Spring then onto summer!!

I love this time of year! The sun is shining and the birds begin to sing, and the weather is warmer; for the most part at least!

When spring comes it means that it's time to start planning for the summer. While we do have groups and retreats who come to enjoy the beauty of Pennsylvania at His Thousand Hills over the winter; our busiest time is during the summer months. This will be the fourth summer that my mom and I have been at HTH. Each year the Lord shows me new things and allows me to grow while working at the camp. I do enjoy it and look forward to the summer/fall months!

One of my favorite delights during summer is all the fresh produce. I do enjoy having a garden, but I've learned that we've gotten so busy during the summer that I have no time to keep up with it! So I usually try to get some fresh fruit and veggies from the store or the Mennonite stand just down the street from us.

Here is a recipe I was able to try for the first time last year. It's quickly become a favorite for my mom and me. It's great for a full meal or just a side dish.


White Bean Orzo and Asparagus Salad

Oil- I use Grapeseed, Coconut or Olive oil

2 cups White Beans- I use 1 can of Cannellini beans

2 Cups cooked Orzo pasta

1 1/2 Cups Asparagus- raw & cut to the size you want

1/2 Red Pepper

1/4 sweet white onion, sliced thin- I've used regular yellow onion and the flavor is really great

1/4 Cup chopped fresh basil or parsley

1/3 Cup Balsamic vinaigrette


Heat oil in a large frying pan. Saute onion and red pepper. Add asparagus and cook until desired tenderness. Rinse beans. Add beans basil, parsley and balsamic vinaigrette to asparagus mixture. Heat through. Add the orzo pasta, heat through and serve.

I sometimes add a few different ingredients to this dish depending on what I have on hand. Mushrooms is a great addition as well as some nuts like almonds.

Sometimes I'll drizzle or substitute this basting oil in place of the regular oil. It is grapeseed and canola oil with garlic and a few other seasonings. It's delicious and adds some flavor. The only downside is that Wegmans is an hour away...so I try to use it sparingly!

It's a pretty simple dish and as mentioned earlier you can add whatever you want to make this dish more to your liking!

Time to eat!

Remember...Testimony Behind The Song

Since I was nine or ten years old I've always loved to write songs. As the years have gone by, the Lord has given me music to help get me through the challenges in my life. When I'm going through a time of doubt, trial and difficulties I generally sit down and play the piano as a way of relieving that stress. It's not even necessarily a song that I know. Often it's just music that comes to me in the moment. Then the words will begin to flow. For a long time I've wanted to record and share that music with others. The doors never seemed to open...until this year.

As some of you may know in October of 2002 the Lord took my dad to be with Him. The years since have been very trying and difficult. Many times I've wondered why God has chosen for my family to travel this path. Sometimes I've even felt bitter about the way my life has been. I've asked God why He couldn't have allowed me to have my father here. It would have made things so much easier. Perhaps, I wouldn't have been so lonely and my heart wouldn't have a huge empty place that my dad used to fill.

The following song, Remember, was written in March and May of 2009. The verses are basically me crying out to to the Lord and the chorus is the reminder that we must trust and remember that God is with us even through those dark and confusing times.

Sometimes when I feel all alone in the dark,

Shadows that come and flee as a lark,

My heart starts to tremble to tremble in fear,

Then I remember You are always so near!

The first verse comes from the moments where I would lay awake at night feeling alone, missing my dad or maybe it was just the daily challenges that sometimes just get to overwhelming. I would often cry and just look at the shadows that lined the walls. In those moments my heart would be crying out and asking the Lord to be with me.

Sometimes when it seems life is going awry,

No hope just sorrow and tears dim your eye,

Should I go? Should I follow?

Lord, what should I do?

Father you know that I'm depending on you!


Life always has little surprises that seem to just creep up in the most inopportune moments. It's then that the questions begin to flow. What should I do? Often I've felt so lost as to what direction to take. But I know that God is leading in my life and I must stay focused and trust that He has a plan for everything that happens.

God is always with us and His reply to all our questions and fears is simple.

Remember, God is always near,

Remember, He takes away our fears,

So lift your hands and shout out a loud song of praise,

For He has saved us by His grace.


