Monday, March 29, 2010

Riverglade United Baptist Church

Sunday morning Liz and I were pleased to share with the congregation at Riverglade Baptist. Their enthusiasm and support were a huge encouragement. They have promised to uphold us, our staff and campers in prayer as the summer camps approach! There will be opposition in many forms, and it is so important that our friends and supporters join with us in prayer as the summer approaches. It is vital that our staff maintain their relationship with the Lord and not allow themselves to be distracted from the most important relationship in their lives. Not only for ministry sake, but for their own spiritual well being as well! And please pray that even now the Lord would be preparing hearts and minds to hear the gospel presented clearly and practically at camp this year!

We are nearing year end with NCEM, and I have been quite busy today getting some book work done and beginning to prepare for the year end procedures. Roan and Laura at NCEM headquarters will have their work cut out for them as they merge over twenty sets of books from various NCEM departments.

Tomorrow Kevin and I have several meetings in the Fredericton area. We will be cashing in all of the pennies that we have received as well. I'm sure it will be an interesting visit to the bank! I'll let you know what the final tally is tomorrow night!

Friday, March 26, 2010

NBBI and Goodbye

Last night Kevin and I left late for NBBI. We arrived near midnight and found an empty room in the guys dorm to crash in. We chatted with a few fellas who were still up and had a good nights sleep.

This morning we were up and at the chapel for about 8:30. We enjoyed visiting with some old classmates and faculty and reminiscing about our time at NBBI. It seems so long ago. Kevin and I shared in chapel about Arrowhead and showed the camp promo. We allowed a few minutes after chapel to visit with the students and were more than pleased to hand out several staff applications. It looks like we'll have an excellent showing of Bible school students this year - which will be a huge blessing.

Immediately after chapel we hit the road again to get back here to the work team. With some more assistance from Roger Hill the new well is finally up and running. The new pressure tank is installed and the switches are all active, this will allow us to use the old well as a back up in the event we have any trouble with the larger well.

The work team will be leaving early in the morning, and let me tell you, they've blown our minds at just how much they have accomplished this week! There are now stairs up to the new office building, the stairs in the shop are complete, the drop ceiling in the medical station, a window in the medical station door, the new sinks and plumbing repairs, all of the electrical work for the well and new office. It has been a wonderful encouragement to have these guys with us, and we've really enjoyed working alongside them and getting to know them.

It has been an exceptionally busy few weeks, and it has been challenging for all of us. It will be nice to have a day to recuperate and then we'll be off to the races again. There's a great deal to accomplish before we head out West for training. Year end is coming up in a couple of days so I have quite a bit to do with the QuickBooks to have them ready for headquarters. Liz and I will be sharing at a couple of more churches before we go, Kevin and I have a week of meetings coming up and we will be getting the camp printed materials in the mail in the next week or two. Before we know it we're going to be out West wondering how we got there.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

still at it!

We had another full day! Here are a couple of pics.


Some very kind individuals have donated some wonderful new tools to Arrowhead. This is a powerful cut off saw and will compliment our welding equipment nicely.

Ken kindly donated a high power pressure washer, which will be a great addition to the equipment in the shop. Another gentleman from Lisbon Falls (Paul) has generously donated a new compressor as well.

Cleve busily getting the new building all ready for Kevin and I to move our office into!

Kevin... ahem.

Another amazing meal! Thanks Lizzie. Scott is so shy!

It was another very busy day, and a lot of projects have been completed or begun. It has been such a huge blessing to have all of these fellas come and minister with us in these projects!

Kevin and I are heading out tonight for NBBI, we'll be sharing in chapel tomorrow morning. Keep us in prayer as we go, we're hopeful to recruit some staff for the upcoming camps!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

work, work, work...

It has been a busy day at Arrowhead today... let me show you...


Ken, from the Lisbon Falls work ministry team, installed 3 new porcelain sinks in the boys and girls bathrooms to replace faulty ones.

Cleve (I'm not sure if I'm spelling your name right, my apologies if I am making a mess of it), working on the panel to prepare for the installation of the new well pump in the new well.

Ken installed a drop ceiling in our future medical station room... it looks fantastic!

Scott, a member of the Lisbon Falls Work Ministry Team, working on retro-fitting a set of stairs to suit our needs in the ANBC shop. These will be a most welcome addition to our workshop.

Mr. Hill and I burned the scrap pile and several big piles of brush this afternoon.

Roger Hill, Mr. Mowat and Mike all worked in the snow to get the well all finished. All of the outside work is now done, new pump down, wires and pipe run, the only thing left to do is hook up the new pressure tanks and were all set.

Liz and Marica worked hard in the kitchen to keep everyone well fed!

Tonight Timothy Simon came from Eel Ground and shared his testimony and a devotion with all of us. He shared some very encouraging words from the Bible, we were blessed to have him with us.



