Hixson Pres. Youth Ministry

What We're "Teaching" at D-Groups

2012-01-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

Backstage passes. VIP lines. Insider trading. Inside jokes. We love to be in the inner circle or to get a private look into the worlds of the famous people we follow. In this week's blog post, I want to give you an inside look into another group of "famous" people: our Wednesday evening Discipleship Groups.

Discipleship Groups (D-Groups as we call them) are not about lectures or preaching. Kids often refer to them as "lessons" but they aren't even supposed to be that. The whole point is to get them talking about their faith, beliefs, struggles and doubts. We want students to have a safe place to ask tough questions or even silly questions that they might be otherwise embarrassed to bring up. Students don't have to have all the right answers at D-Groups. They don't even have to have questions. Many students come on Wednesday night and say very little, and that's ok. The key is that they know they have a safe place for fellowship and open, honest discussion about both the spiritual realities of our world and the day-to-day stuff that often keeps teenagers mystified. Because of this I believe D-Groups are an invaluable resource for anyone ages 11 to 18.

Let me give you an example of how D-Groups are supposed to work. In the high school guys group, which I lead along with Doug Moore, we are currently reading through the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. Amidst the many tangents we got off on last week (and tangents are almost always ok in D-Groups) we ended up talking about how we are designed to function best when we are willing to surrender our lives to Jesus and desire the things that he desires. This was a discussion that the students were genuinely engaged in and were participating in. Discussions like this are so rare in any setting these days, but D-Groups provide the right atmosphere for such rare but wonderful things to occur. Through reading Screwtape and talking about real life situations and questions, we ended up discussing the source of new life: Jesus Christ himself, and what it looks like to live for him.

I bring all this up to make one simple point: there is real discipleship going on at these groups. Students are finding out what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Maybe you're a student who hasn't been to D-Groups before because it doesn't sound like fun or you just don't know what to expect. I invite you to come check it out and see that it's a safe place where you are free to be yourself. Or maybe you're a parent and you just don't see the value of having your kids out another night of the week. I invite you to give your teenager the opportunity to come to D-Groups sometime and to see the value of what we're "teaching" there.

If you want to know more about this, anything else Youth Ministry related, or another topic of your choosing, feel free to hmu (hit me up, as the kids say, which means email or call me.)

What We're Teaching at Underground

2012-01-10T10:47:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to be like all the cool Youth Pastors out there, I'm going to start blogging a little this year. I'm also growing a full beard as opposed to the ole' chin strap beard. That should really aid the coolness. Anyway, the purpose of this blog entry is to talk about what we're teaching at Underground these days and why we're teaching it.

Middle School
One of the key strategies for the middle school years is getting the group to bond together. With that in mind, Ben Jones and Bo Wheeler will be teaching from Young Peacemakers this semester. With any group of people inevitably comes conflict. People often default to very poor conflict resolution skills, especially in middle school. Unless they know how to handle conflict in a Christ-like way, the students can hurt each other badly and it can have a corrosive effect on the group. Hopefully by teaching about peacemaking, we can give middle school students tools and a vision for loving each other, especially through conflict.

High School
High School students need peacemaking skills too, and we'll get to that. But for the next 6 weeks we're doing a series called The Real World. The idea is to get these young adults thinking about what lies ahead in their futures and to help them understand that planning for the real world now is the right idea. Mostly, we want them to see how following Jesus should shape our plans for the future, including our college, job, marriage, money and church choices.

If you want to know more about this, anything else Youth Ministry related, or another topic of your choosing, feel free to hmu (hit me up, as the kids say, which means email or call me.)

Thoughts for Thursday

2011-06-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

Hi, it's Rachel!
It's day four here in Chicago and I'm just having a blast! This is my second time to be on this trip and be involved with Sunshine ministries and I've been enjoying all of it so far :)
Now on my first trip I was in the work group that worked with Sunshine's summer day camp (similar to a VBS, but a program that has a duration of several weeks). However, this day camp (called Summer Blast) has not started and so instead, I'm working in a "STAY" group. Our work involves helping a woman named Terina (and her little girl Shonti) with the open spaces STAY owns across the south side. They have restored these areas and planted gardens to in a sense spruce up the surrounding community! Our schedule works where we wake up, eat, make lunch, go to work until 1:00, participate in the afternoon activity that Sunshine has planned for us, debrief, eat dinner, and have devotions and small groups. Starting Monday morning, Mary Grace Jennifer, and I have been working with STAY. We've been pulling weeds until our arms ache and we are sweaty and nasty. But it has been very interesting to see how an overgrown lot with a small, flowerless garden has turned into a clean lot.
In the past four days, we have worked on two of the main lots STAY owns. Today, we painted the container walls of the second lot to make them more appealing. Mary Grace and I were responsible for planting the main garden in this lot. This lot is situated on a very busy intersection, with lots of vehicular traffic and people walking to a nearby CTA bus stop. It was especially cool to think that the seeds I was planting would grow flowers that hundreds of people will see! So that was a neat moment for me today...
It's been fun getting to know the kids in the other group throughout the week, they have some really sweet people. We've been working, fellow shipping, and worshiping with them every day and I have personally enjoyed their company. With that said, there are A LOT of them! They're a group of roughly 50 people and navigating in such a large group has definitely been interesting! For the most part, we've had no issues with their group and we've enjoyed their company and friendship!
Well for now that's about all I'll say! I've really seen God working through our team this week. I've just had so much fun with everyone of our team members and had quite a few good laughs, courtesy of Don! ;) It's such an amazing experience being up here, and I can't wait to share more stories everyone back home!
With love, Rachel! :)

