Thank you, Lord!

Lord Jesus, thank You for all the ways and places You've shown us Yourself while we've been on this trip. In the beauty of the landscape from NE Oklahoma to Missouri and Illinois to Washington, DC. In the monuments' architecture and engravings as they represent some of the best of man's thought and skills throughout the centuries, reflecting back to Rome, through our nation's founding, and to the current day. In the beautiful weather (who knew it could be mild in July in this once-swampland?!). In the physical testiments to love's sacrifice, especially in the war monuments and the National Cemetary, but also in the church structures and their banners waving to their neighbors to come to the Savior and heal. And oh my, in all the people of this city: business-suit wearers, tourists, Anacostia kids, homeless, and all the people here who serve all of them.

It has been an incredible privilege to live this week among Your Tulsa kids who came here to see the city and to serve its poor. Lord, I love the strength and energy and joy You have given them. I love the good manners and kindness. I love the friendships among these kids and how those have grown.

Enrique Sifuentes is like a sponge, soaking up all he can possibly learn from the people around him who love You, and then giving love back out of himself to his teammates and to the poor and to the VBS kids. He listens, listens, listens, watches, then shares something profound, then swings a kid onto his shoulders. It's so fun to see You, Lord, in Enrique!

Ben Rains, who came not liking to talk to strangers and not liking to play with kids, has done exactly that for the entire week . . . and has discovered he likes kids after all! He is strong and stable just like at home, but with an added embrace of chaos. When he quietly speaks, it is always worth listening to...thoughtful, articulate and insightful. It's so fun to see You, Lord, in Ben!

Tyler McIntosh always has a game for our team or for the kids in Anacostia, alway has a word to fill in when one is needed, is willing to pray, or hold open the door, or ask a question, share a deep thought, or play a game, play a game, play a game. I think fun is holy, Lord, and I love to see Tyler's love for You and for people and for fun. It's so fun to see You, Lord, in Tyler.

Jake Allison is exuberant and strong and loved and loving, and he shares all of that with the people around him. It's so fun to see him hauling kids on his shoulders, never tiring, dancing with them even...and adding sound effects...when he saw these additions helped the kids enjoy it more. He's great with music, and listening to him talk about it--and other subjects that interest him--is so fun. He shares his strength and reveals his weakness, all in the confidence that loves gives, and all of it is a blessing. It's so fun to see You, Lord, in Jake.

Chris Asher coming with a purple mohawk is the perfect connector with tons of people here! The kids at VBS cannot leave him, or his hair, alone; and the people on the streets instantly like him, too. He shared part of his story and Your story at Anacostia, and just like the purple hair, it instantly connected. He uses his strength, like the other men on the team, to haul little kids (and some not so little) on his shoulders and to be a gentleman to the ladies, to tackle random physical challenges and to cheerfully encourage others, and all of it is blessing. It's so fun to see You, Lord, in Chris.

Anna Everett was amazing at that ropes course, Lord, way back at the beginning of the trip. She saw things so clearly that day which were invisible to the rest of us, and then she helped us see it too and untangle our way out of webs. It's been that way the whole trip. Her "seeing" and clarity and leadership are a huge help to the team, all the more so because it's all mixed with her humility, fun, personal tranparency and just openness. She is like a morning glory exploding with new leadership skills yet handling them with the seasoned maturity of a veteran. It's so fun to see You, Lord, in Anna.

Hannah Nichols had to leave the trip early, but not so early that we didn't get a chance to enjoy You, Lord, in her. Hannah also "saw" at the ropes course what others did not yet see. Her problem-solving abilities are keen. She is ready to laugh and to play at a moment's notice. And her camera was often the first one out to capture a moment or a view that was worth remembering. It's so fun to see You, Lord, in Hannah.

Leah Engstrom makes me laugh all the time. Her stories and facial charades are so funny. Then she sings, and her voice is so beautiful. Or she sits quietly and is just pleasant to be near. Her energy is endless. Watching her interact with people is better than watching a movie, because of all of those things. It's so fun to see You, Lord, in Leah.

Olivia Miller loves to serve, and serves very well--with capability, confidence, and joy. She anticipates a need and moves to fill it before others have even noticed. Her attentiveness to the group and the group's needs also gives her insight into group dynamics. There is an honest courage in her communication that gently speaks the truth without pulling any punches. It is so fun to see You, Lord, in Olivia.

Kathryn Phillips effervesces joy and affection. And the theft of her camera at a ministry site has allowed her to model your grace for the rest of us. In the face of frustration, disappointment, and a host of other emotions, Kathryn has modeled Kingdom perspective and a grateful heart. Moreover, her honesty and courage in facing her fears (like praying out loud for a stranger) has been an encouragement as we get to see God work in her and through her. It is so fun to see You, Lord, in Kathryn.

