Jim Elliot when he was wrestling with hearing the voice of God and hearing other people talk about how they so desperately wanted to hear the voice of God made this statement in his journal:

“Why do you need a voice, when you have a verse?

Question:  Are you hearing the voice of God by immersing yourself in the Word of God?

Teen Mania Friends and Family:

We are sad to announce that five individuals on board a flight to Acquire The Fire in Council Bluffs, Iowa were involved in a plane crash around 4:30 yesterday afternoon. The plane went down in rural southeastern Kansas, and three of the five on board died at the scene. Please be in prayer for the families of Luke Sheets, Garrett Coble, and Stephen Luth, who went to be with the Lord yesterday.

Hannah Luce and Austin Anderson were also onboard the plane when it crashed and were able to walk to a nearby roadway and get help. However, both Hannah and Austin suffered severe injuries and were life-flighted to hospitals in Kansas City and Wichita, respectively. Hannah is listed in serious but stable condition, suffering primarily from burns on 28 percent of her body. Sadly, Austin succumbed to his injuries at 5:30 this morning and went to be with the Lord.

The entire Teen Mania family is mourning the loss of four young lives who were full of so much promise and love for God. All were friends of Teen Mania, and two of them, Austin and Stephen, were newly hired to Teen Mania’s staff to join our marketing team. Please pray that God surrounds the families of Austin, Stephen, Luke and Garrett with His love and peace in this extremely difficult time.

Please also hold up Hannah and the Luce family in your prayers as she continues to recover from her injuries. Ask that God give Hannah strength and healing, and that He also surround her parents, brother and sister with His peace and love.

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and words of encouragement!

As you may have seen or heard in the news media over the weekend, this last Friday afternoon a small plane carrying five passengers crashed in rural southeastern Kansas en route to an Acquire The Fire event in Council Bluffs, Iowa. So it is with a heavy heart that I stop for a moment to write this quick note—to update you on the situation and ask for your prayers.

As you would expect, the last couple of days have been a blur of shock and sadness and concern. But I know that reports of this tragedy have been all over the news and that as a friend of this ministry you would be profoundly concerned. So I wanted to get a quick note to you now to share our hearts and to help you know how to pray in the days ahead.

There is much we don’t yet know. But we do know that when the plane went down, three of the five on board died at the scene. These were (pilot) Luke Sheets, Garrett Coble and Stephen Luth. Hannah and the fifth passenger, Austin Anderson, a Marine who had served two tours of duty in Iraq, were able to escape from the burning plane and walk to a nearby roadway to get help.

However, both Hannah and Austin suffered severe injuries and were life-flighted to hospitals in Kansas City and Wichita, respectively. Hannah was listed in serious but stable condition, suffering primarily from burns on 28% of her body. Austin’s burn injuries were far more severe, especially those sustained to his lungs. At about 5:30 a.m. Saturday, Austin went to be with the Lord.

We believe he helped Hannah out of the plane and to the roadside. Not only is he a hero for serving our nation, we probably owe our daughter’s life to his courage and strength.

Of course, the entire Teen Mania family is mourning the loss of these four young lives. They were so full of promise and love for God. All were friends of Teen Mania, and two of them, Austin and Stephen, were only recently hired to join our marketing team. Katie and I will share additional updates as we can. For now I would ask that you help us by lifting some very specific needs to the Father in prayer.

Right now our most intense concern is for the families of those who died. Please pray that God surrounds the families of Austin, Stephen, Luke and Garrett with His supernatural love and peace in this tremendously difficult time.

Also, as the Lord leads, please pray for a quick and supernatural recovery for our Hannah. As of today, the update on her condition is one of improvement. She is recovering well at a hospital in Kansas City. This morning, the doctors took her off the ventilator and she is breathing on her own. They have removed the tube from her throat so that she will be able to speak. She is growing stronger, more coherent and is asking questions. The burning and soot in her lungs has been suctioned out and is healing up. The doctors are reporting the damage will not be long term.

