Stress, Friends, and a Birthday Party

This afternoon, after a stressful week and a particularly stressful morning, my friends reminded me of the comfort found in the blessing of friendship. 

My Hebrew test this morning was rough. Really rough. I got up at 6:15 to study at a coffee shop. The test was at 9:00. During the first few minutes of class, I began hearing sighs and under-the-breath groans from throughout the room. I soon added my own grunts of confusion and frustration to the chorus of agonizing Christian Studies majors. Between an extensive vocabulary section and a grammatically complex set of translation problems, that exam caused much intellectual weeping and gnashing of teeth. It was not a good feeling. 

Then, after my last class of the day, my friend Jason convinced me to come running-shoe shopping with him. I questioned nothing-it made perfect sense. We often run together and hadn't had any "bro-time" the past couple of weeks, so I was perfectly fine with spending a couple of hours in town with him. Why not, right?

Once we got to Traveler's Rest, however, Jason decided he needed to swing by Walmart to "look for some khakis". Then he had to stop and ask for directions to the shoe store. Well, he stopped at what happened to be my favorite restaurant in town. Rather naively, I still didn't catch on. The restaurant was dimly lighted, and the lenses in my glasses are transition lenses that make it difficult to see anything at all when a room is dark. Jason whispered something to the waitress and walked quickly down the hallway to the left. Slightly confused, I followed and...

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" 

Gathered at the table were many of my best, closest friends. To their delight and mine, I was genuinely surprised! The stress of the day receded into the distant, murky ocean of my thoughts and emotions, and I was able to enjoy a splendid afternoon of fellowship. Hearty laughs, good food, and all the joy that comes with spending time with people you love ensued, and I was happy.

Thank you, Lord for friends. The to-do list will never go away. We will always be busy. We will always have stress. But God has given us the blessing of friendship, and that will be with us to the end. Thank you, Lord, for friends.      

Little Things: Updates and a Thought

This is going to be a quick, but I am exceedingly heavy of heart that my blog has been neglected for an entire month. I wonder if it ever gets its feelings hurt... Life has been ridiculous but pretty good, as always. Updates:

     A. Hebrew class is intriguing but beginning to be overwhelming. 

     B. I have my first extremely intensive research paper due in a couple of weeks. I have to develop a research question about the city of Thessalonica, create a thesis, and prove it. It should be fun, but it'll be a lot of work added onto an already stressful semester. 

     C. I am officially dating someone. Despite my nervousness for obvious reasons, the "Dad Talk" happened Saturday and went exceptionally well. He gave us full permission and blessing. :) Her name is Katie, and you (If you are from my home town) will likely meet her in the not-too-distant future. She's pretty much amazing. Godly, talented, wants to be a missionary, all that good stuff. I'm a lucky, excited guy. 

Here's a little thought from this morning. 

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32

I look back in sadness on the many times this command would have helped me make a much better decision. Too often I get so wrapped up in trying to figure out the complexities of life that I forget to focus on the simple instructions that God has given us. Be kind and compassionate. Forgive. It's amazing what a difference the little things will make. 

Yup. Me and Katie :)

 

The Pursuit of...What?

I have several ideas that I would like to write about, but I only have time tonight for a few quick words.

The pursuit of happiness doesn't really exist. Even the "spiritual" things that should make me happy-sharing the gospel, spending time in prayer, reading the word-don't make me happy IF I'm doing them in a vain pursuit of some kind of "inner peace." The true root of all happiness is God, so the pursuit of happiness will only end in success if we ignore happiness altogether and instead pursue obedience.

In His word, Abba makes it clear that obedience may bring hardship and persecution, but He also promises that obedience brings joy through a closer walk with Christ. There is a difference between joy and happiness, but that's not my point tonight. I simply want to say this: Ignore happiness. Pursue Christ and obedience to Him, and you may be surprised at just how happy you can be.  

Food for thought: Doing vs. Being.

This is a quick, two-sentence excerpt from my spiritual and intellectual life: Through a variety of scripture, circumstances, and people, God is teaching me that now is not the time to focus on what I'm going to "do." Now is the time to focus on who I'm going to become. 

A Quick Word: Rest

"For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said: You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength will lie in quiet confidence. But you are not willing." -Isaiah 30:15

God says this immediately after rebuking the Israelite people for turning to Egypt for deliverance from Assyria rather than having faith in God's protection. This is a powerful and moving verse, but one phrase stands out to me in particular: You will be delivered by returning and resting. We are designed to rest. God lays that out throughout scripture, yet I overlook that concept more often than not. We are meant to return to God and rest-spiritually, physically, and emotionally. If we try to fight our own battles and develop our own strategies, we fail. God, though, promises rest if we trust in Him and live by our faith. Help us, Lord, to remember to return to you and rest. 

