Big Give

It has been amazing watching how God has provided each step of the way for the Big Give Project. So we asked the members of both Faith-Highland and New Life to give one dollar to go towards this project so we could do something extra to bless the family we would be working with or others in the area. Our goal was to raise $500 and we got $1614! So Sunday night we talked about being listening ears to stories told by our resident and looking for things that she might need help with. Monday night we spent some of our small group time talking about ideas and then praying for God to show us how we can bless people with the funds we raised. Tuesday morning when we got to the house and Terry was talking to Georgia who was commenting that her air conditioning wasn’t working so we got the group together to vote if we wanted to help her with this need. The kids all said yes like it was not even a question. We told Georgia to call a repair man and we would take care of the bill. The repair man showed up about 10 minutes before we were about to leave for the day. The part for the air conditioner was an easy fix and he had it back running quickly after giving it a cleaning. But while he was looking at the air conditioner he noticed that a very vital part of her heating (can’t remember the part) was cracked. Legally he had to turn off the heater portion of the unit so it would not turn on because if it would run it would be blowing carbon monoxide into her house. So he gave us a ball park figure what it would cost to fix the heating part and we gathered the group to vote again if we wanted to take care of that for Georgia also. They all looked at us like of course why wouldn’t we. So we set it up with the owner of the repair company Wednesday who was able to give us a little more accurate estimate to bill us for both repairs. The total will be about $1100. The amount we raised over our goal! As we were talking about the details after in our group it was amazing to see how God worked in all of them. The fact we raised the extra money and told her to call an air condition repair man who found the bigger issue of her heat while we were there to cover the cost that she would not have been able to cover. She probably would not have called a repair man all summer and wouldn’t have know the heat was broken and it could have been fatal.
So we had about $500 left to do something with. While discussing different ideas one of going to a grocery store to pay for people’s groceries was a favorite of the group so that is what we did Thursday afternoon. We went to a store just down the street from the school we are staying at. We told the manager what we were doing and asked for permission, she was all for it and completely shocked that we wanted to help people out. Before we started we took a moment to pray and ask God to show us who to help and bless what we were doing. So we split the kids up in pairs and gave them $60. They stood by the cash registers looking for people to help out. They went up to the customers told them they would like to pay for part of their groceries, many of the people asked what the catch was or didn’t really believe them. Some people politely declined and said there are probably people who need the help more than they do but still thanked them for what they were doing. All the cashiers were really shocked at what we were doing and thanked us for helping people out. Some of the kids helped bag the groceries and carry them to their cars. We had one woman say that she told her kids they will never get anything for free in life and she now has to tell them she was wrong. There were moments again of how God worked in all the details. There was one time 3 groups pooled the change together and it was the exact amount of the next person they helped. We had the right amount with $0.50 to spare for the very last person, a dad with 2 young girls that we saw come into the store and were kind of waiting to come through the check out. We used the $0.50 to buy the girls a gum ball. I think the reactions from the customers surprised the students as much as the customers were to be getting some groceries for free. It was a great day.

Wednesday Work Day

Wednesday was the day of added projects. As we have been in and out of Georgia’s house and having some conversations with we we have come across some other little jobs that we decided to tackle since some kids were just sitting around. To do this Kelli took the 3 senior girls to Lowes to pick up some extra supplies. We walked in the door, hit that wall of air conditioning and just stood there a moment soaking it in. Wednesday was probably the hottest day yet. So we got the things on Terry’s list so we could take care of these little projects. The ceiling in the bathroom had some peeling paint from her roof leaking so Aaron K scrapped that off and put down a coat of paint. Her shed/laundry room ceiling was falling apart because of some leaks, insulation kind of moldy. So out came the old and in went new insulation and drywall. Jonathan and Jacob worked with Terry on that project. Emily, Molly and Nicole put back up one of the gutters that was taken off, cleaned out the gutter along the back of the house. While Avrey and Melanie handed up supplies like shingles, water bottles, hammers that were dropped, wet rages to cool off to the rest of the group up on the roof. After running to Lowes and lunch Emily and Kelli went up to the roof to help Jeff, Aaron R, Alex, and Sean shingle. We are getting a lot of work done and will be able to finish the roof Thursday and all the little extras.
We went to Sonic for half off shakes for small group Wednesday night and talked about how we have seen God work in our brokenness and how we need to put him in the center of our focus. The way out chapels are set up is we are lead in worship by some of the camp staff, there is a video teaching and then one of the camp staff follows it up with their personal story and application. It had been nice to get to know the staff more that way.
We have been very fortunate with weather this week, while hot hot hot, especially on the black roof, we have not had any of the thunderstorms or rain during the work day! Wednesday we heard the thunder around us but the storm kept missing us! Hopeful the predicted rain for today and tomorrow also hold off so we can enjoy a little of the area.

