DAY 3 - GULFPORT

It's hard to believe it, but it is already day 3 down here in Gulfport! The team worked, worked, worked, worked...worked today! We finished up all but some final touches on the carpeting and painting here at the church. Throughout the day we had teams getting things ready for tonight's VBS/Block Party at a partner church. We had teams cooking cupcakes and then later cooking hot dogs, making sno-cones and serving up meals.

Another team was working at the partner church all day painting some of their classrooms from which they cleared all the junk yesterday. The pastor told some of the leaders how special this was to them. The church's congregation is largely elderly and they are not capable of moving all the stuff we moved yesterday and doing all the paint work. That team got quite a bit accomplished physically, but more than that they were able to breath life into an exhausted pastor, give him hope for the future and show him that people still care.

During the afternoon, teams handed out flyers through 3 different FEMA trailer parks inviting kids to the VBS and inviting families to come for a free meal and food to take home. We handed out food to 89+ families! We served around 250 hot dogs along with pounds of shaved ice in sno-cones! The VBS schedule didn't quite go as planned, but the children had fun and the adults were given some hope and a meal. We shared stories tonight for about a half an hour on the conversations and time we spent with the people as we helped them make their way down the line gathering their food for them. YOUR kids did amazing! All in all it was a 12 hour workday! I think they're going to sleep well tonight!

Keep sending your comments and your prayers. Pray specifically that we would be able to finish our work projects strong tomorrow as it is our last full work day to finish up our big projects! We love you guys and appreciate your prayers and encouragements!

Gulfport out.

-Johnny

DAY 2 - GULFPORT

Day two down here in Gulfport and a bunch more projects got marked off the list here at the church! The students all responded really well to hearing what Pastor Tim had to say about what all has been happening through this tiny church and I believe that inspired everyone to work hard and press in to get as much done as we could!

The painting crews got 99% of the painting finished, which has been a hefty project. We are painting over wood paneling which requires 2 full coats of primer/sealer and 2 if not 3 full coats of paint. The crews finished up 2 more rooms, all the doors that were left and nearly finished a 3rd room that just needs some touchups after we get more paint.

The carpeting crew continued to crank things out finishing another two full rooms that the guys are now happy to be sleeping in instead of the unfinished floor model that my guys are sleeping in for one more night!

An outside crew went to town clearing trash, empty boxes and other miscellaneous items from under the food tent. This was a huge help to the church as they are getting ready to reopen their food bank August 10. That same crew also helped pick up trash on the property and helped do some weeding in the front of the church.

An entirely seperate group headed off to a partnering church where we will be having VBS tomorrow afternoon. They were able to help prep things for not only VBS, but for the church to finally be able to have Sunday school again. The team cleared out piles and piles and rooms and rooms of old stuff that was destroyed by the hurricane. They then got to cleaning and got the rooms all ready for things to come.

Judy kept busy making runs to Wal-Mart and Lowe's to keep our very fast moving work crews equipped for their next jobs and I made a quick jaunt to Alabama with Sean, one of the key volunteers here at the church. We hopped in the large box truck and Sean let me drive to Theodore, Alabama which was about an hour away. We met Pastor Tim and his wife at the Bay Area Food Bank where we picked up around 3600 pounds of food and personal care items that we will be able to unload, pack and distribute over the next two days.

While I was gone, a pretty cool thing happened. See all week long there have been people that would stop by the church asking if there was any food and unfortunately we had to tell them the distribution center wouldn't be open till the 10th, but as we could we handed out a few sandwiches and bottled waters. One story turned out a little different.

Ricky, stopped by in the afternoon and began talking to some of the leaders. Ricky is a Vietnam veteran who had lost much of what he had and had just gotten out of the hospital today after having a heart attack. When he came to the church, many of the kids and leaders got involved. Some were hearing his story (alongside plenty of adult supervision) while others jumped in the van with Judy for yet another run to Wal-Mart to get some items for Ricky. While in Wal-Mart, Garrett H. suggested they get him a sleeping bag, so they did. Becky suggested that he might need some finger nail clippers, so they got them. They got him a rolling suitcase so that he would be able to take his things with him, without having to carry them all. As they got back and walked up to Ricky to give him the items, one of the leaders said aloud, "Look Ricky! It's a sleeping bag like you just told me you wished you had!" And as Judy went to shake his hand, she noticed that he had overgrown and undercleaned fingernails which would likely get good use from those finger nail clippers.

The kids are being the hands and feet of Jesus down here in Gulfport. They aren't talking about how someone should make a difference, they aren't complaining that nobody is doing something down here and they're not complaining that they are the ones to be doing this. These kids, YOUR kids, get it. They know what it means to show people Jesus and they are doing that everyday through their actions and words! You should be proud! Proud of their work, proud of their encouragement and proud of their attitudes! I count it a blessing that I am able to be down here with your kids, serving the people of Gulfport!

Tomorrow holds wrapping up a few more work projects at the church along with some food distribution work and preparation for VBS in the afternoon! It will be a great day!

Continue to post your comments! That has become a very enjoyable and looked forward to time of the day when we take ten minutes to read aloud your encouragements, prayers and even your "I love you"s !

-Johnny-

Gulfport Day 1 Continued-WalMart Theory

Ok, so I have this theory. You want to hear it? I believe if you take a student to Wal-Mart a couple of times on a mission trip, you will never have to deal with homesickness. After 9 years, I have yet to be proven wrong. Why is that? Well, glad you ask. Every Wal-Mart is pretty much the same when you walk in the door, the gummy worms are over here, the t-shirts over there and the energy drinks in the grocery section. It the same everywhere, in Indiana, in Tennessee and even in Mississippi. It's an instant connection and very calming, like comfort food when stressed.

However, the interesting thing about this team is that they already seem like they're at home. Going to Wal-Mart today was nice, but not a necessity. I think it might be due into part that we worked, played, ate and slept at the church today. We weren't frantically running to and fro. We had the chance to get comfortable right where we're at. I think that might become a theory...work the first day on site so they can adjust to the new environment with ease.

