This will be our last post regarding our trip to Arizona. I (Tim Owens) would like to thank you all soo much for all of your prayers through our entire trip... the trip went incredibly well, and we are grateful.
We've been home for just under a week now, which has allowed some time for processing and reflection. I have countless joyful memories of our time--LIFTers spending time with Hopi teens, talking, playing, climbing, showing the love of Christ. We left a tangible imprint of our time through a wide variety of work projects--a new playground, a mostly restored trailer and a new fence, a new patio, trash clean-up, and even an outhouse. One of our main goals with each trip is to be an encouragement to the missionaries we reach, and I think that without a doubt we accomplished that this time.
However, even with all of the joy that I have as I contemplate our trip, I cannot help but to feel more than a tinge of sadness. The Hopi res is in the desert--the sun blazed every day, everywhere you looked a beautiful vista of barrenness extending to the horizon. It truly is a land of austere beauty. And yet, for all the brilliance of the desert sun, the Hopi res is a dark, dark place. It seemed to us that there is not an active Hopi expression of the body of Christ. We met many Hopi Christians during our time, but most of the leadership of the church still seems to be from Anglos rather than native Hopi. This is not the desire of the missionaries we worked with. For the most part, the Hopi simply have not been able to step up into positions of leadership. And as a result the Hopi body has suffered.
We've been home for a week, back from the edge of civilization. My memories are full of smiling children, laughing missionaries, joyful LIFTers, and gracious Hopi. And yet my heart breaks for the Hopi and the stranglehold Satan has on them as a people, that Satan has on their culture. The missionaries we served with are truly heroes of our faith--sacrificing much with very little recognition, support, or even fruit. They have followed God's call to the edge of civilization and are serving faithfully, regardless of the obstacles. We've been home a week, yet they will serve there for a lifetime.
Our trip is over, yet the Hopi remain. Please continue to pray.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Hello LIFT blog followers!
Kathy Trezise (Tim's wife) emailed us the following email yesterday:
"Tim called me today. Both groups had just come out of the Grand Canyon after great hiking and camping. TO's group had the harder but shorter (20 miles) hike all the way down to the river at the bottom of the canyon. Tim T's group, after a total of 25 miles actually got back up to the rim of the canyon earlier today because they had fewer miles to trek out from their last campsite. The views and weather were fantastic, and everyone seemed to be in great spirits. They were heading back to the Hopi reservation this afternoon, planning on a low-key day including worship and involvement in youth groups tomorrow, with service projects scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. They'll leave the reservation around midnight (Wednesday morning) in order to get to the airport, return the rental vans, and catch their flights back to Albany. The plan is to arrive back in NY around 5:30 PM."
We are excited for their return and to hear about all of their amazing God-given experiences!
Kathy Trezise (Tim's wife) emailed us the following email yesterday:
"Tim called me today. Both groups had just come out of the Grand Canyon after great hiking and camping. TO's group had the harder but shorter (20 miles) hike all the way down to the river at the bottom of the canyon. Tim T's group, after a total of 25 miles actually got back up to the rim of the canyon earlier today because they had fewer miles to trek out from their last campsite. The views and weather were fantastic, and everyone seemed to be in great spirits. They were heading back to the Hopi reservation this afternoon, planning on a low-key day including worship and involvement in youth groups tomorrow, with service projects scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. They'll leave the reservation around midnight (Wednesday morning) in order to get to the airport, return the rental vans, and catch their flights back to Albany. The plan is to arrive back in NY around 5:30 PM."
We are excited for their return and to hear about all of their amazing God-given experiences!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
I just spoke with Tim T for 6 minutes! He and the LIFT team are currently rock climbing with a couple of youth groups (approximately 20 children) and a few leaders. They drove 2 ½ hours to the border of New Mexico and Arizona to climb a beautiful 40 ft. wall in the middle of the dessert.
As of today, they have finished most of their projects with the Wight missionaries. However, after hosting such a large group, the Wight family decided that they will definitely need an outhouse in the future! Whitney and Rachel dug a 6’ x 3’ x 3’ hole for the new outhouse and the team will build the rest of the outhouse on Monday.
The Wight family is hosting another missionary, Chelsea from Canada, but they did not have suitable accommodations for her. Leave it to the LIFT team to re-model a living space for Chelsea! They had a lot of fun gutting, dry walling, painting, etc.
Tomorrow at 5:00 a.m. the LIFT group departs for their three-day journey in the Grand Canyon. Scott and Melinda Wight will join the group on their adventure. Tim Owens will preach on Sunday so that Scott can join them. All LIFTers are healthy, but Libby will not partake in the Grand Canyon adventure as she has a hip injury.
Tim says that they are all grateful for our prayers, so keep it up!
As of today, they have finished most of their projects with the Wight missionaries. However, after hosting such a large group, the Wight family decided that they will definitely need an outhouse in the future! Whitney and Rachel dug a 6’ x 3’ x 3’ hole for the new outhouse and the team will build the rest of the outhouse on Monday.
The Wight family is hosting another missionary, Chelsea from Canada, but they did not have suitable accommodations for her. Leave it to the LIFT team to re-model a living space for Chelsea! They had a lot of fun gutting, dry walling, painting, etc.
Tomorrow at 5:00 a.m. the LIFT group departs for their three-day journey in the Grand Canyon. Scott and Melinda Wight will join the group on their adventure. Tim Owens will preach on Sunday so that Scott can join them. All LIFTers are healthy, but Libby will not partake in the Grand Canyon adventure as she has a hip injury.
Tim says that they are all grateful for our prayers, so keep it up!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
I had a surprise call from Tim Owens at 5pm this past Sunday.Tim gave lot’s of updated information and I’ll do my best to capture it though please know I am sure to have missed some points
Everyone is doing well and they have been quite busy. On Friday the LIFT team took down a playground that was in very poor condition and put up a new playground – all in one day. It was a blessing to see the kids playing on it once it was done.They have been busy with work projects; one work project involved remodeling one of the missionaries homes that was in very bad condition. They have been very involved with all kinds of youth events. It seems that racing is a big part of the Hopi culture and the LIFT team got involved with a 5K race the other day. On Sunday they lead part of the church service including worship. They have been involved in some of the after church youth groups geared toward JHS and HS kids., one of which is called Jumpstart which is almost LIFT-like in it's approach. Know that everyone is doing well and I know there would be more to tell but I couldn’t retain it all. Know that they are doing well and continue to need prayers. Later this week they go off into the canyon for their adventure trip.
Also - If I understood Tim correctly, there is no cell service on the reservation.
Everyone is doing well and they have been quite busy. On Friday the LIFT team took down a playground that was in very poor condition and put up a new playground – all in one day. It was a blessing to see the kids playing on it once it was done.They have been busy with work projects; one work project involved remodeling one of the missionaries homes that was in very bad condition. They have been very involved with all kinds of youth events. It seems that racing is a big part of the Hopi culture and the LIFT team got involved with a 5K race the other day. On Sunday they lead part of the church service including worship. They have been involved in some of the after church youth groups geared toward JHS and HS kids., one of which is called Jumpstart which is almost LIFT-like in it's approach. Know that everyone is doing well and I know there would be more to tell but I couldn’t retain it all. Know that they are doing well and continue to need prayers. Later this week they go off into the canyon for their adventure trip.
Also - If I understood Tim correctly, there is no cell service on the reservation.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Greetings from Hopiland!
This update is coming to you direct from the Reservation (or "Res", as everyone here refers to it). We have a access to the net today for a short time, so I thought I'd offer a brief update.
We have completed two amazing days of climbing in Jack's Canyon. Everyone enjoyed the climbing, many of us had new successes, many worked through frustration and failure, and we all enjoyed encouaging each other We spent about an hour last night talking through life lessons that can be learned through climbing...it was a really rich time for us all.
Today we have divided forces for two different work projects. Half of us are installing a new plaground that we've purchased for the ministry compound we are staying at (where the Wights live and work). The other half of us are helping another local ministry by rehabbing a trailer for one of the single missionaries to live in.
We are going to put on a fun run/walk for the Hopi tomorrow. We are very excited, and expect a large turnout--weekend races are a big deal here. We are hoping to meet a lot of the locals through the race and also Sunday's church activities.
We all miss our families, and are having a wonderful, growing, stretching time!
