Baptism Celebration 2008

Even though our trip is over, our team is still taking steps towards Christ. Six of our students from the team were baptized this weekend. I am so proud of them!!!!

Here are some pictures that Dave took. Thanks for sharing them Dave!

Prayer and Pictures

Hey team let's get together and pray for our brothers and sisters that are in Mexico!

Huge Prayer Circle for the Mexic08 Team
Thursday, July 31st @ 6:15 by the pond behind the church
We'll pray together and then head to worship.
Bring your family and friends if you want!!!!

Here are some of my pictures from the trip. Enjoy!

A Great Week!

Hey Chicago team! Johnny here and I just wanted to say again what a great week Chicago was! You were truly a team, as we worked, as we served, as we played, you all came together and operated as a team! And the team outperforms the individual every time! If you haven't had a chance you should jump over to DC's blog to see the before and after pictures of the baseball field, it is breathtaking!

Remember what happened on the Chicago trip, take a moment to look back through your journal. If you didn't journal much on the trip, stop whatever you're doing right now and capture all your memories while they're still fresh!

I could not be more proud of all of you, including your leaders! They served you and loved you so well all week long! And then there's Skoutz! She put SOOOO many hours into this trip long before we ever left and she poured so much into the preparation and leadership of this trip and I believe that is one of the big reasons why the trip was as amazing as it was! Your teamwork, cooperation and respect honored her. Thank you!

Another big reason why the trip was so amazing is because there were COUNTLESS people praying for all of us! Parents, Oasis/Lifeline leaders, supporters, families, Camp teams, the MOVE team and the MEXICO team, the staff of the church and the list goes on! Prayer is a HUGE part of everything that we've all experienced this summer! That's why I wanted to ask all of you to continue praying for the Mexico team! We fly out tomorrow (Sat. July 26) and will be on mission ALL week until next Saturday when we fly home! Keep the team in your prayers and if you have some time to keep up with what is going on south of the border check out the blog at www.mexic08.blogspot.com

Once again, well done team!

-Johnny

Finished Strong

The team arrived home last night to a welcome party with signs and lots of cheering. We were all pretty tired so seeing everyone was very exciting.

We woke up early Tuesday morning to check out of the hotel and head back to Good Seed to finish the field. We did a little surprise clean up the church lot before we actually went to the field. When we got to the field we found Pastor Bone and his students hard at work. They had been there since 7:45 spreading the dirt. After about three hours of hard work the field was done. The difference was incredible.

They allowed me to throw the first pitch on the field. I was honored and humbled. After everybody taking turns pitching we stood back and let their students play. Some of our students joined in. For about an hour we did nothing but celebrate and play baseball. It was a blast. Watching the boys (and girls) eyes light up as they played on THEIR field was priceless. We finished with a huge prayer circle around the pitchers mound.

Hopefully next summer we'll be able to watch an actual game on the field. We are hoping to have a reunion next month and hit up a White Sox game. There is also a chance their team will be coming back to the area for another tournament, which means more Yummy Pizza.
We will be sure to keep you posted.

Our students served well. They gave everything they had on this trip and it showed. Be sure to check out DC and Dave's blog for pictures. I'll have some coming soon on mine as well.

Thanks for a great week everyone!!!

Rain Delay

In case you didn't know already, let me just tell you that our God is good, very good. Today was beyond incredible. We headed back to Good Seeds this morning and met their students and Rob and his family only to find no dirt and a field still full of water thanks to the night rains. We weren't too surprised the city hadn't shown up with the dirt but the water on the field was a surprise.

Our team was pretty bummed but they worked hard on finishing the weeding. Rob did some investigating, which ended with Pastor Bone on the phone with the grounds keeper for the White Sox. His name is Roger or the Sodfather, as some call him. That conversations ended with a SEMI full of professional grade field dirt scheduled to be dropped off tomorrow morning. This is the same dirt that is used on the infield at Comiskey Park. You should read the entire story on Rob's blog. It is amazing how God works!

