Summer @ The Springs

Hi friends and family! We hope you all are enjoying this H.O.T. summer!!! We are so thankful for air-conditioning. July of course makes us think about the freedoms we have as American's, and again we are thankful and hopeful because we know where our future will be, so why worry what this world holds? What does God says about freedom?  "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1  

On Friday's, one of Jim's 'duties' is to clean the chapel. He and Skip would spend time in prayer, song and devotion, then clean it.  Skip and his wife Linda, who were one of the original couples who started this ministry, sadly have recently transitioned away from living on-site, so I joined Jim last Friday. We sat and pondered this verse and talked about the yokes of slavery we are all burdened with and how the freedom we have in Christ is so literally freeing. We are so thankful we serve the God of creation who gives us such hope. Here's a picture of the chapel early one morning with the fog in and around. Heaven on earth! 

What have you done fun this summer? For us,  when we have time away from our work here at The Springs, we enjoy traveling to watch our grandsons baseball games, visiting our kids and our friends. We look forward to our plans for a week away in September. We are not going far, just a little jaunt to French Lick, Indiana. We like to travel to places we've never visited and with the gas prices, a relatively close drive works!   

BIG NEWS for the Green family - we are adding a grandson to the clan. We are super excited for Andy and Sarah, their first child,  and our 5th grand! It's been 10 years since we had a little one so needless to say, he will be spoiled and so loved! Here's a fun picture of the baby reveal when they found out it will be a boy! Andy hit a golf ball which exploded with blue powder. SO FUN!  

Relaxing. Living in community has it perks. It's like having neighbors but better! Living life literally together.  We live on-site with 2 other couples. We work side by side, share meals often and have some fun competition. Dick Towner and Jim have a running competition happening with horse shoes. So far Jim is up 4 to 1. Here is a couple of pictures of a game in action and a picture of Sibyl Towner and I cheering our guys on!

This picture is of our on-site staff enjoying a pleasant dinner outside overlooking the lake. Pictured: (left to right) Chris & Debbie Ehrhard, Dick & Sibyl Towner and us! This was Chris and Debbie's first official night to be on-site and we are so excited to have them here.  You can read more about them in The Springs newsletter at the bottom of this post. 

What is there to do here? 

My (Karen's) favorite thing to do when hiking the trails, is finding some of the 16 benches located all around the 150 acres. Each bench has a word and a scripture verse. In the cabins we provide a laminated handout to take on walks with all the words and verses for all the benches. These sheets have some very contemplative questions to ponder. Example from one of my favorite bench spots is the word "Reflection." This bench sits on the other side of the lake from our cabin. I sit and look over the lake which has great reflection of the trees and I can see where we get to live and reflect on our lives, on our journey coming here and my faith journey. Just a really good place to sit and reflect. A perfect word. Here's the scripture at that bench: 1 Corinthians 13:12-13...For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Not I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain, faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these if love. Here are the questions to ponder: Reflect on a time you felt seen by God. 1) Where do you desire to see or know God, or others or self more clearly? 2) Where do you want to know God see you? 3) What might you notice as you gaze on the reflection of creation in the lake today?

Here's the view from my favorite bench "Reflection"

"Work"...

Our work here is very fulfilling as we meet guests, hear their stories and share ours. We know God has us here for such a time as this. We know all that we've experienced in previous places has led us to being here now.  It's hard physical work keeping up with the grass, weeds, equipment, laundry, cabins, maintenance, emails, etc., yet the intentionality of preparing a place for guests who come seeking rest, quiet & peace, makes the work so good and life-giving. This place is special.

Some of you might have seen the picture Jim posted on Facebook with a wagon full of laundry. Haha! Laundry is part of my job. I am thankful for a husband and partner in ministry to help me. He pops in often while I am cleaning cabins to offer help with vacuuming and moping floors, seeing if any of the cabins have anything that needs to be fixed. Jim, the fix-it man :) #beavailable.  Here is a picture of Jim on his Scag mower - he spends countless hours mowing each week, keeping the grounds looking so good! When I'm not cleaning cabins, doing laundry or answering emails for reservations, I enjoy being in the gardens and flower beds - weeding. It's a place for me that is relaxing and quiet while doing my part in helping to keep the grounds here welcoming and uncluttered for our guests. 

