Dear friends,
“O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You have known my sitting down and rising up. You understand my thoughts afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.” – Psalm 139:1-6
These words have been a source of encouragement and challenge for me. He knows all about the hard things, and He is protecting me in all directions at the same time. He knows my thoughts, actions, and reactions, and I am responsible for how I respond. May God be glorified in my actions and reactions!
We’ve been through a season of hardship, but we’ve also experienced some sweet blessings this summer. I won’t go into detail about the hard things because I know we each face struggles that either refine us into a better image of our Savior or tempt us to give up. But we keep going, keep trusting, and keep serving, because He is worth it.
Our summer began on June 3 with 55 college-aged summer staff and 30 high school-aged leadership students. After a week of intense training, we began three weeks of teen, junior, and horsemanship camps. God blessed us with 23 salvations and a total of 247 spiritual decisions based on the truth of His Word.
The next week, we said goodbye to a few staff members and welcomed some new ones. For the following three weeks, we focused on serving local churches in ways that met their specific needs, and we heard of an additional 20+ salvations, bringing the total to over 330 spiritual decisions. To God be the glory!
In July, we celebrated the marriage of our middle daughter, Alyssa, to Tyler LaFlamme. We are so thankful for Tyler’s desire to follow Jesus and love Alyssa. We couldn’t be happier for them. All of our kids were there, except for Eric, Jolynn’s husband. We cherished every moment, especially getting to know Tyler’s family and enjoying friends, whom God has graciously brought into our lives.
Tyler & Alyssa LaFlamme
In August, we welcomed 18 young adults to our ministry crew. It’s encouraging to see their fresh excitement and energy for serving. Ben is continuing to work with the program team and they have been super busy running camp. I continue to care for my mom, serve in the nursery ministry at church, and volunteer at women’s retreats.
As we enter the fall, here’s how you can pray for us:
• Spiritual decisions during the fall season
• Campers to fill our camp
• Wisdom as we transition into parenting adult children: Jolynn and Eric in Indonesia, Gavin in San Diego, Alyssa and Tyler in Greenville, and Kayla finishing high school here
• My mom, Rella, as she battles Alzheimer’s, and wisdom for me as I care for her
Here are some of our praises:
• Alyssa’s wonderful wedding
• All the spiritual decisions made this summer, to God’s glory
• Safety throughout the summer
• God’s provision for our health, food, and material needs
Thank you for your prayers and for walking alongside us in this season.
In Christ,
Ben & Jennifer Magee
Ben and Jen 