A Quick Word: Love

Some thoughts sparked by a recent conversation. 

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” -C.S. Lewis

Love is a calculated risk. No matter what the relationship-romantic, close friend, family-both sides must accept the uncertainty of the human experience. Trust is therefore a foundational element  of any loving relationship. Without trust, intimacy never really exists. 

The same goes with our relationship with God. I see how I tend to shy away from giving my love completely to God, how I hold back because of my subconscious fear of risk. Denying Him that love, though, is a sure way to never fully realize the joy that God gives us through a relationship with Him. It's a calculated risk. When you factor in God's faithfulness, loving kindness, and selflessness, the answer seems pretty obvious. It's worth the risk. 

A Carpenter's Hands

I had my first successful experience with carpentry today. With an astronomical amount of help from my Grandpa, I built an entertainment center for my cousin Tom and his wife Stacy. It's to be a belated wedding gift and hopefully will last them a good, long while. Along with enjoying the day with Grandpa, I found the age-old trade of woodworking intriguing and fulfilling.

I'm not necessarily the best at that kind of thing, and I likely never will be. However, cutting, shaping, gluing, screwing, and nailing pieces of lumber until they come together as something useful is a hobby that I would like to continue. First, it's a practical skill that could prove invaluable one day. To guide and watch the transformation from wood to object, though, is satisfying in and of itself. With a handful of rough, plain boards, a good carpenter (such as Grandpa) can add just the right touches at just the right places to accomplish just the purpose he intends. There seems to be an aura of nobility to the craft, and the look of a finished product (art, some would call it) satisfies the carpenter's mind.

It's interesting to think that Jesus was a carpenter. We don't know a lot about his endeavors in the trade, but I think it's safe to say that he would have spent much of his pre-ministry days in the shop. In the Middle East in the first century A.D., there was no air-conditioning. Imagine the discomfort of the heat, the frustration of hand working everything, the pain of cuts, sore muscles... Yet through it all, Jesus shaped and molded the raw materials into the objects he wanted.

Jesus really is in the business of carpentry. Yes, he constructed whatever carpenters built in that age, but he is a carpenter of lives even more. We are all born rough. Sin has warped our souls, marking us with holes, gashes, and imperfections on every face. We're fit for nothing but burning, really. Jesus, though, is the master carpenter. Once we become His, we are subject to His work. Jesus paid the eternal price for us-though we were worth not a penny-and is constantly at work mending, shaping, and fitting the broken pieces of our lives into a work of both beauty and utility.

Why does he do this? God loves us. By taking us from nothing and making us into something useful, He proves that His desire is for us to be beloved objects of use, not just a pile of waste. Not only that, but a carpenter's talent is proved by His work. Although we will never be finished in this life, it takes unfathomable skill to make scrap into product. Our lives are to show His glory. For that, I am eternally grateful and humbled. Thank you, Jesus, for the work of Your hands.     

Coffee, Anyone?

It's been 15 days or so since I last blogged. I have no excuse-I've been home and everything. Laziness and relaxation are the only culprits I can think to blame. The longer I go between posts, though, the more I'm reminded of my love for writing.

The last few days have been simple and enjoyable, simply enjoyable I suppose one could say. As always, I've been learning small things in life, discovering little joys, and loving the fellowship with my friends and family (although there are some dearly loved family members that I have yet to see, SARAH ROZIER :))

Some small things I've learned:

     1. Home is wherever the family is.
     2. A puppy can be so stubborn that it would rather be dragged on its back than walk on a leash.
     3. Mom doesn't like chickens. "Aaron, if they peck at me... THEY'RE PECKING AT ME!!!!"
     4. I really do want to own a coffee-shop at some point in the future.

Concerning the coffee-shop, I discovered my love of that informal, relaxed atmosphere almost three years ago. I ran into some friends at JT's Java Cafe, a spontaneous hang-out occurred, and I felt completely comfortable and in my element. Since then, I've had a somewhat childish dream of eventually owning my own, but I've never believed that it had a chance of becoming reality.

On a recent bike riding trip with Mom and Dad, though, I decided that I really do want to own a shop one day. I have various reasons, but it all boils down to my love of fellowship and coffee. Last Friday, we (Mom, Dad, and I) were on a bike trail in Inverness, FL for several hours, which gave me plenty of time to think and daydream. Reflecting over my Cleveland trip, I realized that the best conversations I had almost all occurred in coffee-shops or coffee-shop like cafes. For me, there is something about those environments that encourages me to open up and allow conversation to flow. Whatever it is-the aroma of fresh brewed coffee, the relaxing vibe, the comfy couches-I thrive in it because friendliness and fellowship seem to naturally grow when I'm in its presence. I'm sure that eventually I'll encounter some coffee-shop visits that flop, but at least until now I have yet to have a super-awkward conversation when I'm surrounded with the buzz of coffee-thirsty patrons.

