I figured before it got too far away I would give my final thoughts to all who read this blog while we were gone and possibly the team itself. If I don't do it now I most definitely won't have the fresh feelings, thoughts, and ideas.
Hi my name is Branden and I was a doubter.
It's not every day you get to hear a pastor say that they were slapped upside the head in the most gracious, loving, and amazing way God can do it, but I was. The ramp up to the trip was pretty crazy and I guess I let it get the best of me. I wondered "can God even move through this situation." How naive and stupid could I have been? When has he not? It's amazing how gracious he is in our, well, stupidity. Every youth trip I have ever been on I leave completely exhausted and ready for a week-long coma. This was a very different experience. I left refreshed, renewed, and fired up for Jesus more than I have been in a long time. I even found myself missing the students. This week was honestly, one of the most moving, spiritually uplifting, and amazing experiences I have ever had and I would like to share with you why.
1. This group was unique. I said from the very beginning that I wasn't sure why, but this group was SUPPOSED to go and serve together. Satan was doing his best to stop this group from going on a trip. I was convinced that there was something special about that mixture of students. I don't know if it was the fact that we actually had almost as many guys as girls or that it was a unique grouping of students but it was truly special. Satan wanted to tear this team down from not serving but to no avail!
I was right.
They were supposed to serve and serve they did. This was the hardest working, most spiritually hungry, willing, and ready group of students I have ever worked with. The work that God did through these students was profound. I know some of them felt that their work was ineffective but God moved more than they can ever know. On our last morning an older gentleman in his 70's named Jim stood up and said something to the effect of, "You all will never know what you have done in my life. You have inspired me and shown me what the love of Christ truly is" He was inspired to live out the message of Jesus through our students. One day we are going to stand before our righteous king Jesus and he will show us the people that came to know him through our humble efforts and he will indeed say "Well done my good and faithful servant". That thought brings me to tears!
2. The book of James. Our goal as a staff (Jerrad, Krina, and Myself) was to not have typical "devotion" time in the evening. One of the things we want to see more of is our students reading the Bible and hearing what God is saying to them individually and corporately. Every morning we got up and read through one chapter in James and some accompanying verses in other books that dealt with similar topics. If nothing else each of the students would have read completely through an entire book of the bible (something that many of them had never done until that point). In the evenings we would come together and just talk about what God spoke to us through his Scripture. I can't even begin to tell you what AMAZING things the students were getting out of God's word. It was awe-inspiring to sit there and listen to them tell you what verses stuck out to them and how they wanted to put that into practice.
3. Family. This group struggled through our trainings to come together as a team because most of our training times were taken up with "We were supposed to go to A. and it fell through so now we are going to B. for this mission trip". Jesus did a supernatural work in them to really draw them together as a family. I truly felt like it was a family for me. I woke every morning excited to see each one of the students and see what God was doing in their lives. I believe the team entered the vans on June 19th as individuals and rolled back into town on June 26th as family.
4. Everyone was rocked. It's a rare occasion when all 40 people on a trip are equally rocked by God. Usually there is one or nine that sit in the background and don't allow God to move. Everybody was allowing God to move through their lives in pretty spectacular ways.
I have to say that I am a changed person from this experience. I am wanting more of Christ. I can't imagine what the students feel. I would like to close with a couple of notes to you all:
For all of you who gave financially and in prayer:
Please know that even though we did not make it across the border, God did EXACTLY what he wanted to and had us in an area that stretched us and used is! This trip, Conspiracy of Hope, gave more practicality to the Gospel for us. We can now take this message of hope and love and do it where we love. Thank you for supporting our venture.
To the students:
Thank you for who you are. Thank you for allowing God to move. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for being willing to go wherever and serve wherever and let God do what he wanted in our group. Thank you for being a family. Thank you for scattering seeds throughout Cusick and Spangle. Thank you for honestly wrestling with scripture. Thank you for being the most amazing group of students to work with. Most importantly, remember who you are in Christ. You are you. You are not supposed to be somebody else. Serve selflessly, love unconditionally, and let's reach the world for Christ! I love all of you and am proud to say I am your pastor.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Working for Jesus
Hi family and friends!
