Missionary Up Grade

Here are a few pictures and a message from and about our very first active missionary that we met at mission fest Edmonton this year. He stopped at our booth and after some questions and discussion he said he never heard of such a place.  He came to learn about welding, small engine and motorcycle service and repair, concrete mixing and application, but left also knowing how to safely operate a backhoe, tractor, quad, do minor plumbing repairs and how to bring God's hope into his hands on work with everyday people in Thailand.  And so God brought out Oliver and you can see the pictures and read all about it. 

Battle River Ranch Camp 

  Well the atmosphere is a lot like the last day of camp when all the kids head back to their homes. The camp is quiet and empty and a bit of sadness fills the air. Today Oliver our trainee from Germany and a missionary to Thailand has completed his short term life skills training here at the ranch and now heads back to his wife and children in Calgary, then off to visit family in Germany for a bit. Then they will fly back to Thailand to spend the next few years living and being ambassadors for Christ with a few more skills and a way more confidence. God is so good and what an honour to be able to help God's workers out on the front lines to be better equipt to serve. No matter what the battle you are in, head knowledge is not always enough to get the job done. God gave us a heart, hands and feet to build the kingdom of God and we are very basic and to some irrelevant but we hope that to God and his kingdom builders we can be wisdom, strength and confidence builders. Matthew 6:33 "seek first the kingdom of God and ALL these things shall be added unto you."

Oliver Mayer

Calgary, Alberta

Missionary with OMF - Canada

Serving in Chiangmai 

Thailand 

Short term trainee

April 17 - 23 - 2016

Battle River Ranch Camp

My stay at Battle River Ranch Camp has been a blessed time of learning practical skills in many areas like welding, plumbing and backhoe operation just to name a few.  In only one week I was exposed to a broad range of trade skills that I couldn't have learned anywhere else as far as I'm aware of.  In this short but very busy stay with Harold, Diane and Larry I also learned and experienced Christian leadership and hospitality first hand.  I very much appreciated them opening up their ministry and their hearts to me.  I can definitely recommend to everyone who has an interest in being equipped to be a blessing in practical ways to others - be it on the mission field, right here or abroad -  to come out to the ranch for basic life skills training and experience. 

Thank you so much 

God bless 

Oliver Mayer

Our Strong Foundation

Out for a walk today as Diane helps Shirley with paper work. Had to head over to a new construction site just a few blocks from the condo. No sooner got ther and an elderly gentleman Don stopped to tell me a bit of what was happening. A year ago this was grass and an empty lot. Today we have a huge hole ready for the new 42 story high rise. Then along came a lady and started to talk to Don and I soon realized he was a guy who knew most everyone around these parts and with a goodbye and a wave Don was gone. As a plumber and a part time contractor it was an interesting place to stand and watch the ongoing development of a strong foundation. Things like the outside hole was cut straight down, reinforced and will be use as the outside form for the foundation concrete. Hmmmm dirt to build a strong foundation against go figure ehh. Well as I watched all the action way down that hole at least 50 or more feet I could see all the different trades working together to build that strong foundation. As I stood there along comes Josee a site worker and she also took some time to tell me that they were actually over 70 feet in the ground and the four track hoes down there dug it all.

      

Josee says water has been a huge problem on this site and that they have pumps running all the time and she showed me the pipes that carried all the water away from the site. Josee used to word as a babysitter till one day she was directing traffic at an event and a guy asked her if she was looking for a job. She checked into it and the offer turned into a twenty year job with a great company digging and building high rise foundations. She said that today thier big trucks are away but tomorrow they will be back so for now she knows that there is lots to do to keep busy. 

The smell of  form oil and green concrete is great and brings back a lot of memories of the many construction sites the boys and I have worked on over the years. It is almost overwhelming the amount and size of rebar that goes into a strong foundation but very necessary.  I guess it's like the word of God that becomes the rebar in our foundation. There is always extra rebar for earth quake protection, that may hit the building unexpectedly. hmmmmm. Well time to head back up the hill to Shirley's place and replace some old flooring.

    Thank you once again for taking the time to view our blog. Battle River Ranch Camp is a non profit organization that is focused on developing trades, life skills and training opportunities for men and women that are searching and find it difficult to get the opportunities needed to develop a productive and positive life skill. A strong confident man or women of God will impact the darkness in our service industry in many ways.

