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I grew up in the Northwest. My wife grew up in Grand Junction, CO. We have driven between the NW and Colorado many, many times. Most of the time our vacations would be spent around family and our main mode of transportation was the car that we had so we have seen the highways and freeways between Colorado and the Northwest frequently. I can tell you how many highways you take to get from where I live to my parents house and one of the favorite games to play on the drive is counting down how many are left (there are 8).
Each time we do the drive and go through Salt Lake City we talk about the city, Mormonism, the people, and all the billboard signs along the way. And for some reason I have always wanted to spend more time there than it takes to drive through.
This winter our Youth Pastor Network (referred to as Mixed Nuts or just MN) started talking about a mission trip and where we should go. Lance, the YP at Grace Bible Church in Parachute, mentioned that he has a friend in a town South of Salt Lake City and he was planning on taking a group of students there for a week. This intrigued me and, wanting to work together with people in the valley, I asked if he would consider going together and maybe even opening the trip up to other churches in the area. He loved the idea and we started talking about what it would look like.
Soon after that Brian, from Youthmark, came to town and hosted a lunch where he laid out what Youthmark has to offer and the principals that guide how they operate. Lance, and everyone else, loved the focus and signed on to go with Youthmark on a select trip (since we already had a really good idea where we wanted to go).
We talked to to other churches and right now Crossroads Church in Aspen, Mountain View Church in Glenwood Springs, and Grace Bible Church in Parachute are joining together to witness and serve the people of Springville, Utah. We are excited to go and love hanging out together.
There are some things that you could pray for that would certainly help us. Each of us is having some difficulty with students committing to the trip. We want to see lives changed and people reached for Jesus. We know that mission experiences, and the training that is required, will be vital for our teenagers faith. Our desire for the teens in our groups is to see them serve Jesus and love others and right now there are few teens signed up for this experience that will have a huge impact on their life (if not changing it altogether). Please pray that the families of our students would see the importance of this experience and the training and would make it a priority for their students this summer.
We are excited to see what God is going to do throughout the summer!
What a week! Have you ever been driving down the road and noticed a curve up ahead that seemed to be less of a curve than it really was? And when you started turning into it you realized you had better hit the brakes or you wouldn't make the turn. That is what part of this week felt like.
We were headed one direction and God had different plans so we had to hit the brakes and turn a different way in order to stay on the road that He had set before us. We worked harder in our service projects than I expected and ended up being a bigger blessing to Kittredge Community Bible Church than we anticipated. We changed direction and focused on being a blessing to small children and their parents and were rewarded with many important conversations and grew to love the children of that small community as we blessed them. We sweated, bled, cried, and prayed throughout the week as we served to the best of our ability. We formed friendships and relationships with people in and outside the church that I pray will be fruitful. And we came away knowing that everything we do for God has a purpose and will accomplish what He desires.
Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. God worked through each of us this week as we served Him and we are grateful to be able to serve such an awesome God.
I let everyone sleep in this morning because I excpected it to be a slow and easy day of small chores then going to the park. When I got up I noticed that the Ullrich family was on the roof of the garage that we had worked on for a couple of days and they were starting to put the new shingles on. It was looking good so I thought I would go say good morning. During our conversation Mike told me that the inspector could be coming as early as this afternoon. We hadn't known when he would come and we hadn't even touched the house yet. This is a huge deal because the inspection requires 10% of any building being roofed to be completed so they can see how you're doing it.
So I grabbed the guys, asked the girls to finish cleaning the church, and we headed outside to tear shingles. And tear we did. The shingles came off more easily and we had twice as many people. We got everything we needed to off the roof and cleaned up by lunch time. Our guys were awesome! And the girls got everything ready for the park, made lunch, and cleaned the whole church. Nobody took it easy and nobody slacked off.
So now we're off to the park to create an obstacle course for the kids and have a lot of fun. This is great ministry time for us by blessing the kids and mothers in Kittredge and it has been fruitful ministry. This is our last day doing this so please pray that we will have more conversations that encourage and support people. We want them to know the love of Jesus more than anything else.
This was a great day! After our conversation last night I was kind of nervous about how our students would respond. This morning started out slowly but picked up as the day went on. After our time in the park we had a great dinner together and then I really saw how much they had grasped what we talked about.
Harris really stood out today as everyone else went back inside after working on the parking lot he grabbed a shovel and helped Bonita with anything he could. McKenna and Ashley did a phenomenal job reorganizing the kitchen and cleaning the church. After dinner the guys went out to the garage and finished taking the nails and staples out of the roof so they can start putting the new roof on tomorrow. Our guys got really good at taking shingles off roofs so if you need some work done feel free to call.
After dinner Keith, the youth pastor for the church here, arrived. He moved to Loveland a couple of years ago but has remained in contact and will still come to town for youth group and events with the students. Loveland is 70 miles from here so it is obvious to me how much he cares about this church and these kids. They know it too and they have responded to him really well. It was great to meet him and to spend some time with someone who has such a passion for the students in Kittredge. He has been called here and has been faithful to serve them.