It has been another busy and productive day here in Spangle! Our team split up again into different groups and accomplished a lot of work projects. One team finished painting a house, which looks incredibly better than it did! Another team did a second day of Vacation Bible School where they had about 20 kids show up, which is about 15 more than yesterday! And considering how small the town is, we think that's a pretty good showing! Another team painted a room in the church, while other groups went to a couple houses around the area to help weed and do other work for the elderly or disabled that lived there. Yet another group cleaned up the church yard and filled up a truck load and trailor of branches and debris. We also cleaned the gutters of the parsonage house next to the church, mowed the church lawn, weeded the church yard, and cleared out some old woodpiles.
It was a very busy day and the students worked really hard! One of adults here told me that they are so impressed with the students and how they never complain. They have been such great workers!
We are about to have our team meeting and share about the day and what students have learned in their devotionals. It's clear that God is moving and teaching the students to be more like Him.
Thank you so, so much for your continued prayers! We love you all!
It has been another busy and productive day here in Spangle! Our team split up again into different groups and accomplished a lot of work projects. One team finished painting a house, which looks incredibly better than it did! Another team did a second day of Vacation Bible School where they had about 20 kids show up, which is about 15 more than yesterday! And considering how small the town is, we think that's a pretty good showing! Another team painted a room in the church, while other groups went to a couple houses around the area to help weed and do other work for the elderly or disabled that lived there. Yet another group cleaned up the church yard and filled up a truck load and trailor of branches and debris. We also cleaned the gutters of the parsonage house next to the church, mowed the church lawn, weeded the church yard, and cleared out some old woodpiles.
It was a very busy day and the students worked really hard! One of adults here told me that they are so impressed with the students and how they never complain. They have been such great workers!
We are about to have our team meeting and share about the day and what students have learned in their devotionals. It's clear that God is moving and teaching the students to be more like Him.
Thank you so, so much for your continued prayers! We love you all!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Busy day in Spangle
Hello everyone!
The team has been keeping busy today and we are still excited to be a part of what the Lord's doing here--even if we are a little tired.
We had an exciting moment this morning when the news showed up to do a story on what our group was doing in Spangle. The news was from ABC Channel 4 KXLY for Spokane. Our story will be covered during tonight's news for the local area. There will probably be a short video on their website as well kxly.com. We're excited that we are making an impact on the community and that other cities will be able to hear about it. Our hope and prayer is that they will easily see the love of Christ through our actions.
Today our team was divided into several groups to complete some projects around Spangle:
1. A group of girls put on a small Vacation Bible School for about five kids at a near-by park.
2. A group of students painted three rooms at the church.
3. Another group painted the primer on the house we worked on yesterday.
4. A group of students went to move and deliver chopped wood to senior citizens who use it for heat.
5. Some students helped out with the Food Bank that is run at the church.
We found out today that 50% of Spangle's population live in poverty. The church serves an important role for the 250 people who live in the town in order to provide food for those that need it. About 60-100 people attend church on Sunday--Pastor Dave's church is the only church in town.
Right now we're preparing for a BBQ and worship concert that the whole community has been invited to. We're praying that we'll get a chance to get to know the people who live here and be able to share our testimonies with them. We'll let you know how it goes tomorrow!
Here are some thoughts from a few of the students about their experience so far:
CHERI LUIKART:
Dear friends and family,
Wow! I can not even begin to describe the first part of the week to you! It has been an incredible bonding experience and I feel as though I have been reunited with long-lost brothers and sisters. We have scraped paint, pulled weeds, swept sidewalks, and simply had fun, 3-on-3 basketball matches in the gym together! God has been moving so widely and so powerfully! Do you remember all those road-blocks and shut doors in the beginning when we first planned this trip? Well, Satan was trying to stop us! He still is! But the Lord will prevail! We haven't stopped working, rain or shine, and are determined to do what we came to do! Branden has been constantly been reminding us that we are throwing seeds everywhere, not to see the growth, but to prepare the ground for His rain. We have been reading James this week and one of the girls was talked about how James really emphasizes God's desire for persistence rather than perfection! So, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, may you grow in our Lord and Father and may you be filled with His peace and grace. Philippians 4:23
Your fellow servant of the Lord,
Cheri Luikart
MATT GUNDERSON:
The coolest thing that has happened so far was helping an older couple in the food bank pick out some fresh vegetables and apples. Just the fact that they were so appreciative of what they had received. They were VERY grateful to have young people helping them out. It was a really cool and exciting experience.
JESSICA DICK:
Dear Family and friends,
Words cannot describe how tankful I am to your help in getting me here! We have already begun to make a difference and it is only day four. The cool thing is that each time we plant a seed in the community God grows the seeds in our hearts. I feel so much closer to Christ!