As John wrote about so wonderfully, we truly did have a great day. I got to spend time with students here and there. Hilary was helping to head up the crew of those painting the trim outside. They busted through big time! Craig, Olivia, Trista and Stephanie were out there when I buzzed through. We played a round of the "If you could...", before I had to head off to Lowe's for some more paint. Craig talked about wanting to become a youth pastor. I think he'd be an incredible one. Olivia talked about wanting to work with the younger kids downstairs. She'd be amazing at it. Trista and Stephanie are awesome as well. They were like machines when it came to painting the trim.

I'm still working on getting the three Austin's and two Garret(t)'s down. I know who they are, but for some reason I want to call the Austin's Garrett and the Garrett's Austin. Here's some info on them. Austin Brookes cracks me up, he's so fun. Austin Patterson I really didn't know much about before the trip, but can tell that he's an amazing guy. Austin Fox-Welter will always hold a special place in my heart. Garrett Hess cut his finger on the trowel today (don't worry mom, it was the equivalent to a bad paper cut). I offered to sew it up and let him pick the thread color, but he opted for a bandaid instead...smart boy. Garret LaCluyse picked out some pretty cool shades at Wal-Mart. He's a lot of fun too!

Thanks for allowing your students to join us! Thanks for the encuragment notes as well. They mean a lot. Day one has been incedible. I can't wait to see what the rest of the week holds. We'll I got to go. It's late and I sent you kids to bed awhile ago at 10:45 p.m.

DAY 1 - GULFPORT

Hey guys, Johnny here again and wanted to give you an update of what we did down South today.

Today was a HUGE work day and the team got a ton accomplished. We are actually living at the church this week. The pastor turned their children's classes into "dorms" for youth groups and mission teams to stay at the church to do relief work (more on that in a minute).

We divided into several teams and got to work right after breakfast. A good handful of students got to work in the fellowship area of the church, where we are having our meals and storing some of our stuff. They cleaned up chairs, floors, refrigerators and cabinets. After how many people and materials filter through here it was time for a good 'ole cleaning. Another team was outside in the tent, working on painting trim board that we had brought with us from Indiana. Their was an absurd amount of boards to paint, but they rallied together and finished painting all the trim in spite of some rain that slowed the project for a bit. Upstairs, the carpeting process began and two whole rooms got brand new carpet put down, students helped with the fitting, glueing and smoothing of the carpet. (Don't worry parents, none of the children were allowed to use the razor blades! )
Several more painting crews went to town and got two rooms completely painted from start to finish. A third room needs only a final coat, a fourth room got a full coat of primer and the fifth room got the finishing touches of primer added to it. A couple of detail workers started priming the doors for 4 of the rooms so that those too can be painted. We got things cleaned up, had an amazing spaghetti dinner and then had a bit of free/shower time. We gathered as a team to talk about the day, spend some time in worship and hear from YOU! I read your comments from yesterday's blog and they were a huge hit! Everyone was very excited to here from home, so keep writing!

We then gave the kids some time to journal their experiences so far. Not only did we give them the time, we gave them the journals. Not only that, but we gave them the coolest journals I've ever seen in my life. Laura Vincent, Oasis leader and scrapbooker extraordinare, put together a journal/scrapbook for every student. Each one is unique and has several pages already scrapbooked and ready for pictures of this trip. There are also several lined pages in the middle for journaling throughout the trip. The kids were very excited and the impact of the journals was huge! They will be able to remember their time spent here and what God does for a very long time. Laura, we are so grateful!

Pastor Tim came in and spent about an hour with us telling us the story of when Katrina hit and how things unfolded here. I had NO clue what we were in store for!

Here are some facts about when Katrina hit that I had no clue about:
-There was over 1 million acres of Gulf Coastlands that was obliterated by the hurricane.
-The amount of destruction in New Orleans pales in comparison to how much was wiped out in Gulfport. The only difference is that for several reasons, the news coverage was in New Orleans.
-The waters rised and moved inland as the storm approached. When the worst winds hit 35 to 42 foot waves rose and instead of breaking on the shore, went across all the water that had already risen and the waves broke directly on top of homes 2-4 blocks inland past the beaches. All the houses that got flooded, didn't have gradual water rising in the basement and at the foundation. The flooding came through the torn off roofs and second floor windows.

Now for some reasons why we are spending a good majority of our time working here in this church instead of out in more demolished areas:
-This church was literally the connection between Gulfport and the rest of the world. It was the hub that connected all ministry efforts.
For instance:
Larry Jones didn't only send his team down, but he himself came down to Gulfport and stayed 7 days here at the church in one of the dorms to help assess the damage.
Pat Robertson came personally and spent time with the pastor, helping use his influence to get things rolling.
Convoy of Hope, Randy Johnson's "God's Pit Crew", Compassion Alliance, CBN, 700 Club all came to THIS church to help out.
A Disney producer came over to work and told the pastor "Don't tell them who I am, I just want to help work."
President George W. Bush was here and spent some time with Pastor Tim and told him that what was happening here at the church was more than the government was even able to pull off.
This church can house around 50 volunteers and in order to help the sustaining efforts to rebuild and give hope to those in Gulfport, we are helping to strengthen this ministry so that it can continue to help meet the needs of the community.

If you're wondering exactly what they were able to pull off, here ya go:
-In 7 days they were able to distribute over 50 truckloads of food, each truck's goods averaged a retail value of $50,000.
-6,000 hot meals were served the day after the storm, 9,000 the second day and then were able to setup several more distribution centers in the community at partnering churches and parking lots.
-They continued to serve 8-12,000 hot meals a day for 5 weeks.

They had food, they had hands and hearts, but the main thing they needed was fuel to pass out along with the 3,000 generators that were given so the community could have power back long before utilities infrastructures were rebuilt. Through a quick news interview, word spread across the country of the need of fuel, since Gulfport gas stations were wiped out and didn't being having gasoline for weeks. Truckers began pulling in off the highway saying, "Pastor, take 25 gallons out of my tank" College students from Chicago drove 17 hours with a trailer full of 55 gallon diesel drums. Farmers donated thousands of gallons of fuel that they had on their farms for their equipment.

And Pastor Tim was the first to admit that no entity, this church included, could have done what was accomplished. The CHURCH did this. And that is why we are here.

WE HAVE ARRIVED!

We have officially arrived down here in Gulfport, Mississippi. We had fantastic travel the whole way through. The flights went well and we got into Birmingham safely. We met up with our luggage caravan at the airport and got a quick bite to eat before we made the 5 hour trek from Birmingham down to Gulfport. We pulled into the church where we will be staying, talked to the pastor's wife for a bit and dropped some of our stuff off.

