Reflections of Day Three: Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord

Today, we got over the hump. Thanks for your prayers and comments on the blog. Your words are what everyone is waiting to hear at the end of a long day.

In our worship time there are a number of songs that have really taken into some deep places. I thought I would do my best at blogging a music video with out the video or music. Just words and pictures.

Blessed be Your name
When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s ‘all as it should be’
Blessed be Your name

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Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s ‘all as it should be’
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

I know that this post is coming a day late. We really have had some long days. It takes some time to try to condense a day and 20 different perspectives into a short page.

Day four will come on day five. Will post more– we have to be “locked and loaded” by 6:30 am. Blessed Be The Name…
PJK

Post Script: Day Two

Just a quick note,
I know that it seems as if your students are being worked to the bone. We really get up early, pray, work, eat, reflect, play, laugh, work, worship, reflect and sleep.

A few more random pix of mission life.
PJK

Reflections of Day Two: The Work Becomes Flesh

As much as we might feel that we might be bringing the Good News of Jesus through our service, the power of being here is often seen when our work becomes flesh.

What I mean is that we can do some cleaning, building, sorting, and moving, and then just leave. But everything changes when a person proclaims that they are alive because of the work that others have done and they assure us that because of our work the “life saving” work will continue. Josh Hurley, a 14 year old Freshman at Whitney Young had such an encounter.
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Josh: today being here really hit me when I started meeting all of these people at the Salvation Army Mission, where I was working today. Everyone had a unique life story about how they got to the Mission. Like I met this guy named Shaggy, he was a guy like who went through some really hard times when he was young. He later sold drugs while in high school and in college. He lived a double life with his Christian friends and his drug customers. He was busted while in college and went to prison.

When he got out a friend brought him to the Salvation Army Mission so that he could have a place to stay. That was years ago. His life was saved by coming to this place.

The main thing I learned today is that anybody’s life can change from one bad decision and God can change any life that has been messed up if we let Him.

I’m learning to decrease by not focusing so much on me and what I want to do all day. I’m going to allow Christ to Increase in me by really trying to focus more on talking to God.

The students are really starting to bond with their work sites. Wednesday, “hump day” is going to be very hard. Everyone will change sites and have new work assignments. They are also starting to get tired and that means that tempers can flare giving a foothold for the Evil One. Pray for our rest, patients, and Godly wisdom to bear each other’s burdens.

Hope you enjoy more random work site pictures.
More tomorrow. Pastor James

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Day Two: Getting Down For The Crown!

I think we are into a nice flow. My team had breakfast duty so it was into the kitchen at 6:45.

Today’s devotion was focused on Psalm 64. We meditated on the word Selah– to rest/pause/reflect. We are asking for your prayers so that we might learn that decreasing so that Christ might increase requires that we make time to “Be.”
Here are some pictures from other sites today. Please pass on this blog to others and to parents, the Students really need and appreciate all of your comments.

Learning to just Be.
Pastor James

Day One: Reflections At The End Of The Day

We ended our day of work with our first showers since leaving our homes in Chicago. Talking about decreasing. Everyone realized that we actually be uncomfortable longer than we thought. Believe me, we truly appreciated warm showers and clean clothes. Oh, did I mention that our showers had to be 3 minutes long?

Remember everything that we do is on a time schedule. 75 people can’t take all the time they want to bathe. We can truly do what we thought was impossible.

We close tonight with some pictures from our evening activity and an interview with first time Student Missionary Sydni Johnson who is a 15 year old sophomore at H-F High School. This is her first trip.
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PJK: How did you find out about this trip?

Sydni: My friends Danielle and Sadie Banks and their family invited me to come with them. I looked in to it, and read the information. I really started to look forward to going.

PJK: Wow, what did they tell you, did they put pressure on you?

Sydni: No, not at all. Honestly they really didn't tell me a lot, but they did say that I would be helping people. I did PADS before and I liked it and wanted to do something similar. Plus they said that it was fun too.

PJK: So did your parents have questions and converns?

Sydni: At first my parents were a little bit concerned about me going on the trip. Mainly because I don't attend Emmaus and they didn't know who I would be going off with. They also questioned my motives as well. "why would I want to do some thing like this?"
They really wanted to know if my heart was sincere about going on the trip. They had already spent a lot of money last month because it was really busy for me. They just didn't want to waste money if I was just going to "kick it" with my friends.

PJK: I know that you enjoyed the van ride, has there been any high moments for you so far?

Sydni: So far, the best part of being here has been when I was serving food at the Soup Kitchen. I liked knowing that I really was helping someone. I felt like that I was giving back for all the blessings that I have enjoyed in my life. I also painted a book shelf at the Genesis Center. It was in this HOT warehouse. I have painted before, I painted my bedroom, but it was the first time painting for someone else.

I really didn't get painting in this hot warehouse but now I understand that we are all a part of a really big process that helps the "less fortunate" individuals and families here in the city.

The thrift stores sell donated goods, like my painted bookshelf, that support and employ the really large homeless population here in Jackson. Places like the Genesis center and Gateway are so efficient at what they do, they can take one dollar and provide 4 meals for hungry people. So, when I paint a bookshelf and someone buys it. That money directly goes to feed people like the ones that we served today, provide after school and summer programs for kids, and even rescue and treatment for people who have addictions.

It feels pretty good knowing that my little efforts in the heat today will go so far to show God's love and hope to people that I will never know.

PJK: Thanks Sydni. Are there any areas in your life that you think can decrease?

Sydni: Yes, for one, my stress and my busy schedule. I can see how I can have a little more room for Christ in my life.

PJK: Anyone you want to say hello to?

Sydni: I want to say hello to my mom and dad, brother and sister and my dog CoCo.
The one thing that is decreasing in my life right now is stress and my busy schedule.

More to come on Day Two. PJK

Student Mission Trip #3 The Mississippi Delta

It’s 11:42 p.m. The lights are out and I’m thinking about the last 20 hours.

Both parents and student missionaries were “suited and booted” at 3:30 a.m. this morning. Have you ever wondered what parents look like at 3:30 in the morning?

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Strangely enough they were quite the happy bunch. I even caught a parent taking pictures, I guess she still couldn't believe that two of her teens were leaving at the same time.