Tuesday Tear Off

Tuesday we started the day with some of the girls on one side of the house while the boys were on the other. The girls- Emily, Avrey, Nicole and Kelli, tore off the old shingles (with their bare hands) in about 45 minutes. Every time someone walked to check the progress they were all very surprised that we were almost done. We literally used our hands as the shingles came off very easy. The boys finished shingling the backside of the house right before lunch. So it was on to the front to lay tar paper. The bad thing with that is the front of the house has very little shade. But we were able to get almost the whole side covered in time to leave. Everyone has been working very hard and as the people yell for something to be sent up multiple people jump up to help them. There have been times where about half the group is sitting watching because there is only space for about half the group. But that leaves people to fill up water bottles and throw them up to the roof, which is a constant job as it is hot up there.
We have had some great discussions during our youth group small group time about letting God work through our brokenness. Everyone is tired and the morning bus rides tend to be very quiet. We are coming up with some great ideas for our Big Give Project and one might take care of the majority of the money. More about that later.

On the Roof

Monday we had our first day of work. When we arrived to the house we meet Georgia, the home owner. She is a very sweet woman who has been going through some medical problems over the years. Last week the group before us was able to tear off the back half of the old shingles, so yesterday we were able to put down felt paper and about a third of the shingles. The kids worked hard, with many water breaks as it was hot and humid. It was a great work day, some overcame fears of heights and spent most of the day on the roof while others chose to stay on the ground.
In chapel we talked about brokenness and how God uses our brokenness, weaknesses in our life. Sometimes the brokenness is moments of big disappointments where something we are striving for in our life is taken from us, other times it is just our weakness and fears getting in our ways. Over the week we will be exploring more about our brokenness and how God uses it for his glory and how he is the only one that can fix our brokenness.
We have been having a great time so far hanging out playing cards, catch phrase, the girls spent some time hanging in their room coloring last night just relaxing filled with many laughs.
We are on the way to the work site for day 2 and the bus is very quiet with very sleepy kids.

We Made It!

9 hours after a very uneventful drive we made it to the school we are living at for the week, The King’s Academy. Walking into the air conditioned rooms was a nice relief from the sticky humid smokey mountain weather. We learned that we will be roofing a house for an elderly woman, Georgia. We are really excited to meet her and look for ways we can help her outside of just roofing her house. There are 5 other groups from various states here this week, all about our size. We have already dubbed ourselves as “that group”. The ones that hang out with the staff, show up in matching shirts, are loud and make our presence known. We have a staff member who will be working with us this week Benedicte. She is originally from the Congo and goes to college in North Carolina. After chapel we had free time and most of our group spent the night playing spoons with the TeamEffort staff. It is now lights out and tomorrow will share more about Georgia and the work we will be doing.

4 days till Gatlinburg

In 4 days 11 high school students and 3 leaders from the Encounter Youth Group will be heading to Gatlinburg, TN. While we don’t know exactly the work we will be doing it will be some sort of home repair. To prepare for this trip we have done a Culver’s Fundraiser night, a Movie Night showing Frozen and collected money for our Big Give Project. Thank you for a of your support this far and we ask for your prayers as we are on this trip. Prayers for safety, to see God working around and through us, that those we encounter will be blessed not just by the work to their home but by experiencing the love of Christ in their lives. Please pray that as we are on this trip it will be a time that we too can draw closer to God. We also want to thank you for entrusting us to bless those we encounter by supporting our Big Give Project. Through your generosity we raised $1614! Can’t wait to see what we can do and how many we can bless.

Game On- Building the Foundation

Your name has been called, you are running to the field and it is your turn to show what you are made of. It is your turn to prove that you are a good baseball player. Your team is down by 1, bases are loaded, 2 outs. It is all up to you. Your coach has called you off the bench and here is your game on moment. Throughout life we experiences these moments where there is no more preparation, no more studying, no more practice, no more trials. It is now time to perform. Game On. Our skills and abilities are challenged. When we are under pressure, our faith is tested too. When it comes to our confidence in God and who He says He is, life circumstances create “game on” moments. Daniel is a guy from the Old Testament who faced some very difficult circumstances in life. In the midst of those circumstances his faith didn’t just survive, it flourished. One of the reasons his faith flourished is because at the foundation of his faith, he knew the Word of God. Not just knew where he could go and look up what it says in Exodus about the Passover or Deuteronomy to reread the 10 commandments or Leviticus to read the different laws and what to do if you get mold in your tent. He knew it to the degree that when he was placed in King Nebuchadnezzar’s elite training program that the food given to this group of men would have gone against what God had commanded the Israelites.  Daniel’s faith in God and knowing following God’s laws on what foods to eat was more important to him than finding favor with king Nebuchadnezzar and his officials. So here is Daniel in a Game On moment. So when we are in Game on moments, do you know what God’s Word says so you can stand strong on the foundation of your faith?  It is important to read the Bible and it can seem like a daunting task. The words can be big, names unpronounceable, language confusing. But we shouldn’t let those things stop us from diving into God’s Word. Here are 3 steps to help us in our personal devotion time.

