CEF Alaska May 2012 Rural report

God seems to be drawing the body of Christ  towards unity and working together in Alaska. In April, I attended the Network Summit in Sutton Alaska. God was putting a cry for unity on the hearts of native leaders as well as white missionaries. The main theme quickly became,  "How do we work side by side helping our Native brothers and sisters to rise to the occasion?" . The week before that I was in Bethel Alaska for the Moravian church pastor and elders conference. Again, I saw native leaders rising to the occasion. Excited about reaching out to their village and beyond for the gospel. CEF Alaska is coming alongside of our native brothers and sisters while we train and encourage their ministry and what God is doing through them for the children of Alaska. We know that when God changes children's lives,  they will be a generation that will make a difference in villages and cities where they live. Unity happens when at least two are working together for a common purpose. So this is our purpose. Our summer at CEF Alaska is busy. We have 3 CYIA's going on 7 Good news clubs in the Bristol bay, Kuskokwim bay and Norton sound areas. There will be at least 100 teens trained to share the gospel with this young generation. Pray for us as we labor to train and raise up these warriors. And as our teams gather from all over Alaska to serve these communities with summer good news clubs. Matt 18:3 says, "Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Children are humble and easier to reach for with the Gospel. Please pray with us as we take advantage of this great opportunity!

CEF Alaska Rural Report

There are people all across Alaska who are going to Hell! There are children all across Alaska who are going to Hell! There is a God who loves these people and does not want them to go to Hell! He has given us His word in the flesh and in written form and would love for the message of what He has done for us to be shared.
It is a sobering thought to process this. As God opens doors for CEF Alaska to share His precious message, we have a responsibility to share from what He has done in our lives. This is not necessarily a formula, but rather an evidence of a changed life for Gods glory. My Iife, your life, and hopefully children's lives in Soldotna, Kenai, Bristol Bay, Norton Sound, the Interior.
It is exciting to me to see adults, and teens in Alaska desiring to share how God has changed their life, forever!
I have been praying and calling and emailing various villages in Bristol Bay to set up our summer 5 day Good News Clubs. Knowing that we will have an opportunity to share from our heart what God has done for us, and what He has done and wants to do in others’ lives!
I imagine a village with children who are raised up having a relationship with God, loving Him, and desiring that not one person in their village go to Hell. Loving and sharing Gods precious message.
We have so many who are excited about sharing this already and working hard to go through those doors that God opens.
Please pray for us as we continue to go foward! Specifically Unalakleet as they will have a CYIA (Christian Youth In Action Training) there this spring and a team from Soldotna including our intern, Ramsey, will be teaching these young teens on how to share what God has done in them, and then Sara Oyumik will take these trained teens to neighboring villages and share Gods word with them. In Port Alsworth as the McKennett's and others will share what God has done in their lives, and then take teams to neighboring villages to share Gods word. In Soldotna as Joyce and others will share what God has done in their lives, and then these trained teens will reach put on the peninsula as well as going out on village trips in Bush Alaska. Genny Brown as she leads clubs and outreach in Galena. Troy Abel and Stretch and Sara Blackard as they share in neighboring villages of what God has done in their lives.
God has changed our life, forever! We want to be part of what He is doing all across this great state of Alaska for all of its people! We want to see others’ lives changed by God for His Glory!

2012

Time sure had flown by! It is now a fresh new day and a fresh new year in Alaska for the Lazaros family. We have had a very crazy year with many challenges as well as many blessings. As we continue in this path that God has led us in, we have been reflecting on the fact that we knew going to Alaska, and especially ministering with CEF of Alaska would have it's challenges as we would be faced with a real opportunity to grow and be stretched. We have not been let down in thoses pre-concieved thoughts! We have been challenged and have grown! It is never pretty, or desirable as we go through these growth spurts, but it is good!
Some things from this year as I reflect:

• Lela went through a very intense operation the end of September. We knew this would take time as we did research, but did not realize all that would be involved in the recovery. We think that when they operated, there was a bit of her brain that was taken out. Although it is slowly growing back!
• Shaughn, after working a crazy year and a half as opening manager at our local McDonalds and taking college classes decided he had enough of the Mcdramma and took a long leave of absence form McD's. He has been working for a local pizza place and has experienced a different set of drama scenes. He is realizing that the food industry is not for him!
• Matthew has burned himself out as he took over for Shaughn as opening manager at McD's, and took 20 credit hours at Kenai Penninsula College. We encouraged him to step out of McDonalds and he has. His semester is done. He has been spending time at home just getting back to normal! It had been good to hear him laugh again!
• The little guys aren't as little anymore! Nathaniel is in the youth group now and becomming his own, very interesting person...Jeremiah is having seperation anxiety as his partner is stepping out on his own now. He also is beginning to step up as his own person.
• I (Scott) have just been hanging on. Being pulled in many direction and trying to grow as a leader in my home, community, and ministry.

It is interesting in being in full time ministry. It is not like the jobs that I have had where I knew exactly what needed to be done all of the time. There is always a flow. Sometimes I find myself driving 3 hours to Anchorage to have coffee with someone who God has brought into the scene. Sometimes I sit at a desk at the office making phone calls, praying, plotting, and scheming. Sometimes I take my wife out for coffee so that we can connect and get synced up. Sometimes I am frustrated due to not understanding how others think. Sometimes I find myself working on an airplane and fellowshipping with like minded, God loving, mechanics. Sometimes I find myself remodeling a room in this old house that God has blessed us with. Sometimes I find myself reparing one of our old vehicles to keep us mobile or help out one of my sons on their vehicles. Sometimes I find myself bundled up heading to a village that may be -50 0r -60F, not knowing how God will be glorified, but trusting that He would use little old us in His plan to bring people to Himself. Other times I just find a quiet place to open God's word and sit and listen to Him at His feet.