After Keith left I saw something that really encouraged me. All of our students were sitting in a corner of the “Carpet Room” (aptly named because it’s the only big room upstairs that is carpeted) with 3 of the guys from the church. They were all talking, sharing stories, laughing, and encouraging to one another. When we talked last night we all agreed that the students here need to feel like they have friends on their side and that is precisely what I saw tonight. I am so proud of our students.
Please pray that we will serve well tomorrow and that we will be blessed in our time together. We are taking the Ullrich family to a baseball game after we’re done in the park and I am looking forward to our time together with them celebrating what has happened this week as the Rockies beat the Cubs.
Roughly 800 water balloons soared through the air, connected with their targets or the grass, and many children (as well as teenagers and a couple of adults) were thoroughly soaked even though it was overcast.
We spent the afternoon at the park launching, throwing, and popping water balloons on each other and it was an absolute blast! We are now really connected to a number of the kids, and parents, in town. So much so that some even stayed through a short thundershower and rain to play with us. Andrea spent a great amount of her time with the mothers and was an encouragement to them. She said later that she thinks the mothers here take their kids to the park becuase they need time for a break, they are at the end of their rope so to speak. And with us being in the park playing with their children they get more than what they were hoping for. We have been ministering to mothers a lot this week.
Tonight we will eat with the Ullrich family then complete two of our projects. The guys will finish the roof (as long as there isn't a thundershower tonight too. It's a bad idea to swing a hammer on a hillside with lightning striking all around), and the girls will begin cleaning the church. We want to leave KCBC cleaner and more organized than when we came.
Pray for us tonight as we continue our discussions and look for areas that we can celebrate.
Sickness is contagious. Every school teacher will tell you that when one child comes to school sick you can count on most of the class getting sick and missing. A couple days ago Anne starting feeling ill and some of those symptoms have spread to other members of the team. They have been tired and the lack of energy has been obvious. Playing with the kids at the park has been fun but it has also been a challenge as they have struggled to find energy.
But sickness is not the only thing that is contagious. Attitude is also highly contagious, maybe even more than sickness. When one person’s attitude is positive and encouraging it can change the entire atmosphere. Conversely, if people have a negative attitude or are becoming cynical it is hard for the whole group to stay positive. Yesterday we started noticing that people were short in their comments, critical of people or situations, and were struggling to remain focused on what we are here to do. We had a difficult conversation last night.
Any time there is a conversation where you have to point out shortcomings or bad attitudes it is going to be a difficult conversation, although necessary. I believe that the conversation we had last night has led to a change in attitudes and a greater willingness to help out. I am proud of the way our students have responded.
Two days ago we worked around the church and left many things unfinished because we did not have time to complete them. This morning we ate breakfast together, spent time alone for our devotions, then got straight to work. The guys joined me on the roof of the garage and we finished taking off all the shingles. Kellin was absolutely amazing with a pitchfork in his hands! We had the roof done with time to spare so we filled more water balloons for this afternoon at the park.
The girls got right to work in the kitchen. Last night we started repainting the kitchen thinking that it would be a simple job. It wasn’t. Even with all seven of us working diligently we worked until 10:00. The girls put the finishing touches on it this morning and put everything back where it belongs. It looks so much better and is going to be a huge blessing to the church.
I am really excited to see what is going to happen in the park today. Both days that we have played with the little kids the parents and babysitters have been really thankful and I think today is going to be far better than either of the other days (we’ll have water balloons, of course it’ll be better!).
I will report tonight after all is said and done. God is at work in our hearts and in our efforts. We are all agreed that we want God to be glorified and are working as hard as we can toward that end.
This is the first time I have had an opportunity to post before everybody went to bed so I thought I would let you know how things are going. We were up early this morning because yesterday the park and rec guys stopped by and asked if we could help serve at the park we have been using. I had actually asked for this opportunity so I jumped on it right away even though it meant starting at least an hour earlier than we had before.
We got to the park and met Ed who gave us our tools and showed us what to do. Harris mowed a huge section of the lawn, Ashley painted trash cans and picnic tables, Andrea picked up a ton of trash and supported everyone, McKenna swept the path that goes all the way around the park, Reid and Kellin turned over the bark in the play area and I weed whacked until I was out of gas. That was not all we did but it was a great morning of serving the local community.
The park looks great and I can't wait to go back there this afternoon to serve in a completely different way.
The morning started with printing signs out to post around the town inviting families to come to the park and play. Pastor Mike was really helpful and printed out as many as we needed. Then Bonita (Pastor Mike’s wife) walked all over town and stapled them to poles, handed them to store owners, and pretty effectively covered the entire town. I’m pretty sure if she would have been allowed to she would have covered all the stop signs with our signs inviting people. But since that’s against the law I’m sure she thought better of it.