Tim O
We have completed two amazing days of climbing in Jack's Canyon. Everyone enjoyed the climbing, many of us had new successes, many worked through frustration and failure, and we all enjoyed encouaging each other We spent about an hour last night talking through life lessons that can be learned through climbing...it was a really rich time for us all.
Today we have divided forces for two different work projects. Half of us are installing a new plaground that we've purchased for the ministry compound we are staying at (where the Wights live and work). The other half of us are helping another local ministry by rehabbing a trailer for one of the single missionaries to live in.
We are going to put on a fun run/walk for the Hopi tomorrow. We are very excited, and expect a large turnout--weekend races are a big deal here. We are hoping to meet a lot of the locals through the race and also Sunday's church activities.
We all miss our families, and are having a wonderful, growing, stretching time!
Tim O
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Nov 4th update
While we had the first dusting of snow this morning here in Speculator, NY ... the weather is a bit warmer in AZ. Latest report from yesterday evening is as follows:
Tim T. called from the Hopi Reservation, where the LIFTers spent the day. They toured the reservation and went to a museum. The Hopi women were making an authentic Indian meal for them last evening (Wed.). It was a low-key day, but they were all tired and appreciated the slow pace. The closest town to where they are staying is known as the oldest, continually settled town in North America, and possibly in all of the Americas.
On wednesday the group enjoyed rock climbing in Jack's Canyon. Tim called probably 8 times via his cell from the middle of the dessert, because there was reception. . . but it would last only about 15 seconds each time, so the info we received wasn't so complete.
Back here at Camp, we're keeping them in our prayers and encourage you all to do the same. (:{)
Tim T. called from the Hopi Reservation, where the LIFTers spent the day. They toured the reservation and went to a museum. The Hopi women were making an authentic Indian meal for them last evening (Wed.). It was a low-key day, but they were all tired and appreciated the slow pace. The closest town to where they are staying is known as the oldest, continually settled town in North America, and possibly in all of the Americas.
On wednesday the group enjoyed rock climbing in Jack's Canyon. Tim called probably 8 times via his cell from the middle of the dessert, because there was reception. . . but it would last only about 15 seconds each time, so the info we received wasn't so complete.
Back here at Camp, we're keeping them in our prayers and encourage you all to do the same. (:{)
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Nov 2, 2009
Hello from CAMP-of-the-WOODS. The following news' update from Tim T out in AZ.
"Thanks so much for your prayers for the LIFT team! Tim called me a few times yesterday to let me know they arrived in Phoenix (early), secured the rental vans, and shopped for two weeks' groceries in Flagstaff. The team seemed to be doing very well.
Brad Outlaw is having some issues with his shoulder- he woke up with it really bothering him a couple of days before they left. He almost stayed back to see a doctor, but decided to move ahead with the original travel plan. Please lift him up in prayer.
The LIFT group knows that they are heading into a spiritually dark place where strongholds are a reality. Thanks so much for your prayer support- it is necessary and effective."
Know too that at COTW we are praying for the LIFT team as a group every day at lunch. We encourage you all do so too !
"Thanks so much for your prayers for the LIFT team! Tim called me a few times yesterday to let me know they arrived in Phoenix (early), secured the rental vans, and shopped for two weeks' groceries in Flagstaff. The team seemed to be doing very well.
Brad Outlaw is having some issues with his shoulder- he woke up with it really bothering him a couple of days before they left. He almost stayed back to see a doctor, but decided to move ahead with the original travel plan. Please lift him up in prayer.
The LIFT group knows that they are heading into a spiritually dark place where strongholds are a reality. Thanks so much for your prayer support- it is necessary and effective."
Know too that at COTW we are praying for the LIFT team as a group every day at lunch. We encourage you all do so too !
Friday, October 30, 2009
We're heading to the Hopi!
The final countdown has begun! We are (feverishly) finishing all of the last-minute preparation that stand between us and our trip to the Hopi. This blog will keep all of the friends of LIFT up-to-date on our trip, our group, and especially how the Kingdom of God is advancing as God works through our team. We are expecting great things!
We will be in AZ from Nov 2-18, and will spend much of that time on the Hopi Reservation. We will be teaming with Scott and Melinda Wight, who are missionaries supported by our home church North Country Bible Fellowship. We will work with their youth group, do a variety of service projects. We will also join up with a On Eagles' Wings, a ministry started by Brad Hutchcraft that reaches out to Native American youth all over the West.
In addition, we are adding a couple of days into the trip so that we can take some time to go rock climbing and also backpack down into the Grand Canyon.
We hope that you enjoy keeping up with us, and we especially hope that you will pray for us throughout our time!
We will be in AZ from Nov 2-18, and will spend much of that time on the Hopi Reservation. We will be teaming with Scott and Melinda Wight, who are missionaries supported by our home church North Country Bible Fellowship. We will work with their youth group, do a variety of service projects. We will also join up with a On Eagles' Wings, a ministry started by Brad Hutchcraft that reaches out to Native American youth all over the West.
In addition, we are adding a couple of days into the trip so that we can take some time to go rock climbing and also backpack down into the Grand Canyon.
We hope that you enjoy keeping up with us, and we especially hope that you will pray for us throughout our time!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Signing Out
LIFT has been in Speculator for just about 24 hours now and have seemed to recoup well. My main purpose in sending this last post is to share a photo with you. This is a group photo in front of one of their boats in the middle of a rain storm. I'm not sure what day it was taken, but you can see bits of Brazil in the photo.
Hearing stories of the trip in person has been great. These half-stories I've been telling here have found their other halves and I've enjoyed every minute of "story time".
I can honestly say I have loved (and by "loved" I mean LOVED) every minute of our email/blog journey together. BUT I like having the students here more, so we'll have to part ways and go back to letting them contact ya'll instead.
(You can click on the photo to make it bigger. Check out all the lovely faces!)
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Romans 16:25-27)
Hearing stories of the trip in person has been great. These half-stories I've been telling here have found their other halves and I've enjoyed every minute of "story time".
I can honestly say I have loved (and by "loved" I mean LOVED) every minute of our email/blog journey together. BUT I like having the students here more, so we'll have to part ways and go back to letting them contact ya'll instead.
(You can click on the photo to make it bigger. Check out all the lovely faces!)Friday, April 17, 2009
Home Safe
I just dropped LIFT of at their perspective houses in Speculator, NY! Traveling home wasn't as smooth as we hoped for, but everyone is here, safe and sound.
I got a call this morning from Tim T saying that our international student was stuck in Miami customs. We got word that they were going to let her through, but the process could take up to an hour. They finally let her into the country just in time for her to run to her first flight. She didn't make it in time, so they put her on standby. She did get on a flight, but she ended up traveling alone the rest of the day.
To make a long story short (because it's past my bedtime):
Group #1 landed in Newark around 2:30.
Our Polish student landed around 3:20.
Group #2 landed around 4:30.
Group #1 had some luggage issues and 3 bags were on another plane. Lord willing, they'll be delivered up here tomorrow.
I had the greatest time on the drive home, listening to stories about electric eels and life on the river. I can't wait until they get to share the stories with you!
I'll have one more update before I sign out. I want to send along at least one photo.
I got a call this morning from Tim T saying that our international student was stuck in Miami customs. We got word that they were going to let her through, but the process could take up to an hour. They finally let her into the country just in time for her to run to her first flight. She didn't make it in time, so they put her on standby. She did get on a flight, but she ended up traveling alone the rest of the day.
To make a long story short (because it's past my bedtime):
Group #1 landed in Newark around 2:30.
Our Polish student landed around 3:20.
Group #2 landed around 4:30.
Group #1 had some luggage issues and 3 bags were on another plane. Lord willing, they'll be delivered up here tomorrow.
I had the greatest time on the drive home, listening to stories about electric eels and life on the river. I can't wait until they get to share the stories with you!
I'll have one more update before I sign out. I want to send along at least one photo.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Airports
I just got off the phone with Tim T. and the group is in the Belem airport. They have a while to wait before their first flight (out of 4), but they are definitely on their way home!
Flight information (these are all local times):
Tonight they fly from Belem to Rio De Janeiro (5:50pm - 9:30pm)
Then from Rio De Janeiro to Miami (10:35pm - 6:20pm)
Tomorrow they split up into two groups:
Group #1 flies from Miami to Atlanta (9:25am - 11:20am)
Then from Atlanta to Newark (12:19pm - 2:40pm)
Group #2 flies from Miami to Atlanta (11:09am - 1:08pm)
Then from Atlanta to Newark (2:00pm - 4:24pm)
Group one will hang out at the airport until group two arrives, then they'll hop in the vans for the 4.5 hour drive back to Speculator! And I'm excited to say, that I'm privileged enough to be one of those van drivers! I'm terribly excited I get to see the group tomorrow afternoon and I'll be sure to share all your love with them.
