HELLO EVERYONE!

 

 

I’m embarrassed – I started this letter/post back in June and life hasn’t slowed down enough for me to finish it until now! We came back from the Dells, school started with all of its craziness, we restarted the Friday Night Weekly Rock, I spoke at a retreat in North Dakota a couple weeks back, and by the time this post gets up we’ll probably have completed our adoption home study and had our fall retreat!

I’ll get another letter/post out soon with more details but I did want to celebrate what God has done in and through our lives for the past 10 years that we’ve been in ministry! Many of you have been with us all or most of that time and we are soooo very grateful for all that you have done in support of us!
You have been so faithful to pray, give and keep up with us! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

BACK TO THE BEGINNING!

Let’s go back to the beginning and walk through all that God has done over the last 10 years!
May 2004: Paul graduates, marries Christie and goes full time with Great Commission Ministries!
March 2005: Paul finishes his initial support raising and gets released to active ministry.
Summer 2005: We spend the summer with the SALT program in Chicago, IL.
Fall 2006: Our Zeke’s building fundraiser happens and we work towards a ministry outpost near campus.
March 2007: Paul gets recognized as a pastor in Stonebrook church.
Fall 2007: Zeke’s Grand Opening – we start meeting in our new building!
Summer 2008: We spend the summer with the GCM LT program in Estes Park, CO – Enjoying serving and sharing in the mountains!
Fall 2008: Paul takes over as the campus director of the Rock. A big and exciting change!
March 2009: Paul heads to El Salvador to work with school kids and share the gospel. The trip sees over 40 people come to Christ during the week!
Fall 2009: The Rock multiplies into Helser Hall Dorms and starts many fruitful years there.
Spring 2010: Stonebrook plants LifeHouse Church in Decorah, IA.
June 2010: God brings Theo into our family!
Summer 2011: We spend the summer with the GCM LT program in Virginia Beach, VA.
Dec 2012: God brings Elliott into our family!
Summer 2013: We start a summer leadership training program in Wisconsin Dells, have a fantastic time with 32 students and have the privilege of seeing 18 people come to Christ!
Feb 2014: We apply to adopt from China!
Summer 2014: We spend 8 weeks in the Dells with the students, sharing the gospel, serving and discipling!
Looking back it’s amazing to see the people who have come to Christ, those who have been built and trained in their faith, those who have been sent out, those who have wandered away, those who have stayed faithful, those who have left and those who have stayed. God has been with us (and all those people) through it all, caring for us, encouraging us and strengthening us for his tasks. What a testimony to his love and grace in our lives!
Looking Forward We’re still here and still laboring! God continues to lay the college students on our hearts. Please pray for continued fruit, vision and passion, more laborers and our adoption! Also pray that we’d maintain an excellent marriage and be fantastic parents!

Much love,

Paul, Christie, Theo + Elliott Johnson