Abigail and Josiah

Merry Christmas 2009

We had a wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ (the Savior of the world). It is so amazing that He chose to die on the cross for our sins so that we could have eternal life. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing,it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." There is nothing that we can do to get to heaven on our own, but all we have to do is believe (trust) in Jesus Christ's work on the cross. He died on the cross for our sins (Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.") and rose again on the third day. He did that for each and every one of us. It is a gift, all we have to do is recieve it. It continues to amaze me that He loved me so much to do that for me. He has changed me so much within the last seven years and it is because of His Holy Spirit working in me. I can't wait to be in heaven with Him after I die. He gives such peace that no one or nothing else can. Thank you Lord for giving me the best present that I could ever recieve. You are what Christmas is all about!!

On Christmas we were home as a family of four. We spent time focusing on what Christmas is all about and then we enjoyed a lot of good food. We had steak, shrimp, mashed potatoes, green beans, and apple pie. It was so good. Brian makes really good steaks. We just relaxed and enjoyed the day together as a family. Thank you Lord for the family you have given me.

Josiah is doing great and is already back to his birth weight and is starting to get a double chin already and he is only ten days old. wow!! Abigail loves to help with him. Today he got his first bath and he was crying of course. She helped wash him and lotion him up. She thought that was great. She is having a little bit of a hard time adjusting with not being able to spend as much time with mommy. She will learn, it will just take some time.

We hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas

Josiah James Schroeder

Born December 16,2009 at 6:26am
Seven pounds 5 ounce
Nineteen and one half Inches

Schroeder News-Fall 2009

Schroeder News
Fall 2009

We are excited for the fall season approaching. We love the cooler weather, the changing of the leaves, all the yummy fruits and vegetables, and also it is hunting season. It is amazing how God created the different seasons and how everything works together. He is the creator and sustainer of life. Praise the Lord!

During this summer there were 11 kids who accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. It is so amazing to see how the Lord convicts people of their sin, and makes them realize that they need a Savior, who is Jesus Christ. He died for our sins and rose again on the third day. It is so comforting to know that we will be with Him some day in heaven. What peace He gives. We also are very humbled that He would choose to use us in His work. We are merely vessels for Him, what an amazing thing.
Brian stayed busy working with the teenagers who volunteer for the summer. He was their leader, which is such a blessing, but can also be a challenge. He is the Archery instructor, helps with games, dishes, and much more. I worked in the kitchen for the four weeks, which I really enjoy. I love cooking!! But I do miss getting to know the campers better.

Abigail had her 2nd birthday on July 24th, which is hard to believe. Time flies. She is so cute. She is beginning to put words together and is such a joy to us. She continues to make us laugh. She is learning her colors, loves the sand box and chocolate.

We also wanted to inform everyone that we are expecting our second child in December. We are having a BOY!!! I am doing great, and I am finally looking pregnant. The baby is healthy and growing as he should.

This summer there were a few challenges that we faced such as; the generator going out in the middle of the night, the water heater dying, many sick campers, and a few other things. There was such unity among the staff overall, which is only by God’s doing. We continue to grow as the Lord stretches us, and teaches us to be submissive, to be servants of Him, to rely upon Him and not ourselves, and to trust that He is the one who causes the growth in people’s lives, it is not by our doing. We are thankful that the Lord continues to mold and shape us into who He wants us to be. Philippians 1:6 says, ”For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Over Labor Day weekend we had Family Camp. It was a great turnout. We had about eighty people. It was a great time of fellowship, fun, and we were also challenged out of God’s Word. At the end of September we have Ladies Retreat, and in October we have a Men’s Retreat (rental group). Then in December we have winter camp for the teenagers. This fall the men will be getting everything ready for the winter. They also will be cutting down dead trees for firewood. Brian will also be busy working down at the Butcher shop again.

