Thankful Tuesday - My Pioneer Peers

After a two week hiatus, Thankful Tuesday has returned. For the past week I have spent most of my time with 20 of the finest college students around. These students, the 2011-2012 SMC Pioneer Peers have worked tirelessly to prepare for the beginning of the school year, to help 500 new freshmen transition into college life, and have been a source of help to me beyond what they could ever know. I decided to devote this week's Thankful Tuesday blog to them. Below you will find why I am thankful for each one of them.

Chris B. - Chris makes me laugh. He is so easy going and willing to step in and help at any time. He really cares about other students and just people in general. I'm thankful for the way he brings ease to every situation.

B.C. - She is a hard worker. I can count on B.C. to be there. She has great ideas and wants great things for her life. I am thankful I get to have a sideline seat to watch her grow and come into her own.

Ebonee - Her smile and laughter are contagious. She makes everyone feel at ease and puts us all in a good mood.

Corey - He is so conscientious and aware of everything around him. He wants to live life to the fullest and is just one of those people who gets along with pretty much everyone. I am thankful for the positive example he is to those around him.

Sarah - She is so full of life and energy. She never seems to stop. She is dedicated to her family, her friends, and likes to have fun. I am thankful that she is my Pioneer Peers for my class this semester. We will have so much fun!

Rashad - He's quiet, but when he speaks, his words are powerful. This is evidenced by his poetry. He is a very talented individual and puts that into all that he is.

Brent - He has come out of his shell so much since I first met him. Brent meets you with an honesty that is refreshing and a transparency that challenges you to be a better person.

Marcus - He challenges me to think differently, to speak differently, to act differently, to look at the world differently. All in a good way. I am thankful for someone who keeps me on my toes...and keeps me laughing.

Matt - He never gives up. He has a passion for life that is contagious! He is just simply a fun person to be around. I'm thankful I get to watch him grow and learn to use his God-givens strengths.

Isaiah - I remember the first time I met Isaiah. He exudes life and excitement. His sense of humor and people skills will lend themselves well to a political career one day. I am thankful any time I get to be around him, especially when I get to see him figure something out for the first time...it's just pure joy!

Josh - He's a quiet leader but one who is coming out of his shell more and more each day. Yesterday I got to witness first hand him learn that he made a difference in someone's life. It meant so much to him, and I'm glad I got to witness that moment of realization.

Chris P. - This kid is passionate about so many things...running, eating right, being where he's supposed robe when he's supposed to be there, etc. He's committed! He's dedicated! We could all learn from him.

KP - She's fearless. I wish I could have just an ounce of her energy and excitement. She's not easily discouraged and a great motivator.

Ciara - She's always willing to share. She's always willing to do what needs to be done. She's a great encouraged!

Dezrae - She inspires me with her positive attitude and willing spirit. She is so teachable and such a great leader. She listens well and she gives back constantly. I cannot wait to see what she accomplishes in this life!

Kayla - She has fun no matter what she is doing. She speaks her mind and is not afraid to fail, learning from every mistake. She pushes through hardship and loves to laugh and enjoy the moment.

Chad - He's one of the most helpful people I know. He always goes the extra mile. He always has a smile on his face. He knows what he wants to do with his life and consistently makes choices to help him reach his goals.

Tayla - Sweet is the first word that I think of when think of Tayla. She's always positive and always helpful. Se puts herself out there in order to accomplish great things.

Nacolle - She is a good decision maker. She knows how to weigh her options and make the best choice based on the circumstances. She consistently puts other people's needs ahead of her own. This past weekend when things were so busy and hectic, Nacolle had to deal with some pretty heavy stuff to handle. Most people never knew because she put all of that aside to be an effective leader. I am so thankful for that attitude and her willingness to be so present.

I am so privileged to work with such a great group of student leaders. I don't know what I would have done without them is week!

Thankful Tuesday on Thursday - Mission Trip Experiences

Since my Tuesday was so busy, I had to move the Thankful Tuesday feature of the blog to Thursday for this week.

Since I'm currently in Kentucky on a mission trip, I thought I would focus this week's list of thankfulness on mission trip experiences, specifically this mission trip.