Nicole Moore is always cheerful. Early in the morning, late at night, in the middle of a menial task, or simply enjoying friends, it does not seem to matter. She is insightful and perceptive, quickly noticing where You are at work in our midst, Lord. She lives life "to the hilt," working hard, praying hard and playing hard. It is so fun to see you, Lord in Nicole.

Sarah Jackson was a trooper when she inadvertently left her wallet at our first host site and had to go without it for almost the rest of the time while she waited for it to arrive in the mail. So when the rest of us did the 'Urban Plunge' to help us experience what it's like to have to ask for the things you need, Sarah was way ahead of us because she'd already been doing it all week. (Albeit homelessness is different, because those dear folk are asking strangers not friends and because they don't have a wallet to arrive in the mail.) Sarah used her boundless energy and enthusiam to give cheerleading lessons, piggyback rides, and lots of laughter. I never saw Sarah complain, not even about being tired. I only saw her give great or quiet energy--depending on what was needed--and watch her play and laugh...and then fall dead asleep in the van. Then wake up ready to go again! It's so fun, Lord, seeing you in Sarah.

Thank you, Lord for the opportunity to see You this week in these Firsties!

Urban Plunge: By Olivia

Hey everyone, its Olivia. Earlier this evening we were all surprised when our CSM leaders told us what they had in store for dinner. Instead of our usual dinner, we did this thing called "Urban Plunge". They divided us into three groups and gave each group a location. My groups location was Franklin Square with Justin, James, Nicole, and Kathryn. Each group is given a certain amount of money per person. In our group five dollars was given to each person. With only our five dollars we were suppost to travel to our destination by any means, buy dinner for our selves and buy dinner for a homeless person.

I'm going to describe our wonderful adventure. We all started at Union Station, a central rail hub and homeless hotspot. To conserve money my group decided to walk to Franklin Square instead of riding the bus. Franklin Square was about 1.5 miles away but on the good side it saved us six dollars in bus fare. Upon reaching the square we found a McDonald's. We ordered off the dollar menu for ourselves and we also bought some burgers for two men who were at the square. After we had eaten we had to figure out how to get back to Union Station. No one wanted to walk after walking there and we didn't have enough money to ride the bus. We decided to go

panhandling outside Metro Center Subway station. So Kathryn, Nicole, and I started a little singing trio. We sang for about thirty minutes. During this time we made two dollars. We were very satisfied with our success and with our money we had enough to get back by useing the metro. We arrived at Union Station twenty minutes early and a little money to spare. With the time left we went to McDonald's again and bought another burger and we went out in front of Union Station and gave it to a nice woman named Jessie.

It was very interesting exchanging stories with everyone once it was all over. Today was great, from the urban plunge I learned how blessed we are because we get three meals everyday and a roof over our head at night.

My Story... By Chris Asher

Hey, this is Chris Asher. Today, our group went to minister to the homeless. This morning, we got up at the atrocious hour of 5:30 AM.

The first ministry site we worked at was a place called Charlie's Place. Our group split into two smaller groups. One team worked in the kitchen preparing coffee and tea, garlic bread, esparagus, pasta and sausage. The other team, which I was in, went upstairs to carry out tubs of clothes and shoes from a closet to provide a kind of "store" for the "customers". Ten people who needed clothes were called up and told us three items they needed. My heart went out to them because, I knew some people did not have the most basic of needs, such as socks and shirts, some of which we did have

to give. We gave what we had to them with a greatful heart.

The next site we visited was Brethren Nutrition Program, run by two Germans, Stefan and Jonathan, both under 21 years of age. There, we helped serve the homeless and by giving them english muffins, tuna casserole, and red bean and chicken soup. I had had an allergy attack earlier that day and didn't want to sneeze on any of the people, so I stayed in the back washing dishes. They all expressed their gratitude with a simple "Thank you" when they received their lunch.

Then, at twelve or twelve-thirty, we headed over to set up for VBS. I'm sure you know what

happens there. On a side note, I have never really like VBS but, this week, God has put a special kind of love for these kids in my heart (which is not normally my MO).

Today, through working with these people, I shattered some previously conceived notions that all homeless people were grouchy and unthankful. From what I could see, they were quite the opposite of my "notions." They all were genuinely grateful for the meals they received.

*pictures are up at flickr.com

Bringing the fun!

This is a very fun group! We knew that already...didn't catch any of us by surprise....but it has been great to experience it over and over again each day!

They bring the fun....they make the fun...they are the fun! What a great reflection of our creative and joy-filled Father and elder Brother!

