One more about some artist I know....

I'm sure I'm leaving someone out even thought I've perused my IPad's list of artist several times.  I'll conclude this series with two more bands.

One of them is a sweet voiced singer in her own band now but was one of the original's in another band called Rosco Bandana.

Both bands feature kids I knew when I was a Mississippi Youth Minister.

Emily is the youngest of three really talented siblings.  The oldest one was in college before we became friends but a few years later I was privileged to officiate at her wedding.  The middle child was our awesome drummer for the 605 Band mentioned in a previous post.  Emily I think was in the 9th or 10th grade, maybe younger, when I left Mississippi to begin overseas work.  Looking back on it and if I had stayed there instead of going overseas, then she probably should have been the next "face" and "voice" for our worship band.  She was...and is... RICH in talent.  Great voice, plays at least a couple instruments, and incredible stage presence.

Honestly, I really don't know much about her band or the music on the album she just released this week.  I don't know much about the other band she started with either, Rosco Bandana...but you should look them up and read some of the stories about them.

http://www.roscobandana.com/
You can find Della Memoria on Facebook and also on ITunes.

The leader for Rosco is another kid I knew during my Gulfport days.  His name is Jason. He was always a really bright kid and he got it honestly- I always thought his sisters and parents were brainy.  Jason and I didn't always see eye to eye and he really wasn't active in our youth ministry but I generally considered all the kids in town back then as kids I cared for and ministered with.  His grandfather was a Deacon in the church I served so I did watch him grow up during those years I lived on the Coast.

A few years back (all this is long after I left Mississippi), Jason and some of his friends formed Rosco and then won an international competition at Hard Rock Cafe which led to, I think, Hard Rock Records first signed artist.  You definitely should look them up on ITunes- it's a really great rockabilly, folksy sound.  And they even have videos!

So what I have here is one of their videos that features both Jason and Emily (Jason is the lead vocalist and shows up first in the video with the head full of hair; Emily is the completely stunning brunette driving the car at about the 1 minute mark).



A concept video is cool and all that, but you really need to see them perform.  They performed in England as part of the Hard Rock competition and if they ever make it Central Europe, I'd like to see them.



And here's Emily's band jamming out in concert.  I couldn't find a vid of her singing.

Far less than 30 days of praise... worship artist that I personally know.

So I go to "songs" on my IPad and hit shuffle and start going until I land on an artist I know.

Right now, I'm having to re-think my definition of the word, "know".  Ok, not really...there's people I know and there's people I've "met".  They're not the same no matter how much I want it to be.

For instance- in all those years of being a Youth Minister back in Mississippi I had the opportunity to meet a LOT of well-known artist.  One of my Youth Minister tricks at summer camp every year was to find the camp pastor and/or worship leader and invite them to meet with my group during some free time- usually at night during a Debrief Time.  I always figured if my kids had a chance to meet and hear the heart of the people on stage every night that they would be that much more engaged.  I was right about that most of the time.

So, in the course of a lot of years of youth ministry I met people on my Ipad like Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, Billy and Cindy Foote, Matt Redman, Mike Weaver (Big Daddy Weave),  all the girls with the original Pointe of Grace, Stephen Curtis Chapman, Steve Camp, Michael Passons of Avalon, Chris Rice, Bebo Norman, Mac Powell, some less widely known guys and gals like Michael John Clement, Chris Davis, Kevin Williams, Chris Layton, Dave Hunt, Stephen and Star Smith, Steve Opie Thomas, Jake Gulledge, Jennifer Smith, my best friend's sister Janet Burns, and probably a lot more.

You can find music from almost all of them on ITunes or at least find them on the interwebz.  Jennifer Smith is one of those "kids" I first met at Mississippi Super Summer; she grew up and became a great youth leader and worship leader and a couple years ago raised funds from friends via a kickstarter-type campaign to record an album.  I really like it a lot!!  Some of those guys/gals above are itinerant worship leaders mostly in the Southeast; several of them serve faithfully on church staffs across the Mississippi and beyond.

Janet is a bit of celebrity in and around Copiah County. She's always had a great voice and couple years ago went to Nashville to record an album that's easily the most "country/gospel" on my playlist. She recorded one of the songs with her daughter Caitlyn (who is one of my most favorite kids in the world). You can find her ministry page on Facebook

I even went to school with a couple semi-celebrities.  The worship bands at the BSU (Baptist Campus Ministry) at Mississippi State were always phenomenal. During the years I was at State, the groups featured two singer/musicians that every KNEW would make it in the "industry".

Kim Hill- who has recorded numerous albums and has led worship for a ton of conferences etc and Jeff Slaughter.  Kim probably wouldn't know me from Adam but we have a lot of legitimate mutual friends.  Jeff and I shared some Mississippi Delta roots and we've exchanged pleasantries from time to time.  If you're Southern Baptist or if you you've ever used SBC Vacation Bible School material then you're familiar with Jeff. He's written the music for VBS since before the earth cooled.

My most recent musical acquaintance is Bria Blessing.  She's on ITunes, too.  She and her family are long-time missionaries in Ukraine- she's been here for something like 16 years. Earlier this year she took Ukraine's version of The Voice by storm. She almost won and probably more importantly, the exposure gave her an incredible platform to share the light of Christ (and it's BRIGHT in her) all over Ukraine, including several "USO" type appearances with soldiers fighting in Eastern Ukraine.  You don't have to know Ukrainian to understand what happens when she shares with the judges that she's an American (about 4:40 into the Youtube below).

Considerably less than 30 days of praise...artist that I personally know.

