected, our kids showed up at camp only 6 minutes after our desired time to arrive. Again, God showed up there too. The camp was perfect from the moment we drove onto the college campus as one of the people was speeding by us with a big American Flag as our vehicles entered to empty our kids on the property. 

The week unfolded incredibly as I already knew 3 guys who wanted to get baptized at the camp whenever we were going to do it. Kadence, Matt and Trey all reached me and talked about the impact and desire to follow Jesus and take their faith to the next part of their journey. Unbeknownst to me, God was going to blast open the doors throughout the week to the point that on the 23rd of June in the mid-afternoon, we were going to baptize NINE....yes 9 teens into His Kingdom and their personal journey of following Jesus. Adding to the original three included Kyleah, Abigail, Alyssa, Kayla, Timmothy, and Tabitha. Overflowing with immense joy throughout the opportunity, we were able to lead these teens into a life-changing moment with Christ as they took that step into His Kingdom. 

And if that wasn't enough, we noticed incredible Christ-movement in ALL of our teens, no matter if they shared it with us. God's Holy spirit showed up in ways we couldn't imagine, but He wanted to provide a final culmination on the last night with all of our teens. Just as Jesus shared in the washing of the disciples' feet, the leaders were asked to the front of the stage and the teens were allowed the opportunity to do the final part of living what they believed in their own personal faith - serving another. Therefore, the students were given the opportunity to come down and take a towel and wipe off our feet. Personally, I have never felt this kind of incredible joy and humility in serving our teens.....EVER. To be in that moment knowing that our pending departure is coming and the kids were coming in huge numbers to wipe down our feet in love and sacrifice - that was unreal. My own words can't describe how I felt. 

Yet, I am not finished. Being our teens were the ONLY military-centered group which came to camp, the flavor of our kids was AW SUM. The other groups got to see the idea of true family come together in a way some other leaders shared with us as incredibly blessed. Many adults walked up to myself or other leaders saying that it was refreshing to see the Gospel lived out in a love that can't be described in how we work with our teens who have parents serving our country. Many groups left camp with one another, knowing they'll see each other days, months and even years down the road. Our kids....not so much. Truthfully, they had to farewell Matt as we dropped him off to fly to Texas to be with his family in his new state and home as he prepares to head to the University of Houston to focus on petroleum engineering as a freshman in college. Yet again, we dropped Alex off to his family as we said farewell to him for coming with us to camp and re-engaging us as his family of peers who love him and he prepares to head to Chicago and go to college and prepare for life after high school. Finally, I had to say farewell to another student (again) as Gavin headed out with his family to visit other friends before flying across the globe back to Qatar. 

See, we provide a place and space and a VOICE for our military teens. They are HEARD, not just seen. Best yet, they were LOVED this week by the Lord and Creator of our world and met Him for the first time. No matter the junk, past, present or eventual future of our teens and their lives - Jesus brought it and NEVER TURNED DOWN. 

Although as it occurs each year with its struggles off and on, whether seating assignments on the vehicles aren't what were expected or dorms weren't as comfortable or whatever small things came up - Jesus showed up. The kids loved the camp. They loved the speaker, which many mentioned how great he shared the Bible in a relevant way so they can understand it. To that, we are humbled. To be able to celebrate life well with our teens like we did was impeccable.  

As the days continue to dwindle down for our eventual departure, Jesus provided something that Amy and I will never forget in how we were able to serve our teens of Stewart and Hunter. The perfect finish to His perfect story as we are called to serve. 

In His grace, joy, peace and glory.......thankful to be part of these teens' stories. 

Phil & Amy 

***If you'd like to partner with us financially, prayerfully or any other way, please reach us at pparsons@myyfc.org or amyparsons7414@gmail.com or you may go to this link online to give in whatever way you feel led: http://www.yfc.net/missionary/pparsons