mission to Milo

This past week a group of high school sophomores came from East Liverpool Christian School to do "Mission to Milo". There were 3 girls, 6 boys, and 2 chaperone's. They learned about inner city ministry and did some service projects. Here we are. RXN Monday night we all split up in groups after Aaron taught a lesson.

Aaron with his "sons": Aaron Berry( the tall one), Jonathan, and another Aaron.

Tuesday night Emily made some delicious Chadean stew and rice. We ate in the traditional Chadean manner on the floor with a common plate. The girls served the guys. Us girls first brought around warm water, soap, and a towel for the guys to wash their hands. Then we gave them their platter. The dish was very delicious. Everyone liked it.

Girls table. Great fellowship.

Each day with the kids was full and dynamic. They arrived Monday and left Thursday. I actually rode back with them and am spending this week with Aaron's parents doing an intensive study on John Bunyan's book " The Pilgrim's Progress". On Monday, we had a cook-out before RXN. I know the boys had fun playing basketball. On Tuesday, we went to Victory Mission. It is a food pantry, clothing closet, and has chapel and free counseling. The guys mainly helped with the food aspects and the girls the clothing aspects. One other girl and myself got to help with the people that came. There was a blind lady that I got to help pick out clothes. That evening Aaron and Emily gave a tour of Columbus. Then they dropped us off in two groups in downtown Columbus and we were to find our way home using the bus system. Also, we were to talk to people and show an act of kindness. When we got back we were to have a person's name and a story... I talked to a boy at the bus stop. He actually knew Emily and Aaron. I guess he'd played ball with them. On the bus, one guy from my team and I talked another young man. We were all new to the bus deal ... When we got off at our stop at 2nd. The bus driver got off and asked if we knew where we were going. He was genuinely concerned about us. He said, Don't you talk to people and say you're not from round here"... I guess it's not to common to see a group of white folks getting off in the worst part of town. (I don't feel in danger here though). Wednesday, we picked up garbage and prayer walked in the 'hood. Wednesday night was Young Disciples. Thursday, we got packed up to leave... That's a short version of last weeks going ons.

Haiti

Map of Haiti

I am leaving for Haiti at the end of May. Last week I received my passport in the mail and bought a plane ticket the same day. Exciting. I'm going to the Living Hope Haiti Mission for 3 months. It is outside of Port-au-Prince right near the coast. This mission is headed by Andris and Mary Jane. The mission has a trade school, elementary school, and church. I will be living with the missionaries and serving wherever they would want. It will be a huge learning experience ... I've talked to a few people that have been to the place I'm going. And all of their responds have been very positive ... I'll be flying over with Mary Jane and her husband considering the fact that they are in the States now raising money for the mission. The last nine days of my stay in Haiti, Aaron and Emily are bringing an group of RXN youth down. Then I will fly back with them. We don't know which kids are going yet. Please pray that the kids God wants to go will take the initiative needed for taking this trip. And for the parents permission to be granted. And for the funds needed for their travels. And for me that I will be prepared for those 3 months... The missions website is http://www.livinghopehaiti.org/

City walk and houseleader meeting

Paula and myself taking a walk in the city.( A little different from the back country roads ...)

O.K. Now this picture is for the benefit for my good old country friends. This is what you may see on a walk in my parts. This is how it is - our house then alley then a big ugly cement building then a street then the (name slips me -those people that come a pick up your trash) Then this ... It never ceases to amaze me to be walking on a road and to have a highway and train track under me and other bridge roads and downtown in the distance. I told Emily I've gotta take a picture of this!

Aaron and Emily speaking at the RTNI houseleader info. meeting last Saturday.

Guest speaker, James Brown. He's got 16 years of experience with urban ministry and community development. Also, a leader from among his own people.