I have two prayer requests:
1) This day of travel can be very critical for the group. This is when lessons are solidified and experiences turn into stories. Let's pray that the Spirit would continue to solidify His work in them.
2) This one is more specific, requested by Tim T. There are a lot of emotions floating around the group over the end of some things: the end of Brazil, nearing the end of LIFT and the end of some other things. Today is especially hard for them, so lets pray that the students as well as the Tims would be focusing on the eternal benefit of their circumstances. God's desire is Christ-likeness displayed in them; this should be our expectation and prayer.
Let's pray this for the LIFT group today:
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:17-20).
Mini-sermonette not entirely relevant to LIFT: This is one of my favorite sections of scripture because it talks of the power of the Holy Spirit. As believers in Christ Jesus, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is now living within us working mightly. What is He working on? Molding us into Christ-likeness. The same, unimaginable amount of power that raised the God-man from the dead is constantly available to us so that we may glorify Him.
Thanks for reading once again. My next update will be short (either late tomorrow night or Saturday morning) letting you know the team is home and well.
Flight information (these are all local times):
Tonight they fly from Belem to Rio De Janeiro (5:50pm - 9:30pm)
Then from Rio De Janeiro to Miami (10:35pm - 6:20pm)
Tomorrow they split up into two groups:
Group #1 flies from Miami to Atlanta (9:25am - 11:20am)
Then from Atlanta to Newark (12:19pm - 2:40pm)
Group #2 flies from Miami to Atlanta (11:09am - 1:08pm)
Then from Atlanta to Newark (2:00pm - 4:24pm)
Group one will hang out at the airport until group two arrives, then they'll hop in the vans for the 4.5 hour drive back to Speculator! And I'm excited to say, that I'm privileged enough to be one of those van drivers! I'm terribly excited I get to see the group tomorrow afternoon and I'll be sure to share all your love with them.
I have two prayer requests:
1) This day of travel can be very critical for the group. This is when lessons are solidified and experiences turn into stories. Let's pray that the Spirit would continue to solidify His work in them.
2) This one is more specific, requested by Tim T. There are a lot of emotions floating around the group over the end of some things: the end of Brazil, nearing the end of LIFT and the end of some other things. Today is especially hard for them, so lets pray that the students as well as the Tims would be focusing on the eternal benefit of their circumstances. God's desire is Christ-likeness displayed in them; this should be our expectation and prayer.
Let's pray this for the LIFT group today:
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:17-20).
Mini-sermonette not entirely relevant to LIFT: This is one of my favorite sections of scripture because it talks of the power of the Holy Spirit. As believers in Christ Jesus, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is now living within us working mightly. What is He working on? Molding us into Christ-likeness. The same, unimaginable amount of power that raised the God-man from the dead is constantly available to us so that we may glorify Him.
Thanks for reading once again. My next update will be short (either late tomorrow night or Saturday morning) letting you know the team is home and well.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Satellite Phones
I just got off the phone with Tim T!
The LIFT program has two satellite phones that are reminiscent of the "high-tech" cell phones of the late 80's. They can pretty much call from anywhere in the world and they sound like they're on the other side of the room. It's quite deceptive actually. How can someone standing in the middle Amazon jungle sound that clear?
Anyway, Tim said that he had to wait a bit to call because a huge rain storm came through and he couldn't step outside. He was looking at a magnificent rainbow while we were on the phone.
The group is doing well. Their days have been filled with work and their evenings have been filled with ministry. They've traveled around sharing testimonies, songs and skits with the communities they've been visiting. They end their days with peaceful rides on the river back to camp under the stars.
Easter Sunday was great. They had a sunrise service on the the roof of the boat before attending church. This was a really sweet, encouraging time for them. After the long, Spirit-filled service the team walked inland quite a ways and played soccer with some Brazilians on a full-length soccer field. By the end of the game it was pouring rain and the group loved every minute of it.
Installing the water filters at different homes along the river was very eye-opening for the LIFTers. Some the families are in extreme poverty, owning next to nothing. The way that the church shares Christ to these people through community development is a great example for these future leaders. They install water filters, bringing clean water to impoverished areas and opening up doors for evangelism. The follow through with solid discipleship and start up cell groups connected to churches. The Lord is clearly working through Project Amazon and this is very encouraging to the group.
Today, the group was scheduled to continue installing water filters, but are taking a day of rest instead. Some of the group are sick and some of them have minor injuries (running around the Amazon basin barefoot...). Having part of the group out of sorts, is throwing the rest of the team off, so a day of rest was ordered. Let's pray for the LIFTers today that they would rest well and that illnesses wouldn't spread.
Tomorrow the team will celebrate Ken T's (Tim T's brother) birthday, then head into Belem. They fly out of Belem Thursday morning and should be back in Speculator, NY Friday night!
Tim said that he would try and call either tomorrow or Thursday, so there should be at least one more update from Brazil and one or two more after the group arrives home.
The LIFT program has two satellite phones that are reminiscent of the "high-tech" cell phones of the late 80's. They can pretty much call from anywhere in the world and they sound like they're on the other side of the room. It's quite deceptive actually. How can someone standing in the middle Amazon jungle sound that clear?
Anyway, Tim said that he had to wait a bit to call because a huge rain storm came through and he couldn't step outside. He was looking at a magnificent rainbow while we were on the phone.
The group is doing well. Their days have been filled with work and their evenings have been filled with ministry. They've traveled around sharing testimonies, songs and skits with the communities they've been visiting. They end their days with peaceful rides on the river back to camp under the stars.
Easter Sunday was great. They had a sunrise service on the the roof of the boat before attending church. This was a really sweet, encouraging time for them. After the long, Spirit-filled service the team walked inland quite a ways and played soccer with some Brazilians on a full-length soccer field. By the end of the game it was pouring rain and the group loved every minute of it.
Installing the water filters at different homes along the river was very eye-opening for the LIFTers. Some the families are in extreme poverty, owning next to nothing. The way that the church shares Christ to these people through community development is a great example for these future leaders. They install water filters, bringing clean water to impoverished areas and opening up doors for evangelism. The follow through with solid discipleship and start up cell groups connected to churches. The Lord is clearly working through Project Amazon and this is very encouraging to the group.
Today, the group was scheduled to continue installing water filters, but are taking a day of rest instead. Some of the group are sick and some of them have minor injuries (running around the Amazon basin barefoot...). Having part of the group out of sorts, is throwing the rest of the team off, so a day of rest was ordered. Let's pray for the LIFTers today that they would rest well and that illnesses wouldn't spread.
Tomorrow the team will celebrate Ken T's (Tim T's brother) birthday, then head into Belem. They fly out of Belem Thursday morning and should be back in Speculator, NY Friday night!
Tim said that he would try and call either tomorrow or Thursday, so there should be at least one more update from Brazil and one or two more after the group arrives home.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Monday Update
Tim O (TO) called his bride today, so this update is really coming from Courtney.
Today, the group spent the day installing water filters at 15 different sites. Apparently, each filter weighs 300 pounds; I'm sure this was a sight to see. They'll be installing more water filters tomorrow.
If you remember, last night the group split up and visited 3 different churches; they went very well. I'm not sure about the other two, but Emory preached at one of the services (most likely the service TO attended) and did a great job. At this point in time all the LIFTers have shared their testimonies across the Amazon basin and have done an excellent job.
Courtney's email to me was filled with exclamation points. This tells me that TO was really encouraged to share what's been going on. The group is doing well and has seen God working in mighty ways in Brazil. We can praise the Lord for this.
Thanks for praying!
Today, the group spent the day installing water filters at 15 different sites. Apparently, each filter weighs 300 pounds; I'm sure this was a sight to see. They'll be installing more water filters tomorrow.
If you remember, last night the group split up and visited 3 different churches; they went very well. I'm not sure about the other two, but Emory preached at one of the services (most likely the service TO attended) and did a great job. At this point in time all the LIFTers have shared their testimonies across the Amazon basin and have done an excellent job.