So we did all the prep work on the field that we could today. We had lunch at Pizza Hut with the Good Seeds students. After the work was done we cleaned up and went downtown for some "Pie in the Sky." We had Giordano's pizza and went to the top of the Sear's Tower.

It is really late and we have an early morning tomorrow. We'll pack the bus and head back to the field to finish things up. This has truly been an amazing trip.

More Good Seed Ministry Pics

Hey Everybody, DC here.

Here's some pics I took today at Good Seed Ministries. You can read my blog to hear more of my thoughts on today! The trips going fantastic! Leaders are leading strong and students are following well.

Everyone's safe but God is stretching them to the max in some areas! I love it.

Chicago Photo's via Jeff Myers

Hey CHICAG08 family and friends!  Jeff Myers here.  I have been in absolute awe of the hearts of your students.  Every single thing the kids have done this week has been done with great energy, enthusiasm, and always with a smile.  I can't wait to see what kind of fun comes during tomorrow's work project.  I wasn't able to get photo's of everything because I shot a lot of video but DC will be along shortly with more photo's I'm sure. Rob Wegner also stopped out and he's got some photo's too.  Here are just a few that I took today (there's also 5 photo's from some of our staff retreat earlier in the trip).  Keep praying for our kids and leaders...it's working.  

-Jeff

Serving in the Mud

Yesterday we talked about getting soaked for Jesus. Today we talked about getting muddy for Jesus. We worshiped this morning with the Good Seeds Ministry congregation. It is an inner-city church in White Sox territory. Glen and Carla Bone are the pastors at the church. They are some of the neatest people you will ever meet. They have such a huge heart for that neighborhood. Carla taught on value and worth. It was a fantastic message.

Good Seeds has a baseball team of 9-12 year old boys who have never played a home game because they don't have a field. They travel 30-45 minutes every day to practice on a field that is playable. After service we changed clothes, ate lunch and headed to the baseball field a few blocks away.

The field was in rough shape. There was a good amount of trash and plenty of water covering the field. Most of the first base line was under water. And there was a small lake between third base and home plate. Both dugouts and behind home plate were overgrown with tons of weeds. The city refuses to fix the field up but said if the church did then they would maintain it.

Some of the boys, as well as the youth group and others from the church, came out to work with us. We spent about 3 1/2 hours working and finished almost half of the weeding, picked up most of the trash and drained the field as best as we could. Hopefully the heat will help dry out the rest of the field before we head back tomorrow. There will be truck loads of dirt brought in tomorrow so we can level the field and build a pitchers mound. Well finish up the weeding and have the field ready for the city to mow.

We were surprised by Rob and Michelle Wegner and the girls. Our students were so excited to be have them serving with us. The energy level shot through the roof when Rob started digging and Michelle and the girls started weeding. Check out their blogs, he has posted some pictures.

After service Jeff, Johnny and DC grilled some fabulous hot dogs for the group. Then there was a massive football game with both groups. It was a blast. I loved watching our students interact and work along side the students from the church. They worked so well together and the football game was the icing on the cake. Our students can't wait to go back again tomorrow.

Our Team

In one of the first planning meetings we had for this trip, Johnny and I discussed the type of leaders we needed on this trips. We ended up with a group of leaders who have far exceeded our expectations. They are doing a phenomenal job. Let me tell you a little about them.

• Carole Marzke - Team Mom - She brings a great parent perspective to our team. Students know that she is there to help them and they look up to her. She is cheering on our students as if they were her children.
• Dave Payumo - Parking Director - Dave has stepped up his game this year. He has a gift for building relationships and encouraging students. He keeps the laughter level high and models what it means to be passionate in serving Christ.
• Chris Infalt - Queen of Lunches - Chris knows details. She has this amazing ability to think of the tiniest area that needs attention. She pushes our students to look beyond the service and look for what God is doing in every situation.
• Isaac Tyson - Assistant Director of Security - Isaac is a solid leader. This is the second mission trip he has with our student ministry and he leads as if he has been doing it forever. He connects well with our students and challenges them to press on with all that they have.
• Tara Willis - Support Captain - It has been a little while since Tara has had the opportunity to come on a student ministry mission trip, but you would never know. She brings her camp and mission trip experiences to encourage our students. She is the one on the team who is right there at the right time when something that needs to be done.
• Jeremy Law - Director of Security - When Jeremy is on a mission, he means business. He speaks our students language. He is teaching our students to always do things to the best of their ability. He wraps valuable life lessons into everything we do. And leads the team that protects me from the ambush of water guns.

