I'm going to try to make this succinct as I'd like to (need to) get some sleep before driving tomorrow.
The last day was an admirable struggle. We visited "Project Experience" which painted some more of the Alliance Youth missions vision. Project Experience walks you through the truth of life in some other countries. Things like sleeping six people in 8ft. x 8ft. dirt-floored buildings with concrete-block walls, carrying a 5 gallon jug of water for 100ft. versus the 3-5 miles many carry their water, being lucky to eat one meal a day and realizing how predators capitalize on these weakness to enslave young girls in the sex trade. This was both chilling and steeling. Chilling in that our kids heard and saw some (only some) of the reality that many others face. Steeling in that it has prompted some of them to take missions and social justice seriously.
The session tonight was led by Jason Ostrander again. He provided a bracing challenge to students to not put the things of this world ahead of the things of God. Afterwards, we gathered as a youth group and talked about a few things from this week. God was more at work than I could see, but I feel as if some work was left undone. I'm not sure what will come of this, but it is his work and only he can carry it through. My prayer is that I am able to be a part in some way...
Pray for us as we drive tomorrow, and pray for our leaders as many of us are moving back into work or some other activity on Monday.
Showing posts with label LIFE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LIFE. Show all posts
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Right past day three into day four
Blogging for day three wasn't happening as I would've been totally incoherent from sleep deprivation. However, today, I feel slightly less fatigued, and am blogging before midnight, so here we go...
Yesterday, Francis Chan spoke on Creation. He is an amazingly gifted man and I (and many others, I'm sure) are thankful that God has used those gifts to bless us. He challenged all of us to see the redefinition of life that results from a collision with Christ. Of impact to our students were the following:
1.) We all have an enemy, his name is Satan and he wants to devour us. Thankfully, we have a Father, his name is God and he has sworn destruction on all who oppose us.
2.) Satan leaves us alone when we are ambivalent or opposed to the Kingdom of God. It's when we start to live like Jesus that Satan pulls out all the stops and makes our life really rough.
Today, Derwin Gray, a mountain of a man who used to play for the Indianapolis Colts spoke, and he is a funny man with insights as big as his biceps! He spoke with us today about the incarnation and what that means for the believer. A couple of great points he threw at us:
1.) We don't need to live FOR Jesus, we need to have Jesus live IN us.
2.) If the Holy Spirit did not come down and dwell within us, there is no evidence of our redemption, no power of our salvation.
Tonight was our big excursion to Louisville Slugger Field where we were to have a concert with Kutless and watch a baseball game. Let's just say that this was one of those events that looked better on paper than it panned out. Kutless was very brave to play the venue, which was underpowered and dead as far as acoustics go. They played from center field, robbing them of the typical up-close-crowd participation. Weatherwise, it was sunny, hot and humid with a very tiny, occasional breeze. Combine all these things and the kids had a hard time getting into the concert. Then we had about an 1.5 hour wait until the game started, in which we got more hot and sweaty. We were slated to do a "Flash Mob" dance (which wasn't really a flash mob, but I'll leave that for another time), and after we did this in the 5th inning, almost all the churches left the baseball game. We were hot and sweaty and had no personal interest in the game being played (out of our 20 attendees, 2 wanted to stay, 2 were kind of ambivalent but 16 wanted to leave badly).
Things have been interesting regarding group dynamics. I can tell that students and leaders are running on less sleep than normal as we are all a bit irritable, but we soldier on. I have to be proud that we haven't had any major blowups (yet) on this trip, and I still feel that something is brewing. What will it be? Who knows but God?
Blessings,
K.J.
Yesterday, Francis Chan spoke on Creation. He is an amazingly gifted man and I (and many others, I'm sure) are thankful that God has used those gifts to bless us. He challenged all of us to see the redefinition of life that results from a collision with Christ. Of impact to our students were the following:
1.) We all have an enemy, his name is Satan and he wants to devour us. Thankfully, we have a Father, his name is God and he has sworn destruction on all who oppose us.
2.) Satan leaves us alone when we are ambivalent or opposed to the Kingdom of God. It's when we start to live like Jesus that Satan pulls out all the stops and makes our life really rough.
Today, Derwin Gray, a mountain of a man who used to play for the Indianapolis Colts spoke, and he is a funny man with insights as big as his biceps! He spoke with us today about the incarnation and what that means for the believer. A couple of great points he threw at us:
1.) We don't need to live FOR Jesus, we need to have Jesus live IN us.
2.) If the Holy Spirit did not come down and dwell within us, there is no evidence of our redemption, no power of our salvation.
Tonight was our big excursion to Louisville Slugger Field where we were to have a concert with Kutless and watch a baseball game. Let's just say that this was one of those events that looked better on paper than it panned out. Kutless was very brave to play the venue, which was underpowered and dead as far as acoustics go. They played from center field, robbing them of the typical up-close-crowd participation. Weatherwise, it was sunny, hot and humid with a very tiny, occasional breeze. Combine all these things and the kids had a hard time getting into the concert. Then we had about an 1.5 hour wait until the game started, in which we got more hot and sweaty. We were slated to do a "Flash Mob" dance (which wasn't really a flash mob, but I'll leave that for another time), and after we did this in the 5th inning, almost all the churches left the baseball game. We were hot and sweaty and had no personal interest in the game being played (out of our 20 attendees, 2 wanted to stay, 2 were kind of ambivalent but 16 wanted to leave badly).
Things have been interesting regarding group dynamics. I can tell that students and leaders are running on less sleep than normal as we are all a bit irritable, but we soldier on. I have to be proud that we haven't had any major blowups (yet) on this trip, and I still feel that something is brewing. What will it be? Who knows but God?
Blessings,
K.J.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Day 2 is in many ways day 1
Today was the actual first day of LIFE 2010. So, we've seen a ton more people that are here for LIFE. Our first taste of that? At the restaurant we tried to go to, "Steak and Shake." Packed. Standing room only. It would've been a total tragedy except that the shakes were amazing!
Went to a Wal-Mart Supercenter to pick up snacks. Good times...
This trip, like any trip with teens, is not without drama. A little here, a little there. Makes for a variety of experiences, and as they say, "Variety is the spice of life!"
To continue the van saga: Went with Andrew Laudenslager to get the spare tired replaced and the back break light replaced. We dropped off the van, and walked to McDonald's to wait (McD's was a good 15 minute walk away causing massive sweating and requiring a delicious fruit smoothie to remedy). After we walked back, we discovered that they fixed the tire, but forgot to change the bulb, prompting us to return. Turns out the issue, though, is not with the bulb but is with the wiring or something similar requiring a trip to the dealership. Fun. Waiting on Enterprise to tell us how to fix that up...
First session tonight was pretty good. Jason Ostrander spoke (He's the National Youth Director, for anyone who doesn't know). He's pretty good. I wish I could tell you what he spoke about, but many other conversations with students have happened since the session, prompting me to forget exactly. Oh, and mental fatigue may be a contributing factor as well.
God is doing something around here. I'm not totally sure what it is as of yet, and (honestly) I'm a little nervous. God sometimes works great things through difficult situations. May God give us the strength to push through the difficult and emerge into his glory!
Went to a Wal-Mart Supercenter to pick up snacks. Good times...
This trip, like any trip with teens, is not without drama. A little here, a little there. Makes for a variety of experiences, and as they say, "Variety is the spice of life!"
To continue the van saga: Went with Andrew Laudenslager to get the spare tired replaced and the back break light replaced. We dropped off the van, and walked to McDonald's to wait (McD's was a good 15 minute walk away causing massive sweating and requiring a delicious fruit smoothie to remedy). After we walked back, we discovered that they fixed the tire, but forgot to change the bulb, prompting us to return. Turns out the issue, though, is not with the bulb but is with the wiring or something similar requiring a trip to the dealership. Fun. Waiting on Enterprise to tell us how to fix that up...
First session tonight was pretty good. Jason Ostrander spoke (He's the National Youth Director, for anyone who doesn't know). He's pretty good. I wish I could tell you what he spoke about, but many other conversations with students have happened since the session, prompting me to forget exactly. Oh, and mental fatigue may be a contributing factor as well.
God is doing something around here. I'm not totally sure what it is as of yet, and (honestly) I'm a little nervous. God sometimes works great things through difficult situations. May God give us the strength to push through the difficult and emerge into his glory!
Monday, July 5, 2010
LIFE-day 1
This will be short as it is actually day 2 while I'm posting and I am trying to wrangle (but not strangle) some guys to bed.
Things started out swimmingly. We had two vans at the rental place when we showed up (unlike JH Winter Camp, when we had to wait over an hour for the second van, or SH camp where they had three vans for us). We got the rentals and got loaded and were on the road by 9:45, which also was advantageous, but one small hiccup: the van I was in had a break light/turn signal out. No worries, I thought, we can get that fixed...
So, on the road, and making great time! A few short breaks. The kids were doing well, very sedate, no issues.
The van I was in (the one with the bad blinker), after about 6 hours of driving was developing a shimmy that was getting worse. Long story made very short: turns out the one tire had a bulge in it (presumably from a weak spot in the tread), so Sean and I changed it. As was pointed out, this was all an answer to prayer. We prayed for safety, and God showed us that the tire was bad before it blew out!
We still got to the hotel around 10pm (despite me missing a turn, or two), and are settled in.
That's it for now! Good night from Louisville.
Things started out swimmingly. We had two vans at the rental place when we showed up (unlike JH Winter Camp, when we had to wait over an hour for the second van, or SH camp where they had three vans for us). We got the rentals and got loaded and were on the road by 9:45, which also was advantageous, but one small hiccup: the van I was in had a break light/turn signal out. No worries, I thought, we can get that fixed...
So, on the road, and making great time! A few short breaks. The kids were doing well, very sedate, no issues.
The van I was in (the one with the bad blinker), after about 6 hours of driving was developing a shimmy that was getting worse. Long story made very short: turns out the one tire had a bulge in it (presumably from a weak spot in the tread), so Sean and I changed it. As was pointed out, this was all an answer to prayer. We prayed for safety, and God showed us that the tire was bad before it blew out!
We still got to the hotel around 10pm (despite me missing a turn, or two), and are settled in.
That's it for now! Good night from Louisville.
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