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Wednesday-Thursday Blog
Hey everyone!!!! It is so amazing what God has been doing through every single person on the team and as a team. We visited a Nursing home today and we all had a better time than we did the previous time. Everyone on the team connected with at least one person there. I just sat with one elderly woman who couldn’t talk anymore. But that didn’t matter to her. She just grabbed me by the hand and led me around the room to each table and would just blab. Even though I couldn’t understand her, I was able to just sit and listen and that was all she wanted. She was happy to just have someone be with her.
Continue to keep us all in your prayers. We can definitely feel them here. We all miss home and can’t wait to be back in the cool Colorado air! Love ya’ll!!
Corrie
Thursday – Blog
Hello all!! The Lord has continued showering His blessings over our team. This morning, Kevin, Jason, and Whitney were all able to make it to the airport successfully and Whitney and Jason made it to their homes safely. Though we had to continue our regular Day Camp Bible Club without three of our members, the morning ran smoothly and the kids were great the whole time (as usual!). Afterwards, we made our way to another Nursing Home. There were some of us who went in with our doubts on how the afternoon would turn out after our last experience in the previous Nursing Home. However, God is absolutely incredible and turned the visit into a HUGE hit! We were able to entertain the elderly with crafts (prayer bears and suncatchers) along with Nathan’s OUTSTANDING piano skills. Not only had we brought joy to those there, but we received joy from them. We all connected to each other and God was in the room. We even had met up with a former pastor! We left the Nursing Home with all smiles and laughs. On the way home, we drove about four miles into Louisiana and then back out so we can say, “Oh yea, we were in Texas and Louisiana on our trip!” Once we arrived back to the church, yet another amazing meal waiting and ready for us. Then, once preparation for our youth service was complete, Kevin, Lindsay, and Nathan all gave GREAT sermons on the rest of our HABITS lessons (B- Bible Memorization, I- Involvement with the Church, T- Tithing, S- Scripture Study). God was good to our team and the rest of the evening turned out great.
Now, I’m pleased to go activities one of my favorite events of the day: sleeping. I hope all is well in Colorado, Quatar, and all other places where this is read! Please continue to pray for us as we near the end of our mission. They have been great help and such a blessing to our days here. We love all y’all (though we are a little nervous for the jokes we will receive about our accents we all have picked up)! Have a blessed day!
In Christ With Lots Of Love,
Collene Larson
Today was a fun day today I saw one of my friends that I met on Monday. His name is Taylor. He hurt his foot pretty bad jumping into shallow pools, so if you could pray for him. I had a good time hanging out with him and others worshiping God.
Jamie Taves
Today was pretty cool, but slow compared to most of our days. We did our third day of VBS, and several new children showed up as well as some of our “vets”. Daniel showed up to VBS, along with his cousin that we just met last night, Robert, and did their usual sticking with us for as long as he could. We actually had to make our own lunch, instead of eating Bob’s down home cooking. The people across the street were nice enough to let us use their pool, which is one of the few around here that was in the ground. Wednesday is apparently the churches biggest day and we had more students than we have had at our other nightly youth services!
Thanks for reading,
Evan Zeller
Today was awesome and so was yesterday… Today I saw this cool kid named Taylor who I met the other day. He is a new believer that asked Jesus into his heart at the Baptist church revival, so if you can pray that he just catches on fire for God. Also the other day I played the piano at a nursing home and everybody loved it; actually we met some pretty cool old people, like a guy with no hand who drove tanks in WWII, and a guy named Parker who drove trucks for over 20 years and it would be cool if ya’ll could pray for him…
Nathan Weeks <><
Kevin Here:
Isn't it amazing how much more girls write than boys! Your sons are doing an amazing job, you have much to be proud for. Jamie and Evan run all of our games for the VBS as well as spend a lot of time with some of the boys that we've met. Nathan is one amazing piano player and wow'd us with is skills at the nursing home on Tuesdday.
Update: Whitney is still not doing well, in fact she is headed home tomorrow morning on a plane. Please continue to pray for her healing.
Jason is also headed home tomorrow to be in Manny Pollard's wedding this Saturday.
Both Jason and Whitney will be sorely missed! They are a huge part of our team and there will be a giant void left in their absence.
A couple more things: Your students have done an amazing job encouraging and equiping the Deweyville students who are new believers. They have done a great job sharing their stories and their lives with the kids here. Along the way there are a couple of young men who have accepted Christ and/or re-dedicated their lives to Christ. The Kingdom of God is larger b/c your children have given their time, energy, sweat and love this summer!
Keep praying for the team and we'll do ur best to keep you posted!
God really worked in this group today! We were blessed with 12 SOULS for VBS, and many had so much fun, that they plan to bring their friends for VBS tomorrow! What a great way to start a Monday! Ha! Also, God was able to bless our team with a lovely mandatory naptime. Unfortunately, the girls were rudely awakened by the three boys playing the guitar and a drum. The girl’s response: “Don’t worry, we’ll be back!” For the youth ministry this evening, Corrie Trowbridge spoke to the teens about “Hang Time with God.” God was really able to speak through her! After her talk, the teens were each given their own journals to write in, and everyone was able to have some quiet time with God, wherever they wanted in the church! Again, God spoke. Unfortunately, Satan has attacked in one way. Whitney Gargiulo received both a concussion and was kicked by her horse a while back, and the pain has come back to haunt her. The doctor said that the accidents would “echo,” and she is experiencing just that. Pain that medicine can’t cure, but God can! Please pray for her peace and healing in her body, so that she will be able to continue to work for God’s kingdom here in Deweyville. Your will be done, Father! Thanks for all your support! God is at work in and through and around us! This will be a trip to remember!
