Bethany Community Church

I was visiting my five-year-old nephew a few weekends ago and it seems that he has inherited the A.D.D. that runs in my family.  His brain, mouth, and body were not only running a mile a minute, but they were also often running in opposite directions from each other. Add to all of this that he’s also a five-year-old boy, and you have utter chaos.  Since he’s delightful, it was chaos that was well worth it—but several times we had major communication issues about what he was doing or what I was supposed to be doing.

For example, there was a three-minute window of time that started with us sitting on his bed listening to his goodnight story. Two seconds later, we were on the floor playing with trains—and not just building a train set, but ramming our trains at each other to see who could knock each other off the track first. (And because I was the adult, it was communicated that I was expected to lose and/or forfeit, a rule I chose not to follow.) All the while, we’re having a discussion about how and when he goes to the bathroom at night.  And all of this is taking place at a volume that over the course of an extended time could cause permanent hearing loss.

I’ve been thinking about him and our play time a lot the past couple of weeks, mostly because I enjoyed it so much, but also because I’ve wondered at his ability to enjoy himself at such a frantic rate.  Granted, he is just a five-year-old and it’s just play time, but I think many adults operate under this same pace.  Feeling so scattered and stretched that we are frenetically trying to get it all done and as we check things off the list other “little” things pop up that also need to be done, adding a glint of craziness to our eyes.  For others it’s not a question of focusing on too many things all at once or being a chronic multitasker, but the struggle of monovision and not being able to focus on anything but that one issue that keeps rolling around your brain: will my child succeed? How much longer will I stay here? Does he/she like me?

The question is rarely about the quality of things done or thoughts thought, but rather— who is determining our focus?  As believers we’ve given our whole lives to God in order to let Him determine what our priorities are. Sometimes those priorities are many, and life feels like a sprint; other times there is one particular issue that is so heavy on our heart that we are burdened to be intercessors.  Where ever you are in the moment of life right now I hope that this can be a chance to re-evaluate.  More than justifying our own choices, we can use this reminder from an energetic five-year-old to lay everything down and see what God picks up and puts back in our hands.

As we come to prayer this month I hope that as you encounter the list of needs and praises that God would be speaking to you about how to pray and where he wants you to focus in this season.

Dear Lord, I thank you so very much for those who are praying for your body.  I thank you that you’ve given them a heart to petition you regarding concerns and that there is belief that you will intervene and respond to our conversations with you.  Jesus, please teach us constantly how to pray well and develop us evermore into speakers, hearers, and doers of your word.  Thank you for loving us well and claiming us as your people. Amen.

Megan Dobrasz

Pastor of College and Post College/Early Career Ministries

From Jean Ballance, Associate Director of Children’s Ministries.

Our Kids’ Summer Adventure ship set sail July 12 with over 160 kids in attendance and 70+ volunteers. This was the first of four amazing evenings where the kids learned how God’s Word is true, comforting, surprising, and life-changing.

With a delicious dinner to start each evening, the kids experienced God’s Word through crafts, games, Bible stories, discussions and videos, as well as singing and skits. The air was abuzz with excitement and laughter, yells of “Let’s GO!” throughout the buildings, and you may have even seen kids crab walking, jumping, or doing the Egyptian while crossing the street.

We packed out the Chapel each night and you could even hear the kids singing their favorite song, “Vast Voyage,” from out on the sidewalk. We had so many volunteers jump on board who helped stock bins, cook, lead groups, paint and build our amazing set, sing, and so much more. We are so thankful for all who helped us out this year. All of you were a tremendous blessing! We had a fantastic journey, with a fantastic crew of kids and adults, and, most of all, a fantastic God who lead us from the beginning to the end.

Do you know that feeling of returning to work after a week off?  I felt that on Tuesday of this week after a relaxing vacation with my family in Newport, Oregon.  My family spent a week with my sister’s family in a beach house overlooking the ocean.  It never got really warm, and there was ample time to just sit and rest.  I can’t count how many crossword puzzles I did.  I truly came back refreshed and filled with energy for re-entry into the routine.  I bounced into the office, happy to see everyone, and ready to go.