We loaded everyone back up in the vans and drove down to the main road that runs along the beach here. For awhile we drove down this street just taking in exactly how much damage there was and still is from the Hurricane. We saw entire blocks where houses were just washed away and all that remained was the concrete slab that was the foundation. Giant trees were leaning over, while still some others were completely uprooted. We stopped by what used to be a gated community with condominiums/apartments, something that would be equivalent to Main Street Villas/Apartments back home. The damage that we saw looking in from the front gate was horrific. All the students really began to fully grasp how drastically people's lives were altered.

We spent a few minutes on the beach debriefing the day and really focusing in on why we're down here and how we're going to honor, serve and love each other as well as those that we are here to minister to. The team is ready! They are eager to serve and work hard! They are ready to love on the kids at VBS! It's going to be a great week!

We're turning in for the night, but we will be posting our activities regularly while we're here. If you want to leave a comment for your student or the team as a whole, go ahead and we will try and read some encouraging notes from home!

-Johnny

Gulfport, MS - It Just a Matter of Time

Just a few more hours and we'll be on our way to Gulfport, MS. Yes!!!! The only thing you'll be seeing on this site are updates...so stay tuned.

The van with all the luggage took off today. We hit a little bump in the road with the trailer lights. I now know more about trailer light adapters than I ever knew or wanted to know. Did you know it's almost impossible to find a small five prong (pole) round adapter to fit into a flat four trailer plug. The six prong adapters were too large in diameter and the four prong adapters were perfect in diameter but, of course, didn't line up with the five prongs. Who knew? (Never mind, someone probably does out there somewhere). No luck at Auto Zone, Pep Boys, Auto One, Wal-Mart, Meijers or U-Haul...ugh. The guy at U-Haul was awesome and saved the day, he rewired the thing in 15 minutes and they were on their way.

A side note about the team. They're awesome. They all seem to get alongs so well. It's going to be amazing! Pray we have eyes to see and ears to hear what Jesus wants to do in us and through us. I know a lot of friendships are going to be formed in the team this week as well. Pray that they are friendships that will last...that our students will have someone to love and serve Jesus alongside them for a long time. More later.

Box Score for Camp Adventure 2006

22 Accepted Jesus into his/her heart for the first time.
160 Recommitted his/her life to Jesus.
4 Learned a lot, but haven't made a decision to follow Jesus yet.
8 Had an amazing time.
2 Not present at commitment night due to a baseball game (ugh!!)
___
196 Students Total

I'm grateful for many things at camp this year.
1. We go to a church where the gospel is presented very clearly a number of times a year. Way back in the day you would have seen a higher number of students who accepted Jesus into his/her heart for the first time at camp and a lower number of recommitments. I love the progress we've made in recent years to be very intentional about leading people to Christ and helping them to remember exactly when by marking the moment through the bridge, rocks at the cross, signing their name on the last supper pic, etc.
2. Being led by an amazing senior pastor...seriously, his wisdom...words cannot express. He's been directing Camp Adventure for nearly four decades...yes, you read that right, decades. The fact that he's passing the baton off to the three of us - Corey, John and I - is a privilege and honors that, once again, words cannot express.
3. Rockin' both weeks with the Mann and Keimster. I am grateful. My prayer is that our stance on top of the blob tower (forming a triangle, having each others back) be not only a symbol of today, but things to come.
4. The week with Rob, who infused his passion in me for Jesus years ago. I owe you a lot brother. I am who I am today because of your faith in me over a decade ago. Thanks for being a Joshua.

I'm Comfortable in My Skin

I've been thinking through some things lately, so this blog is more for me than for you.

I continually want to take my "next step". I want to grow wiser, get better and all that good stuff. I don't know if it's age (I'm very close to being yet another year older) or what, but for perhaps the first time in my life, I'm rejoicing about who I've become. Instead of wishing this or that, I'm content with who I am. Maybe it will last for a moment, maybe for a day, hopefully, forever.

One area I'm content in is my leadership. Don't get me wrong, I've got a lot of growing to do and a lot of insecurities to get over, I'm not arrogant or naive enough to believe otherwise. I could give you a list of my weaknesses, but would rather not. However, here are five areas where I've discovered who I am and where I land, despite whether others around me agree is correct thinking in regard to leadership.

1. I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. I have this theory that leaving a room as good if not better than you got it is just plain the right thing to do. After the kids are gone, I still help clean up until the job is done and the lights are turned off. Granted I have a team that helps make it a whole lot faster, but I think there is something in them seeing me flush toilets, clean tables and take out the trash. Some would say that me vacuuming is not a good use of my time and, if I did a whole lot of it, I would agree with them. However, a few minutes here and there, keeps me grounded, keeps me humble and reminds me of how I got to where I am today. I like that about myself.

2. Some would say that all of your time and attention should go to the leaders of leaders, to which I agree...kinda. While I try to focus on the leaders of leaders the most, I ensure that those behind the scenes, who may not feel like they matter as much as the high profile person, get my prayers and attention too. I try to be very intentional about telling them how grateful I am and how much what they're doing matters - that what they do does not go unnoticed. I like that about myself.

3. I'm conservative, but not oblivious to what's going on around me. Someone once told me that I don't see what's next, but what's five years up the road. I see how one decision will lead into the next and where that will take me or someone if we venture down that road. I could go into a thousand different ways on how that affects my decision making, but I won't. However, I will say that it's prevented a lot of train wrecks from happening in my life and I like that about myself.

4. I'm loyal to the core. Sometimes what people who matter most to me do drives me absolutely insane, to the point where I feel like throwing in the towel on the relationship. However, I've watched people throw in the towel and have realized that once you throw in the towel the first time, it's easier to do it the next...so I just refuse and I like that about myself.

5. One of my areas of giftedness is in discernment and problem solving. I see things in body language and hear things in voice tones that others don't. This lends itself to being a good problem solver and the one people look to when "issues" arise. Someone recently told me "Judy, you're good at that. It's shaped based stuff." My first thought was, "I don't think I want that shape, often times it's not very fun." Upon further thought, despite how draining it can be, I've decided I like that about myself...at least for the moment.