Katelyn Larson
Today was all around amazing. God has been shining his light so bright through the people down here in Deweyville. It has been so wonderful to see him working through our group already! We have met some truly great people of God. A young man named Keith with a minor mental disorder has just blessed us so much with his joy and desire to help kids and us! Today as we started VBS, all he wanted to do was sing and dance! His heart for God and the people here is truly indescribable! For our first night of HABITS, the souls that God brought were incredible! There were two young girls, that we all thought that were like seniors... were in only in SEVENTH grade! But the point is, is that they came running up to Kevin so eager to help us with VBS and whatever else they could. The joy and love in these people down here is really awe-inspiring! Ha, there’s also a young boy named Daniel that has been hanging out with us non-stop basically. He also makes us laugh because of how indecisive he is… but its great! This trip has already been full of so many positive and uplifting things… but also some downers. As you’ve heard already, our dear sweet friend Whitney is not feeling the greatest. She has been in our prayers today, and we would just love it if you would join us in lifting her up for healing and strength as well. I know that God has great plans for all of us down her, including her. And it would just be so sad if she had to leave early and go home. God is working wonders down here and has more to come! Thanks again for praying!
Hannah Birch
Kevin O. here:
Have I told y'all how amazing your kids are? I can't say enough good stuff about this team. They work so well together and they love whoever God puts in their path. Today I am especially proud of Corrie and Hannah. Corrie for sharing her heart about "Hang Time With God" with the students of Deweyville and Hannah for her amazing spirit and love for the children that we had in Day Camp.
Please pray for Whitney as she is experiencing some residual pain from a snowboard accident she had this past spring. We are asking God to heal her because she is a vital part of our team and we need her!
God is good and we'll fill you in more tomorrow.
Until then...Peace!
Sunday, 12th
Well it’s officially day 3 of our trip and it’ already been amazing, and a blast. Our first adventure was on Friday, when we were driving down. We were in Texas, just past Childress, when Jason yelled at my mom, who was driving, to stop driving, and pull over because he had realized after seeing flying rubber, and a tilting trailer that we had blown a tire on the trailer. After sitting in the hot van for an hour, on the side of the road watching Planet Earth, the U-Haul repairman finally showed up, and replaced our tire. We arrived in Dallas an hour later than expected around 9, to a greeting party of excited teenagers from Seattle and Colorado Springs. Our late session with our director Brian was amazing, we got in prayer groups with kids we didn’t know, and ended up making great friends. The next morning we had to play a game where either our voice, hands, or sight was taken away, and we had to make our lunches disabled like that, it was really hard but we did it. Brian taught one huge thing to remember, it’s not about numbers, like how many people will show up to our events here in Deweyville, it’s about souls, and how many souls God changes through our work here. We reached Deweyville around 6:00 ish. When we arrived we were immediately greeted with warm smiles, and welcomes, and a fantastic southern dinner, it was the most amazing food I’ve had in a long time. The women who prepared it were so nice; one of them named Miss. Ruth was 89 years old, and told us funny stories about when she was young. After that we drove 15 miles to the nearest Wal-Mart. We played while Kevin, and my mom shopped, 2 full carts of food, later, we were headed back to church, we found out that the radio is almost all country music, we have mixed feelings about that, but I personally like country music, so no complaints here, and then we stumbled on a station that was playing a worship song, the perfect way to end our first night in Deweyville. I am sure that God is going to use this team for great things, and I cant wait to see what they are. Please pray for us as we go to church this morning, and meet the kids, and teens we will be hanging out with this week, and pray that they will see God shining through us.
Thank You guys for all of you support,
TTYL,
Lindsey Ross
Kevin’s Running Commentary:
The big scripture for today was 1 Corinthian 12 – One Body, Many Parts. The game that Lindsey mentioned above was to remind us that: We are all important and we all need each other. “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” I Cor.12:26 TNIV.
These students have been great! They genuinely care for each other and they have so much fun with each other. Something called the EOZ (Encouragement only Zone) was put in place by the organization that we went through, but our kids were already doing this.
Parents you should be proud of these students. They are chomping at the bit to get to Sunday School and the Church Service and meet kids. Last night at Wal-Mart they were so excited to get started, that they were inviting people to come to our Day camp. They for got that we had to travel 15 miles to get to Wal-Mart and many of the people in the Wal-Mart that they spoke to didn’t even know where Deweyville was (tells you how big this community is).
We just got out of church and expect some great stories about what they experienced in a small town Bible Belt Baptist Church!
We'll write more later today!
Well friends and family, we left early and arrived late to Dallas. For the most part the trip was a good one, well except for the minor hiccup of a blown trailer tire. It really wasn't that big a deal. God took care of us and we got a new tire and back on the road.
The Launch (praise, worship and challenge) was good. The passage was Acts 16:16-32, READ IT! The take away was:
1. Paul and Silas went to the people.
2. They endured rejection.
3. They didn't let imprisonment keep them from praising God.
The result: The jailer and his family were rescued (put their faith in Jesus).
Our task this week is to go to the people, possibly endure rejection, escape our own limitations and fears (the imprisonment) and salvations will happen.
Please pray that student wil reject apathy, that they will grow in their faith and that they will take what they learn home with them and spread it in their home groups!
See you tomorrow!
We leave on Friday, Wahoo!!! There are still some details to take care of, but God is in the details, or so they say. Here are a few things to pray for:
Remember: “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.”- Psalm 18:30
Grace and Peace!