Leaders | Christian Snowsports Ministry

Dan & Lindsy Read

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:04:08 -0800

Hi! We're Dan and Lindsy Read. We have been married for over 6 years. We love snowboarding, long walks with our boxer, jogging, reading, all kinds of home and yard projects, going out for coffee, read trips, traveling, watching movies, and mentoring high school students and attending their many games and events. We have always been very adventurous and faithful to God's calling. In the fall of 2006 - summer of 2007, we had the amazing opportunity to serve in France with International Teams (www.iteams.org). We worked at Camp Champfleuri as well as started a youth group at the International Church of Grenoble (www.icgrenoble.org) . We fell in love with the French students, the Alps, and the camps! Our goal is to return to Champfleuri once a year to help lead the bilingual camps. Since we returned from France, Dan is now a youth director and Lindsy is working for a marketing firm and has been taking photos on the side.

Carrie Calvin

Thu, 31 Dec 1903 16:00:00 -0800

Carrie graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Business Administration/Accounting. She later went on to become a Certified Public Accountant. She joined her husband, Larry, teaching snow skiing in the early 1980s and spent most winter weekends at Stevens Pass, Washington. At the age of 24, Carrie made a decision to ask Jesus Christ to become the Lord of her life. Both Carrie and Larry are active members of Alderwood Community Church in Lynnwood, Washington.

Snow skiing is still a very large part of life in the Calvin household. Not only do Carrie and Larry teach and supervise ski lessons at Lyon Ski School, but their daughters have also been ski instructors. Their high school age son is a member of Team Lyon Alpine Racing Club and participates in ski races throughout the Pacific Northwest. Carrie is certified as a Level II ski instructor with the Professional Ski Instructors of America.

One of Carrie's greatest joys is to be able to combine her love of God with her love of skiing. In 2002, she met a fellow ski instructor who was also a missionary in France. That year, she accompanied him and a group of American teenagers on a mission trip to the French Alps as a chaperone. Her biggest eye-opening experience was the great need over there for young people to hear the Gospel. She heard testimony that out of a 2000-student high school, there were only 2 known Christians. Carrie went home with a new desire to spread God's word in France and to help these missionaries in any way she can.

Each year since 2002, Carrie has organized the "American" side of the "French/American Ski Camp". She has been instrumental in finding teenagers to attend, arranging airfare and organizing and promoting the trips. For the last few summers it has also been her joy to host several French teens who have traveled to the Calvin home to stay for several weeks in order to increase their English speaking skills and their faith in Christ. Recently, several other families have also hosted French kids at their homes. Her desire is that many more families will become involved in hosting French teenagers and also in sending their Christian teenagers to France during the summers to live as witnesses to the power of Christ in their own lives.

Larry Calvin

Thu, 31 Dec 1903 16:00:00 -0800

Larry is a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle where he majored in Building Construction Mangement. He currently runs a successful land use consulting business in the greater Seattle area. At the age of 23, he and his wife Carrie, became Christians and joined Alderwood Community Church in Lynnwood, Washington where they have been members now for over 20 years. During the winter months, Larry is the Training Director for Lyon Ski School and also a coach for Team Lyon Alpine Race Team at Stevens Pass, Washington. There he has successfully combined his love of skiing with his desire to help people learn and master new skills. He is certified as a Level III Ski Instructor with the Professional Ski Instructors of America.

In April 2004, Larry joined his wife in bringing a group of American teenagers to France for mission trips aimed at bringing the good news of the gospel to French teenagers. There, he became committed to this unique outreach program designed to strengthen the faith of the believing French and to lead the unbelievers closer to God, all while using snowsports - both skiing and snowboarding - as a tool to bring people together.

Larry's vision for the future includes not only continuing to participate in more camps in France, but also putting together networks of people who are willing to be host families for visiting French students. Many times this also involves Americans willing to send their own teens to be hosted by French families as well. Building these relationships in the name of Christ is an awesome experience and provides a unique and personal opportunity to share his faith with the French teens and their parents.

Jeff Blood

Thu, 31 Dec 1903 16:00:00 -0800

Jeff is passionate about his faith in Christ and is truly excited for the opportunities that God has provided for him to take part in spreading His word. Formerly a youth pastor, Jeff attended bible college after high school and has also been the athletic director for a local school. He is a gifted bible teacher and is often asked to teach and share about the profound impact Jesus Christ has had on his life, especially at our camps in France.

His love for snowboarding and skateboarding led him to become a founding member of Boarders for Christ, an organization dedicated to reaching kids for Christ through skateboarding. He has taught snowboarding lessons for local ski schools at Stevens Pass and is on the Board of Directors of Christian Snowsports Ministry. Jeff lives with his wife and son in Everett, WA.