When you work together, you get to know better

Hey All,

We really appreciate you following and praying for us this summer while we are out in the mission field. No, we are not over the ocean in a third-world country, but that doesn’t make where we are placed not a mission field. We, as a group are absolutely stoked to see what God is going to do after already seeing what he has done in this opening already. We anticipate great things as we press forward with Christ as the head of our insignificant team.

I would like to take a minute to express what I learned this past semester at Grove City College (GCC). I was blessed with the opportunity to go to Jamaica on a mission trip with other students from GCC. We seemed to be a group that would not be a typical group seen together. We each had a different background and affiliated with different groups on campus. With that being said, I didn’t know everyone very well. We had weekly meetings that helped breach into relationships that consisted of saying hi to each other on campus. Fast-forwarding to Jamaica itself, we jumped right into close quarters and working together. It was amazing how well we meshed! It was only through Christ that a team that had no commonalities to come together and work so well together. It was incredible how within the first day of work, by lunchtime we knew each other so much better. One of the members said at our first lunch, “Is it just me, or does it feel like we have known each other forever?” The work we did together brought each of us to bond closer together. Within work, there is a problem. You need this thing you are working on to be something more than it already is when you are done with it. So we would struggle through fixing or building or whatever the task was, with our teammates and eventually came to a point where it was a successful job. Just a little work helped us to get to know each other on a deeper level. I was telling my family, when you work with someone, you get to know them. Then it hit me... When you work with God you get to know Him. Yeah it is good to meet with Him once a week, but when do you really get to know God? You get to know Him in the everyday, working with Him daily. Going through problems together and coming out of the challenge in triumph of knowing Him more and giving Him the glory.

So I ask you, have you gotten to know God in a while? How are you going to work with Him today, tomorrow? Press in and go through a challenge not by yourself, but rather with Him, ultimately to know Him more through it.

-Chad

Still In The Works (Spiritually)

Hey guys!
     You may have taken notice of our blog name and URL (or at least we earnestly hope so). Jonah's story is not actually a very redemptive one; it's a warning. The Sunday School story is only the 1st half. Jonah runs from God, gets eaten by a giant fish (They always make a big emphasis on it not being a whale...still haven't figured that one out), is sad, then repents, then gets vomited (In almost every Biblical translation that's the word alright!) onto shore. He goes to Nineveh, and preaches, the king tells everybody to be afraid, be very afraid, and they all mourn and repent their sin. Happy ending, right? Nope, you forgot the last chapter, my friend!
     "When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it." (Jonah 3:10) Jonah's God's messenger; he must be so proud of himself! Plot twist #2. The next verse: "But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry." (Jonah 4:1). Jonah did see himself as God's instrument, but he hoped to lord that over others, and wouldn't share that power with these spiritual worms! So he goes up a hill and waits and hopes that the city ceases to exist in a glorious fashion. The book of Jonah ends with God's critique of Jonah's lack of love, and Jonah being a brat: Telling God that he is entitled to be angry about a shade-providing tree that died in the sun.

A very abrupt ending, huh?

     Has this ever been your attitude towards helping someone? For Believers it might sound like "Fine God, I'll give this homeless man a sandwich, but he's just gonna be helpless an hour later." Non-Believers: "My boss is watching, so I'll have a friendly-looking interaction with my project teammate, but inside I hope he gets fired for his laziness and how annoying he is." Shamefully, it has definitely been my attitude towards the downtrodden previously in doing "good things." I am no obligated superhero, in fact, "Christ came to save sinners; of whom I am chief." (I Timothy 1:15)
     So it's time for a reminder of how Christ treated them. It wasn't His action, but His heart that Jesus wanted us to see: Not the letter of the Law, but the Spirit. He brought Himself to us, and never lifted a finger at the injustice done to Him. And that injustice is not just the cross. Jesus had to be a man. He had lived forever with access to infinity and now had to walk the long, dry, hot dirt roads between the cities that rejected Him after He spoke nothing but Truth to them.
     Christ wanted us to take a similarly humble mindset. To see ourselves as more deserving of living in the devastation of Detroit as those who actually do. These aren't evil people, nor are they people we are to reach down to to gingerly carry out of their misfortune. They are brothers and sisters who have been hurt and would like for us to sit on their bed and cry with them, and then help propel them on in order to help them feel redemption.


Pray for us. We're 4 clowning, ADHD-ridden, sports fanatics and sometimes that can creep in the way of productivity. But oh we love Jesus; what an awesome brother He is to us! May He keep us on track. Pray for the campers, that God would be evident in all of their senses. Pray for the staff, that we and those we hire would have that highest goal of salvation for all of God's children to be able to dwell with Him. Pray that we would be united to all of God and to each other. Pray that we would pray. Do NOT pray for our safety, but rather for opportunity for kids to see God unhindered.

To The One Who Sits Upon The Throne be blessing and honor and glory and power forever,

He can have ours

Still In The Works (Logistically)

Hello friends, welcome to the team!
     We were thinking about giving you a brief introduction towards ourselves and the trip, but that's not gonna cut it, so this is the long version.  Gabriel (front and center) was given the opportunity by Dr. Blackburn (Bottom right) to write and run a summer camp for kids in Detroit at the request she had received from the principal and CEO of a private Christian school in the city.  Gabe quickly assembled his roommate, Chad (Top right), and myself (Top right, tie); however, his roommate had to wait to commit until he heard back from an internship he had already applied for.  We felt out of place, being college sophomores in charge of leading children closer to Jesus, but we went in faith.  And how we were blessed!  Ideas flew, both for fun activities and an intentional leadership qualities curriculum based loosely off the Advanced Training Institute's Character Qualities list.  While in the middle of that however, we sadly lost Gabe's roommate to a different internship.  Within days Spencer [Top left (Workin' on getting a pic of his whole face)] expressed his summer availability and excitement at what we were trying to do.  The Fearsome Foursome was finalized (though nobody calls us that for some reason...).

<--Click it if you want

     That principal/CEO's name was Dr. Sanders, and after 3 months of planning beginning in February we got to sit down with her and talk about what she had in mind for this camp. As it turned out!...our thoughts were completely different, but God was very gracious in how we were able to adapt to each other and put together a new curriculum that would be fruitful for us and our campers.  The school is wonderfully suited for a very diverse camp, with a huge field, basketball court, piano lab, computer access, classrooms (Yes, there will actually be an education component), large meeting room, and cafeteria.  We are totally stoked.  God's provided and hasn't slowed down.  Our potential is as endless as our faith is willing to be, and our faith has been constantly encouraged by God's provision. Pray for us, that we would live in a manner that desires to stay in that humbling cycle.  I'll probably write a couple more quick intro posts about us and our calling so keep checkin' in.

                                                                                           Philemon 1:3-7
                                                                                          Tim, Gabe, Chad, & Spence