FOCUS on Summer Ministry

Bay & Peg Forrest | 300-A Squaw Valley Place | Pagosa Springs, CO 81147

It’s Fall! Where Did Summer Go?

We just noticed, other than a few “Mail Chimp” e-letters we’ve sent out over the last few months, that you haven’t received an official newsletter from us since June! You probably haven’t noticed you hadn’t received any either, if your summer has been like ours…the best words to describe it for us: on-the-go! So, let us re-cap our summer for you through pictures and a few words…

CHANGES Over the summer

Our website, www.focusministries.org, has been updated (thanks to our nephew, Paul Brinton). We like our new look; think it’s easier to find things; and love that you can get our daily prayer calendar there, as well as other information.

Peg’s blog, posted each Monday, is “just a thought” reflecting on life, Scriptures, & Jesus: www.peg-justathought.blogspot.com

New emails:

bay@focusministries.org | peg@focusministries.org

CAMP of the Woods

The above picture was taken one beautiful summer evening as Bay, Joe, & Peg returned from Tapawingo (the girls camp) at Camp of the Woods (see picture of Peg below). Each summer for many years, we head to COW, the middle of July, where the three of us are involved in numerous ministries: Tapawingo (Bay, Peg & Joe), the Kids Carnival (Bay & Joe), youth camp (Bay), staff chapel (Bay), and adult chapel (Bay & Joe – see below). Every summer, we’ve seen the Lord use those opportunities for His glory with many salvations, and lots of one-on-one spontaneous meetings to encourage and counsel. A highlight this summer was one of the staff sharing with Bay how he’d been saved at Teen Camp years before & now was there working. How we love to hear that! Nothing better than multiplication!

Peg speaking to the girls at Tapawingo, the camp on the island that is in the middle of Lake Pleasant, and a part of Camp of the Woods. It’s always a delight to step off the boat & into God’s presence in this place!

 

 

It’s a little difficult to see, from the place where this picture was taken, but Bay & Joe are giving the audience a pre-chapel performance to the adults at Camp of the Woods.

 

Bay spoke the first of August at Burton Family Camp. The church at Burton was founded by his grandfather, Fred, whom he is named after. What a treat to take four of our grandsons with him…who knows, maybe one will carry on?

 

Indiana

Bay left July fourth (great time to travel – he was even upgraded to first class on the way) to head to Ft. Wayne, IN where he was asked to fill the pulpit at Emmanuel Community Church. We’ve been in Ft. Wayne so often, it has almost become a second home (smile)…yet, we are so thankful for the multiple opportunities in the many different churches in that area where we’ve been blessed to share the gospel story! We count it a blessing EVERY TIME God opens the doors to put us where He wants us, when He wants us!

Montana

Sometimes, it amazes us how the Lord works. Our contact to the two churches in Montana where Bay was asked to preach in August was the District Superintendent of Nazarene churches. Bill Carr is a dear friend of ours, who generally travels to Cuba with us training pastors. Little did we know when we agreed to go that Bay had close relatives in each church. What an added blessing to be with Bay’s aunt & uncle, as well as two of his cousins and their families at Whitefish Nazarene and Libby Nazarene Churches. As well, in between each event, we snuck into Canada and did a little sight seeing in Banff (with friends from Boise, our board president, Rick & Nancy Daniels). That trip left us all breathless @ God’s unbelievable creation!

Samaritan’s Purse

The first of September found us in Blowing Rock, NC. We were contacted just a little over a week prior by the projects manager at SP, wondering if we could move up our December trip to Liberia to meet with the Liberian staff in a crisis intervention debrief. The dreaded Ebola outbreak has taken it’s toll on each SP staff member, with two of the medical team having contracted Ebola (I’m sure you saw that in the recent news), yet seeing God graciously bring healing to them. SP brought home all their staff after a 21-day quarantine in undisclosed locations for this time of healing, encouragement and debriefing on the effects of stress and need for self-care. Bay and I were thrilled to be a part of that endeavor with both of us meeting in one-on-one sessions, speaking to the large group (Bay leading a communion service – see picture above), and Peg leading a small group discussion. What a joy to see God turn the mourning of these dear saints into the beginning of great healing!

 

 

FAMILY TIME

All the family was home over the fourth of July. What great memories we made together as kids played, enjoyed the Pagosa festivities, and spent time together. Papa Bay was only here for one night of the chaos, I mean, memory making, but Nana got some quality time with all her grand-treasures! THREE Pictures

All the family together for a group picture the night before Papa left on a ministry trip. This is a “first” in many years…even our grand-dog, Izzy was around for the picture.

 

Nana with all fourteen of her grand-treasures – each one is unique, precious, and greatly loved! They now range from 15 to almost (he makes sure you know it’s almost) 5. What fun we had!

 

…the four that we like to call our “kids”, no matter how old, mature, and responsible they are. Still believe the Apostle John’s words are true – there is no greater joy than to know they walk in the truth!