GFA Cold Guy's Camping Trip 2010

A groups of us guys and boys went cold weather camping at Lake Mineral Wells State Park. We do this once a year. People think we're crazy but that's alright...as long as you go prepared there's nothing crazy to it! haha! We had warm gear and 0 degree sleeping begs plus other kinds of insulation such as air mattresses that kept us really warm. I slept like a bear and didn't get cold at all during the night. It was only cold going in and out of the sleeping bag. It did get down to about 8 degrees or less and in the morning things were frozen and water even froze before our eyes. I like the cold weather...if only it had snowed! haha! The picture above is of Davy Crocket. We encountered him in the wilderness! He was really nice!

We're cooking our food over the fire. That's how I like to eat my food while camping. I love having hamburgers and corn on the cob over the fire. I also love having steak over the fire. That's my favorite way to eat any of this stuff...anything over a fire makes the food taste so much better!

There was a restroom and shower house nearby and so we decided to be goofy in there.


We're the 3 Ninjas. From left to right it's Colt, Rocky and Tum-Tum! You'll know what I'm talking about if you've seen the Three Ninjas!


This is me all cuddled up inside my sleeping bag. This is how I slept all night. I stayed so warm and cozy!!!


On the way home we took a scenic route and encountered a llama farm. They're such cute things!


This is us at Lake Mineral Wells, overlooking the lake!

One thing you can do at this place is crawl and squeeze through caves. It was a ton of fun!

This is us in a cave!

Me and the little boys! I'm glad they could come along!

Me and Gabe!

Me and the boys again on the lake shore!

I didn't really fall in or come close to falling in. It sure looks like I did though!

The Cold Guy's Camping team on a rock!

Me and Steve enjoying the wilderness and this rock!

I enjoyed crawling through these caves!

We had our machetes out in case we encountered a bear or a muskrat or something!

Gabe and I! He was so cute all bundled up!

Gabe and I again! aww, he's such a cutie all bundled up!

Friends from Iowa came to visit me and GFA!

I had a couple friends from Iowa come drive down to visit me and GFA for a week. There names are Jason and Brandon. Three of the days they were here, they volunteered at GFA. They got to work in my department. They were really blessed and overwhelmed with the hospitality here at GFA with so many people wanting us over for dinner. We got to go over to a couple families' house for dinner, including my Bales family! We ate so much food when they were here but my friends were blessed. They loved being at GFA so much and they hope to visit again. They were blessed by the GFA family here and enjoyed the prayer meetings so much...this impacted them so much that they are wanting to do a weekly prayer meeting at our home church in Ames. I pray and hope that they do move forward and start something like this! It was fun to have friends staying at my apartment. It added more liveliness to it! haha!

One day, we went to the Ft. Worth Stockyards and we befriended this cute longhorn. He became such a friend that when it was time for these long horns to parade down the street, this long horn stopped as he passed up and gave us a friendly look. It was almost as if he had stopped for us and smiled at us. He remembered us. It was cute and I've never seen anything like this. It was so cool!

This is Bob the longhorn!

I'z a cowboy now! Yeehaw!

From left to right it's Brandon, me, Danny and Jason! We're in the fulfillment center at GFA!

This is Jason and Brandon helping out in Fulfillment. They got ministry welcome kits together to be sent out to new donors and sponsors to introduce them more to GFA!

White Christmas at the Bales! It snowed on Christmas Eve and was still white on Christmas!

I didn't go home to Iowa for Christmas this year. I missed my family and friends so much but it was a blessing to have Christmas with my family here at GFA. Either way, whether I'm in Iowa or Texas I still have a family which is a blessing! Iowa is my home in a way but to be real honest Texas is my earthly home now. This is where God has called me, to serve with GFA. I've made my residency as a Carrollton, TX resident. I even now have a Texas driver's license and no Iowa license anymore. I can only vote in Texas and not Iowa now. I even live in an apartment in Texas. So, I guess this would make Texas my home now. Still, I miss Iowa and Iowa will always be my earthly home away from home (Texas). When I was a student at Gospel for Asia Texas was considered my home away from home. But now it feels like the other way around since God has called me here to serve with GFA and He has planted me here...haha. Since I didn't go to Iowa for Christmas I was able to spend it with my GFA family, the Bales! In the evening of Christmas day I went over to Danny and Erika Punnose's house for dinner and games and fellowship. Also, since I wasn't gonna be in Iowa this winter to see the beautiful snow and have a white Christmas I was so very much hoping for snow some time this winter. Well, I got so surprised when it decided to snow on Christmas Eve. It was awesome and so much fun! It kept snowing and we got maybe about an inch to 2 inches of snow. This is nothing compared to Iowa snow but it's still "snow". I woke up with the Bales kiddos and we looked outside on Christmas Day and there was still snow! It was a white Christmas which is something I never thought would be possible. A news article said it has been 80 years since Dallas had a white Christmas. This made everyone so happy! We played out in it, made snowballs and got to throw some, and we did the Texas version of skiing and sledding down a small little hill behind the Bales house in the green belt. This was a once in a life time opportunity to be playing in snow in Texas on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We even gathered some of the snow and made ice cream out of it. It was so delicious and some of the best home made ice cream!

