Up Coming Oppotunities

Here's an invitation for all of you.
On May 6th I will be sharing during Sunday school at Orwell Bible Church.
Church starts at 9:30am, with Sunday school following at 10:50am.
Come join in worshipping, learning, as well as hearing what God is doing through Victory and how you can be a part.
For more information on times and directions, visit Orwell Bible Churches website

Be praying as I will also be sharing with the mission board of Herickville Wesleyan this Monday!
- Daryl


Want me to share the ministry of Victory Bible Camps & Conference Center of Alaska with your church, sunday school, or small group. Feel free to contact me at hmupdate@gmail.com or darylh@vbcalaska.org.

HM Update 011

It's a snowy morning here in PA. An interesting turn of events since we were in the 70's-80's last week. In another turn of events, here is the latest Howard Ministry Update! This edition: brief look into Conference Season & where support stands at.
Check it out & download it. The HM Update 011

- Daryl

Post# 001

Well, I just hit "command & p" to test print my newsletter. I prefer checking grammer and spelling in physical form than reading it on the computer. If technology works, HM Update 011 will be out in the mail and in inboxes by Monday at the latest.

If you sent an e-mail recently, I will be replying to those shortly. There are a lot of good questions in them, and understandably I don't like rushing in and answering them half-heartedly.

Also, thanks to all those that submitted questions for the Q&As. They were a lot of fun. The next project that I am working on is my "Why Alaska" post. It got too long, so I am weeding out the un-needed facts. The project started to look like an autobiography on my time leading up to Alaska.

Finally, check out Victory Ministries, Victory Bible Camp & Conference Center and Camp Li-Wa websites. All of them have been redesigned and refined. Take some time to look over the ministries mission as well. God is leading Victory into some exciting times. I can not wait to be serving Victory in Alaska, instead of helping from afar.

-Daryl

Q&A Part 6

Hello everyone! What an amazing Monday. Here in PA it is in the high 70's with a great breeze coming in the window that I am sitting next to. With this day comes another Q&A. This is the last one for the time being. I hope you have enjoyed them so far. This one takes a look into what keeps bringing me back to Victory, and some other fun questions. So here we go...

What keeps you coming back to serve another term at Victory?

It is finally hitting me that I won’t be returning to Victory this summer. But what kept me coming back for the seven summers that I have spent at Victory? It has to be servicing others and watching the impact Victory is making on people. But I want to take summer out of the picture and focus on the ministry as a whole.

Before summer really gets going, there is a time that is called “Outdoor Ed.” Schools bring their groups in and use the facility to teach the students about the outdoors. This is an amazing time to serve. I always came early to camp to help setup. And because of that, I always got put on rock-wall and dish duty. You may think, “uh, dishes. why come early to camp to do that?” Hahaha. I am not sure. I love being able to interact with the kids that come to camp, and show them another side of camp. Plus, the kids I know introduce their friends. This opens the door to encourage and interact with their friends, and to open the door for them to want to return for a week or two during the summer.

But for the summer, I love being able to pour myself out to the kids. To reach out, not in a “YOU SHALL DO THIS” way, but in a caring way. We care about them and what they are going through. I may not be directly working with the campers every hour of the day. But with what little interaction I have, I hope to show them the love of Christ through how I live. This is also true of the school groups that come in. I want to be able to reflect the love of Christ through my daily tasks and instructions that I do with them.
Then there are the staff. I guess it started in college. As I worked with guys a few years younger than me, and the freshman coming into college, I wanted to help them through the daily struggles that I faced when I first entered college. I may have been the RA, but I still wanted to be the guy they could go to for advice or to help keep them accountable. This is true about camp. I may have been a director, but I loved to sit over coffee and just talk. To actually listen and show I care about what they are struggling with and to pour myself, and Christ, into them. It may be just a quick “hey...,” or even stepping aside to pray. Sometimes I don’t get to do this. And other times I get caught up in my own issues to reach out. But when I can reach out, I love doing it. I believe that is what keeps bringing me back. That and seeing people I have worked with as campers working beside me on staff. Seeing how God has continued to use me to reach out.

What is your biggest struggle that you are facing as you are raising support?

There are a few factors holding back support from coming in. The biggest struggle is satan trying to take me out. With various issues that arise (whether technical, death in the family, etc.), satan tries to use them to put me in a rut. This happened. I’m just starting to gain momentum again. But there are a lot of small things that get in the way. I can’t go into detail on all of them, but there are a lot. The greatest thing anyone can do is pray for me. Satan is always trying to pull me down. Every day is a trial in making sure I am keeping on task. Now that I know my weak points, God has been showing how to fix them and keep myself from getting caught in a rut again.

If you are not going to be at Victory this summer, what plans do you have for this summer?

Summer is right around the corner. But so is the fall. I’m not sure how fast support will come in, but I am shooting for returning by the Alaska State Fair in September. Victory really needs help with that. It would be really cool to be able to return for that, and start to get settled in with the conference season.

As for the summer. I don’t have really any special plans. For entertainment, go to a few B-Mets games (Binghamton Mets = farm team for the NY Mets). Plus visit my grandmother a few times. But most of all, I want to really dig into support raising. It would be really cool to see doors open up, not just in this area, but in other areas outside of where I live open up for me to share. All of this, and survive the summer here in PA. I’ve spent seven summers in Alaska. Not sure how I am going to handle the heat.

Is there any advice you would give anyone when it comes to summer camping ministry?

Never say you won’t do anything, because sometimes God will make you do it. I tried quitting videography... He put me back in it. Be open to what God will do. You may not want to do things at first, but God will use them to open doors and help you grow. I mentioned it in another Q&A. I was assigned to go work at Ranch camp as a counselor. It wasn’t on my agenda. But it was on God’s agenda. You never know what He is going to do through you. Also... (this is one from a behind the scenes perspective) remember, you are there for the campers. You will have time on the weekends or breaks to be with the other staff. Pour yourselves out to the campers. If you don’t, you are short-changing the campers, and most of all, yourself! There is so much you can do for the campers. But when you only focus on yourself, you will miss the opportunities that will be there to minister to the campers. 

What do you look forward to the most when you move?

The drive! I love the drive up. Not just because of the scenery. But because of the time I get to spend talking with God and enjoying His creation. I get to drive from Pennsylvania on up to Alaska. I cross rolling hills, plains, prairies, mountains, etc. It is just breath-taking. Then to be able to talk to God about what you are seeing and what you are thinking, it prepares you for the ministry time ahead. Sometimes I wish I could have a co-pilot. It would be cool to share the trip with a good friend. But I can say, the time alone with God is awesome.

Have you found anyone yet?

This questions has made for some funny comments, jokes and conversations. Its the topic of some fun harassment from friends and family. But the answer is... not yet. 

In all seriousness, these people don’t badger me just for a laugh (thou sometimes it is a good laugh). They are caring people who just want to see me happy, and have a better half that will help me in my ministry work. It is great how they are not just encouraging, but directing me in areas that I need to grow in. They have been a great support team. 

Well, there you have it. I hope these Q&As have shown you another side of the ministry work I have and will be doing, as well as a little look into my life. Continue to come back here for more updates events and news from Victory. Thanks for your continued support.

-Daryl

Q&A PART 5

And so, it is Monday. Which means another Q&A is here! Sadly this is the second to last one. (Unless more questions come in). So, enjoy this while it lasts.

What kind of work can we expect from you in the future?

You can expect a lot from me. There probably won’t be a ton at first, as I need to get stock footage and photos first. But as of last, I had a list of 16 promotional videos. Those probably wont be done for some time. There will be a lot of other projects that you will see almost instantly. If you are there for the summer, you will see newly designed HUMAN STRATEGO cards that I had designed. Then there are some ministry cards that I just sent in. These cards have Victory’s Mission/Values/Vision on them. They will get passed out to counselors and be available for anyone to pick up at Victory.
As for when I get to Victory. The Alaska state fair booth is a big project. I have an overhaul of it that should look cool if it works out. There is also the brochures that I will be making for various retreats and promotions. Then, we have camps Facebook and the website that I will be adding media to. My biggest goal is to be showing people the many projects that are going on at camp. We had our airstrip worked on, and I don’t think many people knew about that. There is so much that is going on that our supporters and people associated with Victory don’t know about. My goal is to keep them in the loop.
Other than that, there are some other projects up my (rolled up) sleeves. I don’t have anything set in stone on them, or even if it will be possible. It would be really cool if I can get this project to work. It would be a ton of fun and keep you guys informed about whats going on, as well as giving you a good laugh.

What does a typical day look like for Daryl?

If you are talking about camp and the full-time position in public relations, I am not sure what to expect. There is one thing that is certain, and that is our morning (except staff meeting days), we meet around the fireplace in Miracle Lodge to start off our day in prayer. Other than that, my days will consist of design material for advertising and promotions, as well as updating everyone on what is going on at Victory. The occasional meeting. As well and video taping, taking pictures and posting tons of media online. There is also the tasks that come with snow during the winter, as well as helping maintain the facilities throughout the year. When guest groups are in, my days will then shift to focus on the groups that are in. That means cooking, busing tables, washing dishes, and my favorite... making coffee. I can’t leave out 3pm. That’s coffee time. Other than that, there might be the occasional trip to Fairbanks to visit Li-Wa and do a project here or there. But nothing is typical. Every day is up in the air. There are days where I walk in, and I am put on task to drive to town the next day in our weekly Costco/Sysco run. Then there is summer, which is never really scheduled out. If it is, it is in pencil. Plus weekend camper runs. Yeah. So, that is a brief and unorganized overview of a typical day for me. Each day is unique in itself. Ministry is/can be chaos. But it is how you handle the chaos and run with it that matters the most.

Are you excited to be working there for God or are there places you would rather be heading off to?

If I got a call saying that support was raised and I could leave for Alaska, I would leave ASAP. It is what I am called to do. I have looked into other ministries and camps. In the end, God keeps pointing me back to Victory.

There is a joy about serving at Victory. Even when it comes to the nitty gritty work. Everyone there is there to serve God, no matter what. During the internship at Victory, I got a chance to work various areas of camp. There were jobs we loved, and jobs we didn’t care to do again. But when you are working at the ministry, there is a sense of joy in service. What you are doing is part of glorifying God.  A sense that what I did was glorifying God, and I can be an example to those around me. This was even true of when I was working retail. I don’t really want to be anywhere but up at Victory at this time. I know it is where God is calling me.

Can you describe a gross camper story? Vomit, weird smells...

This wasn’t while I was at Victory. But during a summer at LeTourneau (NY), I heard a girl break both her wrists. That noise was awful. We were doing a backward running relay race... she tripped. You can fill in the rest.
Other than that, I don’t really have any gross stories. No vomiting, or weird smells. Sorry.

But there was the one time that there was the fire in the bathroom at Frontier Camp. Steven Cornfield and I got some minor smoke inhalation. I was puking and had trouble breathing. Weird taste in my mouth for days. (The fire extinguisher shot repellant out in a spray/cloud instead of a stream)

What is the deal with 3pm coffee?

“It is not an addiction, it is a tradition”

There are many stories and legends to how this started. But I believe this started when a particular British-American once shook his mug and declared it empty. It seems they have a tradition with tea. But he needed something stronger. And I had coffee. I brought my Starbucks 32oz french press up for the summer, and I had saved all my free bags of coffee from my job at Starbucks. In all, we had 13 pounds of coffee for that summer. We went through close to probably 16 pounds in the end. But I would brew some during the afternoon, and my friend Shutter and I would have a cup to relax for a moment, and mark what would be the push till we got done late at night. With a 32oz press, there is extra after you serve two mugs, so I offered some to our glorious British Ally... Andy. It then started to become an allotted time during the day (phone calls, radio calls, yelling calls signifying, it was 3pm). Then it became a briefing time. We talked over work, what was going on, planning projects, and much more. Plus it gave us time to go “whew”... and relax a bit. It just stuck. I think that it has faded over the years. I think the absence of our British Monarch keeping us aware of the time had made us slip up on when we brewed the coffee. It just became whenever this last summer. It might get back into swing once I’m back. We’ll see.

Well, there you have it. Q&A #5. What I will do int he future (after #6), is maybe add a question or two to the bottom of a post here, or make a post in itself. These have been fun, and I hope these have been informative. Thanks again for all your questions.

-Daryl

P.S.- Its 3pm somewhere in the world, go have a cup of coffee. Take a break. Contemplate what God is teaching you today.

What is on the horizon...

I decided to take a break from typing on Apple Pages, to type here. Currently my "Why Alaska" is taking form. It seems a bit long, so I'm trying to decided whether to post the abridged or the unabridged some time after the Q&As. As for the Q&As, they aren't going to last too much longer (unless more questions come in). I want to start posting more about what is going on and the work I am doing. But honestly, support raising is stalling out a little.

With me putting support raising on hold back in February, I landed myself in a rut that has been hard to get out of. The letter to churches is done. Most of it is ready to print. Also, my next support letter is almost ready to print too. I just keep letting myself get distracted by family situations and life. Plus, a lot of spiritual attacks and technological problems are hindering my work as well. As I am currently typing this, my computer is backing itself up, and backing up my back-up hard drive onto another back-up hard drive. Confusing, isn't it? It is a must, seeing my computer is turning 6 soon and needs a good wipe of everything, and I almost lost everything on my back-up the other day.

But no excuses. I must get back to the grind. If there is one thing I hate, it is saying no to people. But right now, I need to get back on focus with support raising. It is the whole reason why I am home right now. This has been a very difficult task. But it is much easier when I know that this is what God has called me to.

-Daryl

Q&A Part 4

Well, another Monday... Another Q&A. Enjoy.

What is your favorite time of day at camp?

My favorite time at camp has to be the early morning. It isn’t like the lower 48 with the sun rising. Instead, the sun is already up (like an early dawn, with the sun hiding behind some mountains). What makes it the best, is when it has rained overnight and there is a mist over everything. And if there is a breeze coming down the Matanuska Valley, the fog rolls through a gap in Teepee ridge, and pores onto Shallow Lake. It sometimes happens during a cool rainy day. But morning is the best. No one is really up. Moose are usually hanging out down by Shallow Lake and sometimes you get to see other wildlife there.

What is God sharing with you during this prep time before heading to AK?

God has been sharing a lot in during my time here in PA. The biggest has been God pointing out areas in my life that need some refocusing or restructuring. God has been reteaching me a lot. Its funny how someone may point you to a podcast or radio ministry, and you get encouraged through it. Lately, God has been using the ministry of “Telling The Truth” and the book “Experiencing God” to help me dig deeper into the Bible, and to really look into what it means to be a Christian and a man. It may sound funny, but there is so much that I am learning through digging into the Bible. 

The world has bombarded guys with what they say a man is. It is actually destroying our culture and future cultures to come. When looking into the Bible, it is sad to see how I have been mislead and how much growth there needs to be. Its been good. I’m glad I’ve had the time to wrestle with this and many other areas that God has been leading me. I’ve also been working on the surrendering a lot over to God. It isn’t just money, our time and jobs that I need to surrender... as we have all heard in church. But it’s my thoughts, my dreams, and everything about my being that also needs to be surrendered. It is only one verse, but there is a lot in it that I have been wrestling with...
Galatians 5:13 (ESV)

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

There is so many freedoms we have as not just Christians, but as Americans, and as human beings. But it is sad to see all that we squander our freedoms on. I love the loose “defenition” of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.” How many times do we have to seek after things to make ourselves happy, only to be disappointed or depressed. This “INSANITY” is what is getting pushed on us daily. It’s something I struggle with,  and is something God is working on in me during my time here.

What is your favorite memory you've had at camp?

With this question, I am going to break it down into two answers. One will be this summer, and the other will be my overall memory.

THIS SUMMER: There was a crazy idea I came up with. Everyone (that likes coffee) likes it when I fire up the espresso machine and craft some drinks. Now, Kelly, Jaime and I thought the staff needed a little break. Plus, a lot of the staff had musical and lyrical talents. So why not showcase all of this with coffee and other various treats. With all of this came Victory Bible Camps first ever Coffee House. The event took some steam to get going. We were not sure how it was going to work. The event even got postponed. But the night before staff break, the event was a GO! We all rushed to get it all ready. The espresso machine took some time to heat up (it died a few weeks later... poor old machine. It was a dinosaur). The lobby of Miracle Lodge filled up. I got the night started with a re-enactment of Andy Kaufman’s “Might Mouse Sketch” (See the original here). The night just got better as the event went on. There were laughs, some tears, and just plain fun. You could see the tension and stress from the first half of the summer melt off the summer staff. It was a good start to a great staff break.

OVERALL MEMORY: During my first summer on the AV Team, I got recruited to go up to Ranch camp for a week or two. It wasn’t really planned. But with another staff member out with health issues, I was tapped to go fill-in the position. It wasn’t really what I had wanted to do. I was helping run the chapel services and working on the AV Team. My heart really wasn’t in the going to Ranch camp. I reluctantly moved myself out to Ranch camp and began my week. The campers were crazy. Trying every minute to pull pranks on me and being typical teen guys. A lot of patience and alone-time was needed during that week. It was a tough week. But it was the last night of camp that really showed the difference that was made. 

Now imagine, a guy with a buzzed haircut and a gnarly red beard as your counselor for camp. Kind of intimidating. (2nd from the right)

The few, the proud, the AV Team... who are we kidding?

If I wanted things to calm, I just needed to lower my voice, and the look backed up the talk. But I showed a more gentler side when I really wanted to make a point. And this is what made the difference. During the final campfire, “the worst camper” had a breakdown. Notorious for being the tough guy and the camper that no one wanted, a breakthrough was made. HE went on to say he was scared of me at first, but it was the “Teddy Bear side of me” (yes...Teddy Bear. His words, not mine) that showed him that I actually cared about his. We spent a lot of time throughout the week, and that night. I’m not sure what happened to him. Facebook and social media didn’t exist. I did give him my e-mail address. But no contact was made. A lot changed after that week. It took the tough kid that no one wanted to love to break me, and it took the tough looking guy with a “Teddy Bear” heart to break him.

What has been the ultimate prank you've ever done at camp?

Other than making a fellow AV member almost wet his pants and turning someones hot soaking bath into a vat of coffee (both awesome stories), I think the funniest ones are the classics. Like making someone think there was a prank, when there wasn’t. 

The best group one, was a kitchen raid scare. Campers used to be able to come into the kitchen for their snack, in a kitchen raid style approach. But there was always a catch. In our case, it was the AV Team waiting for them. As they came in, the lights come on... thus revealing a slew of masked people surrounding them. The best was watching a video of a camper scream, turn and scream again, then turn one more time to see someone come out of the trash can and scare them a third time. After a moment they were laughing so hard. Just priceless.

The best assist was helping the cook smuggle salted cookies into the AV room. One person was the target. The plate was 50/50 (good/salted). All but the one was told. We ate the good ones. He ate one good one, then he got a salted one. The video of it was priceless. We just broke out laughing. Just amazing.

Best solo prank... not sure if I have a “best” solo prank. Most of mine involved “The Resistance.” 

Well, there goes another Q&A sessions. There are a few more left. Dont forget, you can be a part of this too. Just send in your questions, and I will answer them. 

Also, I will be posting my "Why Alaska" answer soon. 

-Daryl