Christmas Greetings 2015

Merry Christmas

Oh what a joy it is to be able to celebrate the birth of our Savior!

God asks all of us to answer His call through faith in Him alone for our salvation. Jesus paid our ransom so we can repent our sins and be freely given eternal life. But first, God brought us the birth of His precious, perfect son and that is the reason we celebrate Christmas. Amen.

We pray in the midst of your busyness this season you will make time - lots of time - to reflect on God’s gift of salvation, Jesus Christ.

So when you are…

                         baking, pray to Him

                         shopping, pray to Him

                         at a basketball game, pray to Him

                         at a cookie swap, pray to Him

                         at a Christmas party, pray to Him

                         waiting in line at the checkout, pray to Him

                         putting up Christmas decorations, pray to Him

                         shoveling snow, pray to Him

                         paying the bills, pray to Him

                         watching football on TV, pray to Him…

                             ...so you get the idea - thank Him for the best gift you will ever receive, Jesus.

We and Victory Ministries want to sincerely thank you for being a part of sharing the truth of the Gospel. We praise God for all He has done here through camping ministries and we give thanks in advance for His future plans of raising up more disciples for His glory. Our world needs more people seeking God to truly have “Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all Men.”

Family News

   Cody and Aurelie are renting a cute 1920’s bungalow in Lawrence, KS. Cody is employed by the University of Kansas. Aurelie enjoys her work at the City of Lawrence Public Library.

   Morgan and Brian live in Franklin, WI. Morgan loves teaching high school history and Brian continues his career with State Farm.

   Caitlin is in the home stretch of her master’s program in Medical Illustration. We hope to make it to her graduation in May in Baltimore.

   Liam is in his junior year at Glacier View School with 7 kids at the high school level. He is leaning heavily toward studying physics in college. He tells us he will probably have to get his doctorate in the field, so we can call him Doc Mock :) He has taken up XC skiing. This is something he can do up here 6-7 months of the year!

  Chris stays extremely busy keeping the camp and conference center side of Victory up and running. He has spent many hours this fall coaxing the 1960’s waste oil boilers to work! He says they have become very good friends! He has been covering for the mechanic vacancy and heavy equipment operator too! No frozen pipes - that is a true blessing.

   Debbie has become very involved in rehabbing and sprucing up many of the staff homes that have had a change of families or become vacant awaiting new families. She also spent several hours sorting out the wood shop. She said sorting the tools reminded her of all the time she spent as a child helping out her dad:). She continues to enjoy the community connections she has made while subbing at school. Lately she has even been riding the bus to and from school with Liam!

Prayer Needs

Please be in prayer for the right people to answer God's call for these vacancies at Victory:

1. Victory Bible Camp and Conference Center Director
2. Victory Bible Camp and Conference Center Auto Mechanic
3. Victory Bible Camp and Conference Center Program Director

Also please be in prayer for updated heating systems for our 1960’s units.

Of most importance, for our purpose and call here, be in prayer for all those who use our campus. May they invite God into their lives and in turn, go out and spread the Good News to so many in need - Victory in Christ. This is God’s ultimate goal.

Matthew 19:26 (ESV) But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Merry Christmas to all and bountiful blessings to you in the coming New Year.

                      Chris, Debbie, Caitlin, & Liam

 View of Victory from hiking up to the fossil beds

Victory Peak. Notice where the sun line hits the peak. Our valley does not get direct sunlight this time of year.

New paint - ready for Christmas!

The buildings on Victory's campus that were updated with new paint look so nice! Thank you to all who helped this past summer. That includes everyone who donated paint brushes and supplies! 

Winter is coming!

Below are some images of our main season - Winter!

October - May

Fall Newsletter

Many of you receive our newsletter delivered the old fashion way - via the U.S. Postal Service. For those of you who don't receive it and would like us to add you to that list, please let us know by email or FB.

Today is October 13th and there are not any leaves left on our trees! Time to put up the Christmas lights before it gets too cold and snowy outside!

