by Max Ralph
Today we had a blast in New Orleans! We had our service day today and we were ready to do our part in helping the poeple of New Orleans. We had a group lunch and continued our day by interacting in a Bible study with Pastor Patrick Keen about modern forms of slavery. Through Paul's letter to the Corinthians, we learned that we should not be divided by individual differences but be united by our faith in Jesus Christ. We ended our day by visiting the Confederate Civil War museum. We learned a lot about early New Orleans culture and general confederate life during the Civil War.
As our group reflected on our day, there was a general air of disappointment. Before today, we envisioned our Service Day Project as a very tangible experience where we would help the people of New Orleans in a very physical way and see the rewards of our labor right away. We thought we were going to be doing manual labor and helping people in need. While some groups did just that, we were faced with a different, maybe more challenging, call as Christians.
Since our arrival here, we have learned about the importance of and necessity for advocacy in our world today. At our devotions tonight, we recognized that we experienced this day for a reason. We recognized that we have been called to do something highly important. We have been called to START a project to help people rather than follow the actions of countless others who stand up for the justice of the less fortunate. We are ultimately called as Christians to identify an issue and make an effort to solve that problem. Advocacy can and must lead to ACTION.
So instead of going home feeling satisfied that we helped people [in New Orleans], we will go home with great intentions to help our community at home with the problems we face today.
~ Max Ralph
Friday, July 24, 2009
Wednesday Highlights
by James Bening
Hi. My name is James and we are in New Orleans. We went and walked around. We went to the Superdome and looked around in New Orleans. My favorite part of the trip so far was how big the Superdome is and the speakers and the music. So that is my favorite part. Thanks for supporting us.
Hi. My name is James and we are in New Orleans. We went and walked around. We went to the Superdome and looked around in New Orleans. My favorite part of the trip so far was how big the Superdome is and the speakers and the music. So that is my favorite part. Thanks for supporting us.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Today's blog is brought to you by:
Nicky Page
"God's To-Do List"
I'm not good at many things, or, to say it more accurately, there are MANY things I am not good at: dancing, singing, writing (blogging), getting to know people, expressing myself, delegating, going with the flow, being proactive, trying new things, dieting, and so MANY more things. I've often said that if everyone has a gift, mine is helping everyone else feel really good about theirs, because I don't really have one of my own. I'm okay with this. I figure God intentionally made me this way for a reason, even if I don't fully know what it is. And I've gotten comfortable with this idea…maybe a little too comfortable. I can't lead a Bible study; God hasn't gifted me with the ability to inspire others in their faith. I can't read the lessons at worship; God hasn't gifted me with a fondness for public speaking (or reading). I can't lead the children in the chapel song; I'm not gifted in singing…or leading. And if I'm not capable of making a difference in my own community, I can't possibly be expected to do ANYTHING to change the world…right?
Today, however, I learned that one doesn't need to be gifted in leadership, or arts, or social skills, or anything really, to make a HUGE difference in the world. It started last night, actually. Marc Kielburger was speaking to us about his organization, Free the Children, a youth-driven charity which has built over 500 schools in marginalized regions worldwide. He told us about how he stopped reading the newspaper at one point in his life because it was just too depressing. He shared this with somebody—I don't remember who, but he was important (I'm also not gifted in remembering details, but look at me going outside my comfort zone to share the story with you anyway!), and this very important individual gave Marc a new insight on the paper. This person told Marc that he sees the newspaper not as an account of all the violence, anger, and sadness in the world, but as God's to-do list, delivered directly to YOU (um, ME)on a daily basis.
Since I was half-asleep during this guy's speech (remember, it had been a 28-hour day for me, through 12ish states, three airports, a bus, and a two-mile walk in the rain, carrying 6 Bibles, uphill both ways in three feet of snow!), I barely caught this part, but it stuck in my head. It did for several others in our group as well. We all thought it was a neat insight, something we'd never really considered before. And even as we chatted about it during last night's devotion, I thought to myself, "But what can I possibly do about ALL that?"