1. I'm thankful for a 1o year old who has the boldness to ask an adult he's just met if she knows Jesus.

2. I'm thankful for our evening devotions and hearing about the experiences of my team members and how God is moving in our group and in this town.

3. I'm thankful for rain showers, even if they force us to re-evaluate our plans for the day.

4. I'm thankful for the relationships I've built with other members of the team. I'm thankful for the barriers that God has broken down so that we can all serve together.

5. I'm thankful that we all have different gifts and strengths. I'm thankful that we are all members of one body. The "body" truly does need all of it's parts to work!

6. I'm thankful to get to see God's glory revealed in seemingly impossible situations.

7. I'm thankful to get to witness the concept of transformation in the physical sense to understand the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in the spiritual sense and the command we all have in scripture to be transformed, not conformed.

8. I'm thankful for Jim and Nancy Ramey who are such fearless and capable leaders! Their giving spirits and love for God is so evident in everything they do.

9. I'm thankful for Danny and Donna Petty for making sure we are so well fed this week. I've never been on a mission trip where we have three full course meals each day! They truly are serving God this week!

10. I'm thankful for the odd experiences you never expect:

• Seeing bears


• Walking a drunk woman home around midnight because she's convinced she saw bears...don't you know, the bears are everywhere!


• Seeing the emergency crews of a small mountain town respond to an explosion down the street from our home base for the week...and boy did they respond!

11. I'm thankful for late night conversations in rocking chairs on the front porch. We've solved some of the world's biggest problems out there.

12. I'm thankful for the missionaries, George and Robin Lewis, who work tirelessly to help the people of Eastern Kentucky. They minister to needs and share God's love in word and in deed.

13. I'm thankful for Rick and Christy Hunter, the missionaries who devote their days to the upkeep and management of Solomon's Porch, a wonderful retreat center that provides our team (and countless others) with a safe, warm (and cool) place to sleep each night. They help us feel right at home!

14. I'm thankful for the opportunity to just listen to people...to hear their stores...to realize that we all struggle but that we are all dearly loved by God, the one thing to help us through those struggles.

15. I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve God by serving others. It really is a humbling experience and one I wouldn't trade for the world. I am so very blessed. I take so many things for granted. I serve an amazing God who consistently does amazing things. I serve a loving God who loves us in spite of our failures. I serve a faithful God who is a sure refuge, his coming is as sure as the dawn (Hosea 6). I serve a patient God who keeps on making a way. I serve a majestic God who creates beauty beyond my wildest imagination. I serve a holy God who chooses us to walk along beside Him. I am thankful most of all for the opportunity to serve this God, the one true God, this week in Lynch/Cumberland, Kentucky!

Kentucky Mission Trip - Day 3

Tonight, I was telling some of our youth about my early morning run. I told them no one was awake except for the dog who chased me. They were quite alarmed until I told them that the dog only chased me as far as his leash would let him! To the edge of the yard. They then asked if it was a scary dog, to which I responded, "Not really. It was just a beagle." One of the girls remarked, " Kim, you made it sound like it was a really big, viscous event, and then we find out it was a little dog on a leash.". My response..."It was more interesting that way, wasn't it?"

This made me think of how sometimes we really do exaggerate our enemies. However, our team had one enemy against us today that needs no exaggeration. While he was a mighty foe, he was NOT undefeatable. The day started out great. Our construction team finished two projects they had started the day before. The other members of the group headed to the Freedom Center, a local outreach ministry led by our missionaries! George and Robin Lewis. We split up once we arrived, with some leading a Bible Study for a group of women and others heading to their warehouse to sort donations. We all gathered back at the Freedom Center after meeting us with a team from Illinois and helped as the thrift store opened for business. It was packed. I was so proud of the youth and children in our group. They jumped right into help. Some assisted shoppers. Blaine Dempsey was an excellent greeter and cashier. Ashley Ramey and I had a fun time changing out the display window from a summer theme to a back to school theme. Although it took us awhile, we finally learned that the best way to dress a mannequin is to takeoff her arms first. Another group of our children and youth found a group of local kids just down the street setting up a lemonade stand. They quickly became the marketing team for this lemonade stand. They wanted to make sure these kids were successful. They even spent about $10 of their own money on $0.25/cup lemonade. They were buying cups and giving it away to shoppers in the thrift store, attentive to the needs of both audiences. Chrystal Sheppard cut hair. You should have seen how happy her "customers" were with the finished project. One gentleman named Rooster had a magnificent transformation with just a simple haircut. I promise to post before and after pictures tomorrow.