What better way to spiritually connect with people than in such a place? Coupled with my heart for the nations, maybe I'll one day be able to start a coffee-shop in a city with an international presence. I could reach out to immigrants and offer them job training and English lessons, start bible studies, have a platform for young musicians, potentially even start a church... The possibilities are numerous. I don't know ANY specifics, including when and where, but I have at least made a resolve to do it one day, Lord willing.

I still have a burning passion for international missions and bible translation. I haven't a clue how these passions that God has given me will work out or work together. Maybe I'll spend time on a translation project, then come stateside. Maybe the coffee shop will be in another country. Maybe God will lead me on Journeyman or another medium-term trip and afterwards bring me back. Maybe the coffee-shop is a retirement thing. I don't know. I've just learned that God is faithful, following Christ is an adventure, and obedience must drive our lives if we are to be the children that God intends for us to be. And as children of God, we never quite know what's in store for us next.    

Worship on the Rocky River

This week was mainly a recoup/preparation week. We took Tuesday off to settle back in from camp, created instructions for PowerPlant teams (NAMB's summer short-term missions program) on Wednesday, went to leadership development and an Indians baseball game on Thursday, and worked with Jeff Bodziony and Forward Church on Friday (worthy of an entire post by itself). Yesterday, we had another day off, and I went stand up paddleboarding for the first time ever. I am always amazed by the beauty of nature and its power to teach us about its Creator.

My friend Scott and I rented stand-up paddleboards from a store near the mouth of the Rocky River. The river is a shallow, swift-running river that flows through a valley on the west side of Cleveland. Resembling a typical river in Appalachia, it has some small rapids and is lined by striking sedimentary cliffs. After paddling upstream for a bit, we followed the river all the way down to its mouth where it empties into Lake Eerie. I traveled a little faster than Scott, so I managed to make it all the way before the time came to turn back. The sight that I encountered lead me into more sincere worship than any church service has in a long time.

There were no large boats entering the river, so for a few minutes I just stood on the board, bobbing gently in the waves and looking out over the vast expanse of the lake. The cliffs towered to my left, and on my right a jetty reached far out into the lake. The mere majesty of the sight took away my breath. My first thought: I wish I had my camera! My second thought brought me into worship. Once again, God used nature to remind me of eternity. More striking than the power of the waves, more beautiful than the sunlight bouncing off the water and cliffs, an eternity spent in the presence of God will be. We're so small, yet so blessed. Compared to the enormity of the cliffs and beauty of the lake, I was nothing. God, though, sees it fit to desire a relationship with me, to forgive me, to hold me. All I could do was stand in awe of our awesome God. One day, the Rocky River will fade, but the glory of God will last forever.

Nature holds a thousand mysteries and ten thousand wonders. We are blessed to have such a creative, loving God, who gives us with the beauty of a natural world.    

For anyone who doesn't know what stand up paddleboarding (SUP) is, below is a random picture of a man riding one. 

Stand Up Paddleboarding 

A Week in the Mountains

It has been a long, tiring week. That seems to be the story of the summer, but this week was exceptionally draining. We summer missionaries spent from last Wednesday to this Monday as camp counselors at Camp Ba-Yo-Ca in Sevierville, TN, serving as chaperons for a group of 100 students from Cleveland and Toledo. It was a mixed experience for me, an experience in which I encountered some unbelievably frustrating situations and some unbelievably rewarding ones.

Most of the frustrating situations involved younger kids who refused to listen to anything but their own desires, while most of the rewarding situations involved standing alongside teenagers as they began their spiritual journeys. I became friends with one guy in particular, Romella. His sincere curiosity about God and the bible refreshed my spirit, and his challenging questions pushed me to desire God's word more. Seeing his desire and occasional confusion, I realized that I need and want to know more about explaining scripture to others in a way that teaches them to study the bible themselves.

Along those lines, Stefanie, Scott, and I were responsible for planning and teaching a bible lesson for the Mt. Calvary Baptist boys, a group of about 20. Our trial-and-error approach (we didn't know we would be responsible for that until the day of the first lesson) was fun, and the whole thing was a learning process. In the end, I can sum-up with one word what I learned from this dabbling in education: involvement. At least with our audience of preteen to teenage boys, involvement was essential. Our most successful lesson was one in which we practically didn't "teach" (in the lecture sense of the word) much at all. Instead, we broke the group up into smaller groups, had them read different Old Testament stories of obedience/disobedience, then guided each group as they shared what they learned with the others. All we really "taught" was a wrap up lesson, connecting all of the themes of obedience/disobedience and showing how they related to our relationship with God. That took about 3 minutes. I wasn't sure how it would turn out at first, but I found out that praying for and trusting the Spirit to work has awesome results. It may not always turn out as hoped for or expected, but the most precious gold still comes out of simple, filthy mines.

It was amazing to see the mountains again. Man, I've missed them here in Ohio. God's power and majesty is displayed gloriously in those hills, and something about the clean air and rustic atmosphere refreshes the soul. Sometimes, we need to just take a moment to look at the beauty of the earth and let that blessed peace swell in our souls. 

As the Rain and Snow

Last week was less intense than before, but it was every bit as busy. City of Hope did a VBS with the help of a mission team from Kentucky, and two kids from the community were saved. Praise the Lord! City of Hope assigned two young, maturing leaders in the youth group to mentor the converts. Ben called the mentors "prayer partners," and the goal is to have the mentors and the learners grow by praying together, studying the bible together, and bonding together in love and spiritual accountability. I love the idea! Not only does it help the young in Christ grow, but it develops two future leaders of the church.

Wednesday, on the other side of the city, we helped Dan Graham's missional community group with the community garden they spearhead. Basically, the purpose of missional community groups is to meet together regularly, intentionally bonding in love while tangibly serving the city. Gateway West holds these meetings in place of Sunday evening services, to show that the great commission is fulfilled by going out rather than just inviting in.

In the garden, Daniel and I relocated a pile of debris and edged the sidewalk. Later, the whole missional community gathered in the garden, enjoyed lemonade and watermelon, and weeded ALL of the plots (regardless of whether it was one of ours or not). Looking over the garden, with some plants fully mature, others new babes, and still some not yet surfaced, I was reminded of Isaiah 55:10-11...

For just as rain and snow fall from heaven

and do not return there

without saturating the earth

and making it germinate and sprout,

and providing seed to sow

and food to eat,

11 

so My word that comes from My mouth

will not return to Me empty,

but it will accomplish what I please

and will prosper in what I send it to do.  

It is incredibly easy to become discouraged when serving God. More often than not, ministry doesn't move at the pace we want it to or accomplish the exact goal we want it to. Yet, if we truly trust God's word, we know that our obedience is making an impact. By living out God's word in deed and speech, we are remaining faithful to the promise that God provides the harvest. Because of our weakened bodies, we will become frustrated and tired- it's to be expected. However, when that happens, we are able to learn what it means to rest in Christ and to trust Him as the source of all success. Some results we may see grow to maturity, but others will remain underground for a future harvester to gather. As Paul said, God makes it all grow. 

We must be faithful to go out. Those who have a deep relationship with Him inevitably learn that love, obedience, and boldness is the key to true ministry. God's word will accomplish its purpose in due time. Until then, we trust and obey.        

From Cleveland

The past 10 days or so have been tiring and trying, but the work has been rewarding on many different levels. First, our work with City of Hope has uncovered several promising leads. Through our survey work, we have come into contact with some individuals who show potential to be community leaders. As perceived by the community, the area's prevalent needs include abandoned houses, a sense of community, and positive activities for the kids. Next, we plan to follow up with our contacts and work out details of partnering to begin joint church-community programs that will aid these needs. The process will be lengthy and difficult, but we are trusting in God's faithfulness and power. Of course, the goal is twofold: to help the community and to develop relationships by which to share the gospel. Please pray that we will have wisdom, insight, and creativity in developing successful outreach programs, and pray that God's word will penetrate the community and bring souls to salvation.

Personally, the biggest concern I have right now is transferring leadership of the outreach project from us summer missionaries to the believers at City of Hope. We are only here another month or so, and we have other projects besides community research and follow-up that we need to take care of. If the City of Hope members do not take up where we leave off, then our work's impact will be minuscule. Pray specifically that God will raise a group of passionate leaders who will claim as their own the vision of branching out of City of Hope's walls. Among the congregation, there are those who have the potential, those who have the knowledge, and those who have the excitement. Now they need to put one foot in front of the other. Hopefully, we'll get to meet with some of the up and coming leaders of the church Saturday or Sunday to teach them about survey work and out-of-the-box ministry. I trust the Spirit to work in them and guide them, shaping the vision into what He would have it be. To do that, I simply pray that our brothers and sisters will be open, obedient, and resilient.

We've had some fun the past couple of weeks, too. I went to Cedar Point (one of the world's best theme parks) a week ago today, and I found out what it was like going from 0 to 120 MPH in three seconds. Think drag racing with an open cockpit. SO MUCH FUN. :)

Blessings, all. Continue to pray for opportunities, boldness, and perseverance.    

The Week's Tidings

Today, conducting missional research finally became a reality. After three weeks of planning, training, side projects, and false starts and delays, we were able to begin survey work and door-to-door flyer distribution for City of Hope Church. We're working with Pastor Ben Curry, and we are excited to get out into the community and let our presence and mission be known.

City of Hope is in the Hough ward of Cleveland. First, the team (Now officially consisting of me, Daniel, Chris, and Ben Curry) put together a demographic report taken from census information. Then we explored and prayerwalked the area, met with Ben, made a target map, and began discussing ways for City of Hope to reach the needs and be set apart from the MANY "traditional" churches in the area. 

There is a plethora of "high" churches in the Hough community. Catholics, Lutherans, Seventh Day Adventist, Independent Baptists, etc. have a very strong presence, but the lostness and brokenness of Hough continues to increase. Something's wrong with this picture. Therefore, City of Hope has to find a way to show Christ to people in a way that is uniquely set apart from other churches. We believe that the answer is to be seen not as a church, to be seen not as "Christians" at all. We have to be Christ-followers. The "Christians" in the area are seen as the old-timers stuck in tradition who would rather complain about how the community has gone to the pits than invite their neighbor over for coffee. We have to get out IN the community, make our faces known, be actively striving to meet their needs and show them that Jesus really does love them. By just being there we're making a statement. Several native believers here have told us that this community's biggest need is for people to talk. By being different, by living our lives in a loving way, we can show that there is something about Jesus that has power. We can show that Jesus saves and Jesus causes change. 

City of Hope meets in a former Lutheran church building with a school building attached to the side. They hope to reopen the school as a Christian charter school because Hough's lack of education is appalling. The ripple affect of educational deficiency is made evident by the unemployment, poverty, substance abuse, and violence of the ward. By opening an affordable (hopefully free if they raise enough funds), quality school and providing free tutors and mentors, City of Hope desires to begin tangibly improving the community's quality of life.      

Two unfortunate circumstances occurred this week. One, someone broke into the church and stole the copper plumbing. The day after getting that fixed, the former Bishop of the Lutheran church came back and took all of the sanctuary's chairs, a good deal of its can lighting, and some mic stands. Since City of Hope launched several months ago, the Bishop has allowed Ben and his congregation to use the chairs. However, just after we get the chairs rearranged and comfortably adjusted to the space, the Bishop changes his mind. It's just one more attack by the enemy to frustrate City of Hope's work. But God wins. Always.  

We'll get new chairs in a couple of weeks, thanks to a blessing coming from NAMB. On a positive note, we surveyed several streets and made some really good contacts. Several people said that they wanted to come on Sunday, and several others were eager to meet with Ben over a cup of coffee to discuss City of Hope's vision and purpose. It's exciting to see God working already. There will be ups and downs, I'm sure. God has a purpose for all things, though, and even the downs teach us something about Him. We must praise Him in all things, and in all things trust and obey. There is no other way.        

A little Rest

Sometimes a little rest goes an awful long way.

After a week of slaving over VBS, walking my feet off, and helping cook for a short-term team of 85, I have been absolutely exhausted. On top of it all, my allergies have been killing me. Today, though, Kevin gave us an off-day... rest is a beautiful thing. I slept in, played some card games, and went hiking in Cuyahoga National Park. I am thankful for the time to relax.

Tomorrow, my team (Daniel, Chris, and I) meets with Ben Currie (our church-planter) to go over the survey and hopefully finally get to begin the research we've been training for. Although we've been involved in mission work and outreach, the actual church planting research process has been very stop-and-go. Once again, I've been reminded that God's timing is radically different from my own. Praise God that He is in control!

In other news, some of my best friends from NGU have reached their places of service for the summer. I now know people serving Christ in Israel, West Africa, Mexico, Ireland, Southeast Asia. Please keep all of us in your prayers. Especially pray for boldness. If we are to do God's work, willingness to speak/obey is imperative. It always has been. And so it always will be.      

Excuses?

It has been a long, tiring week. Missions work is anything but easy. I'm learning much, though, and loving pretty well every minute of it. Warning for any future missionaries: wherever you go, take a good pair of walking shoes. A REALLY good pair of walking shoes.

Wednesday, our team prayer-walked and invited communities to Gateway West's VBS/blockparty. It took hours... Very long hours. My partner, Will, (here on a five day mission trip) was great. He kept up with me with ease, talked with boldness, and didn't complain about the heat and sun. He offered no excuses... Even though he was crippled. For 5.5 hours, Will rolled his wheelchair along the asphalt and up driveways, even pulling himself onto porches when needed. He didn't look at what he lacked (properly working legs); he focused on what he did have: a relationship with Christ and the chance to serve. He took no excuses. Love doesn't let excuses hinder action, and joy can be found in all things when we count our blessings rather than dwell on our circumstances. Thank God for people like Will, and for giving us all the chance to learn from each other. 

Just a thought

A quick thought that danced around in my head today:

All followers of Christ are meant to enjoy their relationship with God and work to expand His kingdom. Many people see preachers and missionaries as super-warriors who play the most direct role in God's service. That's not true. The most direct role in God's kingdom is found in every follower's heart. To fulfill our purpose, we start by growing in faith of, love with, obedience to, and relationship with Christ. From there, we follow God in our every day lives by putting into practice whatever He lays on our hearts. 

Cleveland Highlight (mobile)

This is a very quick post-a teaser almost-done from my phone. Today, we went to a Bhutanese church. The passion and energy of the worship, the friendliness of the people, and the exotic nature of the language were spiritually refreshing. As a worshiper, I was overjoyed; as a guest, I was humbled; and as a linguist, I was captivated. Their love for us reminded me of the unbiased nature of God's love. No matter how tall you are, the color of your skin, or the language of your speech, if your are God's child, you are family. If we American believers would learn to love as excitedly and unreservedly as our Bhutanese brothers, our world would be a drastically different place. 

With comfort-zones, it's really difficult to wade slowly, step-by-step into uncertain territory. Like a swimming pool, we want to turn around and get out as soon as the water gets cold. Sometimes we just have to dive in headfirst, hold our breath, and hope for the best.

I've spent the last few days diving into church planting. We (My friend/roommate/partner Daniel) have spent many hours with Dan, the pastor of Gateway West. GW will be our church home for the summer. It's a church plant about four years old, and it seeks to serve the community, evangelize, disciple, and develop leaders. Unlike many churches, though, GW doesn't just claim these goals in word only. With Dan's leadership, the church takes definite action to reach these ends. I'll write more about the church's ministry at a later time (once I become more familiar/involved and am not dead tired).

I've had several casual encounters with people over the past few days, whether it was on the bus, the train, the Healthline, or any other time I've been out and about in the city. In these conversations, I try to discover natives' feelings about Cleveland. So far, I've noticed a consistent theme: a lack of hope. People are frustrated with jobs. Frustrated with crime. Frustrated with education. I've met no one who claimed to love Cleveland, and few have even desired to stay in Cleveland. I talked to a young guy on the train this morning, and the subject of church came up. I asked him what churches could do to actually help the people. He replied that he wished churches would help get people better jobs... Coupled with the discovery that 1/3 of the households in the first neighborhood I'll be working in are below the poverty line ($15,000/year), that statement was powerful.

Jesus Christ is the hope that Cleveland needs. With Christ, people will be set free. The drug addictions, the alcoholism, the violence, the homelessness, the abuse... The solution is Christ. I believe that's why I'm here. By playing just a small part in bringing the hope of Christ to the hopelessness of darkness, my soul finds contentment. Christ cares. If He cares, then why do we drag our feet?  

Quick Cleveland Update

The past couple of days have been crazy busy. Everything is going well, and I'm starting to get more of a routine figured out.

Friday: The Amazing Race
      The goal was to figure out how to use the mass transit system of Cleveland. Well, my team and I figured out how NOT to use the mass transit system. Literally, we either took the wrong bus route or went the wrong direction more than we did it right. However, you can learn from mistakes, and we at least have some experience behind us now.

Saturday: Work and Outreach
     Saturday morning, we all did various jobs around the Vision House. It went well, and I now know how to install blinds in a window. What I learned most: instructions are essentially useless. Just do what makes sense.

      In the afternoon, we helped Dan from Gateway Church West pass out flyers for their upcoming VBS event. My group (Me, my roommate Daniel, and the pastor's son Elijah) ended up hitting around 150 houses. It was four fairly long streets, and we did it in around 2.5 hours. However, flyers are distributed differently up here: you don't knock on doors. We just placed the flyer somewhere on the house's front porch, only speaking to people who came out to greet us or were already outside. It was very efficient for such a large neighborhood, but it also highlighted cultural differences. In this neck of the woods, it's apparently generally considered rude to interrupt someone by knocking on their door to "solicit."

All in all, I'm tired but excited. Tomorrow, Daniel and I will serve at Gateway West (Short for Gateway  Church West). Dan is the pastor/church planter that we'll be coordinating with, so I'm excited to get to spend some time in fellowship and worship with our brothers and sisters that we're here to help.

Here in Cleveland

Greetings from Cleveland, Ohio! Today's writing will be entirely to update anyone who is interested in the status of my mission trip. If you are not interested in particulars, don't keep reading this post. It will bore you, and I won't be offended. :)

(As a side note, you can now follow my blog via email if you wish. Simply enter your email address on the right hand side of the page to receive a notification any time I create a new post.)

All I can say is wow. If the next two months of this trip are as great as the first 24 hours, this summer is going to be mind-blowing. And I expect they will.

First, I have been introduced to passionate, dedicated, and energetic brothers and sisters in Christ who are going to become some of my closest friends. In fact, we hope to become like family, because we will need to love each other selflessly and have intimate relationships to survive the stress that living in cramped quarters for two months is likely to bring. Last night, we all circled up and gave our testimonies. There is something stirring in hearing the intricate nature of God's work in individual lives!

We are staying in what Kevin (Our mission coordinator, AKA the boss) calls the "Vision House." Notice it is a "Vision" and not a completed project. It's a little rough (there's a plumber working right now so that we can use both showers at once). Much construction needs to be done, but we'll work through it all. I'll post pics sometime to show what I mean. The unpolished nature of the house will makes life very interesting, especially here at the beginning! I'm excited, though, because our whole team gets to live together- definitely worth any lack of convenience.

The VH is a duplex bordering downtown Cleveland. The location is ideal for missionary work because it is right in the center of the city, and our teams will be branching out into all nooks and crannies of the Cleveland area throughout the summer. VH has three stories and 10 bedrooms. The guys (10 of us) live on one side of the house while the girls (4 of them) and Kevin and his family live on the other side. My bedroom is in the loft, which I share with three other guys. It's going to be fun!

Also, we have two students living with us who are seeking asylum from their home countries. They came to Christ about 5 months ago, and they cannot return home because of threats by their families to their lives. Please keep them in your prayers! Pray that they will be granted extended visas so that they do not have to return to their country where they would be killed for choosing to follow Christ.

Today, we finally learned more precisely what we will be doing. Essentially, we are assisting in the development of two or three brand new churches. According to Kevin, we will be very knowledgeable in church planting by the end of the summer. I AM EXCITED!!!

We began by learning the "regions" of the city as the NAMB workers here in Cleveland have developed. Essentially, we will be prayerwalking each street in the regions we are working in, conducting research necessary for the birth of new churches/bible studies. We will go door-to-door to ask questions such as "What do you see as the greatest needs of your community," and "What do you see wrong with churches" (If they individuals are resistant to the presence of a church." Hopefully, we will strategically document each street in the region, marking household interest level, learning the needs of the communities, finding people willing to host gatherings, and piecing together the overall community perception of Christ. Part of our assignment includes using map-making software to create maps that subsequent church planters and mission teams can utilize. Above all, we will seek to remain open to opportunities to develop relationships with people, love them, and point them to Christ.

Additionally, we will lead short-term trips as they come in from throughout the nation. Needless to say, tomorrow will be spent learning the city up and down, from the bus lines to the ends of the subways.

Throughout the summer, there will be some fun opportunities as well. We are going to travel as a team to Niagara Falls, one or two Cleveland Indians games, and possible Cedar Point, one of the country's premier amusement parks. I'm looking forward to see what God is going to do this summer, through the fun times, the tough times, and the times of stretching that leads to spiritual and personal growth.

Please lift up me and my team in prayer. The prayers of God's people are powerful, and you can pray specifically for...
*Open hearts and minds to the gospel
*Receptiveness to our presence and questions
*Physical needs of the communities (Will update as I learn more)
*Our friends seeking asylum
*Physical protection (There are some high crime rates in the city)
*Spiritual warfare (always a part of any missionary endeavor)
*Spiritual growth for me and my teammates

Beggars at the Door

"A ragamuffin knows he is only a beggar at the door of God's mercy."

For those of you who follow me on twitter, you have seen this quote from me once this week. Rich Mullins was a man who truly understood grace. He knew that he was totally dependent on God's mercy, and he lived his life by the assurance that flows from such faith. Once again, his words have reminded me of the amazing love of God.

Today, I heard an interview of Rich that had been recorded before his death. Talking about serving God, he said something along the lines of, 'To be used by God is not a big deal. Look at Pontius Pilot, Judas Iscariot, and the Roman soldiers. They were used by God. What is truly amazing is to be wanted by God...'  (NOT to be taken as a direct quote. It is a rough paraphrase).

I felt like a freight train hit me in the chest. I'm going to have a Rich moment. Why pretend? The people God rebuked most were the spiritual know-it-alls. Sometimes I can't even seem to get a grip on the simplest of sins. I hate them. I despise them. Yet I fall to them. How am I supposed to be a missionary? How can I be used by God with the simple struggles I have?

With these thoughts running through my head, I realized again... I can't be what I want to be. I'm a ragamuffin. A beggar at the door of God's mercy. Yet, in His love, mercy, grace, and power, God has flung wide open His doors.. The reason I can be used by God at all is that I am wanted by God. God made a way for us to be His children: the suffering of the cross. The wrath of God on His son. The separation meant for us paid by Christ. The defeat of death and sin by the resurrection, and the forgiveness found through faith in Christ. Our debts are paid. "For sin will not rule over you, for you are not under law, but grace..." (Romans 6:21)

God's grace is the ship that carries us through life. I try my best to avoid the snares of darkness. I pray for help. I turn to Him for guidance. When I fall, His grace is there to pick me up. His mercy never ends. I've heard it said, "You can NOT out-sin the grace of God." That truth lets me live. Without it, life is an endless trap, with no way out of our nature of flesh. One day, we will be set free once and for all. Until that day comes, God still covers us with His mercy.

