Christina Coder

Christina Coder grew up in the hills of central Pennsylvania and came to MMR as a rancher in 2011. She served on summer staff as a riding instructor in 2015, then attended the School of Discipleship from 2015-2017. She came on staff in the Food Service department in the fall of 2017, where she oversees book studies for the Food Service students, helps to prepare meals, and works to streamline the computer systems in the kitchen office.

Christina’s Mission Update

“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

Silence is not simply the absence of sound, but it is also the presence of peace.

When a raging storm begins to pierce the air with it’s arrows of light and reverberating thunder; when the sheets of rain come pouring down and the wind howls through the trees and over the fields, there is anything but silence. The storm displays its majestic glory across the sky in a spectacular show for all to see.

God created storms such as these to show His children who He is. He uses them not only to reveal himself to us today, but He also references the great claps of thunder and blinding rays of light in His Holy Word. For example, in Job 38, God uses lightning to demonstrate to Job that He commands even the greatest things in earth and in Psalm 77, the psalmist uses thunder and lightning to inspire an awe for our Creator. Thunderstorms are not simply an act of nature, they are divinely designed to display God’s mighty hand.

Thunderstorms do not last forever. In fact it is frequently observed that the stronger the storm, the shorter its duration. The silence that follows the storm is a sweet sound, incomparable to any other. With the smell of fresh rain in the air, and the sound of nature beginning to emerge from its silence to resume shouting praise to the Lord, there is a sense of simple peace in the land. This peace serves as a reminder to all who are watching that God is not only powerful in the display of lightning, but He is also peace, love, and joy. It is in those quiet moments where we can simply sit and listen to the loud silence of God.

Over the past year, God has been teaching me a great deal. He has been showing me the magnitude of His great love for me, the sufficiency of His grace, and the total and complete spiritual bankruptcy that made my salvation necessary. But overarching all of those concepts is a larger view of God then I have ever had before. Through studying the statement, “Be still and know that I am God” I have gained a greater appreciation for His wonderful majesty. This understanding allowed me to learn about His grace, love, and peace in a much greater scale then I would have been able to comprehend before.

Not only has God been doing a great work in my heart, but He has also been actively at work in my life as well. After graduating from my second year at the School of Discipleship in August, I was given the opportunity to serve on staff at the ranch. This opportunity itself served as a great lesson of faith in my life. As I sought out the possibility of coming on staff, God continually brought the words of Proverbs 21:1 to my mind, which says “The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; he guides it wherever he pleases.” I learned the valuable lesson that God is in control of every inch of my life, and that He is able to change the hearts of many in the blink of an eye. I learned that He has my best interests at heart, and that no matter what I think is good, God sees the bigger picture.

As I begin my ministry here at Miracle Mountain, I am becoming increasingly excited about what God is doing on this mountaintop. We recently began our 2017-2018 School of Discipleship year, and with 20 first year students and 11 second years, we are looking forward to a great year ahead! It is wonderful to have the opportunity to serve along side these students as well as the other staff as we head into a fall packed full of retreats, weddings and so much more.

In our kitchen, things are heating up now that the weather is getting cooler. Our two second year students have kicked it into high gear as they begin their book studies on both cooking and baking as well as “The Prodigal God” by Timothy Keller. We are also having a blast experimenting with many new kinds of food and candy, and learning the science behind it all.

Please join me in prayer as we head into our fall season:

• That God may work in the hearts and lives of the Students, and bring them to a greater knowledge of Himself.
• That many people would hear and understand the gospel message through the different retreats
• For the ability to get a second-cutting of hay before the snow flies

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Christina Coder