Let me tell you about something that fires me up

I was on the road again today.  I semi-scheduled a few visits (I'm raising support to go to Ukraine, right?) but they were all "lite" visits- more social and soft-sell and about nurturing relationships than about getting money.

I spent a few minutes with a Pastor-friend that I admire a lot.  Bro Hal was my Pastor in Amory for about 10 months back in the late 80's.  I've probably seen him one time since then and that was before 1997!  He's a great guy and we enjoyed our brief visit.  After all these years I really didn't want to hard-sell my support goals but I know he and his wife will prayerfully consider supporting me anyway.

After that I stopped by another nearby church where I know practically the whole staff.  Tommy, Mark, Nick and Rusty.  They are great guys, great friends (ok, I just met Rusty today but I've known Nick all his life and Tommy and Mark for several years!)  Again, no hard sell with them- just a social visit.  I appreciate their hearts and just wanted to connect with them for a few minutes.

I had lunch with another buddy that I worked with on a volunteer basis doing Campus Ministry back in my Gulfport days.  It was good to catch up with Kevin and good to hear his continued passion for youth ministry.

I had ice cream with a former youth- Heather-who just had all her wisdom teeth removed!  She was sporting some serious chipmunk cheeks!

I visited my old church and got to hear another of my former "youths" leading tonight's Bible study.  Will did a great job.

The highlight though was visiting with my friend Jamie.

Jamie was in maybe the 8th or 9th grade when I left Gulfport at the end of 2006.  She was fired-up about her relationship with Christ back then.  She still is today; even moreso.  Her passion is mature and focused.  Her heart is for the Nations.  She just got back to the States after living in Indonesia for the summer.  With very limited internet access and staying a whole 2 months- she was able to not only get out of America, but she was able to get America out of her.  We could all stand that kind of de-tox!

We talked.  And we kept talking.  And we walked to our cars and kept talking.  And it occurred to me as we were trying to say goodbye that I could talk to her and listen to her passion for the Nations all night long.  I LOVE spending that kind of time with someone.  I think I love it even more when it's a student.  It doesn't hurt that in a small way I can claim she's one of "mine" (Thank you Jesus for letting her be in my life and me in hers!).  That fires me up!

Waffle House and Walmart

Waffle House and Walmart!  Yep, that makes for a fine dining experience and good family entertainment!

I guess we're in the "dog days" of Summer.  I think both of my readers know that I'm living with and working with my best friend from college (when I'm not traipsing around the country looking for mission supporters!).  My buddy Stik- he's an engineer and surveyor.  Mostly, we Survey.  And that can be a HOT job during a Mississippi Summer.  So basically, we do as little as possible during this annual global warming tribute to Al Gore.

Actually, I've been able to increase the frequency of my Support Raising meetings now that we're not committed to a survey job everyday.  That's been a good thing for me.

There are days when I'm very anxious about securing 100% of my support but then there are days when God is just too good!  In my mind, I can't help but imagine how much Support person X or Y will give me as a meeting approaches.  Time and again I've been surprised.  I'm surprised that some of my greatest givers are former students just now beginning their careers.  How humbling is that?  I'm surprised about once a month here lately when someone that I had "written off" weeks ago contacts me to begin their giving.  Every time someone says "yes", it's affirmation to me that God has called me to Ukraine for such a time as this and where He called, He'll provide.  I wonder if my Supporters understand how their giving affirms me?

I'm starting to feel a little behind the 8-Ball for an early October departure but that's the goal.

I've got a lot of catching-up to do here on the Blog- I've spent a week at StudentLife Camp with the Zion Hill Youth, I've spoken in a couple churches, and I'm headed back to Chicago next week to continue training with I-Teams.  Be on the lookout for more news soon!

Ponderings and a Prayer Request

It's midnight.  I'm mellow tonight.  It's a combination of today's happenings and the music I'm listening to right now.