The Lord can turn all our fears and all our doubts around to a song of praise that will give glory and honor to Him. He already knows each of the steps we have to take and He's always by our side. We just need to remember to turn to Him.

One of the greatest blessings that happened during the writing phase of this song was the bridge part at the end. My mom often hears me playing music. She never really has any idea what the songs are about until I sing them for her. So all she had ever heard was the piano part. Words came into her heart as she heard the music and finally she wrote the words down. She came to me and said, "Every time you play that one song these words come into my mind. I don't know if it will work or if you can use it but here it is."

The words fit perfectly. It was as if after all the struggles (the verses) and the reminding of God being there (the chorus) the words for the bridge where an affirmation. A statement that one would say to keep on running the race to the finish.

I will not give up, I am not afraid, I will not give into defeat.

I will stand upon the Word of God whereon He sets my feet.


I love it when something like that happens!!! Isn't God great!

My goal is to continue to share music God has given me and I pray that it will be a blessing to all who hear it.

Catching Up

It has been well over a year since I've last posted. A lot has happened and it's time to finally get a new post out there.

I've been very busy in the last year! Last summer we had camp at His Thousand Hills (HTH) as we do every year. I believe it was the busiest summer since I've been at HTH. We had 11 groups in 10 weeks. Everyone was exhausted by the end of summer camp, but it was a great time! I was able to do a few new things too! For the first time I went canoeing! I didn't have a camera so I don't have a picture, but I will always remember the fun of that day! I was also able to try out the bungee run. What fun that was! Of course the camera was not around for that either...but once again I'll remember the great time spent with friends!

Dress-up dinner for Junior camp.


In September, Mike came home from Korea! He stayed in PA for two weeks and then treated my mom and me to a vacation in Saint Petersburg, Fl.We were down there for two weeks! It was amazing to just relax after such a busy summer. I did get sick through almost the first week with a cold, but it was so nice I didn't have any responsibilities...I was able to just lay in the sun or relax in the pool! Such a difference than being at home and think of all the stuff I'm not able to get done because I'm sick in bed!

We visited Fort Desoto, attend a Southern Gospel concert, went to a Yankees game and had an awesome with old friends and even made some new friends.

Mom and I were able to enjoy the Cold Stone Creamery for the first time!








Mike left on October 10th for his next station in Germany. He'll possibly be there for two years...so it may be a while before we get to see him again.

Saying goodbye to the girl dogs

In November I had my 26th birthday. It's hard to believe time is going by so quickly! I sometimes wish time would just stop so I can get more done!!!

Christmas was great as we were able to talk with Mike for a few hours using Skype. We were also able to get to spend Christmas with my sister too! She usually has to work and the last few years she's had the 2-10 pm shift. Therefore we'd wake up open gifts and she'd have to run to work and have no time to spend with us. Well, this year she was able to get the morning shift and was able to spend all afternoon and evening with us. It was wonderful to be able to still have Christmas as a family despite all the distance and business of each of my family members!

Well, that's the update! Hopefully I can be more diligent in the future and not have such a long period before you hear from me again!

Prayer Letter

Dear Friends,


Greetings from the lovely hills of Wellsboro, PA! Although I have so much to share with you, I want to begin by sharing the verse found in Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Never in my life has this verse been made more real to me than in the past year. The Lord has not only confirmed this verse in my heart as it applies to my own personal needs, but in my position as Office Manager, I am in the thick of the finances at His Thousand Hills and I have seen over and over the Lord’s faithfulness in providing for the ministry God has called me and Rebekah to be a part of also. God is so faithful!

