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. 

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!

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

How (In)Low Can You Go?

 

Greetings once more from team BAAA (feat. a weeklong honorary team member Carly)! This week we headed up the mountains once again to serve at Inlow Baptist Camp. We were the rec team for BCNM StuCamps and it was such a blast. We had a ton of fun running games and also got the opportunity to form relationships with a lot of the students there. We were put in charge of a breakout session where we talked about the Christian Challenge and invited students to join once they started college. God was definitely moving this week and a lot of students gave their life to Christ! We are so blessed to have been a part of this week, regardless of how exhausting it was. Next up we are heading east towards Tatum, New Mexico where we will be helping with their VBS!

Prayer Requests:

• For the students who committed or recommitted their lives to Christ this week.
• That all the students would return home and remain on fire for Christ
• That all the adult leaders would get good rest after the crazy week.
• For the Inlow Staff as they continue to host camps this summer
• That we would be effective in serving the church in Tatum

Bryce:

Double Mop Master

This week at Inlow Baptist Camp we had the opportunity to serve with the recreation team during StuCamps. 

One of the greatest blessings from this week was reconnecting with a student I had met before. We were able to spend time talking about life, faith, and some of the things they had been going through. I was thankful that God opened the door for those conversations and allowed me to encourage them and point them back to Christ. Sometimes the most meaningful moments of ministry happen in simple conversations.

Through this week, God reminded me that ministry is about relationships more than programs or activities. While games and events are fun, the real impact comes from taking the time to love people well and investing in their lives. This week strengthened my desire to continue serving students and reminded me that God can use ordinary conversations to accomplish His work. I am thankful for the opportunities He gave me this week and look forward to wherever He leads me next.

Angella:

This week was wild but amazing, this week was probably the most exhausted I had felt so far. I got to be a team game leader and a high school small group leader, go orange team!!! It initially was pretty awkward because I have not lead small group in any capacity in quite some time, but I saw the Lord work in my high school group so much. I thought that a lot of my students were just there not really seeking to grow in their relationship with God but later in the week I got to witness three of them dedicate their lives to Jesus and see their walls begin to crumble! It was such a joyful and emotional moment and; a physical representation that our prayers do not go wasted, God uses it all (Romans 8:28-29)!! This week, I got to connect and get to know a lot of the youth leaders and it was so sweet to spend time with them and hear their stories. Shout out to all the youth leaders at First Baptist Church of West Albuquerque, you guys rock!! This week the Lord worked on my own heart so much too! Thank you Jesus for this week and all that you did!

Carly:

Hi everyone! I'm Carly, I am a student at UNM Challenge and was volunteering at StuCamp because of my connection with the UNM NM team I got to serve alongside them this week. StuCamp was a blast! I was super excited when I was offered the opportunity to serve there this week because I attended as a high schooler and have a lot of special memories there. The NM Team let me tag along with them and even let me write my own portion in their blog! I helped with rec and snack shack, and then I jumped in as a small group leader part way through the week.  One of my favorite parts of this camp was seeing kids who were hesitant during worship at the beginning of the week start to become more comfortable and praise God unashamedly. It was really encouraging seeing how selflessly the NM Team serves the kids, the adults, and each other. I had so much fun and learned so much!

Asher:

This week definitely existed... I think. Everything was such a blur but what I do remember is how awesome of a time it was. I went to bed every night exhausted but so so happy to see what God is doing among the youth. I had a lot of fun running Rec and forming relationships with all of the kids. I even got to participate in a volleyball tournament with a student team and that was really cool to get to know those kids a little better. One of my favorite parts of camp was just the late night conversations with the camp Lead Team. Everyone who served at the camp was so awesome and it was wonderful to get to talk to them. During the night of worship on Thursday, I was looking around and seeing all these students praising God so passionately and it hit me. It's worth it. Everything that New Mexico team has done so far and everything that goes into organizing these camps is worth it. It's worth it for the one student who gives their life to Christ. As we begin the second half-(ish) of our summer I am going to hold that as my encouragement for everything we do. It's worth it for the one. 

