Anchors Aweigh will be our home for the next six months, October through March.  No, we are not on a cruise (: , we are still in our motorhome as always.  Anchors Aweigh is the RV Park in Foley, Alabama where we will be serving as park ministers to the park and the winter residents who are mostly "Snowbirds" .  It's kind of funny when we think back to how our ministry began and where we are now.  We initiallly began as chaplains to "Winter Texans" in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Winter Texans and Snowbirds are the same breed, but those in Texas wanted a name of their own since most snowbirds go to FL or AZ for the winter.  Anyway, to make a long story short, we have come full circle in the mininstry God gave us.  In beween we have been houseparents to college students, caretakers of a Baptist retreat, volunteers in several resort ministries, MSC consultants while living in Helena, AL for a few years, etc.  During this entire time which began back in 1988 we have continued to serve as MSC missionaries, self-funded volunteers assigned by the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Being retired we have remained self-funded for the most part with some much appreciated help from our church and some family and friends. The additional help began when we returned to the road in 2003 and we have been blessed to serve in some resort areas  where the local association provided the RV site which makes a big difference in the expense  to our budget. We began serving in 1988 after selling our home and most belongings and not even sure how we could afford to get to our assigned location having just enrolled our daughter, Cassie, in college at Montevallo. God provided us with a love offering from our church home at the time in Titus, AL.  Butch had estimated we would need about 500 dollars for the trip to Weslaco, TX and that offering plus a hundred dollars from a friend gave us $535.00 to reach TX. God has always provided in our times of need and we give Him the praise, honor, and glory for everything that happens with His ministry using us as His vessels.

What a gorgeous fall day today.  We had a few days that were a little chilly last week but nothing a big pot of "Best of the West" couldn't handle. We did actually change the A/C to heat pump for a couple of days to take the chill off the house.  Of course we were not like the many folks who received an early snowfall and we are thankful for that.  Snow is beautiful but requires cold weather and I don't enjoy that too much.  Maybe if we were young and athletic we would enjoy it and seek out the opportunity to do so.  The park is beginning to fill up a little more but many do not come for the winter until after Thanksgiving but there are many transient visitors for a few days at a time. We have however already had a gentleman in the hospital and been alerted to another one who is on dialysis and is traveling alone. This is part of our ministry and is sometimes a difficult one.  Last year we had a lady who was very sick when she arrived and only had a few good days before she was hospitalized several times and then died following surgery.  Some of the snowbirds are alone or even alienated from children or other family members who would normally be here to help during illness or extended hospital stays.   God has blessed us to be able to fill in during those times and often opens the door for sharing with those who are not grounded in Christ.  All senior adults are not saved which surprises some people.  We learned that on our first assignment in Texas while ministering to a 75 year old man who was surprised to learn he wouldn't spend a long time in hell trying to work his way into heaven.  Sounds strange I know but he is not the only one to have those beliefs.  Praise the Lord that we were allowed to share the Truth with him and he did accept Christ before he died. Though he still suffered pain,  he was happy because he knew he had a home in Heaven.

The boys pray with Jeremy                                                                 
 
Thumbs up after Jeremy said "HI SCOTT"

