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Fall 2017
Our fall newsletter is finally out. Be sure to read it to find out about some exciting things we have been working on. There is a link below for a larger/printable version.
Larger/printable version: Fall 2017
Summer Newsletter
Here is our summer newsletter giving you an update on our very busy summer full of VBS and camp ministry.
Larger / Printable pdf version: Summer 2017 Newsletter
WOW, what a blessing!
We have been praying for months about the possibility of getting a bigger rig to use as we minister in churches. The one we had was very cramped for our family of seven. Even though it was classified to sleep nine, it only had a double bed and three bunks (the top bunk where Blake slept was so close to the ceiling he couldn’t turn over without hitting his shoulders on the ceiling). It was also hard to move around in, especially when Shawna was trying to cook in the kitchen area. This spring we decided to put it up for sale and see if the Lord would provide a buyer. Meanwhile, we researched what travel trailer would be a better fit for our family. We had many inquiries about the travel trailer we were trying to sell, and the Lord sold it nine days after it was put on the market for a better price than we really thought we would be able to get out of it. We knew the Lord was in it, and had settled on a model we felt would be a good fit, but the price was five thousand dollars more than the sale of our travel trailer. We continued to pray for God’s direction and His provision.
God provided every penny needed, including having the sellers of the model we were looking at drop their price $2,000. It is awesome to see God work. This past week we made the four and a half 
hour trip to southeast PA to make the purchase. The new to us travel trailer is just what we were looking for. It is a lite, so it can be pulled with our Chevy Suburban, is five feet longer, has a nice slide-out, four bunks, and a few other perks like an oven for Shawna. God is so good!
On our way back from picking up the travel trailer, we stopped by Hershey’s Chocolate World and took the kids on their tour (a free tour and we all got a free Hershey’s chocolate bar to boot 🙂 ).
Spring Newsletter
Check out our spring newsletter for an update on our ministry happenings.
Larger / Printable pdf version: spring 2017 newsletter
Winter Newsletter
For a recent update on our ministry happenings and things we are working on, check out our winter newsletter below.
Larger / Printable pdf version: winter-2017-newsletter
Brooks Family Thanksgiving Psalm 2016
We praise You, O Lord, for Your greatness. Your might is beyond comprehension, and You reign over all the universe, yet You care about the daily needs of our family.
We praise You for granting us health and pray that we will use the strength You give us always to serve you.
We thank You for creating our unique personalities, granting us unique talents, and giving us opportunities to use them. We are grateful to You for opportunities to be creative – planning, writing, acting, singing, cooking, building, teaching, preaching. Our efforts are a tiny reflection of Your mighty creative acts, yet You use us for Your glory.
Daily we thank You for home and food. You control the rain and the sun, and this summer You chose to withhold the rain, yet miraculously You still blessed us with an abundant harvest. Our best efforts in the garden are useless apart from Your blessing, and we humbly thank You for fruitful seasons that fill our hearts with food and gladness.
We thank you for work and for play, for children’s laughter and for grandparents’ stories, for heaven and the joyous expectation of seeing loved ones again so that we do not have to sorrow as those with no hope.
We thank You for the peace that comes from knowing that Your will is always best, even when it isn’t easiest, and treasure Your promise to give us all the resources we need to live for You.
You are our strength, our sustainment, our joy, our peace, our guide, and our Savior. For all of these we praise and worship You.
Led by the Star
Christmas is just around the corner and we are looking forward to presenting a special Christmas musical program entitled “Led by the Star”.
This Christmas musical opens with a family enjoying the wonders of the night sky, which leads to a discussion of the star the wise men saw announcing Jesus’ birth. From there, it explores the story of the wise men being led by that special star. In conclusion, the family once again gathers, talking about that special star and the Star that leads us today, Jesus Christ. The storyline is interwoven with a variety of musical numbers.
We will be sharing this Christmas musical program on…
Sunday, December 4th at 11:00am
North Eulalia Baptist Church
683 State Route 49E
Coudersport, PA 16915
Sunday, December 11th at 10:30am
Catatonk Baptist Church
1199 Owego Road
Owego, NY 13827
Sunday, December 18th at 11:00am
Cowlesville Baptist Church
798 Church Street
Cowlesville, NY 14037
Sunday, December 25th at 11:00am
Jackson Summit Baptist Church
2851 Route 328
Millerton, PA 16936
Sunday, January 1st at 6:00pm
Dexter Baptist Church
1215 Route 660 West
Wellsboro, PA 16901
Merry Christmas!
Craft Day
What better way to spend a cold, damp fall
day than enjoying warm Christian fellowship while crafting seasonal decorations?! It was a delight to watch friends, and even several mother-daughter pairs, enjoy relaxed, informal time together. 
One highlight of the day was fresh cider, pressed on-site throughout the day, complemented of course by fresh apple cider donuts. Blake helped with the cider pressing, and the girls were each stationed by a craft, supplying helpful tips as the ladies worked on their projects. Even Braelyn found a job, playing with baby Elizabeth, who came along with her mother.
Erich quizzed the ladies on which craft
was their favorite, and each answer I heard was different. I think each craft was my favorite . . . for different reasons. My station today was the friendship knots, and in our devotional time we explored some ways the friendship knots can help us remember to be intentional in our friendships, making sure we are influencing those around us to be more like Christ.
Vacation Bible School
This past week, we were in Belmont, NY, putting on a Vacation Bible School for First Baptist Church. The theme for the week was “Timber!”
Throughout the week, we shared of different illustrations of timber through the Bible and correlated them to colors in the wordless book. We were excited and praise the Lord for three young people who trusted Christ as their Savior! There were a lot of youth who attended who don’t attend church, so it was exciting to share God’s Word with them.
Each evening, we had a visit from Saul Onion (puppet) and some of his fellow loggers sharing of the different jobs in the logging camp as well as a visit from dendrologist Dr. Yewleaf Willow sharing about trees and applications to our lives.
Through the week, the young people also enjoyed singing, games, crafts, and snacks each evening.
Several of the days we played street hockey in a local park and were able to make some good contacts and even saw some come out to VBS because of it.
While there in Belmont, we also enjoyed the fellowship of Pastor and Mrs. Bill Matthews and the people of the church.