My original intent was to go through the Shuffle thingy on my Ipad until I landed on an artist that I personally know and then write a little about him or her.  I actually, probably, maybe do know enough people to have written a blog everyday in November...I've just been too busy to do so. For that reason, I'm combining some artist on one blog...beginning today.

Back in the late 1990's early 2000's I was ridiculously blessed with a fantastic Youth Worship Band where I served in Gulfport, Mississippi.  It was a perfect storm kind of thing.  For whatever reason, the local high school band kids made up a sizable portion of our student ministry so there were a lot of musically inclined kids.  And again, for whatever reason, I had an unusually large and active group of middle schoolers move into the high school ministry about the year 2000.

I had always wanted to reformat our existing mid-week Bible Study into a full-blown youth worship event but it takes a critical mass to do that.  About 2000 it happened: We had the numbers, we had some exceptionally musically gifted kids and we had just moved into a new building where we had a dedicated youth space.  Our mid-week numbers at least tripled that year and then more than doubled the next year when we outgrew the youth room and took over the church sanctuary for the next 3-4 years. We went from 10 kids on a Wednesday night to about 45 to about 125 in a three or four year stretch and I believed then (and now) that God used our Youth Worship Band- the 605 Band- much more than He used me.

I don't remember exactly, but I think the "worship/music" aspect started with me playing the guitar and one of those exceptional 9th graders, Jana, learning and playing guitar and singing.  Sometimes Tyler or Bill would play Djembe.  Both were amazing young drummers.  Several other girls helped sing- Elizabeth, Monica, Elan and Eden and others. I think we did that most of that first year with me gradually turning it over to them.

When we moved into the sanctuary the next year I asked my friends Tim and Sandy to take over training the band and we expanded to include occasional Keyboard, full drums, another guitar, sometimes a Bass and and Electric Guitar and at times, about 5 female singers. I remember at some point that year feeling like Tim and Sandy were leading and the kids were just sort of filling up space, so I asked them to step aside and let the kids sink or swim.

The rest is history. Divine, providential, really cool, history.

The band flourished.  I mean, they struggled on their own for a few months but by the time the next year rolled around they were simply amazing.

I remember one night, I think some of the kids or maybe one of the parents asked if Allie could sing a "special".  I had never heard her sing before.  I think she sang, "Heart of Worship" and I was blown away. What a voice!  And she and Jana sang together like they were created to do so.  Our drummer, Tyler, was world class.  Our Bassist, David was great. Our main male lead vocal, Ben, was a bit of a wild-card but most of the time he did his part well. Justin would sing sometimes too and mostly played the electric guitar. Allie added Keys to her repertoire and Jana mastered the guitar.

Over the years Justin and Tyler also played in some side bands as did the girls.

And if I ended there, it would be a good story.  But it get's better.

Jana, I'm sure is still a great guitar player and vocalist although she's pretty busy these days with a brand new baby girl.  She married a Nashville guitar player who is in a band most of the free world would know if I were to name-drop.

Justin is a worship and student pastor.  He's still singing and playing guitar and he's married and has a baby too.

I don't know if Tyler is still playing drums or not but he's from one of the most musically gifted families I know. He's married and has a baby!

David is a Funeral Director.  What??  The picture of a cool Bass Player giving comfort to grieving families is almost too much!

I once took Ben to Ukraine on a mission trip. Earlier this year he married a Ukrainian girl he met in college at South Alabama!  His parents, Tim and Sandy, continue to be great friends and supporters.

And Allie- the voice- She had a song featured on Grey's Anatomy and just released her 2nd or 3rd album, this one with a Welsh partner named Al Lewis.  You can find her on Itunes at Lewis & Leigh (Leigh is Allie's middle name).

Always last, but not least, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that we had a few technical geniuses running sound boards and computers for us, mostly Scott and Brandon.

The Original 605 Band; pardon the pun, but they were so instrumental in my ministry in Gulfport. They not only led us to the throne every Wednesday night but they were the "draw"- they were the reason so many kids attended every week and when they attended they experienced God through worship and hopefully they heard the Word and saw it being lived out in their peers and leaders. I couldn't script a more fruitful and fulfilling 4-6 year stretch of church youth ministry.  I'm still in contact with some of them; I'm not in contact with a few of them... but they will always have a most important place in my heart.

 Ben

 Bill

 David

 Jana

 Justin

 Scott

Allie

Tyler

Less than 30 Days of Praise...Worship Artists that I personally know

Nov 11- wee hours of the morning and my random shuffle artist generator on my Ipad comes up with The Tom Edwards Band.

Back in my Mississippi Youth Minister days I was pretty well-connected. I sort of knew everyone and they knew me.

A lot of my connections came from serving at the best kept summer camp secret ever- Mississippi Super Summer.  In the early years of Super Summer I think we had 4 or 5 "schools".  By the time I left Mississippi, Super Summer and grown exponentially and the number of schools had at least doubled. In addition to a Camp Pastor and Camp Worship Leader, each school also has a worship leader for the week so there's lots of opportunities for guys and gals to get some exposure.

One of those guys I met at Super Summer back in the day was Tom Edwards. Man, I'm a sucker for an acoustic guitar player in the first place and Tom is a great guitarist and a really strong song-writer. He can do all the "covers",  he can belt-out an old hymn in a way that will bring tears to your eyes...but gosh, the dude can write some great songs too.  His voice...I don't know, somewhere between velvet and butter.

One of my favorite memories of working with Tom was a couple months after Hurricane Katrina.  Our church sanctuary was toast.  Soppy, wet toast.  We had cleaned-up and relocated to our gymnasium.  All of our upstairs education space was being used to host visiting construction workers and teams.  School resumed about 6 weeks after the hurricane and with it we attempted to resume our "normal" Wednesday night activities which included our mid-week worship service called 605.  I wanted to kick it off in a special way so I invited Tom to come lead worship for us.  He actually had another gig lined-up but he wanted to come come help us out and the guy who originally had him booked was very gracious in allowing Tom to be with us instead.