As most of you know, I was widowed nearly 8 years ago when the Lord took my husband of 18 years by a massive heart attack, leaving me with our 4 children ages 11-17. He left me a hefty life insurance and Social Security payments with which I paid all of our debt and lived comfortably – oh yes, praise the Lord, but here is where my faith was really tested. A year ago, when my youngest son turned 18, my Social Security was totally dropped and a potential money-making opportunity I had invested in, hoping to replace that income, went sour. I found myself struggling to make ends meet. This is when I truly began to learn what the Lord meant in Philippians 4:19 for me, personally. I took a position through a local organization that made a God-ordained connection with me and His Thousand Hills. The program provided me with a small salary up until January, at which time I took a step of faith and came on full time as the Office Manager, raising my own support. It was then that I began to see God provide so miraculously. This past year, I was faced a couple of times with almost losing my home, and miraculously the Lord provided the means for me to keep it. I needed tires for my car, and the Lord provided them at a fraction of the cost they would have been. I needed heat during the winter, and I was given propane for heat as well as wood for my fireplace. My car was leaking brake fluid, and the total bill was only $10.60! These are just a few of the examples of how the Lord has met my needs, and each time, my faith was stretched and strengthened. Each time I was pleasantly surprised and blessed by something coming through to meet each need. Each provision was a confirmation that we were in the right place, doing the right thing. What the enemy meant for destruction, the Lord turned around for His glory. The Lord did this over and over again. Many of you know what I am talking about – especially all you missionary friends of mine - I truly understand now when you testify of having a need, and the Lord miraculously filling it.


Summer Camp

Although our facility is used by many different organizations and churches for camps and retreats, His Thousand Hills runs our own camp three weeks in June. Over 500 campers and counselors traveled to His Thousand Hills this summer. Each one the Lord brought, He knew their needs and He met them as they opened their hearts to Him. Rebekah and I had the opportunity to meet many of these neat children and their parents face to face as we welcomed them at registration. How exciting to see the campers arrive at a Christian camp, eager to dive into all that the Lord had planned for them. This year, our theme was Heaven, the Final Frontier which featured the verse on how we are "fearfully and wonderfully made", and topics relating to how in such a vast universe, God knows each of us by name. Rebekah and I also "camped", staying the nights of those weeks in one of our bunk rooms so we could be close to the action. I love stargazing, and a highlight for me was looking through a telescope and actually viewing Saturn with its rings and the moon with its craters up close. But the real blessing at the close of each camp week was the wonderful testimonies of at least 17 campers who got saved or rededicated their lives to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.


Personal Notes from Jane – Office Manager

This past spring we transformed one of our bunk rooms in the Renewal Center to a newly renovated room for the camp office. I’ve come full circle from my Xerox secretary days 40 years ago, and I feel like I’m in an executive suite! The location is right in the middle of most of the activity, so I am available to take care of paperwork for people who come in to do camp business with me, as well as have the privacy I need to process paying the camp’s bills and doing camp correspondence. I’ve somewhat mastered some of the computer office programs which are also a far cry from older-days office work; and I absolutely love using my organizational skills in support of a work that I believe in.


Personal Notes from Rebekah – Chef

In spring, renovations were started on His Thousand Hills kitchen and dining hall. With the new upgrades, it has made preparing and serving meals so much more fun and enjoyable. The one thing I like the most is our new serving bar which allows us kitchen staff to either enjoy a few moments with our hungry campers, or to just set out a delicious buffet style meal where our campers can help themselves.

The biggest blessing for me this summer was during our first week of camp. I was sitting out on the deck of our Lodge eating lunch when one of the camp counselors started telling me about a young lady that knew she needed to accept the Lord as her personal Saviour. She had not made that commitment as yet, but they had been praying for her for quite awhile. The previous night during the service she had started crying and then proceeded to come forward and accepted the Lord into her heart. I almost began to cry as I heard this! It was such a blessing to see and know that all of the efforts in preparing for camp, the faithful prayers, and all of the daily activities that were being done by the HTH staff and volunteers were paying off with the fruit of salvation!

Michael


I had mentioned in my last letter that my son, Michael, had joined the Air Force and had begun basic training in January 2010. He successfully graduated in March from basic, and in June from technical school. We enjoyed his presence with our family for the whole month of July in which he occasionally visited the camp and even helped out a little there. He is now finishing additional training in Florida after which he will be deployed on September 4 to Korea for a year. What a blessing to have a son who is serving our country and has a vision for souls in the military! I know that his dad would be so proud of him!