Today was Arrival Day for Super Summer Staff.  I was in the Jackson area so I basically just crashed the party and hung-out during Registration, Dinner and the opening worship event for staff.  I've been a part of Super Summer since 1992 or 93.  I missed the year Kim had her Double Lung Transplant (98) and again in 07 (World Race), 09 (Ukraine), and 10 (Haiti).  And this year I'll be at StudentLife in Daytona Beach.

Super Summer is the best camp I was ever a part of.  Why?  The Leadership is pretty much all Mississippi Youth Ministers.  Guys and girls that are in the trenches everyday working with teenagers.  They serve the kids at Super Summer like they are their own kids...which of course, they are.  The second element is the students themselves.  They are just always top-notch.  The last element is the small group leaders.  Many of them (most of them) grew up going to Super Summer.  Most of them are in college and most of them are simply outstanding young people.  I guess I could mention that the worship leaders and speakers are consistently amazing.

So tonight I got to hang out with youth ministers I've known and worked with since the late 80's!  I saw kids that were once in my youth group who are small group leaders.  I saw Executive Staffers that I knew when they were students at Super Summer.  They are all world class.

After my visit with them I stopped by the hospital to see some friends who are keeping vigil over a loved one in ICU.  I performed the wedding for Amy and Stevie back in 08 and now Stevie's 30 year old brother is fighting for his life with a broken neck and no feeling in his arms and legs after a diving accident on July 4.  To say I'm in a sober mood right now would be an understatement.  If you've never had a loved one in an ICU, in critical condition with tubes and wires and monitors and only able to step into the room for a few minutes every several hours....well, I rather hope you don't have to do that.  Ever.  I hurt for them.

I'd love for you to join me in prayer for all of them.  For Brian, that God would perform a miracle.  He's to be thanked for Brian receiving the great care he's receiving...but he needs more than that.  I pray for him to regain full function and live the rest of his life as a living testimony of God's greatness and goodness and power.  I pray for the family that's waiting.  For peace and comfort that's out of this world, for employers and friends and co-workers and teachers who are patient and graceful towards the family who, despite the fact that life goes on and there are obligations to be met, really have more consuming thoughts right now than work, class, cutting the grass and all that stuff.  I pray for friends to rally around the family and just be there.  No words are necessary really.

Long Overdue

Once again, it's been weeks since I last blogged.  There's been a lot going on, just not a lot to write about.

I'm sitting at a Cups Coffeeshop in Jackson waiting to meet with an old friend and potential ministry supporter in another hour or so.  I've had some successful visits the last few weeks; just not enough of them.

Let me clarify, almost everyone that I've met with has joined my Support Team.  The thing is; I need to be meeting with 6-10 people a week and I only met with that many people all of last month!

But the meetings I had in June sure were a lot of fun.  I reconnected with an old employer and a college roomy I hadn't seen in 18 years.  I met with students I met working at Super Summer back in the 90's!  I met with a couple of my favorite couples, including a couple that I married back in 2000 (I think).  Today I'm meeting with two old ministry friends; one of which I haven't seen in 20 years!  That's crazy.

So where am I?  I basically have 2 different Support Raising Accounts as I prepare to return to Ukraine.  One account is my Start-Up Account which includes my training cost (5 weeks in Chicago), my support-raising cost (all my travel and expenses this summer) and my actual start-up cost for Ukraine (airfare, furnishing an apartment, supplies and equipment for ministry).  I'm at about 50% of the nearly $20K needed.

The other account is more important- it's my Monthly Support Account.  I'm working towards $3000.00 a month.  I'm at about 30% right now.  One thing I'm learning about the current economy is that people just aren't able to give at the "higher" levels.  All that means is that I need to ask more people to support me.  That's not a bad thing.  It's a lot easier to get by if a $50/month supporter has to miss a month than it is if a $200/mo supporter has to miss a month.

I haven't written much about my Support Needs.  And I don't intend to write much more.  Hopefully, the next think I'll write about the financial situation will be a big Praise The Lord when I'm at 100%.  I believe He called me and I believe He'll provide for me.

