I know, I know, it has been forever since we started this blog, and barely have anything posted. Well, soon we will be sending out our next newsletter with some exciting news, but for those who check the blog, you'll get it early :)
We're having a baby! The expected due date is March 15 (which is my brother's birthday). I'm currently 18 weeks along. We have an ultrasound planned for the end of the month, which we are very excited about. "Will you find out if it's a boy or girl?" Well, we haven't decided yet :)
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Our First Newsletter!
The following is the text from our newsletter that we are sending out via email or snail mail. If you do not receive the real one by email or snail mail in the next two weeks and you would like to, please send us your email or mailing address.
The Future…
It may seem backwards to start with the future, but we are so excited that we can’t wait until the end of the newsletter! The future for us, Mike and Maija, is serving as full-time staff at Camp Bighorn in Plains, Montana. Lord willing, we will be joining the operations team at Camp which primarily takes care of the maintenance needs on and off site.
You may be asking, “When will you go?” Good question. The staff members at Camp Bighorn raise their own personal support rather than receiving a salary paid out of the operations budget. This allows Camp Bighorn to have a staff large enough to provide an effective ministry while also keeping the camper costs as low as possible. So, as the Lord provides, we will be raising support. This will take as long as the Lord desires.
“Why are you going?” you may be asking. Well, the short answer is that we both have a passion for camping ministries, especially adventure ministries, and Mike has talents in maintenance. The vision, mission, and heart behind Camp Bighorn, as well as the ministry strategies and the position in maintenance make us a great fit for each other. To learn more about Camp Bighorn and their philosophy, programs, and facilities, please visit www.campbighorn.com.
The Past…
For those in the dark as to how we even got to this point, we’ll back up a little. We were married on August 29, 2008 after having met at Camp Forest Springs in Westboro, Wisconsin the previous year. We have been living in the Kenmare/Bowbells, North Dakota area since then.
Mike worked at Camp Bentley in Drake, ND the summer we were engaged, and we returned as a couple the following summer. However, the desire to serve in a year-round camping ministry remained on our hearts. We also realized that we have a specific desire to serve in a ministry that uses the wilderness and outdoor adventures to evangelize, disciple, and grow Christian leaders. When we discovered that Camp Bighorn had a position available that fit our talents, passions, and desires, through much prayer we decided to take a step of faith, walk through the open door, and accept the position.
The Present…
Who are “The Girls”? That’s a long story, but let us tell you the short version. The girls are Cheyenna, age 11, and Haanna, age 7. They are Maija’s sister’s daughters. They were in the foster care system, so we got licensed for foster care and now have guardianship over the girls. What this means is that the girls will live with us until the courts decide that their mom can have them back.
Chey (short for Cheyenna) and Haanna came to live with us in March, and enjoyed finishing out the school year at the Bowbells School. Chey got to play on the Basketball team for the first time and really enjoyed learning the sport. Chey is also learning how to play the flute, and both girls enjoyed singing in the elementary school concert.
So far, we have visited Camp Bighorn twice. We have hiked to the cross (up a steep path with rocks and beautiful views), enjoyed the low ropes course where we solved problems as a family through initiative elements, gone white water rafting, and the girls got to go horseback riding. The purpose of our first trip was to check out the camp, meet the staff, and get a feel for the ministry. For our second trip, we decided to help out during work weekend. We all had a great time working with volunteers to get camp ready for the summer. We worked on landscaping around the two ponds and the stream that flows through camp, as well as moved and stacked firewood. It was rewarding to be a part of the summer preparations, and the girls had a great time meeting and playing with new friends.
If you would like to hear more about the ministry of Camp Bighorn, our future there, or anything else, we’d love to share with you. We will send out another newsletter in the near future to let you know how things are going, and keep you up to date on our story and what God is doing. Please pray for us as we begin the support raising process, and that we would continue to seek God’s will and direction in our lives.
God Bless,
Mike and Maija Booth & Girls
Check out our staff page! www.campbighorn.org/bh/about/who-we-are/mike-and-maija-booth/
The Future…
It may seem backwards to start with the future, but we are so excited that we can’t wait until the end of the newsletter! The future for us, Mike and Maija, is serving as full-time staff at Camp Bighorn in Plains, Montana. Lord willing, we will be joining the operations team at Camp which primarily takes care of the maintenance needs on and off site.
You may be asking, “When will you go?” Good question. The staff members at Camp Bighorn raise their own personal support rather than receiving a salary paid out of the operations budget. This allows Camp Bighorn to have a staff large enough to provide an effective ministry while also keeping the camper costs as low as possible. So, as the Lord provides, we will be raising support. This will take as long as the Lord desires.
“Why are you going?” you may be asking. Well, the short answer is that we both have a passion for camping ministries, especially adventure ministries, and Mike has talents in maintenance. The vision, mission, and heart behind Camp Bighorn, as well as the ministry strategies and the position in maintenance make us a great fit for each other. To learn more about Camp Bighorn and their philosophy, programs, and facilities, please visit www.campbighorn.com.
The Past…
For those in the dark as to how we even got to this point, we’ll back up a little. We were married on August 29, 2008 after having met at Camp Forest Springs in Westboro, Wisconsin the previous year. We have been living in the Kenmare/Bowbells, North Dakota area since then.
Mike worked at Camp Bentley in Drake, ND the summer we were engaged, and we returned as a couple the following summer. However, the desire to serve in a year-round camping ministry remained on our hearts. We also realized that we have a specific desire to serve in a ministry that uses the wilderness and outdoor adventures to evangelize, disciple, and grow Christian leaders. When we discovered that Camp Bighorn had a position available that fit our talents, passions, and desires, through much prayer we decided to take a step of faith, walk through the open door, and accept the position.
The Present…
Who are “The Girls”? That’s a long story, but let us tell you the short version. The girls are Cheyenna, age 11, and Haanna, age 7. They are Maija’s sister’s daughters. They were in the foster care system, so we got licensed for foster care and now have guardianship over the girls. What this means is that the girls will live with us until the courts decide that their mom can have them back.
Chey (short for Cheyenna) and Haanna came to live with us in March, and enjoyed finishing out the school year at the Bowbells School. Chey got to play on the Basketball team for the first time and really enjoyed learning the sport. Chey is also learning how to play the flute, and both girls enjoyed singing in the elementary school concert.
So far, we have visited Camp Bighorn twice. We have hiked to the cross (up a steep path with rocks and beautiful views), enjoyed the low ropes course where we solved problems as a family through initiative elements, gone white water rafting, and the girls got to go horseback riding. The purpose of our first trip was to check out the camp, meet the staff, and get a feel for the ministry. For our second trip, we decided to help out during work weekend. We all had a great time working with volunteers to get camp ready for the summer. We worked on landscaping around the two ponds and the stream that flows through camp, as well as moved and stacked firewood. It was rewarding to be a part of the summer preparations, and the girls had a great time meeting and playing with new friends.
If you would like to hear more about the ministry of Camp Bighorn, our future there, or anything else, we’d love to share with you. We will send out another newsletter in the near future to let you know how things are going, and keep you up to date on our story and what God is doing. Please pray for us as we begin the support raising process, and that we would continue to seek God’s will and direction in our lives.
God Bless,
Mike and Maija Booth & Girls
Check out our staff page! www.campbighorn.org/bh/about/who-we-are/mike-and-maija-booth/
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