We have moved!

OK. We haven't physically moved but we have moved our blog. If you would like to check out the new blog simply go to www.rathmell.com

See you there.

-Buddy

Malachi Leadership Team

In May I took a trip out to Denver to meet with the new Malachi leadership team as we talked over the future of Malachi. It was really fun to get time with these guys who have become great friends over the years. I am excited about the direction that Malachi is heading the good steps that we are taking to be a more effective ministry in the future.

Shorebreak 07 Video

Hit the play button to view the Shorebreak 07 Video

Jen is writing a book!

Oh yeah, I have been meaning to mention this. Over the years we have probably heard literally 100 people tell Jen that she should write a book. Well she has finally started writing a book on parenting and sent the first three chapters off to an editor as we left for Shorebreak. Please pray that God will guide her as she finishes her book and that he will use it to encourage parents to lean into their kids lives.

Shorebreak Here We Come!

Hello,
Well the trip over went pretty well. It is amazing how much easier it is to travel with a 3, 4 and a 6 year old than infants.
The APU team arrived last night and we had a meeting with all the Kadena staff. It has been really cool to see everyone and get time with old friends and students. In many ways it feels like we never left. Last night I was with some of the staff and we went over to another house to drop off some students and I just rolled down the window and said hello forgetting that even though I had talked to this person a number of times on the phone that day I hadn't hugged them or said hello in person yet.

Tonight there are 80 people flying down from Mainland Japan and then we have our kickoff event. Tomorrow at 7am we all gather and head off to the Island of Tokashiki which has become a really special place in my heart over the years as I think about all the things that God has done in so many lives there including my own.



This is the beach where we will spend one whole day at the beach weather permitting. This year the forcast is for clouds or rain for the next 10 days. Please pray that we have some good weather for the students to spend time at the beach. Most importantly please pray for God to be at work in the lives of students this week. I know that there some leadership lessons that God is teaching me as I lead this group of 225 people this week. It has caused me to spend extra time seeking the Lord which has been really great the past few days. Please pray that I would be led by the Spirit especially this week.

We'll let you know more when we get back.

Thanks,

Buddy

Leaving Tomorrow

Hello Friends,

Today we had two former students come down and visit us for the day and it was really fun and a huge blessing to our kids. Tomorrow at 7 am we leave for Okinawa. We are flying standby so pray things go well especially with the two 75lb speakers that I am bringing over for the event.

Please pray for God's hand upon the event and that he would be at work even now drawing students to himself.

I think it is going to be a great week and I am excited to see what God will do. Please pray also for the opportunity to connect with so many of our former kids.

Thanks for all your support in prayer,

Buddy

The Guys

I think one of the neatest things being back in the states has been to see students as they grow up and their faith becomes their own. We often miss that part of students lives since they often leave Okinawa before or after graduating from High School. Visiting with David, Ted, Lee and Grady was great. They were all together for spring break so we met up for a day in Richmond to hang out, connect and compete at games like minigolf and go carting.

On the Student Leader retreat before Ted and Lee's senior year we were all enjoying a great game of paintball. One of the guys had the great idea of playing girls vs. guys even though the girls greatly outnumbered us and all the guys had to play without their shirts on. Ted was one of the last guys alive and as he stormed the girls fort they just lit him up. Even though he was screaming, "Hit, Hit" they kept shooting him on his bare skin. If you have ever been hit with a paintball from 15 on bare skin you know that 7 or 8 hits don't feel very good.

Grady and I have connected a lot this year and it has been great to see him really strive to be a man of God as he walks through life.

Men's Retreat

I am going on a Men's retreat with the Club Beyond and Malachi guys this week. They are meeting me in the middle in Ireland. :-) I have never been before so I am looking forward to seeing Ireland as well as getting to hang out with a bunch of men who are sharing the gospel and their lives with military students.

7 years ago

It was over 7 years ago that Jen and I first landed on Okinawa. I am looking forward to getting to go back and run Shorebreak again. I went out to APU last week to meet with the team and they are really excited about coming out. We will have 27 students and two adults that are coming out to help us run Shorebreak this year. It should be a really great event for the students.

Retreat was Great

Thanks for those of you that prayed for the retreat that I spoke on last weekend. Many of the students and staff were challenged to go deeper in their faith. It seemed that many of them were most challenged to spend more time in the word. Also I got to ski for the first time in 5 years which was really fun.

I stayed an extra day to hang out with Evan Eykelbosch who was a junior in high school when we first moved to Oki 7 years ago. It was great to get time with him and to see someone who is living strong for the Lord.