Israel Trip 2013

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2013 - Wow! Really!

If we are on target, you should be receiving this letter during the 1st week in Advent.  I (Ric) love this time of year!  But I also get frustrated.  It is a great season to prep ourselves for celebrating Jesus 1st coming and remember its significance to us today and for eternity, but it is also meant to cause us to stop and prepare for His 2nd Coming.  Unfortunately, both often get caught in the hustle and bustle of the secular holiday celebrations!  For this reason, we still open gifts on St. Nicholas day!  We love being free for the rest of the month to worship and celebrate and not be stuck in shopping.

Anyway, enough about what's coming up, what about the past year?  The highlight of our year

At King Solomon's Copper Mines

together as a family, including my Mom, was a 14 trip to Israel with a group from several congregations here in Orange County.  We followed the story of David, beginning in the Valley of Elah where the Lord defeated Goliath thru him, and the Caves of Addulam where he hid from Saul's armies.  We travelled to the south visiting Beersheba, a Biblical Safari Park, Snorkeled in the Red Sea, visited King Solomon's Copper Mines, and a replica of the Wilderness Tabernacle, before heading north.  We stopped on the way to spend the night with Bedouin's in a large wool tent to escape a Haboob (sand storm).  The next morning we hiked Herod's Masada fortress and took a float in the Dead Sea before heading up the Jordan Valley to the archeological wonder of Beit Shean beneath the ancient ruins of Gilboa where Saul and Jonathan's bodies were hung after their defeat We spent the next few days exploring the shores of the Sea of Galilee which dominated the  ministry of Jesus, including sites like Capernaum, Dan, Caesarea Phillipi, Gamla, baptisms in the Jordan River, a boat ride on the Sea, among others.

The Garden Tomb

Before heading south again toward Nazareth, we hiked the Horns of Hattin on Mount Arbel and the trail Jesus would have walked to Capernaum.  After a quick stop in Nazareth, we toured the water tunnels of Megiddo and headed to Jerusalem.  Jerusalem can't be covered in a few sentences, but among the highlights were the Western Wall Tunnel, a tour of the newly excavated David's City (including the Great Stone Structure believed to have supported his palace and the recently discovered Pool of Siloam -Magnificient!) and a wet walk through Hezekiah's Tunnel.  We held NATHAN'S BAR MITZVAH at the Southern Temple Steps (we had planned on a Bat Mitzvah for Keziah, but it wasn't permitted).  

Nathan's Bar Mitzvah

Archeological Dig at Tel Maresha

Our final days included hikes through Herod's newly discovered burial site at the Herodium, and ironically on the same day participated in an archeological dig at the town of his birth.  So many stories to tell and literally thousands of pictures.  Come over some time and we would love to show you.  Nathan did a 3.5 hour presentation to a class of 5th graders and held their attention.

Since we spent all our vacation money in Israel, we decided to go camping for our summer vacation, never expecting we could actually find spots at Yosemite, but we did and had a blast.  We biked, tubed, hiked and had a great week together.  This was largely a success due to Nathan's deep involvement in Boyscouts where he is mastering knot tying, packing, and preparation skills that made him a super valuable asset in prepping to go.

We also had a couple boy/girl split trips this year:
Nathan and I went to Boyscout camp just outside Yosemite for a week following our family trip, so needless to say, I was excited to see my bed.   I was also a chaperone for his 6th grade science camp near San Diego.

Carolyn and Keziah travelled to Washington DC and New York with Keziah's 8th grade class for a week in October.  What an amazing opportunity to see monuments to our nations history.

We travelled to Colorado over Labor Day weekend as I was invited to  speak at a Family Camp at a beautiful resort there.  It was a great and unexpected way to end the summer.  I am so grateful they asked me to bring my family with me.  On the way, we had a last minute reunion with a long lost cousin who lives just off the road from where we were heading, and his wife and sister.  I look forward to reestablishing that connection.

Fly fishing on the Rio Grande

We were blessed with some great visits this year including Cousin Hannah Leverich this summer after her high school graduation.  In November, her younger sister Clara and her Dad Brian came out for a week as well.  Hannah got to camp with us at El Moro.

Both Keziah and Nathan continue in orchestra at school playing violin and bass respectively.  Keziah took a significant role in her school play this last year in the Seussical Jr. and has already landed a part for this next year.  She also has been playing piano and guitar in her spare time and knitting like crazy.  Nathan's sport seems to be Lacrosse, which is a winter sport, so we are just getting ready to dive into that for a few months.  Fortunately, their activities don't overlap seasonally.

