What a long day! I figured I'd legit update to help me fall asleep, so here goes.
Our days here are going to be set up as workshops from 2-4 at the Mountain View Boys and Girls Club. My workshop was hip hop, and while the piece (which I used from National Dance Day's Nappytabs routine) was very basic, I realized that even so, it was still difficult to teach because many of the kids didn't feel confident in being able to get the choreography. But it was amazing to be able to use dance, something I'm passionate about, as a means of personally getting to know the kids better. And of course now I'm sore -_-. But aside from that we had our first Bible Camp, and while a very small number of kids showed up, it was both a "good" and a "bad" thing. Of course it's disheartening to not have many people sign up the first day, but it worked because we were all so exhausted, if we had more kids, we probably wouldn't have been functioning. The good thing was that the kids seemed to enjoy the skits and our songs and stuff, and pay attention to part of our message.
Since working with kids and teens, I've been noticing a lot of characteristics that these kids have that I used to have when I was their age. It was strange for me to try to remember the things I got mad about, the nothingness I filled my life with. Very eye-opening.
Prayer Requests:
- That God will give us a new passion to do his work in Anchorage, and that we can keep up our strength for the next two days
- Praise that we're mostly over our colds now (Team members)
- Pray for Perry's safety as he flies back to Jersey
- That tomorrow God will open doors for us to be able to reach those he wants us to reach and that he will open their hearts and ears so they can absorb the Gospel
That's it for now! Good Night!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Last Day in Glennallen, Back in Anchorage
Happy Independence Day! It's our last day at the Native Bible Conference, and wow what a day today. We went to service at Glennallen Community Chapel, and the service in itself was a God marker. From the songs, to the sermon, to even the Breakdown of the Gospel in Romans on the back of the bulletin, was like God giving us exactly the message he wanted us to give the teens; and then Mrs. Hui came up with the idea of having a teen service after our typical program.
At the service, about 20 people showed up, maybe plus or minus the team, but it was still a good crowd, we did worship and our rendition of the Everything - Lifehouse skit and Bob Wendt from ABC spoke a little bit. For me, it was so powerful to see how God was working, especially in this guy Mikey's life. For those of us that met him, he's the friendly, funny, all smiles kinda guy. He was so focused during the whole service, it was like you could see the gears turning in his head. And what a "coincidence" that he just so happened to come home for the weekend because it was the holiday and he got to come to the service. He was telling us after, that he felt like it was a wake up call in his life because even though he accepted Christ there were still somethings that weren't in line in his life. I'll be praying for him, please do too.
Tomorrow we leave for Anchorage! Please pray for our Bible Club there from Tues-Thurs!
I will fear no evil, for my God is with me
and if my God is with me, whom then shall I fear?
Oh, no you never let go
through the calm and through the storm
Oh, no you never let go
in every high and every low
Oh, no you never let go
Lord, you never let go of me
At the service, about 20 people showed up, maybe plus or minus the team, but it was still a good crowd, we did worship and our rendition of the Everything - Lifehouse skit and Bob Wendt from ABC spoke a little bit. For me, it was so powerful to see how God was working, especially in this guy Mikey's life. For those of us that met him, he's the friendly, funny, all smiles kinda guy. He was so focused during the whole service, it was like you could see the gears turning in his head. And what a "coincidence" that he just so happened to come home for the weekend because it was the holiday and he got to come to the service. He was telling us after, that he felt like it was a wake up call in his life because even though he accepted Christ there were still somethings that weren't in line in his life. I'll be praying for him, please do too.
Tomorrow we leave for Anchorage! Please pray for our Bible Club there from Tues-Thurs!
I will fear no evil, for my God is with me
and if my God is with me, whom then shall I fear?
Oh, no you never let go
through the calm and through the storm
Oh, no you never let go
in every high and every low
Oh, no you never let go
Lord, you never let go of me
Sunday, July 4, 2010
God knows what's in our hearts.
