A Whitacre Christmas

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Twenty One Miles

The day started out with a laughing duck on a chilly Saturday morning. As we walked a long the rivers edge a duck consitantly chuckled. It made me laugh as we began our day. And what a beautiful day it was to kayak on the Three Rivers in Pittsburgh. The sun was shining and the ducks were telling jokes.

James and I told you all our goal was 20miles, as we climbed into our double kayak we were committed. We quickly realized that the day was just getting better and better as we shed layers and sang songs (well, I did most of the singing). Our first distance was from the Southside on the Monogehela River to the Highland Park Bridge on the Allegheny River. We stopped for lunch at PNC Park. At that point James and I realized we already did about 15miles!! After lunch we headed to Bruno Island on the Ohio River and then back to the South Side. Totaling 21.6miles!!

I believe it was on the way to lunch, with the brutal wind in our faces that I started singing “Left!” “Right!” in a rhythmic tone, just to keep us going.  Not only did this aid in our ministry via support, I believe it also was great for James and I to do this together. Truly it was a celebratory time for the both of us.

We are so thankful for you!  For those who have supported us financially and who have encouraged us along the way. All in all you have help us raise over a thousand dollars. Truly we are humbled and so thankful for you.

 

 

Here are some highlights of the day:

 

 

 

 

 

Kayak-a-thon…THIS SATURDAY!

Hello Friends,

It is time again for the Kayak-a-thon!  As you may recall, last year I had 2 students and a co-worker paddle on my behalf to help boost my support raising efforts.  Well, this year Allyson, my wife, and I will be paddling together.  And this time we will split the funds, half to the Outdoor Leadership Team of the CCO and the other half to our personal ministry account.

The kayaking will occur THIS Saturday, Nov. 7th.  Our hope is to paddle 20 miles and raise a total of $2,000.  These funds will help the Outdoor Leadership Team provide scholarships for summer opportunities, equipment, and trainings for staff among other things.  They will also enable Allyson and I to continue doing ministry here in Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

So our question to you is, would you be able and willing to sponsor us for this year’s Kayak-a-thon? You can pledge a lump sum or per mile amount.  Every amount will help us reach our goal of $2,000!  As mentioned, our goal will be to paddle 20 miles in nine hours!  Contributions to CCO ministries are tax deductible. A pledge of even $1 or $2 will go a long way!

Questions? Simply comment on this or call James Whitacre at 614-560-5885.

If you would like to sponsor us, please reply as soon as possible (in fact, why don’t you reply right now!) with the following information:

1. Name

2. Address

3. Phone Number

4. Pledge amount (indicate per mile or lump sum)

5. Would you like to receive ministry updates from Al and James’ work with the CCO? (Please indicate electronic or paper format.)

For example:

Eager Supporter

123 Very Hilly St.

Pittsburgh, PA 15212

412-123-4567

$3/mile

Yes! Sign me up for the electronic newsletter!

 

If you can’t sponsor me and want to receive a ministry update, please let me know.

After the event we will contact you to report how far we paddled and how you can fulfill your pledge.

The CCO partners with colleges, churches and organizations to develop men and women who live out their Christian faith in every area of life.  The staff of the Outdoor Leadership Team (OLT) invest in students’ lives often by suspending the normal rhythms of campus life through adventure activities ranging from one-day rock climbing trips to Spring Break kayaking expeditions.  (For more information about CCO or the OLT visit www.ccojubilee.org or www.ccojubilee.org/olt.)

Thanks so much for considering your pledge, and we hope to hear from you soon!

Take care,

James and Allyson

What is Happening Here

For the past three weeks my co-worker, Patrick, and I have decided to start a bible study. This has been a somewhat recent developement over the course of last month. I, being honest, was hesitant because we started the study so late in the semester. I thought, no one will show…no one.  Well Patrick and I planned our study for Psalms. Not knowing who was coming or what to expect we decided to have our meetings at the Coffeehouse, since we are doing coffeehouse ministry.

 

The first day, one student came. In loss of heart we asked the student to come back next week, in hopes that at least two will show. Cutting it short that week, we waited for the next. Come the second week, that one student showed up again along with 6 others!!  We had to keep adding chairs to our small rectangular table. It was great, not because of the number–but what these students brought with them. They brought their minds, hearts, and listening ears. We are on our fourth week and I have been so impressed with these students. Not only do we talk about the Psalm, but they pull scripture from all over. These students have been referencing Old and New Testament, sharing their stories, and discussing the text. Also a handful of the students have stayed afterwardsto jam on their guitars and drum, singing worship songs and engaging in conversations.

