The Wilkes Team

Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 15:5-6).

What a joy it was to come along side the Shrock and Prentice families for a season of powerful ministry. Operation Eternal Impact (OEI) began two years ago. Mr. Mike Shrock and his family had a burden for their local community – A burden to reach souls destined for an eternity in hell and separation from God. Using the tools and skills their family has been blessed with, they stepped out by faith to organize and put on a 9 day children’s ministry camp (OEI). This year, about 25 Young people from Oregon & Washington between the ages of 13 and 20 accepted the call and congregated on a beautiful piece of property amidst the stunning forests and mountains of Oregon near the Mollala River. Tents and RVs were scattered throughout the breath taking forests of fir trees & ferns that surround the spacious cabin (camp & food headquarters). The stage was set. Action began Wednesday evening.

Mr. Shrock started off our first morning together (Thursday) with a timely chapel entitled, "We are in a war." With souls of men & women at stake, this is not a time to sit idly by. We must be ready, we must prepare, and we must step forward. Day one was gearing up to be a quiet day of instruction and preparation, when all of a sudden, Drill Sergeant Stefanski and his team of squad leaders barged into the classroom upon the unsuspecting students.

Everyone was harried out the door, formed up, and then taken on a brisk run. Throughout his time with us, Drill Sergeant Stefanski taught the importance of working as a team, following commands, and enduring hardness – skills each member would need while teaching Bible club the following week. Our theme verse during boot camp was 2 Timothy 2:3, "Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." Specific activities the teams were involved with included water games, a rigorous hike to the top of a nearby ridge where several large fir trees (30 feet in circumference) could be found, and a memorable tent switch up while being duct taped together in teams of 3 & 4.

A motivating message of boot camp was Mr. Shrock’s charge to not be casual, but disciplined. A casual soldier runs the risk of becoming a casualty. Through discipline however, a soldier is a disciple of his leader and thus in the position to be of the greatest impact possible. How true this concept is to our Christian walk!

Boot camp came to a close Friday afternoon, but the applications, exhortations, & impact of OEI had only just begun!

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Quick everyone we need to be at the table at 7am for Wisdom Search! 

We all quickly came and sat down with our bibles and were ready to start. But Dad and Mom were no where in sight! We all kind of wondered where they had gone when Matthew enlightened us that they had left around 4:45am for a early breakfast at IHOP!They should be back real soon.

"Oh" we all said as we went back to having our own personal time in the Word.

7:08am – Daniel asks what the date is and then it hits us! It was DAD’S BIRTHDAY! And not just any birthday it was his 50th!!! How could we forget?

7:09am – FAST EVERYONE we need to DECORATE this kitchen!!!

7:10am – With loud cheers and great enthusiasm we began to run around doing all we could to make it extra special.

-  Markie took on the birthday chair

- Adam, and Matthew began blowing and blowing balloons. But for some reason they had a hard time tying them so all of a sudden ZOOOOOMMMM a balloon would be flying around the kitchen! This brought more laughs!

- Are they here yet???  No!

- The banner was constructed and began to take on a wide range of color!

- The front door was decorated with small banners, balloons, and big signs with 50 on it!   (In order that Dad could see it from his car!)

- Are they here yet???  No!

- Daniel undertook the birthday meal of oven pancakes. Even though Dad had already eaten, a birthday without some kind of special homemade meal would not feel right!

 7:25am – Any minute we know they would come around the corner! We were amazed they had not showed up yet! It was then we realized that we had not come up with any real different and unique way of expressing our love for Dad.

Hmmmmm…… Where is Josh when you need him! ( He’s in Oregon) He is the one that always comes up with great ideas.

7:30am  An idea comes! Lets write 50 things that we are grateful for! And hang it in the kitchen!!!

Matthew quickly wrote out 1 thru 50 on a 5ft piece of paper! Then we all began to come up with reason we feel so blessed about the Father that God gave us!

- Are they here yet???  No!

8:00am They are HERE!!

Fast we need to finish up!

We told them to go around back and take walk around the back yard. And we promised to call them in real soon.

- We finished up the gratefulness banner and hung it up

- Got the breakfast meal out and ready.

8:15am We called them in and sang Happy Birthday to Dad!  How blessed we are to have such a godly Father!

