once again, fresh back from the mainland, seeems like I'm spending more time over there than back here. We went over because the pastor from Metro Ministries in New York, the place where I'm going with a team of 7 others in March, was speaking at CLA in Langley. The stories that he shared were inspiring, encouraging, and absolutely frightening! Just the amount of crime and horrible things that go on in the streets of the bronx, we are all pretty much fearing for our lives right now. Pastor Bill has been shot in the head, been thrown off buildings, been in fights, all sorts of stuff. So while some are apprehensive now, I just totally want to go and leave tomorrow! It sounds like it will be an amazing trip. That's a little bit about what my weekend was like, now I'll take it back to youth last week...
On Wednesday night, we decided to try things a little bit differently. The youth pastor, Steve, thought that maybe the kids would listen more if we did the Bible talk in the beginning instead of the end, and it worked better than it had before, which was good. But the whole session just seemed disjointed and off, maybe it was just me; I guess all that matters is that they hear the message and have a chance to respond in some way. It's also frusterating that I can never seem to get any sort of connection with any of them, it just seems like they come, they go, and we both forget about each other until next week. Something to work on...
Friday night was a chance to just chill and have a party, Steve was out in victoria so we went to his girlfriends house and set up the Wii, put a movie on, played games...with the two kids that showed up. We had a good time, it's just frusterating that there's no regular attendance. It's just a week here, a week there. It's also frusterating that we don't always have the community centre on Friday nights, which is where the church is held, so the times when there actually is youth is more rare than it should be.
Aside from all that, last week was one of relaxing, writing papers, and prayer! We had our 24 hour week of prayer, and it was actually super exciting to be in that room and pray (my shifts were always 4-5 or 5-6 in the morning). It was pretty awesome. This week we begin Church ministry with David Lee, had a good class today. Byyyye for now
Monday, November 26, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
back to camp!
There's only 3 and a bit more weeks until Christmas! The year has just flown by, it's kindof ridiculous how the time just goes. This past week, we got back to camp from reading break on Thursday night, spent the night chilling and catching up with everyone. All of us can't even imagine being away from each other for a whole three weeks at Christmas! It will be quite difficult. Then it was time to quickly finish (and start I suppose) the 6 page paper due in Hermeneutics before Sunday night. After that we hung out, it was Jahnaya's birthday so we went into Duncan and goofed around for a while.
This past Friday night was perhaps the most enjoyable youth night that I've experienced this year. There was only about 10 kids there, and we hung out, watched a bit of a movie, had a discussion, and just played games and chilled with them. Fun times indeed. Most of the kids that came have been churched in the past, and knew what we were talking about in the discussion and stuff, even though they didn't exactly chime in too often. Sunday morning came, and another chance to help in the children's department arose, so I went on down. The pastor and his wife (his wife helps in the sunday school) were gone on vacation, so they needed 3 kaleo students to help out. I basically just hung out, one of the kids asked me to come over to his house after church to play but I gave him the lame excuse of doing homework (which was true).
This whole week is the 24/7 week of prayer, where somebody is praying in a room downstairs every hour of the day. I signed up in the middle of the night for all of the days, either between 4-5 or 5-6 (yes, by choice). This is an item of prayer that you could be praying for back home. The first two days went great, we have requests and verses plastered all over the walls, but I'm worried that as the week goes on, I'll be more and more tired and won't be able to focus. Just pray for concentration and that our group would see results from this week. Thanks guys!
This past Friday night was perhaps the most enjoyable youth night that I've experienced this year. There was only about 10 kids there, and we hung out, watched a bit of a movie, had a discussion, and just played games and chilled with them. Fun times indeed. Most of the kids that came have been churched in the past, and knew what we were talking about in the discussion and stuff, even though they didn't exactly chime in too often. Sunday morning came, and another chance to help in the children's department arose, so I went on down. The pastor and his wife (his wife helps in the sunday school) were gone on vacation, so they needed 3 kaleo students to help out. I basically just hung out, one of the kids asked me to come over to his house after church to play but I gave him the lame excuse of doing homework (which was true).
This whole week is the 24/7 week of prayer, where somebody is praying in a room downstairs every hour of the day. I signed up in the middle of the night for all of the days, either between 4-5 or 5-6 (yes, by choice). This is an item of prayer that you could be praying for back home. The first two days went great, we have requests and verses plastered all over the walls, but I'm worried that as the week goes on, I'll be more and more tired and won't be able to focus. Just pray for concentration and that our group would see results from this week. Thanks guys!
Monday, November 12, 2007
home!
