September14, 2018

July 20-31 Aaron had one final doulos team in for the summer.  They were a youth group from Pennsylvania, Millport Mennonite Church.  We had a fun time showing them Alaska and they were able to help us as we transitioned camp from Summer camp into Conference Season.  This group even got the added adventure of becoming forest fire fighters.  The final afternoon that they were on working on property, one of our staff saw smoke where it shouldn't have been.  Fires are a very serious thing, especially when you live far away from quick responders!  So our staff and work teams got to go on a hard impromptu hike to Hidden lake to extinguish the fire and watch it until the forestry team could come check it out.

Millport Mennonite Church at the Glacier

After saying goodbye to both the Doulos team and Grandma Karie, the next day Aaron and I headed into town to take our youth group to Fusion, a statewide youth conference in Anchorage.  It was a great time to start to reconnect with our youth after all the summer busyness.  

For camp, Aaron has moved into the Interim Assistant Director.  This means he is in charge of a lot of the day to day behind the scene things that happen at camp.  He has spent a lot of time working on camp budgets for next year, looking over staff manual stuff, Meeting with people, and still trying to keep up on the purchasing side of his previous job.  He is no longer able to do town trips (he's to busy!) so someone else on staff is taking those over the time being.  In fact he has started to work more hours then normal at camp.  He is now in the office Tuesday-Friday mornings and on call Saturday for dishes, or to help where needed.  It has meant a lot more time for him at camp this fall then normal.  

I know God is at work in his life through this and growing him, but it is not an easy job.

Raylee's First day of 1st Grade

School starts here Mid August, so Raylee has been back to school for a month now.  She is enjoying her K-3 classroom, with all 14 of her classmates and her new teacher, Mrs. Melissa Schroeder.

This week was the start of ALL other church related Activities.  AWANA, Sunday school, youth group, and women's ministry made it a very full week.  But all good and exciting to see what God is doing in the hearts of His people.

Women's ministry kickoff

Beautiful Fall colors after youth group Wednesday night

 Meeuwsen Family picture Fall 2018

If you would like to join our financial team you can now give online.  

Go to:

Support the Meeuwsen Family

We also appreciate your prayer.

Specific Request:

• Balancing Aaron's 2 jobs this year as Interim Camp director and Youth pastor
• The board would find a new director for camp and that since God already knows who it is they would be able to raise support fast and join us soon.
• Wisdom in what to say yes to and what is good and what God has for us as best in all the day to day decisions we make.
• Sabbath - that we would find time to rest in the craziness of it all and really enjoy the presence of God.

Week 4 of Camp

Week 4 wrapped up on Friday and week 5 campers just arrived today.  Last week we had our biggest week of camp all summer.  We had over 130 campers on grounds last week, and it was fun to see God at work.  We ended up having 2 chapels happening at the same time on the grounds, with 2 different speakers, and I know the Gospel was clearly shared in each of these evenings.  And We saw life change happening before our eyes!  Let me share with you one of these stories.  

There was one camper that came last week and it was his second week this summer coming to camp.  At the beginning of the week Aaron was talking to his counselor and could just see that this camper was causing problems.  The counselor didn't known what to do, so Aaron counseled him through how to handle it and the prayer was that this camper could stay the whole week.  On Thursday we found out that a camper from this guys camp was interested in getting baptized.  Aaron followed up with the counselor (we don't generally baptized kids at camp without there family and church body present) and found out it was the SAME camper that had been having problems earlier in the week.  He had made a decision to follow Christ and wanted to be baptized.  The counselor had already seen the Holy Spirit at work in him and due to unusual circumstances was able to baptize him in the lake during his week as a camper.

This week is our Last week of normal camp.  We have 90 campers on grounds, and our looking forward to sharing the gospel with them.  This week if you could pray for one camper in particular.  There is a girl out at Ranch that is not saved, and her Aunt told me she was coming to camp, if this week you think of her, please pray that she clearly hears and understand the message of the gospel.

Campers will leave for the final time this summer on Friday, then Saturday we are having our Summer Celebration Fun Day.  If you are in Alaska, Victory will be the place to be July 21, 10-3 to hear what the Lord has been doing this summer here at Victory.  Consider this your invitation to come on out!  For more details check out our website www.vbcalaska.org/celebrate-summer/

Aaron will then see off his summer staff and change hats for a little bit.  We have one more Doulos team coming in July 21 for 10 days, a youth conference to take the youth group to, then settling into what Fall has to offer.  Aaron was recently asked to step into an interim assistant Director Position for Camp.  This means he will be working closing with Todd Busentiz (our Interim camp director) through the fall until the board has found the right person to fill the Victory Bible Camp Director Position.  