This is not meant to be an ego stroke kind of blog. I'm not sure where I've landed is even right, but it's who I am...and I'm ok with that.

Put the Razor Away

Lesson 4: Remind counselors to keep their razors in their bag.

While one of our guy counselors was in the bathroom, one his campers decided to "borrow" his razor and give himself a reverse mohawk. I was dreading that call to the mom. Gratefully, she was amazing and said that she totally understood...that her son was always five steps ahead of her and that she was more concerned with whether he had connected with anyone (which he totally had). After some evening out, his cut looked normal...well almost.

Celebrate the Victories

Lesson 3: I can do a thousands things right and one thing wrong and, you guessed it, I park on the thing I did wrong (or the things I could of done better). I've decided not to do that anymore...or at least try not to. It sucks the life right out of you. It makes things not fun!

Don't get me wrong, you need to evalute yourself in regard to what went well, what can be improved upon and where "you blew it". That's not the point. The problem is parking on the "you blew it", even when it's few and far between.

The other thing I noticed is that people have a tendancy to help you park on the "you blew it" moments. People are too quick, in church and life, to remind you of the "you blew it" moments and not remind you of the "you knocked it out of the park" moments. Why is that? Insecurities in themselves, we're an ungrateful people, that really is what we remember...whatever it is, we need to reprogram our minds.

It was worth it!

Lesson 2: Do Whatever It Takes

Two girls at camp were homesick last week (actually only one, the other one was just being sucked into it). There were many extenuating circumstances that I can't go into that required excessive amounts of TLC. I knew if I could keep them through Tuesday night, everthing would probably be ok. So I worked it...big time! I stayed in contact with the moms and they worked it...big time! At one low point, I wondered whether it was all worth it. There were 122 students at camp and these two, while they were amazing, were consuming enormous amounts of my time just to keep them there. The answer to whether it was all worth it came Wednesday night at Commitment Night when the two girls rasied their hands when asked "who accepted Jesus into their heart tonight". These weren't "recommitments" but "first time commitments". The next morning when I heard one of the girls say it out loud to her mom, it truly blessed my heart. I was glad I stuck with it. I was glad I had the opportunity to witness it. I loved it and I love them. They're pretty amazing girls that have seen and been through more than middle school students should ever see or go through. Satan truly is battling for the hearts and minds of our kids. You can't have 'em dude!

My Knight in Shining Armor (ok, maybe it was a t-shirt and jeans)

What haven't I done lately...many lessons learned. I'll share a few in the coming days.

Lesson 1...

Soap in the eyes + more soap in the eyes + more soap in the eyes = Allergic Conjunctivitis - or as I say "With (Spanish word "Con") Junk in the Eyes".

Corey had this amazing idea (it really was amazing and I'd do it again in a heartbeat) of us (John, Corey and myself) getting totally suds up for the Friday night Camp Adventure mass slip and slide so he bought three colors of dish soap and we poured it on big time...head to toe. Unfortunately, I didn't tighten my goggles enough and a good portion of it went straight from my head into my eyes.

It hurt and hurt bad! 20 hours, four showers, an eye rinse by nurse Jody and a jump off the high dive didn't stop the tears from streaming down the left side of my face or prevent my eye lid from swelling three times its normal size. Fortunately we were in our final hours of camp.

So, camps over and we're having our annual post-camp gathering at McDonalds. I call my amazing administrative assistant, Chris, to make sure the camp bus got back ok and she willingly calls my eye doctor for me to see what my eye remedy might be (I'm thinking a whole lot of Visine - you know, "get's the red out"). Word back...If her eye is still bothering her that much she needs to come in right away cause something could have detached from something and that's not good (I'm not sure what she said, but in my mind it was like the retina from the cornea)...oh yeah, and she shouldn't be driving!

Chris, predicted my response..."oh, somethin' somethin' didn't detach from somethin' somethin'... and I can drive just fine...as long as I keep my left eye shut anyway." It was, however, just enough to freak me out a little. I ditched them at Mc-a-dee's and went staight to my eye doctor, which I had exactly 8 minutes to see before I had to head out for a two hour drive to a wedding. I'm praying on the way in, "please Jesus don't let there be any one waiting." Unfortunately, there was. The doctor was in with someone and had another guy waiting. However, the guy waiting sees the predicament I'm in and offers to let me go first which was very cool. He was like a knight in shining armor. I was grateful.

And...as it turns out...somethin' didn't detach from somethin'. I just had an eye infection, which would only have gotten worse as the weekend progressed.

Camp Adventure Week 2

We're hours away! Friends, family, fellow bloggers...be praying. I'm excited that I'm just as much excited about week two as I was about week one. This is the first time we've done two camps, so I wasn't sure how it or I would feel. We have 121 campers who will have an opportunity to figure out their next step for Jesus this week. Pray that they not only discover it, but take it too! I love Camp Adventure! The focus will be the five wins...

Invest and invite
Take your next step
Have a friend, be a friend
Serve (at least once a month)
Read your Bible

Camp Postings Later...

Went to the Silverhawks game last night with some great friends - two of which got recruited to be vegetables. It was absolutely hilarious. No clues on who they are... it just might show up as a Camp Adventure Bible Quiz tie breaker. Ok, maybe just one clue, one's the corn and the other the carrot (neither one could see a thing). Good times.

Hmmmm

Looked at a house today - small and clean with a killer yard. I want it, but will probably refrain from buying it. Turns out a pastor lives on one side and a "confirmed bachelor" lives on the other. I'm not sure why the seller used the words "confirmed bachelor" over the phone when I called for an appointment to see the house, but I thought it was pretty funny (I'm not thinking it was prophetic at this point). I told Johnny I was going to check it out yesterday afternoon and his response was "What the house or the bachelor?" I thought that was pretty funny too. Good one John:)

Under the Overpass

After hangin' out with Kurt Salierno, who chooses to spend three nights on the streets of Atlanta each week, I picked up this book. It's a good easy read. It's talks about the adventure and learnings of two middle class guys, Mike and Sam, who chose to live on the streets as homeless men for five months.

627 students and leaders - it was a party!

My last time with the 8th grade students was incredible. I love and will miss them dearly. The last three years was an awesome journey. There's nothing better than middle school ministry!

The first "official" time with the incoming 6th grade students. I'm looking forward to getting to know them. I've met a number of them already and they seem incedibile.

