what handsome guys...

Watch Hudson wash his bike!

Guatemala Update!

Caryn is back from Guatemala! The staff and students had a great time and God did some amazing things.

Four Lifelines staff from UVM and 10 students left March 6th and returned on the 14th. They were working with and thru a ministry to orphans & the poor in Guatemala called Forever Changed International.

In our desire to bring hope & love to people, we received so much more in return....

We loved on orphans at the orphanage where we stayed, many of whom have no chance for adoption... they loved us back with abandon & changed our lives & hearts with their smiles. We painted a bedroom for the two oldest girls (pictured sitting on their new bedding). The girl on the right in Ingrid... Click here to read the story of how she & her 3 siblings were rescued from an abusive & neglectful situation & taken to the orphanage just last month.

We hiked up to mountain villages where we brought food, toys & medical supplies to some of the most beautiful people on the planet.

We also brought food, clothes & gifts to a women's prison where children are allowed to stay with their mothers for the first 4 years of their lives... we cried & prayed with one mother as she described her fears of the day when her daughter, now 2 years old, would have to leave. This particular woman entered the prison 2 months pregnant, and wrongly serves a 40-year sentence for a crime committed while her entire church watched her singing in her church choir in the ghetto.

We spent a few days in what used to be considered an extremely dangerous and gang-ridden ghetto bringing in gifts, listening to stories of faith, praying, and attending church with the people of God there. We were all greatly moved by how the faithfulness of a few people has transformed this center of poverty into a still-poor, but spiritually growing & much safer place for families to live & love together.

Our last day in Guatemala, we brought food, clothes, & a few toys into the city dump where many Guatemalans actually make their home, literally living off the garbage there. I was humbled by the chance to give just a little to these people - even the youngest of whom uttered "gracias" with each loaf of bread we gave out.

The most exciting part of our trip was how God worked in the lives of the students in our group... all were greatly impacted & many made decisions for the first time to seek after Jesus & allow Him to work in their lives. Pray the Holy Spirit would continue to be at work in our lives & show us how to bring the great & wonderful things we learned back to "real life."

What is a Wilderness First Responder?

A Wilderness First Responder(WFR) certification is required for Lifelines staff to lead students on trips. The WFR training will equip me(Mike) to know how to respond to wilderness emergencies.

From March 26th to April 2nd it is back to school at SOLO in New Hampshire... http://www.soloschools.com/.

Here are some of the things I will be learning:

WILDERNESS FIRST RESPONDER HOURLY BREAKDOWN

CPR

Bleeding and Shock
Sprains & Strains

Fractures & Dislocations

Head Injuries

Spinal Cord Injury Management

Drowning & Near-Drowning

North American Bites and Stings

Diabetes

Cardiac Emergencies

Respiratory Emergencies

Poisoning

Emergency Childbirth

Leadership Skills in the Backcountry

Mock Rescue

Common Wilderness Medical Problems

There will 80 hours of instruction in 8 days...not including reading and study time. I am pretty excited!

Winter Overnight Hike...

One trip that I have been looking forward to since we set our team calender for the semester was the Winter Overnight Hike. Doesn't that sound incredible? Two days out in the snow and cold with friends? I was not disappointed. We had so much snow and warm temps (30's)...it could not have been better weather.

The purpose of this trip was to teach some winter wilderness survival skills. So we talked about dressing appropriately and what to do when you start to sweat or get chilled. We talked about how to prevent hypothermia and how to help someone that has fallen into a river or lake. From fire-starting to building a snow shelter...we learned a lot.

One highlight was building a snow shelter and then sleeping in it! You're jealous, I know...

We had 3 students, that were not skiiing, that were up for the challenge of this adventure. The other highlight for me was hearing their response to the question..."when is a time in your life when you felt at peace, and life seemed as it was meant to be?" This question clearly brings up the reality that we are not in the world God created...we live in a world that is fallen. God's creation was Good...there was nothing lacking. Community and relationship were complete...all needs were met...then the Fall. I once heard someone say that we occasionally experience glimpses of how it was meant to be...a sunset, a great conversation with your spouse or close friend where you both experience being fully known...but it doesn't last. These moments do create a hunger for more though...more of Christ. All the students alluded to this trip as an instance in their lives where they experienced that glimpse...

Campus Ministry...Camels Hump Winter Hike...

Well, it has been a long time since we blogged...instead of trying to catch you all up with 5 months of details...we will just hit some recent happenings...

The Fall Semester was incredibly busy and rewarding...we ran lots and lots of trips with students. This is a great way to meet a bunch of them and allow them to glimpse the Gospel. Those that are willing to engage, keep coming back. The Fall is a time to sow broadly and invite students to our small group Bible Studies.

The Winter semester is more focused on going deeper with our core students and we also run a few trips designed to sow broadly. We recently ran a trip up Camels Hump (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel's_Hump_(Vermont)#Hiking_Camels_Hump)...it was spectacular.

There was so much snow everywhere...

Here is Mike with one of our students...

After hiking up in snow-shoes there is only one way down...

Spending time with our students is HUGE in their lives...this is when we go deeper and bond through shared experiences. This bonding is what allows them to feel free to share the hard stuff in their lives and accept our input. Don't you find this to be true in your own lives as you interact with your kids or spouse or friends?