But then I opened my email.  And I heard what I had missed.  And I looked at my actual task list (not the one I created in my mind as I was sitting on the beach!).  And I was reminded of those I shepherd and care for who need my time and attention.  And I feel a mantle being placed back on my shoulders, weighty with responsibilities I have felt free of for a week.

We all have felt this at times, this weight of responsibility.  We can lose sleep over it; we can lose our sense of peace; we can find it difficult to shut off in the evening so that we can rest or be present with family and friends.

Tim Laniak, in his book, While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks, describes this feeling in a the life of a leader well:  “more than the quantity of physical activity, the real weight of leadership is emotional.  The greatest stress on our well-being (and our family life) is the energy required to care for a community.”

Where do we find relief from this weight of responsibility?  We can find it by remembering that the Good Shepherd “neither slumbers nor sleeps.”  Regardless of who is under our care, whether it be family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, we can find peace in acknowledging that God is already committed to them, because the people we care for are His.

In Psalm 121, the psalmist declares, “I will lift my eyes to the mountains; from whence shall may help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth.”  When we pray, we look to God and acknowledge that he is the one who keeps us and those we love; he is One who never slumbers.  When we pray, we can let go of our sense that we are ultimately responsible for those we shepherd, and entrust them to the One who cares for them the most.  We are his people, the sheep of his pasture; we are his.

This month as we pray for the people ministries at Bethany, I encourage you to include in your prayers those you know who need to be entrusted to God.  Remember that they are his, that we are his, and that the one who keeps us “neither slumbers nor sleeps.”

Blessings and peace,

Nancy Eckardt

Pastor, Discipleship & Leader Development

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Praise God for making personal commitments and recommitments to Christ that our church body has experienced over the summer.  God is working within those who attend Bethany, and it is expressed in their public professions of faith through response at the end of services, baptisms, and membership.  Pray that for each of us our personal commitment to Christ would be expressed in our public lives – in our families, our church, our workplace and school, and our neighborhoods.

Praise God for the challenges we have heard during the Wednesday night summer series, as we have consider how our faith in Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives flows into our relationship to Christ flows out into our relationships with our family, our friends and community, and our global involvement.  Wednesday we watched a movie about the impact of forgiveness on the Rwandans capacity to heal from the atrocities they experienced.  Pray that their example of sacrificial forgiveness will challenge us in our own pockets of bitterness that keep us from reconciling with those we are in conflict with.

Pray for all of our Bethany attenders who have participated or are participating in various short-term mission trips this summer.  Pray that out of their experiences, they will encounter God in new ways, and that their perspectives of the world will be transformed by the Holy Spirit through the experiences they have had.

Pray for the ministry staff as they put together plans for next year and recruit and equip leaders and volunteers.  Pray that God would raise able and willing volunteers from within our church to carry out the ministry of the church,  and that they would respond in obedience to God’s prompting.

Pray for the search for the new Director of Missions at Bethany.  Pray that God would be working to place the right person in this position, and preparing their heart for the ministry He has for them.  Pray that the transition among staff and lay volunteers would be smooth.

Pray for those who are struggling with overwhelming obstacles in their lives – unemployment, financial debt, medical difficulties.  Pray that God would be their strength and Provider, and that He would work through Bethany’s congregation to bless and care for them as they hurt.

Pray that as many of us return from summer vacations and look toward fall and new challenges, we would cling to God for direction and significance in our lives, and allow his life to flow from us, so that whatever we may do, we will bring glory to him.

The following essay is from Jian Arbolante, a Bethany attender who participated in our mission trips to Costa Rica both last summer and earlier this summer. The Bethany group helped support the Abraham project outside of San Jose.

I was absolutely blown away by Costa Rica last year and the same could be said this year.  The people, the culture, and the way of life are all things each of us on the trip should hold close to our hearts forever.  It was also a real eye-opener.  Let me preface by saying I am probably one of the many that attend Bethany on Sundays, listen to a great teacher, and leave with a sense that I can see the path I need to follow and the way I should live.  It was not until I ventured into another country that I was able to see an almost entirely different interpretation of how to live under God’s grace.

First, I was floored by the hospitality and friendliness of the people there.  To see one of the purest examples of what it means to love your neighbor will have a lasting impression on me.  Each person we met was so happy to see us and so grateful we were there.  Even those who did not know what we came there for were still happy to meet us all the same.  But it was not just toward us; the interactions they have with each other had this genuine love and warmth that I have not felt in Seattle.  It was just one example of the many they showed on how to live in a way that honors God.  What makes it all the more remarkable is that this comes from people who live in cement shacks with rusted metal roofs who have nothing in terms of material possessions, but are more wealthy in friendships and love than any country I’ve been to.

I also noticed the way they talked about Christ and how often He was brought up in their general discussion.  There were many testimonies we all listened to while we were there and they are, in one word, amazing.  I would tell anyone to look no further than the testimonies of some of the people working at the Project to know that God performs miracles even today. The apostle Paul’s words of dying to one’s self in order to be made alive in Christ’s echoed clearly in their lives.

The last impression I’ll take with me was the impact we had on the kids from the soccer camp we ran.  I honestly felt, and I know the others on the trip would agree, that we didn’t do enough to have any lasting impact.  But seeing how receptive the kids were to us, watching their eyes light up at the jerseys we handed out, and the soccer drills we played with them left us speechless.   But the single greatest moment that I’ll remember vividly for the rest of my life  was at the end of Nick’s sermon to the camp participants.  At the end, Nick asked them to close their eyes and invited anyone who wanted to lift up their hand to proclaim that they wanted Jesus to enter their lives; that they believed he could move mountains and part water, and he could make a similar transformation in their own hearts. Peeking through my closed eyes, my vision soon became blurry as I witnessed many kids,  ages 5-14, lifting up their hands to God.

This morning in the staff theology meeting, we each shared how we have established a Rule of Life in the area of prayer.  I was intrigued by the variety of responses.  For some of us, it was all about location, claiming our driving time as prayer time.  For others, we took advantage of time alone in the evening to pray.  Some of us talked about specific practices we have, whether it be a simple list of requests we asked regularly for, or a detailed prayer journal, where the date of the request and the date it was answered is recorded.

Personally, on Friday mornings I sit with  my cat on my lap, a cup of coffee in my hand, and my journal open, and ask God what he wants to teach me from the experiences and conversations I had in the last week.  While this is not the only time I pray, or the only way I pray, it is the rule that I have established in order to build listening into my prayer experience.  This week, I was reading Bill Hybels’ book, Just Walk Across the Room, and he says that he has made it a habit to have his knees be the first thing to hit the floor each morning, in order to ensure that his type-A personality will be conformed to the will of God that day.

Prayer is life-changing.  If our circumstances don’t change because of our prayer, we have the opportunity for our will and perspectives to change.  There is a spirit of submission by which we petition God.  And so it is in this spirit of submission that we come before God monthly as a church community, and raise our requests to Him, in the practice we call Watching the Wall.

Thanks for joining us this month.  I pray for each of you, that as you pray, God will lay other prayer needs on your heart, and that by lifting these requests to God, you will have a deeper conviction of his love and mercy for all of us.

Blessings,

Nancy Eckardt

Pastor, Discipleship & Leader Development

Praise God for the wonderful tour that our Pint-Size Praise Company went on last weekend, performing six times in three days.  Pray that through this experience, God would nurture in each of these kids a sense of his love for them, and that they would desire to follow him the rest of their lives.

Pray for the upcoming Summer Series for our Post-College/Early Career group.  Pray that through the topics and the study of scripture, God would fan into flame in each of those who attend a desire to know him better and to live as a light of Christ in the world.

Pray for the upcoming Wednesday night Summer Series, as we explore the ways that our relationship to Christ flows out into our relationships with our family, our friends and community, and our global involvement.  The teaching on Wednesday will be an expansion of the topics in the Sunday sermon.  Pray that God will work on people’s hearts and transform their lives through the word they hear on Sunday and Wednesday.

Pray for the short-term mission team that is currently in Costa Rica.  Pray for their safe and health, and that they would be effective communicators of the love of Christ to all they encounter.  Pray that this experience will lead to a lifelong commitment to Christ for each one who is there.  Pray for Nick as he leads the group, that God would sustain him give him wisdom as he deals with all the details of the trip.