 

Well, tonight we are tackling Psalm 2.  This one I have prepared for the group and I feel quite unprepared. I have wrestled with this Psalm and have seen some really interesting truths. I have come to know this Psalm, yet I am still struggling with how to communicate what I have learned and allowing them time to process the Psalm and its complexity. It is difficult and hard to swallow. I feel that I know it but I do not understand it fully.  Thankfully we serve a God that is greater than our understandings, and His Spirit creatively moves.  If you read this tonight, please pray for the Psalms study tonight. That I would be an instrument, and that these students would continue to grow and learn (as well as Patrick and I).

 

Thank you.

Fall at the Whitacre House

Sunday was the perfect fall day at the Whitacre house. We raked up all the leaves and piled them in our front yard, only to have them return the next day. We have three trees that spread a golden yellow all over our yard. This is my favorite time of year, because of all the colors and the crisp fresh air. Joci loved the day too, because I would hide her tennis ball in the pile of leaves and she had to jump in the pile to find it.

I realized we have asked you to pray for our home as we vigorously search for months and never showed you a picture. Here are some pictures from our work day at 1560. I also took some pictures of Joci with our one decoration, a pumpkin. My friend, Ashley, was taking pictures of her wonderful baby boy Benjamin with pumpkins…it’s his first fall in Indiana, Pa. I figured this is Joci’s first fall living in Indiana, Pa as well. So I posed her for a few (I stole your idea, with our dog—creepy, maybe).

Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Break Already!?

Recently James and I have been submitting our plans for Spring Break. We are going backpacking in Buffalo National River, Arkansas. The VERY exciting news is that this trip is with IUP’s Alternative Spring Break program. Therefore James and I will be taking a trip alongside and with IUP.

Here is our trip description and detail:

Trip Description: Trip designed to learn about intentional leadership while living in community in the wilderness. Activities will include backpacking and Rock climbing in the Buffalo National River, in northern Arkansas. The cost includes equipment rental, camp food, and transportation.

Theme: Intentional Leadership – discovering foundations for how leadership relates to others, yourself, the environment, and God. We will look at leadership and community from a Christian biblical perspective. The trip will include learning through group conversations, personal journaling, and solitude. You will be asked to consider certain readings and teachings from the Bible or from a spiritual perspective.  Though biblical themes lay the foundation for this trip, anyone is welcome to participate.

So far our trip has truly been encouraged through ASB. We are excited for this opportunity and the ability to be transparent about the design and model of the trip, being able to bring Chrstianity to the forefront. Please pray for the details as we encourage students to sign up on November 10th!!  Also please pray for James and I as we plan to lead a trip together, that we would be unified in thought, communication, and decision making throughout the trip itself and in these planning stages.

Thank you!

Climbing at Coopers Rock, WV

I have been wanting to share another exciting day of fun with all of you. Just this past month James and I planned a rock climbing trip with nine other students. IT WAS A WONDERFUL DAY!!  We carpooled down to Coopers Rock, West Virginia. There we joined some Waynesburgh University students for part of the morning and then we had the rocks all to ourselves that afternoon. We taught them how to belay, how to climb, and they taught each other how to encourage one another. It was facinating to see a group of students truly helping one another out and being intentional with one another. Esspecially because a good portion of these students just met that day.

Here are a few of the amazing shots that students took that day:

After our day of climbing and as our muscles started to ache we headed back to Indiana, Pa. On our way home we stopped at a local diner. At our meal we went around the table and reviewed the day with “Happy, Crappy, and Sappy.” Each of us said one thing in the day that was happy, crappy, and sappy. The range of thought went from sore muscles, being outside, getting more than one climb in…and lastly a student stating that this is a group they have felt the most comfortable with since his time here at IUP (he was a freshman). But still!!  I’m so glad that we were able to do this.  On the way home I asked James, “So, when can we do this again!?”

Thank you for making this possible!!  What a day, what a day!

It All Began…

So the year has started and so much has happened. The first weekend after classes we inviting students and four other ministries to join us at Yellow Creek State Park for a picnic. Local churches provided the food and we grilled hot dogs and hamburgers! It was yummy. James started off the day by introducing all the ministries represented and playing a quick fun game of rock, paper, scissors…cheer-leading style.

Here are our grillers:

The food was great and what a wonderful day…

Another major event this first week of school was James’ first day of class. I was nervous for him and he was excited. Joci wanted to go with him to class, and tried.  These are the last photos I wanted to show you, James’ first day of graduate school…..

Newsletter

Ministry Focus

During my time here at IUP, I have prayed specifically for three things. One, that I could work with a team of campus ministers. Two, that one of the those team members would be a male campus minister. And three, that I could use my passion for the outdoors through this ministry.

