BROKENNESS
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
I am discovering that a broken house represents broken lives.
I am discovering new paint on the inside of a bedroom brings young girls alive, as well as the staff which works in the home.
I am discovering that I still have a lot to learn when it comes to identifying brokenness in others.
I am waking up to the fact that I don't have to go to Georgia to find it. It exists in plenty - right in front of me.
29 March 2012
28 March 2012
Students on Mission (Part 5)
AGED
Monday, 12 March 2012
Our mission continues on Monday at the ministry home for the girls as we paint their bedrooms. It is a slow start, as the equipment we needed was not on location as promised ("be flexible!"). Nevertheless, by the end of the day, the bedrooms are finished. And when the girls come home from school, they celebrate. This task has been on the docket for over a year, but no one locally has jumped on it.
We eat with the girls in the evening. When one of the girls is asked how old she thinks I am, she cautiously says, "97." But then she adds, "You are in really good shape for 97!" Then one of my students quips, "Round is a shape."
I'm not sure this has been a good day...
Monday, 12 March 2012
Our mission continues on Monday at the ministry home for the girls as we paint their bedrooms. It is a slow start, as the equipment we needed was not on location as promised ("be flexible!"). Nevertheless, by the end of the day, the bedrooms are finished. And when the girls come home from school, they celebrate. This task has been on the docket for over a year, but no one locally has jumped on it.
We eat with the girls in the evening. When one of the girls is asked how old she thinks I am, she cautiously says, "97." But then she adds, "You are in really good shape for 97!" Then one of my students quips, "Round is a shape."
I'm not sure this has been a good day...
Students on Mission (Part 4)
MISSION
Sunday, 11 March 2012
Mick and Mary Ann Patterson, founders of Global Outreach, are the coordinators of our daily schedule on the Georgia end of this adventure. We begin with worship at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany. This is the church that is responsible for Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and Courageous.
After a short respite in the early afternoon, the mission begins. The men are sent to a house that needs some lovin' via painting, and the women are sent to a ministry home for troubled girls because they need some lovin'.
Mary Ann uses this phrase "need some lovin" a lot. I find it is an effective description and motivator. But it is more than that. I find it biblical. We have come to Georgia to show God's love, and I find that the mission of demonstrating it is what penetrates my heart every day.
Sunday, 11 March 2012
Mick and Mary Ann Patterson, founders of Global Outreach, are the coordinators of our daily schedule on the Georgia end of this adventure. We begin with worship at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany. This is the church that is responsible for Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and Courageous.
After a short respite in the early afternoon, the mission begins. The men are sent to a house that needs some lovin' via painting, and the women are sent to a ministry home for troubled girls because they need some lovin'.
Mary Ann uses this phrase "need some lovin" a lot. I find it is an effective description and motivator. But it is more than that. I find it biblical. We have come to Georgia to show God's love, and I find that the mission of demonstrating it is what penetrates my heart every day.
21 March 2012
Students on Mission (Part 3)
FRIENDSHIP
Saturday 10 March 2012
This is the super travel day, compared to the previous evening when we spent 7 hours on the road. We will leave West Virginia at 7 AM and arrive at our lodging location in Georgia at 11 PM.
I am slightly disappointed at first, when I discover that none of my CA students are in my van. They have been assigned to other vehicles. Instead I have all IV students, but they turn out to be a lively bunch (to say the least). They name our group "Vandals", which concerns me slightly. They are fascinated with yellow cars and call "banana" when one is spotted. They enjoy worship music and 70s classic rock. My concern continues.
Their assignment is to keep the driver awake. Each student takes a turn in the "shotgun" seat, and within this two day period, I have made 6 friends that I did not have before. We know each other's life stories. I gain insight on where each one is coming from and what they hope to accomplish on this trip.
Our discussions are varied and lively. We talk about evangelism, the Holy Spirit, homosexuality, the original manuscripts, speaking in tongues, and love and marriage. It is obvious to me quickly that there are no intellectual lightweights in this van.
