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DC: The Spontaneous Memory

I’m not one to make spontaneous decisions. The only reason I do anything spontaneous is because I believe it’s healthy to not shy away from the unknown. And going on this trip was a huge unknown. I volunteered to co-lead this trip 3 days before we had to drive up. On the 10 hour drive up I learned as much as I could about what to expect from this trip.

My expectations were this: one middle school youth group from North Carolina and one mixed-age youth group from Tennessee. The groups were going to stay and eat at the same place together but do ministry at separate locations. And lastly, the ministry will be related to reaching the homeless community. 

What I didn’t expect was for these youth to remind me of why I love missions.

On the first day I noticed how excited and distracted everyone was. But as each hour passed with each day, I saw how the excitement changed into passion. From learning about the amount of hungry people in DC, to watching what desperate people do in desperate situations, to becoming friends with the very people that American’s label as untouchable. 

But my favorite moments were spending time at the church after ministry everyday. It was in these hours where I was able to sit down and hear the stories of each of these people. From Caleb the “magician” to Madelyn the brave. I even played piano each night with several of the guys. 

This spontaneous trip turned into something that I will never forget. Each of these young men + women will be forever on my hearts. They reminded me of why I have a desire to lead missions trips from halfway across the Earth to my neighboring town in Georgia. But the biggest takeaway was how incredibly loving they each were to me. 

Thank you for everything.

When God chooses to use ME

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Recently, my youth group and I were in DC for a mission trip and had an ‘ATL’ activity. AIM does a GREAT job in really allowing the Lord to lead.  The phrase ‘ATL’ does NOT mean Atlanta. It stands for “Ask The Lord” (love it!).  

One of the leaders and myself went off with part of our youth group to Union Station for our ‘ATL’ time.  We were closing in on the end of our activity when my students asked me to point some people out to them that may need prayer.  

So, here I am! Praying and asking the Lord to highlight people that need prayer. There was a man that stood out to me. At the same time, some of the students noticed a woman that they saw earlier in the day at the homeless breakfast we served.  

I noticed one of the other students walking in the direction of the man and I put my thumbs up as if to say, ‘Yes, go to him,’ while I went with the other students towards the woman. But then I noticed the student heading in the direction of the man went to the gentleman next to him instead.

This man continued to stay on my mind as I asked the Lord:
“Lord, We are here for the students to follow your lead; Are you saying you want ME to pray for him?”  

So, I approached the man and introduced myself to him and he introduced himself to me.  His name was Robbie and he was headed back home to Newborn, NC.  I felt the Lord tell me “Hope” and “Trust” for Robbie, so I asked if I could pray for him.  He agreed to allow me to pray and the Lord spoke through me as I prayed Proverbs 3:5-6 over him. I had my eyes closed as I was praying over Robbie, and when I concluded, I opened up my eyes to see him crying and puddles on the ground.

“Wow! Lord, you used me to minister to this gentleman.”

I am always in awe of how AWESOME our Lord is to use me, little Ken, to touch someone by being obedient.  

So you say ‘ATL’ why ….This is why:

To allow the Lord to use each of us for His Kingdom!!

Ken is the Middle School Youth Pastor at Celebration Church in Blountville, TN. His middle school group participated in our recent short term trip to Washington D.C. June 26 – July 1.

Welcome to Washington D.C.

They made it!!

Our groups from Pittsboro United Methodist Church from Pittsboro, NC, and Celebration Church from Blountville, TN, are settling in and preparing for ministry tomorrow.

We currently have 21 middle schoolers running around the halls of the church are we could not be more thrilled to have them experience more of God’s heart for the people in Washington D.C. 

It’s going to be a great week! 

 

Being Befriended

Included in the instructions given during the short orientation was that no one was to take a photo without the okay of the person whose photo was being taken.   If an okay was given, the photo was not to be uploaded to facebook or to any other site.  Those many, many warm memorable moments that the team experienced can only be shared today as memories versus through photos.  

No one really knew what to expect when they got on the elevator to go to the third floor where many of the assisted living center residents had just finished eating their noon lunch.  In moments it seemed, everyone on the team had found someone who seemed to be pleased that someone was interested in listening to his or to her story.  There was a feeling among the team of being unconditionally accepted, affirmed and approved by those with whom they were just meeting for the first time.

The first hour or so together visiting led to a second hour that had been scheduled for the residents to do  handicraft.  The team helped the residents color and then put together what they had colored into a tepee. Then it was an hour of playing bingo with the residents.  The following day the team returned to the assisted living center to find the residents happy to see familiar faces so quickly again.  After helping during the scheduled cooking class with making fruit parfaits for the residents to eat, the team then passed out the parfaits which every single resident present very obviously enjoyed.  By the end of the time that the team was at the assisted living center, there was a sense of one big family being together enjoying one another.  The team’s last hour at the assisted living center was during the scheduled Bible study time.  The time was used to sing songs that were familiar to the residents and to share scripture.  Everyone left knowing that instead of them having befriended someone, that they had also been befriended.  

 

some of the youth on the team enjoying time together                     doing a prayer walk in Alexandria

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the trespasser

He wanted to be helpful. The lady who was cleaning the church was nearby in the hallway about to go home when I told the young man that I did not need his help to carry in the foodstuff that I had just purchased for passing out the next day to the Washington homeless.  When the cleaning lady asked me if the young man was part of the team that was staying at the church, I told her no.  We both realized at that moment that she had just spent the last hour or so with a complete stranger who should not have been in the church.  While I had been buying foodstuff, the team had gone for ice cream. 

When asked, the trespasser said that his name was Steven, that he was from Houston and that he was homeless.   Even before the team left the church, Steven had been seen by team members.  No one had thought anything about it as the church where we were staying hosts a variety of meetings including some that happen in the evenings.  The church’s doors are left unlocked until the cleaning person goes home.