In all honesty, it wasn't as big a night as I hoped it would be.  We didn't have a room full of kids (we were in the gym instead of the youth room which was still being used by teams) and I don't really remember much about the night.

What I remember is Tom's servant heart to be with us...and I remember all the other times, mostly at Super Summer, when I was always thrilled to worship with him.

Obviously I haven't been in "Youth Ministry" in Mississippi now for like, 7 years (has it been that long ago?) and I haven't kept up with Tom much except through Facebook...but what I know in so doing is that he has continued to impact a generation in Mississippi and beyond.  He's a staple worship-leader for myriad churches and youth leaders.  He is a worshiper; and he brings others with him. My "well-done" really doesn't mean much...but I believe he'll hear it in eternity and it will mean a whole lot more.


I have a couple of his CD's which I don't think are on ITunes but his two latest projects are available there. By all means check it out on ITunes and www.tomedwardsband.com

30 Days of Praise...or less...or something like that.

November 4- I went back to the song shuffle mode on my IPad again today and stopped at the first artist that I personally know and it landed on Bethany Barr Phillips.

She's on ITunes and has a website www.bethanybarrphillips.com.

Bethany has been one of my favorite worship leaders for a long time...in fact, I've loved worshiping under her leadership since she was in about the 9th grade! Seriously.

I don't remember exactly when I first met Bethany but I distinctly remember her singing for us in Blue School at Mississippi Super Summer back in the very late 90's.  I remember her singing the old song, "One Name Under Heaven" and rocking the hippie-ish "free, really free my friend"  and then "God is gonna move in this pla a a a a a ce".  I remember her as a student at Super Summer by day but taking the stage at night to sing back-up with the camp worship leader Dave Hunt.

She's come a LONG WAY!

Sometime in the early 2000's, Bethany was a college student and was leading worship for youth events.  I invited her to lead worship and be a girls small group leader at my DiscipleNow Weekend in Gulfport, MS. Of course she was phenomenal...but for more than just leading worship.  She empowered the girls in my youth group, especially a few budding musician/worship leaders.  Really, I credit Bethany with being such an incredible catalyst for some of the kids in my church and I look back on that time as the beginning of an exceptional youth worship band at our church.

Bethany went on to marry a Pro Baseball Player (who is a college coach now I think) and in recent years she's really started to take-off well beyond the confines of Youth Group DischipleNow Weekends! She's both headlining events and sharing the stage with lots of big names. But not just because of her great voice and talent or musical experience (having done this for quite a few years now!).

No...she's where she is because, as one of the testimonials on her website says, "she leads out of a place she lives...in the presence of God."  She's still a young one (always will be to me, I guess!) but she's faced cancer and losing a baby.  Her songwriting and music reflect those struggles but also the ever-present Jesus that  walked with her through those trials. Her album, "Roots Run Deep" addresses those trials,  with pain and honesty and with the hope we have in Christ.  I especially like the songs "Treasure", "Lamb of God" and "Mother's Arms".  The title track from her EP Show Love  was written in response to the call to be the hands and feet of God after the 2011 Tornado's near her home in Alabama.  I really like "Satisfied" on that album.

Thanks, Bethany, for making my music selection on my IPad better, but moreso for encouraging me with your life and music.

30 Days of Praise...or something like that.

I did this a few years ago... the blog-a-day about some of the blessings in my life. Last week I had an idea for a twist on that.  I was listening to some music while doing some woodworking and I was thinking about how a lot of the music on my IPad is from artist that I personally know.  So I'm going to attempt to speak some praise and encouragement about some people and music that are special to me. This series might not be limited to music artist; maybe I'll throw in some guys/gals I know that are involved in some other ministries. And I probably won't try to do this everyday.

First up, hitting "Artist" on my IPad and then Shuffle...and going until I see the first artist that I know.

November 1- Chris Telfer.

Chris is a rugged Colorado guy that was on the World Race with me back in 2007.  I don't think I've seen him since then but we're still Facebook friends and he also married one of the fabulous girls that traveled with us so I'm able to sort of keep up with them via FB and Instagram.  He and his lovely wife Jenny have a little girl and a baby boy.

Chris is a great worship leader, a great songwriter, guitar player, and singer.  He's led many a worship session in places all over the world.  Since returning home he's released a couple of albums (available on ITunes).  I highly recommend his stuff.  He also has a website: http://christelfermusic.com/

Chris's songwriting is really honest, transparent, real.  Most of his music is acoustic guitar driven and mellow; some of it is really catchy but not in a sold-out pop music way.

Sitting here listening to some excerpts of his music and it's hard to pick a favorite.

His 2012 Album called MATOO (Men Against the Trafficking of Others- an organization another former World Racer founded) features a title track called Matoo.  It's an anti-trafficking song in the vein of the great folk-commentary songs of the Civil Rights era.

Child Listen Closely features sweet guitar picking and some catchy "ladadada's" as well as a message probably inspired by the birth of his first child.

Dead Things Come Alive is probably my favorite track on this album.  It reminds me a lot of the culture of the World Race of speaking life over one another.

Chris's 2010 Album, Rooted Deep, features a little more musical diversity.  I really dig the Mandolin (I think) in I Will Remember and the harmonica (and message) in Lift.

Good stuff and I'm glad to say I know the guy!

I'm not what I once was and now I know, I'm not yet what I will be.