Courtney's email to me was filled with exclamation points. This tells me that TO was really encouraged to share what's been going on. The group is doing well and has seen God working in mighty ways in Brazil. We can praise the Lord for this.
Thanks for praying!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter Sunday
Happy Resurrection Sunday everyone!
Tim T called this afternoon (I am sad to say I missed his call, though. He left a message) to give a quick update on the days events.
This morning there was an Easter service at one of the churches along the Amazon River. It was quite long, complete with some baptisms and communion. Tim T preached and Ken T (Tim's missionary brother) translated; Tim said that this was really special for them.
The point of Tim's call was to inform us all about this evening. The team will be splitting up into three different groups and going to different churches this evening to participate in their church services. There will be some singing, some testimonies and some of the students will even be preaching. If I didn't miss the call, I would be able to tell you who was preaching, but let's be praying for all of the students tonight. Leading a congregation in corporate worship is a great privilege, but can also be challenging.
Let's also be praying for the group as they round the corner to their last leg of the trip (they arrive back at their original base camp (the orphanage) on Wednesday and start traveling Thursday). This is a crucial point in the trip where some of the LIFTers can start "checking out" and disconnect from what's in front of them. Let's pray that our mighty God would give them the strength to finish well.
I pray that we would all finish well; let us press on in prayer.
Tim T called this afternoon (I am sad to say I missed his call, though. He left a message) to give a quick update on the days events.
This morning there was an Easter service at one of the churches along the Amazon River. It was quite long, complete with some baptisms and communion. Tim T preached and Ken T (Tim's missionary brother) translated; Tim said that this was really special for them.
The point of Tim's call was to inform us all about this evening. The team will be splitting up into three different groups and going to different churches this evening to participate in their church services. There will be some singing, some testimonies and some of the students will even be preaching. If I didn't miss the call, I would be able to tell you who was preaching, but let's be praying for all of the students tonight. Leading a congregation in corporate worship is a great privilege, but can also be challenging.
Let's also be praying for the group as they round the corner to their last leg of the trip (they arrive back at their original base camp (the orphanage) on Wednesday and start traveling Thursday). This is a crucial point in the trip where some of the LIFTers can start "checking out" and disconnect from what's in front of them. Let's pray that our mighty God would give them the strength to finish well.
I pray that we would all finish well; let us press on in prayer.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Saturday Update
We heard from the group again, after a few days of quiet. They've been doing similar things for the past few days: working on church buildings alongside PAZ missionaries and Brazilians and having some church services.
Yesterday they had a church service where worship involved some samba line dancing, which was (I'm sure) enjoyed by all and very encouraging to the group. Tim O. preached and some of the students told their testimonies.
Today is a day of rest for the students. They've been in Brazil for just over a week now and this will be the first real day of rest they have. Let's be praying for them today as they recoup from their week of hard work. There is another service today and Ken Trezise will preach.
Tomorrow, Tim T will preach at the Easter Sunday service and then the group will head out on the house boats for a few days.
Monday and Tuesday, the group will be traveling up river to deliver water filters to communities with no clean water.
All in all, the group is doing well, but they're becoming more and more aware of the spiritual warfare around them. This is the most important thing we need to be praying for this weekend.
Please Pray:
That today's day of rest would be encouraging to the group.
For the men preaching at these services and for the LIFTers as they share their testimonies
For the communities that the group will be visiting with these water filters; that the gospel will be clear to them
Pray against the work that Satan is doing in Brazil and in the group and for strength and encouragement for the all the believers down there.
Thanks for reading and happy Easter!
Yesterday they had a church service where worship involved some samba line dancing, which was (I'm sure) enjoyed by all and very encouraging to the group. Tim O. preached and some of the students told their testimonies.
Today is a day of rest for the students. They've been in Brazil for just over a week now and this will be the first real day of rest they have. Let's be praying for them today as they recoup from their week of hard work. There is another service today and Ken Trezise will preach.
Tomorrow, Tim T will preach at the Easter Sunday service and then the group will head out on the house boats for a few days.
Monday and Tuesday, the group will be traveling up river to deliver water filters to communities with no clean water.
All in all, the group is doing well, but they're becoming more and more aware of the spiritual warfare around them. This is the most important thing we need to be praying for this weekend.
Please Pray:
That today's day of rest would be encouraging to the group.
For the men preaching at these services and for the LIFTers as they share their testimonies
For the communities that the group will be visiting with these water filters; that the gospel will be clear to them
Pray against the work that Satan is doing in Brazil and in the group and for strength and encouragement for the all the believers down there.
Thanks for reading and happy Easter!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
On Being Dirty
When LIFT (and I) went to Nigeria last semester we practically stayed in the Marriot of Jos.
Except for two nights.
Our second and third nights in Africa were spent away from our compound visiting orphanages. We were in awe of the generosity offered to us; the families that ran these small orphanages gave up their own bedrooms for us to stay in.
For two nights we were immersed in poverty, complete with no running water and sparse electricity run from a generator. We were mentally prepared to be dirty. When push came to shove, however, some of the ladies weren’t emotionally prepared to be dirty.
When the modern-day convenience of being-able-to-shower-when-you-start-to-feel-gross slipped away as we immersed ourselves into these two families, we started to feel out of place. Personally speaking, I found that I was constantly aware of how dirty I was. I didn’t necessarily mind that I was dirty (we were in Africa , after all), I minded my awareness of it. It was affecting my relationships and demeanor and I knew it.
At the time, I thought the only solution to this new form of selfishness was a hot shower. Now I see that by the power of the Holy Spirit, the solution was living inside me. Christ died on the cross for that selfish attitude so I would no longer have to be enslaved by it. ___________________________________________________
Before she left last week, I asked one of the girls what she was least looking forward to in Brazil. She responded with something I didn't expect. On top of the spiritual tension the group was expecting to face, her biggest anxiety was selfishness. She didn't want to focus on herself, especially in the area of cleanliness.
While I haven’t heard this from the group personally, I have a strong hunch that we can be praying specifically in this area. As we pray for the Brazilian people, the ministry of the LIFTers and the sanctification of all, let's also pray that the issue of being dirty wouldn't hold the group back from anything.
The Lord can use dirt to sanctify. Cool.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Wendesday Update
Greetings! This update will be a bit long, so I'll try and break it up into sections.
Yesterday: As you remember, the group worked on some general maintenance for a few church buildings and docks. They split up into teams to do this.
One group was painting the insides and outsides of "windows" (heavy-duty shutters that keep people from going through the openings). The paint is to prevent insects from eating the wooden shutters and to prevent them from rotting.
The other group was installing a dock from one of the churches out to the water so that during the rainy season people can get off their boats and walk to the church without getting wet. This group was also installing "windows", and Tim T was painting the Logo for Project Amazon (PAZ) on one of the buildings.
Last Night: The LIFTers attended a Tuesday-evening church service where all the leaders throughout the Amazon basin meet. There is excellent communication from pastors down to the smaller cell groups as they are trying to build leaders in groups; this was great for the LIFTers to see. One of the pastors asked the group to share for about a 1/2 hour (spontaneous - no planning allowed!). The students were strangely hesitant to share, even though they've all done so as a part of our program before; they've been encouraged to be ready to share whenever the opportunity arises. Tim T admonished them a bit (in his gentle prodding manner), and eventually Sarah, Chris and Bri shared testimonies (with a translator). The entire group sang three songs in English, one of which the locals knew in Portuguese. The words were translated for the other two songs before they were sung. The people loved to hear how God was working in our youths' lives.
It is very evident that the Brazilian believers are very sensitive to the power of the Holy Spirit and are open to his work in their lives. During their debriefing time, Tim T communicated that he had been frustrated with our group's hesitancy to step forward and share their stories. He then asked for their forgiveness, confessing that he had pushed them when perhaps they weren't ready, rather than being an encourager. Through his humility, the students came to a place of confession and repentance; they didn't do what they should have: what they'd been trained to do in stepping forward to share their stories. Last night a lot of individual prayer and journaling took place as they searched their hearts and surrendered. The Holy Spirit is working in the group as they press into God. Ken Trezise (Tim T's brother, a PAZ missionary) encouraged them in this: that the Holy Spirit is working through the group in a powerful way. . .he can use all of us, and we need to step forward and start sharing, stepping out in faith. The students received this word from Ken with grace.