Last Saturday was the Houseleader info. meeting for RTNI. It was here at the Starrs. We had a few out of town guests and some from Columbus came. Aaron and Emily have a vision to plant more RXN homes in urban/inner city communities. A RXN home is basically like theirs actually theirs is the prototype. So in the next few years we hope to see more ministry houses planted in our cities! It was awesome to hear Mr. James speak. He was a man who was once a drug addict and in jail. Then God rocked his world. A man helped train him in ministry and eventually left him to lead. This is a good thing. Our urban communities have become a oppressed people.(Especially, our black urban.) Many of the best-trained minds, leaders, good examples, have "exodus ed" the inner city - leaving a leadership vacuum. The key to helping people get out of a poverty mentality is developing leaders.Indigenous leaders. Any oppressed people must believe that they can "drink from their own wells".And lead themselves. This is no small commitment in developing leaders.It takes a long term commitment of living amongst the people, modeling a healthy lifestyle. It's a "Incarnational ministry" has John Perkins deemed it. Jesus. How did he love? Did He commute back and forth from heaven? No. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory"(John1:14) Jesus came to the earth and gave/showed us the way to new Life. So also, the most effective messenger of the gospel to the lost is him who lives among the people God has called him to minister. I am kinda hits all over the dart board here. Does it make any sense? One last thing, we can see that government and welfare programs have not worked. They simply perpetuate themselves. One example is the "Aid to Families with Dependent Children program" (something like that). It attempts to stabilize a mother without a father in the house. It assumes no family is in place and give no incentive for leaving the program. Getting this benefit has aloud single parent homes to become the norm... The world has tried its ways ... Simply, it does not work. But the church has the answer in Christ. The Church needs to rise up and give more than charity, which can be given at a distance. It needs to reach and touch "the leper" ... It needs to reach and feel the pain of the poor being willing to offer ourselves (changing the person for we are the church) bringing hope, dignity, transformation, and rest to the people. "Rise up Church with broken wings fill this place with songs again to our God who reigns on high by His grace again we'll fly. Shout to the North and the south sing to the east and the west Jesus is savior to All HE IS LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH."Some of you might know this song.

God's will is plain. We are to love Him and people. But when it comes to loving people, we hedge. Jesus says, " Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" ( John 15:13) People say, " Sure, I'm willing to die for you." But are we willing to live for our neighbor? - John M. Perkins

I read a bumper sticker that read , "Jesus died for you are you willing to live for Him"

Just a country girl

Just a country girl - that's exactly what I am. What's this country girl doing ? Planning to do ? Moving to the city for 5 months that's what she's doing ... Well kinda. God has opened up an incredible opportunity for me. Our friends Aaron and Emily Starr are starting a missionary training school, The School of Servanthood. They invited me and another girl to be the first interns for this school. I have accepted this invitation. Aaron and Emily live in Columbus, Ohio inner-city. They have a ministry (http://www.reachingthenationsinternational.org/ )reaching to the youth in their neighborhood, they have a couple Bible studies at their house, they're missionary by the way they live...Anyhow, as an Intern for SOS I will be living with Aaron and Emily for 5 months. During those 5 months I will receive ministry and leadership training and will gain hands-on experience with their ministry. I will hopefully also learn how to be a better servant. That's just the beginning, the next 3 months I will be interning in a forgein country. Most likely Haiti. They have connections with a ministry called Living Hope Haiti (http://www.livinghopehaiti.org/ ) I'm really not sure what these 3 months entail. Emily told me this is definitely an "open door" but God may have a different plan that He hasn't showed us yet. I figure I'll get excited about going to Haiti and if God has a different plan then - GOOD, because God knows best.

So when does this start? January 29th is our starting date. The potential travel date to leave for Haiti is July 4th . And I will return home around the end of September.

This upcoming year is going to be one marked with an growing in the Lord and learning stuff that I will remember the rest of my life. I am going to be facing many challenges. First the obvious one, Different cultures. I figure I'll be going through 4 cultures next year; 1. The Starr's home 2. right outside their door is another world 3. Haiti and 4. readjusting to Kentucky life . And many other challenges too. But I choose to embrace them knowing that underneath are The Almighty's hands leading me on. I feel I'm definitely leaving my comfort zone. Please I ask for your prayers.

You may wonder what my family thinks about this. My parents are very excited for me. They knew about this opportunity before I did.They prayed about it a week or two before they asked if I wanted to do it. Someone asked Mommy what she'd ever do without me . She said I've got other girls. Jonathan says he's going with me. Sveta says she's going to miss me a lot...I've got my family's blessing.

I'll end this post with a little thought I have written in a little pink book I write down cool stuff I read in: "We are the clay , He is the potter. Humans have a fascination with the future. For centuries we have consulted astrologers and other claiming to know our futures. We've written books and made movies based on the concept of time travel. We want to know what lies ahead of us on our journeys through life. Just as the clay cannot ask the potter what it will be, so we cannot ask our Maker what we will be. But we can trust that God will create something beautiful and holy with our lives. We know by faith that we are the products of God's hands. In what ways do you need to trust that GOD, the Master Potter , is making you into a work of art? " Author unknown

Remember the only time is the present so embrace it