Wow it is hard to believe that project for me is winding down. I have truly been blessed to have spent the last few weeks with all these amazing people. I really feel in some way shape or form like God has really confirmed my passion for ministry this summer. I have this huge desire to bring my passion back home and impact my campus.
Also this summer I have really been hit by the fact that I depend way to much on how people see me. I know I am not perfect and never will be until the day that I die. But my emotions the way I act depend so much on how I think people see me. I find myself not acting myself. I am going to be praying about that one a lot, also could you pray about that too.
So I never wrote about Klukwan. It was a blast. My action group and I went there and served the community and put in a sprinkler system at their war memorial. We spent all of our time with believers but it was very encouraging. I didn't really understand why I was there I all but I knew that we were supposed to be. Then Lani and Jones told us that a long time ago they had prayed that God would send some people to Klukwan to help Klukwan and that we were an answered prayer. It was so awesome.
I have also decided to stay in Alaska till the end of the summer. I want to get a job and do ministry with the guys. I really have felt a pull here for some time. I also have a feeling that it is going to be an interesting rest of the summer. I just really want it to be all for God and not me.
Pray for Juneau, pray that I would still have a heart for Juneau and that I don't stay here for selfish reasons. Thanks a bunch
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
An Everyday Missionary
Wow, its been awhile since my last post. Again so much has happened. Besides all that, I really just want to tell you what has been laid on my heart the last few days. I have really thinking about what the whole concept of this summer project is. We have a mission,vision, and values. Those of which are; our mission is to equip the men and women in Juneau to become missional Christ-centered laborers, our vision is to trust God to raise up 35 movements across Juneau, and our values are having a "white-hot" faith, effective evangelism, authentic relationships, and never walking alone. I love all of these.
Some time ago someone told me, I don't know who, told me that real life isn't like project. I have been pondering that statement a lot these past couple of weeks. I really used to look at that statement as absolute truth and that accept that the community and vision and drive was only something that could happen on a summer project. But the Lord has really been speaking to my heart and chipping away at that belief. Also the Lord has been asking me if I want to believe it as well. I don't. I desire that my whole life would be as this fruitful and purposeful.
Now, I will agree that when I am in school life is harder, there are tons of events, due dates, test, stuff, and etc.. But that is always gonna be there because that is the culture there.
So I guess what I am trying say, and what I feel I am doing poorly at as of right now, is that I want to be a missionary at my school. The Lord has placed me there for some reason and blessed me tons while I have been there. I am sure that most of you already see me as that but I feel as if I have never ever said that or really had that as my mindset.
This is my last year at Kansas State University. I will be a fifth year senior, an RA, and involved with Campus Crusade for Christ. I want to ask that the Lord would bring tons of people to Christ this coming year and that they would change the world. This is no huge prayer. It is a small one. Also I pray that the Lord will use me to make this happen. I am tired of small prayers that are for little things. I ask for the Nations and I pray the the Lord starts this year with my campus and that the students at Kansas State University would be filled with this huge pain to know the Lord of all. I want to pull out all the stops and be filled with the Lord himself as this upcoming year begins. I pray that all of you would pray for all of what was just said.
"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.""
~Matthew 28:18-20
The Lord ask us to make disciples of all nations, and he tells me that he is with me always. So I am going to start at Kansas State University and go where ever the Lord tells me.
Some time ago someone told me, I don't know who, told me that real life isn't like project. I have been pondering that statement a lot these past couple of weeks. I really used to look at that statement as absolute truth and that accept that the community and vision and drive was only something that could happen on a summer project. But the Lord has really been speaking to my heart and chipping away at that belief. Also the Lord has been asking me if I want to believe it as well. I don't. I desire that my whole life would be as this fruitful and purposeful.
Now, I will agree that when I am in school life is harder, there are tons of events, due dates, test, stuff, and etc.. But that is always gonna be there because that is the culture there.
So I guess what I am trying say, and what I feel I am doing poorly at as of right now, is that I want to be a missionary at my school. The Lord has placed me there for some reason and blessed me tons while I have been there. I am sure that most of you already see me as that but I feel as if I have never ever said that or really had that as my mindset.