Tomorrow our day starts at 5:15 am as we prepare to feed an enormous number of homeless. We're not sure of all that we should expect....but it will be fun!

*more photo's posted on Flickr

Yesterday was a day of transitions. We finished our time of touring and preparation and began our time of ministry. We left our dorm rooms at Catholic University and moved into a church and pulled out our air mattresses. We said goodbye to Hannah who returned home early for her grandfather's funeral. We started the day with granola bars, chocolate milk and fruit and ended the day with a meal from Taste of India.

It was also a day of confirmation and opportunity. Annamarie prayerfully hunted down a body of believers that we should join for worship on Sunday. We chose to join National Community Church, a church with five locations in the city. We chose to attend the location of the theatre in Union Station and had the preaching brought to us via large screen - much like our own Regeneration service.

The guest speaker from Ethiopia seemed to have been prepared just for us. He preached a powerful message on the seen and unseen world, the visible and the invisible, weaving together most of the themes from our first week's devotional times. He called us to do battle in prayer for the city of DC.

Later that day, we began our ministry with CSM by taking a nightime prayer tour of DC. We began at the National Cathedral, praying for the churches of the nation, the churches of DC, for First United, and for our own roles in the Body of Christ. We moved through the power structures of the city praying over the House and Senate, the Supreme Court, the Department of Agriculture, various embassies and others. We stopped near the Washington monuement and prayed specifically for President Obama, VP Biden, the cabinet and for the freedoms this country enjoys.

Then we moved into prayer for areas such as Anacostia and Woodley Park, taking a tour of part of DC that most tourists never see - where the majority of the population is under 25, where the vast majority do not finish high school and where 50% go to bed hungry. We ended in the tradition of Dr. Halverson of praying over the city from high vantage point that showed us from the Pentagon and Air Force Memorial to the Capital Building and everthing inbetween. I was so grateful for the speaker the Lord had prepared for us that morning to help prepare our group's understanding of the vitality of prayer in ministry.

I know you are proud of your students. We are proud of them too and excited to be on this portion of their faith journey with them. Thanks for being faithful in prayer for us so that what is won in these students lives in the invisible is seen in the visible!

Moving day

Today has been a good day so far this morning we went to a really amazing church call National Community Church they are a church that is based our of five locations around DC. We went to the location at the Union Station Theater. The worship was amazing and they just happened to have a guest speaker from a church they support in Africa. This afternoon we are moving sleeping locations for the last time. We are heading over to Center for Student Missions where we will be for the remainder of the trip. I think the kids are really excited to start the mission side of this trip.

Disclaimer: when we move to the new location i am not sure of the internet connectivity i will find a location to update the blog as fast as a can but if there isnt an update tomorrow, know that i am trying.

Power for Evil... Power for good

Yesterday we had more of a transition day, while we were still touring it was not your average tour day. Since one of the purposes of our trip to DC is to look at power and how it can be used for good and for evil we used this last touring day to contrast the two. First we took the kids to view The Holocaust Museum for any of you that have not been, it is probably the most powerful museum in all of DC. We looked at how Hitler attempted to kill an entire race of people and how he used the emince power he had for evil. After see the evil that mankind had do we wanted to show the kids what mankind can do when they use power for scarifice. So we headed to Arlington National Cemetery to witness the changing of the gaurd at the tomb of the unknow solider. I remember one of the kids saying in our debrifing time, that it was just such a contrast to see how the Nazi's treated human life when they were exterminating the Jews and then to see how the military honors the lost life a of a fallen soilder when they dont even know who he is. I think that it was a hard day for the kids emotionally but i think God has begun to do great things with in their hearts and i cannot wait to see what he does this upcoming week.

Meeting with Congressmen Sessions

From my short time in ministry I have already learned a few things one of them is "you can plan all you want but, God usually has different plans". That saying has been true on this trip as in life. A contact of my call me yesterday afternoon at around 5:00pm and told me that Congressman Pete Sessions from 32nd district of Texas wanted to meet with us tomorrow at 10:30 on the Canon Balcony. He wanted to take photo's with the kids and talk to us for a while this was not totally unexpected but since I had not heard back from my contact in so long I assumed that it would not happen (it is funny how when we no longer believe that things can happen how God says "You wanta bet"). So when I went to Congressman Sessions office right after I got the call, God amazed me more when i found out that Pete was fitting us in between votes in congress. If you watch the video of the Congressman talking with the kids (its on flickr) you hear him reference the bells going off, that is a signal from Capital Hill that a vote will take place in 5 minutes. I fell that it was not only a blessing from God that we got to meet with Congressman Sessions

but that God also used him to show our kids how i think God sees us. Congressman Sessions could have easily said "im just to busy to make this work im sorry"and none of us would have thought twice about it. He was voting on laws for the entire United States. But thats not what he did, he said no you are important to me and i will make time for you no matter what i have to do to make it work. I really hope that our kids realize that is how God sees them "valued above even the most important task" even as God is running the whole world and all the heavens that he will always make time for them.

