I am home... I have been home
Hello, I am back home again in Indiana. I got here on Tuesday afternoon, but our dell crashed in a storm on Wednesday night so I am just now getting a chance to post.
The mission trip was amazing. I had an incredible experience and I learned many things. Thank you all for praying for me. I know that God heard your prayers and answered in them in ways that we don't even understand.
Over the next few weeks we've got a few things planned. Our family is going to spend a few days in Chicago, and then I will be getting my wisdom teeth out on the 18 two days before Marian starts so that should be interesting. I have several friends moving away for college this month, and I don't know how we are going to handle that, but God will see us through.
I have been asked how my trip was, and what I learned several times, and so I shall do a bit of answering to those questions now. I am still trying to figure out all the things that God wanted me to learn, but I have done some sorting, and I hopefully by writing it all out I will do some more.
One of the really exciting things about our mission inRidgefield Park, New Jersey was the incredible focus on God. I learned how important it is to live for God on a moment by moment basis, rather then "get back with Him" after doing my days activities.
As far as witnessing goes, the people around the New York City area are really hard people. They think they've got the answers, and they don't want to talk about God. After spending some time there I have come to be very thankful for the people God has put in my life here in Indiana. The people in Indianapolis are a lot more open. I have been challenged to share the truth of the Gospel to people. When it comes down to it we are here to love God and love people, one of the most loving things that we can do (for God and for people) is to share the Gospel. It needs to be the way we think. We need to be ready to reach out to those that God brings in our path. Also, don't get discouraged about a lack of response. We knocked on hundreds of doors and only one family responded to the VBS invitations by coming, but Pastor Martin reminded us that we are responsible for people's response, we are simply told to speak the truth in love.
Ok, well there are a million more things to share. I will try to update with pictures at a near date, but we'll see.
I hope you all had a wonderful day of worship. May we praise Him forever.
question:
We all live a life.
question: for Whom and how well?
We all die a death.
question: where then will I dwell?
We all sing a song.
question: Who do I praise?
We all see a sight.
question: Where is my gaze?
We all know a truth.
question: Do I ever explain?
We all fight a battle.
question: For whose own gain?
We all walk a path?
question: What lights my way?
We all tell a tale.
question: how was mine today?
Amazing love, how can it be, that Thou my God shouldst die for me?
God is amazing. His love is beyond comprehension. This last week I have been overwhelmed with the truth that Jesus Christ endured seperation from His Father on the cross. I have just begun to realize that God poured out all the wrath and hate that He has against sin on His Son Jesus. He cursed Him so that we could be blessed. He rejected Him so that we could be brought in to the Kingdom. He was led to the slaughter so that we might be led to the banqueting table.
How can it be that Jesus should die for us? Jesus was the beloved Son. The cross was the greatest act of love the world has ever known and will ever know. Why do we think and talk about it as if it were a casual thing? Jesus is the King, and we were the enemy. He died so that we could love Him. Before He saved us we hated Him. Now we are free to love Him, and let us decide to love Him with all our hearts this day.
Let us please Him. May we be overwhelmed with thanksgiving and praise. If we restrain the rocks will cry out. Let us join with all creation adoring our Holy God. Is He not worthy?
Psalm Sing
This evening there was a Psalm sing at our church. Several people joined us from around the Presbytery. It was really awesome to see the church filled up and hear words of praise resound. I love Psalm sings, and this evening was no exception. We had a small dinner to serve after it was over, and it was fun to dash around making punch and filling cookie trays.
Tomorrow our team will be doing some garden work for the church. I am excited about getting to do that. I miss my garden, but hopefully getting dirty tomorrow will help me be able to wait until I get home. Plus, Daddy has done some work out there for me, so it should be fine even though I am not there.
Thus far we have gotten along really well as a team. Worship was wonderful today as well. It seems that I am finally connecting with the church. I guess it takes about two weeks to really get comfortable. I don't know, I have always loved them, it's just now I feel like I
know them too.
Tonight the girls are coming over to hang with Philip and I at the Martins. On Friday we had a sleep over, which was great. See, Lexie and Alison live at different houses, so it's nice to have sleep overs sometimes.
This week we are going to do some more door-to-door, and what else I am not exactly sure, but please pray that God will direct us in the way we should serve. Mr. Chin says that there is tons to do, but it's hard to know what is the most important. Our Esther play got called off because of some planning difficulties. Now we have a bit more time to work with as far as getting stuff done for the church and such.
Thanks for praying for us. I come home in nine days, so please continue to pray that we'll get along well, and that God will be glorified in all that we do. I am learning lots and lots, and I have some ideas for things to do with our church when I get home.
Have a wonderful week, and I hope to hear from you guys.
God Almighty
Hey Everyone,
We're still here, in Teaneck, New Jersey. Our VBS program will be done tomorrow. I hope and pray that the family that has been coming will attend church this week. Please pray that they do.
I've been learning so much here. It's not what I expected, but I prayed that God would reveal things to me that He would have me to work through in my life, and He has been answering my prayers.
God is such a holy God. I don't think about His holiness very often, and it's a problem. When a person begins to think about how holy and good God is, then we can come to understand the importance of Christ's death, and the necessity for a pure heart. So often I come before God in prayer and forget to remember how holy He is. I forget that He can not even look at me, but for the blood of Christ. I begin to think it is of my own righteouness that He will head me. What lies! God cannot abide sin, and I sin. It's just amazing that He loves us so much, I just can't understand.
Well, I should be getting to bed here shortly. Please continue to pray for us. I will pray for you as well.
600 posts
Today was another day that God has made. It was a beautiful day here, and very warm. I hear that it's raining in Indiana and that makes me smile, because I've been praying for rain. Our Father takes such good care of us. My garden needed rain.