This is my last year at Kansas State University. I will be a fifth year senior, an RA, and involved with Campus Crusade for Christ. I want to ask that the Lord would bring tons of people to Christ this coming year and that they would change the world. This is no huge prayer. It is a small one. Also I pray that the Lord will use me to make this happen. I am tired of small prayers that are for little things. I ask for the Nations and I pray the the Lord starts this year with my campus and that the students at Kansas State University would be filled with this huge pain to know the Lord of all. I want to pull out all the stops and be filled with the Lord himself as this upcoming year begins. I pray that all of you would pray for all of what was just said.
"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.""
~Matthew 28:18-20
The Lord ask us to make disciples of all nations, and he tells me that he is with me always. So I am going to start at Kansas State University and go where ever the Lord tells me.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Project Pictures!!
So I have wanted to let you all see the awesome pictures of Alaska but I have forgot to post this link for awhile now. SO here you go. These are everybody's pictures from up here.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deltasummerproject/show
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deltasummerproject/show
Friday, June 8, 2007
God's unfailing awesome-ness for those who step out in faith
Have you ever just took a step out in faith and had no clue what was going to happen and even better yet didn't even know what that step of faith looked like? Our God is the most awesome God!
Last night I found myself praying for God to use me. I prayed that today would be completely his and that I would not get in the way of anything at all. That the Lord would open up Haines, Alaska for us to move in and bring Christ where he is needed. As Craig Johring put it, we were pioneering.
So the day started off pretty early. At least for me it did. I woke up at 6:40am and got ready. I met up with one of my staff partners, Craig, and we headed to the ferry terminal. While we were going there we prayed for divine appointments, because we had no clue whatsoever what God was going to do. All we knew is that we wanted to go to Haines and find contacts to get in to this Tlingit(pronounced Klink-it) village called Klukwan(cluck-wan). We knew where it was but we wanted to hopefully team up with some ministry that was already there so it wouldn't be like we were doing whatever we wanted and bypassing whatever was going on there.
Okay, back to where I left off. Ferry terminal and divine appointments. So, Craig and I get there and we are waiting in line to get tickets and there are these two guys in front of me speaking in some language I can't make out. I thought probably spanish but didn't really know. Now a little about Craig, he works full time as staff with Campus Crusade for Christ and lives in Mexico City for the year and does the Juneau Project in the summer. So, he starts busting out some of his spanish and talks to the dudes. I have no clue what about, other than I hear that he says Mexico and university. I figured he was just talking about where he lived and stuff. After the conversations the guys were like nice to meet you and walked towards the ferry boarding area. Craig and I got our tickets and started to head over to board the ferry. Then Craig got on his cell to order plane tickets for or flight back. About the time that I headed out the door one of the Mexico guys ran up to me and told me that he left his bag back at the hotel and asked if we could drive him back to get it. The boat was leaving in twenty minutes and I was worried that they wouldn't make it back to the terminal. But God rocks and he got them back with only a minute to spare. So that's how he decided to start the day!
We get on the boat and the Mexicans, there were about 15 of them, came over and flocked around Craig. The Lord really blessed Craig with this huge ability to captivate a crowd. It was really awesome to see. We soon came to find out that all the Mexicans were very wealthy and all heads of companies in Mexico City. Where does Craig live again? Mexico City! And where did one of the guys live?(I didn't tell you this before so don't worry,haha) One of the guys lives no more than two minutes away from Craigs house in Mexico City. The Lord really opened up some huge doors for the Mexico City ministry today!! But he didn't stop there. Not even close!!
When we came to the port at Haines, we were on the boat and had no way to get to town. Then some guy came up to us and he thought that Craig was a tour guide. Probably because all those people that were flocked around him. We asked him for a ride to town and he was like yeah! Jim, thats his name, and his wife, Virgina, are on a month long road trip through Alaska and just got done with Juneau. They let us off in town and we were now there, completely clueless, and wondering where to start. But we went in faith. We walked around and we new that there was a Salvation Army there and that we needed to talk to some guy named Kevin but we didn't know what to do with that or where it was. We started walking and praying. Then we walked into a store and got some directions. We went there and talked about Klukwan but there really wasn't anything he could do for us. Then we called this pastor named Gary and set up a meeting with him for one o'clock. Before that meeting we headed over to the Presbyterian church and tried to talk to the pastor there but he was busy with vacation bible school.
