So Summer Camp is not just in your imagination...

Here is a video made by one of the teams that came to help with camp and some pictures below.  Grateful to Hammock Street Church in Florida for making this video!

First week group picture

Free time activities

Daily announcement and entertainment time with
Allison, Isaac, and Sarah (summer interns)

Volunteer helping with academic time

Middle schoolers at the “#1 exhibit on #2!” in a local museum

Friendly competition!

Reading with middle school boys

Camp and what's next

Been waaaaayyyy to long!  Sorry for not keeping up with the blog for the last few months.  God has been good to me through the summer in challenges and fun moments.  I had a really busy summer with helping to direct a summer camp for kids here in Clarkston.  The camp was for 1-8 grade kids/teenagers. Working camp was really refreshing in one way: I loved being around people most of the day.  I have missed that about teaching, and got a taste of it this summer.

A different volunteer group came each week to help with activities and love on the kids.  Interns (mostly college students) provided stable leadership for the kids all summer.  Each day the kids participated in academic time, music, crafts, and character education teaching.  We had the opportunity to share the good news with several children as well as remind them about being grateful, honest, and compassionate during character education.  Now we have the opportunity to follow up with families we made contact with through camp.  Thank you for your prayers!

Here are some pictures from the funnest week of camp!  We took the kids to Camp Wesminster, just outside Atlanta.  They got to ride horses, climb the wall, and then decide whether to zip line down it!  Some were more courageous than others.  We also had swim time each day and go fishing or canoeing.

I'm taking 2 classes at a local seminary extension.  I'm hoping to catch up with some relationships I've been too busy to keep up with over the summer.  Also, I continue serving within Mosaic Fellowship to help lead worship and sometimes teach Burmese youth that we meet with on Friday nights.  I have needed reminding that God is faithful and is my joy and delight.  I prayed even this morning for the "spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline" Paul encourages Timothy about.  Pray for peace and patience to keep waiting on the Lord in all of life.  Pray God's heart for His kingdom will be in me.  May He direct my paths and work through me.

Update from Clarkston

Egg hunters the day before Easter!

Church 

          It continues to be evident to me that the work of proclaiming the gospel and discipleship must be done within and by the Body of Christ.  A healthy church is a sending point, training ground, and necessary support for those working directly to share the Gospel with the a community. The health and unity of the church is so important in the world knowing Jesus, that Jesus Himself prays,

          “²²I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”  -John 17:22-23

I am seeking God for wisdom on how to better equip myself for ministry in the church.  I am growing in hunger to receive focused, intensive Bible training.  This week, I’m in California to visit two seminaries.

Prayer for Joy

            Lastly, I have truly experienced much spiritual warfare in the last few months.  Seems that the evil one has tried so hard to distract and discourage my heart.  Since I moved last June it has been challenging in new ways to be diligent in my own walk with the Lord.  Making new friends, seeing where I fit in the kingdom work here, and learning to work with others in harmony has been a good exercise for me.  The Father has been gracious in many ways and certainly is refining my understanding of myself and His kingdom.  I don't say this for your pity, but to say that the work here has not been as glamorous one might expect.  Each of us has these struggles, yet this year I've learned how consistent and strong a temptation there is to grow discouraged in the work of the Gospel.

 Hanging out in the park!  

From left: Mom (“Ama” in Nepali), Son, Daughter (recently arrived from Nepal), and a Burmese friend. 

Easter Egg Hunt, Fellowship, and Volleyball! 

Kids enjoying the festivities!  After this egg hunt, "suprises" inside the eggs were used to tell the Easter story to American, Iraqi, Sudanese and Nepali children.

Kids enjoy a game of real "football"!  Beautiful to see American and  Burmese children playing together in a game that unites the world!

Which one looks like he belongs on the court?

Action shot

Enjoying the festivities!

Not my pics...

