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!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Home Sweet Home!
I am pleased to report that the New Orleans team arrived back home safely last Friday night (or should I say, veeerrrrry early Saturday morning?)
The only snag was a delay in our layover, though in my opinion the extra time turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as impromptu bible studies and prayer sessions popped up right there in the airport!
Though exhausted, and missing our new found friends, our team is excitedly looking forward to a special thank you dinner for our supporters at the church this Saturday evening. We will be sharing our pictures and stories, so that we can all give glory to God for what He's done in and through us this past week.
Keep checking back, because we hope to continue posting stories and pictures from the past week.
God Bless!
The only snag was a delay in our layover, though in my opinion the extra time turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as impromptu bible studies and prayer sessions popped up right there in the airport!
Though exhausted, and missing our new found friends, our team is excitedly looking forward to a special thank you dinner for our supporters at the church this Saturday evening. We will be sharing our pictures and stories, so that we can all give glory to God for what He's done in and through us this past week.
Keep checking back, because we hope to continue posting stories and pictures from the past week.
God Bless!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Can't Wait to See You Again
By: Cory KickI have taken advantage of the opportunity to come to New Orleans, Louisiana with the Fair Oaks Baptist Church youth for the second year in a row. Last year, God amazed all of us, and so far this year hasn’t been any different. We had many particular places to visit last year and one was a Christian alcohol/drug rehab center for men run by a man named Pastor Mel. We met him last year and he was a very strong believer and was very others-oriented; he always put others before himself. Unfortunately, when we showed up at his ministry site, we found out that he was in Israel. Even though he wasn’t there, God used us like we would never imagine.
We arrived at the rehab center at about eight in the morning while the members were watching a DVD of a man named Dr. Evans giving a bible study sermon. All of the men seemed to be very interested in the study and were taking notes themselves. I assume Pastor Mel has the men take notes so it keeps them focused, and it really works. They often shouted out bold statements that reassured us that they were believers and didn’t care what anyone thought. One particular thing I remember Dr. Evans saying was “It doesn’t matter if you have a PhD or a GED; when you walk into the Kingdom of Heaven, you all will be going through the same door.” That was really inspirational.
When the guys finished their bible study, one of the leaders acknowledged us and thanked us for coming. They started a session of brief praise and worship. All they used for worshipping was a decently sized bass drum and their voices. No microphones, no guitars, no bass, no drums. It wasn’t the type of worship that I had become accustomed to at Fair Oaks. Nevertheless, their worship was just as strong and meaningful. It was nice to see past drug addicts singing about how much they loved the Lord without caring what anyone else’s opinions were.After the praise and worship, the leaders invited two of the members to come and give their testimony in front of everyone involved in the program. The first man’s name was Mike and was a crack addict. He had met Pastor Mel in a bar a little over six months ago. Mike had just finished a few hits of crack and was frustrated that this random guy came in to mess up his high. Amazingly, God gave Mel the words to say that would influence him to come check out his rehab program. Mike has been involved in the program since that day and has been sober since then. He plans on sticking to the program for at least another six months. The second man that shared his testimony was named Joseph. He was also a crack addict. Joseph went all over the southern United States area when Hurricane Katrina hit. He met Pastor Mel and was also admitted into the program. He has been there for about the same amount of time that Mike has.
Next, we went out to the shed that we would be adding a few coats of paint to. The shed was across from a washer and dryer. One of the members of the program couldn’t walk very well, so he didn’t do any construction. He usually did the laundry for all the other guys. Since he was standing about ten feet from us, we talked pretty much the whole time we were there. His name was Sean Brooks and he had a very interesting past. In 2003 Sean was involved in a drug deal and was shot five times in the back. He lost six pints of blood. Naturally, he fell to the ground. He was lying there in his own blood thinking “Where am I going: Heaven or Hell?” Sean was admitted into a local hospital where he found out one of the bullets hit him right at the base of his spine. He couldn’t feel his legs and the doctors told him he was paralyzed. They said he probably would never be able to stand, let alone walk again. He wouldn’t let himself believe that. He trusted that God would be merciful and help him with this issue. Eventually, Sean was able to walk, but only by the grace of the Holy Spirit. He’s now using a cane, but I think Sean wouldn’t mind using it if it meant he would be able to walk. He kept telling us how much he loved us and how thankful he was for what we were doing. It was very easy for him to connect with Daniel Araujo, Michael Grieb, Clara Farley, Rebecca Halvorson, Lauren Politis, Vangy Celestre, as well as myself.
