Olive Branch Newsletter

Dear Friends and Family,

                Surprise! You get another newsletter! Haha yes, it is rather soon after the last one, but this summit was only a week long, so I figured I would just do a shorter update on what’s going on in the life of Life Action/Josh Caton.

The Church

The team got a special opportunity to go to the church of one of our own team members for this week. Longview Baptist Church (Clay Debolt’s church) has actually already gone through a Life Action summit. Two years ago, the blue team came to this church and after a church had to cancel; Longview was more than thrilled when our revivalist Steve called to see if they wanted us to come back for a follow up. Steve and Jeremiah decided that instead of doing some of the regular sermons that they would for a summit, they came up with all-new sermons for each night, dealing with issues such as having a “fun-filled” marriage and guarding your heart. The last night of popcorn testimonies was really great as people got up and shared how God had moved in them and had brought them back to a fresh desire and longing for him.

The Ministry

The ministry at this church was a little smaller than most, mainly because we were only here for a week. However, once we leave this summit, we will be driving back to Bartlett to lead at Faith Baptist Church on Sunday morning, and then leading a Wednesday night worship service at Broadway Baptist. This summit, I got to stay with Blake Mathis (Acoustic Guitar player and Trucker extraordinaire) at the Krumalis household. This is not their first time being a host home, but it is the first time that they have met both me and Blake. From the barbecue outings to playing racquetball, they have been a joy to get to know and I know that Blake and I will miss them a lot. (P.S. Blake is getting married in July, hurray for Blake!)   

     

The Team

Right now, the team is doing really well, but you all can be praying for wisdom for us. A lot of the team is going through a really hard decision right now of whether to come back for another year or not. If God brings us to your mind, your prayers will always be coveted. Most of the decisions will be made by Feb 15, and a lot of the team is really seeking God’s Will on what He wants them to do.

My Life

Life has been good, if not a tad more stressful than normal. In my materials job on the team, it got a little tight on some during the week, but God was good and provided. One night, more people came than had before and I had not figured on the extra bodies and when we finally got all the papers passed out, we only had about 4 left. Wow, God is good, even in the little things. He has been teaching me a lot over the last few days about Joy, and how true joy is found nowhere else but in His presence. THAT is a humbling thought right there. J Signing is as good as ever, and every night I am just reminded how much of a blessing it is to get to do it for His glory.

Since this is a shorter newsletter, I’ll go ahead and add in some of the history of the last week that we had at the Grove, a camp owned by a church in the Bartlett area.

The Grove                 

After our little stop in Olive Branch, we cruised back up to Tennessee for a one day conference at Faith church in Bartlett. After Sunday, they allowed us to stay in their camp, the grove for the next 4-5 days. It was a tremendous blessing for a ton of reasons!

We were tired, plain and simple, and the Grove gave us just a nice time to sit back and just spend time with the team. Normally, you would stay with only one or two other guys, but last week, we got to stay with the whole team, boys and gals under one roof. We each had our own sides of the main building, but got to meet in the center area every day for board games, music, and of course some movies. A couple of the grand memories involve Chipmunks invading the girl’s room, playing Ultimate Frisbee, and a discussion after watching after the Elephant Room. Over this last week, I really got to see my team come together and bond in a new way, and I am excited to see what God

does in us this next half of the year.

In closing, I must ask that you all keep me in your prayers for the next couple of days. On February 15, we make our official decision of whether or not to return to Life Action for another year. I am pretty sure what my decision will be, but I would be so blessed if you all would pray God’s Will be done and not mine. If He does not want me to come back, then I pray that He will change my heart. Either way, His will be done. And yes, you all will find out in the next message if it is a Yes or no. J

In Christ,

Josh