It feels great to be home! Sitting in front of the big screen tv with a few of the guys playing video games, watching movies, it just feels so right! It's such a blessing, much needed rest and relaxation.
The week that was in the ministry department imvolved just Wednesday night youth because Friday night was cancelled. Wednesday was incredibly frusterating, it seems that no matter what we do, the kids just don't listen and keep on getting rowdier. So this week was a constant battle for attention and it felt like we lost. Amidst the chaos, it is becoming clearer that I'm creating new friendships with some of the guys. It's also ironic because one of the 'bullies' is looking up to me it seems, and also the kid that he picks on does as well, so I need to use that to my advantage. Other than that aspect, Wednesday, as most are, was frusterating and felt like nobody was listening at all.
Sunday was a bit of a break from the Sunday school department, a much needed break. it was great to just sit back and listen to a sermon. After that was cleanup, and then back to camp for the last meal before the ferry ride home. And here I am! Exhausted after touring around Vancouver for the day. Thanks again for prayers!
The week that was in the ministry department imvolved just Wednesday night youth because Friday night was cancelled. Wednesday was incredibly frusterating, it seems that no matter what we do, the kids just don't listen and keep on getting rowdier. So this week was a constant battle for attention and it felt like we lost. Amidst the chaos, it is becoming clearer that I'm creating new friendships with some of the guys. It's also ironic because one of the 'bullies' is looking up to me it seems, and also the kid that he picks on does as well, so I need to use that to my advantage. Other than that aspect, Wednesday, as most are, was frusterating and felt like nobody was listening at all.
Sunday was a bit of a break from the Sunday school department, a much needed break. it was great to just sit back and listen to a sermon. After that was cleanup, and then back to camp for the last meal before the ferry ride home. And here I am! Exhausted after touring around Vancouver for the day. Thanks again for prayers!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
hello
well, back again after an amazing outtrip to Mystic Beach with the guys (while the girl's went into Victoria), and a sweet paintballing adventure where the two groups met up. I apologize for the lateness, but my plan for doing this on monday was scrapped by our being away. We had an amazing time getting to know each other more, bonding as men around the campfire and around the beach.
Last week we finished off the Hermeneutics course with Merrill Dyck on Wednesday, which happened to be Halloween. The girls wanted to dress up as the boys for the night, so we lent out some of our clothes that were distinctly "me", and the girls showed up at dinner wearing them. Later, we went out to the community centre and helped give out hot chocolate and hot dogs for the halloween program there. We had a blast during that time, which cancelled out youth, if you were wondering. Friday night youth was also cancelled.
Sunday morning came around, and there was assistance required in the sunday school department, so a couple of us went on down to help out with games and such again. It's been somewhat frusterating because it seems like every Sunday I'm helping out with a retreat here at camp or I'm in Sunday school helping out. The amount of sermons that I've actually been hearing is quite small, which is troubling. A schedule is going to be worked out though, setting it up so we only have to help once every three weeks or so.
A cool thing that Merrill introduced to us during the class was the idea of praying through the Psalms in a month, a task that has been somewhat difficult and challenging. First, getting up early every morning to go down to the dock and pray through them, and sometimes I have trouble focussing on doing that. So maybe if you could pray for me during that, I'm also behind on the schedule, so it'll take more than a month. Anywyas, that's where we're at here at Qwanoes. Coming home in a week!
Last week we finished off the Hermeneutics course with Merrill Dyck on Wednesday, which happened to be Halloween. The girls wanted to dress up as the boys for the night, so we lent out some of our clothes that were distinctly "me", and the girls showed up at dinner wearing them. Later, we went out to the community centre and helped give out hot chocolate and hot dogs for the halloween program there. We had a blast during that time, which cancelled out youth, if you were wondering. Friday night youth was also cancelled.
Sunday morning came around, and there was assistance required in the sunday school department, so a couple of us went on down to help out with games and such again. It's been somewhat frusterating because it seems like every Sunday I'm helping out with a retreat here at camp or I'm in Sunday school helping out. The amount of sermons that I've actually been hearing is quite small, which is troubling. A schedule is going to be worked out though, setting it up so we only have to help once every three weeks or so.
A cool thing that Merrill introduced to us during the class was the idea of praying through the Psalms in a month, a task that has been somewhat difficult and challenging. First, getting up early every morning to go down to the dock and pray through them, and sometimes I have trouble focussing on doing that. So maybe if you could pray for me during that, I'm also behind on the schedule, so it'll take more than a month. Anywyas, that's where we're at here at Qwanoes. Coming home in a week!
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