Our daily Bible studies have also helped prepare us. We are almost done with the book of James. One of the verses that describes what we are doing is verses 17-19 of Chapter 2: "In the same way, faith by itself, if not accompanied by action is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God, good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder."
Love you all! Thanks!
Jessica Dick
ABIGAIL WEILAND:
God is my one true love, He really is! It might not seem that that could be possible, but it truly is. We have been in James this week so far. I've felt convicted every day from reading the Bible. Reading into James 2, I realized that I shouldn't allow the world's broken thoughts to interrupt my Christ-oriented faith. One thing that also hit me hard was the fact that I will get NOWHERE if all I do is learn the words but NEVER put them into action. Faith and works fit together like a hand and a glove.
James 3 was mostly talking about the mouth. The humans' mouth is a small rudder to the body. Yet it can corrupt the whole body. I also realized that there is NO WAY I would make it to heaven without God's Son's sacrifice for me. He is my whole life. The Lord, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, all three of them have and will guide me through everything. I love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind. I will do ANYTHING for Him.
For all who read this, I hope the time at home waiting for our return home is also a week-long spiritual encounter for you as you read of our growing relationships with God! I love you Mom, Dad, Chug, and Fred! Nan, too! Stay in the Lord my friends and he will forever make good.
Thank you for your continued prayers!
The team has been keeping busy today and we are still excited to be a part of what the Lord's doing here--even if we are a little tired.
We had an exciting moment this morning when the news showed up to do a story on what our group was doing in Spangle. The news was from ABC Channel 4 KXLY for Spokane. Our story will be covered during tonight's news for the local area. There will probably be a short video on their website as well kxly.com. We're excited that we are making an impact on the community and that other cities will be able to hear about it. Our hope and prayer is that they will easily see the love of Christ through our actions.
Today our team was divided into several groups to complete some projects around Spangle:
1. A group of girls put on a small Vacation Bible School for about five kids at a near-by park.
2. A group of students painted three rooms at the church.
3. Another group painted the primer on the house we worked on yesterday.
4. A group of students went to move and deliver chopped wood to senior citizens who use it for heat.
5. Some students helped out with the Food Bank that is run at the church.
We found out today that 50% of Spangle's population live in poverty. The church serves an important role for the 250 people who live in the town in order to provide food for those that need it. About 60-100 people attend church on Sunday--Pastor Dave's church is the only church in town.
Right now we're preparing for a BBQ and worship concert that the whole community has been invited to. We're praying that we'll get a chance to get to know the people who live here and be able to share our testimonies with them. We'll let you know how it goes tomorrow!
Here are some thoughts from a few of the students about their experience so far:
CHERI LUIKART:
Dear friends and family,
Wow! I can not even begin to describe the first part of the week to you! It has been an incredible bonding experience and I feel as though I have been reunited with long-lost brothers and sisters. We have scraped paint, pulled weeds, swept sidewalks, and simply had fun, 3-on-3 basketball matches in the gym together! God has been moving so widely and so powerfully! Do you remember all those road-blocks and shut doors in the beginning when we first planned this trip? Well, Satan was trying to stop us! He still is! But the Lord will prevail! We haven't stopped working, rain or shine, and are determined to do what we came to do! Branden has been constantly been reminding us that we are throwing seeds everywhere, not to see the growth, but to prepare the ground for His rain. We have been reading James this week and one of the girls was talked about how James really emphasizes God's desire for persistence rather than perfection! So, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, may you grow in our Lord and Father and may you be filled with His peace and grace. Philippians 4:23
Your fellow servant of the Lord,
Cheri Luikart
MATT GUNDERSON:
The coolest thing that has happened so far was helping an older couple in the food bank pick out some fresh vegetables and apples. Just the fact that they were so appreciative of what they had received. They were VERY grateful to have young people helping them out. It was a really cool and exciting experience.
JESSICA DICK:
Dear Family and friends,
Words cannot describe how tankful I am to your help in getting me here! We have already begun to make a difference and it is only day four. The cool thing is that each time we plant a seed in the community God grows the seeds in our hearts. I feel so much closer to Christ!
Our daily Bible studies have also helped prepare us. We are almost done with the book of James. One of the verses that describes what we are doing is verses 17-19 of Chapter 2: "In the same way, faith by itself, if not accompanied by action is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God, good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder."
Love you all! Thanks!