When he was told that he could not stay in the church, Steven asked if he could get his backpack from where he had left it in one of church’s rooms and if he could get the food that he had left in the kitchen.  It was somewhat disconcerting for the cleaning lady and me when Steven said that he could not remember where he had left his backpack.  After describing a large nearby room, the backpack was found in a side room. Then it was going to the kitchen where Steven had gotten out of the refrigerator some of the team’s leftover spaghetti and had heated it up in the kitchen’s micro wave.  

As I was taking Steven outside, the team returned.  I asked two of the young men on the team to talk with Steven – to hear more of his story.  While they were talking to Steven, the team put additional food and water along with a couple of $5 McDonalds cards in a bag.  One of the women on the team along with one of the young men took Steven to Carpenter’s House – an Alexandria homeless shelter.

Steven’s trespassing put a face and a name to what the team would do the next morning.  200 bags would be handed out to genuinely grateful homeless who were calling Union Station, Franklin Park and nearby area streets home. The team was blessed by the sincere appreciation that was expressed by the men and women who were given bags.

                                                  preparing to pass out bags of food

                                                  to the homeless around Union Station

 

301, 302, 303

A large, very hospitable church in Alexandria, Virginia supplies the sleeping rooms and the meeting room – rooms 301, 302 and 303, for an Encounter team to stage out of to do ministry in Washington.  The church’s large kitchen and ample eating area allows for those on a team to enjoy the company of each other while doing meal preparations and while eating together.  Coming from Beckley, West Virginia, Hibbing, Minnesota and Clemson, South Carolina a total of five youngsters – ages 10 to 15, five college students – ages 19 to 21 and five adults were blessed for five nights being able to call this church home.

 

   sleeping on an air mattress beats sleeping                eating together in the church’s eating area

                         on the floor                      

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stepping Out

 

I recently had the pleasure of going on a mission trip with my church – First Baptist Moncton – to the grand capitol of the United States of America, or as we call it, ‘Murca.

Washington, D.C. was beautiful; it was exactly as I imagined it. The youth were oohing and ahhing at all the sights. They loved seeing the White House and the National Mall, especially because we don’t have buildings that impressive in our province of New Brunswick, let alone our city.

The youth ran around, shopping for souvenirs and keeping an eye out for Starbucks. However, our group not only got to enjoy Washington D.C, we also got the experience a few things that were outside of our comfort zones. These things taught us a lot.

I could endlessly talk about the friendships we made at the nursing home (more accurately a rehabilitation center for those with either physical or mental disabilities), and the impact Lincoln Heights had on us. We have nothing like either of those sites in our small city of Moncton.

I will mention that one of our youth found great joy in mowing lawns at Lincoln Heights. By the end of our time there she had a huge smile on her face and sweat down her back. She was disappointed she couldn’t go back and do more work.

What I do want to talk a bit about is an event that is definitely out of my comfort zone and was the most impactful moment of the trip for me personally.

On the Wednesday of our trip we made it over to a homeless shelter to give the homeless sandwiches and water. I stood in the background, not quite participating but not completely isolated. These situations usually make me very uncomfortable.

After giving out all of our sandwiches we went around the shelter in groups to talk to some of the homeless and see if we could pray for them. I was very nervous, however, I was fortunate that my group was very chatty and quickly we found some very nice people who were willing to chat with us.

As soon as they heard what we were doing, they opened up to us and even gave us a copy of the newspaper written and printed by the homeless. When we asked to pray for them they grasped our hands and with huge smiles listened to our prayer.

This moment touched me very much. I and the rest of my youth group were so thankful to have had the opportunity to see and hopefully touch the lives of at least a few of the people we talked to, as they have touched ours.

 

He’s Worth It

When I first found out my youth group was going to do a mission trip to Washington, D.C. I was incredibly excited. Although the bus ride was long and the weather was warm, it was all worth it for the things we experienced that week.

It felt so good to help those in need and see the results of our hard work in the faces of others. At times, what we were doing was hard, but it was easier knowing that God was with us every step of the way, and that really made me feel closer to him.

I loved staying at the church because the food was delicious, the leaders were great, and we were able to have fun while loving and worshiping God. It was so good getting to meet new people from other places and getting to know other people better. I made tons of new friends and grew closer to old ones.

I also met some amazing people while serving, people I will never see again but don’t plan on forgetting.

This trip was amazing. It truly changed me and my perspective on life for the better, and I watched it change others too.If you are thinking about going on a mission trip, stop thinking and do it, because the outcome is worth everything.

God is great, spread his love. 

 

He Heard Me

Going to Washington DC was probably the most life changing experience I’ll ever have. I originally wasn’t supposed to go but I believe I was supposed to be there so God brought me there.

 

I got to have so much fun and serve God at the same time. My favourite part of the trip was visiting the rehabilitation centre and talking to the residents there! There was one particular woman that I felt really connected with and had a great time helping her play BINGO and talking to her.

 

Another part of the trip I really enjoyed was doing “Ask The Lord” because I felt He really spoke to me and let me know He was there. Overall the entire trip was something I know I will never ever forget.

 

The leaders were FANTASTIC, the activities we did were super fun and rewarding, the food was great, and the church we stayed at was really nice! I got to meet so many new unforgettable people and I did a lot of things outside of my comfort zone which I think will really help me grow as a person and help me better be able to serve God.

 

This trip changed my whole outlook on life for the better. I now realize how fortunate I am to be able to do these things, and I realized how much I take for granted. Some of the people we met had close to nothing, yet were still happy, and that is something everyone should be able to do (sadly that’s not the case).

 

God really spoke to me throughout the whole trip and I hope I have the opportunity to do this again!