The Memoirs of Taylor the Great and Powerful

2011-06-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

So today we made an extra bagged lunch to bring with us and find a homeless person to eat with. I was with Morgan and KC and we found a man named Emmanuel. He told us about the mistakes he had made and his walk with Christ. One of his mistakes was the people he was hanging around with who just so happened to be in a gang. Well he didn't tell us how but through some situation he was shot in the head. He went to the hospital and passed out. He then awoke due to a frigid situation, but you may know it as a cadaver freezer. Then he told the Medical Examiner "Hey man its cold in here!". The M.E. was kinda freaked out so he ran away. He then comes back later and takes him to the E.R. where they tell him that it is too risky to remove the bullet. At this point he points to where it is and asks Morgan if he wants to touch it....... he does.
FIN
P. to the S. Don brought a gag speedo and Connor is now wearing it on the outside like a superhero. Ok so that is about it so..... BYE!!!

Chicago: Day 1

2011-06-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

We have just completed day 1 of Bridge Builders, which is our week long program in Chicago. It was a full and eventful day, so let me just give you a fly-over view.

- We woke up to torrential downpours and thunder. But it is much cooler here than in Hixson so we're just fine with that.

- We have begun bonding with the Minnesotans - the other group here with us. The kids are enjoying discussing the different ways we say words like "tag", "bag", "oil", "fire," etc. We're trying to mimic each others' accents, and we're all enjoying our fellowship.

- Our boys got to canvas a neighborhood inviting kids to a summer program at one of the local churches. This was a little difficult because we were forced out of our comfort zones to go and talk to people we didn't know. But the people were kind and welcoming and we got a bunch of kids signed up for the program.

- Our girls were going to do some gardening. But because of the previously mentioned rain, that didn't work out. So they toured some city beautification projects. Then once the rain stopped, they started working on a site that will eventually be used for recreational activities.

- We visited the Pacific Garden Mission, which is the nation's largest homeless shelter.

- We sat under some great teaching from Joel Hamernick, the director of Sunshine Gospel Ministries. He taught on Jeremiah 29, which talks about Shalom, or the fullness that God is seeking to restore to our broken world. We talked about how sin negatively affects our relationships with God, others, creation and ourselves, and how Jesus is seeking to restore all things by establishing his Kingdom.

- We're having a great time here in Chicago and I'm looking forward to the rest of the week! Tomorrow I'll get one of the students to blog. They'll be more interesting, I promise.

G'night,

Morgan

Back to Chicago

2011-06-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

One of the most important things I feel we can teach people in their teenage years is a theology of mission. Not a theology of mission trips...although mission trips are tools we use to teach a theology of mission...but I am talking about viewing and living our lives missionally.

Part of learning to live a missional life seems to be finding places and people that God has specifically called us to reach and minister to. After all, it isn't very helpful to say, "I am called to be a missionary to the Western Hemisphere" or "I am called to reach Humans." We need a way to focus our mission. As my Missions professor in seminary said, we ought to pray fervently for God to "Give me (whatever place you feel called to) or give me death!" Part of what he meant by that is we need to search the Scriptures and get to know the way God has gifted us in order to figure out what place and what people God is calling us to, and then PLEAD to God for him to send us there and give us a ministry there! And then, we need to obey by making that place our ministry...our mission.

This is a big reason why we are going BACK to CHICAGO this year! We want to give our teenagers an opportunity to invest in a place and people so that they will begin to understand this concept of living a missional life in a specific place. We don't want them to just be a visitor or a tourist in Chicago, we want them to actually have an interest there. We want them to feel apart of the place and feel like it matters that they go there.

Whether Chicago becomes the place they are called to on a mission, or whether it is a place that inspires them to reach a different place, we pray that our students will begin to discern where God is calling them to be missional. It could be that they will be an actual Missionary, or maybe they will be called to go to school or work in a certain place, which will become their mission field.

Jesus promises us in Acts 1:8 that "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” We could say that Jerusalem represents a city, Judea a state/home country, and Samaria a foreign country that we could be called to. Where is your Jerusalem? Where is your Judea? Where is your Samaria?

For this week and for this Youth Ministry, it's Chicago!

Post-Jamaica Thoughts

2010-07-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

I'm just now sort of getting used to being back in America.

This shouldn't be surprising to me. I've been on many mission trips, including 4 previous foreign mission trips. So I should be able to make a quick transition from foreign mission trip life back to good ole US of A life by now. But I guess each time I go serve for a week or so in a completely different culture, I come back thinking that I wish I could have stayed there. My guess is the rest of the Jamaica Team are thinking similar thoughts. Especially those for whom our trip to Jamaica was their first experience outside of the States.