Pray for the Children’s Ministry as they prepare for the Kids’ Summer Adventure.  Pray for those whom God is nudging to volunteer that they would be sensitive to his leading and step forward.  Pray for the children who come, that they would come to a saving knowledge of Christ, and that those who are already believers would be strengthened in their faith.

Pray for the Youth Ministry, as the team of workers puts on Wednesday night activities, as well as youth camps for both Middle School and High School.  Pray that the workers and volunteers would be encouraged in their ministry.  Pray that the students who attend the activities will be introduced to Christ and desire to follow him the rest of their lives.

Pray for the hike and overnight events planned by Bethany Wilderness Ministry over the next few months.  Pray for safety and protection for each group.  Pray that these events would serve to draw the participants into the presence of God through his creation, and that each one would desire to follow after God more closely as a result of these events.

Pray for those in our midst who are struggling with a serious medical condition.  Pray that God would be renewing their spirit daily, granting them peace, and giving them the strength to endure whatever medical treatment they are undergoing.  Pray that God would strengthen their care givers, and give them peace as well.

Pray for those who are visiting Bethany during the summer months.  Pray that God would bless them through the worship services and our hospitality as a congregation.

Pray for the staff as we plan for next year.  We are in the midst of planning and budgeting for the 2010-2011 year.  Pray that we would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading, and that all we plan to do next year would bring glory to God.

Pray for those who are moving this summer, whether for school or a new job, or other reasons.  Pray for journey mercies, and that God would be their Provider for a new home, new friends, and a new church family.

Pray for those who are looking for work.  Pray that they would look to God as their Provider, and that they would have unshakable hope during this time of uncertainty.

Pray that all of us would desire more and more each day to reflect Christ to those around us, and to extend to others an invitation to meet the God of mercy and love.  Pray that our interior lives would be transformed by Christ so that we are his effective agents of transformation in the world.

Greetings.  Please join me in praying this weekend along the following lines:

1. Our search for a director of music and worship is nearly over but I’m in prayer all weekend as we make a final decision.  Pray that God will bring guidance to our church in this important decision.

2. Our staff is in the midst of strategic planning and God is showing us important next steps to take for our future.  I’m excited about them, and looking forward to sharing them with you in the coming days.

3. Pray for our Town Hall Meeting on Monday evening, as we invite the Bethany community to come and hear vision, ask questions, and pray together.

4. Give thanks for our new Pastor of Children’s Ministries as Earl Radford begins.  He brings vision, strong leadership ability, and a love for children.

5. Give thanks for a tremendous response to our Spilling Hope initiative, about which I’ll be sharing more over the course of the next two Sundays.

6. Pray for the many students who attend Bethany who are graduating, asking that God will give them direction.  Join with me in giving thanks for the privilege of serving them these past years.

7. Part of the brevity of this month’s Watching the Wall is related to the very full lives our staff are leading right now, as we seek to serve our growing community.  Pray for each of us serving on staff, asking that God would continue to grant us wisdom, strength, and freshness from Him in the midst of this busy season.

8. Pray for us as we search of a our missions pastor, asking that God would bring the right person.

9. Pray that God would give us wisdom as we seek to help our community be a place where people can truly get connected with others and find the tools they need to grow in Christ.

10.  Pray for the West Seattle group as they meet once again this weekend.

11.  Pray for those marriages you know that are in need of God’s touch, asking that God would grant each couple the spirit of grace, forgiveness, humility, vulnerability, and blessing that will enable their lives and home to be a place of blessing, for each other and their children, neighbors, and friends.

Thanks so much for joining with me in praying this weekend.  I’ll see you Sunday.

In Him,

Richard Dahlstrom

The theme for the Women’s Retreat this year was At the Crossroads.  A friend of mine reminded me of that this week, when she commented, “Really every day, we are at a crossroads, where we must decide whether or not we will turn to God and follow him.”

This friend of mine is at a much bigger crossroads than an ordinary day typically brings, and I wanted to dismiss her comment–yet it echoed something I had heard earlier in the week.

“ …if God speaks anywhere, it is into our personal lives…  Someone we love dies, say. Some unforeseen act of kindness or cruelty touches the heart or makes the blood run cold.  We fail a friend, or a friend fails us, and we are appalled at the capacity we all of us have for estranging the very people in our lives we need the most.  Or maybe nothing extraordinary happens at all – just one day following another, helter-skelter, in the manner of days….(yet) at moments of even the most hum-drum of our days, God speaks.”

