by Rick and Cindy Truesdail
Hello, MI COMers!
Michigan is a beautiful state! We have a lot of lakes and trees, many campgrounds, and scenic places to visit. We enjoy four seasons! Spring, summer, fall, and... winter. Many people love the first three and go south for the winter. We have enjoyed that for a few years now, but this year we are here in the midst of a big snowstorm and icy roads. Cindy loves the snow; however, Rick is a little less excited about it. Whether you enjoy the winter weather, it’s difficult to look outside and not thank God for the pure white covering on the ground and the tree branches glistening with snow. Our prayer is that you will be thankful for whatever season we are in and praise God for His beautiful paintings in nature.
We are in the winter of our life span and still struggling with health issues. Cindy has been diagnosed with CAD (Coronary Artery Disease) and has been unable to do much these past few months. However, we continually praise God for this season of our life and depend on His promises to see us through the rougher days. We appreciate your prayers for us as we seek His will as we make plans for MI COM in 2022. We ask you help as our chapter grows, and especially in the days ahead. We need leaders and workers along beside us. We are assured there are needs in Michigan that MI COM can fill, and many are lost who need to know about our Savior. Continue to stand firm in our commitment to MI COM and we know God will bless our efforts.
Sharing Christ as We Go,
Rick and Cindy
Bambi Work Week & Spring Rally 2022
May 9-14, 2022
Monday noon – Saturday AM
Bambi Lake Baptist Retreat & Conference Center
Roscommon, MI
Set aside this week to come to and be a part of MI COM on mission. We have four work teams: Construction, Cleaning & Beautification, Sewing, and Kitchen. There is always a place for you! Contact Cindy to make your reservation for a campsite or room in the lodge.
We will have the MI COM Country Store set up, so bring something to put on the table if you can. Proceeds go to the treasury to pay for our non-profit/corporate expenses.
2022 COM National Rally
June 7-9, 2022
North Florida Fairgrounds
Tallahassee, FL
This will be the Golden 50th Anniversary of Campers on Mission. "Renew in 2022" will be the theme. Mark your calendars, start saving your money for travel, and be ready to register when it's available. More information will follow as we get it over the next few months.
MI COM Ladies Sewing Event
MI COM Ladies met again in January to continue working on the sewing projects for various ministries. Some sewed youth bags, some worked on a new project of wash cloth mitts for children, and others cut and tied fleece throws for youth.
Sewing Events will be scheduled periodically so that we can meet the needs that are growing each week. Ladies from Heritage Baptist Church join in to work with us too. Plan to join us when the announcement for the next one is posted and bring someone with you. MI COM membership is not required for this workday.
We are always very thankful for the labor put into these items and know they are a blessing to foster and refugee children.
Article from our MI COM Member
Representing MI COM in Black Mountain, NC
by Christine Truer
We arrived at Black Mountain Home (BMH) on Tuesday, January 4, 2022. When we arrived, many of the Black Mountain staff were out due to COVID. Paul and Esther Shogren from the North Carolina Chapter of Campers on Mission were here to greet us and get us settled. They are currently the RV Hosts until sometime in February. We got settled but hit the ground running because so many people were out with COVID. I went up to Black Mountain Home's Smith Building to volunteer for whatever I could. They put me to work taking down and storing Christmas decorations with Esther and another volunteer, Pam. Once that was complete, I began cleaning the restrooms for the staff who work at BMH. Henry also worked on taking down the larger Christmas decorations and lights that were around the tops of the
buildings. Then they put him to work painting the main Smith Building. We work 4 days a week, I work 4 hours per day and Henry works 6 hours. We have Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays off. We also have the last full week of each month off to explore the area.