One of the things I miss most living here in Ukraine is the chance to do something with my hands- to work on something, to tinker.  Earlier this year I moved into an unfurnished apartment and almost immediately set to the challenge of building some corner shelves and a coffee table.  

I REALLY enjoyed it.  And it was a challenge.  I didn't have any tools here.  Back in Mississippi I still have a storage unit FULL of tools. Back in Mississippi I've got enough tools to rebuild a car or build a house.  Here in Ukraine I think I had a screwdriver and a pair of pliers before I started building furniture.

I still don't have all the toys I need (or want) but I have enough stuff now to not have to go completely Amish.  

A few days ago I noticed a pile of double pane wooden window frames, most with the glass still in them piled outside where someone in the apartment is obviously remodeling; probably upgrading to plastic frames and fancy insulated windows.  I grabbed two of the smaller windows frames; I'm going to build matching glass-top, shadow-box end tables with them.

As I began this week chipping and sanding decades of white paint off the frames it looks like there's nothing special about the wood underneath.  It was probably the cheapest utility wood that would do the job back in the 70's when this building was built.  

But I have a feeling I'll be able to bring some new life to them.

I know "reclaiming" old stuff is a fad these days.  I'm ok with that.  It makes sense to re-imagine and re-use stuff.  And it has so much more character than anything (EVERYTHING) from Ikea, right?

And there's that whole redemption thing.

I've got a bunch of layers on me.  Some of them toxic, really.  I wouldn't be surprised if this paint I'm chipping and sanding isn't lead-based.  (One of the benefits of being a 50 year old single guy is that I don't give a crap about the safety hazard!  But I digress.) 

There's something beautiful about chipping away at all that junk though and exposing something that's been lost for years: The grain of the wood- even if it's the cheap stuff, the craftsmanship of tongue and groove and nails instead of whatever those things are that hold Ikeacrap together.  And all that newly exposed wood takes on new life and new beauty with some fresh coats of Stain- not layers of lead-based paint that masks everything (the beauty as well as the flaws), but Stain that gets absorbed so as to intensify and accentuate what's there rather than cover it up.  

And doesn't that piece of furniture look so much better when you spent hours sanding it by hand or when you added a layer of Stain and a light sanding everyday for one or two weeks?

My life is stained for sure.  Stain is difficult to remove. Stain is absorbed and becomes a part of who you are.  Removing it takes a LOT of time; you have to cut deep to get it out and by the time you do that you might just destroy what you're working on.  Stains aren't all bad then. Like I said, it intensifies and accentuates the character; actually, it contributes to the character most of the time.

One more thing I like about this reclamation fad is the idea of re-purposing.  I like the idea of taking something useless and giving it a reason to live again.  I can do it with a piece of wood; God can do it with a living, human being.  I think only He really knows what our shelf-life is supposed to be and until that time comes we might be a window frame for a while and then a table and then who knows what.  He chips away at what we're hiding behind and we drape ourselves in it just about as fast. He chips away some more and eventually reveals what's underneath.  The stains we absorb, the dents and scratches and scars become a part of us for better or worse.  

Ah the stories my little end tables could tell.  I started out as a tree in Hungary and I watched the world at war around me.  Then I became a window to the world below me and a window into the lives of countless families peering through me for 40 years.  One day I was tossed aside to be replaced by something newer and prettier but then I was rescued. Some scars were too deep to be repaired but scars are just tatoos that tell a story.  The next thing I knew I was a table that held food and drinks and family pictures and housed personal treasures.  One day I was tossed aside expecting to be replaced by something newer and prettier but then I was rescued. I'm not what I once was and now I know, I'm not yet what I will be.

Check back in a few weeks to see how it turns out!

Alzheimer's

Five years ago on June 6, 2009 (D-Day + 55) I wrote this blog in honor of my Daddy (born on June 6 just 12 years before the famous invasion of Europe in 1944).

http://ministryhappens.blogspot.com/2009/06/d-day-my-dads-birthday.html

Today, my brother and sister-in-law are driving him from his beloved Mississippi to Georgia where he will, tomorrow, become a resident of a nursing home.

Several weeks ago- not long at all-he started suffering severe delusions and hallucinations.  He had already been "seeing things"- something we thought had more to do with his progressive Macular Degeneration and subsequent loss of sight.  But a few weeks ago things apparently took a nosedive. He was admitted at a hospital where he diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

None of us saw it coming.

None of us are able to give him the specialized care he needs.

None of us live in a safe-enough environment for him to live even if we could be at his beck-and-call 24 hours a day.

And so this morning he was finally released from the hospital; by tomorrow he should be a new resident of a nursing home that's as nice as nursing homes can be.  It's a place where my oldest sister and her husband- and even my mother- have volunteered for years and so they already know the staff and many of the residents.  I even spoke there about Ukraine when I was in the States this past Spring and found many of the residents there that evening to be very knowledgeable about current events.

In the weeks that he's been in the hospital I've heard about the good days and the bad days and the atrocious days.  Hopefully properly balanced medication and a safe environment and a routine will eliminate the atrocious days.  On those days, as I've heard about them, it seems his shell is the only vestige of who he is; who he always has been.  On the good days of course, it's still Daddy inside and out; albeit quite confused about what's happening to him and around him.

At this point we're not entirely sure he understands what's happening today; what will happen tomorrow when, at the end of the day, my brother and sis-in-law take their leave and go back to Mississippi.

Daddy won't be alone. My sister and brother-in-law and Mom are nearby.

And you know, if you read the blog I wrote 5 years ago you might see that, my Dad is the most social "introvert" I've ever known.  Being around people; being able to tell stories- even if they stem from an Alzheimer's induced delusion- might be good for him.

