Peace in the Midst

Hello, Friends.

Katherine has been doing a masterful job of keeping everyone up to date on our situation, and I appreciate her efforts greatly. But I thought it was time for me to share a few words of my own with you all.

As I write this, I am sitting at my dining room table, on the verge of my last weekend at Fair Oaks Church. And while there is certainly a measure of sadness and grief in my heart, the overwhelming emotion within me is peace.

Peace because I know that I am loved, first and foremost by our Heavenly Father, but also by the good people of Fair Oaks, the students in the ministry there, and countless friends and family members who have called and e-mailed these past few weeks.

Peace because I sense that the students of Fair Oaks have understood my heart; my passion for God's Word, my commitment to discipleship and spiritual formation, and my desire for them to make their faith their own.

Peace because many of the students have heeded that call. Just this month, the Student Leadership Team (a group of 12 or so high schoolers) decided to meet on their own, without adult prompting, to discuss the future of the ministry after I leave. The result of that meeting was a decision to fast and pray together. And so they did. They met together, fasted for 36 hours, shared life, and prayed for one another and for the ministry. In the face of difficulty, they chose to draw close to the Lord, to seek His face before doing anything else. There is a reason why God chose them to be leaders of this ministry, and I could not be more proud of them.

Peace because God's hand of provision is already on display. Katherine landed a great job in only three weeks of looking in the midst of the worst job market we've ever seen. God is clearly taking care of us.

Peace because I look forward to what's next, whatever that may be. Katherine and I feel pretty sure that a return to full-time school in the fall is the right move. Taking a couple of years out to finish my Seminary degree will give me the break I need from ministry to get well, and it will prepare me for a return to full-time ministry down the road. No matter where the Lord leads us, I am optimistic about this time of healing, reflection, and preparation.

Peace because I have an amazing and godly wife. Katherine is my best friend. She is a woman who hungers and thirsts for righteousness. She yearns for more of Jesus in her life and in the lives of those around her. And she has been so very good to me through my struggles with depression. Her hope, her faith, her belief in me, will me forward when I feel like I can't go on. She reminds me when I forget that God has given me a gift to preach. She supports me, and comforts me, and loves me. I am blessed among men to have Katherine for my wife.

Peace because I trust Jesus. In the past, I have quit jobs for Him. I sold my house for Him. I followed Him all the way around the world. I have held orphans for Him, preached in dirt streets running with sewage for Him, and been insulted for Him. I have had my heart broken for Him more than once. And I would do it all again. He has never steered me wrong, never put me to shame, never abandoned me. And He won't this time either.

Thanks again for all of your warmth, prayers, love, and suport. I promise to try to write more in the days and weeks to come.

Breaking the Silence

Ok, time to break the blog silence.

The past month has been extremely chaotic for our family. January 7th, Gary found out that Fair Oaks Church was asking him to resign his position as youth pastor.

This request came from the fact that over the past year, Gary has been fighting depression, and over the past few months that struggle has impacted his effectiveness in ministry. Our church leadership feels that for Gary to step down and focus on beating the depression would be best for him personally and for the ministry as a whole.

At first, I found myself in shock, for I didn't see this coming at all. Over the past few weeks, though, I have found myself grateful for the chance for Gary to be healthy. I believe his depression is beatable, and I am eager to see him enjoy life once more, whatever it takes.

We have received a phenomenal outpouring of love and support from friends and members of the congregation. The number of hugs, encouraging notes, and phone calls has been astounding. We are surrounded by and uplifted in prayer, and I have no doubt that God is continuing to work in our lives in a very real way.

I admire Gary for choosing to be so forthright about his struggles. Depression is not an oft-discussed topic in most churches, which I feel is a shame considering how many people are impacted by it in some way. Since Gary's letter went out to the congregation, countless people have come forward desiring to share their experience of depression in their own or in a loved one's life. I pray that his openness will encourage others in some way.