Room & Board: There are no beds where they are so when it's time to sleep, they find hooks (they're everywhere!) and hang their hammocks. I wonder how the group is faring with this; I'll be sure to ask when I talk to them. The menu has been 100% authentically Brazilian: great beans and rice at times, lasagne made with very salty ham, plenty of meat, lots of one-potmeals served over rice, rice with every meal.
Today: The group is doing the same types of things today, working on church buildings.
All in All: Yesterday I mentioned the team was wonderful. Today, we have word that the novelty of 3rd-world living is wearing off getting more difficult. While the team is still doing quite well, some are becoming less and less excited with "showering" in the Amazon river and washing their clothes by hand. Kathy T suggested we try and guess who's actually washing their clothes and who is just wearing dirty clothes. (-:
Prayer: Please continue to pray! I mentioned back on Monday that we need to be praying that the Holy Spirit would be working in the group. What is really encouraging about this particular update is that we see the Lord abundantly answering that prayer; let's thank Him for that and continue to pray for the group's sanctification. Also, let's pray that the group would be comforted by the Holy Spirit and their community as they are becoming more uncomfortable with their living situations. For now, Kathy T has been the one communicating with the group (read: her husband) and sending me the updates. So far, I've just been reading about the group (as you have) but I can tell, even through this meager communication, that the Lord is indeed working. I am incredibly encouraged by this and convicted to pray more. I hope the same for you.
Yesterday: As you remember, the group worked on some general maintenance for a few church buildings and docks. They split up into teams to do this.
One group was painting the insides and outsides of "windows" (heavy-duty shutters that keep people from going through the openings). The paint is to prevent insects from eating the wooden shutters and to prevent them from rotting.
The other group was installing a dock from one of the churches out to the water so that during the rainy season people can get off their boats and walk to the church without getting wet. This group was also installing "windows", and Tim T was painting the Logo for Project Amazon (PAZ) on one of the buildings.
Last Night: The LIFTers attended a Tuesday-evening church service where all the leaders throughout the Amazon basin meet. There is excellent communication from pastors down to the smaller cell groups as they are trying to build leaders in groups; this was great for the LIFTers to see. One of the pastors asked the group to share for about a 1/2 hour (spontaneous - no planning allowed!). The students were strangely hesitant to share, even though they've all done so as a part of our program before; they've been encouraged to be ready to share whenever the opportunity arises. Tim T admonished them a bit (in his gentle prodding manner), and eventually Sarah, Chris and Bri shared testimonies (with a translator). The entire group sang three songs in English, one of which the locals knew in Portuguese. The words were translated for the other two songs before they were sung. The people loved to hear how God was working in our youths' lives.
It is very evident that the Brazilian believers are very sensitive to the power of the Holy Spirit and are open to his work in their lives. During their debriefing time, Tim T communicated that he had been frustrated with our group's hesitancy to step forward and share their stories. He then asked for their forgiveness, confessing that he had pushed them when perhaps they weren't ready, rather than being an encourager. Through his humility, the students came to a place of confession and repentance; they didn't do what they should have: what they'd been trained to do in stepping forward to share their stories. Last night a lot of individual prayer and journaling took place as they searched their hearts and surrendered. The Holy Spirit is working in the group as they press into God. Ken Trezise (Tim T's brother, a PAZ missionary) encouraged them in this: that the Holy Spirit is working through the group in a powerful way. . .he can use all of us, and we need to step forward and start sharing, stepping out in faith. The students received this word from Ken with grace.
Room & Board: There are no beds where they are so when it's time to sleep, they find hooks (they're everywhere!) and hang their hammocks. I wonder how the group is faring with this; I'll be sure to ask when I talk to them. The menu has been 100% authentically Brazilian: great beans and rice at times, lasagne made with very salty ham, plenty of meat, lots of one-potmeals served over rice, rice with every meal.
Today: The group is doing the same types of things today, working on church buildings.
All in All: Yesterday I mentioned the team was wonderful. Today, we have word that the novelty of 3rd-world living is wearing off getting more difficult. While the team is still doing quite well, some are becoming less and less excited with "showering" in the Amazon river and washing their clothes by hand. Kathy T suggested we try and guess who's actually washing their clothes and who is just wearing dirty clothes. (-:
Prayer: Please continue to pray! I mentioned back on Monday that we need to be praying that the Holy Spirit would be working in the group. What is really encouraging about this particular update is that we see the Lord abundantly answering that prayer; let's thank Him for that and continue to pray for the group's sanctification. Also, let's pray that the group would be comforted by the Holy Spirit and their community as they are becoming more uncomfortable with their living situations. For now, Kathy T has been the one communicating with the group (read: her husband) and sending me the updates. So far, I've just been reading about the group (as you have) but I can tell, even through this meager communication, that the Lord is indeed working. I am incredibly encouraged by this and convicted to pray more. I hope the same for you.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Tuesday Update
If there were a theme to this update, I suppose it would be "wonderful". The team is wonderful. The Tims are wonderful. Brazil, I hear, is wonderful this time of year. (-:
The group loved traveling up river yesterday morning; The trip was slow, peaceful and full of the beauty only found on the Amazon. I must say, I eagerly anticipate seeing the pictures upon their return (I'll be sure to share a few with you!).
They set up base camp yesterday and plunged into the river for their evening shower. Last night, some slept in their hammocks on the land and some of the group slept on the boat, where it was a bit cooler (temperatures are hitting 90-95 degrees during the day and I'm sure the humidity level can't even be imagined).
Today they're building a dock, installing windows and finishing up church buildings that have been started by Brazilian pastors and other mission teams that have gone down. Their hands are definitely needed to continue the construction; the Brazilian pastors struggle because the churches are growing but there's just no money for building construction.
All in all, the group is doing wonderfully well. This brings me great joy and I hope it does you as well.
Photo courtesy of Project Amazon
The group loved traveling up river yesterday morning; The trip was slow, peaceful and full of the beauty only found on the Amazon. I must say, I eagerly anticipate seeing the pictures upon their return (I'll be sure to share a few with you!).
They set up base camp yesterday and plunged into the river for their evening shower. Last night, some slept in their hammocks on the land and some of the group slept on the boat, where it was a bit cooler (temperatures are hitting 90-95 degrees during the day and I'm sure the humidity level can't even be imagined).
Today they're building a dock, installing windows and finishing up church buildings that have been started by Brazilian pastors and other mission teams that have gone down. Their hands are definitely needed to continue the construction; the Brazilian pastors struggle because the churches are growing but there's just no money for building construction.
All in all, the group is doing wonderfully well. This brings me great joy and I hope it does you as well.
Photo courtesy of Project Amazon
Monday, April 6, 2009
Monday Morning Update
We heard from the group last night and all is well down in Brazil.
Friday they went to the dump to share Jesus' love practically. The people they brought food to in the dump live there, collecting items to sell so they can have money to live. These people also share their dump-home with vultures who constantly soar around in search of food. Many of the students had not seen such dire poverty before this; it was a moving experience for all.
Sunday, they attended a service with amazing worship, all in Portuguese. Tim said the highlight was watching the women, dressed in long white dresses, dancing in worship- very sweet and totally directed at the Lord.
The students prayed over the American couple who is hoping to keep moving ahead with the orphanage in which the LIFTers have been sleeping. Presently the plans are "hung up in red tape" with the government. As our group prayed over these two, the Lord moved mightily and spoke to them with great words of encouragement. The missionaries were full of positive thanks to our group and to God for how their spirits had been lifted through this sweet time of prayer!
As of this morning, the group left the orphanage and traveled up river about two hours (on a boat!). The plan was for them to leave at 6am, so they should be at their destination as you read this, setting up base came and prepping for work this afternoon. We'll have more information on their new home for the next few days when we hear from them again.
Please continue to pray for the students! We can assume that this time in Brazil will affect them in some manner, but we want them to come home different, not "affected". God-glorifying, Christ-likened change can only come through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Friday they went to the dump to share Jesus' love practically. The people they brought food to in the dump live there, collecting items to sell so they can have money to live. These people also share their dump-home with vultures who constantly soar around in search of food. Many of the students had not seen such dire poverty before this; it was a moving experience for all.
Sunday, they attended a service with amazing worship, all in Portuguese. Tim said the highlight was watching the women, dressed in long white dresses, dancing in worship- very sweet and totally directed at the Lord.
