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I awake to the sound of my dad stirring in the pitch black night and within a few moments the light of the old Coleman lantern begins to fill the tent with a soft glow. The year is 1971 and my dad, brother and I are awakening to opening morning of deer season in southeastern New Mexico’s Guadalupe Mountains.

It was the first of many hunting trips that have drawn me nearer to God, through the celebration and wonder of His creation.

Since that experience, hunting adventures have taken me to many of New Mexico and Southern Colorado’s most treasured landscapes. From the rocky and cactus filled country of the Bootheel, to the cool, conifer and aspen covered mountains of Northern New Mexico and Colorado.

My dad, who was a farmer most of his life, understood the connection to the natural world as much as anyone I have ever known. That connection was passed along to my brother and me. The past twenty years, while people we know have taken trips to Disneyland or other faraway places, my wife and I have taken our two sons to explore New Mexico’s great outdoors. Much of this time spent hunting New Mexico’s wildest landscapes in search of wild game.

Today only around 5% of our country’s population participates in hunting, making my family a minority in an increasingly urban society. The naiveté of my way of life has led to many questions about why I hunt.

Although I often try to explain about the meat hunting provides my family, the memories we make in the field, and the breathtaking landscapes we get to visit, further reflection reveals it is much more than that.

Psalms 19:1 and Roman’s 1:20 speak to the majesty of God’s creation and describe the two ways He reveals Himself to us. One is the special revelation which is God revealing himself through scripture and through Christ, The second way is the General Revelation that God is revealing Himself to all mankind through His creation.

When I read these passages I recognize why I feel drawn to the outdoors and hunting. In the great outdoors I most profoundly feel the awesomeness of God through His creation. Sitting in a duck blind as a hint of pink pierces the eastern horizon, traversing rugged mountain landscapes in search of a mule deer buck, or listening to the sound of a bugling bull on an otherwise completely silent morning. Walking the quiet of a desert with family in search of Gambel’s quail or waiting near a farmer’s field for dove to pass overhead. Each an example of the remarkable access we have to our Creator through the General Revelation.

God reveals His most intimate characteristics through His creation; characteristics of might, intelligence, and order.

His creation is a testimony to His existence. And it is creation that allows me to feel a closer connection to Him. This connection cannot be obtained in society’s urban settings; God does not say He will reveal himself through man-made institutions or structures, in sports, work or other aspects of our culture’s prominent values.

He does say He will reveal himself through His creation and that is ultimately why hunting in wild places has given me so much pleasure. There can be no greater connection to the natural world, than in search of wild game. And it is through this connection, that I am most aware of His presence as He uses the most majestic aspects of His creation to greet me.

“For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

Hunting waterfowl isn’t the first thing that comes to mind about living in New Mexico. After all, ducks need water, and this state happens to be one of the driest in the country.

Waterways and duck marshes are definitely in short supply in the Land of Enchantment. However, they do exist. 

There is an amazing contrast between the desert and the water-filled marshes in which ducks make their home.

On many a cold, dark morning, my sons and I have traversed sandy, desert ravines by the light headlamps to makeshift blinds on the edge of oases. Decoy bags, shotguns and, at times, a RoboDuck, are all part of the luggage we carry down through the desert, making our way to the water.

As we find the water and set the decoys, a hint of pink makes its way into the eastern horizon, while ducks are darting from one end of the marsh to the other. 

It is a beautiful sight in perhaps one of the most unusual places.

As we settle-in just off the decoy set, we begin to load our shotguns and prepare for legal shooting time. 

This ritual has been part of the Young household for close to 25 years now. Although, I didn’t have an opportunity to duck hunt while growing up in southeastern New Mexico, it has become part of our family’s winter ritual. Eventually, after a number of years of hunting with my dad and brother, my two sons became part of the mix. It is during these years that the experiences became even more precious and more intimate.

