Ezra Ross Routon and Liz & Tanana

In case you haven't heard: It's a Boy! Ezra Ross Routon was born on Sept 24 and he weighed 7lbs, 12 oz.  He was 20 inches long and was born with a heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot and at birth he was very stable.  Five days later doctors operated on Ezra to do the full repair on his heart.  He again was very stable and recovered quickly and five days later Ezra was released from the hospital! He is a healthy baby boy with no chromosomal abnormalities and he will need further heart procedures in the future- but it could be 10 years from now.  We are very grateful and I want to say thank you for your prayers and support.  If you want to read the full story click http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/babyrouton

Yep- he is a cutie!

As part of my job I get to report back to you some of the things happening in Young Life and the ministry that you all are praying for and supporting.  In the past I have tried to write about 6 emails every year and lump up everything that has been happening into one email, but what I have found that there is so much happening, to fit into one email.  Therefore I want to try something new and send small emails more frequently. For this email I want to share with you about Liz and what is happening in Tanana.

Liz was a Young Life leader in Sitka last year and moved to Tanana this school year to teach.  She did awesome work with kids in Sitka and is now sharing her life with the kids in Tanana.  Liz teaches middle school and high school.  She is partnering with adults and churches in the community to make sure kids have a chance to hear about who Christ is and what he has done for them.  Currently she opens the gym for kids 3 nights a week, she hosts movie nights, and organizes/ runs youth fun events where kids hear about Jesus. She has gotten Bibles donated and handed them out to kids and she is challenging kids to consider Jesus. She has a heart for the kids and they are responding.  Liz also desire it that the adults of Tanana adopt the ministry and that if she leaves that the ministry would be taken over by local people.    Please pray for these things and also for Liz's housing situation.

Tanana is about 150 west of Fairbanks