We are grateful for the opportunities God has given us and realize that this is a season to be slow and intentional with as our children are both now in middle school.  We hope to spend every moment we can with them.

Please pray for us if you get a chance.  We are trying so hard to not be so preoccupied with activity that we miss God's best for us.  It is hard in this culture.  How can we pray for you?  We are getting better at praying together as a family and we could use some fuel for the fires.

Thanks for the role you play in the life of our family!  We do appreciate you!
Love and blessings,
Ric, Carolyn, Keziah and Nathan

Summer is coming!

Thanks for your prayers! I know it has been a while since I posted.  I have been getting my monthly prayer days, but with Resurrection Celebrations and  Israel preparations, it was a very busy couple of months.  Sorry I havent posted anything for you.  If you watch my facebook, you can tell what is going on.

I spent my prayer time yesterday at Marywood Center here in Orange.  It is up for sale ($27million to pay for the Crystal Cathedral).  It would be great to have a retreat center like this in Orange County.  Pray this can happen somehow!

PRAISE:

• On May 30, we celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary!  God is good!
• Great trip to Israel.  Kids did fantastic.  Nathan just did a 2.5 hour presentation at school.
• MCS Headmaster & OPD chief is interested in going to Israel.
• We should be refinancing our home today or tomorrow.  This will  create some flexibility in our finances.
• I am walking with another pastor on how to have monthly prayer days.
• National Day of Prayer opened some great opportunities for the Body of Christ to be together including a time of prayer in the Police Department with the chief.

PRAYER:

• A potential speaking engagement in late summer with my family would be a great way to finish the summer.  I will be deciding in the next couple days.
• We are trying to create margin in our family.  Space to allow God to lead, not our calendars.  Its hard with middle school aged kids.
• Carolyn needs a procedure on her teeth soon.  She is having headaches.  It should be done in early June.
• Over the summer I am finishing the Speaking calendar for 2013/14 and the Congregation calendar.
• Pray for the Beacon finances.  It isnt pretty.
• Planning has begun for the 2014 visit of 800 youth from all over North America.  Pray for strong partners in the city with vision.

CALENDAR:

• June 7-8 Strategic Team Retreat
• June 22-29 Since Carolyn used her vacation time in Israel, our vacation time as a family will only be one week this year, but the great news is we got 3 nights in Yosemite.
• June 30 to July 6 For the rest of my vacation, NEO & I are headed to Boyscout Camp in Kern.  I will be one of 4 adults leading 23 boys.  Pray for safe driving in addition to the things mentioned above.
• July 22-27 Nathan will be at Forest Home with our Children's Ministry.
• July 21-27 Keziah will be with our youth on a mission trip to downtown LA.

Have a blessed summer!

February 6, 2013

Good Morning everyone!

Thanks so much for your prayers, even when I am not so diligent to get you fodder for your prayers.  I was finally able to get a partial prayer day 2 weeks ago at a beautiful Benedictine Monastery in Oceanside, which I think will be my new favorite.

My next scheduled day is at the end of this month is Feb. 28 - PRAY IT DOESNT GET PREEMPTED!

PRAISE:

• Nathan's right foot is healed and his left foot has a brace until it is obvious that he needs surgery.  He is playing Lacrosse, so it isn't affecting him too much.
• The Tree lighting was such a success the city contacted us about doing a similar event for their 125th anniversary on April 6.  Yay!  Pray for partners in the city.
• I have had the honor of leading several young men to Christ lately, pray they will get into a discipleship group and be baptized.
• El Modena HS has a long HONEY DO list for us.  Pray for wisdom and finances.
• We are meeting with other congregations once a month to compare notes on ministry possibilities after our monthly prayer time!

PRAYER:

• My wrist is still an issue and we do not have clarity.  In the meantime, another issue has come up that I am on 30 days of medication for.
• Our family is prepping for Israel, and with all the news, the kids are a bit nervous.
• I am prepping for Israel, so it is like prepping for 30 extra messages all at once. Pray I am diligent.
• We are making a bold move to have Marcus ordained, not by our denomination, but trying to see if we can get the congregations in Orange to unite for this purpose.  This is about as big as it gets.  Please pray for wisdom.
• I am in a 9 month series on the life and letters of the Apostle Paul and thoroughly loving it.  Pray, in Paul's words, that I might finish well.
• Please pray for our upcoming resurrection celebrations.  
• Please pray for Carolyn's work load as she prepares to be gone for 2 weeks in Israel.
• Please continue to pray for the Beacon's financial status.

There is a lot more. Thanks for keeping us in prayer.

Ric for the Olsen's