When we finished painting the shed, Sean showed Daniel and me his bed. On the wall, he had a few pictures of family and friends. Sean seemed to really appreciate that we would be willing to go check out his space. At the time, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. But thinking back on it, he didn’t get that opportunity all that often. He showed us pictures of his 10-year-old daughter who he seemed to love unconditionally.
Next, we went back into the room where the bible study was held to have lunch with the guys. Michael and I sat next to Sean, and we talked about everything from giant cats to the New England Patriots losing the Super Bowl. It was nice to be able to open up to someone I hadn’t even known for a whole day. I couldn’t have done that myself; God was with me the whole time helping me connect with Sean.
Saying goodbye to Sean wasn’t easy for me. We went back out by the shed and took a quick picture. Next, he individually thanked all of us for being there and gave us a hug. I pray that Sean will stay in the program and stay clean so he can support himself as well as his daughter. I am excited that he now knows that when his time here on earth is over, we will meet again in Heaven, which is a great thing to look forward to.
Meeting Mamma Jan
By: Jacob Roth
This morning we had the opportunity to visit a rehab type place run by a lady called “Mamma Jan”. She was most definitely an interesting lady. She’s a big lady in about her mid-50s, and she might be one of the wildest, craziest, and most unforgettable people I have ever met.
We arrived at her place in the morning when she was busy preaching to the people staying at her place (which she calls her “kids”). We went and sat down and she welcomed us and gave us background on what her place does. Basically, she takes people off the street who struggle with addictions and puts them through her rehab program. Even if they run away or start using again, she’ll always accept them back.
Soon after we got there she began to share her testimony. It was absolutely amazing. She said that she was raised in a witchcraft-oriented family, and got into just about everything terrible you can imagine. She was continually rejected and disowned by her friends and family. She even at one time had multiple personalities because she was controlled so much by the devil and his work. One was a champion pool shark, one was part of Hell’s Angels, one was a bar room dancer on Bourbon Street, and I think the last one was a witch.
Sometime later (I don’t remember how old she was) she was getting arrested and decided to fight the cops. She ended up getting a couple of them pretty good, and was eventually sent to solitary confinement in prison, where she was bound at the hands and feet by shackles. Soon she started hearing a voice repeating, “You need Jesus,” over and over again. It was then that she realized that Jesus was the only one who loved her and did not reject her no matter what she did or didn’t do.
After that, she started attending church, even though she still dressed and talked like the street woman she used to be. She recalled being there and having the other people at the church act afraid and ignore her because of her appearance. But that didn’t stop her, for she loved Jesus way too much and wanted to spend every moment thanking Him for what He does.
She was eventually led into street ministry, although her ministry is hardly anything you would normally think of. She told us stories of grabbing a man on the street into a headlock and casting demons out of him. She even told us about putting “anointing oil” into a super soaker and chasing a crowd of drug dealers around the streets with it. She had so many outrageous and crazy stories I can’t even fit them all here (ask us when we get home).
Many call her radical, insane, crazy (which she is a little of all of those), but without a doubt she is a woman who loves God with every ounce of energy she has. She explains her methods by saying “As Christians, you have all the power of Jesus inside of you. What’s the point of having it if you are too scared or boring to use it? Have fun with your faith!” I think she makes a great point.
After sharing her testimony, she told us that we should be more excited about Jesus. So she had me get up in front by myself, and jump up and down yelling “Thank you Jesus!” as loud as I could. It was pretty cool.
Although I probably won’t tackle someone on the streets and cast demons out them with a super soaker of oil anytime soon, I know that I will never forget my encounter with Mamma Jan.
