Dear friends,

I wanted to give you an update this week as much is happening with regards to New Life Community Church.  Last Sunday, was mission Sunday and we heard from our team who is planning to be in Nicaragua at the end of the month.  We learned in Acts 1:8, that God is interested in offering the world hope through His Son Jesus Christ.  This world includes Louisa County, the city of Charlottesville, VA, the country of Turkey, and finally, the country of Nicaragua. 

As   our family travels across the west this week, we have been to many exciting places including the oldest church in the United States.  The San Miguel Mission was built in 1610, when Santa Fe was founded, and the foundation of the original church can still be seen under the sanctuary of the present structure.  We were also able to visit the Saint Francis of Assisi church located right in Old Town Santa Fe.  After taking church history last semester, I can see much of how the southwest is mostly Catholic.  This has been an exciting time of relaxation and togetherness as we spend time together as a family.  We broke down one time on the New Mexico border, called a tow truck and within 1 minute, the vehicle was running again.  I had to cancel the tow truck and come to find out, it was a faulty gas cap that wasn’t allowing fuel to get through the system.  So far so good and we are back on our way.  My parents have flown to Las Vegas so our plan is to catch up with them at the Grand Canyon and then we will head home through the Rocky Mountains (Denver, St. Louis, etc.).  Pray for our safety and we would like to have no more scary truck moments. 

While we are gone, Pastor John and Jeff are taking care of things quite well and we are thankful that when we go away, we have great ministry leaders who can help us keep the work going.  This Sunday, July 19th, we will be back at Blue Ridge Shores for another picnic/baptism celebration.  There will be great food, games, and lots of stuff to do.  The festivities begin at 3pm and last to whenever.  Come this Sunday for directions and the pass code for the gate.  Also, on July 26th, we will be fellowshipping with Standing on the Promises of God church located on Waldrop Church Road.  The food will be served at 3 pm along with preaching, music and fellowship.  There are also many other things happening around New Life to which I am sending you our advertisements. 

Thanks for taking the time to read our update.  For other updates and pictures of our trip, check us out on facebook.  See you on the 26th.