     So this update is gonna be different. My brother Mark has become quite the photographer.  All the photos below were taken by him and I friend on a camping trip.  I'm using his pictures to explain how I'm doing, because I am a terrible photographer and don't take many pictures.  If you think that's a problem you are welcome to tag along and take pictures for me, otherwise I probably will only take pictures the few times each year I actually have a camera with me and the motivation to make some memories.  Sorry for those of you who are really artsy and have the gift of snapping memorable moments.  Maybe I'll get better at that some day.

     Anyway I've been reminded that God's mercies are new every morning.  The longer I'm alive much less in Clarkston, GA I learn more and more how much I need that mercy.  It's funny how verses in the Scriptures don't come alive sometimes until they prove their worth to you or prove God's worth to you.  Some days I still wake up not knowing what in the world will happen in the afternoon. No schedule.  No plans.  A "to do" list that needs to be done at some point (writing this update is one of them!).  Some days when things are scheduled they don't turn out like I thought they would.  Other times they do.  Such is life.  "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth."
     You know when life just comes at you in waves or floods. Reminds me of a water fall.  Challenges in ministry in Clarkston are no more difficult than other places in life, but the are still challenges: language barriers that don't away in three months, spiritual warfare that continues and sometimes is worse that before, relationships with imperfect people, "failed" attempts at ministry (as think it should go), laziness, not being in control, and the list could go on.  But the joys come in floods too: group of Burmese people coming to worship with us, chances to share the teaching of Jesus with those who've never heard, brotherhood with friends and co-workers in the Gospel here, the peace and rest in God through Christ in times of challenge and ordinary daily activities, the enjoyment of coaching a kids' basketball team.  So in general I'm thankful for the floods of life, the ups and downs that bring us to a place of humility and dependence that you can't get to by yourself.  God's grace just ordains these circumstances to renew us "in knowledge in the image of [our] Creator"

     The future is only in God's hands.  When I think about what will happen next year or even next month, it reminds me of this picture.  I'm on a path and can see the path right ahead of me, but I can't see the rest of it.  But if you look in the distance you see a beautiful view with details you can't make out yet.  It's like you know and believe that the big picture is awe-inspiring, yet you don't know exactly how hard or enjoyable it will be to climb the path on the way there.  You see and know and trust what's right in front of you.  Do what you know to do now.  Obey God in the things you know He wants you to do.  Be holy because He is holy.  Trust in Him.  Is this all talk?  Will the rubber stay on the road when it gets dangerous and difficult?  Will you trust what you can't see?  Will you do the work of God and believe as Jesus teaches?  God be merciful in our journey.  Give us grace to arrive at the end of the road safe and without falling. Then may we look back and see the ground we covered and know that you are good and trust with the psalmist, "How great is the goodness which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you."  Ps. 31:19.

"I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Is 41:10b

     

Clark-istan

Clark-istan a nickname we came up with for the crazy square mile we live in!  Sometimes I find myself laughing because I feel like I'm not in America sometimes.  I'm sure there are people laughing at me too!  To communicate with the diverse people in Clarkston, I find myself speaking in shorter sentences, sometimes cutting off words and using bad English grammar.  Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get the point across!  Once you're here for while, the "Clark-istani" language sometimes seeps into conversations with English speakers.  Makes for good comedy at times!


Here's some more pictures of life here.  Please let me know if you have questions about life or would like to here more about certain aspects of life in Clarkston.  Love to hear how you are doing as well!

The American part of Clark-istan.  I'm so grateful for friends nearby that labor in the Lord  with me.  We have meals together sometimes and gain so much encouragement from our fellowship.

The sunset from the top of Stone Mountain.  This is a great place to go for exercise (1 mile hike to top) and quiet time.  This is our Mt of Olives when we need to get away.

The crew we took to Cici's as a reward for attending tutoring on Mondays and Wednesdays.  We had a great time hanging out and eating together. Five nations are represented in this picture (Burma, Iraq, Sudan, Liberia, US)

The latest addition to the team here in Kristopher Woods.  Ben follows Jesus and wants to make disciples.  He got here soon after I did in the summer.  Please keep praying for us and the people of Clarkston.