*Pictures of the Kids with Congressman Sessions (& video) and Pictures from our touring today are up at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhfirsties/

The Center of....

Nicole is standing on the star in the crypt of the capital building which is at the very center of Washington, DC. (Originally, George Washington was intended to be buried here). The very center of the city which has been the center of power for the world for all of our lifetimes.

This moment reminded me of a verse in Revelation that E. Stanley Jones has said is the most important verse of literature anywhere. It is Revelation 7:17:

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;

he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Whatever is at the center of "your" universe will determine how you act....the way you think and make decisions...the way you feel about life. And here in this verse is revealed Who it is that sits at the center of the throne which is at the center of the universe. It is the Lamb. The Lamb "slain from the foundation of the world."

This is so unthinkable....so unknowable....so counterintuitive....that if it was not revealed in Scripture, we could never have guessed it. The center of the universe is not power, not money, not nepotism, not performance, not good works....but self-sacrificial love!!!

Thanks, Nicole, for an awesome reminder of Who we serve!

(We had a great team time yesterday...our best day yet of sharing. God is definitely working. Thanks for your prayers. Today's touring focus will include the major memorials and an special extended visit with Rep. Pete Sessions.)

*there are new pictures up at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhfirsties/

Flickr

I posted pictures from the trip so far at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhfirsties/ check back through out the week for more pics.

*ignore the pictures from the Houston Trip

The Nation's Capital

We woke today in the IL church that was just becoming familiar

enough to be a temporary home....rode the vans to the airport

(the young adult pastor and youth pastor of St Matthew UMC -

old friends of Hal and Annamarie drove us and dropped us off)

...made our way through TSA and onto the plane....Chris and

Enrique got a cockpit tour....Justin hooked them up since it was

their first flight...landed at Reagan Intl after flying in past the

Washington Monuement and over the Potomac....mastered the

Metrolink learning curve (we are all old pros by now).....dropped

our luggage at Catholic University and headed for Union Station

for dinner (it had been a long time since breakfast)...a walk on the

Mall...a visit to the Lincoln Memorial at sunset....a devotion time as

our minds and bodies were fading...or at least trying to cope with

all the day's changes....and now airconditioned beds! It's been

a good day. Tomorrow our touring focuses on government - a

Capitol Bldg VIP tour (thank-you Michael Junk), listening in the

Senate gallery, the Supreme Court etc.

BTW, mom and dad, these are some awesome students

you've got! There was zero complaining during a long day

of toting luggage, a very long wait at the Metrolink and

a resulting missed lunch. Moreover, at the YMCA

ropes course, our facilitators were very complimentary of

their ability to stay engaged, to communicate well,

and to problem-solve. They said that they work with

every high school in the greater St. Louis area and

our students impressed them with their respect

for one another, their sense of community, and their

ability to stay engaged. They said these students were

the best they had seen at "spotting" (which requires

selfless focus on others). Thanks for giving all of us

leaders the privilege of spending this time with your sons

and daughters!

YMCA Ropes Course

Today started out wonderfully after a great night of restful sleep, we headed out to the YMCA ropes course. I was really looking forward to being able to spend some time at the beginning of the trip focusing on teamwork and getting to know one another. We started off the morning by doing some basic team building, learning names and finding out more about each other while also beginning to build trust in one another. In the afternoon we got to the good stuff the low ropes course, where we got to put the trust we had built in one another into action. Whether we were doing trust falls, hoisting each other threw a man hole ten feet in the air or, doing the Zig-Zag the team was learning to trust one another and grow deeper bonds. It had been a great day and it’s not even over.

St. Louis and Dred Scott

Yesterday we arrived in St. Louis and got straight to it. We walk over to the Old St. Louis Courthouse, were the Dred Scott Case started. We watched a short movie on the case and saw the courtroom were the case was first tried. Then we went over by the Arch and sat under the wonderful shade of tree and discussed what we had just seen. We also talked about what we thought about cases like Dred Scott where people in power use it to tear down other people. It was a interesting starting conversation about power and its uses. After we left the arch we went across the mighty Mississippi to Fairview Heights, Illinois. Upon arriving in Fairview we went to where we are staying, Christ United Methodist. We got settled in for the beginning of a wonderful trip

Washington D.C.

Mission 201 to Washington D.C will be an amazing trip and I know that we are all looking forward to it.