So narrow, bumpy roads and wacky street signs = good.
Big, wide, newly paved roads and dull street signs = bad.
Lots of strange fruits that taste like non-fruity foods, jerked meat and rice and other foods covered with spice = good.
Burgers, fries, fast food, pizza = bad.
People who can't hear and talk only with their hands but who listen better than anyone you've ever met = good.
People who can hear but who would rather talk to you about themselves than listen = bad.
Building a hurricane-withstanding structure on a non OSHA-approved work site with little or no experience while following the orders of a Jamaican man who is half drill sergeant/half teddy bear and who sings old Jamaican hymns and songs while constructing frames for concrete = good.
Sitting around and playing video games or chatting it up on facebook = bad.
Being in a place where you have time to think, relax, pray, smile, laugh, stop and enjoy the scenery, build relationships and maybe even hear God speak to your heart = good.
Being in a place where we are so busy trying to fill our emptiness with stuff and activities that we can't see, hear, smell, taste or touch anything meaningful = bad.

And on and on and on I could go. You get the point I think. Our experience in Jamaica was for the most part incredible. Then we come back to the States and all we can see are the ways that the life we had for a week in Jamaica was better than what we have here. The question we are faced with now, and the question we tried to answer even while we were still in Jamaica, is "How do we keep Jamaica alive without living totally in the past?" Or better yet, "How do we move forward in our lives while still applying what we learned in Jamaica in our own culture?"

Here's a few suggestions:

1) Don't forget that there are problems in Jamaica too.
We glorify the Jamaican culture because our experience was so positive and we didn't actually see much of the negative side of things. This is a tendency we all have because we all have a deep hope that somewhere in THIS world there is a perfect place - a Utopia. Whether we'd admit it or not, we all secretly think that if we could just go back and live in Jamaica, life would be near perfect. But it wouldn't. Sin would still influence us. We would still create and experience conflict with others. Natural disasters would still happen. Etc. What we need to remember is that the only hope we have for perfection and for a life without problems is the future glorified Kingdom of God (Rev. 21:3-4), where we will live for eternity with the complete Body of Christ from all time and space (including our Jamaican friends, who though they are deaf now will hear perfectly on the Day of the Lord!)

2) Reflect. Apply. Reflect. Apply. Reflect. Apply.
Jamaica could be just a memory. But we learned things there. We learned that sometimes God calls us to do difficult things even if we're not already good at them, or even if we think we are in no way gifted at them (use sign language, build a wall, visit an Infirmary). We may not actually use sign language, build walls, or visit Infirmaries here in the States, but we are called to do difficult things for the Kingdom of God. So reflect on the times in Jamaica when you were called out of your comfort zone and stretched, and then apply the principle to a situation here where you feel that God is calling you out of your comfort zone! (Befriending someone you find to be annoying, helping your family out or hanging out with them even if you think they are lame, seeking the welfare of others when the easy thing to do is seek your own welfare, etc.) The same principles apply.

3) View Jamaica in its proper context
Jamaica was and is a part of the story God is writing for you. He has you in a certain place at a certain time with a certain group of people for a reason - it's all part of your story, your epic. If you are a believer in Christ, then you know your final destination - Eternity with Jesus. But the time until then is unknown - other than the fact that we know from the Scriptures that God wants you to use that time to grow closer to him, become more like his Son Jesus, and to point others to Jesus. So where does this Jamaica trip fit in your story? How has it helped and how will it help you grow closer to Jesus and become more like Jesus? How will it teach you how to better point others to Jesus?

4) Let it lead to Worship
Above all else, do not let your Jamaica experience be an end in and of itself. In other words, we might be tempted to think that Jamaica or our memories of Jamaica can fill the emptiness in our hearts, or that it will make us completely happy. It will not. In order for it to be maximized in our lives, our Jamaica experience must lead to worship! How will it lead to you developing a greater love for and greater worship of Jesus? What will you look back to about Jamaica and then say, "God is so good! What a great God we serve"? If it leads to worship of our God, then our Jamaica experience has done its job and it will always continue to do so for us.

Say it ain't over.

2010-06-25T17:56:00.001-07:00

Oh, hello.

So today's our last day in Jamaica. Just to stay correct, here's the rundown of today's events: We took the hour and a half drive to YS Falls. I'd really like to know why it's called YS, but i don't. This place is gorgeous. It is basically a water park of several waterfalls. at the bottom of each fall, there's a pool that's usually open for swimming. I say usually, because the rain has swollen the river and all but two swimming pools are closed. AND, since it's a rain-swollen river, it was VERY cold. Oh, but it was lovely. It was nice to swim and relax and, oh yeah, ride a zip line through the forest canopy and down the length of the river. Very cool.

Then we got to experience some everyday culture at the grocery store. It's a fun place to get some snacks and inspect the produce aisle.

Now, since i have the floor, i'd like to make a few observations about our time here at JDV. Once we finished work yesterday, for the last time, i actually felt like we accomplished something. I realise that i really don't understand a lot about construction, but i felt confused for about three days of working. I think i understood the digging up of rocks by Thursday. My team has been outstanding to work with, even though most of our motivation comes from the incorrect assertion that we were the only group doing any work. I mean, come on, i didn't get these
blisters from having snacks. But I look at the work site and see that it actually looks different from when we showed up. We've been blessed with a week without injury (only one LTA), cool weather and some hard workers all around. Man, that sounds lovely. But really, it was a very good week for us working. We've REALLY enjoyed our time with the residents at the village. Okay, confession: i don't know sign enough to keep me from looking like i'm just flapping my arms. I talk with my hands anyway, but all my usual gestures mean things that are different actual signs. So i say yellow a lot, because its sign is the "Hang Loose" gesture. Also, i find myself using "thumbs up" way too often. And i don't think it means what i think it means. But you know, the guys don't mind that i'm inept. and it's not about how i feel about it in the first place. AND, i've very much been impressed by the way our team has picked up so much sign just by being here. We were cleaning up one day after work and i saw some of our guys signing questions to their co-workers without missing a beat. It's so amazing that God has opened up this line of
communication where we were lost before.

