Our Ministry Verse

Genesis 50:20 What the enemy intended for evil, the Lord intended for good. to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Financial Update and How to Support Us

We have raised over $8,000 dollars in the last three months for Mountain Haven. Thank you, thank you, thank you. God is faithful. The driveway is incredible, it is driveable and long; over 1/2 mile with lots of curves. We will be moving officially after Brandon graduates on June 6, 2008. So much to do and time is really of the essence. Your response to this ministry has been overwhelming.
Here's how you can support Mountain Haven:

1.) Prayer 2.) Letters of Encouragement 3.) Financial Support-ongoing monthly or one-time donation

Mountain Haven's main goal for 2008 is constructing the Home in the Mountains where we will run the ministry. Your financial support is managed by a responsible and Godly board of directors dedicated to making all the support stretch as far as humanly possible. The dollars donated this year will primrily be used to fund the bricks and mortar aspect of this project as well as to help fund crucial ministry development.This is the most critical year of growth because the building is where all these weekends will take place for ministry. If you catch the vision for donating to this building project and this ministry you can mail contributions made out to "Mountain Haven" to 22826 Elk Lake Road, Elk River, MN 55330. If you are interested in donating building or household materials e-mail us so we can send you our list of items needed. Thanks for your support. We would welcome ongoing monthly support or onetime donations. Our website is found at http://www.mountainhavenmarriageministry.com/ and is under construction and will be up and available for secure online doantions through paypal very shortly.

kevin@mountainhavenmarriageministry.com
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Well its official, we have a board of directors, amazing people who will be a great asset to Mountain Haven. We went full time into ministry in January 2008 Our main focus is working on curriculum, books, outreach material, making brochures, counseling, promoting fundraising for Mountain Haven, and of course prepping for the major part of the building aspect to begin in April 2008.


paypal

Share our Dream

This is a website we have created so you can share in our journey as Mountain Haven Marriage and Family Reconciliation Ministry humbly begins its first year as a non-profit ministry. Please use this blog page to learn more about who we are, what we offer for marriage services, and to keep us in mind as a marriage resource. Time is passing quickly and the ministry center will be started in April 2008 in Colorado.

The journey started in 2002 with our vision to leave a legacy for our children and others about the hope of reconciliation because of our miraculous remarriage in 1999 after a year of divorce. Since that time, so many miracles have happened to confirm for us that this vision is truly something that the Lord will use for His glory. It is because of His grace that we can move into the next year knowing that we want to make a difference for other couples that have experienced the devastation of a hurting or broken marriage, or just share hope for those that are stuck in patterns and beliefs about marriage that are stopping them from becoming the man or woman that God intended them to be.

We are a work in progress and this year brings with it many monumental changes for us. We are excited to share the journey and the miracles with you. Your prayers, support, and friendship through the years have sustained us and compelled us to become all we can be as a family and now as a full fledged non-profit ministry. We hope your hearts will be ignited to continue to support us in prayer, encouragement or financially throughout the years as we move forward with this awesome dream and bring it into reality.

About Us

We had the vision for a ministry that could touch the lives of broken and devastated marriages. Why? Because we were there in 1998. We have had a miracle of reconciliation in our marrriage and we know that with the power of Christ so can you. Our ministry center will begin to be built in April 2008, and it is going to be wonderful. Mountain Haven will be a place of refuge, hope and beauty. We invite you to see our hearts, our passion for restoration in all marriages, and learn more about this ministry that God has so sovereignly decided to allow us to start.

Our Family

Our Family
Our family visiting Colorado in 2006, a year after we bought the land 28 miles north of Canon City. We love it here and we are amazed at how much our kids are natural mountain and nature lovers. We are so blessed to have a son like Brandon who is a wonderful, funny, spiritually mature and all around awesome 17-year old man of God, a daughter like Kaisha who is a 3-year old spunky communicator who at times can be contrary (yet still so darn cute), and now little Lilliana who will grace our world in October sometime ( we are praying for an extrmely mellow demeanor- what do you think? Could that be possible?) Yes, 17 years between children is an interesting dynamic, but those that know us realize that our lives were not meant to go slow and will always reflect the adventurous spirit we both posess. Now with the right perspective and proper channeling of that energy, we hope to be able to inspire and motivate our children to live their lives fully sold out to serving an almighty creator. Even in the face of opposition, just like climbing a mountain that seems impassable, we hope to inspire our kids (and one another) that there is no alternative but to climb. Sometimes, we just have to help eachother out. In this picture (taken pre-Lilliana) we are at around 10,000 feet in Victor, Colorado. It is home to one of the largest gold mines in existence in Colorado.When you come visit, we will take you there and hopefully impart the wild spirit of adventure to you and yours.

