As all of you know from your aching backs and cold toes the passed few days students and campus ministers alike have been knee-to-waist deep in snow.
For this reason Rachel and I have not seen Sam for days. Sam is the name we chose for our new 2000 Saturn Wagon. I don't remember whether this was included in my blog or not, but God completely answered our prayer for a means of transportation. A friend of a friend happened to be getting rid of his car because he could no longer afford the insurance, so he just gave it to us! The name Sam is short for Samuel. Samuel means "God Heard" or "request of God." You may remember the story of Samuel, his mother was barren and prayed to God for a son, and promised Him that she would dedicate her son to Him if she ever gave birth. God heard her prayer, and answered. In a similar way, we prayed for a car, God heard, and God provided.
Our weekly small groups this week were canceled, and so was a one-on-one meeting that I was really looking forward to. A few weeks ago Katie Zoet, one of my co-workers, passed along an e-mail from a lady named Wendy who was looking for a Wednesday or Thursday night small group for a young guy she knew to attend. In the e-mail she made it clear that the guy (Chris is his name) was a family friend who knew very little about God and Jesus, and was new to the religion scene in general. Ever since then I have e-mailed back and forth with the Wendy to learn more about Chris, and find out exactly how I can help. After about a week we thought it would be best for me to contact with him, so I called, and we set up a time to meet. We were supposed to meet on Tuesday, but due to the weather we have postponed until this coming Tuesday.
This Sunday is Valentine's Day, and it is also the beginning of Lent. I am excited to be starting the Lenten series "A Hole in our Gospel" which I have mentioned in previous blogs; it will also be featured in this month's newsletter which is being worked on presently. To learn more visit
I learned about this study during my time at the Urbana Conference in December, it was being handed out at the World Vision booth. I also learned about an awesome branch of World Vision called Act:s which exists specifically to challenge students to start campaigns that raise awareness and relief resources for worldwide causes, such as Malaria, starvation, Child Slavery, and many more. Act:s also works with individuals who they call "mobilizers" to assist in special projects, campaigns, and events. I'm currently working in conjunction with them, the director of CCTI (Cross-Cultural Theater Initiative), and some of my CCO co-workers in developing a special Haiti Mission Trip in Philly. The basic concept right now is to have a mission trip in Philly where students and young adults would interact and serve the Haitian community right here in our backyard. We would learn their stories, serve their community, and learn about their culture over the course of ten days. World Vision is looking into the possibility of having speakers come, and the Director of CCTI wants to use the experience as an ethnographic study which he would turn into play that would be produced in 2011. The catch is, even though the mission trip is local, the cost of the trip would be equivalent to a mission trip to Haiti, which would be about $2500.00. All the extra money raised that didn't go toward costs for the local trip would go directly toward Haiti relief. Part of the reason we would do a local trip rather than one to the actual country of Haiti is that the $2500.00 each participant raises could actually do a lot more good if we just sent it as relief.
Alaina, a friend of mine who has traveled to Haiti, shared a story with me about her trip. During her trip she spent a lot of time with her translator and guide. After a few days her guide benevolently made an offhand comment about Alaina's accommodations, pointing out that what she was paying per night at her hotel would be a little more than the wages he made in a week. The chasm between Alaina's wealth and her guide's poverty suddenly became apparent. Alaina doesn't regret going on the trip, but she is now acutely aware of how far our resources and side-cash can really go in an impoverished nation like Haiti.
Speaking of trips, please pray for the following students and young adults who will be attending the Jubilee Conference next weekend. This conference challenges students to devote every area of life to Christ, and to use their gifts wisely for the kingdom:
Skye Randall
Ben Mell
Jess Mell
Justin Poole
Matt Stromberg
April Woods
Christina Caldwell
Erin Gormley
Lauren Sell
This is Elliott, signing off.
In Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment