A New Year and New Changes

You've probably already heard or read this, but just in case, here is a letter we recently sent out.
We have some big changes starting this year.
Our involvement at Camp Bighorn started for both of us way back as children. Zach, stopping in with his family, and Cori as a Junior Camper. In high school, we both worked as staff during the summers. The fall of 1998 began the first year of Explore and our beginning on full time staff. When we married in 1999, that marked the beginning of us raising support and Zach becoming an official employee of Camp Bighorn.
Through the past 10 years, our job titles and roles have changed several times. Zach has been Program staff, Interim Program Director, Safety Manager, Training and Support Director, and even filled in for Operations Director. We have seen staff changes and structure changes and formed many, many relationships with staff, students, campers, and people passing through.
Our family has changed in 10 years as well. We welcomed 3 baby boys and transitioned from infants to toddlers, and the 2 oldest through preschool, homeschooling, and now full time public school.
Through these 10+ years of being immersed in Camp Bighorn, our supporters have walked along with us. Praying for us and the ministry and sending financial support to help us meet monetary needs.
Now, as we make some new changes, we want to keep you along in the process, let you know where we are at, and invite you to continue to be involved in our life, the ministry at Camp Bighorn, and beyond!
Starting January 1, 2009, Zach’s position at Camp Bighorn will be part time. He and his staff member David will join the Program Team. The Training and Support Team responsibilities will transfer with them. Zach will also no longer be on Senior Staff.
Part time positions at Camp Bighorn are not a common occurrence and the times it has been done in the past have been only in transition or short term. At this point, this is a one-year decision for us to transition into a more “contractual” agreement.
So why would we do this and what will we do with the other half of our time?!
The “part time” will be a certain number of work weeks each year at Camp and a certain amount of work weeks elsewhere. The times at Camp will mostly be around times when Zach’s training and involvement are especially needed.
When Zach is not working at Camp, he will be pursuing some things that have been slowly creeping into our life over the past few years. The bulk of his time will be working with a friend of ours, Joel Collett, doing construction and septic work in Plains. The second major thing will be being available during the summer to fight fire. He will also continue to occasionally teach handgun classes, wilderness medical classes, and community CPR and First Aid. Bighorn QRU and Plains Community Ambulance continue to be of importance to us as volunteer opportunities. There is also some opportunity for him to learn more in the business of executive protection.
All of these things are things Zach has been somewhat involved in over the years and has a passion to pursue further. Zach has a desire to teach and be in relationship with people. These are things he does already, but are not limited to Camp. He is excited to use his skills, passion, and experience in some new things.
So what does this mean for you? If you currently support us financially, we are asking if you would continue doing so. Right now, we are raising about ½ of the allowable amount for our salary package from Camp Bighorn. This means there will be no major changes in our support raising and payment from Camp. If this changes, we will let you know.
We are asking for your prayers just as much now as ever. You are our friends and our family and our relationship with you is a lifelong one. Please join us as we continue being committed to the ministry at Camp Bighorn. Our warm house, full tummies and bill’s paid are testimonies of your continued faithfulness to God and that reflection on us.

We're already over half way through January!
The first couple weeks of this month, Zach worked with Joel. Mostly framing and roofing for a new home after one burnt down last spring. He's official as a licensed Independent Contractor in MT for Vanderwall and Associates.
Now, he's back at Camp for several weeks. The Explore college students are back at Bighorn for 2nd semester. This year, they have added a new program. It's a second year of Explore. Zach will be working mostly with the 2nd year students, but both groups are at Camp right now and jumping into Winter Skills. Zach and the 2nd year students are starting out with a 4 day ski trip. Everyone is wondering what sort of snow conditions they'll find up there. It hasn't snowed for a while now!
Next week we'll start an 8-day Wilderness First Responder course with them. The extra exciting news about this is that Zach is now an official LEAD INSTRUCTOR for Wilderness Medical Associates!!! What this means is that we don't have to hire an outside instructor to come help instruct the courses anymore! Zach and I are it! That is incredibly exciting and incredibly intimidating!!! We are up for the challenge though and I pray that we don't make any major mistakes, but that we are able to keep learning through what we do right and what we do wrong. I am an assistant instructor and for now have no desire to upgrade to Lead. We'll see, it may be beneficial in the future.
We will also be opening our home every Wednesday night, (when their schedule allows) for the 2nd year students to come over and have what they call Impact Group. We get to hang out with them, have snacks, and fellowship. Sometimes very organized, sometimes not so organized. Whatever seems to be the need of the group. Our main role as a family is to provide the environment, and the students organize their time.
This year could hold many many changes for us and we're just waiting to see what happens next.
I'm personally being challenged a lot lately in the subject of relationship. With people, I'm not a social person. I love blogs and facebook so I can interact without being in person! =) I would stay at home all day and never even go to the grocery store if I was allowed! I do as much work for Zach as I can from here so I don't have to go into the office. There is A LOT to this, but I'm willing to start making some changes and try not to overwhelm myself in the process that would cause me to start going backward again. I know God is wanting to encourage me in this and if I continue to follow him in it, I can see this year allowing a lot of opportunities for me to step up and step out.
So thank you all for your friendships, I'll let you know what comes up next!