TO DONATE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
If you are able to and would like to make a very needed and appreciated donation to this worthy project that is changing lives now and forever right here at home, PLEASE consider making a donation to: CROSSMAN MINISTRIES CORP./BRRC (Battle River Ranch Camp) or visit our website for direct-donating and more information. Thank you very much. We cannot do it alone. Please consider becoming a $25.00 a month donor today. 
"Be a blessing to someone everyday."

JUST CAN'T IMAGINE !!!!

BLOG - Can't imagine!

Just can't imagine living life without my wife and best friend, Diane. Just can't imagine life without our children, just can't imagine life without our grandchildren, just can't imagine life without friends, just can't imagine life without purpose, just can't imagine life without challenges, just can't imagine life without hope, just can't imagine life without waking up in the morning and knowing I am heading somewhere, just can't imagine life without helping someone, just can't imagine life without some one loving me unconditionally, just can't imagine life without forgiveness, just can't imagine life without sadness, the list goes on and on. (Ephesians 1:6-8)

Noah was chosen to build an ark to save lives and his challenges were greater than most of us will ever know or understand, but he didn't give up even though he was ridiculed and mocked day after day. "You are wasting your time, are you crazy let's just have fun, why build a stupid ark when there is no water? Just do what everyone else is doing and stop this ridiculous idea. Are you really 9sure you are listening to God?"

      There are days that we out here at the ranch feel that way but like Noah we draw strength from a God who provides. One day the road seems too hard to travel, the load too heavy to carry and by morning everything has changed and there is a new light that shines on the tasks at hand. There is not a lot that Diane and I have not experienced or seen in the lives of others around us and the joy and peace that is always there never comes from something bought, built, or developed by the hand of man. In fact most of these things draw us farther from the real sustaining hope that every living human being needs to survive.  Several days a week I get to be a service tech for a great plumbing and heating shop as part of the ranch training program and get to meet a lot of great people every day I work. Every day I see more and more people desperate to buy hope.

    When I phone our ranch engineer and he provides the info we need and then says, "hey do you need some corn? " We have lots of fresh corn and I will bring some out and we can look over all the projects.  That's Hope 4 More.

     

     When we need a public bathroom and shower building for Hope 4 More outdoor festival and the call comes in from John, the owner of a local trucking firm, that he is heading our way with a washroom trailer and need help to unload it, the pay loader lent to the ranch years ago is ready to unload the large bathroom unit off the huge semi flat deck and not just to use for a few days but to keep for good. That's the kingdom of God at work!

When a church building is donated and the cost to move is unattainable by the ranch budget, a few phone calls and a group of neighbours and friends with hearts for hope join together to move this blessing with the gifts each one can provide also builds hope 4 more. Then the miracle of the day, a call from a rough and tough building mover with many struggles of his own, and a new believer in Christ, operating his business hours away from the ranch and never met or heard of us before, offers to move the building at absolutely no cost to the ranch. There is real hope 4 more.

Plans are to close the church building in for the winter and secure it as best as possible,  but God had a different plan and he puts it on the heart of one of his children to tell us dig the hole and build the basement and all will be provided. So we start digging the basement for the church building. Friends passing through from Moose Jaw have their plans foiled in going up North to be with their children and due to heavy smoke, turn back homeward but are directed by God to stop at the ranch and see if we need help. They work on digging the basement as he is an equipment operator. That's Hope 4 More.

    As Al is digging the basement our old and frail pay loader drops a ram pin and parts are broken bringing all to a halt. Forbes, an incredible man of God, and one of the best mechanics in the area sees the pay loader sitting by the shop and drives up to it and sees the problem and without a moment to spare drops everything and three hours later we are back digging a hole. That's God's children using their gifts and working towards Hope 4 More. When all hope seems run out and gone, there is Hope 4 More, IF that is what you are really looking for!  Your marriage, your children, your job, your health, your finances, your loneliness, your future, your weakness, your relationships, your dreams, it's never too late to Hope 4 More!

         Cutting grass on 80 acres with small mowers and others who help when they can. Then another miracle of the day as a local implement dealership donates a high 15' mower that fits on our ranch tractor just right. That's cutting edge blessings that proves God knows our needs.

Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ, the rock of our salvation, and all the Hope you will ever need. Check it out, there's a best selling book with all the details. We got a few extra copies in case the book store ran out, so if you need a copy give us a call and let us know we will send you a copy.

Thank you once again for taking the time to view our blog. Battle River Ranch Camp is a non profit organization that is focused on developing trades, life skills and training opportunities for men and women that are searching and find it difficult to get the opportunities needed to develop a productive and positive life skill. A strong confident man or women of God will impact the darkness in our service industry in many ways.

TO DONATE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
If you are able to and would like to make a very needed and appreciated donation to this worthy project that is changing lives now and forever right here at home, PLEASE consider making a donation to: CROSSMAN MINISTRIES CORP./BRRC (Battle River Ranch Camp) or visit our website for direct-donating and more information. Thank you very much. We cannot do it alone. Please consider becoming a $25.00 a month donor today. 
"Be a blessing to someone everyday."

When you least expect

      

     The last day of skiing, the last few hours of the perfect day. As usuall we have been blessed with many great family ski trips over the past 35 years. 

     As I was sitting by the huge windows watching the new skiers in our family and keeping an ear open for sounds from baby Ethan I continued making crosses and I must admitt a few original and very nice crosses. A guy that was standing behind me commented on the crosses and said his dad used to make them also we shared a bit and he took all of the ranch info. I continued to finish up a few crosses when he walked up to me, I guessed him to be about 14 years old. Tay was his name and he had been watching me and was curious as to what I was doing. His parents stood nearby also and they were excited to hear that I was a Christian and why I made the crosses. I asked Tay if he'd like one and he gladly picked one out. I wan't quite ready yet so they headed out for one last run down the mountain. When Tay returned I had the cross ready and the look in his eyes was great as I gave him the cross. That's when the unexpected happened. Tay asked me to pray for him as he has lung cancer and test were not great. He may loose part of his lung soon. He said he would keep me up todate on how it goes. So I told him I would ask all my friends to pray also. Just when you think you have it so rough God put a need before you that needs prayer and healing big time. So please each of you out there please lift Tay up in your prayer times and more.

     Thank you and God bless each of you.  

Doors opening all the time

      

As I look around this incredible ski lodge and all the people from every walk of life that God loves each one of them every bit as much as me, so what he did for me he wants to do for them. Hmmmm go figure!!!!  

     Just another great day on the slopes and God continues to clear the way to open doors and opportunities to share of his love and provision for all mankind. Got to share with a store teller that would like tke to move on in his life but has no idea what he can do or get into, what a greT opportunity to share about the ranch and his possible future.

     Also shred with a shef and he has friend that works hard but would like a trade and gas no idea where to start. 

    Than today getting a chance to sit with a 74 year old skier who has been shing since he was seven years old. Not sure how God does it but in no time at all we are talking about the ranch and his words were that a place like this is way over due to help get more men and women into the work force and a trade they were made for.

          Thank you once again for taking the  to view our blog. The Battle River Ranch Camp is a non profit organization that is focused on developing trades, life skills and training opportunities for men and women that are searching and find it difficult to get the opportunities needed to develop a productive and positive life skill. A strong confident man or women of God will impact the darkness in our service industry in many ways.

TO DONATE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE;
If you are able to and would like to make a very needed and appreciated donation to this worthy project that is changing lives now and forever right here at home PLEASE consider making a donation to:CROSSMAN MINISTRIES / BRRC, (Battle River Ranch Camp) or visit our web site for directdonating and more information, thank you very much we cannot do it alone. Please consider becoming a $25.00 a month donor today. Thank you so much.
*Be a blessing to someone every day*.

   

MARRIAGE - for better or worse or whatever

   

    

This Recently Married Man Just Realized Marriage Is Not For Him. 

This is Seth Adam Smith and his wife, Kim. They’ve been married a year and a half, and Seth just realized: marriage is not for him.

He realized it’s MUCH more than that. This is a recent entry from his blog. It’s well worth reading.

Having been married only a year and a half, I’ve recently come to the conclusion that marriage isn’t for me.

Now before you start making assumptions, keep reading.

I met my wife in high school when we were 15 years old. We were friends for ten years until…until we decided no longer wanted to be just friends.  I strongly recommend that best friends fall in love. Good times will be had by all.