Find Out All About Mountain Haven Marriage and Family Reconciliation Ministry!!!

Who we are: We are now a non-profit organization as of September 16, 2007. We will be supported by the costs collected from the ministry services provided, and the donations of private and corporate persons. We are committed to the restoration of marriages and families, and our ministry center will be utilized to its fullest capacity to minister to, enrich, and educate individuals, couples, and church bodies.

Vision: Helping couples breakthrough and press into a deeper place of intimacy and wholeness in their marriage relationship by offering hope, healing, and God’s promise of reconciliation to marriages in any level of pain or crisis; or to offer renewal to those simply in need of enriching.

Methods of Outreach:
Small groups- discussion, workbooks, and lots of dialogue
One-on-One couple alone time
Recreational Activities including hiking excursions, horseback riding, hot tub relaxation, All Terrain Vehicle outings, and plenty of outdoor activities.
Quiet times
Dinner time will be shared together to promote communication and intimacy.

Format
Four Day Enrichment beginning Thursday at 4:00pm to Monday at 12:00pm. This is offered for up to four couples per time
Five Day Intensive one-on-one sessions with up to two couples per time offered on Thursday at 4:00pm until Tuesday at 12:00pm.

Lodging: Our beautiful, secluded mountain home will be located 28 miles North of Canon City, Colorado in the heart of the Mountains on our 35 acre property. We will offer private bedroom quarters, with a separate bath area for each couple. Gorgeous mountain views including Pikes Peak are seen from almost all rooms, delicious homemade meals will be served in a comfortable, roomy dining area, and there will be plenty of space to breathe in the majesty of God’s creation. We believe that an intimate, yet spacious enough home setting for this ministry center will provide the intense one-on-one contact necessary for true marriage change, while still providing enough access to privacy and seclusion as couples when necessary.

Other Outreach/Services Available:
-Leadership Training for churches preparing, and equipping churches to minister to marriages in a dynamic way by creating or enhancing marriage outreach through the church.
-Intensive pre-marital counseling weekends to prepare, educate, and challenge those preparing for a new marriage. Call for prices and scheduling.
-Public Speaking- both motivational and educational, but very practical as well as inspirational.
-Church Staff /Pastoral couple and/or family enrichment get away. There will be flexibility for weekday and weekend scheduling. This is a perfect opportunity for a church body to bless their pastor or church staff with a relaxing mountain get away. Prices vary depending on availability and schedule.
-Family Enrichment get-aways are also available; we will be available to call for costs and scheduling.

Intensives will typically be scheduled for the first weekend of each month.***Because needs vary, and you may need to schedule an intensive sooner then the calendar permits please call for availability. A cost increase will apply for non-scheduled intensives.

Enrichment Weekends are typically scheduled for the third weekend of each month.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Countdown to the opening of the Ministry Center

We thought we would share with you the anticipated countdown of events to the building of the ministry center. For those of you who don't know, we have our 1/2 mile driveway somewhat done (still need some class five on it) we have our tentative ministry center plans completed (they still need some final details added) but hopefully we will be able to share the plans on this blog page with all of you in the next month or so. The center is beautiful and we believe it will be a place of total refuge and peace for those hurting and wounded in their marriages.

We are officially a non-profit ministry and are assembling our board of directors currently to help us evaluate financial support ideas, and to help stand with us in practical and spiritual ways as we have many tasks ahead of us to get the center itself built. There are some specific steps that should be taken at specific times in order to accomodate the four churches (thats like 100 teens and adults) that have agreed to come out with their youth and spend at least a week with us in June/July 2008 to finish some of the more tedious tasks. That is a huge blessing and a huge money saver. We have had committments from contractors as well who will dedicate their time and expertise to get this center built expeditiously in order to allow us to open for business, God willing, by January 2009.

