7/18/26

Home Safe!

We all made it home safely. Thank you all so much for lifting us up all summer long! We cannot tell you enough how deeply thankful we are for all of you and for your support. Please join us in continuing to lift up the churches of New Mexico, and all of the people who we have all come to love so much.

We look forward to seeing many of you soon, and to sharing more with you about all that the Father has done this summer. 

7/15/26

Even though we walk through the Valley


Hello from Team BAAA 🐑! This past week we got the privilege of serving at Mountain Valley Church in Edgewood! We served multiple roles in their VBS, with some as group leaders, some as floaters, and all as decorators. This was the biggest VBS we've served at so far and it was awesome to see so many kids getting to hear the good news of Jesus! During the day, we also served at the Christian Challenge building in ABQ doing a whole bunch of miscellaneous tasks. We're definitely feeling the exhaustion of the summer but we are ready to finish strong! Our next church is First Baptist Silver City and we will once more be serving in their VBS!


Prayer Requests:

  • Strength and healthiness for the team to finish strong
  • For all the kids who came to VBS at Mountain Valley Church
  • That we would serve the church in Silver City well
  • That God would continue to work in our lives after the summer ends


Ashby:
This past week at Mountain Valley Church was a fun experience! I hopped around different roles, such as being a pre-k teacher to being a buddy to two girls who needed just a little extra attention. God taught me a lot throughout this week- like relying on His wisdom and guidance is much better than acting on my own impulses. For example, dealing with two lovable but chaotic girlies stretched my patience but also stretched my heart. It was a wonderful church and prayers for all the children that attended would be amazing!










Bryce:
This past week, we had the opportunity to serve at Vacation Bible School at Mountain Valley Church. Throughout the week, I served as a group leader, leading Bible studies, and building relationships with the students in my group. Spending several days with the same kids allowed me to get to know each of their personalities and encouraged them to become more engaged as the week went on. It was a blessing to watch them grow in both confidence and their understanding of God's Word.

One moment that especially stood out to me was with a young boy in my group. At the beginning of the week, he struggled to answer even simple questions about the Bible lesson and seemed unsure about many of the stories we talked about. By the end of the week, when I asked why Jesus came to earth, he confidently answered that Jesus died for his sins. Seeing that transformation over just a few days was an incredible reminder that God is constantly working, even when we cannot immediately see it.
Through this week, God reminded me that our responsibility is simply to be faithful in sharing His truth and loving others well. We may only plant or water the seed, but God is the One who changes hearts. Watching these students grow encouraged me to trust that He can use even small acts of obedience to make an eternal difference.

Asher:

This past week was a blast! We got to spend a little time back in Albuquerque serving in VBS for Mountain Valley Church and helping out around the Christian Challenge building. I was given the role of a group leader (Go Lightning Bugs!) and I had an awesome time getting to know the kids. There were times when VBS got a little crazy but I was able to keep my group under control and on track. I got to teach the main lesson for a few of the days and it was a blessing to get to pour into the kids and show them the truth of who Jesus is. It was also really cool to get to be a part of all the rotations each day, an opportunity I haven't really had yet this summer. I'm definitely feeling the exhaustion but I'm excited to see what Silver City has in store!


Angella:

This week we helped at Mountain Christian Church with their VBS. They put us to work right away decorating the church, they went all out with all their decorations. It reminded me of helping my mom growing up with VBS & what she would do. I got to run my own pre-k class for illumination station, which was so fun. This last week, I felt really disconnected from a lot of what was going on because I was feeling sick for a lot of the week but; I was very encouraged by a lot of the church volunteers who asked how I was doing and if there was anyway they could help me.




Yard Work!

Decorating!





7/7/26

Basically in Texas but East This Time

Another greeting from team BAAA 🐑! This past week we had a lovely time serving at the First Baptist Church in Tatum! We were part of the VBS staff in various positions, music team, tech booth, and group leaders. We also had the privilege of leading worship for the congregation on Sunday morning, playing instruments for them for the first time in weeks! During the day we didn't have any responsibilities so we were able to spend the day resting and getting to know the Pastor and his family. It was a nice restful way to recuperate after the weeks at summer camp. Our next week is going to be spent helping with the VBS at Mountain Valley Church in Edgewood!

Prayer Requests: 

  • That the Church body in Tatum would continue to grow and bless their community
  • For Pastor Raymond and his family
  • That the team would be able to serve Mountain Valley Church well
  • For unity among the Church in Timberon




Ashby:
Hey everyone!!
This week at Tatum was wonderful! Asher and I had the opportunity to run music for the VBS and learned how to dance very well to the Illumination Station songs. We got to have lunch with the pastor and his family, got to know the youth leader and his family and ate some delicious steak fingers at the local steak house. God taught me no matter how small a town may be, He is still alive and well. Prayers for Tatum’s congregation, the kids we got to interact with and growth of their youth group is appreciated. 



Bryce:
Even though Tatum has a population of only around 800 people, we had nearly 30 kids attend throughout the week. I served on the tech team by running sound, creating slideshows, and playing music during VBS. On Sunday, I also had the privilege of leading worship during the church service. Ashby sang, Asher played the piano for the first time in a worship band. 
One of my favorite parts of the week was getting to know the people in the community. It was easy to see how closely connected everyone was, and how much the town seemed to revolve around the local school. The relationships between families created a welcoming environment, and it was encouraging to see how the church was able to connect with so many children and parents through VBS. Even in a small town, God is working in meaningful ways.
Through this week, God reminded me that the size of a community does not determine the impact of the Gospel. In fact, close-knit communities often provide even more opportunities to build relationships and share Christ with others. I was encouraged by the way the church faithfully served its community and was reminded that God can use willing people, no matter where they are, to make an eternal difference.

Angella:
Hello All!
This past week we were in Tatum, I enjoyed it a lot!! I was one of the team leaders for the preschool class, and I had seventeen kids in my class. I had so much fun, it was pretty wild sometimes, but it was so special. I love young kids, so I was definitely in my element! When we would go outside to play games and the kids would lose in a game, one of the game leaders, Logan, would tell them, “Go hold the wall.” I would crack up laughing each time because they were all confused except for his son. There were a couple of teenage girls that I also got to connect with! I loved getting to know them and seeing their heart to serve in their local church. It was really refreshing to have our days to ourselves and to be able to spend quality time with each other outside of serving and with God.


Asher:
Hello There,
General Kenobi

This week has been a really nice time to recoup from the craziness of the last weeks. I was half of dance team Er-By with Ashby and I had a great time learning the dances and teaching the kids. I am getting a little tired of Illumination Station but God will sustain me. We had a couple meals at the Pastors house over the week and it was super cool to hear their story and it really showed me how you can show the love of God to this broken world. I loved getting to know their kids and playing around with them as well. A big thing I learned this week is that you don't have to be the most talented at something to serve God with it. I hadn't ever played piano in front of a whole congregation before but through that experience it really hit me that it doesn't matter how well I do at something as long as it glorifies God.



Music!
Decorating!

Worship!

Late Night Shenanigans