So last night I shared about how I was experiencing some spiritual warfare within my heart, and after I updated my blog, I felt relieved to be able to talk to the teen members (Vivian, John, Ernest, and Laura) just about stuff, the trip, relationships, etc. As I was sharing about how I was feeling earlier, Vivian said "You know, maybe the reason why you're here isn't to work with the teens in Glennallen, but to mentor us, the teens in the group." When I went back to my room, I realized that she was right. I had forgotten that the members on the team were teens as well, and I realized that God was using me after all. Today during the program, Perry approached me and asked me if I wanted to go up to work with the teens. Surprised and excited I went upstairs, and got to see firsthand, what Mrs. Hui (Helen) and Ernest and John were doing, and I realized that this was God answering my prayers.
What I realized is, God knows what's in our hearts. How could he not, he created us? But I am too impatient to wait for him to answer. And just when I was feeling frustrated, the next day he showed me that if I can just be still and wait, God will answer my prayers and use me in the best way he knew fit. It was really a God marker for me, after having such a night from before.
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call
What I realized is, God knows what's in our hearts. How could he not, he created us? But I am too impatient to wait for him to answer. And just when I was feeling frustrated, the next day he showed me that if I can just be still and wait, God will answer my prayers and use me in the best way he knew fit. It was really a God marker for me, after having such a night from before.
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call
Saturday, July 3, 2010
It's not about Me. Not at all.
I need some serious prayer.
Maybe this is God's way of constantly reminding me that it's not about me. That instead of teens I'm working with kids. Out of our team and the CEF team, I am the only one my age, which makes it very difficult to talk about day to day things without feeling either too old or too young for the conversation.
I was excited for this trip because God has given me a "great story" which could very much relate to the teens in Alaska, and just how God has been faithful and gracious throughout my trials, yet God has shown me through ^^ above, that it is really not about me. It is His will that I am working with the kids, and it will be on His time for me to have a chance to really share with someone the Gospel. I think today is the first day I really felt some spiritual warfare in my heart, as my attitude was becoming very bitter towards the end of the night, and I was really just torn apart by the various frustrations I felt building up over what I wanted rather than what God has in store.
Before I ask for prayer request, I have a praise. Praise God that we have other ministry teams that we can fellowship with and share how God is working throughout this week. It has been nice to hear from people that have ministered at this conference for some time now, and it has been a blessing.
Please pray:
- For my attitude, that God will continue to show me how to trust in Him, and to wait for Him to work. Also that I can continue to show love to these kids in a very genuine way and not in a way that seems obligatory because I am ministering to them through our program.
- Please pray for the continual recovery and just overall health issues our team has been encountering
- For safety as we travel to Liberty Falls in the morning and will do hiking and a picnic; and also strength and energy for the evening conference.
Thank you, and In Him,
xtinee
Maybe this is God's way of constantly reminding me that it's not about me. That instead of teens I'm working with kids. Out of our team and the CEF team, I am the only one my age, which makes it very difficult to talk about day to day things without feeling either too old or too young for the conversation.
I was excited for this trip because God has given me a "great story" which could very much relate to the teens in Alaska, and just how God has been faithful and gracious throughout my trials, yet God has shown me through ^^ above, that it is really not about me. It is His will that I am working with the kids, and it will be on His time for me to have a chance to really share with someone the Gospel. I think today is the first day I really felt some spiritual warfare in my heart, as my attitude was becoming very bitter towards the end of the night, and I was really just torn apart by the various frustrations I felt building up over what I wanted rather than what God has in store.
Before I ask for prayer request, I have a praise. Praise God that we have other ministry teams that we can fellowship with and share how God is working throughout this week. It has been nice to hear from people that have ministered at this conference for some time now, and it has been a blessing.
Please pray:
- For my attitude, that God will continue to show me how to trust in Him, and to wait for Him to work. Also that I can continue to show love to these kids in a very genuine way and not in a way that seems obligatory because I am ministering to them through our program.
- Please pray for the continual recovery and just overall health issues our team has been encountering
- For safety as we travel to Liberty Falls in the morning and will do hiking and a picnic; and also strength and energy for the evening conference.