- Then we looked around and realized someone was missing! Not only Josh but Hannah!

Where was Hannah???? She was no where in sight! It was then that we told Dad that he needed to find her! His only clue was that she was in the kitchen SOMEWHERE! Dad and Mom began the search and could not find here any where. Now there are only a couple places to hide and those are pretty obvious! Unless, you are Miss Hannah!

They looked and looked and could not figure out where she was until they opened a small cupboard door and low and behold there she was! ( This was all Hannah’s idea!) It was great!

It sure was an exciting morning!  Birthdays are truly a great time to show your love for your family. I hope you will never get so close to forgetting as we did though.

But Daniel you saved the day by asking for the date! And Wilkes Team you all pulled through again on making a birthday morning a success!

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And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so (Gen. 1:6-7).

What was the result of God saying, “let there be?” The heavens and the firmament, on day two of creation, were created. What does God have to say about the heavens & the firmament? The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork (Ps. 19:1)

When God says, ‘Let it be,’ and when ‘it is so,’ great glory is given to God! What has God said, “let there be” in your life? Having you resisted letting it be so? If so, we are missing a marvelous opportunity for God to receive great glory.

The four o’clock hour had only just been advanced upon. Several integral members of the Wilkes Team had just returned from a rousing game of tennis with hungry appetites. Mom & her marvelous assistants prepared an extraordinary meal with platters of food resembling a tasty local restaurant we’ve all grown to love. And Grandpa and Grandma blessed us all with their wonderful presence just as we all sat down for dinner. The meal came to a quick close as realization struck of the quickly passing hour.

The occasion for such haste was my pending flight to Portland, Oregon – scheduled to leave at 6:18pm. Final items were thrown into bags, good byes given, and prayers said. Dad, Mom, and I headed off at approximately 5:15pm (notice a problem here ?). My heart began beating extra fast as the horrific thought entered the mind that I may not make it in time – but the couldn’t happen to me! Eternity finally passed when the car came to a stop in front of Dulles Airport. After accidentally approaching the first class/executive counter, we were kindly told our check-in point would be about 20 yards to the left – oh dear. At last, I punched in my e-ticket confirmation number only to receive the horrifying message that I was too late. The attendant behind the counter said 45 minutes before departure was the latest anyone was allowed to check in. Nevertheless, the excitement wasn’t over. For when I inquired on rescheduling another flight, the gentleman said most flights to Portland were booked through the end of August – oh no! The mercies of God were such however that a seat was found on a plane the very next morning with a 6:01am departure time. I was also graciously forgiven by my dear hosts in Oregon.

What happened? My lack of character (tardiness) had resulted in this dilemma. But then I had a very important decision to make – would I submit to what God had willed there to be and let it be so in my life (Gen. 1:6-7)? After all, he could of allowed me to catch the flight, despite my tardiness.

The alarm went off at 3:45 the next morning. Mom & Sarah ever so graciously & eagerly drove me to the airport at 4:15. Praise the Lord – check in went smoothly, security had no issues, and I arrived at my gate with much time to spare. Boarding the plane which was scheduled to arrive in Chicago at 7:30am, I struck up a conversation with my co-passenger (a resident of Ashburn). For the next 90 minutes, we talked almost non-stop on topics ranging from farming to politics, business to family, and art to Christianity. The opportunity arose to share Christ with her and in the end she ever so graciously said, “I know why you missed your flight.” We both parted immensely encouraged. I believe seeds were planted.

The firmament & heavens show forth God’s glory and make known His handiwork, why? “God said, let there be, and it was so.” In our lives, when we submit to what God allows there to be (even if this is correction), God receives great glory. This was a timely lesson to me, and one I hope never to forget!

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Here is a journal entry from the journal of George Muller. Baron Von Kamps was a man of God that encouraged George Muller greatly in his walk with Christ.

Mom the other morning read it to us all during our family’s morning wisdom search. We all were encouraged and inspired to be one that draws out our souls to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul. ( Isaiah 58:10a).

God is searching for men and women in this world, that would make up the hedge, and stand in the gap. (Ez. 22:30) Baron Von Kamps was a man that fulfilled this verse!