This morning we had the opportunity to visit a rehab type place run by a lady called “Mamma Jan”. She was most definitely an interesting lady. She’s a big lady in about her mid-50s, and she might be one of the wildest, craziest, and most unforgettable people I have ever met.We arrived at her place in the morning when she was busy preaching to the people staying at her place (which she calls her “kids”). We went and sat down and she welcomed us and gave us background on what her place does. Basically, she takes people off the street who struggle with addictions and puts them through her rehab program. Even if they run away or start using again, she’ll always accept them back.
Soon after we got there she began to share her testimony. It was absolutely amazing. She said that she was raised in a witchcraft-oriented family, and got into just about everything terrible you can imagine. She was continually rejected and disowned by her friends and family. She even at one time had multiple personalities because she was controlled so much by the devil and his work. One was a champion pool shark, one was part of Hell’s Angels, one was a bar room dancer on Bourbon Street, and I think the last one was a witch.
Sometime later (I don’t remember how old she was) she was getting arrested and decided to fight the cops. She ended up getting a couple of them pretty good, and was eventually sent to solitary confinement in prison, where she was bound at the hands and feet by shackles. Soon she started hearing a voice repeating, “You need Jesus,” over and over again. It was then that she realized that Jesus was the only one who loved her and did not reject her no matter what she did or didn’t do.
After that, she started attending church, even though she still dressed and talked like the street woman she used to be. She recalled being there and having the other people at the church act afraid and ignore her because of her appearance. But that didn’t stop her, for she loved Jesus way too much and wanted to spend every moment thanking Him for what He does.
She was eventually led into street ministry, although her ministry is hardly anything you would normally think of. She told us stories of grabbing a man on the street into a headlock and casting demons out of him. She even told us about putting “anointing oil” into a super soaker and chasing a crowd of drug dealers around the streets with it. She had so many outrageous and crazy stories I can’t even fit them all here (ask us when we get home).
Many call her radical, insane, crazy (which she is a little of all of those), but without a doubt she is a woman who loves God with every ounce of energy she has. She explains her methods by saying “As Christians, you have all the power of Jesus inside of you. What’s the point of having it if you are too scared or boring to use it? Have fun with your faith!” I think she makes a great point.After sharing her testimony, she told us that we should be more excited about Jesus. So she had me get up in front by myself, and jump up and down yelling “Thank you Jesus!” as loud as I could. It was pretty cool.
Although I probably won’t tackle someone on the streets and cast demons out them with a super soaker of oil anytime soon, I know that I will never forget my encounter with Mamma Jan.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Prayer Requests for Tuesday
Friends, we had an amazing first day of ministry. The stories just keep coming. I'm encouraging students to write them as soon as possible, but there's not a whole lot of time for writing. But rest assured, more stories are on the way.
As for today, please pray for the following:
- Yesterday, we had about twenty kids at our VBS program. Please pray that God would grant us momentum to carry this program throughout the week. Pray that we might reach kids who have yet to make a decision for Jesus.
- Today, a large portion of our group is going to prepare a meal and deliver it to a large "tent city" where many dozens of homeless people have put up tents under an overpass. Please pray for God to communicate His love to these men, women, and children through our team.
- Today at 4:00pm our time (2:00pm back home), we are combining forces with the mission teams from the other two churches for a basketball outreach, at the abandoned school we worked at last year. There are many neighborhood teenagers, and we are praying that they may be reached for Christ. Please cover this outreach in prayer this afternoon.
Again, everyone is well. We are amazed at God's faithfulness to use us, if only we make ourselves available. Thank you again for your prayers and support.
Serving Him,
Pastor Gary Weston
As for today, please pray for the following:
- Yesterday, we had about twenty kids at our VBS program. Please pray that God would grant us momentum to carry this program throughout the week. Pray that we might reach kids who have yet to make a decision for Jesus.
- Today, a large portion of our group is going to prepare a meal and deliver it to a large "tent city" where many dozens of homeless people have put up tents under an overpass. Please pray for God to communicate His love to these men, women, and children through our team.
- Today at 4:00pm our time (2:00pm back home), we are combining forces with the mission teams from the other two churches for a basketball outreach, at the abandoned school we worked at last year. There are many neighborhood teenagers, and we are praying that they may be reached for Christ. Please cover this outreach in prayer this afternoon.