I'm excited to get to spend one or two more years with the incoming 7th and 8th grade students. Let the party continue!

Cadre Promo

I've been a part of a mentoring program with Jeanne Mayo, affectionately known as the Cadre, over the last 9 months. While 95% of the time my life is very, very, very good, there are times I feel alone on an island as a female youth pastor. In addition to Jeanne sharing her incredible wisdom and ideas, I've meet some of the most authentic, caring people ever by being a part of the Cadre. If you're a youth pastor (male or female) find out more info about the Cadre here. In addition to having an incredible Home Team here at Granger, it's great to connect with others in the trenches of youth ministry outside our four walls.

What in the World?

Don't you wonder what's going through this poor pony's/horse's mind?

More Cool Hungry2Serve Pics

I caught a fish!

Judy can't catch them in Georgia or Colorado, but she can in good ol' Michigan. Here's the pic to prove it. The fact that it's only a quarter of an inch long does not negate the fact that I caught a fish!

Johnny's shocked (not really, I just liked the pic).

Hungry2Serve - Manowe

Steven - a little wigged out on bug juice.
















How much fence can 65 people paint brown in an hour? A whole lot!












































We caught everything but the kitchen sink - fish, frogs and turtles, oh my!
















Three very cool guys - Cory, Jeremy and Grant

Hungry2Serve - Tyler

When Tyler first arrived on Friday night, he looked petrified. However, he quickly jumped in and cracked us up all weekend long.

The New Recruits

Here's a pic of some of our incoming sixth grade students a couple of weeks ago. I got a chance to talk to quite a few. They're incredible!

Second Greatest Commandment: Love Others Well

One of our students lost her mom to cancer this week. While I know my Oasis friend and her mom will one day be reunited in heaven for all eternity, I know she will feel the loss in days to come.

After a bunch of Oasis leaders went to the viewing, we were talking at Hacienda how to help our friend in the days to come. We came up with a pretty good plan and even put it on the calendar. If there is a lesson I've learned over and over again lately, it's "what gets put on the calendar is what gets done." If you don't put things on the calendar, one day just slips into the other and you are left with nothing but your good intentions. Good intentions won't get you where you want to go in life.

I am so proud of our leaders, numerous have called our friend and there were over a dozen of us who showed up at the funeral. If there is something I want students to catch at Oasis, it's how to love others well (second, of course, to the first commandment of loving God well). I'm committed to learning how to do that better in the coming days. I think sometimes in life we are afraid to because it means developing new relationships when we can't even maintain old ones well. We've got to sort through that and figure it out.

Barely Funny Jokes of the Day

Lois: Why did the firefly keep bumping into things?
Lola: I give up.
Lois: Becasue he wasn't very bright.

Clayton: What happens when you don't dust your mirror?
Clementine: Who knows?
Clayton: It gives you a dirty look.

Barnabas: What happened to the dog that swallowed the clock?
Bartholomew: My mind is blank.
Barnabas: He got a lot of ticks!

Some of the greatest youth pastors in the world

Three States in Eight Days! Indiana to Georgia to Colorado to Georgia to Alabama and back to Indiana. Great Times!















Junior High Summit - Estes Park, Colorado





















The Cadre - Stone Mountain, Georgia

Ben and Kristen - Argo, Alabama

Estes to Atlanta

What an amazingly incredible whirlwind of a trip. Hung out with some amazing junior high youth pastors in Estes Park with some awesome discussion on the Gospel, then off to Atlanta for some more hang out time with, once again, some amazing youth pastors. The passion for teenagers in both places was off-the-chart. I love these types of gatherings with only 20-30 people. It beats the conferences of thousands hands down.

Tonight I'm off to Alabama to see two of my favorite people in all the world - Ben and Kristin. Won't be able to stay long, but it will be great to see them -- to pour into them, like I've been poured into over the last couple of days.

What a journey!

Bullseye

Oops...Heather got a little too close. No problem, at least I have a nice view. If I had to get impaled somewhere, Estes Park would be a top pick.

Speaking of archery, camp is right around the corner. Did you sign-up yet?

Pic from Estes Park

Ripped this pic off Marko's site. This is the view right outside our front door. That's the lake in which I had absolutely no luck catching any fish. I think they've caught on to the whole fake bait deal. However, the guys that were fly fishing were doing pretty good! As goofy as it sounds, I found spending time fishing to be a great time of reflection on life. These last couple of days have been an incredible time with Jesus, alongside some very amazing people with love middle school students as much as I do.

It was worth the trip!

Crazy, fun days. Left Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. for Atlanta. Rolled into my Atlanta hotel after only stopping to refuel at 6:30 a.m. All I wanted to do was sleep for three hours and get a hot shower before my 10:50 a.m. flight to Denver. At about 7:20 a.m. the transfomer blows and the electricity shuts off. Now I'm freaked out that I'm going to not wake up so make a quick call to mama to wake me. Took a shower in the dark, that was interesting. Read a book on the plane between 10 minutes naps and arrived in Denver.

Made the drive up to Estes Park with some incredibly cool youth pastors. Upon arrival, all I can say is WOW! It's gorgeous. Words can't even describe the view. So far, had some very interesting discussions on atonement and the gospel. Spent some time doing archery and fishing. Surrounded by great people, a great view and a whole lot of Elk, what more could you ask for! Estes Park Rocks!

PEACE

A heart at peace gives life to the body. Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)

Keep your heart in peace; let nothing in this world disturb it: everything has an end.
Saint John of the Cross

Jesus said, "I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid." John 14:27 (NLT)

A Wise Woman Once Said...

"Don't become so busy "doing" the works of God that you fail to spend time just "being" with Him. For when you spend too much time "doing" and not enough time "being," ego has no where to go except to rise to the top."

I've meditated on those words ever since I heard them on Thursday.

Here are a couple more thoughts on ego...
"God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves." Dwight L. Moody

"For those who would learn God's way, humility is the first thing, humility is the second, humility is the third." Saint Augustine of Hippo (I know, I thought the name was funny too)

Reverence for the Lord is an education in itself. You must be humble before you can ever receive honors. Proverbs 15:33 GNT

Luke 18:14 (The Message)

Jesus said, "If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face, but if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."