Around lunch, the enemy came out to fight. Due to the unexpected and things out of our control, lunch was ready later than we anticipated. This seemed to put us further behind than it really should have. We even considered not going to play with the kids at the apartment complex in Lynch as we had promised because of the time crunch, however that group forged on and was able to continue to minister to those children and their families. Many members of our group were riddled with headaches and struggled to keep going, but the rest of us started loading up supplies for our family fun night in the park. We were showing an outdoor movie, and we thought we had everything we needed. Just before we walked out the door ( around 4:45 or so), it hit me that I had not seen us load a projector on the truck. A projector is pretty vital to showing an outdoor movie. I was in charge of the technical stuff so knew we had everything else. As soon as I voiced my concern, a small wave of panic spread throughout the group. I made a call to the church to confirm whether or not a projector was sent with us. It was not. I had seen one small baptist church in the town. I suggested that someone call them to see if they had one we could borrow. It was then that a picture flashed across my mind, a snapshot of something I has seen earlier in the day while driving down a street I didn't know existed. I had seen and made note of the Cumberland Public Library. To be honest, I was a little astonished that the town even had a public library. I knew they would have a projector. Only one problem...it was almost 5 pm. We knew it was probable that the library closed at 5. Greg Sheppard quickly looked up the number and was greeted by Pat the librarian. Pat had her keys in her hand and was ready to walk out the door when she decided to answer our call. She was our angel. Not only did she allow us to borrow the projector, but she also waited the 15 minutes it took for us to get to the library and stayed on the phone with us, giving us directions on how to get to her. Enemy's arrow avoided!

We arrived at Russell Drive and began setting up. The housing authority manager had left the power on in a utility building, allowing us to access the outlets on the outside of the building. we quickly tripped a breaker. The enemy was sending another arrow our way. There was no one on duty in the office after 5. But one of the residents across the street and another vocational missionary helped us get in touch with Henry, the maintenance supervisor for the complex. Henry left the comfort of his own home and family and came to our rescue. He flipped the breaker, showed us where another outlet was, loaned us more extension cords and a much needed power strip, and even left the door to the utility building open in case we tripped a breaker again. As having access to power was vital to our showing of the movie, another arrow of the enemy was avoided. People ate, played corn hole, had their nails painted and their hair wrapped, wrestled, raced, and enjoyed a good movie.

The devil was out in full force today. He wanted to keep us from reaching out to people, from talking with people, from sharing with people. But he FAILED miserably! It was not of our own doing. In fact, everything we tried on our own was falling apart. God, however, held it together. He met our needs. We were able to serve Him by serving others. Our God is stronger!!!!!!

Pictures coming tomorrow!

Kentucky Mission Trip - Day 2

Today was filled with the unexpected. We've quickly learned that people in this area don't seem to awaken until after lunch. We gad some kids come to our game day today who proudly proclaimed they had just eaten breakfast (waffles) at 2 pm. The unexpected led us to change our game plan for the rest of the week. The unexpected also allowed us to invite even more people to our family fun movie in the park night. Please pray for us on Tuesday night that during this event we will have opportunities to share the Gospel with lots of people.

Another unexpected turn of events was an explosion at a house just down the street from where we are staying. Coincidentally, this house is right across the street from a house our construction team was working on today. Thankfully, our team was finished when the explosion occurred, but our hearts go out to the young people who were injured in the blast. There were more police, ambulances, and firetrucks on the scene throughout the evening than you would find visiting Krispy Kreme in one 24 hour shift. The police initially ruled it as a meth lab explosion, but they have since said it was a chemical grenade of some kind. The details were not very forthcoming, but our prayers are with those who were injured. Events like this one are unexpected in the small town of Lynch, KY. This town of 800 people or so is usually very quiet. This is the second major incident in the town in the past three days. On Sunday before we arrived, there was a drive by shooting in Lynch. I can only guess that the residents of this city are on edge, maybe even fearful. Maybe God has our team here for such a time as this.

