Hello!

If you are new to my blog, please scroll down to older posts for info regarding my trip to Beijing and how you can assist me in getting there! As you can see by the next post down, I am nearing the goal! Praise God!

It has been one week since I returned from Detroit Lakes with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. Since then I have worked and spent some time in the cities visiting my wonderful family. Mom and Dad are moving from Rogers to Plymouth and I returned home with a car full of stuff they didnt want anymore. Our place in Superior now has a new end table and a keyboard in the dining room.

I promised to tell you about the IVCF retreat. It was amazing!! The purpose of the retreat was to train leaders for IV for this coming school year. Each day was a different theme and each speaker was a staff member from the various schools IV chapters represented there. Those schools were UWS, UMD, St Scholastica, UofM, Winona, ND State U, and a few others I cant remember. In a nutshell, we moved from meals to large group sessions, to small groups, to chapter times, to free time, to organized games, to quiet times, to sleep. Small groups gave each person a chance to lead discussion for their assigned day. Large groups brought everyone together in the chapel building. Chapter time was the time each school spent together prepping things for IV for the fall.

Two of the best things that we did there was the service day on Wednesday where my small group and two other small groups laid mulch for a park reserve, and the other thing was Thursday we spent an hour and a half in a quiet time with God. Both of these things were really powerful.

I could really spend a long time talking about this retreat. I met some amazing people and new friends and though it was a very structured time, it also gave me a chance to relax after a tough semester. If you have any questions about the retreat, definitely ask me because it was an awesome experience and I would love to tell you more!

For now, Peace in Christ,
Jeremy

UPDATE

Quick Update

The reason I post those thermometers is so that I can copy and paste them into a word document and, in turn, print them off for my two Beijing Boards I keep at CMA and NBCC churches. I use my blog to translate the html code from the website where it comes from.

Im currently in a hurry so I will update more very soon. I got back from IV retreat last night and it was a blast. I look foward to telling you about it very very soon!

Jere

Fundraising Update

Hello!

If you are new to my blog, please make sure to visit older posts. If you are interested in donating to my trip, please scroll down a few posts for info on how to.

As you can see by the previous post, I am halfway to my goal! However, time is running out and I still have $2100 left to raise. If youre going to donate, please do it soon!

I am getting very excited as the time draws closer. I am still finishing up this semester with two finals tomorrow. Please pray for me!

One final update: On Monday May 18th I will be heading to Detroit Lakes, MN for a leadership retreat with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. I will be spending Monday through Friday there with my friends Joel and Amos, both of whom I will be working with at IVCF this fall at UWS. I am looking forward to this retreat! Praise God for IVCF for paying for me to go!!

In Christ,
Jeremy Barden

Where I am at vs my GOAL

Free fundraising thermometer

BEIJING

Hello!

I want to update everyone on my donation status. I have so far received $1158.00!
I am excited to see the donations coming in. This amount is only from a handful of people so I am really believing that God will meet the goal very soon.

My online account is not updated every day. I check it every day anyways! Please continue to pray. Know that you can give more than once as well!

My time at CMA last Sunday went very well! I felt well received. It was an emotional time for me as CMA is the church I grew up in and I am still very close to many of the people who attend there. They even let me join their worship team that Sunday! It was great to play the drums with Eric, Betsy, Matt, and Pastor Darrell. I really enjoyed the time there and I want to thank everyone for the opportunity to talk!

For anyone from North Bay who is reading this: Please make sure to visit my "Beijing Board" which will be up in the sanctuary this week, from now until I return from Beijing. Just look for a display board near the front of the room.

Thank you for reading and may God bless your life today and this week!
Love
Jeremy