Top Ten Things I learned this Weekend

1. Lori and Kurt Salierno are rockin' this world for Jesus in incredible ways. The closer I get to them, the more amazing I realize they truly are.

2. Lori has the gift of encouragement like my friend Jeanne Mayo. I want to learn and grow to be more like them in that area of my life. Once again, I realized that it's easier to be encouraging when you are around people that encourage you in specific, identifiable and genuine ways.

3. Students want to be transformed into Christs' likeness and one significant way they are transformed is through experiences. Lori did an awesome job of inspiring us with her words and stories this weekend, but Kurt transformed us by allowing us to experience homeless ministry in a downtown Atlanta park. While we need both inspiration and transformation, transformation is what students are hungry for. Almost unanimously in my van, students' most memorable moment this weekend was doing homeless ministry in the Atlanta park. The second highlight was climbing Stone Mountain. What do the two have in common, students got to experience (1) being the hands and feet of Jesus and (2) what God's creation looks like from the top of Stone Mountain they conquered by climbing. They didn't just hear about serving and God's creation, they experienced it for themselves.

4. When it comes to homeless ministry (actually, I think anybody)...
a. Introduce yourself by asking them their name, telling them yours and by shaking their hand (touch is important).
b. Learn their name and say it at least three times during the conversation (names are important).
c. Ask them about themselves because talking about yourself is everyone's favorite subject (conversations are important).
d. Ask them for one thing that you could pray for them for (prayer is important).

5. Everything really does take 2-3 times longer than you think it should - including bathroom breaks.

6. I've got kickin' cool female leaders and they are all unique in their own God given way.

7. I love middle school students, I love my job and I love my church.

8. I loved doing and experiencing ministry with my sister. She's really cool!

9. In downtown Atlanta:
a. If you're sleeping on the streets, don't sleep up against a wall. Rats have poor eyesight at night, so they scurry next to the walls.
b. There are more male than female prosititutes. They turn tricks for $5, so they can buy $7 worth of crack cocaine.
c. Stay on the sidewalks. You shouldn't walk in the grass at parks where there are a lot of homeless and drug addicts. Drug addicts can drop their needles in the grass and you could step on them. Kurt made those with open-toed shoes stay on the sidewalk.
d. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, there's a high probability you could run into Kurt Salierno walking the streets of Atlanta ministering to homeless people.
e. I learned where some of the runaway high school boys sleep on the streets.

10. Lori and Kurt's church does valet parking for moms with babies and pre-schoolers. That's fresh!

Inspired and Transformed

Wow! What a weekend.

Thursday afternoon: Drove 9 hours to Nashville (should be 7.5, but 29 people and bathrooms, no need to say more)

Friday: Drove the rest of the way to Atlanta
Stopped and had some great eats and fun at Dave and Busters
Did a quick tour of MLK Jr. Historical Site
Did four hours of street ministry with Kurt Salierno (one word: transformed)

Saturday: Eight hour conference with Lori Salierno (one word: inspired)
Climbed Stone Mountain
Watched the light show (actually, 27 of us watched the light show - Jeanna and I went to Wally World for dinner food)

Sunday: Breakfast with Lori Salierno
13 hour drive home from Atlanta to GCC

Last Wednesday Night - A Night to Remember

Last Wednesday I'll remember for a really long time. It was a great night at the Cross. Here are some of the words students wrote to Jesus.

Jesus, I give you all I am – my sins, my scars, my life.
I believe in you. Take away my sins.
I believe in you Jesus. You are my Savior.
I give you my life.
I need you. Help me figure out my next step.
Thanks you Jesus for holding me in your love.
Jesus, I give you my life. I love you.
Take all of my sins away and give me a clean slate. I am sorry.
My next step is to bring friends to church and Oasis.
My next step is to stay pure and follow your path.
I need you in my life Jesus. Forgive me for my sins.
You’re my savior Jesus. You made me and you bought me.
My next step is to volunteer in some way for Jesus.
My next step is to lead or be in a Bible study.
I give you my fear.
I want you in my life.
I give you my desires and wants.
Jesus, I’m sorry for when I was not listening to you Lord. I love you Jesus.
Lord, I give you my relationships.
Help me with my attitude.
I give you my life, everything – my friends, family and soul.
Jesus, I give you my heart.
I’m ready to serve you Jesus.
Lord, help me to know what I’m supposed to do next in my life.
I want to grow more in you. Forgive me for all the stupid mistakes I’ve made.
I want to trust you and put you above all my relationships.
Jesus, you lead me.
Jesus, you are my leader.
Jesus, please help me to keep following you and to serve you more.
Jesus, I want you to be my savior. I know I’m messed up and I want your help.
I believe in you Jesus. My next step is to invest in someone.
I love you Jesus.
I give you my life and my sin and my love.
I believe in you Jesus! The mission trip is my next step.
I need you. I give you my social life and my fears too.
Thank you Jesus for being my Lord.
God I need help to get along with my peers and family members.
You know what my problems are Lord, help me with them.
Please be the center of my life Jesus. I’ve already accepted you, but I want to make my next tep toward you Jesus.
Lord, I believe in you and give you my regrets.
Jesus Rocks!
I’m going to declare my BattleCry! I believe in you, Jesus.
I give you my doubt, fear and profanity.
My next step is to invest and invite.
My next step is to tell everyone about how much I love you.
Jesus, I give you my myspace and bad music.
I believe in you Jesus. Help me focus on you!
I give you my impure thoughts.
I think I need to serve you more and not devote so much time to my social life.
Pray for me getting in trouble at school.
I give you my boyfriend who is not a Christian.
My next step is to help other people get closer to you.
I give you porn.
I give you my actions.
My next step is to invite more people and to tell them about you.
Help me to get over some anger problems and control what I say.
Jesus, help me to obey you more, because I love you and I don’t want to fall away from you.
I need to obey my parents the first time they tell me to.
I think I need to take time to talk to you more instead of just praying for help!
I give you my suicidal thoughts.
I believe in you Jesus! My first step is to treat people better and to change my language.
I want you to be first in my life.
I need to get rid of all of my bad CD’s.
I give you my schedule.
Jesus, I’m laying down my sin.
Jesus, I want you to guide me in what direction you want me to go.
I want you to govern my life!
My next step is to get baptized.
Lord, I give you my ENTIRE life. I want to fight for you and stop the corruption in this world!
I believe in you. Help me with my language, my music, and my friends.
I give you the things that are consuming my time.
Jesus, I give you my computer.
My next step God is to lean in and take responsibility and learn about you.
Lord, I give you my life! I screwed it up. I want to serve and love you.
I will stop calling people names and start sharing your love.
I believe in you Jesus. I need more of you in my life.
I give you the hurt that came to me when someone else sinned.
I lay selfishness at the cross
I believe in you Jesus. I want you to be with me my whole life.
I have been thinking of guys and friends more than you. I am sorry.
I need to throw my make-up away. I need to be myself.
I believe in you God, but sin is pulling me back. So God, please help me break away and go with you.
I’m going to ask someone to come to church and not take no for an answer. I need to make better decisions. I’m going to become better than now.
I want my next step to be towards doing children’s ministry.
Jesus, I give you my struggle with never being satisfied.
My next step: Invite over 5 people to Oasis.
I have accepted you, but I am very sinful. I walk with you, but I’m falling off course. Take that sin off my heart and help me focus on you, oh God.
I believe in you Jesus and love you with all I have! I trust you with my life. I’ll serve you in any way, whatever you say. I’m sorry Lord for all that I’ve done. Luv ya!
Thank you Jesus. Anything that separates me from you I lay down.
Lord, help me with my life cause I hate it.
Dear Lord, I want you to become the Lord in my life. I need help because I’m being held back by my attitude. Please help me.
Jesus, I lay my heart down to you! I want you to be my Lord not just my Savior. My next step in Christ is reading the Bible, inviting my friends to church, and coming closer to you rather than my friends. I think it’s time for you to help me wash away my sins.
Jesus I believe in you, but I need to obey you more.
Jesus, I surrender all my worries, doubts, questions, uncertainties and fears. I want to trust and obey you. You already paid for it all. I don’t want to take it back.
Dozens of cards, with the simple phrase…
I believe in you Jesus.