Prayer Request:

• Ranch camper who needs to know the Lord
• Strength to finish the summer season strong (for us and our counselors)
• Wisdom for this fall as we serve the Lord 
• Good family time opportunities

Thank you so much for being a part of our prayer team,

The Meeuwsen Family

June 30-July 6

Week 3—June 30-July 6 

 Meeuwsen Ministry Update

           On August 30, we took Aaron’s Doulos team to the airport. On the way we took some of the VBS props that Glacier View had used from Anchorage Grace to another church. When we got there we met the pastor’s wife and she knew our Doulos team! It is amazing to see how God builds connections within the work He is doing all over the state of Alaska. That night, the girls and I picked up Grandma Karie from the airport before returning back to camp for the night. 

        The next day Week 3 campers came in. This is the first time in many years that we have held a normal camp week over the 4th of July. We decided to make it a special day for the 4th, so the staff and I got together and pulled off a very fun day. We had the camps inflatables set up outside, 3 legged races, pie eating contests, a parade (including the fire truck), and a fly over (courtesy of Kingdom Air Corp.). All seemed to have a great day, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous! The girls and I finished off the 4th of July with going to the glacier with my cousin Jaqui’s family that was 

visiting Alaska. 

       The camp speaker for the week was Joel Ruisch. It is always fun to have Joel up here partnering in our ministry. Joel is a big encouragement and mentor in Aaron’s life. He did a great job speaking and through his words, the counselors investment, and (most importantly!) the Holy Spirit moving, we had at least 8 new decisions of campers to follow Christ. 

If you would like to hear more stories of what has been happening all summer at camp, we are planning a Victory Celebration Event. You are all invited to come to camp July 21 from 10-3pm to experience some of the fun things camp has to offer, and to hear from our staff and director what God has been up to this summer. For more information go to our website at www.vbcalaska.org.

 Thank you for your continued prayer and support, 

The Meeuwsen Family

June 19 update

Thank you for your continuous support over the years we have been serving at Victory Bible Camp.  This year marks Aaron and I's 10th Anniversary of Marriage and ministry year round at Victory.  It has been such a crazy ride as we are Ambassadors of the Truth, serving a powerful God, here in Glacier View, Alaska.

I am trying a little different way of sending out our update through e-mail.  I  think it is crucial that we connect with you, as our prayer partners, on how you can specifically be praying for our ministry this summer.  I think e-mail may be the quickest way to communicate these prayer request.

This Spring has seen a new season of change at Victory.  In March our Camp Director put in his notice into the Victory Board.  We did not see this coming and it left us with a lot to think about as we prepared to go into the summer camping season.  The Board of directors came in and helped us with a plan to make Summer happen, and to do our best to spread the Good news of God to the people that came on our grounds this summer.  A Former Staff Member, Todd Busenitz, was asked to step in as Victory Bible Camps Interim Director for the summer, and Aaron was asked to step back into the Program Director position for the summer.  

Aaron as program director is not a part time job.  Since stepping into this position in March he has spent countless hours with his team pouring over summer details that were already in place, and some that were not, trying to get details of summer put together.  He just wrapped up orientation for the summer staff last night, and campers rolled in tonight.

It is evident that God has been at work through it all.  From the way Aaron's team has meshed from the beginning, to the incredible Staff God has brought alongside us to serve this summer, It is easy to see God's handiwork in it all and I know lives are going to be changed this summer.

Transitioning back into Program Director does not mean Aaron doesn't have other things going on at camp.  He is still working on helping with the purchasing at camp and running his Doulos teams throughout the summer.  He has one Doulos team in the middle of camp (June 23-30) and a team shortly after camp is over (July 21-31).  Paul (Aaron's Dad) is coming up to help him as he keeps these teams of 20ish High school kids working around camp and walks  them through a curriculum about what it means to be a servant leader.

Here is how you can pray for us this summer:

Pray for Aaron to have wisdom each day as he approaches a variety of situations.

Pray that we would be bold to take every opportunity as Ambassadors of Christ to share God's love to each person we encounter.

Pray for Health for Aaron.  He is already feel the busy days on his body and is showing signs of a cold.

Pray for the girls and I as we balance our time at camp and home.

Pray for the Board of Victory as they continue to make big decisions.

Pray for me as I get the opportunity to teach at our Church's Vacation Bible School June 25-29.

