Mission Trip Wrap Up

I returned last night from an 8 day mission trip near Immokalee, Florida. It's hard to sum up an entire week in a single blog post, so I'll use a list to share with you some of the best snapshots from an amazing experience. Here are a few of my favorite memories...

• Lots of hard work and sweat to help the I-Hope organization which has been aiding hurricane recovery in Collier County since Hurricane Wilma in 2005.
  
• Playing "Light the Fire" and singing songs that reminded me of my days in Root 66.
  
• Leading nightly Bible studies with my teammate Leslie, then discussing the study with the 8 young adults who joined us, followed by prayer and conversation with my friend Matt.
• Going door to door to invite people to a Lutheran Haitian revival service.
  
• Shooting a video for the Amigos Center in Immokalee.
• Serving at the food bank at the Guadalupe Center with Juanita. There I met a young woman named Jennifer and her baby daughter. Jennifer shared with me that she was on drugs during her entire pregnancy and gave birth to a perfectly healthy child. So she named her Miracle.
• Learning a ton of new card games.
• Speaking at the Haitian revival service to a room of over a hundred people who spoke very little English.
• A heart to heart conversation with one of my best friends.
• After celebrating the Lord's Supper on Friday night, Leslie and I were approached by one of our students, who told us that she was rededicating her life to Christ. We prayed together in tears.
  
• Talking to one of our students about her special opportunity to help another student who was struggling and telling her at the end of the week how proud I was of her.
• Watching my first minor league all-star game and home run derby.
• Seeing God grow the seeds of faith in our students and young adults.
  

There are lots more memories and countless stories. I can't wait for our next trip.

Mission Trip 2009.

I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon on a mission trip with our young adults and high school students. It's been quite a busy week with staff members traveling, important voters' meetings, vacation Bible school, a couple of sermons, oh, and preparations for the trip.

I think I'm packed. I suppose I don't need much more than some old clothes and a blue and yellow Nerf football. But then again, I'm one of the people in charge so that means packing extra things when people forget stuff or those "just in case" situations. It's a new experience for me to help lead a trip like this. I'm looking forward to learning so that we can start other trips here. My teammate has been a great mentor already.

It should be a great trip. I haven't been on a mission trip since Juarez in 2001(?). [Shoutout!] I think the some of things I'm looking forward to include laughing with our students and young adults, working hard and sweating a lot, and watching God work in our lives to bring us together and shape us (and me) as his servants, and serving the people that God puts in our path.

We could use your prayers. Be back next Sun.


Random things I'm wondering about at 11:47 pm...
- Do I need to change parts of my sermon for tomorrow morning?
- When did TV all commercials with computers start featuring Mac laptops instead of PC's?
- Why did so many people think Gran Turino was a great movie? Jacqui and I just watched it and I felt totally depressed the whole way through.
- Do I have enough space on my DVR to record the opening rounds of US Open?

My Communication Malaise

I'm getting tired. Tired of Facebook and texting and blogging and emailing. Even tired of reading. I'm not sure why.

I've been really busy lately - which is actually a very good thing. I've been praying lately that God would give me a love for Him, a love for our people, and a love for my work. He's answered all those prayers. In fact, I've been working more hours while being more focused and productive than ever before in my time here. It's been great. But I think it's also made me less inclined to write here.

Sorry, my friends.

If you read anything on the web, try my friend Eric's new blog. He's writing about the 5 chapters of the Bible he reads each day and adds a healthy dose of sarcasm to each edition.

Stay tuned. More to come.

Ray in Concert

A few months ago Jacqui texted me to ask if I had seen Ray La Montagne in concert. I hadn't, so I jumped on his website and lo and behold, his tour was stopping in our area! With good news of great joy I wrote her back "HE'S COMING TO TAMPA ON APRIL 25!" and in so doing I ruined the birthday present she was planning for me. :)

So we went to see him at the Tampa Theater last week.

First - a word about the venue. For you readers and friends from the STL, imagine the Fox Theater at 1/5 the size. The Tampa Theater is very old and has a classic, almost gaudy feel to it. And it's very, very small. During slow moments of the show I could hear the rustling of feet from someone two sections over. [Andy and Adrienne, if you're reading this, we sat in the same place as I did with you at the Ben Folds/Guster/Rufus show - except that the same spot under the balcony at the TT was Row P].

It was the first show I've been to since I moved to Tampa a year and a half ago (excluding The Swell Season in St Louis a year ago, this week). Also on the schedule for us this year - Dave Matthews, Coldplay (Jacqui's other present for me/us), and U2.

We missed the opening act because I was teaching a Bible class. I was a little tense as we raced across the bridge, circled the theater on one way streets to find a parking spot, and entered the venue as the lights were blinking.

With beverages in hand, we took our seats as the house lights went down. Ray snuck onto the stage as the cheers went up. From the darkness, came the rhythmic sound of Ray's Martin guitar and the mournful sound of his harmonica, mimicing the strings from "All the Wild Horses." Game on.

It was apparent from the beginning that Ray was more comfortable standing on the sidelines than being the star. With his cap pulled low over his face the whole set, his eyes were hidden from his fans. He had little to say, instead he let his music do the talking. His raspy voice crooned into the mic through Jolene, Let it Be Me, Trouble, Be Here Now, Shelter, Burn and Empty. When the band joined him later in the set, I found myself paying more attention to his teammates than to Ray - which is perhaps the way he would have liked it.

Happy Easter!

A few weeks ago when Eric was in town, the two of us and Jacqui went to see Shane and Shane play as part of a worship service/concert at a local church. They played this song.

Because He is Risen, now everything is different.

Happy Easter!

We need a slogan for Good Friday

Our Good Friday services yesterday were awesome. Pastor Mike sang a song called "The Hammer" by Ray Boltz. In the chorus, the Roman centurion angrily asks "Who nailed him there?" and eventually realizes that he did. It was a great way to get us to realize that we, too, nailed Jesus to the cross.

I sat there thinking about my sins, and that each one put him there.

After the sermon was over, we were invited to come forward and place our nail in the cross as a symbol that Jesus took it. He bore it for us.

As person after person after person came up to place their nail in the (styrofoam) cross, I found myself thinking, "Jesus died for Justin. Jesus died for Pam. Jesus died for Alesha. Jesus died for Rich." It made me want to love each member of our church as much as Jesus loved them.

As we left the sanctuary, Mike and I were talking. If we say "He is risen!" on Easter, what do we say to each other on Good Friday? I think we should say, "It is finished!"


It is finished indeed, Alleluia.

Time with the Master(s)

Hope you're enjoying Holy Weekend. I've been doing chores around the house with the TV tuned to the Masters on ESPN. I love it when the championship falls on Easter Sunday. It makes the day that much sweeter.

Blessings on your Good Friday celebration.

He is almost risen.