How about a re-post from 2005!!

Tonight one of the networks played Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith.  I both love and hate that movie.  I love it because it has rockin' fight scenes and the story of Anakin's turn to the dark side is finally completed.  I hate it because it's just sad.  Depressing.  So great was the fall... (and so cheesy was Natalie Portman's line, "Anakin, you're breaking my heart.")  But I digress.  After watching the movie I remembered writing about it more than 6 years ago.  Here it is:

Thursday, May 19, 2005

The midnight showing of Episode 3 was worth the wait.  There were at least two Sith's, a handful of Jedi, a princess or two (including one sitting kinda behind me in an Amazing t-shirt ), a Stormtrooper, a really cool LightSaber along with some cheesy ones...in attendance. Interpreting a movie is kinda like interpreting the Bible.  There are 6 billion of us and 6 billion opinions...but the opinion that matters most is the one that wrote it.  I've never heard that Lucas set out to do anything more profound than create a sci-fi swashbuckling space opera.  To say much more is to read into it what may or may not be there at all. Having said that- there are some incredible spiritual applications and perhaps none so striking as in this movie.  In some ways, I thought Anakin gave in too easily...I didn't think the movie adequately developed his inner turmoil that led to such fateful decisions.   But gosh...once he started making those bad choices...well...things got seriously out of hand!  I always thought of Darth Vader as a "great" bad guy...ya know?  one of the best movie villians of all time.   But after last night I see nothing great about his character at all.  He was worse than horrible.  Before last night he was a bad guy in a cool costume.  Now he's a horrendous human on par or worse than Hitler. He is hate personified- SIN itself personified.  If it were real...and not a movie...I can't imagine seeing any good in him.  But as much as I hate to admit it...as dark as Anakin was...as evil and vile as he was- that's a really good picture of us outside of a relationship with Christ.  I don't want to imagine myself like that.  I can easily compare myself to someone else in an effort to not appear as "dark".  But the truth is- Vader is a pretty good personification of SIN.  Of course...Episode 3 isn't the end.  It's just the middle.  Luke didn't see any good in Vader when he killed Obi Wan in Ep. 4 or when they fought in Ep5.  But something happened to Luke that changed him and changed the way he saw Vader.  Classic line from Ep6, Luke: "But Father, I came to save you", Vader: "You already have". Star Wars- the story of lost man redeemed by the Son.

Lousy Blogger

I'm doing a lousy job of blogging these days.  It's been, what?  About a month since my last post?

I guess my latest news is that I just sent out my "End of May" email newsletter via MailChimp yesterday.  So far, the open rate is below average.  Actually, in all 4 monthly mailings I've done so far there's a large percentage of people that never open the email so I suspect their Spam filters are catching it.  I should probably check with those people individually to see if they're aware of the newsletter.

Perspectives in the World Christian Movement-  Have any of you ever heard of or taken this course?  I'm starting it this week online.  I'm excited about it; I just hope I have the time for it.  I'm already behind on some work I'm supposed to be doing for training with International Teams!

Support Raising- I think every time I pick up the phone to make an "appointment" I get nervous and I hear satan's whisper that I shouldn't even bother- that the person I'm calling will be too busy or have too much going on to support me.  Most of the time I push through and make the appointment and so far over 90% of the people I've personally spoken with have joined my Support Team.  Why is it so hard to trust God when all He ever does is be completely faithful?

Memorial Day- I spent the long weekend in Vicksburg with my entire immediate family.  All my siblings were there, my parents, all the nieces and nephews and great-nieces/nephews.  There's something special about seeing that kind of continuity... seeing my nieces in my great nieces...that sort of thing, ya  know?  I'm grateful for them.  And at the same time...with it being Memorial Day Weekend I thought a little about my Dad and my Uncles who served in the Military (and my brother too).  I love to see those old pictures of my Uncles in World War 2.  They were all so young and dashing...and immensely brave to enlist knowing what the cost could be.