We appreciate your support and your prayers. We are thankful that through every trial we experience in life, we can know that God is walking us through. We are holding on to the 'peace that transcends understanding', and we know that things are going to be ok.

30 Hour Famine Report

As reported in the Oakleaf:

Two weeks ago, 45 junior high and high school students went without food for 30 hours to raise money to fight world hunger, and to fast and pray on behalf of the hungry. During the fast, students engaged in service projects, played games, worshipped through song, and even got in some ballroom dancing!

Including the individual donations collected by students, the Sunday bake sale ran by our junior highers, and the "Get Off My Lawn" fundraiser our high school students came up with, Fair Oaks students raised approximately $2000 that will go to World Vision, the foremost Christian relief agency in the world today.


Our primary service project was a trip to Love-A-Child, a shelter for homeless women and their children in Bay Point. We piled out of our van caravan and were immediately put to work. Within minutes, kids were mixing concrete, painting walls, consolidating and stacking ceramic tiles, and shoveling gravel. Students also cooked and served lunch to the ladies and their kids, all while not eating themselves.


In the latter hours of the fast, students went out into the neighborhood surrounding the church in teams to collect food donations for the Monument Crisis Center. In little over an hour, they gathered three huge boxes full of food.

Students broke the fast with a feast of marinated chicken, tortillas, beans and rice.

Special thanks are due to the many adults who supported our students through donations, prayer, and volunteering their time during our 30 Hour Famine event.

FREE Concert this Sunday!

Looking for something to do this weekend?

There's going to be a FREE concert at Fair Oaks Church on the evening of Sunday Nov. 23rd.

The ambassador choir from Multnomah University will be presenting "Worship Through the Psalms", and is visiting Fair Oaks as part of their tour.

Click here for more information.

(Did I mention it was FREE???)

30 Hour Famine Fundraisers

30 Hour Famine is an annual event sponsored by World Vision, with the goal of raising awareness and money to fight world hunger.

Last year was the first time the Fair Oaks youth group did the famine, and I am thrilled to report that our youth have caught the vision!

We already have about 40 youth signed up to participate, and they are preparing for this weekend's 30 hour event by planning their own fundraisers.

The junior highers put together and ran their own bakesale, selling off freshly baked cookies, brownies, and pies, with all donations going to World Vision. All credit goes to Spencer, an 8th grader who came up with the idea, then organized everyone involved! (I found out later that this may have been the very 1st bakesale in Fair Oaks Church history!)





The high schoolers came up with their own creative idea: taking over people's lawns! For donations, you can send a group of fun-loving teenagers to hang out on your friend's lawn! Or, for a donation, you can purchase insurance to keep said teenagers OFF your lawn!

I had no idea what the response would be to this idea, but our whole church has really gotten a kick out of it, and much has been raised towards our cause.



I look forward to reporting back next week how much our group has raised!

Our New Small Group

This past Monday, we wrapped up two weeks worth of traveling just in time for the kickoff of one of our church's brand new small groups.

I love the concept of small group - it provides a context for relationships and discipling not possible in 'big church'. Through the first adult small group that Gary and I ever participated in came our calling to youth ministry (a story I really need to blog on someday!). Unfortunately, due to scheduling issues we've had trouble getting plugged into one at Fair Oaks up to this point.


So, we were pretty stoked to get together Monday along with four other (OUR AGE!!!!!) couples. All groups will be kicking off this fall by going through Peter Scazzero's Emotionally Healthy Church Workbook.

The workbook is based on the book by the same name, which Gary and I read one year ago as part of the Retool Kit process. It proposes that emotional and spiritual maturity are linked, and that by evaluating and growing in our emotional maturity we will be able to overcome roadblocks to growing spiritually.

What struck me about our meeting this past Monday was an unusually high level of openness and authenticity, especially for a first meeting. (It helps that certain couples are friends with other couples in the group, but this is the first time we've all hung out together) This is a group of people who want to build good relationships and true community. I'm really excited for the potential of this group and to see where God leads us throughout the coming year.