(Frederick Buechner, The Sacred Journey, quoted in Simpler Living, Compassionate Life, Michael Schut, ed.)

Throughout our days, through big things and little, exciting events and what seems like monotonous routine, God speaks to us, and we have the chance to respond.  To move away from him in despair or anger or boredom, or toward him in honesty, expectation and obedience.  Our commitment to follow God may be first proclaimed in dramatic and memorable experiences,  but it is confirmed in the daily, almost imperceptible shifts we make in turning our attention and will to God and hearing him speak to us.

In the context of an ongoing awareness of God’s presence, we are invited to intercede for others, that is, to bring requests before God for the well-being, healing, and protection of others.  We also intercede for those who have no one else to pray for them, asking God to provide for them.  I invite you to join Bethany this month by praying the through requests below as an ongoing dialogue with God.

Blessings,

Nancy Eckardt

Director, Discipleship & Leadership Development

Pray that God would give you an increased sensitivity to his work in your life.  Confess to him areas of your life where you have not relinquished control and ask him to reveal to you areas of your life where he desires to reign.

Pray for those closest to you – your family and friends. Pray that you would be an agent of God’s love and grace to them, and that God would bless them and cause them to be a blessing to those in their lives.

Pray for those you work with.  Pray that God would reveal himself to them and give you opportunities to share his love and truth with them.

Pray for those from our congregation that are serving the marginalized in our communities.  Pray that God would give them hope and strength to serve from a full cup, and that those they serve would be drawn to God by the aroma of their lives.

Pray for our missionaries who are serving both within and outside the country.  Pray that they will find the support they need – spiritually, economically, strategically, and physically – to minister effectively.  Pray that God would show us as a church how to be co-laborers in the work they are doing.

Pray  for those in our congregation who are without jobs.  Pray that they would be able to find a permanent job, and that God would provide their needs.

Pray for those in our congregation who are struggling with illness.  Pray that God would be their peace and strength, and bring healing to their hearts and bodies.  Pray that God would also strengthen those who are caring for them.

Pray for those in our congregation who are graduating.  Pray that as they transition into a new context their faith would flourish, and God would provide for them in new ways.

Pray for the youth at our church.  Pray that God would give them the ability to discern truth in the midst of all they see and hear each day.  Pray for their leaders, that they would encourage them in their faith and commitment to Christ.

Pray for the staff and council at Bethany, as they begin planning for next year.  Pray that God would be the center of our thoughts and goals, and that all we would seek to accomplish would be for the glory of God.

Pray that God would place in each of us a desire to put into practice the spiritual disciplines of prayer, scripture reading, generosity, and service, and out of the tilled soil of our heart, Christ’s life would be reproduced in us, so that we might be fruitful in our lives and relationships, to the glory and praise of God.

Pray for the Spilling Hope campaign, as we raise money and awareness to build wells in Uganda. Pray that God would give us generous hearts and creative ways to live simply, both during the 50 days of the campaign and for the rest of the year. Pray that we would give out of grateful hearts for all that God provides for us.

And he said to them, “May soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.”

On the night he was betrayed, Jesus agonized over his impending suffering and death.  And he brought his closest friends with him to “keep watch”—to be his companions as he submitted to the unfolding of God’s will for him.  From our vantage point, we know the end of the story, but for the disciples, it was nothing but a bad story getting unbelievably worse.  No wonder they fell asleep!  It was the only way they could escape the shared agony over their friend and teacher, who was walking into the darkness of suffering and death.  What happened to the dreams of being rulers in a new Kingdom?  Of living forever?  Of experiencing His peace?  All their hopes became dust as they watched their Lord suffer unbearable that night in the garden.

And their worst fears became reality, as Jesus was taken into custody and put before ad hoc judgment seats and accused of ridiculous and inconsistent crimes.  They lost their faith, and rather than continuing to keep watch, they scattered.

This day is called Good Friday.  What is good about it, we might ask.  From our standpoint in western culture, suffering and death holds no goodness, no potential for happiness.  It is contradictive to the values we hold for a life filled with ease and freedom from suffering.  What is good about staring into the face of suffering and death?