So, this year, 2012, I pray is a year of getting closer to God. One of slowing down to listen to Him, and family and friends, while keeping momentum going foward as God opens doors, and leads.

I am so thankful for a God who has always had a plan for my life, my family, and He is faithful. He can be trusted. He will never leave us or forsake us!

2010 Wrangell Mountain Bible Conference

Our family, minus Shaughn, are with a CEF Alaska team of 13 in the Copper Center, AK. area at the Wrangell Mountain Bible Conference.

We are here for 10 days We have had 20-30 kids from 5yrs old to 15 years old in the clubs. Things are going well. We have been blessed to work with a local family as part of our team.

I am posting pictures right now on the Flikr site. It seems to be taking a while, but they should be up soon!

Please keep praying for the rest of the week. We leave Monday to head home.

Blessings,

scott

New Photos Posted

Check out our flickr sight as we have posted several new photos. Some you may have seen on our facebook sights but some you have not. It is midnight here and time for bed. We will come back and write some updates in the next couple of days. Please enjoy the photos and thank you for your prayers.

God bless you all!! Happy Mother's Day to all of the special "mom's" we know and love!!

Lela and boyz~

Family goes to Port Alsworth...

Last weekend our whole family went to the village of Port Alsworth for their Spring Family Conference. Our kids were on the team for the children’s ministry. Lela and I enjoyed the conference and met many new people as well as reconnected with familiar faces.

We ended up missing the first day due to weather. The plane could not get into the village due to the weather, so we went Saturday instead of Friday. We had about a 30 minute warning to get to the airport, which isn't far but this was at 8:25 a.m. and we were still in jammies and had to take our showers and get a couple of kiddies out of bed. BUT, we did make it and all was good. Port Alsworth has 2 runways side by side. When we landed, the pilot chose the left runway. Nobody clued him in about the condition. It was VERY muddy!!!! The airplane slid all the way down the runway. The pilot did an excellent job keeping the nose off the ground until he could get in some hard land. Otherwise, the nose wheel would have dug in and the prop woul have hit the ground resulting in $500,000 in damage. Once the runway dried a little, we tugged the airplane back as far as we could in the high ground and took all the weight we could out of the airplane, this left him with about 1500 feet of runway before the lake. He did a nice soft field take off in about 750 feet!! This was Sunday morning and the chapel is located at the end of the runway in front of the lake with HUGE windows on both sides to see all of the beauty. When the plane got off the ground the whole chapel roared with excitement!!!! The preacher stopped and allowed the Praise to continue and everyone gave thanks to God for His faithfulness. I was so excited...I met another Lela!! She spells her name Lelya...she is from Russia. It was so strange introducing her to Scott..."Scott this is Lelya and Lelya this is my husband Scott..." It sounded so weird. LOL Not everyday I get to do that. :-)

Scott and Lela leave Thursday for the village of Quihagak (Sounds like quinihawk) for the Moravian Youth Singsperation. About 330 Alaskan Natives will be flown in from villages all over Alaska. We will have the opportunity to meet many of them.

Scott and Lela have been promoted to CEF ALASKA RURAL MINISTRY COORDINATORS. The boss wanted to see how we did before he gave us the title. This just means that we are responsible for ministry that happens in every village except for Soldotna. :o)

God has been opening many doors for ministry. It has been amazing to see His handy work. We are humbled to be His servants and excited at what the future looks like.

Scott will slowly be trained in the airplane as opportunities come up. In the mean time, I am hoping to be able to use MARC’s Cessna 172 when I have a couple of bucks so that I can stay current. I can use this plane for various meetings around the State.

The boys are doing good. They loved flying out to the village and playing in the mud. Yes, we all had to have mud boots...a necessary item for living here once break up starts.

We pray that all is well with you and please continue to remember us in your prayers for safety in all of our upcoming flying and also for our boys as some of the trips they are not going on and staying with friends. We love and appreciate you all. God bless!!!!!

Lela and Scott

Shaughn, Matthew, Nathaniel and Jeremiah

Employee of the Week and of the Month!!!!

Shaughn has only been at McDonalds for about a month and a half and came home last night with 2 gift cards and 8 free meals because he was named Employee of the Week AND Employee of the Month!!!! His Dad and I are so proud!! Way to go Shaughn!!!!

My Dad still needs your prayers. His healing process is super slow and he needs the "Joy of the Lord" to shower over him during this time. If you could remember him and my mom, I would appreciate it.

Our local Wal-mart store opened today! This was a huge event here locally as they only had one store to shop at and this will give them a variety. :-) Otherwise, it is off to Anchorage...a 3-4 hour drive for most of us. Our friends in Homer has to add another 1 1/2 hours to that drive. We all went to check it out today after Shaughn got off of work.

Scott spoke today at the local native college. We all went but let him do the honors of speaking to the missions class. He did a great job speaking about CEF and the history of CEF. Each of the kids in the class took a prayer card and said they would be praying for us. They are such a great bunch of teens. We always enjoy going there. It is located just past our office a couple of blocks.

Everyone is doing great. We are preparing for all of our summer projects both with CEF and personal. We have many projects here at the home front...any volunteers to come and help??? :-) Love hearing from you all!

Bless you!
Lela and boyz~