Praises
*Salvation of campers
*unity among staff
*God’s provision
*He chooses to use us
*All who came to camp
*Baby boy on the way

Prayer Requests
*Bath house: May be able to get permits to start building.
*Wisdom to know how to minister to campers
*Growth and salvation of campers
*Tessa’s Pregnancy
*Youth in Collbran area: To know how to reach out to them.
*Wisdom for parenting
*Spiritual growth



In Christ’s Love,

Brian and Tessa Schroeder

Summer 2009

Hello,
It has been along time since we have updated everyone, but we have been busy with camp. We just finished our four weeks of camp. It was an awesome summer of camp!!! There were 11 kids who accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. It is so amazing to see how the Lord convicts people of their sin and makes them realize that they need a Savior, who is Jesus Christ. He died for our sins and rose again on the third day. It is so comforting to know that we will be with Him some day in heaven. What peace He gives. We also are very humbled that He would choose to use us in His plan. We are merely vessels for Him, what an amazing thing.

Brian stayed busy with the teenagers who come to volunteer for the summer. He was their leader, which is such a blessing but can also be a challenge. He is also the Archery instructor, which he absolutely loves. It is one of his hobbies. He helped with games, dishes, and much more. I worked in the kitchen for the four weeks, which I really enjoy. I love cooking!! But I do miss getting to know the campers better.

Abigail had her 2nd birthday on July 24th, which is hard to believe. Time flies. She is so cute. She is beginning to put words together and is such a joy to us. She continues to make us laugh. She is learning her colors,loves the sand box and chocolate. She is funny because she is learning young that boys have cooties because she says Colby Yuck!!! She said it all on her own and it was hilarious. One day I decided that Abigail and I would get our swim suits on and play with some water balloons. We filled them up and then went over to the deck. I threw one up into the air and it broke. She didn't like that. She kept looking at it and saying broke. She looked so distressed. I thought she would love it, but it took her awhile. The balloons were actually regular balloons so they were harder to pop so she would throw them around on the deck and they would bounce all over. She loved that. It was fun!!!!

I went in to the doctor for my 5 month checkup and we are excited to announce that we are expecting a BOY!!! That will be so much fun. He is healthy and doing great. I have began to feel him moving around in there, it is so amazing!! He is suppose to come around December 17th. Praise the Lord!!1

Make a Smilebox photobook

Visit With Family and Funny Stories

During the end of April we went out to Utah to see Tessa's family. We finally were able to see the twins. Her sister had twin girls and their names are Grace and Faith. They are so adorable. It was different holding two at once and seeing all of the work it takes for two. We also were able to go to my younger sisters graduation from College. She is going to be an elementary school teacher and she already has a job!!!
We were able to see Tessa's grandma and they always have to play this card game called Speed. It is a tradition. Grandma says that she only cheats fair, she is so funny.
Abigail and her little cousin Cley had fun as they would be best buds and then fight alittle. They are learning to share. I have to share a cute moment about them. Abigail and Cley were laying on a bed and they both were sucking their fingers while Cley held his blankie and Abigail twirled his hair. She has a thing about hair; whoever is holding her will get their hair twirled. Or if there is a doll with hair she will drag it around by its hair.

A Funny Story About Abigail
I have to share a funny incident about a doll and its hair. Abigail and I were over at a friends house and she has a favorite doll over there that has hair. Over time the hair began to come off from her pulling on it. Finally one day all of the hair came off and the doll was bald. Abigail was so scared!! I have never seen her so scared before. She wouldn't look at the doll anymore with its bald head. She wouldn't touch it and she wouldn't let me put her down. She cried for about 15 minutes off and on. My friend and I were laughing so hard, but we felt bad for laughing because she was so scared.

Schroeder News- Summer 2009

Dear Family and Friends,
We are excited that the summer is here again. We are anxious to see what the Lord is going to do in people’s lives through camp. It is such a privilege to serve the Lord up at Twin Peaks Bible Camp. God is all-powerful and doesn’t have to use us to accomplish His work, but He chooses to work in and through us. We are able to participate in His perfect plan, which is an amazing honor. Thank you Lord!!!

Rocky Mountain Baptist Church
Rocky Mountain Baptist Church from Rifle, Colorado came up June 3rd-6th. They came up with about 20 kids to put on a purity camp for their youth group. They were a great group of kids. We stayed busy as we directed their activities such as: archery, capture the flag, hiking, volleyball, and camp fires. We also enjoyed cooking for this group. We praise God because a young man accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior at this camp. We pray the he will begin to walk with the Lord and grow to become a Godly young man.