I've never been part of a team that works together like this one. We mesh together so well that we finish each others sentences. Our leaders are modeling what it means to follow Christ and serve as a team. Our students are picking up on that and starting to do the same. It is beautiful.

God is faithful. He is taking us to places we didn't think were possible on this trip.

TODAY IS GOING TO BE A GREAT DAY!!!!

One word...

Tonight as we debriefed I asked the students to describe today in one word. They came up with some very creative answers. My word was "encouraging. " Why? Oh I'm so glad you asked.

Because our students get it!!!!!

They understand what this trip is all about. They hit the ground running hard every morning. They do everything with all the energy they have and they still want to be stretched more. Leading these students is a huge privilege and blessing I'm incredibly grateful for. Our students were prepared for this trip. Our leaders don't have to do anything but step back and encourage the students. Our leaders are a phenominal team and came ready to lead. So I step back and encourage the leaders. I believe that is what makes this team effective. The students drive the enthusiasm. They initiate the conversations and prayer times. It is incredible.

Today we were back on the streets feeding and praying for the homeless. We got a better insight into what their life is like as we walked through lots of rain and postponed lunch until the job was done. We loaded the bus wet, hungry, tired and thankful that we had a dry bus to be sitting in as we eat lunch.

Tonight we went to worship at Willow Creek. We pulled up in our bus and a gentlemen from guest services was so excited to see us. He was even more excited when he realized Mark Beeson was our pastor. They were so kind to us. They gave us a row of seats together in one of the best sections of the auditorium. They let us pay for 29 meals at once after service was over and were so excited to listen to our students tell stories from the trip.

It is late now and everyone is in bed. Tomorrow we head to Good Seeds Ministry to serve with Pastor Bone. We are VERY excited about this project. One last thing, check out the links on to the left. Dave has been posting since the trip began. DC told me he has been posting as well. He told me he posted some similar leadership ideas as I just shared. I would go check it out. In fact, that is what I'm going to do right now!

Their Home

We walked below the Michigan Avenue bridge and found flocks of pigeons trying to escape the rain. The cement slabs were covered in bird droppings and feathers. If you've ever been around bird flocks you know the smell that permeated the air. At the very end of the block, where the distance from the ground to the bridge was the shortest, was the home of three men and a women. I don't know how long they've lived there but it has been long enough to make it their own.

Daniella and Thomas shared a bed made of large sheet of cardboard. Daniella is pregnant. I'm not sure how far along she is but I'm guessing about five or six months. Next to their bedroom was another large sheet of cardboard that Dave and Jermaine shared. Their bedroom had two foot high walls made of cardboard to help protect them from the wind and birds. They were kind enough to let us join them in their home, long enough to share some lunch and pray with them. They didn't share much of their story other than their desire to get off the streets. Dave didn't seem to care too much if he got off the streets he just wanted to have peace.

I walked away wondering more about their story. How would Daniella be able to take care of her child? Will she end up delivering the baby there in the home under the bridge. As we got closer to the intersection the light from the street helped me see more clearly the effects of living among birds. My mind immediately thought, "That is disgusting!" And in the same breath I reminded myself I just called these friendly peoples' home disgusting.

It might not look like a house, but it is a home...their home.

Another Day, Another Opportunity

Today we have another opportunity to feed the homeless and pray for Chicago. We'll be downtown on the north side of the river. Right now the rain is coming down. Pray that we stay focused and have a good attitude as we serve, rain or shine. And if you want to pray that the rain stops, we aren't opposed.