Ashby:

Where do I even begin with how good God’s been this week at Inlow? Where God moved most for me was seeing the boys from a church near my hometown come to faith. These Bloomfield boys (my nickname for them) were very closed off the first night of camp. They were too cool to listen to the pastor, raise their hands in worship and kept messing around, distracting us and each other. Rightfully so, I was pretty mad, but I talked with their youth pastor (whom I knew from my hometown) and during the adult meeting, they prayed for these boys. By Thursday (the end of the week) these boys had a 180 change. They prayed with their pastor on their knees, and during the worship night raised their hands in reverence for God. I was told they even apologized for their behavior and felt sorry for wasting their leaders time and wasting the love that was poured into them. Only God can bring about a change like that. There were more instances of His goodness, like seeing a previous church’s member hate camp and, by the end of the week, raise his hands in worship with tears in his eyes. I saw girls who had never known God come to faith in God. I saw girls who hated themselves learn how to heal. And at the night of worship, I was inspired to write a poem in honor of all the healing that God was providing. I'd love to share it with you when I get back!

Shoutout Richard!

Naptime

Snack Shack!

Christian Challenge Breakout!

"I'm tired of this grandpa!"

Hola from team BAAA! This week has been very busy but a lot of fun. We were part of the kitchen staff at Sivell's Baptist Camp and were able to serve over 100 kids! It was a lot of work and the days were long but it was super rewarding to see all the kids happily eating. The other kitchen staff were super cool and it was a joy to work alongside them. We had to deal with more sickness among the team but we were able to persevere through the frustration and poor health. The area we were in was absolutely beautiful which was an added bonus. This next week we will be up at Inlow Baptist Camp where we will serve as the rec team for Student Camp. It'll be exhausting for sure but we are excited to see how the Lord will move among the students.

Prayer Requests

• For all the children at Kids Camp who got to hear the good news of Jesus.
• That the staff at Sivell's would be blessed as they prepare for future camps.
• That the team would stay in good health for this next week.
• For energy running rec all week.

Bryce:

This week at Sivells Baptist Camp we were assisting in the BCNM Kids Camp. We had the opportunity to serve at the camp by helping in the kitchen. Our team worked to prepare meals and assist in serving food for 3 meals. It was very rewarding to help meet the needs of hungry tummies. Unfortunately however, I became sick on the third day and was unable to continue helping for the rest of the week, which was disappointing. 

Through the week, God reminded me that His plans are greater than me and what help I can over. His plans will work out no matter if we are able to partake or not. However, God still works to heal us and I feel better as of now.

Ashby:

Hey everyone!! 

This week at Sivells was a lot of fun! Tiring but definitely an experience worth remembering. We worked in the kitchen for most of the time, but I got to teach leather crafts for a few days!! Working in the kitchen was a lot of learning, adapting and working but now I fully understand and appreciate the work put in by any and all kitchen staff! I became the official pancake and fryer lady, frying everything between potato chips, tater tots, hashbrowns, churros and more. I also got the wonderful opportunity to clean a fryer- let’s just say my arms were well oiled that day haha! But God used this experience to teach me patience, endurance and discipline, so it was not a waste. It was a sweet time for fellowship as well, as a few of us got together to sing acoustic worship by the pond and I got to hear all the kids singing one night loudly to Goodness of God. I remember smiling because  that’s what Heaven will sound like. I got to make new friends as well, such as Ms. June (the main cool), and Mr. Tom (my pancake buddy). I think the best part of my week was being nicknamed the “leather lady” by some of the little girls and getting to know them more. Thank you so much for the prayers! I hope everyone is doing well!! 

Shoutout to Abby- thank you so much for being such a wonderful friend and supporting me in times of hardship🫶

Angella:

This week we helped in the kitchen at Sivells Baptist Camp. I got to lead a beads craft with the students; they got to make their own bead creations, and then I melted them and took them off the molds. I made and handed out drinks for every meal; a lot of the kids gave me dirty looks, and it was funny. We got to hang out with Pastor Larry and Cynthia Evans and their youth students; it was really edifying to see that he takes his students to serve at kids camp when they could be doing so many other things. It was really sweet to get to play games with Ms. June and Mr. Tracy, even though they didn’t let me win. I also helped in the snack shack; it was very chaotic. All the kids were trying to squeeze into a small space and wanted to buy all of the sugar. Overall, it was a candy bag full of experiences. I enjoyed a lot of the different tasks that I got to assist with.

Asher:

Olleh! 

