Devotion: Use the Mountain

Transcription

1 August 1, 2013 Volume 12, Issue 4 Devotion: Use the Mountain I would suppose at some point in every one's life the words to the song "Go Tell It on the Mountain" have been heard. We of the Foothills community have the pleasure of having mountains practically in our back yards. Mountains are curious things; they have elements of peaks as well as valleys. They have highs as well as lows and in general make for great sermon fodder for preachers and devotional writers. Many years ago right here in Cleveland and the surrounding areas a movie was filmed, "I'd Climb the Highest Mountain" and again a mountain was used as the theme. As we Christians go through life sharing Christ with everyone we come in contact with, be it by word or deed we are sure to encounter mountains. Funny thing about mountains is, they can get in your way. When this happens we usually have two options, we can go around them or we can climb them; either way we must choose a course of action. Whether you climb or go around, tell someone along the way about Jesus and what he has done for you. Oh and don't forget to tell them what he has done for them as well, and that he wants a relationship with them. As you pray for opportunities to tell others about Jesus, watch their lives change and watch as your life changes as well! So, go tell it on the mountain, around the mountain, (or anywhere for that matter). Tommy Preston

2 A Report from Your Board At the July meeting the board decided we needed to take a more immediate and intensive look at the food service at Legacy Camp. We were concerned about special needs diets not being complied with very well along with some dissatisfaction with quality. To make a long story short, after investigations by our committee, we ve had a board meeting via and a vote. We ve decided to do our own cooking starting with Walk 24 in September. It s a big undertaking with a short time available to put a food operation in place before September 12 th. Lots of things need to be addressed such as menus, storage, number of people needed to cook, etc. etc. Luckily we have a very capable and positive person on the board whose area of responsibility is the kitchen Glenda Bullard. We re doing our best to draw from all the expertise in the community and get Glenda the help she ll need. It must be a community effort as there just aren t enough hands and feet on the board. Pray for this effort to go smoothly and give Glenda all the help you can. If she asks, say Yes. Kim Bost reported on the last Chrysalis Flight, which was enormously successful. Twenty- five boys and thirty- six girls were touched in mighty ways by the Holy Spirit. The next flights will be in June Our Chrysalis Flights would really benefit from GFWTE participation on the teams. As you know it s a blessing to work team on a Walk. I m told it s even more of a blessing to work a Flight with our youth. Prayerfully consider it. I am. De Colores, Ragin Rock on, Community! Due to your wonderful efforts in sponsorship GFWTE is officially proceeding! Keep them coming, sponsors! As of now we have 26 women and 18 men promised; however, all registrations need to be received by August12. You can complete a team application by using the following link: _2013.pdf &/or a pilgrim application by using the following link: _2013.pdf Are finances an issue? Pray about it and have faith in Him. In 2007, I sensed a calling to serve but I didn't have the funds to participate. I put my trust in the Lord and sent the application anyway. He provided the exact amount just when I needed it. Please feel free to contact me: ginger.workman@gmail.com Joy and Blessings, Ginger Workman

3 Mark Walls: A Fourth Day in Tijuana, Mexico Our family served on a mission June 2 8 in Tijuana, Mexico. God had placed a family mission trip on Julie s and my hearts a few years ago. We waited until Allison, 16, and Jonathan, 13, could participate. We did not fully know what to expect; we were simply willing to follow God s lead. We have Emmaus friends who have served in Tijuana. After talking with them and praying about it, we knew this is where God was leading us. There were 11 of us serving under Spectrum Ministries based in San Diego, California. Spectrum has been meeting people s basic needs and sharing the Gospel in Tijuana for over 30 years. Spectrum full time missionaries set the plans, and one or more of them were with us for each service project. We arrived in Tijuana Sunday afternoon. Our first stop was to a youth prison where we played games with 20 boys and 20 girls, separately of course. One of our team members shared his testimony translated by a Spectrum host missionary. Next we went to an orphanage of about 25 kids and played with them for a couple of hours. Monday: We were up early, went to the build site and built the second room of a two room house. For novice builders, it took all day. Tuesday: We went back to the house to have a dedication prayer with the homeowner and give her the keys. Next we returned to the dorm and cooked about 200 tacos, made guacamole, etc., and took the food and served the children at two orphanages. We also enjoyed playing with the kids. Wednesday: Up and out at 7:00 am and poured a concrete pad for another house. At noon, after a quick shower, we cooked 400 hot dogs and made many gallons of tea. We took the food to a landfill where about 250 people look through the trash for items that can be recycled. Many of the people live in tents and other makeshift shelters along the edge of the landfill. Some of the people were too busy to come to our van, so we took the food to them in the middle of the landfill. Thursday: Many of the children in the hills of Tijuana do not have running water. We packed up water, towels, etc. and set up in one of the communities to wash their feet and hair. For the girls, our team braided hair and put in pony tail holders and hair bows. Each child also received a couple of pieces of clothing and some candy. Friday: We went to the market and purchased 50 pound bags of food: rice, beans, potatoes, jalapenos, squash, tomatoes, bananas and oranges. We took all these bags back to the dorm and made up grocery bags full of food. We took about 175 bags of food to two poor neighborhoods. We enjoyed getting to know Ernesto, Armando, Lucas, and Diego, all Spectrum staff. Ernesto grew up in one of the Tijuana orphanages and Pastor Von, the founder of Spectrum Ministries, used to come to his orphanage. He gave his life to Christ at age 12 after Pastor Von took him and some of the orphanage boys to serve food in the landfill. Today he is the leader of Spectrum s work in Tijuana. He taught us to say God loves you in Spanish, and we said it often that week. Each member of our family was greatly blessed to serve in Tijuana this summer. If God is leading you towards a mission trip, I encourage you to consider serving with Spectrum in Tijuana.