The students prayed over the American couple who is hoping to keep moving ahead with the orphanage in which the LIFTers have been sleeping. Presently the plans are "hung up in red tape" with the government. As our group prayed over these two, the Lord moved mightily and spoke to them with great words of encouragement. The missionaries were full of positive thanks to our group and to God for how their spirits had been lifted through this sweet time of prayer!
As of this morning, the group left the orphanage and traveled up river about two hours (on a boat!). The plan was for them to leave at 6am, so they should be at their destination as you read this, setting up base came and prepping for work this afternoon. We'll have more information on their new home for the next few days when we hear from them again.
Please continue to pray for the students! We can assume that this time in Brazil will affect them in some manner, but we want them to come home different, not "affected". God-glorifying, Christ-likened change can only come through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Hammocks in an Orphanage
We just heard from the group; they did make it safely to their base camp (just east of Belem, Brazil) and are resting from their long trip south. Apparently their second connecting flight was very similar to the first (a quick turn-around time with hurried legs in the airport). That's the kind of stuff that makes traveling very exciting.
Their home for the next few days is a building that's currently being turned into an orphanage. There are no beds, so each member of the team was given a hammock to sleep in (please take a moment to ponder the awesomeness of this; it makes me want to go buy a hammock).
The organization that LIFT will be working with for the next two weeks is called Project Amazon (PAZ). Their mission is to glorify God, fulfilling the Great Commission by planting nationally led churches, emphasizing:
Tomorrow (April 4), they will be going to the local dump to feed the poor who work there, then they will be leading a service for the youth in the evening.
Sunday (April 5) they will pack for the next leg of the trip (ten days on the river) and go to church.
Please pray:
This is all I know for now. Posting will be light for the weekend, but be sure to dig around the Project Amazon website for more information on the Amazon basin.
Their home for the next few days is a building that's currently being turned into an orphanage. There are no beds, so each member of the team was given a hammock to sleep in (please take a moment to ponder the awesomeness of this; it makes me want to go buy a hammock).
The organization that LIFT will be working with for the next two weeks is called Project Amazon (PAZ). Their mission is to glorify God, fulfilling the Great Commission by planting nationally led churches, emphasizing:
- The making of disciple-making disciples
- The training, equipping and sending of nationals
- Ministering to the whole person: spirit, soul and body
- Focusing on the Amazon Basin
Tomorrow (April 4), they will be going to the local dump to feed the poor who work there, then they will be leading a service for the youth in the evening.
Sunday (April 5) they will pack for the next leg of the trip (ten days on the river) and go to church.
Please pray:
- That the students will recover quickly from traveling so they are rested enough for their Brazilian adventures.
- That they would become acclimated with the culture sooner than expected.
- For wisdom and discernment for the LIFT directors as well as the PAZ missionaries.
- That in their excitement, they would remember that all good things come from the Lord and they would be finding their stability and identities in Christ alone.
- That as they minister, that the light of Jesus Christ would be allowed to shine brightly.
- For the people that they minister to, that their interactions with the LIFTers would push them toward a deeper relationship with Christ.
This is all I know for now. Posting will be light for the weekend, but be sure to dig around the Project Amazon website for more information on the Amazon basin.
Landed
While I haven't heard from them yet, LIFT should have landed safely in Brazil by now.
We did hear from them yesterday during their layover in Miami. Apparently their flight was an hour late getting there and they had to run around the airport to catch their connecting flight. I imagine it looked something like the scene from Home Alone except no one got lost.
I'll post more later, I just wanted to give you all a quick update.
Also, I've been sending out some email updates and some of the emails I was given are getting kicked back to me. If you want to be on the email list or think one of those emails are yours, send me an email so I can put you on the list.
christinaL[at]camp-of-the-woods[dot]org
We did hear from them yesterday during their layover in Miami. Apparently their flight was an hour late getting there and they had to run around the airport to catch their connecting flight. I imagine it looked something like the scene from Home Alone except no one got lost.
I'll post more later, I just wanted to give you all a quick update.
Also, I've been sending out some email updates and some of the emails I was given are getting kicked back to me. If you want to be on the email list or think one of those emails are yours, send me an email so I can put you on the list.
christinaL[at]camp-of-the-woods[dot]org
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Team
Note: Blogger's time stamp is giving me a hard time. This was published Thursday, April 2, 2009.
Tim, at one point in time, talked about introducing the LIFTers here. Being the busy man that he is, he neglected blogging about the LIFTers and opted for interacting with them instead. I'll accept this as a viable excuse.
And I digress. Here are the LIFT 21 students:
First row: Tim, Jeff, Nellie, Becky, Brianna, Kristen and Dale. Second row: Sarah, Chris, Matt, Harim and Peter. Third row: Megan, Sherri, Erin, Emory, Justyna, Katie and Kim. Not pictured: Directors, Tim T. and Tim O.
Today is a day of travel for them; let's hold them up in prayer as they board three airplanes and spend over 15 hours in the air. Here is their route:
They fly from Newark, NJ to Miami, FL and from Miami to Sau Paulo, Brazil (it's in the same vicinity as Rio de Janeiro). Then they fly from Sau Paulo to Belem, Brazil, arriving at their destination tomorrow morning at 9:30 am EST (10:30 am for the group).
I tried to figure out how long it would take to drive from Speculator, New York, United States to Belem, Para, Brazil but Google had some issues with me wanting to drive that far. If someone wants to figure it out, drop a comment here.
Cheers!
Tim, at one point in time, talked about introducing the LIFTers here. Being the busy man that he is, he neglected blogging about the LIFTers and opted for interacting with them instead. I'll accept this as a viable excuse.
And I digress. Here are the LIFT 21 students:
First row: Tim, Jeff, Nellie, Becky, Brianna, Kristen and Dale. Second row: Sarah, Chris, Matt, Harim and Peter. Third row: Megan, Sherri, Erin, Emory, Justyna, Katie and Kim. Not pictured: Directors, Tim T. and Tim O.
Today is a day of travel for them; let's hold them up in prayer as they board three airplanes and spend over 15 hours in the air. Here is their route:
They fly from Newark, NJ to Miami, FL and from Miami to Sau Paulo, Brazil (it's in the same vicinity as Rio de Janeiro). Then they fly from Sau Paulo to Belem, Brazil, arriving at their destination tomorrow morning at 9:30 am EST (10:30 am for the group).
I tried to figure out how long it would take to drive from Speculator, New York, United States to Belem, Para, Brazil but Google had some issues with me wanting to drive that far. If someone wants to figure it out, drop a comment here.
Cheers!
Meu Nome è Christina: A Brazilian Introduction
Hello all,
As most of you know, LIFT 21 will be departing tomorrow for a two-week mission trip to Brazil. I will be taking over this little slice of the interweb while they are gone, updating you on their adventure. Some of you may know who I am and can assume my excitement in this new project of mine, but I suspect more of you have no idea who I am and how I'm connected to the LIFT program.
First, I am a graphic designer and photographer at CAMP-of-the-WOODS, the resort and conference center that the LIFT Discipleship Program is tied to under their parent organization, Gospel Volunteers, Inc. This is my eighth LIFT class I've been given the privilege to observe and interact with.
Second, last semester, LIFT 20 went to Nigeria. In a story that's entirely too long and only minutely relevant to this blog, I had the opportunity to go with them last November and act as their photographer. Since we've started a two-semester opportunity, we have 8 students from last semester doing LIFT again and subsequently traveling to Brazil.
Third, I love to blog.
In short, I am professionally and emotionally tied to this group. I love the students and my experience in Nigeria will give me an opportunity to understand their Brazilian experience better. Which means I can effectively communicate it with you.
This is a picture of LIFT 20 in Nigeria. Some of the students are missing, but it's the only group photo I ended up in.
So that is who I am. Now on to the more important stuff.
The plan: My goal is to update here more often than I hear from the group. In between actual updates, I'll be throwing in some random Brazil facts and maybe a Portuguese lesson or two. We'll have fun together, I promise.
The group leaves tomorrow morning; please pray:
As most of you know, LIFT 21 will be departing tomorrow for a two-week mission trip to Brazil. I will be taking over this little slice of the interweb while they are gone, updating you on their adventure. Some of you may know who I am and can assume my excitement in this new project of mine, but I suspect more of you have no idea who I am and how I'm connected to the LIFT program.