Mary Slessor Rocked

Mary Slessor...all I can say is WOW! When I was in New Hampshire at Gail MacDonald's house last year with some fellow GCC'ers, she mentioned that we should read about Mary Slessor. So, while it took a couple of months to get to it, I read a biography on Mary Slessor in honor of Gail coming to speak at the women's retreat next week.

Mary was a Scottish missionary to those who lived in and near Calabar (Nigeria) Africa in the 1800's. She was fearless to say the least. She wasn't afraid to go up against a gang swinging a razor blade in her face or people groups deep into witchcraft. She was known as the white "ma". Among other things, she battled maleria, witchcraft and primative conditions to spread God's Word in areas no other missionaries dared to venture. What a hero of the faith.

Accountability and Stubborness - What a Pair

It's after midnight and I just got back from Roxanne's house. She is an amazing, long-time friend of mine who has been my prayer partner for over a decade. How amazing is that! She's got my back...big time! We've prayed for anything and everything. God has been faithful time and time again. I wish I had time to tell you about all the answers to prayer we've received. There are times we've been faithful to get together every week, while others times life gets so hectic it's only once a month. We could have given up, but we didn't. We're both too stubborn for that.

Ruby is another friend of mine who is absolutely incredible. We have been memorizing scripture together. She's tackling Ephesians and I'm tackling John. We've almost got the first chapter down. I'm so stinkin' proud of her. Initially we were going to memorize five verses a week, but failed miserably at it. So we decided just to do the best that we could, even if it's only a verse or two a week. We could have given up, but we didn't. We're both too stubborn for that.

Karen, Wendy, Loretta and Carole are other friends of mine. They're off-the-chart. We decided to do the Old Testament Challenge together a year or so ago. We got behind about about week two. We could have given up, but we didn't. We're all too stubborn for that. A year and a half later, we're through the whole Bible and began round two a couple of weeks ago.

It might sound like I'm braggin' a bit, but I'm really not. I've found in my life that without accountability, I'm a loser when it comes to being consistant at anything. I need people in my life to keep me on track, but not just any people. I need people who are too stubborn to quit and, while we might have to adjust the goal a bit, will keep at it.

Thank you Roxanne, Ruby, Karen, Wendy, Loretta, Carole... and the newest member Chantelle. Without you, my reading of the Bible, memorization of Scripture and prayer life would not be what it is today. Next to Jesus, you are my rocks.

Cool Pics from Saturday's Games

Patrick - WOW!

What do you do when a high school student has a dream? Let him run with it ... and run with it he did. Patrick Hester had a dream of pulling together Oasis students for some flag football extravaganza. Saturday was the first day of the teams coming together for some game time. The players were great, the coaches awesome and the fans supportive. It was a great day blessed with beautiful weather. Thank you Jesus for a young man's dream and the courage he had to pursue it.

Easter Celebration

Some of the eighth grade leaders gathered on Friday, their day off, to create Easter Baskets for kids at the women's shelter. Karen and Laura orchestrated the event and 48 baskets later they were delivered with TLC. You put smiles on the faces of four dozen kids this Easter and told them about Jesus with your cards and letters. I'm so proud of you.

Who Will You Speak Life Into Today?

Today ... and every day ... I believe God puts someone in your life for you to speak into. The reality is that eveyone you encounter needs encouragement and a lot of it. Silently we struggle with our own insecurities, resulting from wounds of the past, lies of the enemy and our own inadequacies. Recently, I've realized that often times when we don't get enough encouragement, we don't give enough.

Yesterday I received an email from one of my all-time heroes in Atlanta (along with Mark, Rob, Dr. Bob, all my leaders who serve so faithfully week after week, Richard Crisco and a few others). I've never met anyone who genuinely loves - or at least EXPRESSES love - better than this individual. I want to be like them.

They wrote me these words yesterday.

You are absolutely a woman in your own league!!! One of the greatest things that has come from the _____ is getting to know you!!!

I can’t tell you how much it means to have you in my life. Thank you for the extraordinary ideas...and for loving me.

Much Love and Excited to See You!

This person has absolutely no idea how they breathed life into me with their words after an extremely wonderful, but very long week.

Blog-o-rama Coming This Weekend

Wow...what a ride...since Friday, I've put in 108 hours. That's 18 hours a day, six days straight. I'm calling time out this weekend! I'll catch the blog up on the six days of adventure this weekend. I can't even begin to explain all the God moments at ATF in Detroit on Friday & Saturday, in Gulport MS on Monday, at the mission team meeting on Tuesday and Oasis on Wednesday. It was a great 108 hours. GOD is truly AMAZING.