You can volunteer here with us!  

Weekly, there are men that come and help Jim, Dick & Chris take care of the grounds, from push mowing, splitting wood, weed-eating, restocking firewood in our firepits, raking gravel on the driveway, helping plug holes in our log cabins from carpenter bees, painting fences and so much more. If you would like to be part of the volunteer team, email or text Jim (513) 470-7081.  

For volunteering with Karen, it would be for cleaning cabins from a 4 cabin flip day or a deep-clean day which would include windows, screens, pulling out beds and refrigerators, etc. Email or text Karen (513) 316-4437 to be on a list for when help is needed!  

**We have a cabin deep-clean day coming up on Monday July 25. Wanna help?  Reach out and join the fun, be a part of making our guests feel cared for and welcomed. 

Here are a few pictures from some of our hard working volunteers. They all continue to share how it such a blessing to work here and escape... THANK YOU ALL!!  We get it... the Springs is certainly ordained by God for His servants to come and rest! 

We have found a Church! 

This has been one of the hardest processes for me (Karen). I realized during our search that I had never searched for a church ever in my life. I grew up in Delhi and our family attended Price Hill Baptist Church. From there, my parents were looking for a church when I was in my early 20's, and I joined them once they decided on Westwood Baptist, now Faith Fellowship Church. I was pregnant with our oldest son Jimmy at the time, so that was 37 years ago. I am so grateful for the people I call family that we have been able to worship with for so many years, raise our families together and live life with. Needless to say, 37 years attending one church makes it home, but it's over an hour drive. So after some searching and attending churches locally, we've landed at Community Church of Batesville. We know that the 'Church' is the people, not the building. We will always consider FFC home and family and will never say goodbye. We intend to visit from time to time and stay connected to our cherished family and friends there. Yet, a new chapter in a new place has us seeking new and new can be hard, especially for an introvert (Karen)!  We have met some wonderful people at Community and even volunteered at an event recently. We attended our very first community area event on June 30th in Batesville. It was amazing. We passed out goodie bags and helped with parking before the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Star-Spangled concert with fireworks, celebrating America. 

It was such a well organized community event in little 'ole Batesville, Indiana :) 

The Springs Core Values: God Led, Guest Centered, Creation Sensitive

Our prayer: May your time at The Springs be God led, unhurried, and peace filled.

Being a missionary is humbling, fulfilling, hard, rewarding, a learning process, a faith-booster and full of trusting God to provide. 6 years ago when we joined BLOC Ministries then later became actual missionaries raising funds for our pay. That was a was hard change and certainly something we never thought we would do or were equipped / qualified for. God had other plans. He planted us there, grew us, expanded our territories and now has moved us again into a place that we can continue to serve His people. We are so grateful. Words cannot express it. If you are part of our support team, we cannot thank you enough. If you would like to join us, reach out to us, we would love to share more.  We are nearing our 100% mark of being fully funded. Again, so grateful.  Yes, we are provided a home to live in, but we still have expenses (but not at the amount we needed while in Price Hill), and why we continue to need to raise support. God has us here to serve His people, even in the more practical ways we do, we praise Him in it all. 1 Chronicles 16:23 says, "Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim His salvation day after day. 

Come Away! www.thespringsindiana.org

We LOVE when our friends and family come to visit. It's hard to explain The Springs, you have to experience it. So come visit!  We would love to show you a little piece of our Heaven on earth. 

Here is a link to read The Springs recent newsletter which speaks of our journey and introduces you to Chis & Debbie :) 

Summer Newsletter 2022

Here is a link to read BLOC Ministries recent newsletter which features our transition. Humbled by their words... 

BLOC-Spring Newsletter 2022

...on the journey