So please pray as you can see the details, and the financial costs associated with all the tasks that we need to accomplish in the next 12 months. Kevin has a lot of work ahead of him and since we plan to do most of the work ourselves it will be a whirlwind year. Oh yeah did I mention we are having a baby in October??? So prayer for that would be sooo appreciated as well. We will both need to be very close to the Lord during this time, to hear when He is telling us to slow down (thats for me probably) or step it up. Our steps really must be ordered and orchestrated by Him, and Kevin and I must learn to dance with grace and be willing to lead and follow when directed.......What a journey and what a faith walk.

Financial Timeline for Completion of Ministry Center

October 2007 Complete House/Ministry Design Plan $1200.00
Foundation/Septic Design and
Soil Boarings $1500.00
Finish Driveway and spread 4 inches
Gravel as basecoat $7.000.00

November 2007 Preliminary trip with church in Wyoming and Canon City for
planing and organizing teen mission trip in June/July 2008.

April 2008 Build Pole Barn Frame $15,000.00
Well $12,000.00

May 2008 (1-15) Footings/Dig Basement and pour first level
of Insulated Concrete Forms $32,000.00

June 2008 (After June 10)
Pour Second level of Insulated Concrete Form
and complete Insulated Concrete Form $16,000.00

June/July 2008 Roofing, framing, windows, rock work
Finishing polebarn w/stalls, insulating and wall
Paneling, staining cabinets. (Teen mission workers) $8,200.00

July 2008 Rough –ins, insulation, sheetrock, painting
$20,500.00

August 2008 Cabinets, Trim Carpentry $20,000.00

September 2008 Countertops, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC finals
$26,500.00
October 2008 Finishing Touches $35,000.00

TOTAL of ABOVE= $194,900.00
Balance needed= $170,000.00

= a Grand total of $364,900.00
Approximate amount donated in labor and services $175,000.00
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Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Little House on the Mountain

This is the tiny little genuine log cabin that we have on our property currently. With the new addition that Kevin and Brandon built, it is approx. 340 square feet; and yes Kevin is convinced this will be our abode for at least 4 months while the ministry center is being built. For those of you who are wondering, there is STILL not yet hot water but Kevin assures me we will not move in (with 2 small children) until we have hot water... By the way, you can't see the luxurious outhouse about 30 feet from the cabin. Yep its been real fun for a pregnant lady!!! This is what you call the "True test of marriage"... So in case you're wondering if you do come visit, you may have to bring a tent or a camper (and a porta potty). :)
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Driveway Demolition Man

Kevin was amazing in handling this dozer, he worked for 10 hours on this driveway and had a couple scares; like when the dozer started rolling down the hill backwards, he of course handled it with grace. I, on the other hand wondered quietly to myself why he was rolling backwards, I thought it was all part of his work day. Needless to say, he managed to dig through the clay filled mountainside and there were rocks and stones that were 4x4. They would come rolling down the mountainside time to time. This driveway was really the first real step in feeling like we were making real progress on beginning this ministry. We can't wait to have you take the long drive up that mountainside, switchback after switchback and finally come upon that ministry center at the top of the mountain. WOW GOD IS GOOD ISN'T HE??
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The start of our infamous 1/2 mile driveway!!!!!!!!


This is a short videoclip of the beautiful driveway Kevin made with a bulldozer in August 2007. The whole job was a miracle and to see that 1/2 mile long driveway carved into a mountainside was utterly amazing. Kevin is such a talented and gifted person capable of creating lots of things like driveways up a mountainside. This is the rough version of the driveway, mind you it still needs gravel, class five or whatever it takes to prevent sliding down the mountain. Trust me this was the scary version but at least it got started right???

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35 acres in Canon City

This is a view of the 35 acres where the ministry center will be built. If you look closely you can see the driveway from afar. The elevation is 8500 feet and the views in every direction are majestic. Can't wait to have you visit.



Hiking in the BLM lands is one of the advantages of living where we will be living. The BLM lands are public lands in Colorado open to anyone that enjoys a vigorous or a brisk hike. We are within walking distance of 100's of miles of trails and nature, it is phenomenal and will be a blessing to many of the couples and families that will visit Mountain Haven Marriage and Family Reconciliation Ministry. We will offer many hikes and hopefully all will enjoy nature as much as we do. Kaisha sure had a lot of fun on this hike and even though I was seven months pregnant, I loved every minute of that 1 1/2 hour hike led by my adventurous husband Kevin.

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