Saturday 10 March 2012
This is the super travel day, compared to the previous evening when we spent 7 hours on the road. We will leave West Virginia at 7 AM and arrive at our lodging location in Georgia at 11 PM.
I am slightly disappointed at first, when I discover that none of my CA students are in my van. They have been assigned to other vehicles. Instead I have all IV students, but they turn out to be a lively bunch (to say the least). They name our group "Vandals", which concerns me slightly. They are fascinated with yellow cars and call "banana" when one is spotted. They enjoy worship music and 70s classic rock. My concern continues.
Their assignment is to keep the driver awake. Each student takes a turn in the "shotgun" seat, and within this two day period, I have made 6 friends that I did not have before. We know each other's life stories. I gain insight on where each one is coming from and what they hope to accomplish on this trip.
Our discussions are varied and lively. We talk about evangelism, the Holy Spirit, homosexuality, the original manuscripts, speaking in tongues, and love and marriage. It is obvious to me quickly that there are no intellectual lightweights in this van.
15 March 2012
Students on Mission (Part 2)
FLEXIBILITY
Friday 9 March 2012
Mission trips are dangerous things. If there is any potential for an eternal impact, you can be sure the enemy is going to try to stop you, or at the very least, discourage you. When our Buffalo coordinator's van (known affectionately as the Red Baron) broke down about a mile from his house, it was a sign that there might be more difficulty ahead. Flexibility just might be needed...
Drivers were to meet at the car rental office at 4, but our coordinator did not arrive until 5 because the Red Baron needed to be towed. Then, when he did arrive, he discovered he did not have his driver's license. Have you ever tried to rent a vehicle when you don't have your license? It doesn't work. And so, now we had another delay. I think more flexibility was going to be needed...
Then we discovered there was a communication snafu with the rental car company, and they were not going to allow drivers under 25 without charging us an outrageous amount. This meant our over 25 drivers were going to have to drive the whole way. Now, I am really going to have to be flexible...
Friday 9 March 2012
Mission trips are dangerous things. If there is any potential for an eternal impact, you can be sure the enemy is going to try to stop you, or at the very least, discourage you. When our Buffalo coordinator's van (known affectionately as the Red Baron) broke down about a mile from his house, it was a sign that there might be more difficulty ahead. Flexibility just might be needed...
Drivers were to meet at the car rental office at 4, but our coordinator did not arrive until 5 because the Red Baron needed to be towed. Then, when he did arrive, he discovered he did not have his driver's license. Have you ever tried to rent a vehicle when you don't have your license? It doesn't work. And so, now we had another delay. I think more flexibility was going to be needed...
Then we discovered there was a communication snafu with the rental car company, and they were not going to allow drivers under 25 without charging us an outrageous amount. This meant our over 25 drivers were going to have to drive the whole way. Now, I am really going to have to be flexible...
Students on Mission (Part 1)
One of the annual events for our CA ministry, is to join hands with our brothers and sisters in the InterVarsity chapter, and participate in the Spring Break Mission Trip. This year, we have been located in Americus, GA, the home of Habitat for Humanity. As you will see, the experiences will be varied, and it will match the wide range of backgrounds of our students.
I do marvel how God has brought us together. This will be a multicultural group, coming from varied places including - Buffalo, Rochester, New York City, Binghamton, New Jersey, Arizona, Bahamas, Haiti, Zimbabwe, and even Grand Island. Our trip will be broken up into two days of travel each way - 16 hours each way - traveling in minivans. We will stay at a camp, and so the facilities are reasonably comfortable.
I will be the "old man" of the trip, and knowing how kind and considerate college students, I am sure they will be watching out for me. Well, maybe they will...
I do marvel how God has brought us together. This will be a multicultural group, coming from varied places including - Buffalo, Rochester, New York City, Binghamton, New Jersey, Arizona, Bahamas, Haiti, Zimbabwe, and even Grand Island. Our trip will be broken up into two days of travel each way - 16 hours each way - traveling in minivans. We will stay at a camp, and so the facilities are reasonably comfortable.
I will be the "old man" of the trip, and knowing how kind and considerate college students, I am sure they will be watching out for me. Well, maybe they will...
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