New BLOG Location!

Hey friends,

I just wanted to let you all know that I am cancelling Xanga.  My blogs will now be found on blogspot - http:\\chadanddargan.blogspot.com.  It will still be linked there from the ismk homepage, and you sign up to receive it by email as well.  You can also find me on facebook, under my @agmd.org email address.

blessings!

Hello MKs!

 I know that it has been way too long since I have written to you!  So many things have been going on in the MK world, that it is hard to know where to start.  Let me start by saying hello!  Candidate School is over.  School of Missions is over.  MK Missions Trip is over.  General Council is over, and my family vacation is over!  So many things in one summer!  I don’t think you want to hear about them all at one time J.    Let me just say that they all went great.  Although I didn’t go to General Council, Bethanie Skipper did – and she is my witness that a fun time was had by all mks!  For those of you who were at one of the summers events, can you write me and let me know what made it special for you?  I love knowing what happened!

 The thing that is on the front of my mind (which is about all I can handle) is the MK Missions trip to Honduras.  We promoted it for a year, and had 15 signed up to go.  When we finally departed, there were 12.  It was definitely a highlight of the year for all of us that went on the trip.   I don’t think that any of us had ever been to Honduras; and most of the MKs had never been to a Latin American country.  I wish I could adequately describe the trip, but I don’t think I can.  It was amazing.  Hanging out with the high school MKs, and watching them actively involved in missions was so much fun.  Seeing MKs out of their own comfort zone; in a truly foreign country; not speaking the language… so many things about it that made it unique.  I will be featuring the MKs letters about the trip in days to come.  On that note, how many of you are interested in a missions trip next summer?  You need to know that these trips are all self-funded, meaning you have to raise your own support L.

 I am also in the process of considering all the different blog rings out there.  What do you use?  Do you use myspace, xanga, blogspot, facebook…?  You may use them all.  Which one is your favorite, and why?  If we were to set up an official (private) chat room for AG MKs, what would you want it to look like?  Is that something you would see as being valuable, or not?  These are just things that we are considering.  I have issues with the advertisements that show up on some of them!  They certainly have drawbacks.  I see where we need to be so careful in what we do, and the blog sites we go to!  What do you think about them?

 One other question for all you MKs – what kind of things would you like to see in the newsletters we send out?  Is there some kind of information that you think would be valuable?  We want to be intentional in what we do.  We want it to have meaning!  Let me know what we can do to make improvements in what we are doing.

 I will be in touch with you all.  Keep in touch!

 Blessings,

 Bwana Chad

Candidate School starts on Sunday!  We are all on Evangel's campus, preparing for the new MKs to arrive this weekend.  I would just ask that you pray for us as we minsiter to these MKs and help prepare them for the lives that lay ahead.  We have a fairly large numberof MKs going through this year, as well as a very large group for School of Missions!  We thought that last year was large, but this year is even larger than last.

We pray you are all doing well.  Keep in touch with us.

Hello friends!  I appreciate all the cards, letters and emails from everyone.  I have received so many kind words from people, concolences for my brother - and I just wanted to say thanks!  What a great family.

I returned last night from the All Europe Retreat.  WOW!  It was wonderful.  We had about 170 MKs from all over Europe.  It was so much fun, but a whirlwind of a trip.  My entire family came with me, whch made it all the more special.  I am always amazed at how quickly MKs are able to connect with each other and form bonds.  It seems like we can be seperated from each other for a couple of years, but when we come back together - it is like we have always been together.  I love watching the MKs form those lifelong bonds.  I have many MK friends that I formed those bonds with way back when I was a kid attending the All Europe Retreat.  Those times and those retreats are special.  Anyway, thanks everyone for all you do for MKs, and the love that you share with the Mk family!

Hello friends.  I just wanted to let all of you know that my brother, Bradley, passed away last night.  Dargan, my mother and I were there, holding his hands, and rubbing his arms as he went to be with the Lord at 7:30 pm.  My father had passed away when I was 15, so it really is a joy knowing that they are together in heaven with the Lord!  Brad was 46 years old, and truly a joy to be around.  He survived wars in Africa and a life with Marvins Syndrome.  My kids said he "was the best joke teller ever!"  Most of you probably did not know him.  However, I ask that you rejoice with us in his homegoing, and pray for the family as we go through the process of saying goodbye to him.  God's timing is always perfect.  I had been at an MK conference all week, and drove into town at about 3:45pm.  I called my mom, who was with him in the hospital.  They had just taken him to the Critical Care Unit in the hospital.  I was able to go with her and be with her throughout the evening.  My other brother, Shawn, arrived by plane last night from Minneapolis.

Thanks for all your prayers everyone!  We appreciate it!