Are you in a small group at your church? Why / why not? I invite you to leave a comment and share what factors have helped to build community within your group.

Seek the Welfare of this City

“Seek the Welfare of the City”, the video Eric Schumacher and Gary produced for the Fair Oaks Church anniversary service this past Sunday, is now viewable on YouTube!

Check it out, and feel free to share with others!

Take a Train to Happy Town.... wooo wooo!

Yesterday we had a fun outing with other couples from our church. The women's ministry planned a "mystery event" with tours at various mystery locations.

The first stop was my favorite - a train museum that included a short ride in a refurbished train car. Our conductor was a former broadcaster that had a an amazing voice. Everything he said was fascinating!

I was devastated that my camera battery died shortly after we arrived, but fortunately Joy was on hand to take a cute picture of us:

Pastor Gary's latest sermon

Last Sunday, Gary had the opportunity to preach to the whole congregation, and did a fantastic job talking about the conversation between Moses and God in Exodus 3 & 4.

If you missed out on the chance to hear him live, you can catch it online here on our church website. Click where it says "When God Calls" (August 17, 2008).

You won't be disappointed!

Guatemala Mission Trip Video

G-Dub put together this video for our presentation in church last Sunday. It includes both still pictures and video clips from our time in Guatemala, and features music by "The Amoeba Singers". Hopefully the video gives a sense of the flavor of the place and the ministry we did. Enjoy!

Reflections

The past month has been a whirlwind... hospital visits, our church's children's day camp, an unplanned trip down south for a funeral, then two weeks out of the country on a mission trip. I haven't really had time to think, much less process what I'm thinking! Nonetheless, this time has been so significant to me that I do want to try and sift through it.

The main theme of the past month has been, God is in control. And, just as importantly, the power of prayer. Through the ups and the downs, God has been there, helping us through by His strength.

It's strange, how as a missions team we've encountered one trial after another. Every time, God has given a way through. Whether it be airport hang-ups, illness, paralysis, or just God giving us something different than we expected, we were able to face and overcome all of our tests. Though it's been tiring to continually encounter one obstacle after another, I believe that our faith has been strengthened by seeing God answer prayer after prayer.

I had planned to spend the few weeks before the trip really preparing - studying Spanish, teaching dramas, preparing children's programs. That was all scrapped when we were called to be at the sides of our loved ones. And you know what, it's probably better that way. Instead of relying on our own pre-conceived notion of what we were going to do, we had to continually seek God and be open to His leading.

Consequently, the ministry we ended up doing was much different than what we'd initially expected. God led us to ministries of encouragement and strengthening of the church, while simultaneously giving us a crash course in spiritual warfare.

I can't imagine having gone on this trip with a different team - each person had a special and significant role in the team and in ministry. It was clear to see God working in and through each of us, and it was a joy to feel like we were a part of something so much bigger than ourselves.

It's been a dream come true to see God fulfill what's been on my heart for over two years - to equip youth to minister as well as see God working around the world. In the midst of so many answered prayers, I am now seeing even more seeds being planted for the future. I can't wait to see how these experiences will fit into the larger picture of our lives.

Home, Sweet, Home!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that after a four hour van ride, a five hour flight, a nine hour layover, a one hour flight, and a one hour drive, the team has arrived safely back at home!

Please continue to pray for the team over the next few days as we transition back to life in America, and begin sharing our experiences with family and friends. May God receive all the glory!

"Tuesday Nights Together"

One of my favorite things about youth ministry is the cylical nature of the school year. Students grow and graduate, new students are always coming in. Activities vary according to the season and school year.

Last night was our first event with the new class of JH students. During the summer we shift to "TNT" (Tuesday Nights Together), a less structured format which includes having dinner at a different students home each week. It's fun for the kids to host the group, gets the parents involved, and it helps us to get to know their families better.

