Dear Friends,

What a joy to be home again and looking forward with great enthusiasm for God’s plan for the weeks and months ahead. This month, April has been action packed and it is evident that May will be no less eventful. It is wonderful that we have the Spirit of God to carry us into these busy times and energize for the tasks of each day. Thank you, Lord for your strength and refreshment.

Preparing 4 teams for ministry is a set up for high activity if you can imagine. The prevailing interest in our days has been connecting with many of you and others in the plan to have ample support for the outreaches in Wisconsin, Ukraine, Mongolia, Ecuador, and Idaho packed into the months of June - August this year. As we write this note there remains a need for more team members for each trip. We would be excited to hear from you that you can join us on one of these trips or find ways to help. Read the enclosed flyer for Mongolia.

Personally, we are committed to participate and lead the teams to both Ukraine and Mongolia in July. As you may understand that is stretching us a bit. We are so blessed to have a young lady, Megan Patterson, committed to assist us with this journey and will be traveling with us, and helping with our family needs, mostly Osito during the entire month of July. Please pray for her strength and energy as well as for Osito’s ability to limit some of his energy to not totally wear her out.

We still need a number, about 25 more friends to commit to join us in Osceola, Wisconsin for June. The campers are beginning to get their applications in and we are overjoyed to see a number of new campers connecting and planning on attending. Please pray with us for a full load at both camps this year. There are a great number of friends who are planning their return to the ministry for June; however that remains a high number of those who have not contacted us yet to identify whether they will come again or not. We do have the “Builders” of Cornerstone Church” of Leavenworth, KS and the Grand Rapids Alliance Church teens coming again this year, what a blessing!

Perhaps you would like to participate with us in getting campers to the camp in Osceola, Wisconsin. As you are so aware the down turn in our economy has struck every program that many people have used in the past and the funds available through counties and grant funds no longer are available. As a result, some of the families are not able to get assistance for camp. So if you can, please consider helping us develop a scholarship account that we can make available to the families as they demonstrate the need.

Speaking in churches and recruiting more friends has kept us busy. We have had some amazing times sharing the love of Jesus as we have been out on the road this month since returning from Ecuador.

On the personal side of our lives, the family is doing well. Jordana has been dealing with some health issues but seems to be making a return to health a little bit each day. Osito is enjoying his new best friend. Upon return home we found a great outside dog for him. He named her Palelito (His baby version of abuelito—grandpa in Spanish) kind of cute for a female dog. She is a tender hearted and medium energy young dog, mixed breed-Siberian Husky/German Shepherd, weighing in at over 70 lbs. They have a lot of fun together and it is particularly fun to watch Osito get up in the morning and immediately want to go out with his “puppy”.

Traveling with Jesus,
Gene, Jordana, and Osito Engebretsen

NOTICE: We are having our annual garage sale, May 13-15. Please come and volunteer to help and bring or send lots of stuff to sell.