Former LTCC members, Stan and Virginia, were commissioned by LTCC in December 1980 to pastor a small church in Grangeville, Idaho. After a couple of years, they moved to pastor the Happy Camp Bible Church in Northern California. They were sent through the mission of NICE, which was established in 1958 as an extension of IFCA International and is committed to planting and assisting independent churches in the Northwest. Stan and Virginia have been faithfully serving the people in Happy Camp since 1982. Stan says he will never forget a verse that Pastor Birkey gave him when they went to Bible school in 1975, it has been his life verse ever since: “The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” (1Thessalonians 5:24).
— Updates —
november 2024
1. How is God moving in your life/what can we celebrate with you?
God has led us to a good CMA (Christian & Missionary Alliance) church that reminds us a lot of LTCC. A lot of young families. The church is a very mission minded church.
2. What is your greatest need? Anything specific?
We are living with our son and daughter-in-law. He really enjoys the church but she doesn't want anything to do with God. We would appreciate prayer for her salvation.
3. What is a fun fact or unique incident that we probably don’t know about you?
We thank God that I have gotten my Nevada driver's license and didn't have to take the written test. Virginia got her Nevada ID card
Prayer Requests
We both would appreciate prayer for our health issues.
Virginia is afraid I might lose my leg because of diabetes.
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June 2024
Thank you LTCC for thinking about and praying for us. We are now residing in Fernley, NV with our son and daughter-in-law, having retired from the ministry at Happy Camp, CA.
The day before we moved down here Virginia fell and got a 4 inch gash just above her left ear. 5 staples stopped the bleeding. She also broke her left wrist when she fell. Hopefully she will get the cast off on June 12th if it is healing right. The pain is lessening.
We have not gone to church yet but as soon as she gets the cast off we will go. Not only will we go but our son and daughter-in-law will go with us. They have not attended church for 25 years.
Prayer Requests
Pray for complete healing of Virginia’s wrist.
Pray for us all as we acclimate to our new living situation.
Pray for God’s direction for the church in Happy Camp, CA.
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JANUARY 2024
This year has been a rather difficult year for us. Virginia lost 2 brothers and I lost a sister.
Virginia's only sister just started chemo and radiation and her prospects for survival do not look good.
Recently Virginia was not feeling very well so we took her to the ER in Medford, OR. Within a few seconds of arriving there she had a seizure and was on life support for 8-9 days and then 3 weeks in rehab to try to regain her strength. She says the seizure has affected her memory and strength in her legs.
Most of our congregation is older and experience a lot of physical difficulties. One elderly couple has stopped coming because of poor health.
How much longer will the Lord leave us here is up to Him. I am coming up on 82 year old and due to our health waning, I will be retiring sometime this spring from Happy Camp Bible Church after almost 42 years. We have so much appreciated our relationship with pastor Birkey and then pastor Heath and with the folks there who have supported us and prayed for us down through the years, many who are either gone to heaven or are not attending there anymore. Lyle Birkey let me preach my first message there back in the 70's. God has been so good to us.
After completing our 4 years at Prairie Bible Institute and before going to our first ministry in Grangeville, ID I was an elder there at LTCC. Many wonderful memories were made while attending there and down through the years. You folks are dear to our hearts.
We so much appreciate your prayers for us and the ministry here and your financial support over the past almost 42 years.
If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.
We love you folks,
Stan
PS - My son, Jerry, puts his S.S. class and my messages on YouTube under Happy Camp Bible Church.
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SEPTEMBER 2023
Some highlights would be that we have several groups meeting in the church for Bible studies other than on Sunday. Another highlight would be that one of the men in the congregation has been battling with an alcohol problem. He told me this past Sunday that the Lord has taken away his desire for alcohol.
Several prayer requests would be for a young man that has attended church but will likely not come anymore. He has been spreading discord among the church family that needs to stop. I asked him if he was saved. He is not. I shared with him how he could be saved but at this time he chooses to not accept God's plan of salvation.
Another would be for so many in our church with health issues.
One more would be for the fires in our area. The smoke has been very heavy at times and less all the time. These fires have blocked our road to I-5 and there are fires along the road downriver. Please pray that these fires will be put out soon. One elderly couple cannot come to church when it is so smoky.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support for the work here in Happy Camp, CA.
If you have other questions or comments, please feel free to ask then.
Pastor Stan
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NOVEMBER 2022
Hi to all at LTCC,
Having just celebrated Thanksgiving we are overwhelmed with God's goodness to us and the people who pray for us and the work here and for people who support us financially. I believe it is your prayers and financial support that help keep us here.
Our health is not the best but then we are both in our low 80's so what can we expect.
My main prayer request would be for people who call themselves Christians who seem to have better things to do on Sundays than go to church or feel 1 hour sitting through a service is enough for the week. Over 2,000 years ago the writer to the Hebrews in Heb. 10:25 said that this would happen and here it is.
Currently we have about 8 people coming to our adult Sunday School and 5 of them are family. Both the adult Sunday School class and the morning sermon are on YouTube. If you are interested just go to YouTube and type in Happy Camp Bible Church and you will find a large number of both.
We have about 12-15 for our morning worship service and 7 for our Sunday evening Bible study and just our family on Wednesday nights for our Bible Study
Another request would be that the Holy Spirit would stir up the hearts of the people attending Happy Camp Bible Church.
One more request would be for safety as we travel back and forth to Yreka or Medford during these winter months with it getting dark earlier and many deer and rocks are often on the road and are often very hard to see, especially if it is raining. God has kept us safe so far and for that we are very thankful.
We love you folks and wish we could get back up there more often but I think our long distance traveling days are over with one exception, our trip to heaven. Thank you, Lord.