Men’s Retreat
We had men’s retreat on June 12-13th. There was a group of about 15-20 guys who came up to eat manly food, have a clay pigeon shoot out, to study God’s Word, and to serve the Lord. Men’s retreat is a work retreat, so each year we have certain projects for them. This year the big project was to replace 4 planks on our bridge. The men were able to get it done, which was a huge blessing. We had another group who mowed and ran the weed eaters. We are very thankful for all who came and gave of themselves.

Upcoming Projects
The bath house is still waiting for approval from the county and state regarding our current septic system. They are determining whether our current septic system is adequate enough for the bath house. Please pray that we would be able to use our current septic system and not have to put in another one just for the bath house.

Looking to Summer
This summer is going to be a much lighter summer for us regarding rental camps. We have not had the interest like we usually do. But we will still be busy working on projects at camp that usually get put on the wayside because of busyness.
The speakers for this summer are Lanny and Marilyn Johnson from Alpha Omega Institute. They do a great job teaching the kids about creation science. Their program includes puppet shows, slideshows, hands-on activities, crafts, and sound Biblical teaching. Please be praying for them as they prepare to share God’s Word this summer.
We are excited to see what the Lord is going to do in the lives of the campers, volunteers and staff. He is always at work even though we may not see the results right away. Please be praying for the campers: salvation of the lost and growth of those already saved. Pray for the counselors, volunteer staff, and Twin Peaks Bible Camp staff.
Brian is the leader of the A-team, which are teens who volunteer for the week. He will be busy keeping them lined up on their jobs, challenging them out of God’s Word, and just hanging out and having fun with them. He also teaches archery, helps with games, and counsels if needed. Tessa will be busy working in the kitchen, which she loves.

The Schroeder Family
We are very excited to announce that we are expecting our second child in December. Please be praying for Tessa throughout this pregnancy. She is doing very well and is starting to show. She also stays very busy with Abigail who will be two in July. Abigail talks a lot; she surprises us sometimes with what she says. She keeps us laughing.

In Christ,
Brian, Tessa, and Abigail

Spring Newsletter 2009

Dear Family and Friends,
We are so thankful that God is God and we are not. He is in control of everything that is going on in our world. He is the self-existent one, who doesn’t change, who is all-powerful, and who is all-knowing, everywhere present, gracious, merciful, loving, just, forgiving, and much more. He is our Savior, who died, was buried and resurrected on the third day. What an amazing God!!

Past Events
Within the last three months we have had several retreats. In February we had a youth group rent the camp from Grand Junction, CO. We were busy cleaning, cooking, and keeping the fires going in the cabins. In February we also had Family Sled Day. There were over seventy people there that day, it was a blast!! In March we had couples retreat, which was a small group, but very relaxing and enjoyable. The guys have also been busy removing snow, as spring time brings the majority of our snow.

Upcoming Events
In June (or perhaps in May- depending on snow melt) we will start getting camp ready for the summer season. It is a busy time of deep cleaning, maintenance, turning the water system on, mowing, cutting brush, and much more.
The end of June we have a rental group that comes in for a week. This group is from Alpha and Omega Institute, which teaches creation science. We really enjoy this week as they minister to us also.
July 6th through August 1st we have our Summer Camping season (3rd grade through High School). Brian stays busy leading the teens that come up to volunteer (A-Team), he is the archery instructor, and helps run games, counsels, and much more. I will be busy helping in the kitchen, taking pictures, and working with the teens who volunteer.

Praises
*God is in control
*God’s Love is unconditional
*A wonderful church family
*God is faithful to provide for our needs
*Abigail is growing and learning so fast

Prayer
*Campers this summer: Salvation & Growth in the Lord
*Unity: At Church & with staff members at camp
*To work unto the Lord & not for man
*Youth in Collbran: Salvation & desire to walk with the Lord
(Wisdom to know how to reach out to these kids)
*That we may continue to grow in the Lord
*Camp has received a quote on getting electricity into camp: The cost $90,000. We are praying that the Lord will provide for this if it is His Will.
*Bath House Project-waiting to hear if we need to put in another septic system.
*Wisdom for speakers: preparation for lessons

Naptime in Mr. Rubber Duck

This was so funny because one day we laid Abigail down for a nap. She didn't want to go to sleep and she kept getting up. We had to get after her and make her lay down for her nap. Finally it got quiet in her room and we wondered if she finally fell asleep. So we went in her room and she had taken the blanket off of her bed and put them in Mr. Rubber Duck. She planned this out. Then she fell asleep in there for an hour or so. It was so funny!!! We tried not to laugh outloud because we didn't want to wake her up.

March 2009

Hello Everyone,
We are so excited that spring is here, well kindove. It was in the 60's last week and this week it is in the 20's. Cold!!! But it is good that we are getting the moisture.
Abigail is learning so much so fast. She makes us laugh all the time. She likes to suck her finger and twirl her hair. Well last week so got her hair in such a bad knot that we had to cut it out. So now when we put her hair in pig tails one is longer than the other. Oh well it will grow back.

Earlier this month we got to go to LaGrange, Wyoming to Frontier School of the Bible, where we graduated in 2006. We went to speak on behalf of camp. We were trying to recruit some counselors for the summer. We ended up getting several who were interested. We also were able to speak at LaGrange Bible Church, which we attended while living in LaGrange. It was nice to see so many friends and familiar faces. We are so thankful for all of our friends and teachers up there. God really used this time in our lives to help us grow closer to Him and to learn about Him and His Word. Frontier School of the Bible is very special to me; this is also where Brian and I met. We are so thankful that Frontier is dedicated to teaching God's Word and only God's Word to the students.

We are so very thankful that we have such a wonderful place to live. The Lord is always faithful to provide for our needs. It is a tough time right now in our country, but the Lord is in absolute control even though we may not understand it all. He is carrying out His plan and we need to trust Him. Proverbs 3:3-7 says,
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil."

February 2009

Hello Everyone,
This month we became an aunt and uncle again. My sister gave birth to twin girls on February 5th. The girls names are Gracey Kay and Faith Elizabeth. They were only two weeks early, which was a huge answer to prayer. They only had to stay in the hospital for six days because they needed to be on oxygen at first and then they had to gain weight before they could leave the hospital. They are so cute!!! We are going to go see them in a month or so. It is hard to wait, but by then they will be doing a little more. Maybe smiling.

This month Abigail has really taken off with starting to talk. It is fun to hear her talk and begin to really understand what we are saying. She wants to do everything that we do. She is watching us so carefully and learning. She gets so frustrated when she can't figure things out. She has learned how to say please and she says is like "pease" and looks at us with those big blue eyes. She is so cute. She says please a lot when she wants something sweet to eat.

This month we have had many answered prayers. The Lord has continued to be faithful to us as He has provided the funds to fix our vehicles. It seems as if all three vehicles had to be worked on all at once. That's how it usually is. Also the twins made it to 36 weeks, which is what the doctor wanted. They are healthy, and mom is doing great also. The Lord continues to change us more and more into His image, which is what we strive for.

Brian has been working at the meat processing shop in Collbran still and is learning so much. He also goes up to camp to plow. Camp has about four foot or more. What a blessing to have that much snow.

Highlights for the Schroeder 2008

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Schroeder News- Winter 2008-2009

Dear Family and Friends,
Every New Year brings our thoughts back to what happened throughout the previous year. During the year of 2008 the Lord:
1.)Continued to bless us with a healthy, thriving daughter.
2.)Helped us learn how to deal with others in hard situations.
3.)Saved many souls (campers)
4.)Sold our car; and provided another one
5.)Provided a truck for Brian
6.)Allowed us to fix the Spring at camp
7.)Provided opportunities for us to speak at several churches and we have gained some new supporters.
8.)Provided all of the counselors that we needed
9.)Continues to teach us how to trust Him and to walk by faith and not by sight (moving to Collbran, Colorado to minister to the youth).
10.)Has given us a wonderful church family
11.)Provided a wonderful place for us to live
12.)Provided meat for us: 1 bull Elk and 2 does
13.)Has taught us more about Himself and how much He loves us.
Thank you Lord for what you have been doing in our lives. We are very thankful that You are not only a God who hears our prayers, but a God who answers them also.