Thank you, and In Him,
xtinee
Friday, July 2, 2010
How Great the Father's Love for Us
Hey sorry I've been slacking on updating! Our team usually gets back by 12, and after the long day, I have been passing out when I get back -_-. That being said, this is what I'm going to do. For those of you who have been praying for me and the team, I will post this blog for you to have an updated prayer, and then hopefully later today/Friday, I will update day by day reflections/updates for you to read. Okay?
Today (Thursday) was pretty eventful, we got to see the Send North Office as well as a fish wheel, where we saw salmon get caught and filleted. For the program I think we've finally grasped the idea of being flexible yet still structured. We had planned out seperate and joint activities for both the younger kids and the teens, and in my opinion, we were able to run a little bit smoother than normal. After our program, we hung out with Rodney, and he showed us different spots where there was amazing scenery. The first spot we went to, was overlooking a river and there was a clear shot of a mountain. The sad part of it though, was that there were beer cans littered ALL over the place, and Rodney said many people come to this spot just to drink. I was so surprised that such a breathtaking view could be overlooked by a local drinking hangout spot. After that we went to another scenic look out on the way back to our cabin. On the way there Ernest took out his guitar and we started singing worship songs, even while walking from the car to the second area.
When we got there, there was basically this large cliff like area that overlooked the river, a never ending forest of trees and a huge mountain in the distance. If I could pick a word to describe it, it was majestic. And as we sang worship songs and meditated, I just felt so moved by the beautiful surroundings, I was heart broken. For me, it was just sad to think that in such a beautiful place, where God is clearly evident through his amazing creation, was so hard to see/reach because the Native people had such broken lives. Working with these kids that have so many layers of emotions built up at such a young age, and not knowing the hope that we have in God, just made me so sad. I thanked God for being so amazing, and at the same time I wept for the brokenness of the local Ahtna people.
Prayer Requests:
- That God will continue to work through our ministry and the relationships we are creating.
- That God will continue to reveal his plan and the people he wants us to minister to.
- That many of the Ahtna Natives that are still living broken lives, may find peace and hope in God.
- Most of the team members are still sick, please pray for our health, that we can muster up our strength for the last few days of our Glennallen ministry.
God Bless!
Today (Thursday) was pretty eventful, we got to see the Send North Office as well as a fish wheel, where we saw salmon get caught and filleted. For the program I think we've finally grasped the idea of being flexible yet still structured. We had planned out seperate and joint activities for both the younger kids and the teens, and in my opinion, we were able to run a little bit smoother than normal. After our program, we hung out with Rodney, and he showed us different spots where there was amazing scenery. The first spot we went to, was overlooking a river and there was a clear shot of a mountain. The sad part of it though, was that there were beer cans littered ALL over the place, and Rodney said many people come to this spot just to drink. I was so surprised that such a breathtaking view could be overlooked by a local drinking hangout spot. After that we went to another scenic look out on the way back to our cabin. On the way there Ernest took out his guitar and we started singing worship songs, even while walking from the car to the second area.
When we got there, there was basically this large cliff like area that overlooked the river, a never ending forest of trees and a huge mountain in the distance. If I could pick a word to describe it, it was majestic. And as we sang worship songs and meditated, I just felt so moved by the beautiful surroundings, I was heart broken. For me, it was just sad to think that in such a beautiful place, where God is clearly evident through his amazing creation, was so hard to see/reach because the Native people had such broken lives. Working with these kids that have so many layers of emotions built up at such a young age, and not knowing the hope that we have in God, just made me so sad. I thanked God for being so amazing, and at the same time I wept for the brokenness of the local Ahtna people.
Prayer Requests:
- That God will continue to work through our ministry and the relationships we are creating.
- That God will continue to reveal his plan and the people he wants us to minister to.
- That many of the Ahtna Natives that are still living broken lives, may find peace and hope in God.
- Most of the team members are still sick, please pray for our health, that we can muster up our strength for the last few days of our Glennallen ministry.
God Bless!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Flexibility
So yesterday was the first day of our camp, and I must say when they told us to be flexible, I didn't think it would be this flexible. We had planned a message, skit, craft, games, etc. and we barely did anything we planned. I guess this is God's way of showing us again that it's not about us, we just have to remain faithful and trust in him. I am really glad that we had some teens come out for our program, as well as some younger ones that wanted to tag along.
