The Vision

I have decided to switch this blog over for now to what God is doing in Wilmington and how y'all can be praying and interceding for us here. This will be a place for sharing in the joy of all the amazing work that is going on here!! God is awesome and good!!
I am reading a book called Red Moon Rising about how God orchestrated the 24-7 prayer movement around the world. This poem written on one of the prayer room walls by the guy who started it really struck me:

The vision?
The vision is JESUS - obsessively, dangerously, undeniable Jesus.
The vision is an army of young people. You see bones? I see an army.
And they are FREE from materialism.
The laugh at 9-5 little prisons.
The could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday.
They wouldn't even notice.
The know the meaning of teh Matrix, the way the West was won.
They are mobile like the wind, they belong to the nations. They need no passport. People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence.
They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and diry and dying.

What is the vision?

...

This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.
A million times a day its soldiers
choose to lose
that they might one day win
the great 'Well done' of faithful sons and daughters.

And it goes on. But I just love that last bit... and the penciling in of addresses and wondering.
U C BONES. I C AN ARMY. Ezekiel 37

God is so good. As far as campus ministry goes, we have been barred from a lot of things we had hoped to be at because we still only have provisional status as a club. God has brought several students to Crossway and to our college stuff only through us being on campus meeting people and the fliers that went out in the mail. Praise God for bringing people, being strong when we are weak. Lord willing, we will be at a huge involvement fair this Wednesday, so pray that God would bring students our way. Pray that we would as a staff be encouraging one another, and being mindful and servant hearted towards the students.
Pray that God would bring us some guys, some guys on fire for God, awesome leaders, ready to jump in and serve. Pray for our staff team and that God would provide peace as Lucas considers leaving. Pray God would provide a worship leader and college ministry leader, whether it is Lucas staying or people we do not know yet. Pray we would trust God in that whole situation.
I love you all so much!! We serve a GIGANTIC AMAZING God and I am so excited to share with you guys all that God is doing here. Please be praying!

1 week later

Been back in Fort Collins for a week now, and it has definitely been one of the longest weeks of my life. Still reeling from my time in Czech, saying goodbye there and adjusting back to here, processing all that God did there and transitioning for the move to North Carolina for ministry in Wilmington. I have instant messaged with a few of the girls from camp. God gave me the opportunity to encourage one of the new believers who was stressed out about which type of high school she should pick...wow.

A little bit in limbo right now. People kept wishing us a safe trip "home." On the plane, I thought about home. Fort Collins is home because of my church family here, but SC has always been home-home. And yet, Czech felt like coming home. I also realized that I had in fact spent more time in Czech during the last year than I have at home in SC... craziness, fakt yo.

Last night was my last youth group, and it was a lot harder than I ever expected. We did play bucket ball and two other games from Czech, which was loads of fun. Bucket ball was Czech-style... meaning it was in the mud and rain :)

Up until last night it had not sunk in at all that I was leaving. Church last weekend was completely surreal. We talked about Czech and there was so much joy in that and being with my team again. Then concert of prayer as they prayed for me, still nothing. Then my youth, my girls... they were the struggle with leaving to start with and now that I am doing it... I know I am supposed to go, but it pains me to leave them. The leaders, the ones I have served alongside for a year. They have blessed me so much this year, and their send off was no exception...I still have not been able to cry, but there is an ever present ache in my heart. Goodbyes are never easy, but this has been 2 straight weeks of it, and I don't know how much more I can handle... where we are weak, He is strong.

This song has been on my heart since March and is what I would like to leave with:

"Dedication" by the O.C. Supertones

Side by side
Driving the same highway
Leaving behind everything
And everyone you love
The cost to pay
To tell the world of Jesus
Hoping that these bridges burned
Will not be just in vain
It helps to think that somewhere
You're feeling just the same

And don't take even
A moment for granted
Don't lose heart
When the world crashes down

How many miles ahead?
I can't count the ones behind
To all the friends that we've collected
All the people we respect
For the hope and joy
We made this up and wrote it down
And dedicate this song to you

No turning back
And can't say that I regret it
When every day
God's promises testify themselves
Sometimes it's hard
And the road keeps stretching longer
Tonight my wife's a longing voice
On a holiday inn phone

How many miles ahead?
I can't count the ones behind
I wish you God's speed, friend
You're always on my mind
Will you remember me, say
Seven years from now?
And where will we be then?
Well, I'm here for you now


And finally a flashback to when I left Gilbert 4 years ago:

Packing my bags this morning Was the hardest thing to do But packing my bags was so easy Compared to standing outside your door right now to say goodbye to you

Think of me I know you've never seen me cry Think of me But it's so hard to say goodbye Think of me What can I say to show you I'll never give up on you I will be waiting for you
I will be there when you call I will see you through it all And even in your darkest hour I pray that the Lord we found Will set you on solid ground
I know that is feels like leaving Is a part of letting go But I'm praying with hope and believing That I'll see you once again down this road I hope that it won't be long
Think of me I know God brought you as a friend Think of me I know He'll bring you back again Think of me What can I say to show you I'll never give up on you I will be waiting for you


I love all of you!!!!!!!!! I will miss you tons and tons, but trusting that I will see you again "one day soon"
Or, in the words of Charlton, "I'll see you when I see you, if I don't see you, know what I mean... :)"

Fotky

I am going to try to add some photos to my previous posts, but...
I have also uploaded a bunch of photos here for you to see:

http://picasaweb.google.com/Shvestitchky/Czech2008

Cau!!
Cam