So, last night was the first one of these for the summer. I was pretty excited that all of our incoming 6th graders were in attendance; I am eager to see them all get plugged in and make a successful jump from children's ministry to youth ministry. Our hosts did an incredible job with the food and planned out several fun games to get the kids interacting.

The game that turned out to be the biggest hit was a frozen t-shirt contest, with four teams each competing to be the first to unfold and put on a t-shirt that had been soaked, then frozen. This challenge was much more difficult than it first sounded, let me tell you!

That t-shirt was frozen into a solid rock, and it was hilarious to see the teams trying different strategies to manipulate it: banging it on trees, bouncing it off the ground, pressing it against their backs for body warmth, etc. Eventually, one team got their shirt opened and then on, but even then the other kids didn't want to give up!

We finished off the evening with a devotional from Ephesians 5, followed by ice cream and cookies. I can't wait till next week!

Pastor Antonio - Video

I first met Pastor Antonio during our time in Guatemala on the 2006 World Race. Our team of five lived at his home and ministered alongside him everyday for three weeks. During this time, I was amazed by his tireless passion for sharing God's love and truth with his people, and the joy he found by serving God so whole-heartedly. I have never met anyone so devoted to living out what he believed.

When the time came to say farewell, I was excited to go serve in new places, but I have never stopped praying that I would be able to return to visit my Guatemalan family, the church we worked at, and most importantly, to bring others with me to see what God is doing there, and to join in that work. Praise God, He is answering that prayer, and three weeks from Tuesday (!) I'll be getting on a plane with my husband, mother, and five incredible students!

Pastor Antonio has also hosted other missionary groups, and one of the more recent World Race teams spent part of their time making a video about Pastor Antonio's ministry. It's delightful to see how God is blessing the congregation that begin in Jan 2006 (the month before we arrived) with only three or four families. The video gives a great description of the kind of work we'll be doing during our two weeks in Lake Atitlan.



Pastor Antonio from Sean Smith on Vimeo.

Youth Sunday

This past Sunday, our church had the great blessing of a youth-led worship service!

It was the first time we (Gary and I) ever coordinated such an effort, and a new experience for many in the church as well. Our students did a fantastic job with their various contributions - greeting, leading worship, drama, testimonies, music, serving communion, and even teaching (yeah, we've got a preacher in our junior high class!).

Special thanks to all the adults who willingly gave up their posts for a week and did a great job training their young replacements! My prayer is that the participating students would be affirmed in the abilities God has given them, and that the church body as a whole would be blessed to see God working through the youth. We've certainly received nothing but positive feedback!

Here's a sampling of our student-led worship band - to me they sound nothing short of angelic:

Our New Worship Leader

I just received this wonderful news from our pastor, about the new worship leader coming on staff at Fair Oaks. What an anwer to prayer for our church body!

Dear Fair Oaks Family,

I am pleased to inform you that Eric has accepted the call to join our ministerial staff team as Minister of Worship and Music. He and Yvette are excited as they consider the prospects of serving alongside of us as we "gear up for growth."

Both Eric and Yvette are currently teaching in Christian Day Schools; their school year finishes around the middle of June. Consequently Eric will start July 1st.

In addition to our music ministry Eric will be overseeing our small group ministry.

Thank you for your prayers and patience as we have carefully searched for the right person. We also truly appreciate Debra and Howard who have stepped up to help us in our worship leadership during this interim time.

Warmly, Pastor Steve McCoy

Also, Eric & Yvette were interviewed for a recent church newsletter; here's the article if you missed it:

Eric was born in Temple, Texas, and is a self-proclaimed "Army Brat." His father's service took them to Oklahoma, Illinois and North Carolina. They stayed in Fayetteville, N.C. for 3 ½ years where Eric was able to attend and graduate from high school. He has a younger sister, Sara, who will be relocating to the Sacramento area this week with her husband who's in the Air Force. Eric's parents currently live in Alexandria, VA where his father, still in the Army, is a 2-Star General stationed at the Pentagon.

