Upington, South Africa

Tomorrow we leave for Houston and then Monday we fly to South Africa. We will spend the night in Johannesburg and then fly to Upington in Tuesday. What will we be doing there? Good question. Wish I had the answer. We just go a tentative schedule today but it only goes through half our time there. It has lots of prayer walking, giving testimonies, a few youth activities, and a prayer retreat or Bible study.

A few weeks ago we were each assigned a prayer partner in Upington which is totally cool because even though we haven't yet met them they're praying for us and we're praying for them. My prayer partner is Dinah.

This is the group (minus Ethan):

This is Dinah with her husband and 2 youngest children, she also has two teenage sons:

Excitement!

Sunday eight other students from the BCM (Lindsey, Morgan, Megan, Tiffany, Whitney, Sloan, Ethan. Eddy) and I leave for Upington, South Africa. We are driving to Houston Sunday and then flying out on Monday. I lost my excitement for the trip. Initially I was excited and couldn't wait. Then over time it became oh yeah, there's this mission trip I'm going on for 3 weeks to S. Africa. That is one of my greatest fears about the trip is that I will be there physically but mentally, emotionally, spiritually be everywhere but there. I want to give my all while there and not hold anything back. I want to serve the Lord. Let it not be about me but about the Lord and sharing his love, justice, forgiveness, grace, mercy, awesomeness.

Rebecca started a Missions in a Bottle program where someone teams up with a summer missionary to pray for them throughout the summer and give them a little gift, the bottle, before they leave. Yesterday I got a water bottle filled with goodies from Annie. It may seem like a simple thing but that is what it took to get me excited about going, a bottle. A bottle filled with germ-x, gum, wet wipes, chapstick, yarn, candy, drink packets, and encouraging notes. I am so thankful for it all! Annie wrote a note for days 1-5. She is teaching me patience and self control. I want to read them now! And there was a note from Hayley and Rebecca. Rebecca challenged me to memorize Psalm 67. Last night as I read her note then went to read Psalm 67 it brought to mind the Shane and Shane song "You Said." The song already means a lot to me so I read the scripture a few times and listened to the song a couple of times and could not help but cry. Lord may your salvation be among all nations. May the people praise you. May all the people praise you. Your glory will fill the earth. Distant shores and the islands will see Your light. I'm ready to go.

Return to the Lord

At the BCM this semester I took part in a minor prophets Bible study. The minor prophets are the books Hosea through Malachi. They are called minor not because they are less significant but because they are shorter in length. Return to the Lord, whether directly stated or not, is a common theme in most, if not all, of the minor prophets.

I didn't realize it until this week, that just as the people then and those nations were being called to return to the Lord those many, many years ago so am I today. With stuff I had been going through that's what I needed to do more than anything, return to the Lord.

Come Now Is The Time To Worship

This morning in church, during the welcome, an older lady in front of me said to an older lady next to me (words may not be exact but the message is not altered), "He's wearing blue jeans to church. I'm sure he had other selections to wear." She was a worker with an assisted living home that came to church so I thought maybe she's talking about one of the men with them. Nope, the two men with them are in khakis. I look around. Andrew is two down from me in the pew, maybe she's talking about him, but I don't really think she can see him. I follow her gaze. Matt, he had just done the whole welcome gig. She says something about you can see him on the pew and something about a younger generation. The lady next to me said, "At least he's here. That's what matters." Amen, lady next to me. I found it so appropriate that the next song we sang was Come Now Is The Time To Worship.

Come, now is the time to worship.
Come, now is the time to give your heart.
Come, just as you are, to worship
Come, just as you are, before your God.
Come.

One day every tongue will confess You are God.
One day every knee will bow.
Still the greatest treasure remains for those
Who gladly choose you now.

What people are wearing, is this what church has come to? God isn't going to turn you away because of what you're wearing. Really, is this what churches are becoming? It's not just clothing either. I know people who get mad when someone else is in "their seat." Can you not worship God, the whole reason for going to church, from another spot. Do you not think He will hear you? He will. Churches are becoming to much about physical and material stuff. Loosing the reason and meaning for going.

Somewhat related (earlier in my mind it tied in a lot smoother) Healing Place just completed a huge new arena. I get it if you are out of room to fit everybody then there is a need for a larger facility. What I don't get is the book store. The coffee shop. I'm not trying to put down Healing Place or there ministries. I am in no position to speak of those. I'm really in no position to speak on there new facility either, I have never been there. Are those necessary though. Why not use the money spent on those parts of the new building to send out missionaries or to expand the arena even bigger for even more future growth. I feel like the church is turning into a market place and can't help but think of Jesus destroying the temple in John 2. I recognize the difference in the market place in the temple beck then and what HPC is doing but nonetheless the church is becoming a market. People may be losing sight of the reason for the church, Jesus Christ.

Why are you coming?

I probably shouldn't post this now with how I'm feeling and with how tired I am. It's just been one of those days, and not that it was a bad day, just a "one of those days" kind of days. I just want to sleep.

I don't get why some people come to TNT. People who come and don't pay attention to anything that is being said. People who come and whisper to their friend all throughout the message. This is something I've heard not just tonight but other nights as well. People in front of me, behind me, on the side of me, where ever they might be. Why are you coming?

I mean yes it is good to fellowship with other believers but do so in the appropriate time and place not when you are disturbing others who are trying to listen to the Word. Others who are there to praise the Lord and to learn more about Him. I know I am far from perfect and there are times at TNT when I question, why am I here? I am not immune to going with wrong motives. Tonight I found myself really having to pray to not make my focus be on people there, who I'd said hi to, who I wanted to still say hi to but that my focus would be on God.

This really isn't even just a TNT thing. It's a class thing too. Why do some people come to class if they aren't going to pay attention but whisper the whole time. Like I said it's been one of those kind of days.