Praise the Lord, Thank You Jesus, Halleleuah, to God be the Glory, and tears that felt so cleansing. For those of you who are wondering if I have completely lost my mind, the answer is no.  All of this is in response to what happened on Oct. 21st 2009 in a hospital in North Carolina. Dan, Jeremy, and Ryan Vangsnes along with Scott Minear are the four young men who were injured in a one vehicle accident on July 21, 2009 in Montana. The four boys were returning from a reunion in Glacier National Park, MT where there were many Vangsnes relatives from ND in attendance. The boys were serving as Christian Innovators on a mission trip to West Yellowstone, MT for the summer.  They were returning to their assignment location when the accident happened. They were traveling in a jeep driven by Scott when he overcorrected after a slide onto wet grass and the jeep rolled ejecting Dan and Jeremy from the rear seat , pinning Scot into the wreckage, and allowing Ryan to get free and call for help. Ryan continued to try to comfort Dan, he walked and prayed while waiting for help to arrive.  Jeremy was declared dead on the scene and was being transported to Billings MT for organ donation when they discovered he was alive. He was admitted to a critical care unit there as was Scott when he was freed from the wreck with the Jaws of Life.  Ryan and Dan were admitted to the hospital in Bozeman, MT where Dan went almost immediately to surgery to repair damage to his leg.  He was in surgery for over six hours and then was returned to surgery for several more hours for additional injuries. Ryan was dismissed from the hospital with cuts and bruises. The parents arrived later that night to find they had two sons in different hospitals in different cities.  The Minear family would spend their time in Billings with Scott while the Vangsnes family would travel back and forth between Bozeman and Billings. Dan began to improve slowly as Jeremy continued to lie almost immobile in a coma.  Scott awakened after a few weeks and began all the necessary therapy to begin to recover. He was in a halo because of neck injury and weakness and when he finally was able to have it removed he was released to out- patient therapy and then to return by Angel Flight to a hospital in GA.  He remained in the hospital there for a time and then returned to his parents house where they had converted their basement into an apartment for Scott to continue his recovery. Jeremy had also begun to improve enough to be removed from the ventilator and breathe on his own so was also transported by Angel Flight to a hospital in SC.  Only Dan remained in MT and he was working very hard to get better.  He continued to improve and was released for two weeks of outpatient therapy before heading home with his dad.  They visited other family and friends enroute but finally arrived in SC.  The day we had all longed for was finally here, Dan was reunited with Ryan and Jeremy.  When Dan visited Jeremy it was nothing less than a miracle. Jeremy raised his head, opened his eyes and began to try and track Dan's movements.  Jeremy improved from being vegetative to becoming semi-conscious and attempting to move on command. Then on October 21st, three months from the date of the accident all four innovators were reunited in Jeremy's hospital room.  Scott knelt to pray with Jeremy and the other boys laid hands on him. A text message from Brad Lartigue, the resort missionary from MT  to say he was passing the accident scene and he was praying for them.  Within ten minutes of that message Jeremy began to move his body and to turn his head while tracking with his eyes.  When his eyes met Scott's  he said "HI SCOTT" .  The first complete sentence in three months.  Yes Lord. his brain is functioning and now his therapy will begin to really make a difference.  Before that day Jeremy had attempted to say something, sounding like "I'm  and an h sound" and no one really knows what he was trying to say. Perhaps I'm hungry?  I'm here? .  Only God knows but there was no doubt when he spoke to  Scott.  I am sorry if I lost you somewhere in this but I can't stop sharing what God has done in the lives of these four young men and in the lives of so many who have been following their recovery through the Caringbridge journals.  Brad Lartrigue who has devoted almost 19 years of his life to resort ministry now feels like a father to these young men.  We as former houseparents to innovators in MT have walked each step with them through prayer and praise.  God is awesome and we can hardly wait to see what He is going to do next.   We continue to pray for complete recovery for all four boys and their families.  There are many needs with financial burdens beginning to rear their nasty heads.  There have been many fundraisers to try and help with the expenses insurance will not cover. We are trusting God to provide their needs just as they are. You can follow the boys as they recover, sign their guestbook to encourage them, or contribute to their recovery on their caringbridge web sites.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/vangsnesboys  and www.caringbridge.org/visit/scottminear

Our family continues to do well and are experiencing changes of their own.  Our grandson Anthony just got his drivers llicense today, Oct. 27th and our granddaughter Carly has her permit and will be looking forward to her license in the spring.  Where oh where did the years go??  It seems like just yesterday we were in the hospital awaiting the arrival of both of them and now?  Lily Grace is three now and a very busy young lady.  We were able to visit with the family in Mobile when we first arrived here in October and we had a wonderful lunch with George, Julie, and Lily.  She and I played "Go Fishing" with her imaginary cards that were actually coasters at the restaurant.  She would ask for numbers and we had a great time waiting on our lunch. What a joy to experience the imagination of a three year old once again.  When we left Alabaster our grandson Anthony was giving his mom a hard time because she wouldn't allow him to get his license the day he turned sixteen.  Although he is in driver's ed in school he wasn't quite ready.  She continued to practice with him until she felt more comfortable that he could be allowed to drive alone.  Cassie did a good job of teaching him and we pray for him to use good judgment now that he has his license.  We are enjoying our return to Anchors Aweigh and seeing friends who have arrived earlier this year.  Our first worship service will be this Sunday, November 1st and we pray there will be those who will attend.  We still don't have anyone to lead the music or play the piano so they will be stuck with me again.  I always ask but no one has volunteered to take my place so maybe they are not suffering too bad.  We thank each and every one who takes the time to pray for God's ministry here and for us as we serve.  We appreciate those who have helped us with encouraging notes and even some funding. This is God's ministry, not ours.  We are just the vessels He has chosen to serve Him in resort ministry.  May God bless and keep all in the palm of His hand.                                                                                    ( visit the photo gallery)

In His Name,

Butch and Vi Riek

"However, I consider my liife worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."  (Acts 20-24)