Through the years, my sons and I have limited-out on numerous occasions, giving more life to an already growing passion. Brilliant red sunrises, hundreds of brightly colored waterfowl darting across the morning sky, the sound of shotgun fire piercing the early morning silence are all part of the experience in the desert. 

Waterfowl passion. Creation passion.

All in a state so dry you could literally walk a hundred miles and never find a drop of water. Yet, incredibly, in the middle of this desert, there is living water that provides for thousands of migrating waterfowl.

As I ponder the contrast between this water-dependent sport and our dry desert state, it is easy to see the implications for our own lives. As water fowlers, we would never experience the thrill of hunting without the water that provides for the ducks. And as human beings, we would never experience the peace that exists in knowing and having a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. 

As we wander at times aimlessly through our own deserts, there He is, providing the living water we need to thrive if we will only accept it. 

“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them, will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. - John 4:13-14

Last Thursday was not your typical night at Youth Group. Instead of starting with an action packed (and only slightly dangerous) game, we launched straight into an intro that reviewed what we’d been learning. The past few weeks Thursday Night Live has been digging into the book of James. If you haven’t read James before, it’s an incredibly action focused book. James tells us to let our works show the fruit of our faith. (James 2:18)

As a youth group, we want to follow the commands in God’s word, to let them bring transformation in our lives.

We want youth members to understand that the bible is more than just words on a page; we want our actions to show the changes God is making in our lives. We want TNL teens to see that God’s Word is active and living.

So, we found a way to do that through collecting food for the MCC food pantry by doing “The Great Canned Food Scavenger Hunt 2017”.

This is how it went down: two teams were formed, each with a driver. We piled in cars with instructions to use any legal means we could think of to bring as many non-perishable food items to the church as possible within the 1.5 hour time limit. Extra points were awarded for having the most unusual food item, the largest food item and the most expired food item.

From 6:15 to 7:45, the high school youth group used various methods to relieve the East Mountains of as many canned goods as possible.

Some highlights:

• Marv buying out the canned food aisle at Triangle Grocery store.
• Creative instagram posts for bonus points, which included pig masks and tiaras.
• Arguing about whether canned soup counted as a “prepared meal” for... well way too long… (We finally decided that it did.)

At the end of the night, TNL was able to collect over 150 non-perishable food items.

More importantly, we had an opportunity to represent Jesus to our community, and serve our MCC brothers and sisters, showing the transformation the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives.

Less importantly, my team won the hunt! We’re excited to see where God will lead us to serve next. If you have an idea for a place the youth group could serve, please contact me, Sami Gutierrez.

Individual photo taken by Jasmine Mostrom.

I had never attended a bible study before and had no idea what to expect. Having grown up Catholic, my bible exposure was limited to the first, second and gospel readings during mass. In the Catholic faith we had lots of religious icons:  the rosary, the statues, and the confessional.  I found great comfort in attending church so as I moved when I moved from New York to New Mexico in 1997, I found St. Bernadette’s. Then, when I moved to North Carolina in 2000, I found St. Matthew’s. With yet another move back to New Mexico in 2001, Holy Child was my church.

But, then…. I married a Methodist and my Catholic church attendance quickly came to an end.  I could not have known the way my faith would grow in the coming years.

Fast forward to September 2004; I was a new stay-at-home mother and, having slightly different religious affiliations than my husband, we felt we needed to find a new church home.  We needed a place where we could not only attend church but also set a foundation for our family.

I noticed on the Mountain Christian Church marquis that a Women’s Bible Study was starting and it peaked my interested. But I waited...yes, I drove up and down Route 14 thinking I wanted to attend the Women’s Bible Study but I didn’t feel comfortable enough to stop.

Then, God intervened.

Out of the blue, my neighbor Kelly asked if I wanted to attend that exact study. And I said yes!

It was a decision that would change my life. The study was Jennifer Rothschild’s “Walking by Faith: Lesson learned in the Dark.” During that study I learned so much about faith, from both Jennifer’s book and my group.