I have felt so bad for my sisters and brother over these past several weeks.  I hate that they're the ones having to make these hard decisions; having to make this tough drive today.  I hate that I'm thousands of miles away.  And at the same time- I hate that I'm sometimes glad that I am thousands of miles away.

I'm hoping and praying for good days for my Dad.  I'll get back to the States in December I think and I hope to be there for some good days.  

Slow Down

Finally, a week that hasn't been too crazy.

I've essentially enjoyed a little "Staycation" this week.  Our Ruka Dopomogy leaders have been out of town on vacation so no RD Staff Meetings this week.  Doug has been sick so no ITeams Staff Meeting.

Our Church is hosting a great conference led by a couple of Brits this week and even though I haven't attended most of the sessions I have made a couple of appearances to help lead worship.

Monday night during Band practice I got a call from our Pastor and was asked if I could host a young guy from Budapest who was in town to attend the conference.  It was a pretty quick turnaround but I said yes and a couple hours later I had another "tenant" at the Clinton Hostel.

Earlier today I got a FB message from a friend wanting to know if I could host a mutual friend that was passing through town for the evening...so I went home early (had been in the office doing some writing) and cleaned my room for her and made arrangements to move into the bunk room for the night with Budapest Ben.  Turns out she missed her train and couldn't make it after all but the rest of us got a nice big meal out of it and I got clean sheets on my bed!

Having 2 (well, one extra) guests during the week got me thinking about how many folks have stayed in my apartment since moving here back in January.  I think there have been about 18 different people that have spent one or more nights here.  A whole World Race team stayed a month.  One Intern lived here for 2 months, and 2 of them for almost 3 months.  I had some friends stay here for 3 weeks before I even had boxes unpacked.  Today I bought a nice blank book to use as a Guest Register.  Wish I had thought of that back in January!

And that's why I wanted my own apartment. My own place to hang my own pictures.  I'm still an introvert (probably more than ever before in my life) but I do enjoy hosting. I enjoy preparing meals and giving people a comfortable place to stay (maybe that's a holdover from my World Race days!).  I actually don't know where exactly this enjoyment comes from.  I don't think I have a Spiritual Gift for hospitality per se.  Rather, I just like to cook and I like to serve (sometimes...don't go thinking I'm saintly or anything- I'm not!) and in terms of hosting teams, I like being in the background and setting them up to be successful.

I'm back

So, it's been a long time since I last blogged.  I really need to get back into the habit!

Where to begin?

It's overwhelming.  It would probably be overwhelming even if I had been blogging religiously all summer.

Ukraine is crazy.  It's still, just, crazy.

I've said this a hundred times...just when you think things are turning for the better politically it seems like it doesn't.  There was fear back in February that Russia would launch an invasion of Ukraine and dadgummit that fear is still there.  The latest of course is the 280 Truck "Humanitarian Aid" Convoy that Russia is supposed to be sending to Ukraine.  Many believe they are Trojan Horses in the form of 18 wheelers.  Many feel that either they will be used outright to bring in troops, or they will be targeted and thus used as a provocation to allow Russia to enter Ukraine or lastly, they could just be humanitarian aid.  Nobody knows.

And that's  life here in Ukraine.

Here in the West there's no real threat even if there were an invasion but that doens't mean the effects aren't being felt here.  We're supposed to be having a meeting in the next few weeks of most of the Pastors in the community to assess how we're dealing with Refugees.  I suspect that every church is doing ministry but what I haven't seen is any coordinated response.  That's what I hope will come out of our meeting.

In other news- I had 3 Summer Interns all summer.  They were fantastic.  I couldn't have asked for anything more or better.  They set the bar high for future summer workers.  Another 2 month short term volunteer arrives in 2 weeks and then a 2 year team member is scheduled to arrive in October.

I have worked at 5 summer camps this summer and will probably help at another one next week.

I'd love to take a vacation but I can't afford it right now.

A refugee is living with me right now.  I don't like referring to her as a refugee; she's a friend.  We met in 2009 when I worked in Lugansk, in Eastern Ukraine, which today is a war-torn near ghost town.  Her parents and grandparents are still there so everyday I know is tense for her.  She wants to go back; to help rebuild...but no one knows when that will be an option.  So for now she's thinking of putting down some roots here, trying to find a place to work and minister. Say a prayer for her...and the 100,000+ in her shoes right now in Ukraine.


I leave you with a picture or two from an awesome Children's Camp sponsored by my church here in Ukraine.

Guest Post from Summer Intern- Karah

Karah is from Illinois and is a student at Spring Arbor University in Michigan.  She's studying Psychology and Urban Studies which is a really interesting cross-discipline approach to urban development.  I wish we were further along in our "Transform Uzhgorod" project so she could really dig in to the "psyche" of the people in our community, particularly with the Roma people and help us figure out how to go about seeing this community and lives transformed by the power of God.

In the last month that I have been interning with International Teams, I have learned so much. I have learned that serving overseas is a lot like living in the States. It require diligent faithfulness each day. There are moments of joy and moments of tiredness. I have laughed and cried with the people I serve with. I have seen God moving powerfully in the churches here and have felt pain as I have seen the poverty of the Roma communities. I have built deep friendships with the two other interns who I am serving with. I am so thankful for those girls. They challenge and encourage me; their enthusiasm and devotion spurs me on as we serve together.