Here is a peek at us helping Scott install his platform and retrofit staircase in the shop!
Tomorrow I'll have a pic of the finished product. (if you have received this post as an eMail you will likely need to come and visit the blog to see the video)

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

ANBC goes Nova Scotia

On Saturday morning Kevin & I (Grant) headed out for Brier Island, Nova Scotia. We arrived in time to catch the 3:30 ferry to Long Island and then on to the 4:00 ferry to Brier Island. It was a beautiful day for traveling and we were pleased to meet our friends Crystal and Andrew Welch in Digby, so we enjoyed sailing with them to the islands. We were greeted at the Westport Baptist Church on the Island by a large crowd and a wonderful pot luck dinner. Lori Bennett, another NCEM missionary here in the East was there as well, she would be giving a ministry update on Sunday morning. Phil and Gracie Welch have their home in Westport, so it was a great NCEM gathering at the Westport Baptist Church. We shared an update about all of the exciting things happening at Arrowhead and were blessed by a generous contribution to "A Plethora of Pennies" by the folks at the church.

NCEM missionaries take Westport Baptist Church by storm. (L to R); Grant Fawcett, Lori Bennett, Gracie Welch, Phil Welch and Kevin Strout

The good folks at Westport Baptist Church donated 12,500 pennies to contribute to our training expenses! Thank You Westport Baptist!

Kevin and I left Westport Saturday evening and travelled as far as Granville Beach. We enjoyed a stay with Lizs' folks, although brief, we were back on the road early Sunday morning. But before we left we were given a big bucket-o-pennies on behalf of Habitation Baptist Church.

Habitation Baptist Church collected over 8,000 'pennies' to contribute to our training costs. Another big thank you to Habitation Baptist Church!

Sunday morning Kevin and I were in Coldbrook, Nova Scotia at Coldbrook Baptist Church. We enjoyed the opportunity to give an Arrowhead update as a part of their Sunday morning service.

The folks at Coldbrook have requested to be a part of our Grocery Grabber Coupon program for another year! It is such a huge encouragement and very practical help for us to have churches share with us in ministry in this way!

After church we continued 0ur trek as far as Halifax. Kevin and I were given the opportunity to give an Arrowhead update at Sheffield Baptist Church in Halifax. It was Gospel Night, and we both very much enjoyed all of the ministry in music. We thought that as a part of the music night we'd teach everyone a camp song. So with the help of a couple of camp savvy 'volunteers' we led the congregation in a few verses of "I just wanna be a Sheep"... not really sure if it was as amazing as we thought it was, but everyone had fun!

We have been so encouraged by the excitement of our friends at Sheffield in the ministry at Arrowhead with NCEM. We were presented with over $60 in Canadian Tire money and a generous financial gift to aid in our Spring projects at ANBC.

On Monday morning we met with the Band Leadership in Millbrook, Nova Scotia. We wanted to introduce ourselves and present them with the upcoming programs at Arrowhead. It was a great meeting, we're looking forward to having a great group come from Millbrook to ANBC this year!

This is a statue of Glooscap at Millbrook in NS. It is a 40 ft tall statue that greets you as you travel through Millbrook on the highway!

After our meeting we headed home, stopping for a whirlwind visit with my mom in Shediac. I wish we'd had time to stay longer, but while we were there Kevin got a call that the work team had arrived from Maine. So we zipped off again and arrived at Arrowhead to greet the work team about 90 minutes later.

Edie Fawcett (mama) presented us with pennies and Canadian Tire money collected by the Shediac Baptist Church WMS. They have been very busy!

back at Arrowhead, Liz showed the fellas into the main lodge and got them settled in with a snack. By the time we finally arrived the guys had a chance to look around and inspect some of the jobs they will be doing while they are here!

A shot from last night, Roger Hill has loaned us some tools for hooking up the new well and was helping with some planning for the big job! It's going to be a busy week!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Maine and a Mobile House!

On Tuesday morning, Kevin and I (Grant) left for Lisbon Falls Maine. We traveled as far as South Paris and spent the night at the Strout Homestead. On Wednesday morning we spent some time doing some recon for items for camp.

Our purpose for the trip was to have meetings with some of the teams coming to Arrowhead this summer. We had the opportunity to meet with the guest speakers for teen camp just after they finished work. We will be having an athletics themed camp this year and will be tying the activities in with the lesson plan. We are really excited about the team that will be coming from Lisbon falls to work with us for this new teen camp.

Shortly after our first meeting we met with the Lisbon Falls Baptist Church Puppet Ministry team. There will be more than a dozen folks coming with that team to work with us during Oromocto Camp week. It was a great opportunity to connect with friends and meet some of the people who will be first timers this year. We really enjoyed the opportunity to share some of the things that will be happening this year, some changes to the program and encourage them as they prepare to come. It is a lot of work to prepare for the eight chapel sessions, and they certainly do a awesome job!

We were blessed doubly as we were presented with the proceeds of the Lisbon Falls Baptist Church contribution to "A Plethora of Pennies". As well as an assortment of hand knit mits for the kids. Before we left town, John & Mitzie Moon loaded us up with bins and tubs for camp - a great blessing as I've been busy organizing the shop.

