My Summer in Pictures

May!

    

My adorable niece was born! She is healthy and happy. Her parents are amazing parents. For the sake of their privacy I will not be posting more pictures.

Jared and Larissa's Wedding

The Best part... The Beautiful BRIDE!!! So happy to have you a part of the family Larissa.

My Classes in Virginia

Hiking with some of the ladies

"snowboarding" in May... This was different but a lot of fun

Kayak at a bbq at the head of our department's house.

June

My birthday happened when I was in Virginia and a couple of the men took me out for dinner which was fun. But when I was back in Oregon my friends threw a surprise party for me.

 

 

Mexico

Less than a week after arriving back in Oregon, myself and a team headed off to Mexico. We had the honor of serving at and being served by Imuris Kid's Kingdom. 

 Read the sign and this picture makes sense.

July

I went to work at my summer job after Mexico while continuing to take on-line classes. But of course I squeezed some other things in as well...

Fourth of July in Harrisburg

Letter of approval for my advancement to ordination status.

Took the younger three to the fair

!!!There first Elephant Ears!!!!

August

 Camping and rafting the Rogue River with friends

Made a trip to the Coast with Lindsey and Kent. (I also went with Shawn, Marca, and Kent at somepoint but have no pictures)

I took the younger three hiking while they were in town for VA appointements.

Marca, Shawn, Kent and I went to Portland for a time of shenanigans 

We didn't get any food pictures, but Portland has AMAZING food trucks.

  Umm Alexander's picture ended up down here and I can't make it move.

September

I went back to my normal fall job and continued working on classes 

 Hiking with Lindsey

Helping Terrah and Hudson move... (we were working hard five minutes before and after this picture)

Started Soccer

 Proof that I was doing homework!

Woops! How did I almost miss these two events...

 My absolutely amazing VBS team pull together a whole VBS in less than a month! We had a great turn out and lots of fun with the children. For some reason this is the only picture I'm finding...

  My ordination service... What a blessed time! Thank you to all who made it special.

I made a trip down to the Redwoods to visit the family

I was rear ended in May and purchased this new vehicle at some point in the summer

 

Chapter 21 - Kristina (Krista) Gercker: The Trusting Life

Here is another assignment I wrote. This one was to be a bio of your life, assuming you had lived it all out. It's a little different, I'm not claiming the stuff written as true but rather praying that it will be true.

Chapter 21 - Kristina (Krista) Gercker: The Trusting Life

Krista was raised in a christian family and was led to the Lord at an early age by her older sister. Her faith was a matter of facts, similar to two plus two equals four. During a time of loss, Krista faced a moment of decision, would she trust God or turn away, and cried out to the Lord. The Lord responded by providing Psalm 125:2 “As the mountains surround Jerusalem so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever.”¹ The Lord spoke to her of the importance of trusting Him. In the midst of the loss, and when life didn’t make sense. He was still in control and surrounding her like a mountain.

Similar to W. Ian Thomas, she threw herself into doing the work of God, but was frustrated when there was never conversions from all the effort. Finding herself burnt out she turned to the Lord in frustrations not knowing where she had gone wrong. The words that the Lord spoke to Ian rang true to her, “You see, for seven years, with utmost sincerity, you have been trying to live for me, on My behalf, the life that I have been waiting for seven years to live through you.”² Krista knew that she needed to stop trying to please God on her own, but learn to trust Him to have the best plan. God was capable of living His own life, what He wanted was to also live her life.

One of the lessons Krista learned along the way was the same as Charles Finney when he finally found what was keeping him from knowing the Lord, “But right there the revelation of my pride of heart, as the great difficulty that stood in my way.”³ She saw that she to was hindered in fully trusting because of her pride. Krista learned to fully surrender, as Walter Wilson⁴ did and not let her pride of heart stand in her way. Learning to trust the Lord with all aspects of her life, Krista lived a life of complete trust.

            Krista trusted the Lord by becoming a Air Force Chaplain, and leaving family and friends in order to serve as she saw Him leading. This trust involved letting go of her own plans to serve the Lord and trusting that His plans were better. The Lord blessed the trust she showed throughout her ministry and touched many lives through her courageous trust in Him. Krista was willing to go wherever the presence of the Lord was needed, no matter the situation. This could be at the front lines with airmen or scrubbing pots with no recognition. Wherever the Lord told her to go there she went. Never again would Krista let her pride stop her from following the directions of the Lord. The trust that Krista showed was an inspiration to many, to also trust the Lord. To trust the Lord even when life, dreams, ministry or challenges seemed impossible. Krista was willing to go wherever the Lord directed and do whatever the Lord told her to do. The happiest moments for Krista was when she was able to lead others into a life of complete trust. When she was able to see them also walk out in the assurance that comes only from knowing the God that is bigger than all. Never again did she try to do God’s work for him, but always trusted God to accomplish His work through her.