Serving as an intern here in Ukraine has provided me with the opportunity to work hard, but to also take time to develop friends with other Ukrainian young adults. Our days are not only filled with visiting orphans, holding abandoned babies and serving at day camps, but also with coffee dates and cooking parties as we get to know the hearts and lives of the people around us. I often stop and look around me and am struck with how blessed I am to be here. I feel that I have been poured into more than I could ever pour out. I have felt the arms of God keenly through the people I have met here. It is so encouraging to see the ministries that are being implemented and to hear International Teams long term goals for Uzhgorod. The journey so far has been incredible and I am excited to see how God shows up in the month ahead!

Guest Post from Summer Intern- Anna

Here's a guest post from one of our summer interns, Anna from Mississippi.  Anna is the oldest of 7 and the daughter of a college friend.  Her parents (and 5 of her siblings) are missionaries in Swaziland in Africa.  Anna is studying Criminology at Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans.  She was the first to arrive this summer and she'll be the first to leave in just a few weeks.  But as you can see below...this might not be her only trip to Ukraine!

I had been praying to come to Ukraine for years. I'd never been set on doing missions work in any particular country--wherever I went was fine with me--but I'd always had a particular fascination with the USSR and its former territories. I imagined that some day I'd come up with an excuse for going there, but I'd never planned on doing missions work there per se. 

Despite that, for years I had been praying to come to Ukraine specifically. My mom knows Clinton from college, so I'd heard him talking about Ukraine on visits to the U.S., and had read the newsletters my parents got from him about Ukraine the entire time he's lived here. He'd even mentioned to me a few times that I should "think about coming to Ukraine". And I had. But after four years of seriously praying about it, and always hearing "not yet", I'd almost given up on coming to Ukraine--at least for missions work. 

Last summer, as I was praying about what to do this summer, God finally said, "It's time. You can go to Ukraine." 

As thrilled as I was to--finally!--be going to Ukraine, I really had no idea what to expect from it. I had done some reading, and was religiously following the Maidan movement, but perspectives on Ukraine and its current climate where skewed at best, and many were biased. I've only been here a month, and will sadly be leaving in three more weeks, but I've already come to learn more about Ukraine and this Slavic region than I could've ever dreamed of. I don't know what the years have ahead for me, but I know this won't be my last time in Ukraine.     

Home, Hectic Home

Did I mention that my return "home" to Uzhgorod was a little hectic and a real slap to my all-too-often lack of faith?

Let's go back to the Thursday morning that I left Atlanta.

I printed my boarding pass from a Kiosk and while I was there I had an opportunity to purchase a Day Pass for one of the Airline lounges which I thought was a good idea since I had about an 8 hour layover in Chicago.

Once I got to Chicago I got... confused.  I was flying KLM from Chicago to Detroit to Amsterdam to Budapest but it turns out that KLM flies out of two different terminals in Chicago, from both a domestic terminal and an international terminal.  I assumed I was flying from the international terminal so I went there and discovered that the ticket desk didn't open till noon...and I was not in the "secure" area of the airport because my ATL-Chicago leg was a separate ticket/ separate flight....so I was lugging my baggage around with me and I couldn't access the lounge area that I paid for because I couldn't get a boarding pass to enter the secure area!  Frustrated yet?

So I sat in the cheap seats until noon and then learned that my flight actually originated from the domestic terminal in which I could have received a boarding pass for earlier that morning had I know.  Once there, I promptly either sat my IPad down or it fell out of my backpack or it was pickpocketed...I don't know.  I just know I lost it and the Airport Police were most unhelpful.

With the help of another passenger we were able to track my IPad to a part of the airport but we couldn't find it so I boarded my flight thinking I had seen the last of my IPad.

Oh...I almost got bumped from my flight...thought I was gonna get a voucher for a free flight...but ended up getting bumped to first class on another flight and going through Paris.  Ok, Business Class was nice...but with the last minute change, the airline lost my baggage.

And then, instead of delivering my bag to the hostel in Budapest where I spent 4 nights, they delivered it to Uzhgorod and almost couldn't deliver it because I wasn't there.  Fortunately, I was able to contact my friends in Uzhgorod and they were able to get my baggage for me.  Whew!

Thanks to the IPads recovery software, I got an email from an airport employee who found my IPad...we were able to get it mailed to one of our Interns in time for her to bring it to me when she arrived a few days later.

Crazy!!

And then when I finally go to Ukraine there were 6 young ladies from the World Race staying in my apartment.  I was really glad to be able to bless them with a free place to stay (since I wasn't here most of the month anyway) and they certainly were a blessing to a lot of people in Uzhgorod...but still...6 of them, plus two of our summer interns means I shared my apartment with 8 girls for a few days.  Never a dull moment!!

I'm glad to be back though.  I have good friends here and Gods work is visible and tangible.

The Presidential Elections went off pretty well I think and it appears that a lot of the trouble in the East is perhaps starting to simmer down.  Hopes are a little higher than usual I think...although it doesn't take much.

I went to my first Ukrainian School Graduation tonight...maybe I'll write about it in the next few days.

Countdown To Ukraine- 3 days

I'm sitting at a Starbucks in Birmingham, Alabama in what is a pretty typical day for me over the last few weeks.  I'm catching up on some computer work, drinking a White Chocolate Mocha, and waiting on an 11:30 lunch get-together with an old friend.

Yesterday I drove my Jeep on the Interstate from Gulfport to Birmingham.  Think of driving a riding lawnmower really fast!

I spent last couple of nights with great friends...also typical of the last few weeks. I spent Friday night with Stik at his parents' home. Saturday night in Gulfport with David and Lindy before speaking at Bayou View Baptist Church yesterday, and last night with Charles and Paula.

Gulfport is always a mixed bag. Some bridges have been burned, some by my own hand and others that weren't.  Yet I can definitely see that I'm blessed with great friends. I saw it in Gulfport, I saw it last night, and I've seen it the whole time I've been home.