So we didn't know what to do or where to go till one o'clock so we went to the docks and prayed and walked around some more. Then it came time to head up to the diner because we wanted to get there before Pastor Gary (he had already ate and we hadn't.) But Craig was like lets find Jim and his wife,"we didn't share the gospel with them! We might not ever get to see them again." So we turned around and guess who we see walking down towards us. Jim and Virginia! So we ask them to lunch.We get there, order our food, and talk. Craig gets up to go to the restroom or something and I was there by myself with Jim and his wife. So we just small talked. Then Craig came back and asked Jim about his spirtual background. Jim just opened right up. Then right as Jim was getting to the meat of his story on his faith, Pastor Gary came up and introduced himself to Criag and Jim stopped talking. I was like noooo! His story put me on the edge of my seat and I was interested to hear more. But the pastor didn't have a clue what was going on and kept talking and stuff. Soon after that Jim and his wife left. That was a bummer. But then we talked to Pastor Gary and he gave us a little bit of the history of the town and the Tlingit people of the town but really didn't help us out at all.
So when Craig had left at the beginning of the meal he was talking to this lady who runs the Christian camp in Haines. She just happened to be at the diner as well. Haha awesome huh.
Also at that time Craig and I had to make a decision to fly out at five or sign up for the later flight. So we signed up for the later flight. After that we met up with Amy, Christain camp person, and talked with her at the coffee shop in town. I am not going to go into huge detail here but God is rockin' in that little camp and he has filled Amy with and aweosme passion to reach kids for Christ. Also, it just so happens that Amy had and extra vehical just newly donated to the camp that she so awesomly let us borrow to go to the village. The place we came for.
So, we head out of the town on the road towards Canada. It was a beautiful drive. Snow capped mountains and an awesome river to the left of the road. Twenty miles later we arrive to the turn off for the village of Klukwan. The village felt kinda weird. First, there were no people anywhere. I mean, there are homes there and there was cars and stuff. No kids out playing, no one walking around or anything. So we went to the Church. Nobody was there and the doors were locked. What are we gonna do now. I had no clue but I didn't want to go till we talked to someone. So we drove around and found a lady walking her dog and asked if she knew where this guy was or if he even lived in town. He did and she knew where he lived. Sweet. But he told us to go to his sister's house. So we went there and she let us in. We talked to her and she had no clue about what we could do. But then she started to tell us of her life and the town and of her faith in Christ. My heart really went out to these people. Then she gave us an idea for a work project in the town. Putting in a sprinkler system. So we have a contact in Klukwan and my action group and I are going out there next friday and gonna work with a few people of the town. God is gonna do some crazy stuff there! I know he is and I have total faith that he will. Especially after what I saw him do today! PRAY FOR THIS!!!!
Last night I found myself praying for God to use me. I prayed that today would be completely his and that I would not get in the way of anything at all. That the Lord would open up Haines, Alaska for us to move in and bring Christ where he is needed. As Craig Johring put it, we were pioneering.
So the day started off pretty early. At least for me it did. I woke up at 6:40am and got ready. I met up with one of my staff partners, Craig, and we headed to the ferry terminal. While we were going there we prayed for divine appointments, because we had no clue whatsoever what God was going to do. All we knew is that we wanted to go to Haines and find contacts to get in to this Tlingit(pronounced Klink-it) village called Klukwan(cluck-wan). We knew where it was but we wanted to hopefully team up with some ministry that was already there so it wouldn't be like we were doing whatever we wanted and bypassing whatever was going on there.