He grew up in a strong Christian home with both parents always modeling church leadership by their own involvement in various staff and/or volunteer positions. He always attended church, "starting in the nursery," and always knew of God's love. At the age of eight he started pondering Christianity on a personal level: "How do I know I'm a Christian? Will I go to heaven?" He distinctly remembers an evening in March 1986 where he got out of bed and took these questions to his parents. Their response was to turn off the T.V., get the Bible and tackle each question, eventually leading Eric to receive Christ that night.

His faith ebbed and flowed during his adolescence. Attending camp after his sophomore year and feeling convicted that "his faith wasn't as real as it could be," Eric re-dedicated his life to Christ. As he approached graduation from high school he started feeling nudged to serve in ministry. At the same time, he was feeling pulled towards the military and opted to enroll in the Coast Guard Academy. God continued to nudge him toward ministry, however, and the struggle of what to do intensified. He was advised that if he was going to leave the Coast Guard, it was better to do it sooner than later, so he made the difficult decision to resign. The process to leave was almost as rigorous as the process to get in, but through it all, Eric was always upfront and explained his need to serve. Eric's decision was affirmed when the Coast Guard released him with an honorable discharge.

At this point, his parents were in Dublin, California. He came home to start to looking for a Christian college. During this period, he joined his parents in attending Valley Community Church in Pleasanton. Eric's chosen ministry focus was in worship. While in Dublin, Eric was able to serve as an intern with Tom Grassi, the Worship Leader at Valley Community. This opportunity served as a great affirmation and preparation for service as a worship leader.

Because of finances his search for a college was challenging, but he eventually checked out California Baptist University (CBU) in Riverside. From the beginning, he felt at home and was also very impressed with their music program. He also discovered, while meeting with the Financial Aid staff, that because of his time at the Coast Guard Academy he was able to qualify for a number of government grants and scholarships that paid for his four years at CBU. Eric shares, "God was demonstrating His control and walking him through his decisions. I have no reason to doubt Him and can completely trust His leading."

He started at CBU in the Fall of '96 and met his wife, Yvette, there the following year through a campus ministry they both served with. They both graduated in June of 2000 with Eric attaining a B.A. in Music, with an emphasis in Church Music. After graduation, he took a job as the full-time Music & Youth Minister at a church in Big Springs, Texas. He and Yvette were married in June of 2001 and she joined him there. Interestingly, while Yvette had been born in Texas, she grew up in Concord, Dublin and Livermore. Yvette still has sisters in the area - one here in Concord and one in Castro Valley.

Eric's goal was to get his Masters, so after 3 years he left Texas for Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He graduated with a Master of Arts in Theology in June of last year. While attending seminary at night, Eric was the Music teacher & Chapel Coordinator at Arcadia Christian School (K-8). He has also taught Jr. High Bible, band and drama in addition to creating a Jr. High worship band.

He thoroughly enjoyed the in-depth study of God's Word during seminary and his time at Arcadia Christian. It's been a lot of work, but God has affirmed him all along the way. When asked what he wants people to know about him, he shares, "I'm an easy-going, easy-natured guy and get along well with people." "I love the Lord and people, and enjoy building relationships."

Clara's Story, Y'all!

Sabrina, Ilyn, and Clara at the Broadstreet Mission VBS in New Orleans

From Clara Farley, an eighth grade participant on the New Orleans Mission Trip:

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank y’all so much for your support, especially in prayer. This trip was one of the best experiences of my life! I have learned and grown so much; there is no way to put the feelings into words. I am just so grateful to have had the opportunity, as an eighth grader, to go and experience all the things this mission trip had to offer.

I was very pleasantly surprised from the get-go. I was expecting to feel very out of place and self-conscious the whole trip because I was one of three eighth graders out of sixty kids (that includes the teams from Chicago and Canada). But high school kids aren’t as scary as they appear, and they all turned out to be very sweet and accepting. They all really loved the Lord, and man, it is a powerful thing to have sixty kids all worshipping and serving the Lord at one time and truly meaning it.