At the same time I also have a home in Ukraine.  And as crazy as this sounds...with all the turmoil that's going on there, this is the first time I'm taking a lot of personal things back with me...pictures and art and books...stuff I want around me in my "home".

You know, often times I stumble over the simple question, "where are you from?"  I've lived several places; I have significant ties in several places, but I really don't have a "home".  Living the way I have, especially the last several years makes me very cognizant of the fact that this world is not my home.

Countdown to Ukraine- 6 days to go

Countdown to Ukraine

This coming Sunday morning will be my 12th speaking engagement in my 6 week trip to the States.  I remember telling friends in Ukraine before I left that because of how fast things are changing in Ukraine these days that it was likely that my presentation would change from week to week. And in some ways it has.

I could probably write a blog about each speaking engagement.  I've spoken in churches that I previously had no relationship with and I've spoken in churches that have been really important in my spiritual formation.  This weekend I'll speak at Bayou View Baptist Church in Gulfport where I was the Associate Pastor and Student Minister for more than 12 years.  A few weeks ago I spoke at Holly Bluff Baptist Church near my junior high and high school hometown and saw schoolmates I haven't seen in 30+ years!  I've spoken mornings and nights, Sundays and Wednesdays, to adults and to youth and children.

I've seen a lot of friends but not all of them by a long shot.  I never was at any one place more than 2-3 days so it was hard to get settled.

It's been fun. I've driven about 4000 miles and I'm not as tired as I feel like I should be.  The first two weeks back in Ukraine look a lot more tiring to me right now.  I will return next Thursday but I will need to meet and escort three summer interns from Budapest to Uzhgorod over a 2-3 week period beginning less than a week after I get back.

I think in one of the next blogs I'll touch on one or two of those speaking engagements in more detail.  Today, at this very moment I'm sitting in The Country Fisherman, a seafood/catfish buffet in Prentiss, MS waiting on one of those lifelong friends.  I'll spend the night tonight and then I'm headed to the MS Coast tomorrow.

Countdown to Ukraine

Since it's been so long since I wrote a blog I figured I'd try writing a blog a day until I leave for Ukraine this time next week.

I actually have a LOT to cover but I think I'll start with this Renovation Project.

Is it any wonder that my favorite American TV Shows are the DIY and HGTV shows...this Nicole Curtis girl that renovates homes in the Minneapolis area is pretty awesome.  and pretty.  If anyone knows her, how about asking her to come to Ukraine and help us with our Ministry Center!

But I digress.

Last year the church I work with the most in Ukraine, Church of the Living God in Uzhgorod started renting space in a very centrally located building downtown.  It turns out that a lot of space adjacent to the building was available so our ministry, International Teams, decided to rent that space for the purpose of creating a Ministry Center and Coffee House.

We are trying our hand at Crowdsourcing.  That is, we want to harness the power of social media to raise funds to complete the renovation.  It's our first time.  You've probably seen crowdsourcing before in the form of KickStarter or Razoo.  We chose CrowdTilt.com because our Team in Spain recently used it successfully.

One thing you'll notice if you look right now is that we appear to only have raised about 16% of our goal of $10360 but in reality, because of "offline" funds- checks that have been sent directly to International Teams have not been credited yet.  In reality, we've raised almost 50% with 17 more days to go.  We can do it! But we need your help!!  Check out our CrowdTilt!

Eight Years

It's no surprise that I was wide awake at 1:30 this morning. I'm a night owl to begin with but of course there's more to it than that.

About 1:30 this morning marked the 8th anniversary of Kim's passing.

Last night I lay in bed thinking about my current surroundings. I'm in Sochi, Russia. The Winter Olympics were held here a few weeks ago. The Winter Paralympics is happening right now. Everyday I ride a CableCar up a mountain where athletes are competing for medals.

I lay in bed last night thinking about a February or March 12 or so years ago when Kim and I took some of our high school seniors and some college kids snow skiing in Glorieta, NM.  Skiing was one of Kim's bucket-list items. She wasn't very good at it; neither was I. But she was so happy to be there and to try it. Truth be told, she probably would have been content just to travel there and back. She loved flying and we enjoyed going places together.

All this snow and winter sports reminds me of that week. I remember being afraid for her and being protective of her and feeling like a good husband because of my concern for her. I also remember the guys- David Redd and Cory Rodgers being equally protective of  her when we were on the slopes. I remember how well she loved Emily and Laura and how equally well they loved her.

Eight years sometimes feels like yesterday. Sometimes it feels like 100 years ago or like it never really happened. I wish I had more pictures of her; of us.

Not to change the subject but last night I read about an Orphanage in Crimea that had been commandeered by the Russian forces occupying Crimea. The kids were taken home by volunteers and orphanage workers.  If a shooting war starts next week in Ukraine there will be more orphans in both Ukraine and Russia. Even without a war, the current and foreseeable economic situation is going to make things worse for those kids.

Kim and I had an opportunity back in 2005 to spend a couple weekends with some Ukrainian Orphans that we're being hosted by friends in Birmingham. If not for her health condition I have no doubt we would have adopted.

Here's one of the few pictures I have with me right now- it's Kim and one of those kids in Birmingham.

This blog is everywhere.  Honestly, I feel numb. Maybe I'm always a little numb this time of the year. Five or six years ago I thought I'd probably marry again someday. Five or six years ago I thought maybe I'd still have kids someday. It could still happen but it seems less likely with each passing year and this day, March 12, marks the passing of years for me as much as my Birthday or New Years.

He gives and He takes away, still I will say Blessed be the name of The Lord!