This past week was really exhausting but man was it fun. I really appreciated having a lot of stuff to do. I am not a morning person at all so I missed out on preparing breakfast every morning but every other meal I was able to help with. I did not realize how much work goes into serving food to a camp but I have a newfound appreciation for camp staff. It was definitely a challenge to prepare all that food especially cause I have very little experience cooking. I was always doing something different and no two meals were the same. I feel like I learned a lot though and I'm really glad I got to experience it. I also really appreciated freezer breaks. The kids at camp were also really funny and I got to play some sports with them on the first day. You can never predict what they'll do next and this week was a testament to that. Specifically, I saw a kid at lunch one day who only put green beans on his plate when we had a whole spread of possible food. I don't think I'll forget him and I'll keep him in my prayers cause he needs it (just kidding).

Dishrats! (respectfully)

Pastor Larry!

 

Ashby's Crafts!

God's beautiful creation

In the Mountains Tall

Salutations from team BAAA! This week we had a lovely time serving at Trinity Southern Baptist Church in Capitan, New Mexico. We served in their VBS as group leaders and other supporting roles which was a nice change of pace. We only had 4 days of VBS this week but it was an awesome time getting to know the kids and the members of the church. We ran the VBS in the mornings and had the opportunity to go to Fort Lone Tree in the afternoons to help with assorted projects. It was really cool to see how things ran at the Fort and it gave us a taste of what camp life is like. We ran into some health problems during the week but by God's grace we were able to get it sorted out and complete the VBS. Our next destination will be Sivell's Baptist camp where we will serve on the kitchen crew. 

Prayer Requests

• That Trinity SBC would continue to faithfully serve the Lord in their community
• That Mr. Noble of our host family would have a quick recovery from surgery
• For continued healthiness and focus within the team. 
• For strength to serve the camp staff and the kids at Sivell's this next week. 

Bryce:

This week at Trinity SBC we had the privilege to help with another VBS. I personally worked as a small group leader and assisted with music for the VBS. Not only that, we also spent time at Fort Lone Tree where we were blessed to help them in many ways. As Fort Lone Tree hosts kids camps, it is harder for them to find the time to get tasks done around the property. It was our joy to do some of these for them and help them out. 

Through all this, God reminded me that serving others can happen with just simple everyday tasks. Working with children and worship, or doing physical labor. God uses all He needs to make a difference in the believer and unbeliever. I was taught to serve others with a joyful heart this week.

Ashby

Hey everyone!

This week in Capitán was so much fun. Not only did we get to help out with Trinity’s VBS, but we got to do some landscaping shenanigans at Fort Lone Tree, a local Christian camp for kids. God was teaching me so much during this time, like how to trust in Him and be patient in less than perfect circumstances. Please keep Trinity in your prayers to continue to grow into a loving church community and for one of the girls in my group, as she was invited to VBS but doesn’t actually go to church at all. Pray that God used this VBS time to work in her heart and bring her to church!

Asher:

In the wise words of Megamind, ollo!

This week in the mountains has been an awesome time. It took a bit of adjusting to the different environment but I had a great experience serving at Trinity's VBS. I was assigned the role of games leader for the week and I had a lot of fun with that. The week's theme was all about archeology so I got to create a character named Dr. Rokdig who lead the kids through all the games. The children loved the character and I got to form relationships with a lot of them. It sounds silly, but I also enjoyed the chance to do some manual labor up at Fort Lone Tree. It felt good to serve the Lord in a simple way like that. The whole area we were in was gorgeous and I loved having the chance to wander around Ruidoso. It's definitely a place I want to come back to and visit the amazing people at Trinity SBC!

Angella

This week was really sweet; I got to serve with Ms. Jeanne, Danielle, and Mrs. Kim on music and missions, and it was so much fun. Getting to hear these ladies' stories of how God has worked in and through their lives was so sweet and encouraging that God desires to use us for His mission wherever our feet may be planted.

In the middle of this week, I started not feeling well again, so my team advised for me to go to the hospital again. They gave me medicine and prescribed some for me to take every day, and I’m feeling a lot better now. In the midst of this confusing and scary time of having health issues again, I really saw the Lord’s provision and protection in a super tangible way, and I know that He still has a plan and purpose for my life, even when that shows up in ways that are less than ideal. It has made me remember and be in awe of how much in my day-to-day life I have so many reasons to praise the Lord for (Psalm 103)!

Photos:

Album cover

Working at Fort Lone Tree!

Building benches!

Team Lunch!

Tech Booth!