August 2024 Prayer Requests from Cory and Kristiana Miller

Dear praying friends,  

We're having a wonderful first full day together today, with rich content from Steve in the morning and Paul to come this evening. There will be lots of silliness and laughter and a good outing to beautiful Glendalough. A group of us, both teens and staff, will brave the four-hour hike up around the ridge of the valley, while the rest will stay down below to explore the winding paths, mossy trees, and dark hidden lakes. Make sure to read tomorrow's email for a beautiful picture. 

Tomorrow will be a very special day for our group. We will enjoy some fun adventurous activities here at Ovoca in the afternoon and our evening session will look a little bit unique—instead of the usual sermon-style “talk,” we will be offering different Wisdom-themed workshops, so the teens can choose which one interests them the most and attend the workshop that speaks to that topic. During the small groups that follow, they will have a chance to share what they’ve learned with one another. We hope this creative talk-alternative will inspire more participation and critical thinking, so the GEM-Ks can learn from one another and discover new ideas for themselves, with a little nudge from us.  

After the workshops, we will be braving our funkiest vintage outfits and costumes for Retro Karaoke Night, where we hope that both bold and shy teens can sing their hearts out... or hum along, if that’s more their style. As we move deeper into the week, leaders will begin meeting one-on-one with each teen to give them a chance to feel seen and heard, or to ask questions or confess struggles that require a safer setting. One-on-ones are often one of the most meaningful aspects of these GEM-K events. 

What a full and exciting day we have planned for today! Our staff team is so excited to welcome the GEM-K teens tomorrow. This is a great youth-friendly venue with so many cool spaces and a positive atmosphere!  

We are grateful to have arrived at Ovoca Manor without major complications, and our practical preparations are well underway. The day will be a long one, but it’s great to see our staff working together and preparing for this special event. Even the hassles and details of getting here today give us shared experiences and opportunities to laugh together, which will help us work together through the week.

Our hope for tomorrow is to receive all the students and get settled at Ovoca Manor.  We will introduce the theme for the week, Truth & Wisdom, explain our rules and set the tone in general for the week together. We will also have our first small groups, where we hope the teens will feel comfortable sharing deep and personal thoughts and reflections, and where they can support, encourage, and challenge one another in a loving way. 

Thank you so very much for your prayers. We appreciate your willingness to partner with us in this way.

The GEMK Team