We had wonderful leaders on the trip. Our worship leader was/is I believe an actual recording artist, and has a huge heart for youth worship. One night we did what he called an “Improv” night. He said that we could do whatever we felt we needed to to worship. If we wanted to sing, sing; if we wanted to pray, pray; if we felt we needed to fall asleep, then he said to go upstairs and fall asleep in our “Daddy’s lap”. It was totally awesome. My friends and I probably prayed for close to and hour and a half. It was amazing.

I was blessed with a wonderful ministry team of six girls and one boy. They were all really awesome; major prayer warriors. We had some great experiences together. There are so many stories that I don’t know which one to tell. A very cool story was one about learning to listen. . . .

On Thursday afternoon, before VBS began, I was exhausted. I had gotten barely over three hours of sleep the night before and I wasn’t looking forward to dealing with a bunch of rowdy kids. I was headed to the restroom, and while I was waiting, I noticed a couple sitting at the end of the hall. I felt a need to talk to them, but I ignored it.

‘He’s talking on the phone anyways,’ I thought as I tried to justify my disobedience. I turned around just as a little girl ran out of the bathroom. (She was adorable!) I smiled and then felt that urge again, that little voice telling me to talk to the couple and find out if the girl was their daughter so that I could invite her to VBS and the family to the BBQ afterwards.

I prayed, ‘No God! Please, I’m tired, I’m grumpy, and I’m the last person you want to be a witness at the moment.’ But that didn’t make me feel any better. ‘Fine’, I prayed, ‘If they’re still there when I come back, I’ll talk to them.’ I took as long as possible in the restroom. I don’t think my hands have ever had a better washing. (The ABC’s thing really works if you’re stalling for time) When I peeked my head out the door I rolled my eyes. ‘Okay, you win,’ I thought, as I saw them sitting on that bench, unmoved, ‘Here goes nothing!’

I took a deep breath, and headed down the hall. I waited politely until the man was off the phone, and then asked if the little girl who had run out ahead of me was their daughter. When they said yes, I invited her to VBS, and told them about the BBQ afterwards. They were thrilled, probably to get the kids out of their hair for a couple hours so that they could find a place to stay.

It turns out that they had driven down from Tennessee a week and a half before, thinking that they could find lots of work in New Orleans, rebuilding, painting, etc. It turns out that there was zilch work, and they had been living out of their car ever since. Well, I went and found the little girl and introduced myself, (Sabrina was her name), and found out that I had just acquired a new best friend, or a.k.a., a shadow.

She followed me everywhere, and I was shocked to see how much she reminded me of myself at that age. Down to the very way she outlined the shape she would be coloring with marker before she filled it in.( If you didn’t catch it, she was from Tennessee, and have you ever heard an eight year old girl with a Tennessee accent? It is love-at-first-sound, I assure you.)

I took every opportunity I could to find out what this girl believed. I honestly don’t remember how we got into this discussion, (my memory left me when I turned 14), but I asked her if she believed she could get to heaven through good works. She said, “Of course,” and it was then I realized why God had not moved that couple on the bench; to give me the opportunity to plant a seed in this little girl’s life.

I snagged a Bible from a friend, and kept it with me, waiting for the right opportunity. Finally, after VBS, but before the BBQ, I got her away from the group, and we started talking. I don’t remember how the conversation went (man that memory!), but I got her to pray, and I think she got it. That was one of the clearest examples I’ve seen of a spiritual battle going on inside someone.

I could tell that she understood, but something was holding her back. She prayed for forgiveness, and she seemed . . . . .well, different I guess, but there was something there that wasn’t letting go. I was really discouraged. I was thinking, ‘Man, this seed is going to die Lord. You see her parents; tattoos, cigarettes, you name it. What kind of environment is that?’