These past several weeks I (Debbie) have been deep cleaning several homes around campus for new servants coming to join our ministry here. As I spent over an hour untangling mini blind cords the other day, the Bible verse 1 Corinthians 10:31 came to mind:

Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 

Those tangled cords put a picture in my head of our tangled up lives, with some really hard knots that we have a horrible time undoing! How did the cord get like this? When the cord is straight and true, it provides for easy and smooth operation of the blind. It is exactly like God. He is always there ready to intercede for us and keep us walking on His straight and narrow path. Give ALL your hard knots to God! Amen.

We are again teaching 3rd - 5th grade Sunday school and the above verse is one that our students are memorizing. We also stress that learning these verses is more than a memory exercise:

We ask them,  "When you meet someone new, how do you get to know them?"
The kids reply,  "By asking them questions."
Us,  "Then, how do you get to know God and Jesus?"
Kids,  "Oh, by reading His Word!"
Us,  "And where do you keep His word so you have it when you need it, in your brain or in your
      heart?"
Kids,  "In your heart!"
Us,  "Yes!" 

That is where  His word was when I became frustrated while fixing the mini blinds! Just exactly where I needed it to be...His word is in my heart.

Reflections of summer, 2015

June - Trinity workteam and donated vans and tools arrive at camp!

July & August - Repainting and roofing of conference housing                  

Phil. 1:3-6

     I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you. I always pray with JOY because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  

    Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians when he was in prison in Rome. He wanted to thank them for a gift they had sent via one of their members and to encourage them in their faith. It is of note that this is the first time Paul uses the word JOY in any of his letters.

   If you could insert “we” and “our” in the passage above it would mirror our JOY in all of you who have partnered with Victory and us. Our NIV Bible says that in contrast to happiness, JOY runs deeper and stronger. JOY is the quiet, confident assurance of God’s love and work in our lives - that He will be there no matter what! Happiness depends on happenings, but JOY depends on Christ. JOY comes from knowing Christ personally and from depending on His strength rather than our own. This is the secret of JOY!

   Our summer was indeed full of JOY. So many people answered God’s call and came to spend a week of two to help us a camp. One day, Debbie spent an hour walking around camp and taking pictures of all the work and activities going on: cutting logs into firewood, lunch prep, bread making, cookie baking, floor cleaning, dusting and sweeping, answering phones, gift shop hostessing, coffee making, painting, sanding, cleaning windows, sewing curtains, changing light bulbs, upgrading door handles, replacing the sewer line, backfilling soil over the sewer line, regrading the airstrip, washing buses/vans, replacing rotten fascia board, seeding grass, watering grass, patching canoes, repairing waterfront docks, mechanical repairs on camp vehicles, making new picnic tables, remodeling the coffee shop, cutting overgrown brush and trees, and watering flowers - to name a few.

   All this happening like the background music of a major Hollywood movie. The main characters would be the campers and their counselors.

These are notes written on little blue cards that campers could put up in chapel to represent a decision they made or something God taught them.

I am so thankful for this new family God has led me to. I haven’t been living for you my Lord, but this one week of camp has inspired and shown me how I can glorify you in everything I do. I’ve been holding in so much pain, but you have taken my pain and given me true inner peace. Before this week I was positive I was going nowhere and wanted to die. You have blessed me with amazing people to lead me back to you and your love. Thank you.

This week I have been extremely convicted to basically turn my whole life around and start living for the Lord…to be transformed!

God blessed me with a great group of Godly people trying to grow closer to God.  God gave me a desire to grow closer with Him.  I now have the tools, faith, and trust to strive to be the best I can, with God’s help.

God saved me from depression and self harm. I self harmed a lot, but then I turned to God and proved to the doctors I don’t need pills to make me happy.

Halfway through this week I thought about leaving, but I’m glad I didn’t, I ignored satan’s pull. I never want this week to end, I will miss everybody. I will never forget this wonderful week.

