Grace Notes

Family News

Rocky Mountain National Park

Last week our family attended a wedding in Colorado and spent a few days camping while we were there. It was a very refreshing time.

Early morning devotional time in the mountains…Life doesn’t get much better than this does it, Dad?! (Notice Dad still found a way to make his morning toast slightly burnt just the way he likes it…)

A definite highlight was the individual time we had with the Lord and our Bibles in the crisp, quiet mountain air! We also enjoyed the chance to spend time in some books we had been wanting to read…
Dad: The Ultimate Proof of Creation (Jason Lisle)
Sarah: After the Flood Historian Bill Cooper shares fascinating information about how earliest Europeans recorded their descent from Noah through Japheth and knew all about the Flood!
Stephen: Going For the Gold (Joe Wall) About the Judgment Seat of Christ and living our lives in light of it.
Myself: A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23

Because of a misunderstanding, we had to move our tent to a different spot for night #2. Some members in the family decided we should just carry the tent so we didn’t have to take it down. It made a pretty unusual sight in the campground…

By the time we moved campsites, ate lunch, cleaned up, etc. it was already late in the afternoon when we began our hike.

It took about 15 minutes to drive to where the trail began. Upon arriving, Mom asked, “Did anyone zip up the tent windows?” No one had. Mom, who doesn’t even like camping, began to imagine what it would be like to sleep in wet sleeping bags. So we all piled back into the van and drove back to our campsite.

On the way there, it began to rain and hail but thankfully we got the tent zipped up before anything got too wet.

Finally we began our hike!

It was so beautiful and we were all really enjoying ourselves….

…Until, right at the top, it became very windy, rainy, and cold. We were wondering if it would continue to be rainy and cold for the 3.5 miles back to the van…

…But laughing at Mom and Dad in their funny rain gear made us forget how cold we were.

When we finally arrived back at our campsite, wet and tired, we found that our tent had turned completely on its side in the rain. (Hmm…maybe camping would be easier without a tent at all?!)

All in all, we had a wonderful time camping. The good family times around the fire were another highlight. We feel so blessed. Even my mom, who doesn’t like camping, said she would do it again! Wow!

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” Psalm 90:2

Miscellaneous/Witnessing Stories

National Education Association Outreach Report

Wow, what a loaded and interesting time I had down there in New Orleans! I learned so much as I tagged alongside the very bold and passionate people who ran the Answers in Genesis booth!

You can imagine how much our banner stood out in the middle of such a secular setting!

We gave away boxes and boxes of free Creation Science DVDs and books.

And lots of interesting conversations erupted…

Many opportunities to share the gospel…

When you have a group of people who love to share the gospel, you end up witnessing to people everywhere you go….

Waiter (burgundy): “So are you all going to do some sightseeing while you are here in New Orleans?”
James (white): “Well, we’re hoping to share the good news with lots of people!”
Waiter: “Oh really? What’s the good news?”
Mr. Gendron (tan stripes): “That our sins can be forgiven and we have a Savior who paid the price for us to go to Heaven.”
Waiter: “Oh so are you part of a religious section of the NEA conference?”
James and Mr. Gendron: “Oh no, we don’t believe in religion. Religion is where man ‘works his way to God’. The Bible says that God reached down to us.”
Waiter: “Well it is very interesting to hear your perspectives on this. But maybe I should get your order first and then come back and talk some more.”
We all laughed and agreed.

Later our waiter came by and told us that his brother recently became a born again Christian and had been e-mailing him about it. We talked some more with him and gave him some DVDs. He thanked us sincerely.

Some people loved what we are doing, some were intrigued…

And some were angry…like the man in the white shirt and tie (a science teacher) who was looking for a way to cause trouble for our booth and stated in no subtle language that he was not happy about the materials we were giving out. The 20 minute debate that followed was fascinating as it was obvious that he had no evidence to stand on to back up his beliefs when confronted with the truth and logic of Genesis.

My roommates! Grace and Faith are wonderful young evangelists themselves and I really enjoyed spending time with their family!

Here is a portion of our team. Some are on staff with Answers in Genesis, and the others are evangelists / apologists from around the country. Dr. Jobe Martin and his wife and two daughters were there (right), and it was so much fun to get to know them. Taryn and Mirren also run conferneces for young ladies and they have a neat family ministry.

Family News/Witnessing Stories

Grace at NEA

Hi, everyone. This is Sarah, writing a quick post to fill in for Grace. Grace is working at the Answers in Genesis Booth at the NEA (National Education Association) convention in New Orleans this week. Answers in Genesis has a booth there each year reaching thousands of public school teachers with the truth about creation and God’s Word.

You can read some updates – Click Here

Also, you can watch a witnessing conversation that Grace had with a young lady she met at the booth – Click Here