If I were writing a screenplay about all this stuff....

I wrote the other day on Facebook that maybe leaders in Ukraine are a lot smarter than I am. They are exercising remarkable restraint against the provocations of a hostile foreign government that has illegally invaded their territory. I'm sure part of the reason is just the realization that bloodshed hurts everyone and their desire to keep diplomatic channels open.

In my heart I know the best action to take, especially from someone like me is to pray for a peaceful resolution, encourage others yo do the same, and minister comfort, reconciliation,and the Gospel when and where I can.  But part of me just wants to fight.

So maybe I'm not smart enough to lead a country (although I have beaten Risk at the expert level on my IPad countless times!)  But maybe I'm smart enough to write a good movie screenplay.  The climactic scene in the final 1/3 of the movie might look something like this:

The American President takes his place in front of international news media for an important announcement.  Think Bill Pullman from Independence Day or Harrison Ford from Air Force One.

He clears his throat and says: "Today I'd like to announce an historic meeting that will take place Friday. Almost 70 years ago the leaders of the free world gathered in Yalta to discuss re-drawing the map of Europe at the end of WW2. This Friday the PM from England, myself, and the President of Russia will meet again on those historic grounds for the same purpose. Actually, we forgot to invite Vlad, but if you're watching this on tv, feel free to come to the meeting. It will be in your best interest to do so. And actually, we won't be drawing any maps...we already did that. The map in question will look very familiar; it's the same map of Ukraine we've grown accustomed to these past 20 or so
years."

"The US and UK are guarantors of a treaty signed in Budapest to protect Ukraine's borders and sovereignty. The Acting President of Ukraine has invited us to Ukraine (unlike the bully who is there without an invitation) to enforce the treaty."

"Vlad has repeatedly suggested that their presence in the region is to protect their citizens.  Our Ukrainian partners are at this minute issuing a declaration that Dual Citizenship Passports are no longer allowed in Ukraine. You can be an ethnic whatever-in-the-world you want to be but if you're in Ukraine you can only be a citizen of one country. If you're a Russian National, then pack your bags and go home. This week. Before Friday. Failure to do so will result in confiscation of all assets and immediate and irrevocable expulsion.

"Vlad made it a rather big deal last week when he called for a Snap Military Drill to see how quickly
he could mobilize his forces.  Good job. You showed the world they can move quickly. That's a good thing because you'll have 24 hours following the close of Friday's meeting to withdraw all forces and hardware from Ukraine. This is not an empty threat. Beginning midday Saturday A-10 Warthogs will make scrap metal of every truck, tank, personnel carrier and riding lawnmower still in Ukraine."

"And as for the premise of protecting your naval base in Sevastopol; it is no longer yours. Your blatant disregard for Ukraine's sovereignty and that Budapest Agreement makes that lease agreement null and void effective immediately. If your ships and sailors aren't sailing out of Ukraine's water by Saturday afternoon we will sink them where they berth. If you interfere with our ships in international waters deployed to enforce this ultimatum then we will sink every ship you have in the Eastern Hemisphere.  We know your Subs are stealthy but you know we can make it dang hard to ever come up for breath!"

The final scene features Ukrainians at peace looking at social media and newspaper headlines of Maidan-like uprisings in virtually every quarter of the Federation.

Copied from my newsletter..and some more.

 Revolution

I think one of the reasons I've resisted writing and blogging about what's happening in Ukraine is that it is an overwhelming subject.  Unless you've been following my Facebook feeds then you might not even be aware of the turmoil that has enveloped this country over the past 3 months.  As I understand it American media has been too busy with Justin Bieber to pay much attention to an epic struggle for freedom here in Ukraine.  One political columnist put it this way: "Ukraine gained it's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 almost by accident; now they are having to fight for it."  

A rough time-line goes like this: Near the end of November Ukraine's President was purportedly close to signing an Association Agreement with the European Union which would strengthen trade-ties between the two entities and pave the way for further integration down the road.  At the last minute, the President rejected the agreement much to the dismay of many Ukrainians, particularly the university crowd who began protesting in the streets.  Protesting in the streets is kind of a "thing" in Ukraine; it's not unusual at all.  But the last night of November, authorities did something crazy: someone ordered brutal attacks in an effort to dispel the protesters.  That order did not have the desired effect: the next day more than 300,000 Ukrainians took to the streets.  The weekend crowds swelled to more than a million!  Authorities again used lethal force in early December and then in mid-December a series of terribly repressive laws were rammed through Parliament that outlawed the protests.  

The "movement" has long since been about something more than integration with the EU or about the whims of university students.  Since that bloody night in November it has been about Ukraine's desire to be free from a mafia-like government.  In January it seemed like the tide was turning towards the people.  The Prime Minister resigned; at least some of the repressive new laws were overturned.  But this spiritual warfare.  In the heavenlies a battle is raging and on the ground it is being manifest in loss of life, injuries, and missing persons.  At least 6 people are dead and 30 or more are missing, hundreds have been arrested (many taken forcibly from hospitals where they sought help) and thousands have been injured.  The country is split by language, history, barricades in the streets and party-loyalties.  And still... God is on His throne.  Keep praying for Ukraine.

This coming Monday marks a government mandated deadline for protesters to vacate some structures that have been occupied for several weeks.  There's no firm indication yet that they will give-in to those demands.  Most, if not all, the previously detained protesters have been released from captivity, but it appears that their "charges" are still on the books...that's not Amnesty...that's Blackmail.

And... I'm tentatively visiting Maidan, the epicenter of this struggle, next Saturday.  Pray for Ukraine!

Here's a great online article from The Washington Post about what's happening in Ukraine, click here.