CJ & Autumn Miller

So we are getting settled back into our house. For me, I am back at work in Kilgore. Today is my one year anniversary at Cypress. Definitely glad we planned some down time days between our flight back from AK & my days back at work. We slept a lot those first days, making up for lost time. We also tried to lasso the house into submission. CJ has been working outdoors & me mostly indoors. A family of moths decided to make my kitchen pantry their home over the last month. They made holes in everything & laid eggs in everything. Gross- really. I had to go through it all & throw most things out. Even plastic bags were no match for the likes of them. Found some Mason jars at garage sales last weekend- trying to put everything in glass containers until the population is under control. CJ accidentally ate a moth the other day when biting into a Ginger Snap. That is where we draw the line!
While we are on the subject… lets talk about those large wolf spiders that cohabitate in our house with the moths. We are SO outnumbered. CJ killed a momma spider the other night & 30 babies went crawling through our carpet. I guess she was giving them a ride on her back. I can’t handle this any more! The bug police are coming over today. No joke.
Looking back though- Had a great time at camp. Hope to post more photos in time. It was a real struggle this year, but I feel like I came out with a better perspective on our relationship with the Lord & a hunger to have a more intimate relationship with Him. Discovering that the work of evangelism has very little to do with what we manipulate, but rather God allowing us to play an active roll & observe His mighty work in people’s lives.
“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
~ I Corinthians 3:7
We hosted a hot dog cookout with Pastor Brian & his family last night. His three girls had large amounts of fun sliding down our fire pole. It was a blessing to see Brian & Christie’s heart for the people of Kenya. Brian has seen many of the same slum areas in Nairobi as I saw last summer. He shared with us about Lifepoint church being on the verge of playing a huge roll in a school  located in the largest slum in that area (Kibera). CJ & I are excited about the ministry possibilities that will result from this partnership & are very proud to be part of a body in Longview that cares.
Meanwhile, we are excited, but very unsure what the Lord has for us this time next year. Please pray for wisdom for us in that area of our lives.