Christ changed me because I’ve always come to camp, but never really believed in Him, but this week that changed.

I have heard God speak like I never have before. I have not been pursuing Him and I have made a commitment to do so from now on. Victory Bible Camp has changed my life forever.

But, this grand movie cannot be made without all the support people in the wings. Those people are vital to this ministry. The many hands of help would not be possible without the prayers and financial giving from all of you - so much JOY in serving Christ and His ministry.

   Fall is upon us, we have had a dusting of snow and the morning temperatures have been in the 30s. Our foliage is yellow and red and falling! Our days are always busy. Each weekend sees a new group on campus, a new opportunity for God and Victory to have a positive impact on someone’s life!

   John 4: 35

         I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for the harvest.

   We asked Liam if Jesus was running for president of the United States what would his slogan be? Liam’s immediate response was, “Love”. Amen.

May the grace of the Lord Christ be with your spirit - Phil. 4:23

Joyfully,

                         Chris, Debbie and Liam

Contact info:

Victory Bible Camp & Conference Center                   Chris, Debbie & Liam Mock

   64741 S Victory Rd.                                                         64741 S Victory Rd

   Sutton, AK 99674                                                            Sutton, AK 99674

   907-745-4203                                                                  

  www.vbcalaska.org                                                          

                                                                                               email - CDCMCL@hotmail.com

To join with us in support, email Elaine at ElaineA@vbcalaska.org

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve and show the love and JOY of Jesus.

Camp to Conference Season

This will be an especially busy month at Victory as you can see by the retreat schedule at the top of the calendar. Summer camp is over and we dive head long into conference season. Please pray for a smooth transition. We will have many people on campus all month and pray that each of them takes the word of God home in their hearts and continues the forward motion of ministry. 

Our staff size is changing over the next few weeks also, so be in prayer for God's unseen majestic plan to unfold!

Bountiful blessing - Chris and Debbie

Click on calendar to view larger

 Looking east toward Mt Drum in the Wrangell-St. Elias mountain range. It was our turn to take a van load of campers home to Glennallen. This is about 1 1/2 hour drive from Victory. Their parents met us there and continued on to their homes in Valdez. Mt Drum is over 12,000 feet high.

A very quick stop at the home of the Iditorad Headquarters in Wasilla. This is a statue of Balto.

Read more about Balto and the outbreak of diphtheria in Nome, AK in 1925 that eventually lead to the sled dog race commemorating this event.

Open this link Balto

Bountiful Blessings!

When God called us to ministry at Victory starting back in 2010 we were very reluctant to listen to Him. One of the reasons was and is because we love our home church. We didn't want to leave. From the moment we announced (a very nervous Sunday in church for us) what God's plans were for the Mock family, they have been our backbone of support. Our Trinity family has gone above and beyond anything we could have ever imagined. But... we truly know the source of this out-pouring of love is God. 

Matthew 19:26  Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."   

We do not know who to thank for the individual tools, bath towels, shovels, puzzles, extension cords, vacuums, chain saws, protective gear, basketballs, yarn and the list goes on and on, but THANK YOU!  Oh, and of course the big items, the two vans. WOW. But wait! We're not done yet - we packed all these gifts into the vans and then they were driven to Alaska by yes, you guessed it, more loving church members! All of us at Victory shout out our gratitude and recognize what an Almighty God we serve. 

We are all in this together -  hallelujah!

We also want to thank everyone who came out to our Pizza Ranch Tip Night. Yet another amazing showing of God's blessings!

Below are just a few pictures of  our Sunday evening with our church family. First, we had a fun walk/bike ride, then an ice cream social, after which we shared about Victory with everyone.  Again, thanks to all!

 This is the crew who drove the vans over 3700 miles to Victory!

On our trip "outside" we connected with our kids, parents, sisters, brothers, aunts, and uncles! 

Spring has Sprung!

God is so good - all the time!