March 4th :

For the encouragement of believers who are tired by having unconverted relatives and friends, I will relate the following circumstances which I know is true. Baron von Kamp, who lived in Prussia, had been a disciple of the Lord Jesus for many years, In the year 1806, great financial distress came upon many thousands of weavers in the area. They had no employment because the whole continent was in an unsettled state from the war. The baron believed that is was the will of the Lord to use his wealth to furnish these poor weavers with work, in order to save them from complete ruin, There was not only no prospect of personal gain, but rather the certain prospect of immense loss. Nevertheless, he found employment for about six thousand weavers.

But the baron was not content with this, He also wanted to minister to the souls of these weavers, He set believers as overseers over his immense weaving concern. The weavers were instructed in spiritual things, and he personally shared the truth of the gospel with them.

The work went on for a good while until at last, on account of the loss of most of his property, he was obliged to think about giving up. But by this time, his precious act of mercy had proven its worth to the government. It was taken up by them and carried on until the times changed, Baron von Kamp was appointed director of the whole concern as long as it existed.

This dear man of God was not content with this, He traveled through many countries to visit the prisons for the sake of improving the physical and spiritual condition of the prisoners. He also assisted poor students at the university of Berlin, especially those who studied theology, in order to win them for the Lord.

One day a talented young man heard of the aged baron’s kindness to students. He wrote to the baron, requesting his assistance because his own father could not afford to support him any longer. A short time afterward, young Thomas received a kind reply from the baron, inviting him to come to Berlin. But before the letter arrived, the young student had heart that Baron von Kamp was a  "pietist" or "mystic," as true believers were contemptuously called in Germany. Young Thomas was deeply involved in philosophy, reasoning about everything, questioning the truth of revelation, questioning even the existence of God. He disliked the prospect of going to the old baron for help. Still, he thought he could try, and if he did not like it, he was not obligated to remain in connection with him.

Thomas arrived in Berlin on a day when the baron was out of town on business. He began to speak about his philosophies to the steward of the baron, The stewards, however was a believer, and he turned the conversation to spiritual things.

At last the baron arrived, He received Thomas in the most affectionate and familiar manner, The baron offered him a room in his house and a place at his table while Thomas studied in Berlin, Thomas accepted the offer.

The baron now sought in every way to great the young student in the most kind and affectionate way, to serve him as much as possible and to show him the power of the gospel in his own life. He did all this without arguing with him of even speaking to him directly about his soul, Thomas obviously had a skeptical min, and the baron avoided getting into any argument with him. The student often said to himself, "I wish I could get into an argument with this old fool, I would show him how irrational his beliefs are." But the baron avoided it.

When the baron heard the young student come home in the evening, he would go to meet him and serve him in any way he could, even helping him to take off his boots. Thus this lowly, aged disciple went on for some time. While Thomas still sought an opportunity for arguing with him, he wondered how the baron could continue to serve him.

One evening when Thomas returned to the baron’s house, the baron was making himself his servant as usual. The student could restrain himself no longer and burst out, "Baron, how can you do all this? You see I do not care about you. How are you able to continue to be so kind to me and serve me like this?"

The baron replied, "My dear young friend, I have learned it from the Lord Jesus, I wish you would read through the gospel of John. Good night."

The student now for the first time in his life sat down and read the Word of God with an open heart and a willingness to learn, Up to that time he had never read the Holy Scriptures unless he wanted to find out arguments against them. God blessed him. From that time he became a follower of the Lord Jesus and has continued in the faith ever since. Praise the Lord!

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  The only way a family truly bonds and becomes one another’s best friends is by spending time with one another!  Family relationships can so easily be taken for granted and not pursued to higher levels of oneness, maturity and love for each other.

That is why we as a family have purposely set aside times in which we just spend time with one another and doing things together.  One of those set aside times is a weekly family game night in which we rotated picking an activity in which we all can do together!

From croquet, soccer, capture the flag, Legos, small engine building, Settlers of Catan, to building bird houses, and the list could go on!

Such awesome memories have been made, relationships strengthened as we have learned to truly enjoy one another’s company.

   God truly rejoice when we can dwell together in unity! Take the time NOW to get to know your siblings and parents! You will be forever grateful for the time you spent in making them your best friends!

  “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

Psalms 133:1

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