We had the same kids come to VBS tonight. God has been ever present with us. I have had some interesting conversations today, and I pray that God will use them for His glory.
You can be praying for a woman named Connie. She is older, and lives alone. I knocked on her door to hand her a VBS invitation and she invited me in and chatted for about ten minutes. She was eager to tell me about herself, and begged me to come back and talk if I ever had the desire. I told her that I would be back. Please just pray that God would open her heart to the Gospel. She may already be saved, but I really want to go back and give her some company for a while. I think we'll be doing that tomorrow.
I love being here, and yet doing God's work at another place makes one realize how much work there is to be done back home. I am making a list of ideas. It's so great to learn from another church and pastor.
This is my 600th post. I'm really glad that I have kept my blog up. I enjoy posting, and I love reading your comments. Thanks for being great bloggers.
I am going to go to bed now. We have a big day ahead and there is lots to be done.
The first day of VBS
Tonight we had our first VBS meeting. At seven o'clock it started and no one was there other than the church memebers. It was very upsetting to face the fact that after hours of passing out fliers, and hundreds of coversations with people no one came. Yet, during the skit while I was up front doing sound effects, praying that God would send at least one family, in walked a woman with her three kids. It was really great.
Please pray that more kids will come. I was content with the way God worked things out tonight, but I'm hopeful that He will be pleased to send more people tomorrow night.
Thanks for praying.
an interesting conversation
This afternoon our team went to a local park to pass out more VBS sheets. I walked over to a woman who I thought was a likely prospect. She had two little boys and she appeared to be new to the area.
As I started my small explination for the invitation I gave her and she looked at me and asked if the church met for worship on Sunday. I of course told her we did, and the next fifty minutes were spent in accusation. She asked me for my Bible, and began to read out dozens of passages that have to do with worship on the Sabbath day (Saturday) and how Jesus celebrated the passover and on and on. I may have been able to give a good answer, but she won't let me speak a word. She honestly would not let me talk.
All along my team thought that I was sharing my testimony with her because she had a huge smile on, and the Bible was out. They thought that when I got back to the table I would be totally excited about the things we had discussed. Instead I walked over about to cry. I haven't felt so attacked like that before. She said things like I shouldn't ask my pastor about this stuff because he will lead me astray. Yeah, she used the passage in Matthew where Jesus says "Many will say 'Lord, Lord we did many works and propheys in Your name...' and I will say, 'I never knew you.'" She said, "You see, men like that are not saved." I looked at her for a half a moment, and then she began to read another passage about the passover, and how we should continue to take it, and I had never said we should or shouldn't, she just assumed.
I was very upset, and even more frusterated. She would not shut up. She would ask me a question and then answer it herself. She didn't care to hear a word I had to say, or to try to understand my opinion. I just sat, and listened, and would calmly talk if there was a moment to speak. I tried to encourage her Bible studying. She told me she goes to a Church of God, and that I can come any night of the week because they study the Scriptures from 5-12pm.
I learned several things from this experience. First off, I never want to sound like that woman. There have been times where I have felt like just blowing through passages like that to convince people that they are "wrong." It does no good. In fact it is a horrible way to win someone.
Throughout the whole conversation all I wanted to do was say, "Lady, if you're a Christian why haven't you read the passages about being gracious, and kind, and loving people the way you love yourself?!" I didn't.
I also learned that there are several things I don't have good answers for. I admitted to her that I didn't exactly know where in Scripture God shows us that we need to worship on Sunday. I just knew that it was because Jesus was raised on the first day of the week, but she used some passage in Luke to refute that, so I am going to find out answers to these things. I am going to read and study the reason behind what I do that much more now that I have talked with her.
Please, if you ever talk with someone about your faith, listen to them before you blast them with your knowledge.
Well, she won't be coming to VBS, but we have had several good responses, and I am very hopeful. Please continue to pray that God will send people to the VBS next week, and that hearts would be changed.
happily here
I am so blessed to have such supportive blog readers.
I am still in Ridgefield Park, and still having a blast. To be honest I am in Teaneck which is a town next to Ridgefield Park. We have been doing some door-to-door, mostly to support the VBS club next week.
I am really excited about what God will do here.
Please pray that He will send kids from to our VBS club next week. Please pray that some will come to know Christ. The cool thing is that we're doing it in the evenings and Pastor Martin is a program for the adults as well.
God be with you.
I'm Here
I am so very sorry that I didn't write a nice goodbye note. I had every intention of doing so but by the time it came down to reality I couldn't get anything written. It seems silly now to write a goodbye message since I am still posting, and some of you wouldn't see me anyways.
Ridgefield Park is amazing. I love it here. I am staying with the Martins, they are a pastor's family and some of the nicest people I've ever met. I finally got to meet Lexie and Alison, the girls are the best! Philip is the only guy on our team and "he's class!" as the girls would say.
We are going to be doing a VBS club next week, and I will be teaching the juniors class ages 9-12. There is so much to be done, and we're already having a ball working together. Yesterday I was so tired that I fell asleep with the light on, and on the wrong side of the bed. The Martins thought that I just liked to sleep with the light on. How horrible?!
I hope everyone has a good holiday! I miss the Long's, yes my family, but it's been great here. I hope to get a list of prayer requests and stuff to send to different people, and I will post it on here too. We got to meet the church today, and they are so kind and I just hope that we can be of true help to them. It feels like it's been a week since I met everyone here, but it's only been a day. I think love does that you know?
Alright I should let Lexie get on here. I will post pictures sometime I think. We get to go to New York City tomorrow, and I will take tons of pictures to show when I get home.
Grace and Peace to you.
