Beach Time

This picture was taken a few days ago out on the beach that the Team House sits on. Look at how huge everything is out here! The sky, the mountains...its all so beautiful. We've all commented several times about how hard it is to understand how people don't believe in God when he has made such amazing things.

My favorite new people!

The internet here is capped, so this is the only photo I have been able to upload. At least its a good one! This is the gang that I have gotten to know and love on this trip! Taken on top of Table Mountain.

Please be praying tomorrow (Wednesday)...actually you need to be praying in your sleep on Tuesday night because that is when we will be sharing the plan on salvation at the 4 different townships here in Cape Town. We will be meeting in our small groups around 11 am which is 4 am your time. I lead the group of 10 and older kids and today there were 22 of them. I am really excited about what God is going to do tomorrow!

Worship on the other side of the world

Good morning!

We had a great Sunday here yesterday worshipping with the congregations at both Fish Hoek Baptist and Masi yesterday. And let me tell you- I was blown away by the the passion they have for the Lord. Fish Hoek was pretty similar to how our church services go...with one exception- the way they pray for each other! I was so inspired by how they care for their church members there and specifically how John Thomas has such a deep involvement in the people he leads. So much so, that he actually named someone out from stage for not having been there in 6 months!! It was funny to us, because it sounded like he was calling them out for skipping church but he knew they had been sick or dealing with something so he was really just expressing praise that they made it there. And of course listening to his accent (and even Bill Bedi's and Shane Osuna's impersonation of his accent) is always a joy! :)

After worship at Fish Hoek, we sprinted over to Masi to experience worship with them. And that is an experience I will never forget!! Through my time in Guatemala and here, I have begun loving worship in other languages! I sometimes forget that God doesn't just speak English :) Never have I seen people worship the Lord so unhinderedly (not sure if thats a word but give me a break.) The choir was not there yesterday but for those of you who have been over here before and are thinking that we missed out-- no worries-- the congregation held their own! One of my favorite things about our time there was watching these 2 little girls that were in front of me, probably only 2 years old, imitate their parents worship. They were dancing in the aisles and singing right along with everyone. I pray that our parents in America would learn to teach their children how to worship "unhinderedly." I began thinking about what it would be like if we didn't have standards in worship. If my soul couldn't contain the joy that the Lord has given me, how would I express my worship to him? If I didn't care about what other people were thinking, would I be doing a conga line down the church aisles and burst out in any song that Lord placed on my heart? I don't think I've ever been to a church in America where the pews would be big enough for that. We've talked a little the past few days about how we always seem to walk away with more blessings from these kinds of trips that we may be dishing out. My worship time yesterday with my brothers and sisters in Christ from around the globe, will surely be a moment I will never forget.

After church, we had lunch over at John Thomas's house in Muizemburg (I'm sure I just completrely butchered that.) His house is absolutely amazing, with a view unlike one I've ever seen from a home. And they're selling it...hmm. Mom, John...feel like moving to South Africa?? You guys would LOVE the ministries over here. Just sayin'. :)

We went to the market yesterday afternoon to get a few goodies. Then dinner at McDonalds. Last night we spent some time doing last minute prep for VBS that starts today!! I am so excited to finally see the faces I've been praying for for so long. As beautiful as this country is, I have a feeling the kids I will meet today will be even more beautiful! I will be working with 10-14 year olds, and my team members, Dora and Matthew, will each have groups of the younger ones. Mzo, our LifeSkills Educator that works in Red Hill regularly, has asked specifically that we pray for the families in Red Hill. He asked that we pray for a revival there. I am going to be intentional about talking with the parents I meet. Pray that we represent Christ well this week.

Love and miss you all!

I'm here!

SO- after over 20 hours on a plane, we got to Cape Town yesterday around 5ish pm...which is 10 am your time. Remember that you all are 7 hours behind us (mom, that makes you 6 hours). The flights were fine- lots of good stories from that. I saw an attempted robbery right before our fuel stop in Dakar, Senegal!

Only a few minutes to update- they just rang the lunch bell! BUT this is most definitely the most beautiful place I've ever been! Hopefully I will be able to get on later tonight and add some pictures. Please be praying for my new friend Mzo. He will be partnering with my team at our VBS location, Red Hill.

Love you all!