Stan for the both of us
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JULY 2022
Virginia and I so much appreciate your prayer and financial support.
Our health issues are about the same only Virginia is now a diabetic and I have been put on a blood thinner.
We have 3 people who have recently joined the church and another one will be baptized on June 26th.
One elderly man had to stop coming because of health reasons. He and his wife are greatly missed.
Another lady who comes here for the summer started a ladies Bible study on Thursdays. So far, they have had 3 meetings with about 6 ladies attending. What a blessing she is to our small church. Almost all of the women do not attend our church.
I would ask prayer for wisdom regarding a homeless woman who has been attending S.S. and the morning worship service. Recently while our son, Jerry, was teaching the adult class she began to scream accusations at him and would not stop. I did something I have never done before, I had to ask her to leave. She has not been back since. We believe she is demon possessed.
Thank you again for your concern and support of our (your) work here in Happy Camp.
Pastor Stan
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February 2022
PRAYER REQUESTS:
They are thankful for LTCC's prayers and financial support.
Stan's sister passed away last week. Pray for wisdom and comfort for her daughters. One daughter is saved, but the other is not a believer. Pray that she will come to a saving faith.
Both Stan and Virginia (and nearly everyone attending Happy Camp Church) continue to have health issues. Virginia spends 95% of her time in bed to help ease her pain, yet she continues to play the keyboard for Sunday services. She remains cheerful, trusting that God knows her needs and cares for her. Pray for pain relief.
Pray for Stan as he continues to preach and lead Bible studies. Praise that there are men to help lead these Bible studies. Praise for their son who is able to teach their Adult Sunday school class and is able to fill in for Stan as needed.
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September 2021
We are thankful for a small amount of rain received early Saturday morning and again on Sunday morning. It did help dampen the fire that is in Simi close to Happy Camp, but it is supposed to get back up into the 90’s. They were evacuating people 2 miles from town.
The church here continues to do well. We still meet Sunday morning and evening and Wednesday night. Before our evening service we have a time for praying for missions and missionaries. We have a single missionary lady who has finished her first term in Bolivia coming Sunday morning on October 3. We read missionary letters to our church congregation during our morning service. We have 10 missionaries we either support or pray for.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
Please pray for protection from the wild fires that are close to Happy Camp.
Both Stan and Virginia have significant health issues. Please pray for stamina, healing and strength as they continue to serve the people in Happy Camp, California.
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MAY, 2021
Though many people have stopped attending church because of the pandemic, Stan and Virginia are grateful that they are still able to meet in person. They had a nice sunrise service for the community on Easter that 20 plus people attended.
Clean up from last year’s fire, which destroyed 200 homes, involved the removal of many trees near Happy Camp, but they’ve already had one fire near town this season. Though it was almost entirely contained when they wrote, please pray for protection and for the safety of local families and firefighters as they face the dry months to come.
Their biggest prayer request currently is for their health. Stan and Virginia are 79 and 80 respectively. Their son and daughter-in-law also need prayer as they face some serious health concerns. Their son has a torn rotator cuff and several tears in the muscles and tendons or ligaments of his shoulder. He has to have a surgery that will require at least six weeks of recovery. Unfortunately, he cannot use his other arm either so will be significantly debilitated during his recovery. Meanwhile, they are waiting apprehensively for some answers about his wife’s health. She has brain lesions and they are hoping that a neurologist will be able to provide some answers and help soon. Please pray for peace and comfort for all of them as they are facing these challenges.
They want to thank everyone for the prayers and support. They are praying for Lake Tapps in return.
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December, 2020
Virginia and I want to thank LTCC for your prayers and financial support these past many years. It has helped us to be able to do the work He called us to do.
We praise God that Covid-19 virus has not affected our community until just recently. We are hearing of more and more people here getting the virus. This has affected our church some since there are several people who have stopped coming because they are afraid they will get the virus. Please pray for our protection and the protection of those that attend our church.
The fire that started in September destroyed about 200 homes including our son, our daughter-in-law, and their son. All these folks lost everything. Thankfully God spared our town and the church and parsonage but we all need prayer as to how to deal with recovery.
Praises
We have been in Happy Camp for 38 ½ years.
We have seen some come to know the Lord and some grow in the Lord.
We have seen a few new people come.
We have a group of 8 that join together on Sunday evenings before our Bible study to pray for missionaries.
Requests
That we as a church would continue to be a light in this darkening community.
That more would see a need to come to the Lord and grow in His grace.
That Virginia and I would grow in His grace as well.
That the new ones that come would continue to come.
For those who lost their homes to the fire.
For Virginia’s and my health needs as well as the needs of others that attend church that are up in years and have health issues.
For our safety traveling many miles each way for doctor's appointments, especially during the winter months
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July, 2020
Stan and Virginia have been able to continue with all of their church services because of their small number. On a normal Sunday morning for Sunday School they have 8-10 attendees and for the morning worship service they have 12-15. When the virus stuff started 5 people stopped coming, but they have since returned. The Sunday evening service and Wednesday night Bible study have a faithful group of 9. Each Sunday morning, they read a missionary letter and on Sunday evening before the Bible study they have a prayer time for missionaries. Stan says God is great and greatly to be praised.
Prayer requests:
Virginia is experiencing numerous physical difficulties including severe back pain. Please pray for wisdom for the doctor in dealing with the pain and for endurance and safety for the trips they have to make twice a week for therapy in Yreka which is 75 miles one way. The road is curvy with lots of deer, rocks in the winter and road construction.
Stan is doing fairly well but his legs get weak and shaky by the time he gets done preaching. Please pray that he will continue to have good reports on the testing that is done on his pituitary gland each year.
Please pray for more attendees and for spiritual growth among all those who attend.