Snow isn't what is important on Christmas...Jesus is what Christmas is all about. But it sure was an extra blessing and gift from God to get snow on Christmas. Thank you Jesus for a wonderful gift of snow this Christmas!

"Snow!!!"

Wendy Bales and I love snow so much that we think there is gonna be snow in Heaven. It's so pretty!!!

I'm making a snow angel with my Spiderman pjs on...hehe. In Iowa, I would make these all the time as a kid but I never thought I'd have the chance to do it in Texas on Christmas Day!

More SNOW!!!

Even more SNOW!!!

We're all sliding on the ice and playing around in the snow! It was fun!

Kimberly, Alia and I got aprons for Christmas. I really loved getting an apron that I now own! hehe. I am chef Alex, and Kimberly and Alia are my little chef minions. hehe.

GFA Christmas Party and Bales Family Adventure!

This is me with Brother K.P. Yohannan (on the right) who is the leader and founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA). To the left is K.P.'s son Danny who is also one of the senior leaders at GFA! This picture was taken at the GFA Christmas Party!

This is a group of us being goofy at the GFA Christmas Party! I love my friends and family here at GFA and am so thankful that I don't have to serve alone being the only one with a mind set on reaching Asia for Christ! I once had a brother at GFA tell me that when you're in love (in love with Jesus) you don't have to worry about what anyone thinks about you and so you can just be yourself and be goofy!

Another group shot at the GFA Christmas party. I'm a baby who is sucking his thumb! hehe! Oh, the joy of knowing Christ and being in love with Him sometimes makes you goofy and do crazy things! I like Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Something Crazy" which actually does talk about love making you do crazy things!

A group shot with my GFA adopted family at the GFA Christmas Party!

Oh, we're so serious and formal in this family photo!

"Well, some might say it's a crazy thing to believe in a man who would say he came from heaven down to earth because of love but I just smile and say that's okay 'Cause you know sometimes love makes you act that way. And it's crazy when love gets a hold of you and it's crazy things that love will make you do. And it's crazy but it's true you really don't know love at all 'til it's making you do something crazy"- Steven Curtis Chapman

Love sometimes also makes you do goofy things in front of the camera! hehe

Steven Curtis Chapman- Christmas Is All In The Heart

This probably has to be one of my favorite Christmas songs. Steven Curtis Chapman's Christmas album is my favorite Christmas album of all time. SCC has probably been one of the most influential musicians in my life. He is my favorite musician as well. I love his music...they are full of great worship, truths and stories! I appreciate his heart for the Lord and for children. I'm thankful for his new album that has came out that is about hope and holding on to God's promises during trials and tragedy. If you haven't checked that one out please do! It's very encouraging if you are in the midst of a struggle, trial or losing a loved one. Enjoy!

Christmas Tree Farm Adventure with Bales Family on Saturday December 12, 2009!

I'z love tractors! They remind me of my homeland, Iowa! hehe.

This is me and the Bales kiddos around a fire out at the Christmas Tree Farm

We'z on the tractor trailer heading to go find our Christmas tree! Weeeeeeee!!! This was fun!

I took cover to be low and in the picture!

Aint she/she pretty and very cute? I sure reckin'!

The one thing I honestly love about Texas are all of the long horns that you can see! They're pretty livestock!

Isn't he/she pretty and very cute? I reckin' so!

Me and the cute little horsie!

Group picture next to the horsies!

Me with two of the Bales kiddos!

Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS YA'LL! I'll be in Texas for Christmas! But I will so terribly miss Iowa and all the beauty of snow. I will miss my friends and family so very much. Iowa, please come visit me and bring the snow with! hehe. Yeehaw!