It really touched me how simple the Natives' lifestyle is, yet they are so grateful. At church when they shared prayer requests, they had more praises than requests. And when some of the kids were showing us where their houses were; to me, it looked so small and simple, but to them it was their home and they loved it. It made me see how different our culture is from theirs. We spend so much time focusing on our material things, that we take for granted our 4 bedroom houses and 2 cars and all the other things we have. It really opened my eyes to be more thankful for the blessings I have rather than grumbling all the time.
Another thing is something Mrs. Hui mentioned, is that some teams come in and they're just the sowers, some are the waterers (i know it's not a word), and some are the reapers. It was encouraging to hear, because I'm a person that likes to reap what I sow. Oh Christine of such little faith, I was too impatient to wait for God to work, but just wanted to see what would result from my efforts. It really checked my attitude for the rest of the trip to just work faithfully and let God work out his plan and just trust that what we are doing here during this time, is all working towards the bigger picture.
Prayer Requests:
- That our team will continue to work faithfully for God's glory, and that our conversations and actions are pleasing to him
- For those that are seeking something more from their life, and that the Bible Conference would be a blessing to them.
- For wisdom for learning how to deal with the situations that we're facing >> the teens are very aloof at what's going on and there are lot of barriers to break
- That God will help us prepare for the people that He's going to send for us to work with
Ciao-der!
It really touched me how simple the Natives' lifestyle is, yet they are so grateful. At church when they shared prayer requests, they had more praises than requests. And when some of the kids were showing us where their houses were; to me, it looked so small and simple, but to them it was their home and they loved it. It made me see how different our culture is from theirs. We spend so much time focusing on our material things, that we take for granted our 4 bedroom houses and 2 cars and all the other things we have. It really opened my eyes to be more thankful for the blessings I have rather than grumbling all the time.
Another thing is something Mrs. Hui mentioned, is that some teams come in and they're just the sowers, some are the waterers (i know it's not a word), and some are the reapers. It was encouraging to hear, because I'm a person that likes to reap what I sow. Oh Christine of such little faith, I was too impatient to wait for God to work, but just wanted to see what would result from my efforts. It really checked my attitude for the rest of the trip to just work faithfully and let God work out his plan and just trust that what we are doing here during this time, is all working towards the bigger picture.
Prayer Requests:
- That our team will continue to work faithfully for God's glory, and that our conversations and actions are pleasing to him
- For those that are seeking something more from their life, and that the Bible Conference would be a blessing to them.
- For wisdom for learning how to deal with the situations that we're facing >> the teens are very aloof at what's going on and there are lot of barriers to break
- That God will help us prepare for the people that He's going to send for us to work with
Ciao-der!
Friday, June 25, 2010
God is an Awesome Creator
I think being from the city, it's so easy to get caught up in the business to recognize the vast beauty of God's creation. Being in Alaska, however is totally different, because there's less buildings, less busyness, less...a lot of things, and oh there's a lot of light throughout the day. Today we spent the day sight seeing and equipment shopping. Just driving and taking pictures and seeing these huge animals up close, was just amazing to me to be able to marvel in how beautiful Alaska is, even in rain! To see how small I was compared to these mountains and glaciers and just the beauty of how a glacier looks when the sun hits it through the clouds. Amazing.
We also visited the Mountain View Boys and Girls Club to see the facilities and meet some of the kids. I think meeting them really made me realize that it's for real now. We had our few days of break, now was the beginning of getting everything together, starting relationships, creating friendships. It was really cool.
Tomorrow we leave for Glennallen, where most of our trip will be.
Prayer Requests:
- Safety in Driving
- Praise that Perry made it to Alaska safely and for the wonderful creation from God
- that the hearts of the kids we met today will be open and they will come to our camp
- for the hearts of the teens in Glennallen, as we go to prepare for their program, that they are receptive to the discussions and messages we have prepared and just that they will accept us as we try to get them better
- Continued prayer that God will reveal his plans to us throughout the trip and that we will be open and stilll to see what He is trying to show us
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