The ministry is not over with the end of summer near. We now look forward to several upcoming fall and winter retreats already on our calendar which give us more opportunities to minister all year round. As we continue to give of our time and talents to serve the Lord, He continues to meet our needs. As I mentioned above, He did this countless times during the past year, and we want to especially thank all of you who have provided both prayer and financial support. Rebekah and I are faith-based missionaries serving at His Thousand Hills, and I was never so sure as when I was serving this summer that we are exactly where the Lord wants us to be. It has been nearly a year now that I have served as the camp's office manager and Rebekah as chef, and what a blessing it has been! Although our roles put us behind the scenes at times, our positions the Lord has called us to are instrumental in making the camp run smoothly as a whole, and we are blessed to be a part of the many life-changing testimonies we hear. As we continue to be a part of the fruitful ministry here at His Thousand Hills, we want to remind you that you too, by your prayer and financial support of Rebekah and I, are sowing into the lives of each one that comes here as well. In addition to the support that the Lord has blessed us with, I realistically need to raise another $500 per month to meet all of our monthly budget. As the Lord provides, there are some items that need attention on our home as well, such as a fallen gutter pipe, a new wood stove or repairs to our fireplace, and some plumbing and electrical work. I look forward to sharing the testimony of God's provision in this way in my next letter. God bless you all!

Sincerely in Christ,


Jane E. Gresens

Teen Camp

Well teen camp is all over with...what a time! It seemed like the days just flew by! The campers excitedly arrived at 8 am on Monday morning and teen camp was officially underway! After checking in and getting their cabin assignments they went onto a fun filled week of crafts, culinary class, canoeing, tie dye t-shirts, volley-ball, scavenger hunts, wall climbing and zip-lining fun fellowship with friends and making new friends and ending the day with a worship service. (They did quite a bit more than that throughout the week, but I don't have my schedule to mention what it all was!)

Canoeing

Tie Dyeing T-shirts

Work in the kitchen went great! We had quite a bit of help and through using our brand new serving area getting the campers their meals went very smoothly!

Overall the Lord has been good this week. Quite a few of our campers accepted the Lord! Such an encouragement!



We are now getting ready for another week of camp! Junior camp starts on Monday and will go through Friday.

Please continue to pray for us as we minister to the campers. That those that are lost would get saved and those that our saved would be encouraged to live for the Lord!

Till next time!

Rebekah

Summer!

Summer is almost here and it's our busiest time of the year...except for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season. So I thought I'd let you all know what's going to be going on for the next few weeks!

This Monday starts the His Thousand Hills (HTH) summer camp! (My mom and I have been ministering there since last spring, but started as full time staff this past December.) The theme this year is "Heaven the Final Frontier". Campers from PA, NY, Ohio and West Virginia will be arriving Monday morning to spend one week at HTH learning about our Creator and Saviour by.

The theme verses will be:

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Psalms 8:3-4

Please pray that the hearts of our campers will be open to learning and growing in our Saviour. That those who come that don't know the Lord would accept Him and those who do know the Lord would be drawn closer to Him!
The following are the dates for the next three weeks:

Teen camp-ages 13-18- June 14-18
Junior camp-ages 7-12-June 21-25
Day camp- all ages- June 28-July 1

My mom and I will be ministering in the kitchen and office. And there will be many others who will be working together to make the next few weeks successful at camp!

Then on July 1st my brother Michael will be coming home for a month before heading off to Florida, for a month, and then Korea for a year.

We are very excited to be seeing him and spending some time with him! Please pray that all goes well with his scheduled date to arrive home. He does have a very hard test to complete before he can start his leave! But if all goes well he will be flying home on July 1st!!

Have a blessed summer!!
Reb

Overseas

Okay, I know I haven't written in ages...but I figured enough time has gone by and I should write something!

In March, my brother, Michael graduated from the Air Force basic training and started tech school in Mississippi. My family was not able to attend his ceremony, but the Lord provided a kind family who "adopted" Mike for the weekend! So he was able to go off the base and have some fun...for which we were so grateful!!!

The family that took Mike in on his graduation weekend...it's his buddy Daniel's family.
(I'm not sure of all their names!)

For the graduation weekend he was able to leave the base....Mike had been living on the base food for 8 1/2 weeks and was just craving a milkshake!!! He sure looks like he's enjoying it!

With his buddy Daniel

Just the other day we found out that he will be sent to Osen, Korea upon his graduation from tech school in June. Lord willing he will be able to visit us in July for a few weeks and then go on to his post overseas!