We are all beggars at the door. God, though, uses beggars to turn the world upside down. He always has. He always will.  

Necessary Rest

I noticed tonight that I last wrote a post over a month ago. Time absolutely flies.

School wrapped up well. I managed to fill my last two weeks with lots of... well... life. Much study. Much writing. Much time with friends. The week of finals, my friends and I had a surreal reality check: our freshman year was essentially over. We coped by finding adventures that only finals-hazed brains can discover. Within 48 hours, we studied at Waffle house well into the night, drove 45 minutes to explore a river, searched for a coffee-mug tree (take a cup, leave a cup), went to Spanish church, AND I learned to drive a stick-shift. And all of us took at least three finals. All of this in the pouring rain. Most of it at night. What a time...

The past two weeks have been radically different. The rest I've had was beyond needed. It was necessary. My body is caught up on sleep, my mind relaxed, and my soul prepared for my upcoming sojourn in Ohio. I've slept as much as I wanted (sometimes a bit more), worked out my worries on the keys of the piano, and allowed my imagination to run wild in the pages of Tolkien's The Silmarillion. I feel like I've had a two-week Sabbath, sitting back from work, relaxing, and enjoying the time with my family that has been the blessing of a lifetime.

Concerning Ohio: I will keep updates coming through this blog. I'm really excited, even though I haven't the slightly clue about the specifics of what we'll be doing. One thing, though, God has continually placed on my heart: trust. Trust in His spirit to work. Trust in His grace to use my efforts. Trust in His protection. Do my best, offer it all, and the results are up to Him. For followers of Christ, success is not a marked, defined outcome. It's obedience. In obeying, we find the greatest fulfillment and truest satisfaction that our stay in this world has to offer.  

A Thing Unforeseen

     Most of the time, I don't slow down until I have to. Rushing through life, I scramble from Thing to do A to Thing to do B to Thing to do C. I write reports, talk to friends, help out at church, study for tests, exercise, eat, sleep, and do more things. Even hanging out and quiet time often become more things in the cyclone of my life. 

     

     But every cyclone has a calm at its heart. 

     Today, something pushed me out of the whirlwind and into the quiet: A flat tire on my bicycle. 

     I was out for a ride when it happened. Climbing and coasting through the foothills, I did occasionally interrupt my pace- to look at a stream, a grain field, an abandoned mill... But only when I wanted to stop. My ride was under my control.     

The tire changed everything. In about a minute, it exhaled all of its air, and it didn't breathe any back in. 

Plodding along the side of the road, I waited on my cousin to find me. Everything was calm. The wind brushed against my hair and whispered in my ear. Stillness. Quietness. Just plodding along...

Sometimes, we need something to stop us in our tracks. Helplessness isn't always bad, and we don't always have to be in control. It may take something unforeseen to allow our souls to rest. 

Maybe those flat tires aren't that bad, after all...

Be still, my soul. 

     

New Look?

This isn't really a post, but I am going to write one soon. This is more of a call for feedback. How does everyone like the new look? Any suggestions? You can leave a comment or just email/facebook me if you would like to respond.

Out in These Hills

I have been really slack on writing this semester. Life is nuts! For lack of time, here is my first try at a brief video post.

Here we go Again

This is going to be a quick post, mainly because there are not enough hours in the day for me to study enough and still sleep tonight. College life is rewarding... yet exhausting.

I'm writing because I genuinely miss writing. When my fingers touch the keyboard, a little stress seems to ebb off of the tide that threatens to swamp my mind. I write, and I feel relieved and slightly accomplished. A finished post is a measurable success, no matter how small. Sometimes, that's all it takes to lift a burdened spirit.

God is with us through the stress. Through the mental and emotional struggle, through the "trials" that accompany the privilege of attending a university. Balancing spiritual, physical, emotional, social, and intellectual maturation isn't easy, yet that growth also ends in measurable success: becoming more like the person Christ intends for us to be. The list of to-do's seems to grow endlessly. Whether it's things we have to do, things we need to do, things we should do, or things we want to do, we will always have something to do. With each completion, though, we gain a new sense of accomplishment, gain a new perspective, and learn a new lesson. It's all worth doing because life is worth living. Our to-do's become our experiences, and God uses our experiences to teach us wisdom.

The gist? I just gotta do it. We learn, live, love, and grow because God has equipped us to be servants and workers in this world. Sometimes we just have to get it done and decide to praise God even through the stress.

If only Dr. Rankin would cancel that test... :]