Below are some pictures to see what We have been up to this Spring!

Memorial Day Camping with Friends

Said goodbye to Kati, Our Adopted Outpost Student

Went Canoeing on the Lake

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Tested out the New Archery Tag Equipment for Camp

Summer 2017

Life has been a blur... As I look at who my page is subscribed to I see many pages just like this one of people we have served alongside these past 9+ years and relationships we have had and miss many of the people that God has used here at Victory for a season and is now continuing to use in other places all over the United States.  But sometimes for my own selfish reasons, I wish God would stop calling people once they are serving here in Alaska, and that they would stay here forever....

Anyways, I opened this blog to give you an update on our summer/year!

Last May marked the end of Aaron and I's 9th year serving at Victory Bible Camp as year round staff.  Aaron has served in numerous roles during that time, and if you have been following our journey you know that he has been a site director at summer camps, a lifeguard, Program director, and now Doulas coordinator.  He has helped in numerous side jobs as well, from kitchen help, Gift shop designer and project manager, housekeeping, and other day to day jobs that come up when he is needed.  But currently he is in an even newer role for him.  In January Aaron got asked to help with the purchasing at camp.  In the past he has often done town runs to pick up stuff camp needs (all groceries, maintenance, housekeeping, gift shop stuff gets picked up on a weekly town trip, and he has often been the driver for that the past few years).  But now not only is Aaron picking up the items that camp needs, but he is also in charge of purchasing it.  This has been a fun new role for Aaron.  He is good with numbers and has always enjoyed figuring out how he can save a few bucks, so he tackled camps purchasing head on.  He has since made a many changes to who we buy from, what products we use, and how we get them to save camp thousands of dollars.  It's been fun to see how excited he can get over buying paper towels & toilet paper😊.

This Summer Aaron still lead the Doulas Groups as well.  He had 2 teams from Western Michigan.  Zion Reformed Church and Covenant Community Church.  We had a great time as we shared Alaska with these teams of youth.  Aaron's program is centered around servant leadership, and we worked hard all day, then Aaron spends time each evening sharing from God's word with them, and showing them our community.  These groups did a lot around camp, and were such a blessing!  They Cut and stacked numerous cords of woods for our wood boiler, did a lot of brush clean up around camp, helped in the kitchen, painted conex buildings at church, cleaned buildings...  So much work that we are thankful for the young willing youth that was able to give to camp this summer!

CCC youth on the Glacier the first day in Alaska

 CCC youth next to the HUGE woodpile.  All this wood was donated by someone in the Valley that was clearing land.  We were just responsible to go and get it.  It will heat our Main Lodge for over a year and save us around $30,000.

Raylee and Skyler with their friend Avery that came up with CCC youth and her parents for our first Doulas group.

Zion Reformed Church at Ranch camp, Day 1 of Being in Alaska.

Zion Reformed Church cleaning up camp and splitting dead trees that had fallen in the woods so we could add them to our woodpile and fire rings around camp.

The end of group 2 with Zion Reformed next to the massive wood pile of cut, chopped and split wood.

Not only did these youth impact the operations at this camp, I know many of them grew closer in their relationship with God, the Creator of everything, while they were here. And that overall impact is what the true goal of our ministries is.

This is a brief update on our summer and lives, but many other things happened at camp this year as well.  Summer camp still happened this summer at Victory, Aaron's new roles mean that he is not a part of the day to day that is summer programs at Victory, but we did get to observe how God was working from a distance.  There were numerous decisions made to follow Christ and re commitments of many kids to follow Christ.  Camp this year was only 5 weeks (down from more weeks in past years, helps us conserve resources and fill up camps better). But we had more campers this year then the past few year...  = more kids heard about Christ this summer at camp. 😮YAY!

Kicking off Fall...

Yes I said Fall, it is here in Alaska already...  leaves are getting yellow and red hues and Raylee started Kindergarten already.  Aaron has switched back to his schedule of 2 days a week at camp and the rest at church and we are getting ready to kick off youth group again.

Please pray for our family as we start up a different kind of craziness then summer holds.
1. Pray for our Fall youth group season.  That we would be listening to God in what we do and have an impact on the kids we get to work with for the 7 years they are in our youth group.
2. Pray for Raylee as she starts Kindergarten every day and Skyler as she stays home and "babysits" me...
3. Begin to pray for our 2018 Doulas Groups.  We have one that is booked for next summer and 3 more potential slots.  God knows who should be here, and is already preparing those groups.

