Low-Key and We Like it That Way

We had a good time today keeping it low-key. We went to “shorts bar,” a beach on the Salmon River, and swam for about an hour this afternoon.

The morning was spent working on VBS and the church service. We made a lot of decorations and worked hard to get everything as squared away as possible. After that we had a wonderful meal together at Anita Williams’s house, and got to see her, Carl and Linda, and Doug in the process. These are all pillars of the community and the church that we love greatly. It’s always good to rekindle friendships with such remarkable people.

We also managed to assemble our group en-masse today! Michaela Arnold, our final member, flew in to Boise today and Denise and Jared graciously drove down together to pick her up! 6 extra hours in the car (round trip) deserves a round of applause. 

No real “stories” happened today. It was low-key and we liked it that way. I’m sure I’ll have a lot more to share with you all tomorrow after running the church service and trying to have a picnic in 100 degree weather! (Don’t worry, we’re staying cool and hydrating well.)

The picture today is a snap-shot of Clint and me working hard on our spy faces.

P.S. If you have requests on information you would like, pictures you want to see taken, people you want to hear from, leave those notes in the comments! We'll try and work them in on future posts. I'm planning on having guest commentary from the students as the week goes on, so look forward to that!

We Have Arrived!

Well, we were traveling or shopping for the whole day yesterday, but eventually we made it to Riggins… at 11:45pm! Yes, we had problems staying on schedule, but at least we got here. We made our traditional Carl’s Jr. stop in Boise and had our customary debate over the best sandwich they offer.

Some good stories...

From the Carl's Jr. stop there was a dare that I gave Nathan Rawlins. Before walking into the restraunt, I dared him to burst through the glass doors and yell “Fire up the grills!” He did it! There was an Oregon man there who thought it was quite hilarious. Nathan said he had the firmest handshake he’s ever experienced.

            
I had a good talk with a mormon and an atheist while traveling. Feel free to pray for Jamie (the atheist) a middle aged man who worked for an accounting firm, and Annette (the mormon) who has 10 children and 25 grand children! We talked a little about God, the church, and who Jesus really was, and also about sports, and writing. 

Zach had an encounter with a Walmart employee from Russia who had a lot of questions about the difference between Mormonism and what we believe. She was comically relieved to hear that our group wasn't Mormon. 

We also met a very nice lady at the Houston airport named Urma. She was a Christian and decided to look up Ephesians 2:10, since it was on the back of our shirts. She promised to pray for us as we continue our trip. 

Finally, a quirky thing that sort of tickled everyone, was the purchase of $1.50 USB fans. They are little 1-inch fans that can be plugged into a USB port on a computer or outlet converter. Jonathan Mitchell and Joshua Salmon thought that these fans were the coolest thing ever and each bought one. When they got to Riggins they immediately ran extension cords to their beds and hooked up their fans next to their heads. I don't know why, but everyone in the group (except for me) find these fans fascinating. We'll see what comes of it.

Today we plan to get ready for church and VBS and generally prepare. I'll see ya'll tonight with an update! Please pray for the church service (I'm preaching, our students are leading praise, and we are also handling the children's and teen's Sunday school) and for VBS!

P.S. Photo compliments of Nathan!

What's new?

Well to give all ya'll an update...


We have our plane tickets reserved and our bible study has begun! It's definitely a little crazy right now getting logistics ironed out, but God has been faithful through it.

We are still raising funds for the trip and each person (myself included) is responsible for raising $1,000 individually to go!

If you'd like to donate to a general fund and receive a tax-deductible receipt, you can send cash or checks to:

Salmon River Community Church

1102 South Main Street

Riggins, ID 83549

If you would simply like to give to the trip without a tax benefit, you can send money to me personally or to my paypal account. It is linked to my phone number (713-540-4673) and my email address (stephen.curto@gmail.com). Any money I receive will be split evenly amongst the people going.


Please be praying for our spiritual growth as we prepare for the trip. We are studying the book of James together and already God has taught us about persevering through trials which gives wisdom.

We know that God the Father will be faithful in providing financially, spiritually, and emotionally for us through His Son and His Son's bride on earth, the church.

Thank you all for being invested in the success of this trip! I'll let you know more once I do!

*STEPHEN*(curto)

We're going again!

The students going to Riggins this year are one committed bunch. THEY convinced ME to go! Usually it's the other way around.

More info will come shortly. Please be praying for this trip and consider supporting us financially. We need all the help we can get, and the students are working VERY hard to raise the money needed.

If you would like to help us through prayer or funds, (or any other way) contact me, Stephen Curto.

stephen.curto@gmail.com
713-540-4673 (call or text)

Always for His glory!