It is truly a miracle that she is alive. Grief counselors will be seeing Hannah throughout the next few weeks; as her heart is heavy with the grief for the loss of her friends. She will be beginning skin graft surgeries right away for the third degree burns she sustained on the back of her hands and her lower left leg.

Please hold us up in prayer. If you have friends or loved ones whom you know to be effective intercessors, please feel free to forward this message to them with an encouragement to lift us up.

I remember in 1995 sitting in a room down in Miami, Florida with a bunch of other alumni.  We had just returned from a mission trip with Global Expeditions or were on the verge of going that summer.

We had heard that there was a new leader of the internship/Honor Academy that wanted to meet with us.

Now, when I was an intern I had two different leaders.  In the first semester it was Kim Dunn and in the second semester it was Alex Anaya.  I thoroughly enjoyed each of them as my leaders in the Honor Academy.

So, us alumni sat down and listened as Dave Hasz said he was moving down from Colorado to Oklahoma to begin leading the Internship/Honor Academy.  He shared with us that he was looking forward to learning from us alumni and wanted our feedback to continue to grow the internship/Honor Academy.

I remember walking away from that meeting and hearing people saying that they were glad they had Alex, Kim as their leaders.  They were glad that they were part of the “Golden Years.”

I say that the Internship/Leadership 20/20/Honor Academy had Golden Years pre 1995 and the Honor Academy has had Golden Years from 1995-2012.

I also predict that the Honor Academy will continue to have Golden Years in the future.  The reason I say this is because of the mission God has called the HA to fulfill.

The Honor Academy will continue to be about Empowering Godly Men and Women to possess Wisdom, Vision, and Discipline to excel as leaders whose lives advance the Kingdom.

This vision will continue throughout 2012 and beyond.  The Honor Academy will be cultivating a passion pursuit in the lives of interns by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Honor Academy will continue to be a breeding ground for young people to Relentlessly Pursue God and Relentlessly Pursue the People He Loves.

Please continue to pray for all of the Honor Academy staff as we continue to seek God and ask Him how to faithfully follow the vision He has laid out.

Question:  What hopes do you have for the future of the Honor Academy?

For 25 years, Teen Mania Ministries has been reaching teenagers with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Still committed to this mission, we enter into our next chapter ready to meet this generation where they are in new and innovative ways. As we do so, we will be saying goodbye to two of our most-beloved leaders, David Hasz and Jon Hasz, who have served the ministry selflessly and with full dedication for decades.

David, who currently serves as Executive Vice President of Teen Mania and Executive Director of the Honor Academy, will be following God’s call on his life into a new direction, having spent 17 years working with the ministry reaching this generation with the gospel. He will continue on with Teen Mania through August 11, when the current class of Honor Academy interns will graduate. David joined the staff at Teen Mania in 1996; previously he traveled extensively with Ron and Katie Luce, sharing their vision for overseas missions and evangelism. David has served in numerous capacities within Teen Mania throughout his time with the ministry.

David said:

“What an amazing 17 years it has been to serve alongside all of you with Teen Mania Ministries. I am thankful for the great memories, incredible friendships, and most of all for the privilege of getting to play a small part in helping shape and influence the lives of this young generation—truly it’s been an honor. Though these have been such wonderful years, Beth and I now feel our time at Teen Mania has come to a close. We are praying about our next steps and are seeking God about where He would have us go. To all of you who have blessed us with trust, friendship, support and prayers, I say a heartfelt thank you. May God continue to bless you as we all seek to honor Him with our lives and move forward as He leads.”

Jon, who serves as Teen Mania’s Chief Financial Officer, will be departing the ministry on June 1. Jon has been a vital member of the Teen Mania staff for 12 years, and has a heart for reaching the lost for Christ. Jon came to Teen Mania in 2000 after working for eight years in Christian education and administration as a math teacher, athletic director and varsity basketball coach. He has served in a variety of roles within Teen Mania: the Honor Academy from 2000 to 2003, as Executive Director of Global Expeditions from 2003 to 2006, and as Executive Director of Acquire the Fire from 2006 to 2008, before becoming the ministry’s CFO.