Okay, i'll wrap it up, we're about to start our last devotion/debriefing. See y'all tomorrow.

Bo

ok so... who doesn't own a cell phone?...

2010-06-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

I have absolutely no where near the amount of time I would need to express to you all of the elements of this trip that have come together to make it as special as it has been. However, I would like to take the time that I do have to share a little of my experience with all of you at home who have supported me/us and taken the time to pray for the safety and efficacy of our trip this summer. I am currently seated by the open window of M3's community area allowing the cool Jamaican night's breeze blow over me and listening to the laughter of the groups behind me as they fellowship and play a variety of games. It occurred to me that these are some of the most important things we have had the privilege to experience this week.

Primarily, we have grown together as a group in our work and our play, we came together as we planned games for the local children to play on Tuesday afternoon, and we have done everything we could do to help each other communicate with the deaf residents and feel comfortable in this novel environment. The air every evening has been filled with the laughter of our team as we play with each other and the JDV residents. God has blessed us with unity and good spirits and every member has filled me with pride as they have made every effort to learn a new language and interact with residents at every opportunity. The group and the people of this village have been wonderful and I thank God for his sovereign plan.

Secondarily, but of importance, is the beauty of this wonderful little island. We have been blessed with beautiful weather, full of refreshing breezes and cool nights to help replenish our strength for the work to come. The weather has been rainy on and off but has rarely effected our work and though it has become rather hot at times, God has given us enough breaks from the heat that we have been able to work at a rather brisk pace. The beauty of this sweet village has been so astounding at times that it has caused me to sit back in wonder of the loveliness God created for us, and his overwhelming power and love for us. It has, in many ways, been the beauty around me that has had some of the greatest impact on my heart and my thinking.

So far, the trip has been overwhelmingly positive and the people have been wonderful. I could not have asked for a warmer reception, better food, or a more supportive, and downright fun, group to travel with. Continue to pray for our safety as we wind down our work week tomorrow and spend Friday sightseeing and fellowshipping. Thank you all for your support and prayers.
In Christ,
Bethany

A New Perspective

2010-06-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

There's so many things I feel like I've already learned on this trip. Today we visited the deaf school. This was such a great experience for me! I loved meeting the kids and having (very basic) conversations with them. We came back to the village, ate lunch, and went to the work site to do some work on the new building. It rained on us, but we kept working until about 4:30 or so. After we all cleaned up, we came back to the dinning area and had dinner and the villagers "sang" for us to express their appreciation for us coming and serving this week. It was awesome to see them sign all of these songs and show so much expression in the way they "sing" their worship songs!

I have learned so much during this trip. I can feel my perspective changing and my character building. God is definitely working on my heart during this week. Some specific things that have changed for me is that I now realize how much I waste. I waste food, water, time, energy, etc... The list is endless! I feel that my perspective on life is much clearer and closer to the reality of God's plan for my life and for all of our lives as missional people living out a missional life that He as called us to.

The surprising thing to me is that I don't find myself missing anything about home, but rather taking pity on my life at home. I love the life they live here. I love how they prioritize relationships over deadlines. I love how they care more about your quiet time with God than on how much work you get done today. I love how they never waste ANYTHING, whether that is pulling out every nail in every piece of wood, or saving all the scraps of food on all the plates to feed the animals. We are so wasteful as Americans.

What I want to take home with me from this trip is the perspective that I should be living my life to serve God and serve others. I want to start thinking outside myself and learn how to unplug from the craziness that is the American culture. I want to be able to live each day intentionally, purposefully taking time to spend in the Word, in prayer, and building relationships. I have learned that its too easy to let your relationship with God fall to the side and let your own will and desires take the lead in what defines your time, days, and your worship.

I pray that God will continue to work in all of our hearts, growing and expanding our view on servitude and humility. I pray that God will break us from our own desires and devastate us with His love and bring us home with a new found passion for His renown in our lives, a desire to see God working through us and in the lives of the people around us.

Be Blessed!

-Cody

Keylee-Bee Meets Machete-Man

2010-06-22T19:25:00.001-07:00

I thank God for the weather today it was mostly cool and because of Morgan he made me think I was gonna have a heat stroke every day here in Jamaica. Right now Im sitting by the door of M3 with a jacket on because Im chilly. My favorite part of the day was when the night guard let me hold his machete!! I didn't think he would because in the states a policeman wouldn't let nobody hold their stupid gun>:(.---america and their silly rules Man--- well Im just gonna give ya a quick over view of my day because I'm dead beat!! They feed us good and work us hard man:

Jennifer wakes us up twenty till
I go back to sleep
EMily wakes me up
force my self to get up
Read devotion
pray bout the day
Breakfast
worksite
gettin dirty
water break
gettin more dirty
laughiin
workin hard on dem pipes
more laughin a little too hard
lunch..not likin the soup
Lawrence comes to inspect
Lawrence tells us story bout man hammering his finger flat
i laugh
laugh harder
time is up
time to play with kids
head out to field
daysha slips and falls
i laugh
laugh harder
now im upset
daysha fell with my camera its broke
ill live
its got a warranty
play with kids
build relationships
have fun
more fun
lovin the weather
the sun isn't out one bit
the kids leave
dinner...orange chicken and rice
Oh So tasty
take shower...much needed
bother the dishes crew
hang out with the crew
lovin the weather some more
Listenin to Felicia and Damien's testimony
touches my heart
night guard gets machete
i show everyone...oh so excited
discussion and debrief time
Cheryl did great
nite nite time
earlier than usual for me
took 2 Benedryls
so dont have much of a choice
Ima be out in a few

thanks for readin me blog man

--KJ Ova & Out

Taylor's times, trials, and tribulations in JAMAICA MAN!!!!

2010-06-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

The food is AWESOME!!!!! Today we had scrambled eggs, soup and chicken salad sandwiches, and sweet and sour chicken with rice. We also played some games with all of the kids and became comfortable with our many jobs i.e.( laying brick, digging trenches, making concrete and mortar or digging up rocks) So.... that's about it for now so bye. P.S. AWESOME FOOD!!!!!

Keylee rocks on in Jamaica

2010-06-21T17:23:00.000-07:00

It's been an interesting day for me here in Jamaica. The started out with breakfast at seven then we were off to our work site. Daniel, Hannah, Tim, and I were sent on a special task to dig an evil pipe line for the rain water. The task was an expected level of difficulty until we came to this enormous boulder that made us work extremely hard. We each to turns whacking at this gigantic blockage that kept us busy for bout an hour and a half. Without teamwork we would have never succeeded in defeating that massive rock. My favorite part was that it was my first time using a pick axe and the team said I was a beast at it.=D

As we continued it was lightning and thundering and our once clear view of a city in the distant mountains was becoming not so visible. We could here the rain on a near distant mountain and didn't think much of it until one of the Jamaican deaf men began shouting and waving as a signal to go inside. Tim was like, " Uhhh I'm gonna listen to the Jamaican." Of course we got drenched and after the rain subsided we continued to work hard. We were rained out again as well.

By four o'clock we were drenched and covered in mud!! We had by far the dirtiest job of the day, but with a beautiful view of the Jamaican mountains. I had mud in places I've never dreamed it would be. (I know that's TMI but its my blog haha) I couldn't wait to get in the shower, even though we can't leave the water running during our scrubbing and its freezing.

Its been a culture shock for me, especially the part bout not refrigerating the eggs and all the conserving rain water, but it's been great none the less.

I obviously fit right in because all the deaf here ask me if I am Jamaican. Its funny to me.

Well tomorrow is another day and even though my body may want to not work I will because I am doing it for God and that is all that matter.

Till next time
-KJ Ova & Out

I can't wait

Adam Ryder's time in jamrock!!!

2010-06-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

its pretty flippen awesome here in jamrock, i knew it was going to be awesome when we arrived and went to kfc and bought popcorn chicken for 350 dollars (Jamaican money)after kfc we traveled 3 hours through the mountains of Jamaica and arrived at the village, the scenery here is absolutely amazing. when we went to the church Sunday it was all sorts of different because the had a deaf preacher. today was the best day cause we got to work on building the conference center and got to work along side of the deaf which is challenging but fun. jamrock is and will be my favorite place from now on!!!!

Jamaica thoughts by Emily

2010-06-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

Today is are first real work day in Jamaica. The people/Jamaicans are very relaxed. They aren't so much worried about how much work we get done but more how much we get out of the work. The work is very difficult though. It's also very hotttttttt! We have all been drinking a lot of water. It is very beautiful on the work site. Today I did a lot of odd jobs mostly laying blocks though. We had to stop a couple time because of lightning lol but we ended up getting some good work in!! Earlier in the day our foreman Lawrence learned on a wall and it fell down!! Not to scare y'all or anything ;).
The food is amazing!! The sunsets and the scenery are completely gorgeous! Pictures can't even begin to describe. I'm already falling in love. I may not be on the flight back ;). Well its almost time to eat so I'm going to go.

p.s. I would like to give a shout out to my dearest mother(I love you and miss you....you too papa lol) and to my bestest friend ever(you got designer shades just to hide your face :P)

Monday: Daniel ponders

2010-06-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

I am siting at a table in M3 gazing out on the rolling mountain country and sipping tea whilst a gentle mountain breeze stirs the curtains into a languorous dance. Meanwhile, I am being hand fed goldfish, it's okay to be jealous. We have earned it though! We spent the day dodging lightning bolts and sliding down mud hills. It seems there is less mud and more rocks though, making our ditch digging quite the chore. Apparently, most of this property was formerly a strip mine and when they finished with the valuable material, the rocks were tossed back in...that is, right back into the path our irrigation pipe was taking. Hence, most of my teams day consisted of digging 4 ft.2 rocks out in order to make a 4 in. deep trench. The other team mostly sat around, but they got dirty somehow anyway. Well, I am off to pet some puppies, or maybe have a snack before dinner.