Jessica Dick
ABIGAIL WEILAND:
God is my one true love, He really is! It might not seem that that could be possible, but it truly is. We have been in James this week so far. I've felt convicted every day from reading the Bible. Reading into James 2, I realized that I shouldn't allow the world's broken thoughts to interrupt my Christ-oriented faith. One thing that also hit me hard was the fact that I will get NOWHERE if all I do is learn the words but NEVER put them into action. Faith and works fit together like a hand and a glove.
James 3 was mostly talking about the mouth. The humans' mouth is a small rudder to the body. Yet it can corrupt the whole body. I also realized that there is NO WAY I would make it to heaven without God's Son's sacrifice for me. He is my whole life. The Lord, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, all three of them have and will guide me through everything. I love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind. I will do ANYTHING for Him.
For all who read this, I hope the time at home waiting for our return home is also a week-long spiritual encounter for you as you read of our growing relationships with God! I love you Mom, Dad, Chug, and Fred! Nan, too! Stay in the Lord my friends and he will forever make good.
Thank you for your continued prayers!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Spangle, WA
Hello everyone!
Thank you for your patience in waiting a couple of days for a detailed update from us. We have definitely been keeping busy!
On Sunday, our team tackled the streets of the small town of Cusick. Devin wanted the team to really make a visual impact on the community as well as let them know that we cared about them. There was literally YEARS of dirt and weeds that needed to be cleaned out of the gutters and sidewalks. All of the students worked hard with a positive attitude. By the end of the day on Monday, we had cleaned ALL of the streets in Cusick.
There were many Cusick residents who asked us, "Why are you here?" Through their curiosity, we were able to share why we were serving--a few of us even had the chance to share the Gospel with some people. A particularly encouraging story involves a couple of teenagers who were playing basketball near where we were working. After playing a game with them, one of them said, "I still don't understand why you're here. Why would you come all the way from Portland to clean up our trash?" Jerrad responded with "It's easy for us to come and clean up the trash because Jesus came down and cleaned up our trash first." A couple of the students on on the team ended up inviting the teenagers to camp.
On Monday, after we were done cleaning the sidewalks and gutters, we had the chance to go door-to-door and ask if the residents wanted any small work projects done. There were many great stories that could be posted here--hopefully I can get some of the students to write about some of their experiences and post it here tomorrow. During one of the work projects, there was a man who got teary-eyed and was very grateful for the students' help. We could definitely tell that the community noticed our presence in their town. We pray that they will continue to notice God's presence there as well, especially as Devin works through planting a church. We can be praying that the seeds we're planting in the community will continue to grow.
At night, our team has been meeting together to process the day and talk about what we read in James during our devotions in the morning. It has been great hearing the students share what they are learning. Krista made a wonderful analogy/observation when her group was helping clean out a man's yard. There was a statue in his yard that had been overgrown and neglected, and her team was able to clear it out so it was visible again. The man teared up and said, "It's been a long time since I've seen that." Krista later told our group that, based on what the man had shared with them, it was like his own life had been overgrown and covered and needed to be revived. Many of the students have shared very encouraging stories of bringing a little bit of light into people's lives throughout these last couple of days.
This morning, we traveled from Cusick to Spangle, WA--about a two hour drive. We are working with Pastor Dave and his wife, Rose on a variety of projects they have set up for us. Today, a group of us striped a house of paint and pressure-washed it so we can paint it tomorrow. The other groups cleaned an elderly lady's house, weeded another lady's yard, and prepared for a small Vacation Bible School that will happen tomorrow afternoon. The guys will be staying at the church and the girls will be staying at the Pastor's house.
Besides a few mosquito bites--I promise we are using bug spray!--and sore muscles, everyone is healthy and having a great time! Again, we really appreciate knowing that we have prayer support back home. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers!
Thank you for your patience in waiting a couple of days for a detailed update from us. We have definitely been keeping busy!
On Sunday, our team tackled the streets of the small town of Cusick. Devin wanted the team to really make a visual impact on the community as well as let them know that we cared about them. There was literally YEARS of dirt and weeds that needed to be cleaned out of the gutters and sidewalks. All of the students worked hard with a positive attitude. By the end of the day on Monday, we had cleaned ALL of the streets in Cusick.