Jon said:

“It has been a distinct honor for me to have rubbed shoulders with the many staff and interns at Teen Mania over the last 12 years. I look forward to what God calls me to in the next chapter of my service to Him and will continue to pray for the influence of Teen Mania to grow as they follow His direction.”

Ron Luce, Teen Mania’s founder and president, said the departure of David and Jon will be felt throughout the ministry and praised the impact the men have had on the lives Teen Mania reaches:

“Jon and David have literally seen millions of people impacted because of their sweat, their love, and their time they’ve poured into this ministry. The world is literally a different place because of their sacrifice over the years.”

Dan McLeod will be stepping into the role of CFO after June 1, and will be working alongside Jon over the next month to ensure a smooth transition. Dan has worked in Teen Mania’s Finance Department for a more than a year, and prior to that served as the CEO, CFO, and Finance Director for numerous corporations and non-profit entities of various sizes for more than three decades.

The Teen Mania family is sad to see the departure of Jon and David, and will be praying for them in eager anticipation of the next step for their lives. We wish them well and thank them for their years of service.

Teen Mania’s vision for bringing the life-transforming message of the gospel to teens and to the world will help pave the new direction for the ministry. We recognize that with all change comes new opportunity. A constant is our being fueled by Jesus Christ, and our love for this generation is strong and powerful. We are blessed and excited for all that the Lord will do in our next quarter century.

MARION, Ind. — (Results) Six field events and the 10,000-Meter Run accounted for eight finals contested during the first day of competition at the 2012 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships, being held on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana.

Temperatures were warm on Thursday, reaching a high of 86-degrees, and there was strong wind throughout the day up to 20 miles per hour.

Highlighting the action on Thursday was a pair of second-time national champions, although neither entered the weekend as the reigning champion.

Bianca Grant of Wayland Baptist (Texas) won her second Women’s Long Jump title today with a leap of 6.23-meters/20 feet 5.25 inches. Grant also won the event in 2010 but was unable to defend her title in 2011. Kennedy Kituka, also of Wayland Baptist, won his second individual national championship in the Men’s 10,000-Meter Run. Kituka also won his last title in 2010 and won tonight’s final competition under the lights in a time of 29 minutes 35.85 seconds.

Lauren Jimison of Azusa Pacific (Calif.) won the Women’s 10,000-Meter Run in a time of 35:54.03. Her victory in the final women’s event on Thursday vaulted Azusa Pacific into first place after five events with 21 points.

Lenzey Stidham of Siena Heights (Mich.) won an individual title in the Women’s Pole Vault. She won the event with a height of 3.85-meters/12-7.50 feet. Stephanie Nelson of Baker (Kan.) won the Women’s Javelin with a throw of 45.57-meters/149-6 feet while Sharayah Kenady of Concordia (Ore.) captured the victory in the Women’s Hammer Throw in the first event of the championship meet. Kenady won with a toss of 57.54-meters/188-9 feet.

Two men’s national champions were crowned in field events. Darien Moore of Valley City State (N.D.) won the Men’s Hammer Throw with a mark of 60.96-meters/200-0 feet while David Musson of Azusa Pacific took the crown in the Men’s Javelin in a distance of 65.64-meters/215-4 feet.

After three events on the men’s side, Wayland Baptist and Concordia (Ore.) are tied atop the standings with 16 points apiece.

Friday will witness 15 additional national championships being determined, including the Men’s Decathlon and the Women’s Heptathlon, which both got underway today.

Article posted above can be found here

David player profile can be found here

Dear Teen Mania Family,

You all know that ESOAL, and now PEARL have been one of the highlights of the intern year at the Honor Academy. The event has consistently been one of the highest-rated out of all of our LTE’s.

