Prayer Letter
July 2010
Dear praying friends
It feels appropriate to me that I should be writing this letter because this month is The Oakes 10th birthday celebration, and also the launch of the new look camper mailing! The extension seemed like a trip back to the time when we were restoring the house, and it is perfectly fitting to be able to open the new rooms after 10 years. I am excited to see young people back on camp, and to be able to start working on camps again after maternity leave. It is thrilling to work at The Oakes and see God working in the lives of children and teenagers. I was privileged to be at the opening of The Oakes and equally privileged to witness its 10th birthday celebration. What an amazing God we have that He uses us for His work in this way!
The new look camper mailing has been thought about for many, many months and it is great to see it on paper and in envelopes at last. We hope that it will be a resource to encourage campers in their walk with Christ as they seek to live for Him from day to day. Follow-up is increasingly becoming an inter-departmental affair (doesn’t that sound grand!). Luke especially has contributed his invaluable knowledge of computers and graphics on the website and the mailing, and there has been plenty of input from other team members in terms of blogs, posts and articles. It is also becoming a more cohesive entity. The website offers the chance to bring teaching, bookstall, mailing and other things together. We’re slowly moving away from a collection of disconnected projects to resources that work together to help disciple campers. There have been three great follow-up assistants this year (not all at the same time). Praise God that Helen, Jonny and Alice have been working so hard on this aspect of The Oakes’ ministry, and pray for more to follow in their footsteps next year.
I can’t finish this without mentioning my lovely daughter Aily. As much as it is a privilege to work in ministry, it is a privilege to be a parent. She has her own sense of humour and brings lots of laughter to our home. I am struck that just as I am called to disciple other young people, I am called to disciple her too and my prayer is that I will also see God work powerfully in her life as she grows.
10 years on, please keep praying for The Oakes.
Mez