4 Chrysalis: Butterflies Are Free! The butterflies of Chrysalis flight 21 have been released into the world! These 61 (yes 61!) young people crawled onto the campground as caterpillars. They moved cautiously and slowly. They were anxious about the events that would occur over the next 72 hours. They soon entered their cocoons where they developed, learning to live as God intends. While in their cocoons, they feasted on a buffet of Christ s love prepared by the team. On Sunday afternoon, these beautiful caterpillars emerged from their cocoons, transformed into MORE beautiful butterflies fully equipped and ready to fly with Christ! God s blessings during these two weekends were not limited to the butterflies Just ask any team member! As part of the team, we had the privilege to serve the Lord Jesus Christ as we showered these 61 young people with His love. Any exhaustion we felt was quickly erased at the closing ceremony on Sunday. We left the campground moved, inspired and motivated by the testimonies of these butterflies! God is at work in their lives! Thanks be to God! It is with great anticipation that we await the next Chrysalis flights! I would encourage the community to begin to pray now regarding sponsorship into the next group of caterpillars. God uses His Chrysalis movement to work POWERFULLY in the lives of these young people. Also prayerfully consider working on the team. As part of the team, you too, will meet the risen Christ on a Chrysalis flight weekend! Fly with Christ, Kim Bost Chrysalis Community Lay Director Closest to Christ "At what time this week did you feel closest to Christ?" This is my favorite question on our GROUP REUNION card. I guess it's because the question has made me become aware of those moments more keenly. This remembrance of my dear friends in group also always makes their eyes smile too. Got to admit that blesses my heart each time as well. Which part of reunion group is your favorite? All of the group reunion activities, thoughts and prayers are intended to strengthen our walk daily. To help us be aware of the richness of our relationship with Jesus our Lord and to come alongside those He has given us to travel life's journeys. These reunion groups are the strength of our GFWTE. Please let your sponsor know if you are not a part of a reunion group or if it has been a while and you are out of touch with the group reunion function please let me or any Board member know so that we can assist you in finding a group to associate with. Blessings, Pat

5 HELP WANTED!!! Many of you cannot be sponsors of new pilgrims or work the full weekend on the team but you can still be of vital help, i.e. you can help with agape gifts. Agape does not only apply to food and drink, mementos or candies, but can also apply to your service time! We your help for set- up and take- down. Set- up begins for this walk on Wednesday, Sept. 11th at Legacy Retreat. We meet to set up the camp for the coming weekend walks (both men s and women s); all items necessary for staging the walk are kept in trailer storage. Do you recall the conference room arrangements with tables, chairs, music, the Table of the Pharisees, etc.? We have to make those arrangements ourselves! The Lay Director and Assistants will be on hand to help direct this set- up. Next, do you recall all the Chapel settings? Each time you entered the chapel, you may have noticed it was different! All those trappings, the Cross, pictures and stands, etc. must be unloaded and again, the Chapel head and some team members will be on hand to help direct this unloading. Can you recall all the meal decorations and arrangements for your weekend? All that must be taken out of storage and placed in the kitchen in preparation; the kitchen head and usually several of the kitchen team will be on hand to direct and guide your help. Well, this is set- up and it takes a lot of help but do not think of it as work because there is much camaraderie with remembrances from your personal pilgrimage, joking, bragging, tormenting and the telling of lies. Take- down begins at noon on the Sunday of the women s walk starting with the kitchen, loading all the boxes and materials followed by the chapel and conference room. In past experiences, agape help is more desperately needed with take- down than with set- up so if possible stick around a little while after closing. In any case, if you are not a member of the team, are not sponsoring a pilgrim, or cannot provide agape in any other form, won t you please consider spending a few hours either for set- up or take- down? The more hands the merrier (and I might add EASIER!). If you search your heart (and calendar) and find that you can help with either set- up or take- down, please come to Camp Legacy on the Sep. 11th for set- up and/or Sep. 22nd for take- down. Many thanks in advance for your willingness to participate and may God continue to bless your fourth day. Gathering! Friday, August 9, 7:30 p.m. Clayton UMC 71 S. Main St. Clayton, GA Gatherings are the second Friday of each month. For childcare, please call Tamara Hammock at Ragin Hause Board of Directors Chair/Lay Director Charlie Green (Clergy) Community Spiritual Director Chuck Miller Music/72 Hour Prayer Vigil Ginger Workman Registrar/Prayer Ministry Glenda Bullard Ed Dickens (Clergy) John Bisson Tamara Hammock Tom Jackson Mark Walls Pat Duncan Tom Fish Keith Futch David Bost Robert Mayo Claire McDonald Kitchen Coordinator Communications Vice Chair/Treasurer Gathering Coordinator Set Up/Take Down Team Selection Training Historian Agape Coordinator Send- Off/Candlelight/ Closing/Sponsor s Hour Literature/Chrysalis Secretary