On our return trip home, Kevin and I stopped in to visit his uncle, Leon Strout. Leon very generously loaded us up with some more racks, bins and a worktable for the shop! He has on more than one occasion been very kind in his donations of such items to Arrowhead. We have certainly been very blessed by all he has sent our way!

Packing it in nice and snug...

Kevin and I returned last evening, but things were hopping here while we were away! On Tuesday as we were preparing to depart the excavator arrived to put the finishing touches on the driveway. As I've mentioned, we had the NBBI guys quite busy with cutting trees and clearing brush. All of this work was to make room to widen the driveway!

This work made the driveway wide enough ...

things a-happenin' at ANBC...

This work was finished Tuesday and Liz was able to snap a shot of the big arrival on Wednesday. We've been very excited for this day to arrive, now that it has we've got some work to do!

a mobile home...

it squeezed down the driveway to it's new 'home'...

delivered and blocked up... ready to move in.

It is important that we have an office at Arrowhead to work out of, not only during the summer months, but all year long. We are always busy with camp matters and often need to meet with people, having a suitable office is certainly going to aid in our work. NCEM headquarters made it possible for us to acquire this building and have it delivered to our property. We are very much looking forward to moving into the building. The driveway will be finished up after the ground has thawed and drained and we will be moving the gate down adjacent to the office. A culvert has been installed and there will be parking in front of the office. We will be able to meet visitors in a reception area in the building. This new building will also serve as the new 'directors cabin', it is a three bedroom house and as such will give Kevin and I quarters during camp, and additional lodging during conferences etc.

We had a visit today from Mowat's Well Drilling as well, they came to put the finishing touches on our new well. It is all ready to be put into service. To achieve optimal results from the well we may need to look into fund raising for 1HP submersible pump. We currently have two 1/2 HP submersible pumps, and if they are both in good working order we'll be able to make due with those for the time being. We are certainly very grateful for our new well and look forward to having plenty of water this coming summer!

Some diggin' round the well.

Putting a lid on it!

I busied myself today putting the new racks and bins into service in the back shop. I still have a bit of work to do to get it just the way I want it, but it is certainly beginning to shape up! Ben helped me with a lot of this work.

All organized and ready for service!

Tomorrow morning Kevin and I are on the road before 8, we're giving Arrowhead update at three churches over the weekend. We'll be back to meet the work team on Monday! If you're free any day (or three) next week feel free to drop by and lend us a hand... there's plenty to do :0)

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Hope Baptist Church, Hopetown Quebec

We have just returned from a whirlwind trip to the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec. It was a beautiful weekend for some travel and we enjoyed the brief getaway. It is an amazing drive along the North Shore of New Brunswick and the Gaspé.

This morning we had the opportunity to present our ministry at Hope Baptist Church in Hopetown. We were very encouraged by the enthusiasm of the folks there and very much enjoyed meeting everyone.

Bienvenue

Hope Baptist Church

A scenic Sunday afternoon drive!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

La Belle Province

Lizzie and I are heading out today for Quebec. We will be presenting the ministry of NCEM & Arrowhead in Hope Town, Quebec. It looks as though we are going to have a gorgeous day for traveling and are looking forward to meeting the folks at Hope Town Baptist Church.

It has been a busy and productive week for us at Arrowhead. We've had a friend of ours staying with us, Ben is an N.B.B.I. student and is on his March break. It's been a lot of fun to have him stay with us, and a huge help as well. Over the past two weeks he's put himself wholeheartedly and happily to any of the work I was doing. We cut trees, cleared brush, hauled wood, cleaned the shop, and put up some rather groovy shelves (among other things). We thank you very much for your help Ben!

Now that March Break is over, the whirlwind begins for the Fawcetts! We have a very full schedule leading up to our departure for P.A.T.H. training (you can see our itinerary to the right at the lower part of this page). Before we know it we'll be back and doing some serious camp prep!

By way of a bit of information, for all those of you who are curious just what P.A.T.H. training is, the organization providing the training has posted a website that you can visit by clicking HERE.

We have been very blessed by all of your support both financially and in prayer! Enough extra funding came in to allow us (both the Fawcetts and the Strouts) to purchase our plane tickets. All that remains is our tuition and room and board expenses for the training, all of your pennies will help with these expenses. Thanks once again for all you do for this ministry in your support!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Bundles of Blessings.

It is a huge blessing and encouragement to all of us at Arrowhead when people take the time to share with us by giving their time or collecting items for use at camp. I want to extend a huge thank you to Sue Currie and Chrissy Arrowsmith for their generosity in the form of games, movies, crafts supplies, books and blankets.

All of these items will certainly be put to good use.

All of the students are on march break this week, so we conscripted a bunch of fellas who very willingly came out to help us with some work at Arrowhead! Ben, James, Johnny and Drew helped Kevin, Mr. Cole (our very generous neighbour) and Grant to do a lot of outdoor work - and we got a LOT done. We cut and limbed trees, collected some windfall, rounded up old and decayed picnic tables etc. It is amazing what seven guys can accomplish in just a day! A big thank you to all you fellas who gave up a day of your March break to help us out!