We went with a trunk full of goodies ...
... because while everyone else was listening to special speakers, attending break out sessions, and drinking coffee at various receptions (first honoring a retiring president, then the new president, then the 60th anniversary of Men For Missions), we had the privilege of working with the 25 teens in attendance for the weekend.
We had a unique meeting space - the "Little Black Box Theater" - and lots of help, from old friends and new.
New Friend: Erika.
Erika has been working as an Intern at OMS Headquarters in Greenwood for several months. She led times of singing and worship with the youth for the weekend of Conference.
Old Friends: Bob and Jill.
We've known Bob and Jill for years and years. Bob and I are both Wabash College/Asbury Seminary alums. (And that's not a very common combination, I imagine!) It was such a blessing to get to catch up with these dear friends over the course of an entire weekend - even sharing a dormitory suite with them. Bob helped with the teaching and programming with the youth and Jill worked with Melissa mostly behind the scenes.
Jill also spent a fair amount of time chasing our two...
Relatively New Friends: Turner and Lilli Jo.
At two and a half, these twins are so stinking adorable! They even made getting out of bed in the morning a pleasant experience for our kids.
Samuel, waking up to pure cuteness.
(All of a sudden, Samuel strikes me as being so big and so old - at age ten.)
There were plenty of opportunities for fun and recreation throughout the weekend. Caleb and I ran in the "Homes for Haiti" 5K, which raised money for the ongoing OMS project of building new houses for Haitians who were left homeless by the 2010 earthquake.
Caleb and I were proud of the fact that we ran the entire 3.2 miles without stopping to walk.
There was also time in the university's game room:
Meals with friends:
And time to relax and enjoy "college life":
For many of us, the highlight of the weekend was something that NOBODY planned ahead of time. One of our teens was a sweet-natured young man in a wheelchair. When Saturday morning rolled around, I wasn't sure how he'd react to our scheduled event: climbing the rock wall.
He sat and watched as one after another, three at a time, teens strapped on harnesses and helmets and climbing shoes and then pulled and stepped their way up the wall, each aided and guided by one of the college-aged staff. When the last group was on their way up the wall, I leaned down to him and asked, "How's your upper body strength?"
His quick reply: "I think I could do it, if they'll let me."
They let him.
And he did it.
A crowd gathered - even beyond our teens - and they were cheering and urging him on. It took a few minutes, but he made it to the top and the crowd erupted in applause.
While the wheelchair sat empty.
In a way, this whole episode fit in and reinforced what Bob and Jill and Melissa and Erika and I were trying to communicate to the teens throughout the course of the weekend, primarily through the story of God calling Moses via the burning bush, as found in Exodus 3 and 4:
-That God calls the unlikely.
-That when God calls, it's natural to feel a bit of fear.
-That when God calls, the Holy Spirit equips and gives strength.
-And, God is more concerned with our "inner being" than our outward appearance.
As often happens, as I helped teach these truths, the Lord knocked ME over the head with them afresh. I love it when that happens.
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Do you have time for a few prayer requests? If so, we'd be so happy if you would lift us up for the following:
*Four weeks from tonight we should be on the road to Florida. Our return flight to Haiti is August 21st. Please pray that, in our remaining time in the States, we would not allow busy-ness or misplaced priorities to preclude any divine appointments along the way and that we would find time to see all the friends and family members we can.
* Also, it looks like our current renter is moving out of our old house here in Columbus at the end of the month, which should give me some time to get into the house and tend to any necessary upkeep before we leave town. Please pray that we would locate a good renter within the month. (We can't afford for the house to sit empty!)
* We praise God for so many wonderful opportunities to share at churches from West Virginia to Iowa so far this summer. We speak at Hope UMC this coming Sunday, the 27th. August 3rd we'll be at Freedom Chapel here in Columbus. August 10th is still open! (Suggestions for filling it?) And our final Sunday, August 17th we will be at Shiloh Community Church in Franklin in the morning and at an ice cream social at Shiloh-Wesley Church near Spencer in the evening. Please pray that our sharing about Haiti will bring glory to God and will be fruitful in gathering support as we continue to raise funds to return and remain in Haiti.
God bless you!
Wow! Praise God! That's amazing that that young man climbed the climbing wall-- such a cool picture of the lesson, too! Praying for you guys and over these requests.
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