I am so excited to share that each one of these prayers were answered over the summer. I am now a part of a team of CCO staff and community members who will work closely with students in a ministry called DLX! (Discipleship and Leadership Experience–pictured below). Secondly, we recently hired a new CCO staff worker, Patrick, who has moved from Kentucky with his wife to work with the coffeehouse and DLX!. Lastly, with James’ background in wilderness ministry, I am able to feed my passion for the outdoors and offer new experiences to the students on this campus.

I look forward to explaining DLX! in detail as the semester unfolds. Thank you so much for your encouragement your support and especially your prayers. You are also important to this community, these students, and an asset to the work being done at IUP.

Coffee and College Students

Over the past three years I have truly learned a lot about coffee and college students. To those who may not know, I currently work with the CCO and am partnered with The Commonplace Coffeehouse in Indiana, PA. My partnership is unique because it is tied in directly with a local business. I work 20 hours behind the coffeehouse counter and the rest of my time is spent meeting with students and now being involved in DLX! (Discipleship and Leadership Experience).

Working at a coffeehouse lends itself to a lot of interesting experiences. The coffeehouse is like a watering hole, a place where people gather and share information. This is a great place to meet students who come in daily to study and simply hang out. I am looking forward to this year as I meet new students and reunite with the ones who were gone all summer.

James’ Update

Continuing Ministry at IUP…and Grad School

As you may know, I am no longer working full-time for the CCO. Instead, I will attend graduate school at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). Even though this is a huge change, I am not leaving campus ministry with the CCO! On top of school, I will be working as CCO Associate Staff alongside Allyson.

As an associate staff member, I commit to volunteering about 10 hours each week. I will not get paid, but I am still able to raise funds through the CCO for ministry expenses, such as Jubilee conference costs, travel expenses for helping staff with outdoor excursions, or buying meals for students with whom I meet. So your financial support for such expenses will help tremendously for Allyson and me.

My responsibilities for the CCO will primarily be with the Outdoor Leadership Team. I will be helping staff plan for the training they need and connect them to other OLT members who can train and mentor them. I also will be available to help CCO staff run outdoor backpacking and rock climbing trips as I am able. I plan to help Allyson with her ministry as well (read all about that on the other side!).

As for graduate school, I will be studying toward a Master of Science degree in Geography, concentrating on cartography and city planning. When I was at Ohio Wesleyan, I took a few geography courses and had an internship in cartography and city planning; therefore, I have some experience. I have wanted to pursue graduate school in the field of city planning for a while, so this is a very exciting opportunity.

What is even more exciting, I will also be working as a graduate assistant with the Geography and Regional Planning Department at IUP. It is a huge blessing to be offered this graduate assistantship. The assistantship requires me to work 20 hours a week, and in return I will receive free tuition plus a small stipend. I will not find out what my specific job will be until class starts, August 31. My assistantship and studying will essentially be my full-time job.

Although I will be spending less time ministering to students, I will still be very much involved with ministry. This all fits very well for our situation as we transition into the new adventure together.

Last Semester at Geneva

My last days at Geneva College have now come to an end. Working for the Pisgah Program was a great joy, and I will miss it greatly. But, everything must end sometime.

The biggest highlight for the semester was certainly the Backpacking Class, which took a spring break trip to Pisgah National Forest. Through climbing and hiking, the all male students learned what it takes to lead a trip for others in the wilderness. In the midst of learning the technical skills, we discussed the struggles men face as followers of Jesus. The men were able to speak truth to one another which brought encouragement to embrace our manhood for God’s glory. It was great to especially see one student, Clinton, come to realize that Christ centered leadership is about caring for everyone in the group. This is a stark contrast between the leadership he experiences when he was in the Marines.

It is a amazing to see how the students I interacted with changed, transformed, and come to know Christ more in my time at Geneva. For that, I am so thankful.

For Rent

So the search begins. Yes we are looking for an apartment/house/anything! The other night James and I came up with a list of things that are important to us when it comes to searching for a home. Here are a few:

• Pet Friendly
• Affordable (!)
• Close walking distance to work and campus
• Guest/student friendly (to have student over to diner or an occasional guest stay)
• Workable Kitchen (counter space and double sink)

We ordered a list of 12 and then prayed over the list and also for wisdom.  May we find a place, in through it all may we be discerning and wise about our options!  Please pray for us and our search…

p.s. James’ trip went great! He said that the weather was beautiful in the beginning of the week and they march right into rain during the end of the trip. Needless to say, it seems to be rejuinating and good all around.  Thank you for your prayers!!!