Thanks again for the encouragement. The team will be so excited to hear from you as we ride into town. We are ready to grab breakfast and hit the road.

It is going to be another great day!!!!

Prayer Walk

There is no way to explain how amazing our team is! Today's project was not an easy one. It's hot. It's raining. People are looking at me funny. My legs are tired. I'm hungry. It was so easy to get distracted during five hours of walking and praying but our students poured themselves into the prayer walk. Each group walked approximately 4 miles praying for the city, businesses, the homeless, the churches and anybody and everybody they saw. They found ways to stay focused and our leaders were a huge encouragement to them. We were all excited to have DC, Jeff and Johnny with us for a little bit of the day.

We spent some more time talking about how powerful prayer is. We have seen God do so much in our students ministry this summer due to the prayers of many people, you! What if we prayed that the business leaders, who have incredible amounts of influence, would come to know Christ and become passionate about serving him. What would happen to Chicago? So today we prayed that God would move in this city and we know he will.

We got stuck in some nasty traffic on the way back to the hotel. Our 45 minute bus ride took two hours. Most middle school students would whine and complain about how long it was. Not our students. We told riddles and jokes and laughed so hard we almost cried. The two hours went very quickly.

Since it was such a long day we gave everyone some extra pool time to relax. During that time I became the victim of a serious water gun attack. A huge thanks to our leaders Jeremy and Isaac for acting as my official bodyguards. It was the perfect way to end the long day. We are pumped to go back out and feed the homeless tomorrow in a different section of town.

I almost forgot...the students send a huge thank you to all of you who have left comments for us. I read them to the team on our way to our work projects.

• Tammy, you got some major applause and "I love yous" thrown your way. The team says hello!
• Dr. Phil, you are lucky you posted a comment. I finished reading the comments this afternoon and they all wanted to know where yours was. You are loved! There will be great shouts of joy when I say your name tomorrow.
• Megan, pack your bags now! You ARE joining us next year.
• Parents, thanks so much for all the support you give our students. They love the comments from home.
  

Feeding the homeless

Today was HOT!!!! The highest temperature we heard was 93 degrees!!! The team was stretched physically and emotionally. We headed downtown to feed the poor and homeless. The conversations were eye-opening and the stories were heart-breaking. After we offered each person food we asked if we could pray for them. Most people were grateful for the prayers. Some were bursting for joy but a few turned us down.

The team has been talking about the impact the day had on them. There are some major themes that have come out as the group has talked about our experiences. These are all thoughts our students have pulled from the things we've done.

1. Be Passionate! Let your passion for God overflow so much others can't help but notice Christ in you.
   
2. We are self-centered. We have much to be thankful for and we often take it for granted.
   
3. Do not judge! We want to learn how to see others through the eyes of Christ.

We ended out day with a surprise birthday party for Hanna. We celebrated with cupcakes, cookies from Pakistan and Sugar-coated fennel seeds we bought in Little India. After that it was off to the pool to cool off from the long day.

Congratulations to Nick and Sue for being the first to post a comment. Your prize was a huge cheer from our students on the bus. We loved the comments from Dave's family too...even though we had no clue what they said. Keep the comments and prayers coming! We are thankful you are a part of our team and very thankful we have your support.

Chicag08 Day 1

Today was a fantastic day. Our team is incredible!!! We spent our day with Mark Engel and his team at the South Asian Friendship Center, which is located in what is called "Little India." We learned a ton about the Islamic, Hindu and Sikh community and how God is using the Friendship Center to minister to them. We found ourselves quickly submerged in this cross-cultural neighborhood as we ate lunch at an Indian buffet and visited with store owners around town. Overall the students seemed to really enjoy their lunch.

For many of us the highlight of our day was meeting Sunida and hearing her testimony. Sunida was born in Pakistan and grew up in India. Her father was a Sikh and her mother was Hindu. She had a very rough childhood and faced some very difficult situations. Through all of that she decided that "there is no love and there is no god." The older she got the more deeply she began to believe that. She moved to America and met a German pastor who continually showed her Christ's love. Eventually because of this pastor's faithfulness she accepted Christ and committed to live her life for Him.