The BattleCry

Less than 48 hours...let the trumpets sound!
BattleCry, Ford Field, Detroit, MI
60 GCC middle school leaders and students among tens of thousands!

My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry.
Jeremiah 4:19

No Time to Even Breathe

Wow! I thought that this week would be an easy week since there's no Oasis tonight. Boy, was I wrong...running as fast as ever. This weekend is ATF's BattleCry in Detoit...should be an amazing event, but figuring out the food situation in a big city has been a royal pain. Tuesday is the mission trip meeting...pray that we get the final details in time. I lost my Camp Adventure potential counselor file when my hard drive burned up two weeks ago. I'm trying to recreate it...yikes! We'll keep pressin' forward for God will make a way.

The Amazing Race

And we're off...
Last week we began the Amazing Race Series (great title John Keim)! It's five weeks of focusing on the top five things the church is going to be all about over the coming months.
Invest and Invite - It's about the Checkered Flag
Do the Next Right Thing - Watch your GPS
Have a Friend, Be a Friend - Need a Pit Stop
Serve Once a Month - Road Crew Ahead
Read Your Bible - Time to Refuel

Critical Mind vs. Critical Heart

Which one do you have?

...One will catipult you foward and the other one will destroy you.

Good Times

Got back from Cali last week...it was AMAZING. Basically, in a nutshell...it was six days of great friends, football and beach volleyball, as well as a great conference. Thanks Seth, Josiah, Jeremy P., Jeremy L., Ruby, Jeanna, Carole, Naomi and Jerica for saying yes and taking a week out of your life to learn how to better invest in students! You're amazing...you are some of my greatest heroes!

While we were there we checked out a pretty amazing church called Rock Harbor. It had this ancient future thing going on that was pretty cool. Based on the number of twenty somethings attending, it must seem pretty cool to them as well. After the service was over, we also got to witness a 2 1/2 year old drummer (yep, you read correctly, he's only 2 1/2 and could keep a beat)! Pretty incredible!

It's been way too long

Wow, life has been flying by at such a crazy, crazy pace...so fast, that there's been no time for bloggin'. You know it's been too long when you can't remember your own password. However, I am officially back.

Tonight, as I prepared for our Student Ministry 101 workshop tomorrow, I listened to Casting Pearls play for Lifeline...good tunes, good tunes (ok, that was a play off of Hilary and Amanda always saying good times...good times). Anyway, they were awesome and you won't want to miss them this week at Oasis. They will be here along with Crystal Miller, a Columbine survivor. She has an amazing story and is passionate about Jesus. What more could you ask for...a great band and an amazing, transforming story. Check them out and bring your friends.

New Series at Oasis

Let the series begin...
pure love

The Sweatshirts are Here!

In your anger do not sin...

"In your anger do not sin..."
Ephesians 4:26

Sometimes I wonder whether I'm preaching to middle school students or myself. I've been talking about anger at Oasis. How it's your natural sinful tendancy to push/hit back, when someone pushes/hits you...and how it's no different when it comes to words. When someone verbally lashes out at you or someone you care about, you want to verbally lash back. I had one of those opportunities last week. One of those instances where I wanted to say "game on". But then, I remembered what I tried to speak into students just two days prior, so I didn't. It was hard, but I know I chose rightly. I know that no one ever wins in those situations. I'm still a little ticked, but I know it'll pass. In light of eternity and the Kingdom work that needs to be done, it's ridiculous to waste any time or energy on.

I almost didn't go - that would have been sad

Louie Giglio

If you weren't at the Chris Tomlin - Louie Giglio - Matt Redman deal at the Morris Civic tonight, you missed out...big time! Wow! Seriously...Wow! I had already seen the show in Grand Rapids, but it wasn't anything like seeing it at the Morris Civic. The Morris Civic was so much cooler. First of all, worshipping in the Morris gave me a glimpse of what it will be like to worship in heaven. The architecture...or whatever you call that intricate detail on the walls...surrounding us was heavenly. Second, we had a much better view of the stage. Third, having Josiah and his sister right behind me made it all the more better. They are worshippers and they are hilariously fun! Finally, it was cool to share the experience with a dozen or so Oasis leaders, along with a boatload of GCC staff. That too reminds me of what heaven will be like.

Walk with me question of the day #6 - James 3 & 4

James 3 & 4 are full of some great stuff, especially about taming the tongue. Below are two of many great verses.

With the _______ we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.
James 3:9-10

Submit yourselves, then, to God. _______ the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.
James 4:7-8

Post or email me at jgregory@gccwired.com your answers.

It is Finished

A moment of celebration. Months and months and months and months ago, a few friends and I began the journey through the Bible when GCC was doing the "Old Testament Challenge". Well, as of yesterday, we officially made it through the entire Bible. Here are a few highlights...

Favorite Verse: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (still dig second half of 1 Samuel 17:26, 1 Samuel 17:45, Proverbs, 18:21 and 2 Chronicles 16:9)

Favorite Testament: Old

Favorite Character Besides Jesus: Hands down, still David (although Ezra was pretty cool)

New Understanding:
1. Book of Hosea
2. Judah (tribes of Judah and Benjamin) vs. Israel (other tribes)
3. Adam's sin and it's effect to this day

Still Confusing: Revelation

Bible Summarized in Two Words: Remember Me

Book of the Bible I'm working on memorizing: John

Favorite Place to have Bible Study: Karens (she feeds us really well, it's usually the one and only home-cooked meal of the week)

What's next you might ask? Genesis! We're beginning Round 2, only this time we're studying the Bible chronologically.

Thanks Karen, Loretta, Wendy and Carole. I love going through life and the Bible with you!

Walk with me question of the day #5 - James 1 & 2

Great job...Over a dozen of you finished up Hebrews with me...now, after a brief pause, we're on to the book of James. The book was written by James, Jesus' brother, who was considered to be a pillar in the church (Galatians 2:9).

All of chapter one is worthy of memorizing, but there is one particular verse I love...

Do not merely _______ to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
James 1:22

Chapter two talks about how Abraham was called God's friend...very cool!

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by ________, is dead.
James 2:17