South Sister

I am in a hurry and I promise that I will get pictures of the things that are going on at the ranch next week, but for now just do with the email update that I copied onto this...and i pasted (with a glue stick) some pics of the staff and I hiking up the South Sister, a 10,000 ft. peak. Sorry again, ill do a better job next week. I just dont have internet anymore due to the move. love and peace

For those of you who actually check this…mom and dad…I just want to apologize for the time that it has taken me to get a fresh update up. There have been two major changes here in the past week and a half.
The first big change is that I MOVED! Yeah, its true, I am now living in a place called Sisters, Oregon. Let me tell you the story so that the Lord’s work may be properly recognized. After hearing that Lana Craig (wife of the family that I have lived with so far) had breast cancer, I began to wonder whether my presence in the Craig household was appropriate or not. They gave me no signs or hints that I needed to find a new place to live or anything; I just wondered what would truly be best for the family. I was already feeling like they were getting less time with me than they had originally hoped for and I figured that, with the onset of chemotherapy and all else that comes along with breast cancer, these tensions would only inflame. I felt like my presence in the household could really be helpful to the family were I able to fill a more significant role. However, due to my priorities of research and work for the ranch, I knew that I would not be able to function as the member of the family that they needed. I also felt like during this time the Craig family should get to be there family, with no additions. I prayed that if it was good for me to move out, the Lord provide me a way and that if it was not good with the Lord and His divine scheme, He would shut all possible doors. I spoke to Kim about my predicament last Tuesday morning and by five in the afternoon I was on my way to meet a couple in their late 80’s who owned a small garage apartment. Two days later, Sam and I moved our families’ houses and into the one room/kitchen/bathroom apartment that I now write this update in. The view of the apartment is gorgeous. I can see the Cascade mountain range right out the windows facing my bed. The only downside to the new living quarters is that I don’t have wireless internet anymore, thus the delay in my updates.
The second big change that has occurred in the last week and a half has to do with my heart, though I want to illustrate it with a story that happened last week. Sam and I were working on rebuilding the roundpen on the ranch when we were told that we needed to go hang out with a three year old little boy whose mother had said (to a mother of the ranch) that she hated her son. To make a long story short, we ended up putting the little boy, who was extremely hesitant of everything, on the most recent rescue horse that is on the ranch (he actually arrived the same week that I arrived). The boy enjoyed it, but nothing really happened. After we were done with the horse, Sam had to go attend some other job and I was left with the three year old boy who had only at that time become comfortable enough for his mother to leave him. We walked up to the grass hill together and pretty much for an hour I just let him spray me with a hose…he loved it. During this time however, I was slightly discouraged with my ‘ministry’ here as I felt like I wasn’t really doing much with my time. Even with the three year old boy whose mother was tired of being his mother, I felt like I was simply baby sitting him. There was a dissonance in my heart…At the very end of our time together, I realized that Kelsey (a long time staff member of the ranch) and this boy’s mother had been talking alone for about an hour. It hit me. My selfishness and my arrogance began to melt away with the realization that if I could just keep this boy content with the hose, Kelsey would have an amazing chance to minister to this mother who so badly needed it. The problem wasn’t with the boy anyway, it was with the mother! And it dawned on my heart and soul that if I, with the rest of my time here just served the ministers, my time would be well spent. I think that much of my time here has been consumed with the desire to do ministry, not to serve those that are already ministering. It is easy to fall prey to the selfish desire to minister to others when there are obvious accolades and I most certainly fell here. However, the Lord has truly changed me in the past week. I have become truly content with just serving the ministers of this ranch in whatever way that I am able; whether it be scooping poop in the arena after their lessons or building them a new round pen. The Lord has been very good to allow the Holy Spirit to work so cavalierly in my heart.
I still have a chance to minister as well though. I have begun leading one on one sessions with kids now and I still get to see most of the boys that come to the ranch. The Justice Program boys did not come this week for some reason, which was disappointing, but I hold that the Lord had His reasons.
If you get a chance, pray for my research. I am now half way through this internship and I am preparing for the harder part of analysis. Much prayer is needed here. Pray that I do a good job, that it will help the ranch, and that I steward my time well. Pray also for my heart while I am here. I don’t want to be selfish with my time here and I really do want to remain as humble of a servant to these people as I can. This must be supported by the Lord of course. Also, if you get a chance, pray for my friend Mark. He was a missionary in Alaska, but now is raising his seven year old granddaughter by himself. Simply put, he and his granddaughter are in and incredibly hard hard place. Both he and she hold tightly to the cross and to the provision of Jesus, but they are being pushed to the very end it feels like. They are our family, so if you pray for anything on this list, please pray for them before you pray for me. They need it.
I love you all, and I cant wait to see you. More later
Peace in the golden fleece
Jimbob…marshall