First, I am a graphic designer and photographer at CAMP-of-the-WOODS, the resort and conference center that the LIFT Discipleship Program is tied to under their parent organization, Gospel Volunteers, Inc. This is my eighth LIFT class I've been given the privilege to observe and interact with.
Second, last semester, LIFT 20 went to Nigeria. In a story that's entirely too long and only minutely relevant to this blog, I had the opportunity to go with them last November and act as their photographer. Since we've started a two-semester opportunity, we have 8 students from last semester doing LIFT again and subsequently traveling to Brazil.
Third, I love to blog.
In short, I am professionally and emotionally tied to this group. I love the students and my experience in Nigeria will give me an opportunity to understand their Brazilian experience better. Which means I can effectively communicate it with you.
This is a picture of LIFT 20 in Nigeria. Some of the students are missing, but it's the only group photo I ended up in.
So that is who I am. Now on to the more important stuff.
The plan: My goal is to update here more often than I hear from the group. In between actual updates, I'll be throwing in some random Brazil facts and maybe a Portuguese lesson or two. We'll have fun together, I promise.
The group leaves tomorrow morning; please pray:
- For sharpness of mind and the ability to place all their anxieties on the Lord as they pack.
- For their emotional preparation; that they would rest wholly on the truths of Scripture.
- For their spiritual preparation; that they would be walking by the Spirit and leaning on the Lord for wisdom and understanding.
- Pray Philippians 4:6-7 for them, "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."
Monday, March 2, 2009
Worship Beyond Words
First of all, sorry it's taken me so long to get another post up here. No excuses, I'll do better.
and now higher up and further in....
"I can't even put into words the experience of standing on top of a mountain, completely buffeted by the wind and snow, staring out as far as I can see into God's creation."
"God just keeps moving the boundaries of what I think I am able to do!"
"I hiked into our site a couple of days ago with a heavy heart, and have really spent our time up here wrestling, doing a lot of thinking. It was cool to discover as I hiked out that I still had a song in my heart."
These are some of my favorite quotes from our experience two weeks ago in our camping trip in the High Peaks. Here's a brief summary: We loaded all our gear on our backs and hiked in about 3 hours to our base camp, which was actually a really nice, warm cabin. Girls stayed in the cabin (apparently so warm that they didn't even use their brand new North Face sleeping bags). Guys stayed in the lean-tos (a little colder, especially with 10-year old bags). The cabin was great, we had breakfast and lunch in there, as well as a couple of meetings, worship times, that sort of thing. Great place for building community. We spent three nights out there, and the third night we all slept outside. Some slept in the lean-tos, while the rest of us built and slept in Quincy's. To build a quincy: back a bunch of snow down, then begin shovelling snow onto that spot, building a mount, packing it down as you go. Build it up about head high, then shovel out the insides, making a make-shift igloo. The girls' was big enough for about 5, and we fit 10 in the guys. I'm not kidding--it had two rooms, a door in between, two entrances, and even two windows of ice some guys dragged up from the river. Style. Quite the experience!
But this week was about far more than experiences, hills, or snow. It was about worship, about developing the bonds of our community, of struggling through cold and exhaustion, of supporting each other, and realizing our failures. And more than that. I can't blog it all, but I will say this: it was a good week. I'll share a couple stories in particular that highlight our time of worship in "the wild".
We hiked a couple of mountains, the most significant of which was Mt Marcy. Marcy is the tallest mt in NY, and really was an adventure at the summit. The wind really picked up above the treeline, and the final 1/2 mile or so of the hike was a fight against the elements, carefully picking your way along the treacherously icy, barren hillside, leaning into the wind, trying to ignore the pelting snow that was pummelling your face. There is just something about being stretched to the limit of our physical capabilities that makes us feel that we are human, that we are alive...hard to put into words, actually. :) There is a unique awe of God you feel as you lean into a freezing wind that is almost strong enough to actually hold you up, and so loud that you have to shout to be heard...and to look out, and see for miles, and know that the same God who made all that can hear the prayers you utter silently in your own mind.
I'll round out the story of the tempestuous storm at the top of Marcy with another one from a different perspective. For some reason at some point I was out walking alone, and happened to cross over a frozen river near our cabin. A soft snow was falling, it was one those times where the white blanket just muted everything. I paused in the middle of the river, taking in the stark beauty of the WHITE. Standing on a frozen river, covered in snow, surrounded on every side by towering trees weighed down with their burdens of snow, and giant, silent flakes falling all around me. We had just witnessed the glory of God's power on the peak of Marcy, and now I was hearing the still, small voice of God.
And, as I drank of God's beauty, i noticed, down a ways from me, perched on a rock, all by herself, one of our LIFTers. I just stood there for awhile, unbeknownst to her, watching her as she worshipped. I can describe to you the things that I saw, but I can't put the experience into words. There is just a beauty to God's creation, and a futher beauty to silently witnessing one of God's daughters drink in that beauty in worship... I can only thank God for the moment.
It was a good week....one that i still don't quite have all the words for. But I have a song...
and now higher up and further in....
"I can't even put into words the experience of standing on top of a mountain, completely buffeted by the wind and snow, staring out as far as I can see into God's creation."
"God just keeps moving the boundaries of what I think I am able to do!"
"I hiked into our site a couple of days ago with a heavy heart, and have really spent our time up here wrestling, doing a lot of thinking. It was cool to discover as I hiked out that I still had a song in my heart."
These are some of my favorite quotes from our experience two weeks ago in our camping trip in the High Peaks. Here's a brief summary: We loaded all our gear on our backs and hiked in about 3 hours to our base camp, which was actually a really nice, warm cabin. Girls stayed in the cabin (apparently so warm that they didn't even use their brand new North Face sleeping bags). Guys stayed in the lean-tos (a little colder, especially with 10-year old bags). The cabin was great, we had breakfast and lunch in there, as well as a couple of meetings, worship times, that sort of thing. Great place for building community. We spent three nights out there, and the third night we all slept outside. Some slept in the lean-tos, while the rest of us built and slept in Quincy's. To build a quincy: back a bunch of snow down, then begin shovelling snow onto that spot, building a mount, packing it down as you go. Build it up about head high, then shovel out the insides, making a make-shift igloo. The girls' was big enough for about 5, and we fit 10 in the guys. I'm not kidding--it had two rooms, a door in between, two entrances, and even two windows of ice some guys dragged up from the river. Style. Quite the experience!
But this week was about far more than experiences, hills, or snow. It was about worship, about developing the bonds of our community, of struggling through cold and exhaustion, of supporting each other, and realizing our failures. And more than that. I can't blog it all, but I will say this: it was a good week. I'll share a couple stories in particular that highlight our time of worship in "the wild".
We hiked a couple of mountains, the most significant of which was Mt Marcy. Marcy is the tallest mt in NY, and really was an adventure at the summit. The wind really picked up above the treeline, and the final 1/2 mile or so of the hike was a fight against the elements, carefully picking your way along the treacherously icy, barren hillside, leaning into the wind, trying to ignore the pelting snow that was pummelling your face. There is just something about being stretched to the limit of our physical capabilities that makes us feel that we are human, that we are alive...hard to put into words, actually. :) There is a unique awe of God you feel as you lean into a freezing wind that is almost strong enough to actually hold you up, and so loud that you have to shout to be heard...and to look out, and see for miles, and know that the same God who made all that can hear the prayers you utter silently in your own mind.
I'll round out the story of the tempestuous storm at the top of Marcy with another one from a different perspective. For some reason at some point I was out walking alone, and happened to cross over a frozen river near our cabin. A soft snow was falling, it was one those times where the white blanket just muted everything. I paused in the middle of the river, taking in the stark beauty of the WHITE. Standing on a frozen river, covered in snow, surrounded on every side by towering trees weighed down with their burdens of snow, and giant, silent flakes falling all around me. We had just witnessed the glory of God's power on the peak of Marcy, and now I was hearing the still, small voice of God.
And, as I drank of God's beauty, i noticed, down a ways from me, perched on a rock, all by herself, one of our LIFTers. I just stood there for awhile, unbeknownst to her, watching her as she worshipped. I can describe to you the things that I saw, but I can't put the experience into words. There is just a beauty to God's creation, and a futher beauty to silently witnessing one of God's daughters drink in that beauty in worship... I can only thank God for the moment.
It was a good week....one that i still don't quite have all the words for. But I have a song...
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Different Point of View
This week's post comes to us courtesy of one of our LIFTers...