But the day is good, because it marks the day that, through His death, God poured out His love and reconciliation on us.  And it is good because it levels the ground, reminding us that we all stand at the foot of the cross, saint and sinner, male and female, regardless of race or socio-economic status. We’re all in desperate need of Christ’s death to bring reconciliation and peace.

And so, the Friday before Resurrection Day, we are invited to each year to keep watch, to peer into the darkness of his death, and to remind ourselves that it is through suffering that Christ was victorious, and that we walk the same road as He, experiencing suffering here on earth and standing by others who are suffering, in anticipation of the victory of completion that we will experience when we see Him again, face to face.

Almighty God, whose most dear Son
went not up to joy but first he suffered pain,
and entered not into glory before he was crucified:
Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross,
may find it none other than the way of life and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Peace,

Nancy Eckardt

Pray those all who will be attending Bethany this week, that they will encounter Christ through the welcome of a handshake, the message of hope, or the music.  Pray that each of us who are regular attenders will pay attention to those around us and be willing to reach out to those who may be visiting.

Pray for all the volunteers this weekend, that they we would be energized and blessed throughout their time of ministry.  Pray for Richard as he preaches multiple services, and for all the staff as they oversee the events throughout the day.

Pray for those in our congregation who are without jobs.  Pray that God would be their Provider and that their needs would be met as they depend on him in new and courageous ways.

Pray for those who are struggling with mental illness.  Pray that God would calm their hearts and the hearts of those who are supporting them.  Pray for healing of their minds and emotions, that they may experience wholeness.

Pray for those who are facing surgery, that God would give them peace and comfort, and guide the doctors’ hands.  Pray for quick recovery and good results.

Pray for those who are undergoing treatment for cancer.  Pray that the various treatments would be effective for eliminating the cancer, and that the side effects would be minimal.  Pray that God would minister to the family members and friends, and give them peace during this time of uncertainty.

Pray for the children at Bethany, that they would encounter God at a young age, and turn to him.  Pray for the parents of young children, that God would grant them patience and perspective as they care for their kids.

Pray for the marriages at Bethany.  Pray that each couple would recommit each day to honor their spouses with their words, thoughts and actions.  Pray that God would renew their love for one another in surprising ways.

Pray for those at Bethany who are single.  Pray that God would be the Provider of all their needs, and that they would see His hand on their lives.

Pray that all of us at Bethany would grow in our desire to honor God with all areas of our lives by reading and studying his word, and by putting into practice that which we have heard, so that God may be glorified at Bethany and in our communities.

Megan Dobrasz sent a final update from the Macedonia mission team before they head home…

It was our last day of basketball camp with the kids, so we spent time scrimmaging with them.  We started playing 5 on 5, but because we were running out of time their coach, Toni, made it 10 on 5. We still won every game, but it’s slightly unfair that only 1 of our players at a given time was remotely their height. Toni was with us all week translating our games, directions, and daily devotional.  He coaches some of them and is a remarkable combination of being a disciplinarian, playful, and funny. It’s clear he loves them a lot.

There were times when we had the kids in smaller teams without a translator so we would demonstrate what to do with exaggerated gestures. I’m sure from the outside we looked ridiculous, but it worked. My favorite was watching the kids try to do the grapevine. If you don’t know what that is, it’s basically running sideways alternating crossing your leg in front and then in back. I’d say about 70% got it and the remaining 30% were hilarious disasters.

The team doing construction has had some false starts. Yesterday there was some miscommunication – Ryan would give the team direction and leave and then someone else would come by, tell them to stop, and give them different instructions. This happened a few times until Ryan had the chance to intervene.  Between the two direction givers they decided that we should sand some steel doors and window frames with a belt sander, to prep them for painting. When they gave Chris the sander, which he’d never used before, the only direction he was given was to let it cool down every 5 minutes or it would overheat and be too hot to hold. I think it lasted one cool down cycle before the belt, which wasn’t aligned, broke. The replacement belt was the wrong size, again more set backs.

With the bumps from yesterday it was amazing what they got done today.  They got the primer and first coat of paint on an entire side of the building, as well as demolishing a bunch of rocks with a sledgehammer.

