Missions Trip, Post #2

I'm beginning this post by talking about what we studied and discussed yesterday from the Word. We talked about Adam and Eve's sin and also Jesus' death on the cross. In all of this we learned that God could have punished us yet he decided to rescue us at great cost to himself. We discussed that Jesus suffered more than any human being will ever suffer because he suffered an eternity's worth of punishment on the cross of all the people who have and will come to him! What a wonderful Savior.

After our discussion last night, I was able to spend some great time with some teens - praying, talking about struggles and encouraging each other. We didn't get to sleep until after 1:00, but it was well worth it.

We definitely had a busy day yesterday with working outdoors. Teens were cutting down trees, weeding with their hands (not hand-tools), getting plants out of gutters, etc, etc! It was a wonderful time and tiring. But, the day wasn't over. We came back to the church (some teen guys got hosed down to cool off a little), and then we moved into VBS set-up mode, ate dinner and began our first night. We had 35 kids, and it was a blast. We were a little taken aback that we had probably 12 three and four year-olds, though. That said, it was a great night. The teens did awesome, and we're looking forward to another night.

Please continue to pray for the Spirit's illumination, liberation, power and fruit. We need it and we need to be humble to receive it.

Missions Trip, Post #1

Hello everyone! Right now I'm sitting in the office of First Baptist Church of Oglesby as the teens are getting ready to eat breakfast. Really, there's not much to report right now (maybe that's why I have time to post this right now).

Yesterday went quite well! We got to Oglesby around 4:00. The girls got their stuff out at the place they're staying. We went out for dinner (Moms, your sons and daughters did not leave hungry). We then went to the town that Tracy's family lives. We climbed an old coal mining "dump", prayed, and went to our respective places to sleep.

Today is going to be much busier - practicing the VBS, canvassing, car wash, practices for Bible stories, preaching, singing, puppets, praise team!!!

Please pray for us that God's Spirit would fill us in immense ways so that we would please God to the fullest!

Sick, Tired & Blessed

I returned home from Haiti almost four days ago! My welcome home present was basically montezuma's revenge!!! (sorry to gross you out)

Anyway, even though I got sick and even though I was tired and sweaty in Haiti, I am immensely blessed. I have way more than I deserve and I hope that I'm more thankful for it today than I was two weeks ago. I could go on and on about the trip via blog, but I only want to take a moment to share this one concept:

People can survive on much less than we think! Before you use the word "need" in the future, think twice. Is it really a "need"? And, since we can survive (and probably even thrive) on less than we have today, how could you maximize your stuff for the glory of God?

"Seek first the Kingdom and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." ~ Jesus

Been A While And MUCH STUFF!

Well, I don't have too much time to post today; however, I wanted to make sure that all you faithful blog readers (are there any of you out there?) know what is going on in my world.

Over the past few weeks, I've had the joy of being able to minister alongside many teens in our church as we work with the poor communities in our hometown and also in Chicago. These have been great times of learning and growth and I'm praying that there would be much fruit in all the people who participated in these "trips."

But, tomorrow begins one of the most adventurous journeys of my life. And, again, it's mostly with teens. Tomorrow I'm leaving for Haiti. As most of you probably know, Haiti is the only 3rd World country in the Western Hemisphere. While there, we will be helping orphans and also doing construction projects. It's going to be an exciting, challenging and exhausting time, I'm sure. Would you please pray for us?

- That we would be humble all the time in order to receive even more of God's grace
- That we would be teachable at all times
- That we would be more unified as a team
- That the teens would take leadership roles themselves
- That we would make it to Haiti and back safely
- That we would actively seek to glorify Christ in everything that we do

Thank you for those who are praying! We really need it.

Waveland, MS 2006 Missions Trip

Missions Trip 2006 has come and gone! WOW, looking back, it went by quickly. Can't believe it.

We all learned things. For me, I realized that I need to look at the things that God has accomplished and allow those things to sink into my brain. It really is amazing what we did (or should I say, what God did through us)!

1. 33 kids for VBT on our peak night! That's amazing considering we thought we might get 15 (on a good day).

2. Almost $1,500 was donated to the county through our work efforts

3. Our team grew closer together.

4. We ministered to other teens.

5. We were kept alive on our van ride home (our tire blew, but we didn't swerve because of the weight in the trailer; our trailer's bearings went out while we were driving, but we made it to our hotel; we got four new tires before they blew). God is, as always, amazingly gracious.

6. God saved two girls at our VBT.

These are just a few of the things we experience - a few things I learned from.

If you went on the trip, prayed for us or just want to make a comment on this post, please do so. May God's grace always amaze us!