As of 6:00 am this morning we are on the road for Ensenda Mexico. There are 22 of us on the team this year and we plan to build one house for a needy family as well as lead a VBS for children in the area. On Wednesay night I will also have the opportunity to preach at the midweek service of the church we will be ministering at.
Please visit our Mexico Outreach web site for all the details and specific ways you can pray.
I look forward to sharing what all God did in and through us.
Our 2005 team in the front of the house we built.
On The Road
Team Constitution
Each year in our Mexico Outreach training we work together as a team to develop a team constitution. The purpose is to solidify all that we have been discussing and preparing for.
As a team we brainstorm a bunch of ideas and then distill it all down into a usable constitution that will serve to remind us of who we are, what our objective is, and how we plan to accomplish it.
Here is what the team came up with:
We the family of 180 Student Ministries as ambassadors of Christ, our community, and the Church, desire to show God's love by being a blessing, loving and serving each other and the Mexican people, and furthering our relationships with God and His people. Through prayer, listening to God and one another, we will achieve this mission by building a house, showing Jesus to children and everyone else we encounter, and wholeheartedly giving our all.
We have just completed 10 hours of great training together and are now ready to go. We leave this Friday morning at 6:00 am for Ensenada, Mexico!
For more information on our trip along with specific ways you can pray for each team member please visit our Mexico Outreach web site. Your prayers are appreciated and will be honored by our God.
Much more to come!
Youth Group of The Week
180 Student Ministries is the featured youth group of the week on the Youth Specialties site this week! Unfortunately it's a pretty dated picture, one that I sent in to YS about 4 years ago.
Here's a more recent shot, taken on June 21 of this year.
If you have found my blog via our web site, welcome! Hope you enjoy.
Photo In Need of A Caption
My dad took this photo the other day and it's just screaming for a good caption! I mean what kind of cat would sit around and watch birds drink it's water? Thoughts??
Mission Portland
This last weekend we took our middle school students to minister in the inner city of Portland. We spend three days with Bridgetown Ministries, a ministry that our church has recently partnered with, a ministry committed to loving the people of Portland with the love of Jesus.
It was a life changing weekend. On Friday night we participated in Nightstrike, a ministry to the homeless. We gathered beneath the Burnside Bridge in downtown Portland and fed hundreds of people a good meal, that we prepared beforehand, we washed and cut hair, we washed feet, we distributed clothing, and we just sat and loved on the many people that were there. It was truly an incarnational ministry; Jesus showed up and Jesus loved on the people.
The highlight of the evening was seeing "Sarge" a man that has been on and off the streets for over 20 years get baptized. A week earlier my friend Brian had the privilege of praying with Sarge as he took Jesus by the hand for the very first time. For three and a half years Sarge has been coming to Nightstrike, on Friday night July 7, he surrendered his life to Jesus, and last Friday night Brian had the priviledge of baptizing him right there in the Skidmore fountain. As I walked away Friday night, all I could think was that was the best "church service" I have ever been to. Truly it was! It was the kind of worship that I believe God is most interested in.
On Saturday we took part in BTown Kids, a ministry that goes to various low income areas to minister to children. What a great time! The Bridgetown staff led a fantastic program of singing, games, and message. We helped with playing with children, registration, distributing food, clothing and diapers, face painting, and making many, many, snow cones. A great number of children and parents alike heard and saw the gospel of Jesus.
I live in the world of suburbia, and it is so easy to forget that there is a whole other culture of people just 20 minutes away from me. A community of people who are just like me in so many ways. A community of people that are often marginalized by society because of their economic standing. A community of people that are often avoided because of what we see on the nightly news. How tragic. God has been teaching me to look beyond my world, to see the world that He sees. This past weekend was a big step in that process.
See all the pictures of our outreach here.
Psalm 23
Recieved the following from a missionary friend in Israel the other day.
This morning I reflected on Psalm 23:2 - He will lead me beside still waters.
The word "still" means "REST". It's used often in Scripture about the rest which God promised us to experience in this Land. While this land is not at rest right now, the following shows that rest IS possible to rest in the midst of the storm.
Iris is a young Israeli (about 25) and one of my special "kids" She moved out of Tel Aviv and now lives in the city of Sfad which has been under attack for the last few days.
The house she shares is a large one, open for those who seek shelter.
Two days ago, the "house mother" went for her usual prayer walk, but then God told her to walk around the house quoting Psalm 23! She did.
As soon as she finished the first bomb came, landing 50 meters from the house. Within an hour the second bomb landed 50 meters from the house in another direction. Yesterday a third bomb landed 30 meters from the house. It matters not how close the final bomb hits, the house will be safe.
Iris says, "The whole city needs to come to this house. It's the safest place in the whole city"
Awesome! God is.
Squirrel Revival
God will do whatever it takes, and use whatever means He wants, to bring His people back to Himself. Perhaps even a squirrel.
HT to Gman
Ocean
As Robin and I walked the beach last week in San Clemente we were discussing the attributes of God and how they are seen in nature. I shared with her that I see God's attributes displayed in the ocean more than in any other part of His creation.
When I look at the ocean I am reminded of two aspects of God's character in particular, His power and His peace. The ocean is an awesome display of God's power and a beautiful display of His peace.
The ocean can be very terrifying at times, yet very calming and peaceful at other times.
I can recall many times when I have been out in the surf and the waves grew to be bigger than I am
comfortable with. Many times I have been consumed with fear, because I knew I was in surf bigger than I can handle. As I watched the news footage of the horrible destruction brought on by the tsunami in southeast Asia this last year I was once again reminded of how powerful the ocean can be.
Just as one must have a healthy fear of the ocean and a great respect for it, one must also fear God and understand that He is a God of great power, a God that hates sin, a God that is a jealous God when His people are drawn to other gods. A God that holds all things together.
The ocean on the other hand can be very peaceful and soothing. I love to sit on the beach and be lulled into a trance as I watch the waves roll in. I love to walk on the beach on a warm evening and be consumed with the beauty, and majesty of the ocean. It in some way touches my soul, as it does many others. God is the same way. He is a God of peace and desires us to find rest in Him, to trust completely in Him, and be consumed in His peace.
My favorite scripture is Philippians 4:6-7, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I love to see God. I see Him around me. I especially see Him in the beauty of the ocean. May we all see God everywhere we go, for He is there. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20
Something about the ocean
Makes me rise up and praise
Something about the heavens
Makes me stand in awe again
Something about the sunrise
Reminds me of Your faithfulness
Something about the ocean
And I’m lost in love again
Ten Shekel Shirt
Fireworks
Last night we stood out on the sundeck of the condos to watch the firworks being shot off of the San Clemente peir. They were very cool!
We thought Benny might be a bit scared of all the loud noise. To the contrary, he was quite captivated by them and seemed to really love it!
Very fun time!
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