Tonight we’re watching the movie “Invictus” with some of the kids, hopefully. Getting ready for that requires dragging my virtually paralyzed body off this bed, taking a shower (which is an event without a shower curtain) and meeting the team for dinner, so I need to go. Thank you so much for your prayers. We’ve really needed them and with all the challenges we’ve faced they’ve been handled with relative ease. We’re leading the service on Sunday which could really use some prayer. Some people are singing and others are speaking so our request would be for clear communication and that we would be vessels of the Lord.

The Macedonia mission team is in Strumica, Macedonia, from March 19th-29th to support Ryan and Jyl Smith – Bethany missionaries who are working with the community there. The team is organizing basketball camps for children and doing construction on a community center.

The team is organized by Megan Dobrasz, Bethany’s Pastor of College & Career. She has sent several updates about the team’s time in Macedonia…

Day 2:

Another great day! We had a ton of kids show up to the camp this morning: 30 1st through 3rd graders and 50 5th through 8th graders. It was so much fun to play with them. The language barrier was a huge challenge. And it seems that their current coaches mostly let them scrimmage, so they were a little grumpy about the drills we had them do. But all in all it was great. I anticipate that I’m going to be painfully sore tomorrow, as I was in charge of teaching defensive stance and I chased a lot of balls and kids today.

The other team members worked really hard outside today.  Tomorrow the US Ambassador to Macedonia is coming to see the sports hall, so they picked up trash, painted, and knocked trees down.  Chris and Todd literally ran at the trees to knock them over.

What a day! The weather has been unbelievable which means that I’m slightly sunburned, but it’s been so great that it’s a small price to pay. The cement sports hall is so cold that you have to go outside to warm up.

Day Three:

Today was much the same as day two. The basketball camps were a ton of fun. I was in charge of defensive drills again so I’m still pretty sore and the rest of the team thinks it’s hilarious.

We also met the US Ambassador to Macedonia, who seemed to be really interested in supporting the sports center remodel. That’s a huge blessing.

The roughest part of the day was literally a three-hour dinner where we were all so tired that we barely spoke. And the 100% empty restaurant still took about an hour to make our food. It wasn’t a horrible experience by any stretch, but shortly after eating we were very ready to go back and even took a taxi, which we rarely do.

Day 4:

Today can best be described as the perfect day. We took a drive to Phillipi, Greece, where the apostle Paul performed baptisms and was put in jail.  In addition to our team, John and Ryan came which was a lot of fun. Ryan is a great tour guide and John is so laid back and fun that it would take effort to not enjoy his company.

Phillipi was cool. The city ruins were really interesting. We saw a significant sized snake and I tried to convince Donte to chase after it, which almost gave Ryan a stroke – even when I assured him I’d suck the poison out if Donte got bitten.
We then went down to the river where Paul baptized Lydia, and I got to baptize Chris.  It was a very significant moment. I’ve gotten to know him over the past six months or so, and he continues to impress me with his heart for serving and his devotion to God. So I felt priviledged to baptize him. It kind of turned into an ordeal because although they’ve made a specific place for people to be baptized, the water is fairly shallow yet running so quickly that I couldn’t hold Chris in place to baptize him. It ended up that John helped hold him up, and between the two of us, with only a little bit of awkward maneuvering, we did it. It was so funny, and in the very beginning I was trying not to laugh because it felt irreverent, but then it became such a fiasco that we were all laughing.

We went on to Thessalonki, Greece, where we went to Starbucks, saw some statues and more ruins, and ate an incredible dinner.

On the way home in the bus we somehow started playing a game using my InStyle magazine where people had to choose an outfit on each page that they would like to wear. Or, for the guys, that they would want their significant other to wear. At one point Todd was so confident that he had chosen the same as Sandra that he was mildly braggy. When it came time to reveal our choices, they hadn’t chosen the same. Normally this would be the end of the story, but Todd was so shocked that he was wrong at what he picked that they had to have the magazine back so they could explain their choices. In the meantime, the rest of us are dying of laughter (mostly because they’re a hilarious couple) but also because Todd’s reaction was so flabbergasted that it was like he had just been told their entire marriage was a sham. It’s probably one of those “had to be there” moments, but the point is that this is such an incredible group of people and I’m so thoroughly enjoying getting to know them.