Again, everyone is well. We are amazed at God's faithfulness to use us, if only we make ourselves available. Thank you again for your prayers and support.
Serving Him,
Pastor Gary Weston
Monday, March 24, 2008
Painting at Pastor Mel's
Posted by: Karina Bauermeister & Max Vale
Katherine, Bryan, Jake, Michael, and we (Max V. & Karina) went to Pastor Mel’s place to paint the wall of a shed. Pastor Mel helps men with addictions and houses them for 6 months. We waited in their meeting room while the paint was getting picked up, and 2 people, Steve and Sean, shared their testimonies. Steve was raised in a Christian home, but his dad was really harsh on him, which led to his doctor prescribing him to take tranquilization pills. Later, when he was off the pills, he discovered alcohol and realized it also “numbed” him. Through lots of struggles and the meetings of the right people, he soon realized his life was messed up and he needed God.
Sean was shot 7 times in his life, two by accident and five by his friend. Two of the places he was shot were his aorta and spine, and he lost a gallon of blood through his aorta wound, half the amount of blood that people normally have in their bodies. He got out of surgery and was told that he would never walk again. He was always into a lot of drugs, pretty much anything you could imagine. He was sober for a year at one point and he didn’t think that he needed God’s help anymore. But he finally realized that he couldn’t make it on his own and he needed God’s help. So he came to Mel’s place.
And even as we walked in, he was reading the Bible and writing everything he learned down. He also taught us that we need to forgive everyone. He used his friend’s shooting as an example. It took a while, but he finally forgave his friend. And he was also walking around the place. He said it was by God’s mercy that he could walk again.
We toured around the buildings, and as we did, the people there were so hospitable and generous. We were walking and twice two people asked us how many of us there were, and one brought us a chocolate and caramel bar, and another one (it was actually Sean) brought us chips. We could clearly see the love of Christ in them.
So we toured the buildings and saw their living quarters and future development sites. Then we finally got to paint. Once we started painting, someone there went up to us and asked us if we would like lunch. We were just blown away at how generous these people were.
We were painting and the person who bought the supplies was there advising us how to paint well. It was so funny because after everything he said he always said “Amen!” Like, “To get in the grooves, you’ve got to get your paintbrush really full of paint, amen?”
So we finished the first coat. Max had paint all over his hands, and was trying to wash it off in the water, but it wasn’t working too well. Someone brought out hand soap for him. We were going to wash the paintbrushes, but someone offered to do it for us. Then we went inside for the lunch they prepared for us of barbecued chicken, potato salad, stuffing, and chocolate cake (Bryan and Max had potato salad for the first time!), which was absolutely marvelous. Then we took our dishes to the kitchen and they said they would wash the dishes. Then we left.
We had a great time, and it was such an encouragement to us to see these people who had previously been addicts to show such strong faith and servanthood.
Katherine, Bryan, Jake, Michael, and we (Max V. & Karina) went to Pastor Mel’s place to paint the wall of a shed. Pastor Mel helps men with addictions and houses them for 6 months. We waited in their meeting room while the paint was getting picked up, and 2 people, Steve and Sean, shared their testimonies. Steve was raised in a Christian home, but his dad was really harsh on him, which led to his doctor prescribing him to take tranquilization pills. Later, when he was off the pills, he discovered alcohol and realized it also “numbed” him. Through lots of struggles and the meetings of the right people, he soon realized his life was messed up and he needed God.Sean was shot 7 times in his life, two by accident and five by his friend. Two of the places he was shot were his aorta and spine, and he lost a gallon of blood through his aorta wound, half the amount of blood that people normally have in their bodies. He got out of surgery and was told that he would never walk again. He was always into a lot of drugs, pretty much anything you could imagine. He was sober for a year at one point and he didn’t think that he needed God’s help anymore. But he finally realized that he couldn’t make it on his own and he needed God’s help. So he came to Mel’s place.
And even as we walked in, he was reading the Bible and writing everything he learned down. He also taught us that we need to forgive everyone. He used his friend’s shooting as an example. It took a while, but he finally forgave his friend. And he was also walking around the place. He said it was by God’s mercy that he could walk again.