First Day of Work

2010-06-21T06:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry that we weren't able to post yesterday...the power went out for a couple of hours and that messed up our internet.

Yesterday we had a few eye opening activities. First, we went to the deaf church for worship. Many of us had never participated in singing to music with sign language. Everyone tried to participate and many said that they felt like using your body as well as your voice feels like a more complete way to worship our Creator.

Later, we went to infirmary, which is another name for a nursing home. The people there lived in large rooms with about 12-16 beds per room. They had the clothes on their back and the bed that they slept in and nothing else. We learned that quite a few of our youth have the gifts of nurturing, compassion and mercy. All were impacted by how little the people at the infirmary have and how much we have. When we get back I think every person will be grateful for our homes, clothes, possessions and Air Condition!!!!

In the evening, the deaf families in the village came to join us for dinner. Some of our kids jumped right in starting conversations, finger spelling mostly, but learning new signs along the way. We are quickly making lots of friends. We even met a couple who live in Ringgold! We are hoping to be able to invite them to church, provided we can find an interpreter, and to some of our youth events as chaperons when we get back. Our eyes have been opened to a large deaf community in the Chattanooga area.

Today, we are doing all different kinds of construction work. There is a group digging a trench for a water line. Another group is digging up an area so they can pour a sidewalk. Another group is laying block to build the second story of the conference center. And still another group is mixing, carting and pouring concrete into molds to make corners of the walls. It's hard work but we are all surprised that it hasn't been as hot as we expected. There are plenty of clouds and a nice breeze to help us out.

Well lunch is over and we must get back to work. We will try to have a youth or two post this evening provided that we have power. Hoping y'all are having a good Monday.
~Jennifer

We're There!

2010-06-19T18:36:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, Morgan here. I have now been awake for 18 hours and I'm running on fumes. But the good news is that I'm sitting outside under the Jamaican sky at the Deaf Village after a long but successful day of travel. There were no incidents or problems. Nobody got sick. Nobody forgot their passport. Nobody got pegged as a terrorist at the airport. Everything went smoothly and we have our God to thank for that.

Probably the most eventful thing that happened today was our game of soccer before dinner. We had an opponent of more than worthy skill - the Deaf Village dogs. Every time we kicked the soccer ball anywhere near them, it ended up in their mouths. Our poor soccer ball has bite marks all over it now, but its still usable. But those dogs have some skill!

Other than that, we've eaten a delicious dinner, we've met many new people, and now I think its just a matter of time before we crash and go to bed. Well...I guess I can only speak for myself as currently our students are doing what they seem to do best: socializing with each other.

Well I'm off to bed soon. Enjoy the blog this week and keep praying for us!

Pre-Jamaica Thoughts

2010-06-17T07:50:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, Morgan here. I'm sitting in my office realizing that in 48 hours we'll be landing in Jamaica to begin our week. The picture you see to the left is of the warehouses and church buildings at the Jamaica Deaf Village. That's where we'll be spending our week! It's been a really long process and our team have worked hard to get here. God has been faithful in providing us with almost all of our necessary funding and by putting together a great team of students and adult leaders. I sincerely believe that he has hand-picked every person going on this trip with a specific purpose in mind and a specific role to play on this team.

Those of you who were around VBS at all last week know that our VBS mission project was to raise money to help the Jamaica Deaf Village buy a bull. Well, our kids pitched in over $1,200, which was far beyond our expectations. But you never know what God is going to do. This bull will be a catalyst that will provide a major economic boost for the Deaf Village. It shows that he certainly works in the hearts of little children to help accomplish His Kingdom plans, and that he has a great desire to see the Deaf in Jamaica continue to thrive and to be a place where his Kingdom grows among the Jamaica people. And the cool thing is the bull might already be there when we get there! I hope we get to name him. Any suggestions on what he ought to be called?

Lord willing, we will have the ability to update this blog nightly, which will be the primary way we can communicate with you. Check us out when you get the chance, as we'll have various team members tell you all about their daily experiences.

Please pray for us throughout the week! In Habakkuk 2:14, it says "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea!" We pray that our trip to Jamaica will be just one small way that the Lord covers the earth with his glory! I encourage you to pray the same thing.

Morgan

Thursday Revelations

2009-07-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

Hey, Steph here, checking in on for the Thursday blogging. We haven't passed out from exhaustion just yet, but I think Rachel and Emily might be well on their way to laughing themselves to sleep.

First, let me say that I am amazed at how much I have personally been changed this week. The combination of service, eye-opening projects/assignments and devotions has been revealed some things to me that I've never even considered. My heart has begun to change, and I'm not the only one. As a result of the tough discussions we have had this week from our Bridge Builders leaders, the kids are beginning to start their own tough conversations. Through these talks, I'm noticing that they are beginning to form real opinions and thoughts that will help them make good decisions as they pass through their last years in school, then onto college and adulthood.

In addition to the great discussion, we are genuinely enjoying each other's company. It's kind of difficult to get to know these kids in the little time I get to spend with them at church events, but here, when we're together 24 hours a day, I'm getting to know their personalities, their likes and dislikes (Taylor loves gummy worms), and although we're up early and working all day, we are having a lot of fun. I'm really enjoying building friendships with them and I hope they feel the same.