Okay, back to where I left off. Ferry terminal and divine appointments. So, Craig and I get there and we are waiting in line to get tickets and there are these two guys in front of me speaking in some language I can't make out. I thought probably spanish but didn't really know. Now a little about Craig, he works full time as staff with Campus Crusade for Christ and lives in Mexico City for the year and does the Juneau Project in the summer. So, he starts busting out some of his spanish and talks to the dudes. I have no clue what about, other than I hear that he says Mexico and university. I figured he was just talking about where he lived and stuff. After the conversations the guys were like nice to meet you and walked towards the ferry boarding area. Craig and I got our tickets and started to head over to board the ferry. Then Craig got on his cell to order plane tickets for or flight back. About the time that I headed out the door one of the Mexico guys ran up to me and told me that he left his bag back at the hotel and asked if we could drive him back to get it. The boat was leaving in twenty minutes and I was worried that they wouldn't make it back to the terminal. But God rocks and he got them back with only a minute to spare. So that's how he decided to start the day!
We get on the boat and the Mexicans, there were about 15 of them, came over and flocked around Craig. The Lord really blessed Craig with this huge ability to captivate a crowd. It was really awesome to see. We soon came to find out that all the Mexicans were very wealthy and all heads of companies in Mexico City. Where does Craig live again? Mexico City! And where did one of the guys live?(I didn't tell you this before so don't worry,haha) One of the guys lives no more than two minutes away from Craigs house in Mexico City. The Lord really opened up some huge doors for the Mexico City ministry today!! But he didn't stop there. Not even close!!
When we came to the port at Haines, we were on the boat and had no way to get to town. Then some guy came up to us and he thought that Craig was a tour guide. Probably because all those people that were flocked around him. We asked him for a ride to town and he was like yeah! Jim, thats his name, and his wife, Virgina, are on a month long road trip through Alaska and just got done with Juneau. They let us off in town and we were now there, completely clueless, and wondering where to start. But we went in faith. We walked around and we new that there was a Salvation Army there and that we needed to talk to some guy named Kevin but we didn't know what to do with that or where it was. We started walking and praying. Then we walked into a store and got some directions. We went there and talked about Klukwan but there really wasn't anything he could do for us. Then we called this pastor named Gary and set up a meeting with him for one o'clock. Before that meeting we headed over to the Presbyterian church and tried to talk to the pastor there but he was busy with vacation bible school.
So we didn't know what to do or where to go till one o'clock so we went to the docks and prayed and walked around some more. Then it came time to head up to the diner because we wanted to get there before Pastor Gary (he had already ate and we hadn't.) But Craig was like lets find Jim and his wife,"we didn't share the gospel with them! We might not ever get to see them again." So we turned around and guess who we see walking down towards us. Jim and Virginia! So we ask them to lunch.We get there, order our food, and talk. Craig gets up to go to the restroom or something and I was there by myself with Jim and his wife. So we just small talked. Then Craig came back and asked Jim about his spirtual background. Jim just opened right up. Then right as Jim was getting to the meat of his story on his faith, Pastor Gary came up and introduced himself to Criag and Jim stopped talking. I was like noooo! His story put me on the edge of my seat and I was interested to hear more. But the pastor didn't have a clue what was going on and kept talking and stuff. Soon after that Jim and his wife left. That was a bummer. But then we talked to Pastor Gary and he gave us a little bit of the history of the town and the Tlingit people of the town but really didn't help us out at all.
So when Craig had left at the beginning of the meal he was talking to this lady who runs the Christian camp in Haines. She just happened to be at the diner as well. Haha awesome huh.
Also at that time Craig and I had to make a decision to fly out at five or sign up for the later flight. So we signed up for the later flight. After that we met up with Amy, Christain camp person, and talked with her at the coffee shop in town. I am not going to go into huge detail here but God is rockin' in that little camp and he has filled Amy with and aweosme passion to reach kids for Christ. Also, it just so happens that Amy had and extra vehical just newly donated to the camp that she so awesomly let us borrow to go to the village. The place we came for.