I realize now that I was divinely placed in Pam Cravens’ small group. And while I haven’t seen Kelly Odegard since 2005, in the brief time I did know her, she fulfilled her purpose of leading me to a bible study and new church home.  I know that I would not have taken that first step to attend that bible study without her!

You see, even though church was always present in our family growing up; we were literally a dictionary definition of an Italian/Irish Catholic family, attending this bible study taught me about the personal relationship that I could have with Jesus.  While I revered and feared God, ultimately I hoped I could do enough good things to get me into heaven. Salvation looked different from the Catholic perspective. Until that bible study I had no idea about the personal and private relationship with Jesus that was just for me.  

In Jesus I found a friend who consoled, counseled, taught, loved, scolded and humored with me.  Because if you know me, you know He has to have a sense of humor.  

In the inner sanctum of Pam’s small group, we were bound by trust and I found new sisters in Christ. Being in the study was life changing in so many ways!

I was baptized by Frank in 2006 and have been what I like to call “living intentionally Christian” ever since.  Am I perfect?  Ha! Nope.  But I have a personal relationship with Jesus that I didn’t have before and I have been able to share that with my husband and children and anyone else God puts in my path.  

My mission field is not in my church, neighborhood, nor in my circles, but in every day dealings with business colleagues and school activities and with strangers, when I am brave enough.

My involvement in various ministries blossomed, from coordinating the first Food for the Hungry Bolivia sponsorships, to bringing MOPS to MCC, to running the VBS preschool and counting collections monies, to very occasionally playing the flute with the worship team.   

This all happened because I came to Women’s Bible Study.  I have found something here that I didn’t even know was missing and I am eternally grateful for Mountain Christian and all its women opening their arms and hearts to warmly welcome me.

Mothers of Preschoolers, MOPS.  

For me, the name elicits many things. For one, it is the mental image of a frazzled mom with a young child clinging to her side and maybe another strapped to her belly.  It is a weary mother who cannot seem to brush her own hair, though she has brushed her children’s. It is an exhausted momma who tries to keep a clean house, but fails regularly.  It is a woman, a mother, who might be tired, often overwhelmed, certainly underappreciated and likely underpaid.  She works hard, loves deeply, struggles mightily, and fights fiercely for those she loves. But still, too often she neglects her own needs and is left feeling empty.  This is one image I get when I hear Mothers of Preschoolers because…This. Is. Me. But this is only part of the story.

You see, there is another image that comes to mind when I hear the MOPS acronym, one of joy and of challenges shared.

After having attended MOPS for three years I see the image of a community of women and their children coming together to combine their strength, what is remaining of it, to combine their gifts, talents, ideas, and skills.

That together, these women would thrive; their burdens and joys shared!

Each woman content, knowing that there will be days when she is the one being carried through the messiness of life, and other days when she will be the one carrying! Much like Paul shared with the Corinthians, that both our abundance and need be shared.

“Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality—at the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality.”  -2 Corinthians 8: 13-14 (NIV)

Having seen and experienced the beauty of this community, of joys and burdens-shared, between mothers in the East Mountains I know that there is a transformation that happens as God uses a community of women to lift one another up. And as women, once we’ve experienced the hope, gratitude and strength of that generosity, it inspires us.

MOPS is about living lives intertwined.

It is about the hope given to other mothers in the middle of their struggle; whether it be the birth of a new baby, postpartum depression,  or health problems, MOPS moms have risen up to the challenge to provide for not just the basic needs, but also providing hope. 

I’ve seen God in our midst, as we are the served and the servant.

The MOPS community sends the resounding message that we are not alone in this marathon of motherhood and life. 

Instead, we persevere together. Friendship is born from this kind of space.  Stronger women and families emerge from this community because, though it can often feel lonely raising kids in your own home, you know you are not alone.

There are women here who have your back.

Visit MCC's MOPS page to learn more about this ministry.