Today's project began by packing extra bagged lunches this morning. One lunch was for us and the other two were for our afternoon "Meal Share." We rode the El to the Loop/Business District and were instructed to find a homeless person and interact with them and find out their story, and in turn, "share" a meal with them. We ended up only finding two people who looked homeless, but in total, gave away 7 bagged lunches for whomever needed them.

For me (and most of the kids, I assume), this was completely out of my comfort zone. I'm not a conversationalist with strangers, so this was the task I was least looking forward to. But when it came down to it, whether our conversation was awkward or even if we didn't say the right things, we made the effort to listen to someone and give something of ourselves. It doesn't seem like much - a bagged lunch, but we know that God will work through our actions.

It's almost 1 am, and we have to be out of here by 7:30, so I'll wrap it up. I am SO GLAD we came to Chicago. The Lord is working. In all of us.

In Him -

Stephanie

Humpday in the Windy City

2009-07-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

The title "Humpday" was to signify that today busted our hump. We are moving pretty full-on all day long. Which, has its good and, uh, challenging aspects. Despite the challenges, our activities, the team dynamics and variety of our time spent are amazing.

As some of our updaters may have told you already, our groups are split into three teams. My team is called the "YES" team. That sometimes makes it a little difficult to have a conversation about our teams: "Is the Peace group working on that project?" "No, Yes." okay, dumb example, but you get the picture. Being a leader member of our group has, of course, given me a very different perspective on the way the trip is going. The basic premise of the Yes group is that we work with Brad Beier, a terrific pastor (from what i've seen) of a neighborhood church here in Woodlawn. It's a PCA church plant (woohoo) out of which he is hosting a summer day program for neighborhood kids. The fun with the kids doesn't start til 1pm, which means that we have the whole morning to sit in bed and play games. Yeah right. Since our "real work" doesn't start until 1, our mornings mean we do whatever we are told...that morning...where ever in the lower neighborhoods of Chicago that may be. You see the challenges now.

Today's first project was cleaning various areas in Christ Bible Church (our home for the week). This meant our second day of cleaning toilets and third of watching my crew stare blankly while we tried to figure out how to do what we need to. Again, not a bad thing. Just interesting.

After our primary work is done, we have "exercises" to get us into the life and culture of Chicago. Today's was at first odd, then lots of fun. We rode the El(ivated train) from the closest station near the south end of the line to the top end of the line, then back again. Sounds like a weird idea, i know, but the object is not just to ride, but to engage. We were assigned to strike up conversation with people on the train. Now, this is far beyond MY comfort zone, so i can only figure what this did for the young'uns. But we had some really great conversations with people, just on the train. Some as light as how to navigate the transit, and some about how to best teach communities how to embrace diversity. It makes it sound like a good idea to go ride CARTA when i get home for the same reason. i keep getting all these ideas about stuff to do once i get home. Maybe you should try it in your public transit system.

Let me make it very clear at this point how proud i am of the way our group is rising to the occasion handling any task thrown at them. My fellow HPCers never cease to amaze me in getting stuff done. i am particularly pleased with our Minneh-Soe-duh friends' addition to the group. It took a couple of days for them to understand what i say to them, and i have upset them at least a couple of times making fun of their accent. But we have made some good new friends. i am equally as proud of these young ladies and their willingness to help out. And i don't mind driving their car too much either.

i admit, i was dreading the responsibilities of leadership on this trip in the week leading up. But being in this authority position is awesome. Not only do i get to drive my young folks around the streets of Chicago-Oh, let me brag on my navigating skills for just a moment. As long as we've been in Chicago, i've not looked at one map, unless you count the transit map i got on the El today. But i have not gotten us lost once. we've had to turn around and make a better turn once or twice. But that comes with the new city...and the parks that show up out of nowhere. But i have also gained a great deal of insight on our group. i would ask as i wrap this up without hopefully going too long, that you pray that God would open the hearts of all the young people on this trip to experience the spirit of the trip. We are doing a great job at getting our work done and making things happen. But that is only half of what God has in store for us here. If He is using Sunshine the way He obviously is, then our task here is to change our own hearts using the experiences we've seen here.

Oh yeah, and pray for that smell in our sleeping room. Not quite sure what it is. Oh, and Dan, the Minnesota leader says hi. Think i'll go take a shower in the dark now.

--bo

Chicago, Tuesday update!

2009-07-21T21:36:00.000-07:00

Tuesday-
Hi from Chicago! The past two days have been amazing for me and I'm sure every one else is having such a blast. I've been working with Sunshine Ministries VBS type summer program called "Summer Blast" with Morgan, Jennifer, and Emily from the HPC group and four other girls from the Minnesota group. We were split up between three different groups Emily, Morgan and I have been with the 5th-7th grade kids helping however we can. I have really been surprised with how sweet and receiving the kids have been to us. Yesterday when Summer Blast ended at two we went towards the city and took a tour of the Pacific Garden Mission which is a homeless shelter located in Chicago. Today, after SB we did a scavenger hunt all around the city which included many historical sites around the area. God has really blessed us so far with the people and groups we are working with and I am certain He will keep working with and through us throughout the week.