As we wandered through the 1,000,000+ square feet of the Convention Center today, I started to get an idea. Today, some of us pledged to use less plastic in an effort to reduce the harmful effect of this waste on our environment. We contributed to the construction efforts of Thrivent Builds and Habitat for Humanity. We gave money to homeless children. We learned about effective ways to rehabilitate juvenile offenders. We learned about the importance of peace in our hearts, communities, and the world. We learned that God calls drunks, adulterers, the disobedient, the ungrateful, the damaged, the weak, the oppressed, the ungifted, to do all sorts of really cool things. And it all starts with one person, doing one thing. And because God is so good, this one ordinary person, doing one unremarkable thing, changes the world.
You know, that could be one of the kids in this group. It could be one of us adult-types. It could be you. It could be ME…no, really. I can do so much good in this world. It doesn't take much, just a cause and the will of God. And as I think on the wonderfulness of this, I can't help but feel incredibly…gifted.
Bonus Blog!!
Hey everyone - Pastor Dave here live from the Interaction Center in New Orleans! Over 1 million square feet of action and adventure in the Morial Convention Center is providing us with countless...well, you COULD count them but it would take all afternoon...opportunities to learn, explore and play. They even have adult size inflatables to jump and run and fall in!! There was a parade at 1:30 with Bishop Hanson riding in a float as REX of the Gathering! Nicky and I will be doing the official blog for the day after tonight's program. Check out the live video link of the Gathering website to join us for tonight's program. Gotta go...I'm up next at the Guitar Hero competition!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Insanity and Unity
by Kristen Jussila
All I can say is wow! Today was insane! Most of us slept most of the afternoon because of all the traveling. Once 5:00pm came (which seemed like it never would), we all met downstairs in the lobby of the hotel. After we had all gotten down to the lobby, we headed to the youth gathering, which is where the exitement happened.
The youth gathering was held in the Superdome, the largest indoor stadium in America. Once our group stepped outside, I was shocked. There were kids everywhere! It got even worse when we got closer to the Superdome...you could see thousands of kids. I think this was the most amazing thing to me because I don't live in a big city and this youth gathering alone has more poeple than the city of Coeur d'Alene.
Our little group split up because some of us slept all day and hadn't eaten. Me, Sophia, Sara, Nicky and Pastor Dave went inside to find some seats. It seemed like the entire stadium was filled. There were 38,000 youth willing to do God's will! It's pretty humbling.
The best part was when they started the gathering. There was amazing music and really amazing speakers. It's hard to describe, it was so amazing! I can't imagine what the rest of the week will be like if that was only the first day.
All I can say is wow! Today was insane! Most of us slept most of the afternoon because of all the traveling. Once 5:00pm came (which seemed like it never would), we all met downstairs in the lobby of the hotel. After we had all gotten down to the lobby, we headed to the youth gathering, which is where the exitement happened.
The youth gathering was held in the Superdome, the largest indoor stadium in America. Once our group stepped outside, I was shocked. There were kids everywhere! It got even worse when we got closer to the Superdome...you could see thousands of kids. I think this was the most amazing thing to me because I don't live in a big city and this youth gathering alone has more poeple than the city of Coeur d'Alene.
Our little group split up because some of us slept all day and hadn't eaten. Me, Sophia, Sara, Nicky and Pastor Dave went inside to find some seats. It seemed like the entire stadium was filled. There were 38,000 youth willing to do God's will! It's pretty humbling.
The best part was when they started the gathering. There was amazing music and really amazing speakers. It's hard to describe, it was so amazing! I can't imagine what the rest of the week will be like if that was only the first day.
Sophia's Blog
Tuesday July 21, 2009
Hello everyone!