Step 1: Get a Bible. Seems simple enough, but if you do not have your own Bible, let me know and I would be happy to help you acquire your own.

Step 2: Pick a Place. Pick a physical place to read, your bedroom, your basement, outside. Somewhere you can go and not be distracted by tv, radio, cell phones, facebook, instagram, little siblings. Also pick a place to read in the Bible. If you aren’t sure where to start, try Psalms, or John.

Step 3: Ask Questions. As you are reading the passage ask yourself what does this passage say and try to put it in your own words. If you are just reading a verse try putting that verse in your own words. If you are reading a whole chapter try summarizing the chapter. Then once you know what it says, ask yourself what does this passage say to me? How can you apply what you just heard. If a passage doesn’t make sense, write it down and ask someone you trust (pastor, youth group leader, parent, grandparent, or maybe older sibling) to explain it to you.

Challenge for you and your family this week: Start in Psalms and read together using the questions in step 3. You can do it on your own and then ask your parent or ask your child what they have learned each day over dinner. Continue the conversation!

Respect and Reverence

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” Hebrews 12:28

What does it mean to have reverence for God? Sunday night the high school youth group gathered for the first time this school year. The topic of conversation: Respect and Reverence. We all know we should respect others, and when we talk about respecting others the list of not talking over others, not making fun of people, being kind and caring, listen when someone is talking (different than not talking over others) is usually what comes up. And that is what living out respect for others looks like. Respect is a word that is familiar to most people. It is hard to find someone who has never heard that word before, but what about Reverence? How often do you talk about reverence? I am part of a generation that called the pastors of churches Rev. So and So. It was not Pastor insert first name here. I also remember not being able to wear jeans to church because that was not showing reverence towards God- you dressed up for church because you wanted to show God that preparing to worship him was different than every other day of the week (now I don’t want to get in the “proper attire” for worship debate, because I do wear jeans periodically to church now and that isn’t my point.) My point and something to talk about in your homes, with friends this week: How do you show reverence for God? To answer that question we need to know what reverence means. In the Old Testament the Hebrew words were often the same ones used for Fear, Awe, Falling down. These words talk about an attitude we are to have towards God Himself. It is to be one of fear, awe and respect, approaching God and falling down in honor and submission to Him. The New Testament we are to have an attitude of awe and Godly fear because of His majesty and holiness. It is about having a proper attitude, a self-evaluation of inferiority to God. Yes the Bible talks about how we are friends of Jesus (John 15:15) but we are a friend of inferiority. We are not at the same level as him. Reverence means a respectful, submissive attitude of mind resulting in affection and esteem for the person to which it is directed. This attitude is not solely for Sunday’s at church or youth group or chapel if you go to a Christian school. We are to revere God daily with our life and it should be demonstrated by our actions. Revere the name of God when you are talking with your friends. Revere the house of God when you enter wherever you are to worship Him. Revere the attributes of God. Revere what God commands of you. Revere the Word of God when you open your bible in your own quiet time with God or when you are in a group or a bible study, have reverence for what you are doing in that moment. We should demonstration our reverence in our actions. So how are you revering God today?

Pictures from Colorado

Check out the online album of our pictures from Colorado Challenge.

 

2012-2013 Colorado Challenge

Floating Down the River

The continuation of our journey in Colorado (yes it was a week ago but the journey has not been forgotten). Thursday we went whitewater rafting down the Arkansas River. The water level his year is about half of what is average so the river wasn’t flowing that fast. That did not change it being a fun, enjoyable day. The sun was shining, we got to cool off with 40 degree water from the river, saw God’s artistic brush on rocks in the different shapes, colors, and images they make. No one fell out of the river!  But many choose to jump out in the swimming hole…yes it was about 40 degrees but did not seem that cold. It was a great day and when asked what was the kids favorite part of the week rafting was one that kept making the list. Rafting is a great reminder about how we need to listen to our guide. Each person has a role on the raft, if you choose not to paddle the whole raft can be in danger because the guide will direct us through the rapids and is expecting everyone to help out. If one person doesn’t do their job, the raft can go through the rapid wrong and get stuck on a rock, flip over, or wrap around a boulder. We need to listen to the guide and go where he tells us. Sometimes looking down the river we may think we see a better way but we have to trust the guide who has put in countless hours on the river and knows where all the rocks are along the way, which path will give us the best and safest ride. The same is true in life. We may look down the road and see a direction in our life that may look easier or more appealing and want to take it but God may be telling us differently. We need to trust God, he knows where the rocks are, which rapids are more dangerous, and what path is the right one for us. There is a common theme that kept coming up during our week in Colorado…Trust God.