There were many Cusick residents who asked us, "Why are you here?" Through their curiosity, we were able to share why we were serving--a few of us even had the chance to share the Gospel with some people. A particularly encouraging story involves a couple of teenagers who were playing basketball near where we were working. After playing a game with them, one of them said, "I still don't understand why you're here. Why would you come all the way from Portland to clean up our trash?" Jerrad responded with "It's easy for us to come and clean up the trash because Jesus came down and cleaned up our trash first." A couple of the students on on the team ended up inviting the teenagers to camp.
On Monday, after we were done cleaning the sidewalks and gutters, we had the chance to go door-to-door and ask if the residents wanted any small work projects done. There were many great stories that could be posted here--hopefully I can get some of the students to write about some of their experiences and post it here tomorrow. During one of the work projects, there was a man who got teary-eyed and was very grateful for the students' help. We could definitely tell that the community noticed our presence in their town. We pray that they will continue to notice God's presence there as well, especially as Devin works through planting a church. We can be praying that the seeds we're planting in the community will continue to grow.
At night, our team has been meeting together to process the day and talk about what we read in James during our devotions in the morning. It has been great hearing the students share what they are learning. Krista made a wonderful analogy/observation when her group was helping clean out a man's yard. There was a statue in his yard that had been overgrown and neglected, and her team was able to clear it out so it was visible again. The man teared up and said, "It's been a long time since I've seen that." Krista later told our group that, based on what the man had shared with them, it was like his own life had been overgrown and covered and needed to be revived. Many of the students have shared very encouraging stories of bringing a little bit of light into people's lives throughout these last couple of days.
This morning, we traveled from Cusick to Spangle, WA--about a two hour drive. We are working with Pastor Dave and his wife, Rose on a variety of projects they have set up for us. Today, a group of us striped a house of paint and pressure-washed it so we can paint it tomorrow. The other groups cleaned an elderly lady's house, weeded another lady's yard, and prepared for a small Vacation Bible School that will happen tomorrow afternoon. The guys will be staying at the church and the girls will be staying at the Pastor's house.
Besides a few mosquito bites--I promise we are using bug spray!--and sore muscles, everyone is healthy and having a great time! Again, we really appreciate knowing that we have prayer support back home. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Day 1
Everyone is still doing great! Happy Father's day to all dads! We spent
the day in Cusick cleaning the streets and weeding.
We're keeping it short because the Internet is limited here. The next blog post won't
be for the next couple of days. Tomorrow we will be spending the day
doing a few projects. One of them is painting a house.
Please continue praying for us to make an impact in the community. Thanks!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
We have arrived!
Hello family and friends,
Our team arrived safely in Cusick, WA this afternoon--everyone is doing great! We are currently staying at Devin and Amanda Lorraine's house that is located near Riverview Bible Camp (the camp the high school went to for camp last summer). Devin is one of the directors of the camp and has graciously allowed us to stay in his home tonight while a wedding event is happening at the camp. We will be staying at Riverview Sunday to Tuesday.
Devin has a huge heart for the community and has begun the process of planting a church here. His desire is for our team to help him show Jesus' love to the community as we serve them through a variety of projects during the next few days.
We have already had a chance to serve the community of Cusick this afternoon. Armed with garbage bags, the team walked around the small town of Cusick and picked up trash along the way. We also got to pray for the people living here as well as the students at the local high school.
Right now, we're getting ready to eat some dinner and settle in for the night. We're looking forward to serving more in the next few days. Thank you so much for continuing to pray for us! Please pray for the community to see the love of Jesus in a practical way and that doors would be opened for Devin's ministry.
More to come tomorrow!
Our team arrived safely in Cusick, WA this afternoon--everyone is doing great! We are currently staying at Devin and Amanda Lorraine's house that is located near Riverview Bible Camp (the camp the high school went to for camp last summer). Devin is one of the directors of the camp and has graciously allowed us to stay in his home tonight while a wedding event is happening at the camp. We will be staying at Riverview Sunday to Tuesday.
Devin has a huge heart for the community and has begun the process of planting a church here. His desire is for our team to help him show Jesus' love to the community as we serve them through a variety of projects during the next few days.
We have already had a chance to serve the community of Cusick this afternoon. Armed with garbage bags, the team walked around the small town of Cusick and picked up trash along the way. We also got to pray for the people living here as well as the students at the local high school.
Right now, we're getting ready to eat some dinner and settle in for the night. We're looking forward to serving more in the next few days. Thank you so much for continuing to pray for us! Please pray for the community to see the love of Jesus in a practical way and that doors would be opened for Devin's ministry.
More to come tomorrow!
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