We remained at the church and got to work around the building. Reid, Kellin, and I got our introduction to roof removal and it was more tiring than I expected. I knew it wouldn’t be easy but, wow. We did have fun trying to get the biggest piece of roof off at one moment and we got some pretty huge pieces. Harris donned the weed whacker and went to town on all manner of pesky plants around the church. He worked so hard at it that he ran out of gas and had to refill the tank. The girls all painted the big toy and did other jobs that Bonita needed done. They did great.
After lunch we rested a little bit before heading to the park. We had no idea what to expect and pulled out the parachute as soon as we got there. As people began arriving with their kids we would invite them to join us in the games we were playing. More than one parent told their child that this was something that was programmed and that they couldn’t play with us. You should have seen the looks on the kids faces. Then when I explained what we were doing to them and they allowed their kids to join we had a blast. The kids all joined in right away and our teenagers did a great job interacting and playing with them.
While we were playing we heard the kids stories from the parents. Andrea and I both made it a point to connect with the parents as much as we could. One mother was their with her kids and was watching a friends son for the day. Tyson (the boy she was watching) was sleeping soundly in the stroller so I talked with her and asked about it. His is a tragic story. Tyson’s kidneys are failing and the hospital won’t operate until he weighs 25 pounds. He’s a year old and weighs 18 but right now they won’t do anything. She is praying for a miracle for her friends son and I promised her that we would join her in that. Another mother brought her two kids to the park because they saw the parachute and begged her to let them come to the park. Both her children are adopted (they are actually adopting Aries this month) and both have had very difficult lives. But her heart for her children was evident and I was blessed to talk to her and hear her story.
After dinner we returned to the park. 3 middle school girls came back to the park just to hang out with our two girls. As the boys threw frisbees and footballs the girls talked. I stuck around in the park and observed as our girls ministered to these 3 girls who were looking for someone to care.
Praise God that people are responding to our efforts to serve them. That is what we have been asking God for since we arrived. Please pray for us as we are all tired at this point and yet know there is so much more to be done. Please also remember the two families that I mentioned above in your prayers as their situations are very difficult.
How do you define success? I recently read a book by John Wooden about his coaching strategy and his leadership. In the book he defined success as basically giving your best effort to use the gifts you have been given. Many times we equate success with results not effort. If we are giving our best then I believe the results will come.
In many ways Kittredge has been a unique and difficult trip for me. We have had a hard time connecting with teenagers, we have had a number of disagreements (that have been worked out), and things have not gone as I imagined they would. However, we are giving our best in this town and I have no doubt that we will succeed. Our purpose in coming to Kittredge was to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ by partnering with Kittredge Community Bible Church. So we sat down together and asked, “What is the best way to reach people here now that we have some experience in this town?” If you have ever been on a mission trip you know that you must be flexible because things change on you faster than you think they can.
After a lengthy discussion we concluded that the best way to serve people in Kittredge and to reach them for Jesus was to serve them by offering a time for their children to play structured games. We had noticed a lot of mothers bringing their children to the park and had seen many more families around town so we decided to use that to our advantage. I agreed to this idea knowing that it would get us out among people for at least two hours, serving, and that would draw attention.
With that in mind here is our plan for the rest of the week. We will meet in the park from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. and have structured games for the children to play. Then after dinner we will return to the park where we hope to engage with the middle and high school students.
As we do our best to serve I would like to close with this quote from Oswald Chambers, “It is not a matter of our equipment, but a matter of our poverty; not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a matter of natural virtues, of strength of character, of knowledge, or of experience-all of that is of no avail in this concern. The only thing of value is being taken into the compelling purpose of God and being made into His friends.”
We know that what we have to offer is Jesus. And we are going to do our best to offer Him in every way.
Please pray for us as we take a different approach. I will report again soon.
Geneva is an 86 year old woman who lives near the park that we have been going to. She is disabled with the use of only one arm and she has a heart of gold. She has adopted many children throughout the years and has provided foster care for around 100 more. She does not have the energy or the ability to clean her house or her yard and it needed a thorough cleaning. Fortunately we have some of the greatest high school students ever and they did a fantastic job cleaning up. When we left the kitchen and living room were both clean and organized, the yard was weeded and mowed, the fence was repaired as much as we could, and the door to the shed was put back on. It was a really productive and fun morning working together to bless a sweet lady.
In the afternoon we spent much of our time out in the town again. However, our time did not seem to be fruitful. I spotted some high school age girls and let our girls know where they were. When our girls attempted to approach them they started walking faster and were obviously not interested in engaging with them. We spent a lot of time in the park again but did not make many contacts.
In the evening we again went to the park and played games together. The girls had an opportunity to meet a high school girl and they spent a long time talking to her but overall we were pretty frustrated with not being able to make contact and engage in conversations and relationships with the teenagers in Kittredge. But we will keep praying and do our best.