Well, we made it through our first day; a day filled with five hours of driving, six hours of layovers, and 12 ours of flying. WOW! We started our adventure on time and stopped in Spokane to pick up Amanda and Max; after that we were off to Seattle. Even though our van was crowded and the AC was somewhat ineffective, we all made it there- with a stop in Moses Lake for snacks- in one, happy piece.
We had two groups flying out from Seattle: Group 1 was Amanda, Mike, Maren, Solveig, Kristen, Taylor, and myself; Group 2 was Pastor Dave, Nicky, Sarah, Max, James, and Jocelyn. Our group (Group 1) left around 8:00pm, while the other group hung around for four hours doing fun activities (I'm assuming). Our group landed in Los Angeles just as Group 2 was heading for Dallas; we would meet them there two hours later. Both groups sat around (mostly sleeping) in Gate 23 before we all headed to New Orleans. It was around six o'clock by then and we were all very tired; we arrived in New Orleans at around 10:00am Eastern Time.
Our first day was fun, pretty uneventful, but relaxing, and made all of us VERY tired. The time change is a little rough, but I'm sure we'll all get used to it. :) It was all travel and luckily we won't have to do anymore until next Tuesday! We're having fun on the trip and I hope we have an amazing and blessed week. Thank you for your support and blessings as we embark on this journey.
Thanks a million from New Orleans! =)
~Sophia Dunlap
Windows Live™ Hotmail®: Search, add, and share the web's latest sports videos. Check it out.
Hello everyone!
Well, we made it through our first day; a day filled with five hours of driving, six hours of layovers, and 12 ours of flying. WOW! We started our adventure on time and stopped in Spokane to pick up Amanda and Max; after that we were off to Seattle. Even though our van was crowded and the AC was somewhat ineffective, we all made it there- with a stop in Moses Lake for snacks- in one, happy piece.
We had two groups flying out from Seattle: Group 1 was Amanda, Mike, Maren, Solveig, Kristen, Taylor, and myself; Group 2 was Pastor Dave, Nicky, Sarah, Max, James, and Jocelyn. Our group (Group 1) left around 8:00pm, while the other group hung around for four hours doing fun activities (I'm assuming). Our group landed in Los Angeles just as Group 2 was heading for Dallas; we would meet them there two hours later. Both groups sat around (mostly sleeping) in Gate 23 before we all headed to New Orleans. It was around six o'clock by then and we were all very tired; we arrived in New Orleans at around 10:00am Eastern Time.
Our first day was fun, pretty uneventful, but relaxing, and made all of us VERY tired. The time change is a little rough, but I'm sure we'll all get used to it. :) It was all travel and luckily we won't have to do anymore until next Tuesday! We're having fun on the trip and I hope we have an amazing and blessed week. Thank you for your support and blessings as we embark on this journey.
Thanks a million from New Orleans! =)
~Sophia Dunlap
Windows Live™ Hotmail®: Search, add, and share the web's latest sports videos. Check it out.
Big Vans, Water Bottles, and Airport Burgers
Well, friends, the trip over to Seattle went well. We left Coeur d’Alene more or less on time, stopped at two different places in Spokane to pick up Max (just back from Michigan) and Amanda (at Deaconness with her Mom), and made good time through the mountains. The AC in the Cd’A Homes 12-passenger van worked really well but didn’t quite make it to the back! Once we dropped everyone off at the airport, Nicky and I ran the vans to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church – Seatac where we were met by a very helpful gentleman named Courtney. After helping us park the vans in the safest place, he drove us back to the airport in his Prius. My first time in one and I was impressed. We rejoined our group at a Starbucks next to the security station. The early group, leaving at 8pm, had already check in and checked their luggage. Those of us going later had to wait to check in so we decided to do our first devotion together right there in Starbucks. When we finished, we took the group picture you see here and the first group headed off.