We toured around the buildings, and as we did, the people there were so hospitable and generous. We were walking and twice two people asked us how many of us there were, and one brought us a chocolate and caramel bar, and another one (it was actually Sean) brought us chips. We could clearly see the love of Christ in them.
So we toured the buildings and saw their living quarters and future development sites. Then we finally got to paint. Once we started painting, someone there went up to us and asked us if we would like lunch. We were just blown away at how generous these people were.
We were painting and the person who bought the supplies was there advising us how to paint well. It was so funny because after everything he said he always said “Amen!” Like, “To get in the grooves, you’ve got to get your paintbrush really full of paint, amen?”
So we finished the first coat. Max had paint all over his hands, and was trying to wash it off in the water, but it wasn’t working too well. Someone brought out hand soap for him. We were going to wash the paintbrushes, but someone offered to do it for us. Then we went inside for the lunch they prepared for us of barbecued chicken, potato salad, stuffing, and chocolate cake (Bryan and Max had potato salad for the first time!), which was absolutely marvelous. Then we took our dishes to the kitchen and they said they would wash the dishes. Then we left.
We had a great time, and it was such an encouragement to us to see these people who had previously been addicts to show such strong faith and servanthood.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Day Two: Easter Sunday
We celebrated Easter this morning at Victory Fellowship. They presented an "illustrated sermon" on Jesus' sacrifice for us that included music, drama, and preaching. We all especially enjoyed the worship music, which was modern and loud and rocking!
After church, we visited the various ministry sites we'll be working at this week and prayed over them. At Broad Street Mission, we met a little boy named Dominic. He was excited to see our group, and excited that we were spending the whole week in his neighborhood. So as we prayed for Broad Street Mission and for our week of ministry, we prayed for little Dominic too. As each student prayed, Dominic would work his way over to that person and lay a hand on their shoulder to agree with their prayer. He was precious for sure.
We told him we'd be back tomorrow, and invited him to come to VBS and to bring all of his friends. Several students are really looking forward to seeing him again. I know I am, too.
Prayer requests:
-Tomorrow is the first full day of ministry for us. Pray that God does exactly what He wants to do through us.
-Tomorrow, our VBS starts, with Alpha Team (Karina Bauermeister, Zaira Lara-Nava, Ian Gingrich, Becky Smith-Covey, Max Vale, Cory Kick, Molly McRae, Bob Nass, and me) leading. Please pray for a great first day that sets the tone for the rest of the week.
-Others from our team will be helping to prepare and serve food to homeless people at Broad Street Mission. Please pray our hearts will be filled with compassion, and our spirits filled with boldness, as we serve and pray and listen.
All are in good health and spirits. Please keep on praying. Hopefully tomorrow, we'll have the first of our reports written by a student this year, plus some pics for you.
May God's joy and peace be with you all.
Serving Him,
Pastor Gary Weston
After church, we visited the various ministry sites we'll be working at this week and prayed over them. At Broad Street Mission, we met a little boy named Dominic. He was excited to see our group, and excited that we were spending the whole week in his neighborhood. So as we prayed for Broad Street Mission and for our week of ministry, we prayed for little Dominic too. As each student prayed, Dominic would work his way over to that person and lay a hand on their shoulder to agree with their prayer. He was precious for sure.
We told him we'd be back tomorrow, and invited him to come to VBS and to bring all of his friends. Several students are really looking forward to seeing him again. I know I am, too.
Prayer requests:
-Tomorrow is the first full day of ministry for us. Pray that God does exactly what He wants to do through us.
-Tomorrow, our VBS starts, with Alpha Team (Karina Bauermeister, Zaira Lara-Nava, Ian Gingrich, Becky Smith-Covey, Max Vale, Cory Kick, Molly McRae, Bob Nass, and me) leading. Please pray for a great first day that sets the tone for the rest of the week.
-Others from our team will be helping to prepare and serve food to homeless people at Broad Street Mission. Please pray our hearts will be filled with compassion, and our spirits filled with boldness, as we serve and pray and listen.
All are in good health and spirits. Please keep on praying. Hopefully tomorrow, we'll have the first of our reports written by a student this year, plus some pics for you.
May God's joy and peace be with you all.
Serving Him,
Pastor Gary Weston
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