So, we head out of the town on the road towards Canada. It was a beautiful drive. Snow capped mountains and an awesome river to the left of the road. Twenty miles later we arrive to the turn off for the village of Klukwan. The village felt kinda weird. First, there were no people anywhere. I mean, there are homes there and there was cars and stuff. No kids out playing, no one walking around or anything. So we went to the Church. Nobody was there and the doors were locked. What are we gonna do now. I had no clue but I didn't want to go till we talked to someone. So we drove around and found a lady walking her dog and asked if she knew where this guy was or if he even lived in town. He did and she knew where he lived. Sweet. But he told us to go to his sister's house. So we went there and she let us in. We talked to her and she had no clue about what we could do. But then she started to tell us of her life and the town and of her faith in Christ. My heart really went out to these people. Then she gave us an idea for a work project in the town. Putting in a sprinkler system. So we have a contact in Klukwan and my action group and I are going out there next friday and gonna work with a few people of the town. God is gonna do some crazy stuff there! I know he is and I have total faith that he will. Especially after what I saw him do today! PRAY FOR THIS!!!!
Monday, June 4, 2007
Juneau, AK
I have so much to say to you all. So many things have happened while I have been here. I don't even know where to start at all. First, I had a talk with one of my friends this past week. Her and I have been close friends her since I have came back from Alaska in 2005. That was a tough conversation. Lots of praying and talking to my fellow staff after that one.
Then on last Saturday we all went out to Echo Ranch Camp with at risk children. The Lord really provided for that day. First off, some of the guys went out to raise money for it last on Monday last week and we got $900 more than we even needed for it. Then a couple of radio stations decided to make free public service announcements all week for us! It was so awesome.
Then we went out to the camp and just loved on the kids. We played games and just talked to them about stuff. It was so cool.
Then, on Sunday, I went to Kristine's graduation party. Kristine is one of my many adopted sisters that I have in various parts of the world. It was a cool party. I was the only white person there for like and hour as well as I was the tallest one as well. They were all Filipino. Then afterwards, I went and got a chance to hang out with Billie. She is Kristine's younger sister. She is an awesome woman. I know that she is only 15 but has been through so much and really had to grow up ahead of her time. She is another little sister to me. I got a chance to talk to her a lot last night and get to know her a lot more. I would ask that you would be praying for her a lot. Pray she would find a female to really open up to and that she would be able to trust others.
Today is big meeting day. All the staff meet today and go over the whole week's agenda. I am really excited about this stuff. We talked about the movements that we are praying by faith that God will launch through us. Also we talked about our core values of the Project this summer. Relationships, Evangelism, Prayer, and meeting new people. These are huge. Because we are doing something so different than what we have done in the past and its weird but awesome at the same time. Another sweet tidbit for this week, I think I might get to go to some native village this Thursday to be a pioneer. That means that I get to go with Craig to make contacts with a kind of closed community and this will lead to spreading the Gospel of Christ!!! Wow! PRAY FOR THAT!!
Then on last Saturday we all went out to Echo Ranch Camp with at risk children. The Lord really provided for that day. First off, some of the guys went out to raise money for it last on Monday last week and we got $900 more than we even needed for it. Then a couple of radio stations decided to make free public service announcements all week for us! It was so awesome.
Then we went out to the camp and just loved on the kids. We played games and just talked to them about stuff. It was so cool.
Then, on Sunday, I went to Kristine's graduation party. Kristine is one of my many adopted sisters that I have in various parts of the world. It was a cool party. I was the only white person there for like and hour as well as I was the tallest one as well. They were all Filipino. Then afterwards, I went and got a chance to hang out with Billie. She is Kristine's younger sister. She is an awesome woman. I know that she is only 15 but has been through so much and really had to grow up ahead of her time. She is another little sister to me. I got a chance to talk to her a lot last night and get to know her a lot more. I would ask that you would be praying for her a lot. Pray she would find a female to really open up to and that she would be able to trust others.
Today is big meeting day. All the staff meet today and go over the whole week's agenda. I am really excited about this stuff. We talked about the movements that we are praying by faith that God will launch through us. Also we talked about our core values of the Project this summer. Relationships, Evangelism, Prayer, and meeting new people. These are huge. Because we are doing something so different than what we have done in the past and its weird but awesome at the same time. Another sweet tidbit for this week, I think I might get to go to some native village this Thursday to be a pioneer. That means that I get to go with Craig to make contacts with a kind of closed community and this will lead to spreading the Gospel of Christ!!! Wow! PRAY FOR THAT!!
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