If you would like to meet up with us and hear more about our ministry this past year, please send Aaron or I a message.  We would love to connect with you and share our heart hear at Victory and the Glacier View Community.  Your support and prayers have been so crucial to the ministry that we have here at Victory, Glacier View, and in Alaska.  And we truly value your support.

Thank you!

Summer 2016

Wow, this summer is here in full force.  It has been absolutely beautiful in our part of Alaska.  Lots of 70-80 degree days and sunshine!  The girls and I have enjoyed playing outside, working the start of our garden, and visiting Daddy at camp.

Aaron is into his full swing schedule at camp, but this year is a bit different.  Every summer Aaron goes full time at camp and usually puts church on the back burner due to the demands at camp.  This summer Aaron's time is a little more free and he has been able to schedule youth activities a couple times a month.  It is a great time for us to get our kids together and connect with them, while playing and hiking in our beautiful front yard.

As far as why Aaron's camp schedule is a little different.  We have shared where our heart is in the ministry at camp.  It is a life changing place for campers and staff that come onto the grounds year round, but especially in the summer.  The past three years Aaron has been working on kicking off our "Doulas" program on servant leadership for out of state youth groups.  For the first time in the last few years it only worked out for him to have one group all summer.  So from July 2-12  we will be showing a youth group from Pennsylvania all around Victory and then taking them out further into Alaska to show them Seward.  The rest of the time Aaron is at camp this summer he is helping where he is needed.  As of right now Aaron is the only licensed bus driver on staff, so he is doing a lot of driving...  Most Friday nights he takes campers back to town, and is usually asked to do the occasional counselor trip, or run for campers out to the glacier. If Aaron is not driving he reports under our maintenance staff.  They are able to take full advantage of his love of ministry to youth and he is given the younger men and women on the work team to keep busy...  So far they have chopped a lot of wood for the winter and installed our water front for summer...  I'm not sure what else will be on his list throughout the summer, but I am sure he will get chances to have conversations with those that he is working with and be able to encourage them in there walk with God.

The plus side of Aaron's new schedule is that he is often done at dinner time.  That means more home time!  It is the first summer that Aaron has worked a job starting at 8 and ending roughly around 5:30...  and it's been really nice.

We are looking forward to having Aaron's family up next week.  His parents fly in for a month and and his brother and family fly in for a week.  The girls have talked about them coming non stop since there was snow on the ground, so we are all excited for the visit.

Prayer Request
Prayer for Aaron and I as we talk to people around us that we would be God's witnesses in both words and actions.
Pray for Aaron's group as they travel, and that there hearts would be ready to hear God's word while they are here
Pray for campers that come on grounds that they would hear and respond to God's calling.
Pray for camp.  Where God is at work, Satan is also there...  So pray for encouragement, health, and wisdom in decisions.


Get added to our new E-mail list - shoot me an e-mail at chelsea.meeuwsen@gmail.com and I will add you to our e-mail support list so you don't miss an update :)

Earthquakes

Just a little update from the Alaska front...  We had a couple Earthquakes last night!  They were shakers.  Located across the cook inlet from Homer, one was a 6.4 and the other a 7.1 within seconds of each other.  They woke both Aaron and I up from sleep at 1:30 am and I sat in bed through the shakes thinking about my emergency plan, feeling a little like if it went to long I would be sea sick, and listening to the sound of pots, pans, and doors swinging...  But after it all shook down (haha) we were fine and the girls didn't even wake up.  Aaron checked out our house to be sure of no gas leaks or damage and we winded back down to sleep. 

It's amazing to me how, in a few minutes you can easily remember how little we are in the scheme of things and how quick life comes and goes.  Earthquakes aren't new.  Alaska has has some pretty big shakers, as well as many other places and times in history.  At church this morning Pastor Brian dove into Acts to set the stage for studying Philippians next.  This is the second time this month I have been brought to the scene in the prison where Paul and Silas sat in Jail praying and singing praises to God.  (Acts 16:22-34) They were having a lasting impact on prisoners around them in their not so great circumstances, when an earthquake (much like ours last night) set them free.  I have been amazed both times I've recently been reading this passage, that when such a clear answer from God (FREEDOM!!!) was given to them miraculously, they didn't take it and bolt.  Instead they did the right thing, fulfilling God's plans, and were able to influence yet one more person and welcome him into the kingdom of God.  How often does logic in my life try to lead me?  Do I try and be in tune with God's timing and plan so I can further the kingdom of heaven above all else?  Just a tidbit of what I have been thinking and a challenge for me as I continue to strive to above all else further God's Kindgdom through every interaction