Our students have been excited about this trip. After hearing Sunida's story the excitement level has gone through the roof. The students are passionate about what we have been called here to do. Thank you so much for all of your prayers. It is evident God is up to something huge and we are thankful to be a part of it.

packing party

Hey team let's go to Chicago!

Don't forget our packing party tomorrow night. We will meet in the atrium from 6:30-8:30 PM.

See you then!!!

Yummy Pizza with Pastor Bone

Hey team!

It's Sarah here. Johnny and I just got word this week that Pastor Bone from Good Seeds Ministry is in the Michiana area this weekend. We will be partnering with him while we are in Chicago. We thought it would be great to take some time and hang out with him and some of his students before our trip.

Saturday night at 6:30 we are going to grab some pizza at Yummy Pizza. It is on th corner of Fir and SR 23. If you are free come join us. Bring $5 to help cover the cost of the pizza. If you read this, call your buddies on the team and fill them in on the plans.

Hope to see you there!

Add your swimsuit...

Here is an updated packing list. I know it has only been a day since our last team meeting but we want to make sure you bring your swimsuit. You just might have the chance to use it!!!

6 DAYS WORTH OF WORK CLOTHES INCLUDING

• Shorts must be fingertip length, preferably to the knee
• Shirts and T-shirts must have sleeves and not be tight
• Work shoes (tennis shoes or boots as long as they’re closed-toe)
• Socks and undergarments
• Trash bag for your dirty clothes (helpful when repacking)

TOILETRIES

• Shampoo, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, brush/comb, deodorant,etc.
• We will have towels and washcloths in the hotel

REGULAR CLOTHES FOR EVENINGS INCLUDING

• Jeans/shorts-once again fingertip length
• T-shirts/Sweatshirt or jacket
• Regular tennis shoes and/or sandals
• Something clean for church Saturday evening and Sunday morning
• Swimsuit

EVERYTHING ELSE

• Bible, journal and pen
• Prescription Medicines-Must be in original containers
• Sun screen-we will be working outside on some days
• Camera (optional)
• Hat/sunglasses (optional)
• Snacks for the hotel room (optional)
• iPods (optional, but must be left in hotel rooms, some students like having them to fall asleep to, but they are not to be brought to the work sites, bring at own risk)
• Cell phones (optional, but must be left in hotel rooms, there will be no reason to have them with you as parents will have emergency numbers for a contact and the urge to check your texts or voicemails will be a distraction)
• Spending Money
• ALL meals, transportation and lodging is covered
• We will have a team activity the cost of which is covered, but you may want some money for extra snacks/souvenirs.

WHAT NOT TO BRING

• Do NOT bring tank-tops, cut-off t-shirts, short shorts, offensive or crude shirts… You get the point. Dress with respect and modesty.

PACKING PARTY: July 15th @ 6:30 PM

Next Team Meeting

Don't forget our team meeting tomorrow, June 29th. We will meet in the Great Room from 2:30 - 4:30 PM.

Bring with you:
- pen or pencil
- journal
- Bible
- Chicag08 folder

See you then!

Chicag08 Expectations

It looks like Johnny and I (skoutz) are slacking on keeping this blog updated. Have no fear school is out and I have a little more time on my hands.

You all know how much I love lists! We have spent a lot of time as a team discussing the two lists we made as a team. Let's review them real quick.

1. List of expectations - This list described the things we expect each of us on the team to do in order to be effective. These are the things that will help us be a solid team and accomplish more during our time in Chicago.
   
2. List of goals - This list described the things we want to have accomplished by the end of our trip. At the end of the trip we want to be able to look at the list and say, "We did all of that!"

As a team we've discussed that the only way we can meet List #2 is to work hard at living out List #1. Take another look at our list of expectations. I copied it straight from the list we all signed.

