Oasis August 2022 update
Dear Friends and Family, August 2022
Greetings from northeast Arizona in the midst of monsoon season! Right now, the rain is coming down in vast torrents. This is the one time of year that we get a fair amount of rainfall. The sky is frequently amazing with rainbows, lightning, curtains of rain, and blowing dust that obscures the scenery. It can be quite magnificent.
Oasis Youth Ministries is now into its third month of existence, and we are continuing to watch the Lord get this endeavor off the ground. The school year has begun, and we are preparing for several upcoming events.
What used to be called “Core” is now called “the Well.” It was the name that more of the teens liked of those that were considered. This group is split into junior high and high school students and has begun meeting weekly for the fall semester. The jr high students are currently studying through the book of Ephesians; the high school students have decided to do a survey of the Old Testament. Our students have a desire to learn the Bible, which is thrilling! Too often adults tend to think modern teens need constant entertainment with shallow content. This makes perfect sense considering how young people tend to be portrayed in the media. Thankfully, we are discovering that that is not necessarily true. While they enjoy silly activities and games, they also enjoy being challenged mentally and spiritually. They have a desire to understand God and the Bible; they like knowing what they believe and why they believe it, and we are very encouraged to see that is the case.
We recently took 15 teenagers and several adults to R Lazy J Wildlife Ranch in Eagar, AZ, which is a zoo and animal rescue center. We fed camels, alpacas, llamas, water buffalo, antelope, wallabies, sheep, parakeets, and other animals. Eagar is in the White Mountain area and the air was cool and nice, a welcome respite from the oppressive heat at lower elevations much of the summer. After leaving the ranch we went to a local park and had lunch. Carrie gave an excellent talk and shared the Gospel with the group. Following the talk, the teens hung out and played in the park before we headed back to Holbrook.
On August the 26th we are planning a kickoff for the new school year at a local park. There will be games, grilled hot dogs, and more. We are hoping and praying for a good turnout, as these events are excellent opportunities to meet local teens and let them know what the ministry is about, and to let them know about some of the opportunities for the coming school year.
Every year our teens participate in Operation Christmas Child; they have a blast packing shoe boxes to send to children in need around the world. This September Oasis has the opportunity to join with multiple churches in Navajo County (the county we live in) to go and listen to a speaker who was on the receiving end of one of these OCC shoe boxes as a child; we will also be learning how Oasis can participate with other churches in the county for this year’s collection of OCC shoe boxes with the hope of increasing our giving.
Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support as we continue to walk forward in faith in this new ministry that God is starting here in the area of Holbrook, AZ. Without your support, none of this would be possible. Your partnering with this ministry is making a difference in this windswept part of northeast Arizona! Blessings, Jerad & Carrie Burgess