We got ourselves checked in and baggaged at the appropriate time and headed through security. All was going smoothly. And then it happened. A security agent lifted up a shoulder bag, southwestern style with a “Cruzando” logo on it and asked in a voice worthy of Darth Vader, “Who does this belong to?” Jocelyn, who was just coming through the gate, said, “That’s mine.” “We’re going to have to open your bag,” he stated flatly. She replied with her cheery smile, “Okay.” I had frozen in panic. Everything had gone so smoothly. We’d gone over what to do and not to do. How could this happen? My career was over!! As the security officer opened her bag and reached inside, I examined my possible escape routes and how I could extricate Jocelyn from this sticky situation. Of course, she would have to be on the run for the rest of her life and I would probably have to resign my membership in the “Amiable Airline Ambassador” Club and…wait a minute…what was this? A half-empty Dasani water bottle??!! Hadn’t we talked about WATER BOTTLES? Irony of it was she had tossed two of them just before approaching security. She just hadn’t remembered the one in her bag.
Isn’t that the way? No matter how hard we try, we just can’t seem to get it right. Even when we “do our best,” we often come up short. Praise God for His grace. Where we come up short, His grace covers our shortcomings. When we fail to give it our all, His grace strengthens our weakness. When we are uncertain and afraid, God’s grace gives us courage. Obviously, this airport adventure was pretty innocent and the whole thing lasted about 15 seconds and we moved on. We can do that even when our situations are more significant. Even in the midst of relationship difficulties, job loss, grief and sorrow, we can “move on” or at least move forward into the future confident that God’s grace will be sufficient to our need.
So…we moved on the African Lounge for some very spendy yet tasty burgers. Boarding our 11:20pm flight happened soon after and now – 4:18am CST – we are sitting in Dallas-Ft. Worth waiting for the final leg of our flight. After several different flights…some of us went SEA-LA-DFW-NO and some SEA-DFW-NO…it’s nice to be all together for the final leg of our trip. We are eager for the week ahead though right now, a bed would be nice!
PDK
We got ourselves checked in and baggaged at the appropriate time and headed through security. All was going smoothly. And then it happened. A security agent lifted up a shoulder bag, southwestern style with a “Cruzando” logo on it and asked in a voice worthy of Darth Vader, “Who does this belong to?” Jocelyn, who was just coming through the gate, said, “That’s mine.” “We’re going to have to open your bag,” he stated flatly. She replied with her cheery smile, “Okay.” I had frozen in panic. Everything had gone so smoothly. We’d gone over what to do and not to do. How could this happen? My career was over!! As the security officer opened her bag and reached inside, I examined my possible escape routes and how I could extricate Jocelyn from this sticky situation. Of course, she would have to be on the run for the rest of her life and I would probably have to resign my membership in the “Amiable Airline Ambassador” Club and…wait a minute…what was this? A half-empty Dasani water bottle??!! Hadn’t we talked about WATER BOTTLES? Irony of it was she had tossed two of them just before approaching security. She just hadn’t remembered the one in her bag.
Isn’t that the way? No matter how hard we try, we just can’t seem to get it right. Even when we “do our best,” we often come up short. Praise God for His grace. Where we come up short, His grace covers our shortcomings. When we fail to give it our all, His grace strengthens our weakness. When we are uncertain and afraid, God’s grace gives us courage. Obviously, this airport adventure was pretty innocent and the whole thing lasted about 15 seconds and we moved on. We can do that even when our situations are more significant. Even in the midst of relationship difficulties, job loss, grief and sorrow, we can “move on” or at least move forward into the future confident that God’s grace will be sufficient to our need.
So…we moved on the African Lounge for some very spendy yet tasty burgers. Boarding our 11:20pm flight happened soon after and now – 4:18am CST – we are sitting in Dallas-Ft. Worth waiting for the final leg of our flight. After several different flights…some of us went SEA-LA-DFW-NO and some SEA-DFW-NO…it’s nice to be all together for the final leg of our trip. We are eager for the week ahead though right now, a bed would be nice!
PDK
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