Well, week 4 is drawing to a close. I am pleased, and humbled, to be able to announce that things are going very well. I've actually been quite enjoying myself as of late. I particularly love the fact that I'm learning things here that I can see becoming a reality for when I leave here. For example, we are required to read the 70 resolutions of Jonathan Edwards every week, and I can see how they are actually permeating my thought process and I think this will be something that I will continue to read and re-read for years to come. I will definitely recommend them to you. They're a quick read, until you really study them of course, but well worth the time. And looking back to last semester, we memorized the book of James. I still go over it every once in a while, and it still comes to mind quite easily when it is relevant with the conversation. We are also reading Augustine's Confessions, and it's fascinating to see him struggling with the same things I do now, quite a few years later. And I can see the conclusions he came to, which are really helpful. For instance, he recalls a time in his life when he would break into a pear orchard, steal some pears, and go feed them to the pigs. He did not do it to harm the farmer, nor for the nourishment of the fruit, nor for the profit of selling the fruit. He simply wanted to break in and steal. And it resonates with me incredibly! But I can see how he came through it, and how he eventually saw the folly of it. So ya, it's really a learning experience to be here!
Today we all did mini presentations on Brazil and the ministry and the history and the people and the culture, so that was pretty cool. There's a lot of nominal catholic influence, and some spiritism that's growing, but the evangelical church is taking hold and we get to see it and be part of it for 2 weeks! I still don't know the specifics of what we'll be doing, but there will probably be some time spent in building a church, hauling water filters, and establishing relationships with the missionary families and the locals. It also looks like we'll be spending time assisting in evangelizing! Everything must be done through translators. And just as a side note, turns out there's a lot of animals down there that stay alive by ending other lives! So I'm gonna have to be real careful how I go about catching them!
Well, week 4 is drawing to a close. I am pleased, and humbled, to be able to announce that things are going very well. I've actually been quite enjoying myself as of late. I particularly love the fact that I'm learning things here that I can see becoming a reality for when I leave here. For example, we are required to read the 70 resolutions of Jonathan Edwards every week, and I can see how they are actually permeating my thought process and I think this will be something that I will continue to read and re-read for years to come. I will definitely recommend them to you. They're a quick read, until you really study them of course, but well worth the time. And looking back to last semester, we memorized the book of James. I still go over it every once in a while, and it still comes to mind quite easily when it is relevant with the conversation. We are also reading Augustine's Confessions, and it's fascinating to see him struggling with the same things I do now, quite a few years later. And I can see the conclusions he came to, which are really helpful. For instance, he recalls a time in his life when he would break into a pear orchard, steal some pears, and go feed them to the pigs. He did not do it to harm the farmer, nor for the nourishment of the fruit, nor for the profit of selling the fruit. He simply wanted to break in and steal. And it resonates with me incredibly! But I can see how he came through it, and how he eventually saw the folly of it. So ya, it's really a learning experience to be here!
Today we all did mini presentations on Brazil and the ministry and the history and the people and the culture, so that was pretty cool. There's a lot of nominal catholic influence, and some spiritism that's growing, but the evangelical church is taking hold and we get to see it and be part of it for 2 weeks! I still don't know the specifics of what we'll be doing, but there will probably be some time spent in building a church, hauling water filters, and establishing relationships with the missionary families and the locals. It also looks like we'll be spending time assisting in evangelizing! Everything must be done through translators. And just as a side note, turns out there's a lot of animals down there that stay alive by ending other lives! So I'm gonna have to be real careful how I go about catching them!
Friday, January 30, 2009
e pluribus unum
It is amazing to behold, an act of beauty, a sight as priceless as any masterpiece gracing a museum wall. I have had the distinct pleasure this past week or so of watching our little group of random individuals from all over the world gradually coalescing into One Body. I watch old friendships graciously turn outwards in order to invite new friendships. I am welcomed by the warm embrace of growing love as I observe authentic concern for each other developing throughout our group. I hear stories, listen to laughter, open up myself, and have even already hugged those who needed a hug, mourned with those who are mourning. How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in unity!
It's been an incredible week. We've enjoyed the wonderful teaching of Michael Craven, who spent the week teaching us through cultural apologetics, otherwise called a biblical worldview. He led us through a biblical, compassionate approach to modernism/postmodernism, consumerism, sexuality and homosexuality, marriage, and much more. He actually wrote one of the best books I have read in awhile. It's called Uncompromised Faith: Overcoming Our Cultural Christianity. Seriously, this is one of the best treatments of how to respond to and understand our culture as a biblical Christian. I can't recommend it enough! You can buy it at his website or from Amazon. Seriously--go buy it today.
In other news, we continue to have more fun in the snow than should be allowed! We all learned how to cross-country ski this past Wednesday. There are few experiences in life more breathtaking than skiing through fresh powder on a snowy afternoon under the shelter of towering, snowcapped trees. We took a few minutes on the trail to stop and simply listen to the snow falling. I hear they stop to smell the roses in Scotland...here in the Adirondacks we prefer to stop and listen to the snow fall!
We also enjoyed one of our first snowshoe hikes. The group is already in much better shape than we expected at this point. We made it up, had lunch on top, froze our hands, and then ran through the mounds of snow on the way down in a few hours less than we thought it would take. We are excited at how well everyone did--but we laughingly told them they should have intentionally tanked their first run out--that way the rest of the semester would be much easier! Now we know we can challenge them!
We have already seen growth from our classes. We are studying a few of the significant contributors to Christian thought over the years (Athanasius, Augustine, Calvin, Edwards), as well as learning leadership lessons from Jesus in the book of Matthew. There are few things more challenging to our Western paradigms than the Sermon on the Mount. We've also delved deeply into our study and practice of the spiritual disciplines. It is great to watch the students pour themselves into their studies, as well as practice bible study, solitude, worship, prayer, and even fasting. We look forward to what is to come.
This week we'll be tackling our first afternoon of full outreach. We will be involved in a wide variety of activities throughout the mighty metropolis of Speculator. This will include serving at the local library, historical society, Day Hab (daily rehabilitation for the severely retarded), and local volunteer ambulance center. We also host a group of local girls every week on Monday night for Tapawingo Girls Fellowship, which is sort of life Vacation Bible School, only better! :) We simply do everything we can think of to practically and tangibly demonstrate and proclaim Christ's love to those who desperately need Him. We'll appreciate your prayers, and we'll let you know how things go!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
First Things
We've just barely logged 24 hours of LIFT 21, and I already sense that this is going to be an incredible semester. It could be the way the group of strangers I sat with a couple of hours ago opened up to each other, sharing fears and concerns as if they'd known each other for months. It could be the way they all reveled in the challenge of a vigorous hike up a ski hill in snowshoes through the blinding snow. Or perhaps it was the reckless abandon they demonstrated on the way back down! Maybe it's the servant's heart that has already been revealed in so many of them, despite our short time together. It may have been the privilege of sitting on top of a "mount" while we listened to Kathy recite the Sermon on the Mount in its entirety.
Or, it might just be an expectant hope that our God will do great things in our lives. To be honest, I'm still growing in the habit of hope. I've grown accustomed to people letting me down, circumstances not working out, plans apparently not being a part of God's will after all. I confess that when it comes to expectations I too often limit God to a box no bigger than my efforts.
We worship a God just "slightly" bigger than that.
And so, I look forward to what this semester brings with hope.
We've just barely logged 24 hours of LIFT 21, and I already have the sense that this is going to be an incredible semester.
Or, it might just be an expectant hope that our God will do great things in our lives. To be honest, I'm still growing in the habit of hope. I've grown accustomed to people letting me down, circumstances not working out, plans apparently not being a part of God's will after all. I confess that when it comes to expectations I too often limit God to a box no bigger than my efforts.
We worship a God just "slightly" bigger than that.
And so, I look forward to what this semester brings with hope.
We've just barely logged 24 hours of LIFT 21, and I already have the sense that this is going to be an incredible semester.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The First Step of the Journey
Welcome to the new LIFT blog! This will be the new way for alumni, family, and friends of LIFT to keep up with LIFT. Our blog will include weekly updates about our program, what we're doing where we're going, etc, as well as students' posts from time to time. We will also try to offer insightful comments once a week.
This will be replacing our official LIFT newsletter...we hope that those of you who've enjoyed newsletters up to this point will be happy with the new form of communication.
And so, we take our first step towards our next LIFT adventure...
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