List of Expectations

• Be on time
• RESPECT
• Do it for God not for ourselves – it’s not about me
• Listen to others
• Support others
• Encourage
• Patience
• Communication
• Good attitudes
• Teamwork
• Take care of yourself
• Remember whom you represent
• Names – know them, use them, no put downs

I absolutely love our list! We did a great job acting like a team to put this together. Now it is time for some reader participation! Leave a comment with your thoughts to the following questions or to the trip in general. I'll get things started.

What on this list comes natural to you?
What can you do to help others who struggle with that item?
Which of these are more work for you?
What have you been doing to take your next step in those area(s)?

Work Day Pics

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from our work day. Enjoy!

Thoughts from Acts

Hey team, Johnny here! Didn't get a chance before the big RV trip to get some thoughts posted on here from Acts but wanted to get the discussion going! So, HERE WE GO~

One of the first things I noticed as I was reading was how Paul did not go out alone on his first trip in Chapters 13 and 14. In Chapter 13 verse 2 it actually says “the Holy Spirit said, ‘Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work I have for them.” This can show us that it was not just a man’s good idea to go out as a pair, but that God intended for Saul and Barnabas to go out together. And I believe God has intended for us to serve in teams on our mission trips and here’s why.

--We are all very different and we all bring something unique to the team. Some of us may speak Spanish, some of us may sing, some of us may be great with kids, some of us may love manual labor, some of us may be a great encourager, some of us may be prayer warriors. See when we all come together with what we each have, the team becomes a whole lot stronger

--When you are together with a common purpose you can keep each other accountable. If we begin to get tired on this trip or begin to lose focus on why we’re there, there are people on this team who will lovingly help you remember what the trip is all about.

--The team outperforms the individual in the long haul every time. We will love more kids, get more work done, share Jesus with more people when we work as a team.

I’m so excited about the team we have going to Chicago!

What else have you found in your time reading Acts 13-28? Share your ideas and thoughts by posting a comment below.

Other People Matter...

Hey friends, Sarah here. I've been reading The Worn Out Woman with my accountability partner and there was a sentence that caught my attention. It reminded me what our focus is this summer as we travel to Chicago.

"Everywhere we go people are longing to feel that they are special because someone told them so." (pg 103)

This is what we are all about. We are going to Chicago to show people they are special and they have value. The book of Ephesians, Paul talks about how God's secret plan has been revealed. His plan is that every person can be a part of His kingdom if they chose to accept the gift. Think about that...EVERYBODY in the world can be part of God's family. Some people aren't part of the family because they have never had the chance to hear the good news, especially that they matter.

Later on in the book I've been ready the author writes,

"I'll always remember that moment when God let me be a part of His surprise." (pg 105)

Paul wrote in 1 Timothy about how thankful we should be that God has chosen us to be a part of his plan. I am so thankful he allowing each of us to be a part of the team who will show the people of Chicago that there is a God that loves them. I am so excited to see what he has in store for us.

"How thankful I am to Christ Jesus our Lord for considering me trustworthy and appointing me to serve him. Oh how kind and gracious the Lord was! He filled me completely with faith and the love of Christ Jesus!"

1 Timothy 1:12 & 14

And We're Off

Hey team, Johnny here and CHICAG08 is off and running! We have an amazing team! We have amazing leaders! God has called us to do something amazing!

In a few short months we will all be jumping on a bus together and heading to the Windy City!

Have you started praying for the team yet? Have you started praying for those in Chicago that we will be serving? Have you started reading Acts 13-28? Let's dive in together! Let's engage this ENTIRE process from first meeting to the very end! We've started diving in and will open up the discussion soon!

If you missed the first meeting, it is very important that you get caught up on what's going on. If you missed the first meeting then you likely don't even know about the blog, which means if you know someone who is going to Chicago but missed the first meeting, then make sure they read this post!

If you missed the first meeting, you need to stop by the student ministries office and pick up what you missed. You will need to pick up a folder which includes your journal and pen, 2 sample mission support letters as well as donor contribution forms and return address labels for your support to come directly to GCC. I'll be posting the cliff notes on how to write the whole support letter soon.

Also if you need more donor contribution forms or return labels those are now printed and available up there!

BOOYAH!