Going Undercover!

Once upon a time I was a "Law Enforcement" Officer.  Sorta.  I was a Wildife/Fisheries Tech 3 (aka, Associate Wildlife Biologist).  Back in the day (right out of college) even the "Technical Staff" as we were called completed the MS Law Enforcement Officers Training Academy ie, The Police Academy.  So in January of 1989 I attended several weeks of Basic Training in Pearl, MS.  For what it's worth, I graduated at the top of the class.

During my years with the "State" the overwhelming majority of my work involved Fisheries Research and Mgmt. There were a few exceptions though.  Once I was recruited to "spy" on a fellow Officer for a couple days.  He was a Lake Manager and was allegedly allowing the State Prisoners he was using to have conjugal visits with their girlfriends at the Lake.  Another time some people were selling "gamefish" at a restaurant which was/is illegal.  I'm the one that made the "delivery" of fish to the bad guys.

This past week I resurrected my "undercover" persona; which really means I just turned into a paranoid, Liam Neeson from the movie, Taken, wannabe.

But first a little more background:  I've had a lot of exposure to Human Trafficking over the last few years.  When I did The World Race we walked the streets of Cambodia and Thailand.  Since then several World Racers have gone on to work with anti-trafficking ministries such as International Justice Mission and Shared Hope International and others.  I've heard statistics that suggest that as many as 70% of the girl orphans in Ukraine are trafficked after they  age-out.  A huge number of girls and women in Moldova have been trafficked in the last 10 years.  And then I read stories like this.  (Ukrainian girls arrive in America for summer work and are immediately trafficked).

So it's no wonder that my hackles got up when I learned that two young friends from Ukraine were coming to America on a Student Work/Travel Visa.  They are both 20 year olds that I met while I lived in Ukraine in 2009.  One of them was my translator at camp.  So what did I do?  I timed a "Support Raising" Road Trip to coincide with their arrival at Dulles Airport in Washington, DC this past week.

To begin with, I researched the company (a Pool Mgmt company that provides Lifeguards for apartments and hotels).  Turns out they have been sued before for Fair Labor Standards violations.  I talked to the National Trafficking Hotline people to see if they had any complaints.  This past Monday night I was there when the girls arrived.  My plan was to see who picked them up.  I wanted to get pictures of the "guy" and I wanted get pictures of whatever vehicle they left in.  I even wanted to get fingerprints by handing the guy my water bottle or something.

So, I waited.  I spotted the "guy" first- he was waiting with a sign with my friends name on it.  I managed to get near enough to him to overhear his phone conversations and I could tell he was a native Russian speaker.  When the girls arrived, I took pictures and got video.  He seemed a little surprised and shy when I insisted on taking his picture.  So I gave him a paraphrase of that line from "Taken" (I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.)  


Seriously, I told him I was taking his picture so that if anything happened to the girls this summer I would know who to look for!

I walked to the car with them and got a picture of the Vehicle Tag.  The next day I staked-out their "Office" and took more vehicle pictures.  I managed to get two more Tag pictures.

I also gave one of the girls a Prepaid Phone with several key telephone numbers.  I was able to stay in touch with them for the couple days I was in DC.  It looks like the company is fairly legit.  A little sketchy...for example, the apartment the girls are in isn't furnished at all; only has mattresses on the floor- not even any bedding.  I took the girls shopping and got them sleeping bags and pillows and some other essentials.  I hope some friends in the DC Area will keep tabs on them through the summer.

So there ya go.  Just like in my old "Wildlife Dept" days, I was reminded that I really don't have the personality type to be an effective undercover guy.  My heart was racing when I was taking pictures and videos and stuff.  That's ok though.  I think I accomplished my mission.  Nothing I did necessarily guarantees the girls' safety this summer, but if they had disappeared the other night I know I would have regretted being there for the rest of my life.  And if your daughter was 5000 miles away from home for the summer, wouldn't you want someone looking out for her?