ESOAL was started in 1999, and it was an incredible event. The lessons it imparted – of strengthening our character and reliance on God when we go through difficult times – were fantastic. Over the years, we worked to innovate and improve how ESOAL was conducted. We collected feedback, took input and structured and re-structured the event so it had the greatest impact possible in the lives of everyone who participated.

Then in 2011, we changed ESOAL so dramatically that we decided to change the name to PEARL. Even though many of the events were different, the lessons and goals were similar.

Unfortunately, the secular media did not understand – or even try to understand – what ESOAL and PEARL were all about. Neither did they do their due diligence and research our event properly. They didn’t talk to the thousands who have come through the event with positive experiences. They ignored all of the positive testimonies of parents and youth pastors who came to see first-hand and even participate in ESOAL and PEARL over the years, even though those stories were offered to them.

So, this life-changing 90-hour event has been greatly mis-characterized and has resulted in the entire HA internship year being publicly maligned. We are saddened by what has resulted, and we want to make sure that all of the great things happening at the HA, at GE, at ATF – all of the lives being transformed by the Lord through these ministries — is the story that gets told.
So, the leadership at the Honor Academy has decided, starting this year, to suspend PEARL indefinitely.

While we are sad to have to take this step, we are confident that the creativity and passion embodied by the HA leadership and staff will mean those lessons learned through ESOAL and PEARL will still be taught. We don’t know what shape that will take, but we are confident that with this change will come great new opportunities to seek the Lord and His will.

Isaac Latterell (Honor Academy Class of 2002) won his election to become a state representative in South Dakota.  Here is some information about him.  Please pray for him that he will walk in wisdom in this new position.

Question:  Do you want to leave an encouragement for Isaac?

The Honor Academy was planning on taking the interns to northern Georgia to hike the Appalachian Trail in Mid-September for one of their fall Life Transforming Events.  After reviewing the logistical plan and coordinating with the forestry service, it was deemed that having such a large group on the Appalachian Trail would not be feasible for this fall.

We are proud to announce that we are returning to Estes Park to hike in the beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park.  The Honor Academy Interns will spend four days in Estes Park acclimating to the altitude, growing in their family core relationships, and then pushing themselves by hiking some of the great trails.  The Honor Academy has traveled to Estes Park for the last several years and is looking again to have an incredible adventure with all of the interns.

Question:  What is your favorite memory if you attended the Honor Academy and traveled to Estes Park in the past?

The reasons I have enjoyed working with Dave Hasz over the last 13 years:

1.  Great belief in people

2.  Incredible speaker and motivator of people

3.  His library of books provoked many new ideas into the Honor Academy

4.  His optimism and joy was contagious

5.  The humor he would bring to corporate exercise early on Monday Morning’s

6.  Taking the time to find win-win situations with people

7.  Ability to coach people so they were more effective

8.  His open door policy

9.  He not only led ESOAL/Pearl, but also participated in the last ESOAL.

10.  His numerous word pictures he would share that made people understand a different point of view.

11.  Heart for missions

12.  Teaching machine–Dave’s gift for teaching gave him the opportunity to teach several times each week at Teen Mania.

13.  Bible on his desk

14.  Open to criticism and making changes

15.  His cars that usually didn’t have the AC working

16.  His ability to beat even the best interns in running even though he was in his 40′s

17.  Rapping at the Celebration LTE

18.  Being a servant to his family

19.  Sweeping idols out of the lives of teenagers and young adults

20.  Taking phone calls from lots of people and returning them

21.  Training Ops

22.  His vision drove me up Hallett’s Peak

23.  Watching him Golf 

24.  Taking the hit and protecting others

25.  Sugar Cookies

26.  Wearing the Ring

27.  Growing the prayer focus on campus

28.  Being a model of faithfulness

29. Being Generous in so many situations

30.  Showing great love by laying down his life continually for me (John 15:13)

I will share tomorrow what is the one word I would use to describe David Hasz.

Question:  What is the one word you would use to describe Dave Hasz?