February 2013 Newsletter

Experiences matter to all youth. Two guys who have lived in this area for most of their lives, never have gone out to hang  around a campfire.   They’ve never experienced starting a fire without a fuel-like substance.  All of a sudden one could see couple of guys and a leader, just chillin’ with one another while we poke sticks into the fire. Guys who have never done anything like this before. Devon and Jamie experienced the magnitude of God’s amazing creation outdoors. It was an evening I originally planned to go out and escape the busyness of the regular life, but God had other plans. I shared with Devon I was headed out after our game of Settlers of Catan to the campground and that followed with “I’d like to come along.” Before I could get everything together, Jaime had committed to coming along with us.

Guys campfire February 2013. Jaime (left) and Devon (right) horsing around with the campfire.

Devon and Jaime are seniors in high school and constantly busy with so many things outside of school alone. They hadn’t had a moment to hang around a campfire and escape. If it isn’t their jobs they have which can work them to 11pm at night on school nights, it’s working out, league bowling, playing basketball or preparing themselves with the necessities of college, something always is in competition for their time.

During that camping evening, we had to gather more firewood to keep the fire going and I led them out to a field which was wide open to see the clear skies. It was like watching a newborn baby opening their eyes to something they’ve never seen before. Breathtaking and unreal. Devon and Jaime continued to look at the constellations and beauty of the sky we were now getting to see with no tree in the way. Not too far after this, Devon commented on hoping to see a falling star together out there and how cool it would be. God showed up. It was only moments and all three of us witnessed it happening right in the southern sky.

“I’m glad we got to experience this tonight together, man,” Devon shared. These moments are what it’s all about. I couldn’t agree more. Sometimes the best things are left unsaid with our students, especially high school youth. The best thing we can give them is our time and our undivided attention. That night, God opened my heart and ears to hear that is what they desired.

Three sand dollars I found while walking the Jekyll Island shoreline.

Living in southeast Georgia allows people the amazing moments to escape to any of the Georgia Islands off the coast. Specifically many people are offered the chance to see wild dolphins or find whole sand dollars washed up on beaches as the water rolls onto the shore. I personally have had moments like that already in my first 8 months on the ground here in Georgia. Sand dollars found in a whole form are tough to find anywhere, but to find three in one afternoon is even more unbelievable. That was exactly what I had stumbled upon while being at Jekyll Island walking the shoreline. I have come to realize the moments where we’re looking and searching for those sand dollars and hoping to see them roll up on the shore, that’s the least likely that’ll happen – at least for me. It’s when I am strolling along, enjoying God’s amazing masterpiece of nature and truly feeling moments of peace and joy, that – boom – there these miraculous formations show up.

The same is true for the ministry here at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, forcing things to happen will not bring students who are ready to get real or even hang out with us outside of Club. Living our lives where God has these students currently, breathing in His joy, living it around our students, sharing with them how our lives are being affected by our Lord and Savior, those are moments that life’s sand dollars roll onto the shore. We are upon an amazing movement at both locations where students just like Devon and Jaime want to spend more moments just hanging out with no real direction but to experience life with our leadership.

Sincerely and humbly, I thank you from every heart of our leadership teams throughout this year.   Because or your ongoing prayer and support of this call on these military installations here in Georgia, experiences matter. As God opens more doors like this, we want to continue to celebrate life well with these awesome students.

May God bring you experiences that are similar to what our family here is experiencing.