Nevertheless, falling in love with my best friend did not prevent me from having certain fears and anxieties about getting married. The nearer Kim and I approached the decision to marry, the more I was filled with a paralyzing fear. 

Was I ready?

 Was I making the right choice? 

Was Kim the right person to marry? Would she make me happy?

Then, one fateful night, I shared these thoughts and concerns with my dad.

Perhaps each of us have moments in our lives when it feels like time slows down or the air becomes still and everything around us seems to draw in, marking that moment as one we will never forget.

My dad giving his response to my concerns was such a moment for me. With a knowing smile he said, “Seth, you’re being totally selfish. So I’m going to make this really simple: marriage isn’t for you. You don’t marry to make yourself happy, you marry to make someone else happy. More than that, your marriage isn’t for yourself, you’re marrying for a family. Not just for the in-laws and all of that nonsense, but for your future children. Who do you want to help you raise them? Who do you want to influence them? Marriage isn’t for you. It’s not about you. Marriage is about the person you married.”

It was in that very moment that I knew that Kim was the right person person to marry. I realized that I wanted to make her happy; to see her smile every day, to make her laugh every day. I wanted to be a part of her family, and my family wanted her to be a part of ours. And thinking back on all the times I had seen her play with my nieces, I knew that she was the one with whom I wanted to build our own family.

My father’s advice was both shocking and revelatory. It went against the grain of today’s “Walmart philosophy”, which is if it doesn’t make you happy, you can take it back and get a new one.

No, a true marriage (and true love) is never about you. It’s about the person you love—their wants, their needs, their hopes, and their dreams. Selfishness demands, “What’s in it for me?”, while Love asks, “What can I give?”

Some time ago, my wife showed me what it means to love selflessly. For many months, my heart had been hardening with a mixture of fear and resentment. Then, after the pressure had built up to where neither of us could stand it, emotions erupted. I was callous. I was selfish.

But instead of matching my selfishness, Kim did something beyond wonderful—she showed an outpouring of love. Laying aside all of the pain and aguish I had caused her, she lovingly took me in her arms and soothed my soul.

I realized that I had forgotten my dad’s advice. While Kim’s side of the marriage had been to love me, my side of the marriage had become all about me. This awful realization brought me to tears, and I promised my wife that I would try to be better.

To all who are reading this article—married, almost married, single, or even the sworn bachelor or bachelorette—I want you to know that marriage isn’t for you. No true relationship of love is for you. Love is about the person you love.

And, paradoxically, the more you truly love that person, the more love you receive. And not just from your significant other, but from their friends and their family and thousands of others you never would have met had your love remained self-centered.

 THANK YOU once again for taking the  to view our blog. The Battle River Ranch Camp is a non profit organization that is focused on developing trades, life skills and training opportunities for men and women that are searching and find it difficult to get the opportunities needed to develop a productive and positive life skill. A strong confident man or women of God will impact the darkness in our service industry in many ways.

TO DONATE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE;
If you are able to and would like to make a very needed and appreciated donation to this worthy project that is changing lives now and forever right here at home PLEASE consider making a donation to:CROSSMAN MINISTRIES / BRRC, (Battle River Ranch Camp) or visit our web site for directdonating and more information, thank you very much we cannot do it alone. Please consider becoming a $25.00 a month donor today. Thank you so much.
*Be a blessing to someone every day*.

   

First day on the slopes

Just a great first day of skiing God is so good. So many people to meet so many opportunities to share so many looking for hope and it's great to talk to so many people and and direct them to what's happening at the BRRC, God opens doors and we get to walk-through praise Lord. 

         THANK YOU once again for taking the  to view our blog. The Battle River Ranch Camp is a non profit organization that is focused on developing trades, life skills and training opportunities for men and women that are searching and find it difficult to get the opportunities needed to develop a productive and positive life skill. A strong confident man or women of God will impact the darkness in our service industry in many ways.

TO DONATE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE;
If you are able to and would like to make a very needed and appreciated donation to this worthy project that is changing lives now and forever right here at home PLEASE consider making a donation to:CROSSMAN MINISTRIES / BRRC, (Battle River Ranch Camp) or visit our web site for directdonating and more information, thank you very much we cannot do it alone. Please consider becoming a $25.00 a month donor today. Thank you so much.
*Be a blessing to someone every day*.