God Bless,
Rachel Monsees :)

Peace 07/20/09

2009-07-20T21:46:00.000-07:00

Today (or yesterday soon to be), the peace group headed out to Chicago Embassy, which is an old Catholic church that has been recently renovated into an amazing sight. The stained glass windows were something! Once we got there we were immediately greeted with the shining smiles of the leaders just waiting for us to arrive. After we all introduced ourselves we sat down and started on the schedule for the day. Briefly going over the games, putting faces with names, and deciding who would run what game. Once we had finished dividing up who's doing what it was just a matter of time before the kids started to show up, and when they got there it was time!!!
The games begun and we were on our way to having an amazing day. After about an hour we all settled down and ate a lunch of peanut butter and jelly, turkey, and ham sandwiches. We had juice boxes and everything! Next up! We had a short lesson and a memory verse to memorize for the next day, "Christ Jesus came down to earth to save the sinners, oh whom I am the worst." 1 Timothy 1:15. And once they'd all started to loose concentration..... we brought back in the games! The next game we had planned was probably my absolute favorite game that we played! Its called, 250 ft. Scream! The title is pretty much the entire game. You take a big breath, plug your ears (optional) start running, and scream at the top of your lungs and you don't stop until you get to the other end and back where you started! As you can probably assume we gain their attention with that one :) so on to the next task at hand. For those of you who have helped with VBS at the church at anytime will know very well the difficulty of the dreaded task entitled........ CRAFT TIME!!!!!!! :O We started the journey of weaving baskets. Surprisingly the kids did really well. Only a few didn't understand right of the bat but they were quick to learn. Being the 7-12, A.D.D kids they are, they soon lost interest so we cracked out a brand new game that none of them had ever played before! The cool thing is that it was right up Robby's alley! Yep! Ultimate (Frisbee) was the next game on the agenda. They absolutely loved it. Some said better than football and up here that's hard to come by. We pretty much played that till 4 o'clock when they all headed back home. It was awesome to see how much they enjoyed us teaching them some of our favorite games and their readiness to learn.
After we had finished up their we headed out. Since we had been playing, running, jumping, and much much more we all decided it was a must to go and get something to drink! Once we all got back into the van with out sodas and water it was off the one of the biggest homeless shelters in the country (or world but I'm not quite sure). We had a tour of that and about halfway through we ran into one of the other groups just finishing up their tour. The size of the building was awesome! The fact that they had the ability and the money to build and support such a huge building so that the homeless can have a place to take a shower and a place to sleep is just amazing. The size of the whole complex was about 4 walmarts in a square, then three stories (or more) of that! Its just great that they have that shelter and word of God worked into every bit of it.
Once we had finished that we headed out to the Hamernick's house for some long awaited dinner!!! And we ate it up! We had pretty much a taco salad but you would put it in a mini fritos bad and then add cheese, salsa, lettuce, tomato, etc. and it was so good! We had ice cream cones afterwards and then just sat down and shared the stories of the each groups happenings. After maybe an hour we all headed down to the Sunshine Ministries building and learned a lot about all the different neighborhoods, and the way the people related to things in certain ways, and we discussed how that really happens everywhere even if you don't notice it. We spent maybe an hour and a half to two hours there and then it was off to the church (that we sleep in). Most came in and hopped in the shower and some went straight to sleep! It was a long day! But me? Well, a few of us weren't tired enough to cool down and get in bed so we played some basketball in the gym. That was fun!

If that's what we end up doing all week, this is going to be an great great week! Full of fun and games, friends, and the word of God!
Now! Its time for bed :)
Wes

In the Middle of Indiana...

2009-07-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

Well we made it to our first destination: a Holiday Inn Express in Seymour, IN. It is about 50 miles across the Indiana border and probably 3 1/2 hours from Chicago. The trip up was relatively uneventful, which is a good thing. We stopped for dinner at a Cracker Barrel right next to the University of Louisville. There we enjoyed our last taste of southern food for a week. We certainly won't get any sweet tea in Chicago!

One of the best things so far is the weather: God is providing us with beautiful skies and perfect temperatures! We were also treated to a fantastic display of a sunset as we passed over the Ohio River and into Indiana. If the weather is any indication of how the rest of our trip will go, it's going to be amazing!

Tomorrow we'll arrive in Chicago around lunchtime. Please continue to pray for us!

- The Chicago Team

Chicago Missions: The Week Before

2009-07-13T08:09:00.001-07:00

Hello friends, it's the Monday before we leave to go to Chicago for our Mission Trip. I just want to tell you a little about what we'll be doing and why we're doing it.

We'll be working with a group called Sunshine Gospel Ministries on the south side of Chicago. They are reaching a fairly poor area of the city for the Gospel in many ways. They seek the renewal of the city by giving people the hope that is offered through Jesus Christ.

During our week in Chicago, we will be assisting them in any way we can; from working with Summer Splash (a VBS type program), to visiting various ministry sites around the city. We will also be learning while we are there through intensive Bible Study and dialogue.

We will be updating this blog whenever possible (if we have internet access). So check in and see what's going on each evening! Please pray for us as we travel and as we work in the city. Pray for safety, for a strong team bond, for us to be powerful witnesses for Jesus Christ to the people of Chicago, and for protection against attacks from the enemy.

- The Captain