Five airplanes took off from King Ranch, Alaska, on August 2nd and headed for Palmer where we found the Summit Pass closed due to weather.  After looking at our maps we decided to head east towards Isabella Pass.  This route was a little longer, but the weather was good. 
    After a beautiful flight we arrived in Fairbanks for a wonderful Salmon Casserole made by Cathy Congdon.  Jim and Cathy Congdon, along, with Dave and Caroline Chausse’ put us up for the night and helped us in so many other ways.
    August 3rd found us in Fairbanks with good enough weather to head north for Brook’s Range Bible Camp.  The flying was low and beautiful and it was great to see how God cleared the way for us.  We stopped in the Village of Bettles to pick up some Bibles and then made the quick hop up to Paradise Valley, the location of Brook’s Range Bible Camp.
Dwayne King and Jim Congdon took right off to pick up supplies from a nearby village, and then to pick up kids from the villages of Anatuvik Pass, Allakaket, and Bettles.  The first camp was for kids 8 to 12 years old and we had about 20 kids show up!  After breaking the ice the kids became our best friends!
    We spent the day swimming in the cold Flat Creek, playing Eskimo Kickball, and many other various games with the kids.  There were Bible lessons two times a day, and the counselors shared their testimonies every night.  Three kids from my cabin came to know the Lord on the third night of camp!  It was very exciting.  When Youth Camp was done, eight kids had chosen a personal relationship with Christ! 
    On Thursday, August 7th, we had our transition day.  The young kids were flown back to their villages and the older kids, from age 12 to 18 years, were flown back to Paradise Valley.  By now, most of the counselors were sick with a cold, and I was experiencing the joys of an ear infection from swimming four days in a row.  We were tired, and Satan was ready to attack.
    The older kids were not open to even being friends with us!  They all wanted to go home 5 minutes after they arrived.  This was very discouraging.  But we hung in there and God gave us the ability to love these kids.
    On August 9th my ear was hurting so badly that Autumn, Dwayne, and I flew out to Fairbanks.  After getting weathered into Stevens Village on the Yukon for three hours, we managed to hitch a ride on a Piper Navajo flown by Warbelow Airventures based in Fairbanks.  My ear managed the flight ok and I got right into the clinic where they gave me some antibiotics.  Autumn and I then went to Pizza Hut, where we finally celebrated our 1-year anniversary over a meat lover’s pizza.  This was a welcomed break and it was a joy to be able to spend some time with my lovely wife after being ‘apart’ for a week.
    We woke up on Sunday to fog in Fairbanks.  However, by late afternoon it was clearing up.  We grabbed a cup of coffee with the Rycheners who just moved to Fairbanks to serve with YWAM, and then we took off.  Jim joined us once again to help fly the kids back to the village.
    We arrived into Brook’s Range Bible Camp on Sunday evening just in time to join the kids for a bonfire!  We brought a Mexican friend of Jim’s to camp for this last evening.  He played his guitar and shared his testimony and it was great to see how the hearts of these hard teens had changed in the past 24 hours! 
    The next morning it was time to take the kids back to their village and draw Brook’s Range Bible Camp 2008 to a close.  The boy’s counselors had great news for us though!  They told us that the night before three of the teen boys accepted Christ!  God was so faithful to us as we persevered even through the discouraging days where it seemed like nothing was happening.
    Our trip home was beautiful.  We arrived in Fairbanks too late in the evening to safely continue.  Cathy Congdon has prepared a BBQ moose sandwich tailgate party on the ramp of Fairbanks Airport, and then faithful friends in Fairbanks provided us warm beds and showers.  The next morning we flew right over the mountains and back to the Ranch.  The sky was wide open and we were privileged to see Mount Denali from the air!
    We want to thank you all for you constant prayer support.  God has heard your prayers and answered them.  We had no airplane problems, no injuries, and no real weather problems!  Most importantly, God opened the hearts of these Indian and Eskimo children and all of them heard the Gospel while some came to know Jesus Christ as their Savior!
    We hope that you continue to pray for these children, and that you keep in touch with us as I finish up school and we discover where God is leading us.  We would cherish your prayers and encouraging words.

Thank you,
CJ

    It's Friday night, 10:45 pm... We are ready for camp!  Autumn and I have spent the week in a frantic race to annual and prepare six airplanes to transport us to the Brook's Range Bible Camp.  We have worked very hard to get to this point and we are very excited.
    Today, after we got the landing gear back on the Cessna 170, Dwayne and I took it up so I could get some experience in the airplane that Autumn and I will be flying to camp.  Tonight we had a salmon fish fry and a blue grass concert in the hangar as a sending off blessing.  The relaxed atmosphere was very much welcomed. 
    We had a pre-trip briefing this evening over milk shakes and it hit me tonight the amount of responsibility Autumn and I have taken on as return counselors and pilots to the Brook's Range Bible Camp.  It is funny how God has grown and prepared each of us for this special purpose.  We take off tomorrow at 10 am and we plan to be at camp by 7 or 8 pm, WPPW (Weather Permitting, Pilot Willing).  Please keep us in your prayers as we take a total of 7 aircraft to camp and one truck that is already on its way. 
    The logistics are crazy, but God is in control and we are leaning heavily upon Him to pull this off.  Pray for great weather for flying and for camp!  Right now it is not looking too good, but we serve the Creator of weather and we know He can change it.  Please pray for safe travels as we pick up and drop off kids.  Keep the kids in your prayers.  The first camp is with younger kids from 6 to 12 years old and the second camp is for older kids from 12 to 20 years old.  They will both bring their fair share of difficulties, but we are confident that God will soften hearts and grow His Kingdom through our meager efforts to pull off a Bible Camp.
    This will probably be out last post until August 12th or 13th if all goes as planned.  Please be faithful in your prayers for camp as we are counting on your support.  Thank you for taking an interest in what God is doing in the Brooks Range of Alaska!

-CJ and Autumn-