Leaving on a jet plane

Tomorrow morning at 11:30 am, my plane will take off to head on my long anticipated journey to Cape Town, South Africa. When I started working at Brentwood Baptist, I learned about our church's great partnership with John Thomas and Living Hope. And here I am, 2.5 years later, finally getting to go on my first trip to this great place. Here is a link to our church's mission's website that tell of this partnership...

http://www.brentwoodmissions.com/news_detail.php?news_id=41

There are about 30 people on our team. Some people will be doing construction tasks, others will be doing a retreat for the healthcare workers at Living Hope, and the team I am on will be doing VBS in several of the local townships. I will be in a place called Red Hill with 2 other team members. They have told us that there could be 200-400 children at each location. WOW! 200-400 kids with 3 of us?? Thats not quite the 5:1 ratio I was used to while working M-Fuge! I really have no idea what to expect!

Please pray for our team in these ways:

-Pray for safe travel. We fly from Nashville to New York and then New York to Cape Town (20 hour flight!) with a fuel stop in somewhere in West Africa.
-Pray for our health.
-Pray that I have a peace about teaching the VBS curriculum. I've got teaching students down pat, but its been a while since I've worked with kids! Lets hope its like riding a bike :)
-Pray that our team is united. With lots of different ministry tasks going on, I am praying that there is no division among the team and that we are all willing to help wherever the need is.

Hopefully I will be able to update you all and post some pictures! Thank you for your prayers and support!

"I thank my God everytime I remember you." Phil. 1:3

Summer Time

So I know its been almost two months since I last blogged...sorry about that. But to my defense, it is summer time- and summer time in Student Ministry is BUSY!


We kicked off the summer on a great start with out End of the Year Celebration. We had pizza and blow-up games (the essentials) and a good crowd of students. I got to joust for the first time ever and this is how I felt afterwards:

The next week our Middle Schoolers participated in ReConstruct- a local ministry that equips students for home repair for low-income residents. (http://www.reconstruct.org/) The students did an incredible job that week!



Two weeks after that we took 250 students and leaders down to Doublehead Resort in Town Creek, AL for Summer Camp. It was a great week! Worship was led by Ninth Hour (formerly Joey Everett Band) and our camp pastor was Chad Childress. Both were so great at leading our students to worship. It was an incredible week. Here is a picture of worship on the beach before the baptisms in the lake:

And finally, we just got back from Chicago where we took our High Schoolers on mission. For the past 4 years, our students have been partnering with Armitage Baptist Church in Garfield Park (I've only gone the past 2 summers.) The ministry that they do there is so wonderful and very much needed. I will blog about this later (it has made me consider moving there) but here is a picture to hold you over...

Love to you all!

Oh, My God

I am a repeat-music listener. I will play a new album until I hate it. However, the new Jars of Clay album that came out last year is amazing. I know I say this about a lot of albums but this time I really mean it! It has been playing over and over again in my car since I got it. There is one song in particular that is keeping it in there- "Oh, My God" (track 7). It is such a powerful song both lyrically and musically. I think a lot of times artists try to accomplish this but something falls short. Here are the lyrics...they read just as well as they are sung.

Oh my God, look around this place
Your fingers reach around the bone
you set the break and set the tone
For flights of grace, and future falls
In present pain all fools say, "Oh my God."

Oh my God, why are we so afraid?
We make it worse when we don't bleed
There is no cure for our disease
Turn a phrase and rise again
Or fake your death and only tell your closest friends
Oh My God

Oh my God, can I complain?
You take away my firm belief and graft my soul upon your grief
Weddings, boats, and alibis
All drift away, and a mother cries

Liars and fools, sons and failures, theives will always say
Lost and found, ailing wanderers, healers always say
Whores and angels, men with problems, leavers always say
Broken hearted, separated, orphans always say
War creators, racial haters, preachers always say
Distant fathers, fallen warriors, givers always say
Pilgrim saints, lonely widows, users always say
Fearful mothers, watchful doubters, Saviors always say

Sometimes I can not forgive
and these days mercy cuts so deep
If the world was how it should be, maybe I could get some sleep
While I lay, I'd dream we're better, scales were gone and faces lighter
When we wake we hate our brother, we still move to hurt each other
Sometimes I can close my eyes and all the fear the keeps me silent
Falls below my heavy breathing, what makes me so badly bent?
We all have a chance to murder, we all have the need for wonder
We still want to be reminded that the pain is worth the thunder

Sometimes when I lose my grip, I wonder what to make of heaven
All the times I thought to reach up, all the times I had to give up
Babies underneath their beds, in hospitals that cannot treat them
All the wounds that money causes, all the comforts of cathedrals
All the cries of thirsty children, this is our inheritance
All the rage of watching mothers, this is our greatest offense
Oh my God Oh my God Oh my God