Well, unbeknownst to me, He did see them, and not only that, but at the same time I was praying with Sabrina, one of our leaders was praying with her parents. They accepted Christ whole-heartedly. When I found out, I was overjoyed! Now Sabrina could at least have parents who were attempting to live Godly lives, and could try to help her get past that last barrier. I went and congratulated them, and told them about my talk with Sabrina. They were thrilled, and said they would definitely try to keep the lines open with her.

Right before our group was about to go back to base, a couple hours later, Sabrina’s dad came up to me and said, “Thank You.” Figuring he was talking about hanging with Sabrina for the afternoon, I said, “No prob., my pleasure.” Then he looked me in the eye and said, “No, really, Thank You for everything,” Then I realized he wasn’t talking about Sabrina, but thanking me for taking that inconvenient minute out of my day to come over and talk to them. It literally changed their lives.

On the drive back to base, it hit me hard. If I had been insistent on being disobedient to God’s voice; if I had not taken that inconvenient extra minute out of my day; two adults would probably not know the Lord, and one little girl would never have the opportunity to grow up in a family where her parents loved God. I learned a valuable lesson that day. If you feel God calling you to do something, do it right away, not before it might be too late.

There are so many more amazing stories that I could tell. God is just so good, and I am overwhelmed with the love He has shown me through this trip. Before this, I really struggled reading my Bible, but now my Bible is more highlighted and tabbed than my mom’s! It is such an amazing book, and yes, I know that y’all know that, but I still can’t get over it. I find a new favorite verse every time I open it. And now prayer isn’t a wish list, but a very refreshing dialogue.

Everything I do has a new meaning. Even in ballet class, whenever I feel tired, I just imagine I’m dancing for God, and it doesn’t seem so hard anymore (and it is much easier to keep smiling). School has a new title: the mission field. It shocks me now more that ever to see the lack of love for God in my Christian school. I have a new mission, to bring that love back!!!!

Again, I can’t thank y’all enough for your support. I hope I have many more opportunities like this in my future years. But for now, I’ll just treasure the memories of this one.

Blessings,

Clara

Jeremiah 29:11-14

New Orleans '08 Mission Trip Video

G-Dub put together this video for our supporter thank you dinner last Saturday evening. It's a combination of photos and video footage from our trip to New Orleans. I hope you enjoy it!

Look out, world!

In case you missed it, this comment on a previous post by one of our junior high age participants really nailed the purpose of our trip:

The power of prayer was painfuly evedent on this trip, it showed me that with prayer you can heal, with prayer you can soften a heart, with prayer you can bring a little kid to Christ, and with prayer (and a few tears) God and sisters and brothers in the Lord can resolve almost any problem. I thank God for showing me that, and I thank God for showing me that even the most unlikely people can turn out to be your best friends.

This is the kind of trip where there is no way you can come back the same. My whole out look on life, heart, prayer life, and passion for the Lord has changed. I praise God for this trip, I have never experienced any thing like it. (PRAISE THE LORD!)

Look out world!

-Lizzy

A Proud Leader

My time in New Orleans was really special for the way I was able to connect with our students, to laugh with, pray for, challenge, support and encourage them as they leaped out of their comfort zones to serve Christ.

Through God’s power, our team was able to:

visit people we’ve met in past trips and remind them that God is working in their lives…

provide inner city children a safe place to play, eat, and learn about God…

bless and pray for people in a variety of circumstances…

lead children to Christ for the first time…

make new friends outside of our own groups…

consider how God may be challenging us to live differently back home…

serve by painting at Bethel Colony (men’s rehab center)…

look homeless people in the eye, shake their hand and give them dignity…

serve lunch to hungry people in need…

comprehend just how lucky we are, and how much we have to be thankful for…

I firmly believe that there is no greater pleasure in all the world than to experience the privilege of God working through you to bless someone else. A close second might be the delight to see firsthand so many students experience this pleasure for the first time! What a week!