Today as we were walking the streets of Lynch in search of part of our team (did I mention we couldn't find them...in a town with a population of less than 1000, one main road, a post office, a half-sized mini-mart, and no traffic lights...still we couldn't find them), I prayer walked the city as we searched. As I passed by the various homes, I prayed for the people who lived there. I'm pretty sure I prayed over the home where this explosion took place. It was an unexpected walk, an unexpected moment, an unexpected opportunity, but it opened the door to me thinking about the people inside the houses, their lives, their struggles, their needs. God is definitely using the unexpected.

Please join me in praying for the people here. These are some names and specific needs our team encountered today:

Cody - salvation and a ceasing of distractions
Michael - salvation
Katie - overcoming loneliness and pain after knee surgery
The Lewis' neighbor - blood clots around his heart
Jimmy - overcoming addiction; understanding that the righteousness of Christ is not just for eternity but is ours to put on and claim and live with all of the rights thereof in this life
Joyce - overcoming addiction and openness to the gospel

Kentucky Mission Trip - Day 1

We made it...and there were no flat tires. Thankfully the trip up was uneventful. Props go to Alton Gilbert for navigating the Penske truck over the 90 degree turns of Black Mountain. We arrived a little before 8 pm and settled into Solomon's Porch, our home and base camp for the next week.

We were able to spend some time with missionaries, George and Robin Lewis and Rick Hunter. They helped us focus our game plan for Monday. we've got a group going out to do some construction work, a group going to do children's ministry at local apartment complexes, and a group going to do laundromat ministry.

After devotion and prayer, several of us gathered on the porch for an impromptu time of singing and worship, led by our awesome youth. We were reminded in our devotion that we are all part of the body of Christ, chosen and set apart to do His will. Our prayer was that we all put on love this week and let the love of Christ be the light that the people of Lynch and Cumberland, KY see.

Tonight, on the way up the mountain we stopped at the very top, the highest point in Kentucky. A line from a praise and worship song kept running through my head up at that highest point

Let your name be lifted higher, be lifted higher, be lifted higher

That is my prayer for the week, that the name of Jesus be lifted higher...higher than that highest mountain peek, higher than we've ever known, higher so that the lost will be drawn to Him.

I Forgot I Was Chosen

I type tonight in a strange place. An old miner's hospital turned retreat center. A place where healing was once it's purpose. A place where people come to heal and be healed, even today. A place that is bigger than these stone walls. A place where people need to be loved. A place where people need hope. A place where people need a second chance. A place not all that different from the home I left this morning. Sure, the people are different, the accents are different, the landscape is different, but one thing remains the same: need still exists.

Over the past few days, I've been focusing on my need...doubting that God even knows or cares about my need. I've lived selfishly. I've made some pretty bad decisions. I've deliberately sinned. I've doubted God's promises. I've doubted God's love. I've even doubted God's goodness. I decided that my need was more important than God's will. I hurt someone else. I was wrong, and I moved forward trying to fulfill my need even when I knew I was wrong. How could I let this happen? It happened because I failed to see myself as God sees me, as one chosen and made righteous.

In Colossians 3:12 we are instructed to clothe ourselves with righteousness, but over the past few days I've not just failed to "dress appropriately." I traded my clothing of righteousness for rags. To continue with the clothing metaphor, I traded Saks 5th Avenue for Ross and TJ Maxx! I convinced myself that I deserved better than what God was offering but I failed to see that what God offers is far better than anything my human mind can conceive. I forgot that I was chosen. I forgot that I am set apart. So here I am in this strange place, a place with a legacy of healing, asking my God to show His healing power once again. I am not so different than those I have come here to serve. I need healing...many of them need healing. I need to be loved...many of them need to be shown love. I need to be reminded that I was chosen...they need to know they were chosen.  Chosen by the creator of this universe to be set apart, holy, special, and for a purpose. Our mistakes from yesterday don't have to define us. Every need we have can be fulfilled through Him.

So in this strange place I find a familiar peace in a magnificent God. I pray that I will be able to share that same peace with others in need.