Winter Camp
This year we had 40 plus kids come up to enjoy the snow, to grow closer to the Lord, and to have fun with friends. The speaker was David Ward, who is the Youth Pastor at Monument View Bible Church in Fruita, Colorado. He went through the book of Haggai, which was very challenging. It challenged me to not procrastinate and to obey the Lord immediately. We enjoyed the time with the kids as we went sledding, talked, and played games with them.
Winter camp can be a challenge with all of the snow removal, making paths for cross-country skiing, keeping the cabins warm (wood stoves), and getting water going again in the cabins and the kitchen. But we really enjoy this camp and it is encouraging to see the kids, and to see how they are doing spiritually.

Brian
He is busy working at the Collbran Locker cutting up beef and pork. It is such a blessing that he is able to work with a Christian couple that go to our church. He is gleaning a lot of wisdom from them, and is learning many skills as he cuts meat. He also is teaching the youth Sunday school class. We are using the book, “The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus,” for an outline. Basically is covers the high points of the Bible, beginning to end. We have had two girls come off and on and a few boys. We have tried a few outreaches but no one came, so we are going to try taking them bowling instead. Brian also goes up to camp once a week to remove snow. He stays very busy.

Tessa and Abigail
I enjoy staying at home with Abigail. I am very thankful that I am able to. I stay busy with household responsibilities, with being a mother, wife, and with responsibilities at camp and church. I am enjoying living in the country at our new place. The transition has been very smooth, which I am thankful for.
Abigail is saying new words almost everyday. She is 17 months old and she is already eating us out of house and home (she eats a lot). She is starting to run, and is into everything. You can always tell where Abigail has been.

Upcoming Events
At the end of February we have our Family Sled Day, which is always fun. Then we are trying to have our Couples Retreat at the beginning of March.
In the mean time we will be working on getting the A-team together for the summer, working on the promotional video, and praying for volunteers and for the campers.

Prayer Requests
1.)God’s Will to be done with the youth at Grace Bible : Salvation, desire to come to church, opportunities to meet kids and parents in the community.
2.)Bath House Project- need permits still (after almost three years).
3.)Wisdom for Aaron and Karin- Director of Camp
4.)Wisdom as we raise Abigail
5.)Growth in our relationship with Christ

Thank You for being concerned about us and what is going on in our lives.
In Christ’s Love,

Brian, Tessa, and Abigail

Happy New Year

Dear Friends and Family,
How are all of you doing? We are doing great. We had a wonderful Christmas in Utah with Tessa's family. We had fun hanging out together and watching Abigail and her cousin, Cley play.He always wanted to hug and kiss on her, but she didn't like that. She wanted her space, but she still wanted to play with him. They were none stop. We also were able to go snowmobiling with my dad and we saw some elk while we were on the mountain. We came home and then two days later we had Winter Camp with the Teenagers. There were 40 plus kids there. We had fun sledding with them, playing games, talking. We were challenged from God's Word out of the book of Haggai. It was great!!! It challenged me to not procrastinate and to be obedient to God immediately.
There is over three feet of snow up there, it was great!!!

We have just been enjoying living in the country and we have had elk down in the field by our house. That was neat to see them. Brian is busy working at camp, at the butcher shop and with the youth at the church.

These days Abigail is saying mama, dada, up, Saddie (our dog), hot, uh oh, ouch, no no, and Abigail. She is learning new words every day it seems like. she is such a joy to have around. She is also starting to run, she gets into my cabinets and plays with the pots and pans, and she really loves her new shoes that have lights in them. She is so cute!!!

I have created all of these different smilebox creations that are fun to watch. They are an overview of what happened in our lives during 2008. They are only about 2 minutes each. Not very long. Hope you check them out.

Hope to hear from you

Tessa

Simply Winter

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Spring Time

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Camp Rocks

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Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Make a Smilebox scrapbook