This past week, Henry has been working on electrical and painting. They have asked me to volunteer in the office with my computer skills and office experience. I have been answering phones, stuffing envelopes for bulk mailings and data entry. We are not able to interact with the 150 children who live here at the home due to COVID. They are hoping that will change in the near future so that we can be able to have one-on-one time with the kids to tutor and read to them. But until that happens, they are keeping us quite busy with their everyday needs. We met Jon and Brandi Dyke from MI COM before they left here and headed to Florida. What a lovely couple and sweet children. We did not have the privilege of working with them (Henry did with Jon for about 1 day); however, we are looking forward to the opportunity in the future as they loved being here at Black Mountain and hope to be back.
Blessings from Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth and Families.
Henry and Chris Truer
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As retired pastors from Galien, MI, Henry and Chris are full-time RVers. They have committed to work at Lake Ann Camp near Traverse City, MI from May to November each year. They joined Michigan Campers on Mission to connect with the National COM register of mission opportunities.
This winter they are working at Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth and Families. Henry and Chris were able to travel about 30 miles to Billy Graham’s Training Center, “The Cove”, to tour these facilities. The Cove is also a National COM mission opportunity.
Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth & Families, a Nonprofit Organization in NC, seeks to glorify God by caring for children, youth, and families. This is one of our National COM projects. Learn more at www.BlackMountainHome.org.
Chaplain's Corner
The Taxman Cometh! Try as I can, I simply cannot find the origin of this phrase on the internet. If any of you know it, I’d appreciate an education from you. Anyway, it’s February 1st, and thus time for me to get all my tax ducks in a row because indeed ... the Taxman cometh! I know, some of you may be thinking I’m starting far to early, but the way I look at it: better to know where I stand sooner rather than later!
And really, isn’t that the way it is spiritually? I mean, one day the Lord Himself definitely cometh! Every eye will see Him, and anyone who is not ready will pay the eternal consequences! Oh, but those who are indeed ready because they have been washed in the blood that fully pays for all spiritual debt—it is those blessed ones who will gain an eternal refund of blessings from the Father!
Really now, who ever says: “Taxman, come quickly?” No one! But how many of you expectantly and gleefully say: “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!” I know I do, and I certainly hope all of you do as well!
To the Praise of His Glory,
Chaplain Chip
Prayer Requests & Praise Reports
Prayer Requests
Pray for the Roelleke family from Florida Campers on Mission. Gerhard died from a scooter accident in August 2021, and Sheila died from a car accident the first Friday in February. May God comfort their children and families in the days ahead.
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” - Colossians 1:9-12 NIV
Praise Report
Praise God for all things!
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” - Hebrews 13:15-16.
If you have a prayer request or a praise report, please share it with us and we will post it on the website and include it in our monthly newsletters.
MI COM Tees & Hats
For Sale
We have fun things and essentials for you to let others know you are a MI COMer!!!
We encourage you to wear the tees whenever you are working or on a COM event.
Tees are printed on the front and the back
Patches are iron-on or easy to sew onto your shirts or jackets
Key Chains are plastic on metal holder
Hand-held fan is paper on wooden handle
Hats are gray with embroidered logo, adjustable
Lapel Pins are easily attached to a suit jacket or coat.
Stickers to put on notebooks, computers, etc.
Pens to accent your writing
Contact Cindy for your purchase.
MI COM Officers & Executive Board
Presidents/Project Coordinator: Rick & Cindy Truesdail
Vice-President/Project: Tony Morningstar
Hospitality/Food Coordinator: Kim Norrington & Maria Hannuksela
Sewing Project Coordinator: Cindy Truesdail & Terry Simmons Cleaning & Beautification Coordinator: Sharon Hessling & Ruth Farwell
Secretary: Brandi Dyke Treasurer: Gary Hannuksela Chaplain: Pastor Chip Collins Historian: Cindy Truesdail
Disaster Relief Liaison: Warren Hessling
Networking Center
Keep checking at our online Website and Facebook for announcements!
Website: www.michigancampersonmission.org
Facebook: Michigan Campers on Mission
For more information, contact: Rick & Cindy Truesdail Phone: (810) 869-4716