~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

News from Daryel and Rachel Erickson

Assemblies of God Foreign Missionaries with Global Teen Challenge
July, 2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Dear Family and Friends,  We made it!!!!!

Greetings from the Ericksons.  Many thanks to all of you who have helped us during our 10 months of itineration (some people call it furlough).  We are happy to say that we have finished well and have raised our needed monthly and cash budget.  We could not have done it without your prayers, hospitality and financial contribution.  We are so grateful to all of you who have faithfully traveled this journey with us for more than 26 years.  Continue to believe with us for 10,000 people who will commit to praying one minute a week for us and the ministry of Global TC. Many of you are doing this and we appreciate it. We understand the power of prayer.

We especially want to thank the Lord for His faith-fulness and protection as we traveled by car more than 50,000 miles.  We have already began our work with Global TC and we know that this is the place where God wants us to be for the next few years.

Lastly we want to thank all of you who prayed for our family after the death of Daryel's dad on May 17th.  He lived a long life of 86 years with more than 50 years of active ministry.  Most of it with Native Americans. Please pray for his mom as she goes through this difficult period of adjustment living without her husband of almost 63 years. Thanks Daryel and Rachel

Motor-Home Living

From September 2009 to the end of May 2010 Rachel and I have been living in a motor-home that God provided.  We did not travel in it much but we used it as our home and it worked out very well.  We were able to park it at Sound Life Church in Tacoma, WA where they had all the hook-ups that we needed.  All the church pastors and staff treated us like family.              Thank you Pastor Cal and staff!!

Also, the Seniors group at the church took on our 1993 motor-home as a project and did many wonderful improvements to it. Before we left they also put on 6 new tires for our journey to Columbus, GA.  We must give a special thanks to Don and Russ Johnsen (their son is a missionary in Belgium) who organized the Seniors who helped us so much.  They also invited us to several of their activities and we learned to love and appreciate all of them during our months there.  What a blessing this family of God was.         We would not have made it without you. Thanks to all of you!!

Erickson Family News

Our son, Marcus (pictured with his wife Katie), just qualified for his private pilot license.  He is going to continue his studies toward his commercial license with the possible  opportunities of ministry as a pilot.  Please pray for him and his family as they prepare for this important step.

Judah,  our newest grandson (below),made his first small plane ride with his dad as the pilot. He seems to be enjoying himself.

 Teen Challenge Testimony -Jason in England

When I look back on the past ten years I still find it amazing how much my life has changed. My name is Jason, and for many years my life was that of a miserable drunk. When I was 22 I thought that I had everything. I had just finished college and had started work as a graphic designer. I was also married to a woman I had met in college and we had just purchased a new apartment. Little did I know this would become my prison for the next six years. My wife left me and I felt like a person without any hope.  Because I didn't enjoy my job and with my personal problems I began to drink.  I began to drink allot. The business where I was working had to close and I began to work for another firm.  Without me realizing it God was guiding my life. The owner of this new business turned out to be a Christian.  At the beginning I never told him about my addiction but it got worse.  He invited me to his church and eventually I accepted the lord as my savior. I shared with him my addiction and he suggested that I talk to Teen Challenge. After I entered the program and my life was completely changed. I went through the TC discipleship program and I found a new reason to live. Today I'm sober and I'm working as part of the Teen Challenge staff in London, UK. 

 New Teen Challenge Bible College (Emerging Leaders College)

In the beginning of this year Teen Challenge was donated 60 acres in Jesup, GA (236 Leadership Lane) to start a Bible College.  This college will only receive TC graduates who are interested is training to be staff or Directors overseas or in the USA.  Included with the property are 6 buildings (small gym, 3 small dorms, staff bungalow, classroom and cafeteria), 2 vans, a tractor, beds, and office equipment.  What a blessing this is to the school.

In addition to our primary responsibilities overseas in the training of TC staff and Directors Rachel and I have been asked to assist in the starting of this Bible College.  We will assist the leadership team at the college in the planning of the curriculum and class schedules.  

The school is a three year program where the students will be trained as TC workers as well as complete a two-year academic degree through Global University in Bible and Theology.  The curriculum is designed in such a way that a student will get a good balance between practical ministry and a good foundation of Biblical studies. 

The cafeteria building has substantial water damage from a faulty roof.  We have two MAPS construction teams coming in July and August to repair the damage.  We are grateful to Calvary Church, Naperville, IL and Calvary Temple, Concord, CA. for coming.  These teams will work on the cafeteria buildings, staff housing and other needs around the campus.  Please pray for this important opportunity to train some of the future leaders of TC  around the world.