April Update!!

Hello Everyone,

I know this is a little later getting to you than usual and I apologize. It is amazing how fast time goes by. I cant even believe it is already April.

I am so grateful to everyone that has supported us being here and has committed to supporting us monthly. It humbles me every time I think about God having us here and that other people would want to invest in what God is doing here in Pine Ridge. It honestly is overwhelming in a good way.

The last month and a half have been busy getting settled in as well as getting back into the groove of ministry. Mike has been traveling so I have been blessed with the opportunity to preach on Sundays and the last few Wednesday nights. We have started the teen night back on Friday nights and have been having a good turn out. We are in the process of kicking off some addiction accountability group meetings on Sunday nights as well as Amanda starting a ladies bible study on Tuesday nights focusing on forgiveness.

In the mean time we have been blessed with a groups that have wanted to volunteer their resources and time to still work on our building projects. Last week we were able to pour a full size basketball court for the kids camp this summer. We are looking forward to picking back up with our building, starting the insulation and sheetrock in the next month and working on it through the summer as the time and resources allow.

Being here in the winter has been a new experience for us. Last week we got around 26" of snow and as I am writing this now I am watching the snow fall outside as it has done all last night. We are expecting a few more inches today. Pastor Mike told me last summer that there is more ministry to be done in the winter as far as serving and disciplining. I have found that the ministry between summer and winter is just different types of ministry, but there is definite opportunity to counsel during these months.

Amanda is doing fine, she has had some ups and downs with morning (afternoon and night) sickness, but it seems to be subsiding the further along she gets. Hopefully we will find out what the gender is in the next few weeks or so and we will let you know. We have got some baby chicks and plan to be having some fresh eggs by the end of summer. it has been fun watching them grow and I know Amanda is having a blast chasing them around the house. (I can see it in her eyes)

I have been meditating on Nehemiah lately, what a beautiful picture of restoration. In Neh 1:4 it says that Nehemiah wept when he heard the news of Jerusalem and the shape that it was in. It is so easy as Christians to complain about the shape our church is in, our nation or even the shape that we as individuals are in, but there is delight in knowing and understanding that we have a God that did not design us to be in shambles even in spite of our ruin He has plans of restoration for us. Our response to ruin should be the desire to run to the One who makes all things new. Restoration is needed not just here in Pine Ridge but is something each one of us should be longing for as individuals so that it can overflow into our churches and corporations to bring life into these dry bones. My heart breaks for the people in Boston, as Christians it is an opportunity to weep at the brokenness and ask God what can we do to go rebuild and bring restoration to a hurting people. I hope this challenges you in the same way it has me to have a different response to brokenness in our lives.

I am looking forward to see what God is going to continue to do here and through our lives. As a whole we are super excited for summer to be here.

Learning to serve the Lord in all we do,

Matt, Amanda, Jacob, Leah and Bump