Archive for the Category »Friends «
TeenStreet in Uruguay has begun for the 8th time. We are excited to be doing the
“HUMAN ~ a quest for connections” theme.
Our program team pictured here is: Darwin, Facundo, Rosie, Giovana, Suzie, Dan, (and in the evenings we are joined by) Natie & Roland.
It is exciting as we have had all of them (except Natie – who daily joined us by skype) for one of our imagiNations trainings. We love our little Uruguay family!
Lisa Bruder, from Germany performs the song she wrote for the Girl’s “I am a Princess” meetings in November, 2009!
Today we are experiencing “conneXellence” interaction. Worship and Magic Tricks were experienced in the morning. Then later we went to the basement with the powerpoint visual to learn & discuss INTERACT. We are trying to discover the things that we can use to interact with people . . . who are we? We are on the search together.
The after lunch part of the day was spent with the 4 of them working out details for their church program at Grace Bible Church on Sunday morning!
We had 35 of us for the “imagiNations welcome picnic” today. Since it was too cold outside for a proper picnic, we were all over the house. We were spread out to the living room, studio & LIFE room, and basement.
Our “all american picnic” to welcome Lisa, Facundo, Giovana & Roland to our community consisted of: sloppy Joe’s, baked beans, doritos, sour cream and onion potato chips, a veggie tray, a healthy salad, watermelon, 2 kind of pickles, strawberry / orange lemonade, and white grape drink. Of course there were nearly as many desserts to choose from as other food . . . the true American spirit: oreo cookie cake, brownie / pudding mix, pumpkin pie bars, & peach cobbler. Yumm!
We moved to another location with each filling of our plate, and were able to get to know the imagiNations participants a bit. It is exciting the impact and ability to bring so many people together in this way. Our prayer continues to be that they will receive much in the way of youth worker training, inspiration for creativity, growing themselves . . . and the beginning of the focus today . . . the giving of themselves in impact of the lives of those here in our community!
We begin tomorrow with our official training. Everyone had the “homework” of writing down their SMART goals in 5 areas: spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, and social. It will be good for us to share them tomorrow and keep each other accountable over the weeks and beyond! We are really looking forward to these 6 weeks together.
Today we began the bonding process of getting to know our Journey of what brought us together to this point. We shared our hearts, where we have been, what we have been involved in, and how God made a way to bring us all together.
imagiNations ARTISTree 09 is a 6 week course from Oct 1 to Nov 15, 2009 in Marlette, MI . . . based out of our home! It is a mentoring based conneXellence training focused on NEXT GENERATIONAL ministry and the ARTS.
For this journey together we have:
Dan & Suzie Potter . . . also known as . .. DUZIE (facilators)
Lisa Bruder – from Germany
Giovana Chaves – from Uruguay
Facundo Luzardo – from Uruguay
Roland Reimer – from Uruguay
Our orientation today included sharing our journeys, prayer, worship, eating, and ended with a car tour of Marlette (because of the rain). We popped into various stores and businesses to “show off” the group, let them meet “real Marlettians” and get the feel of our community. We ended at Clarks for ice cream, even though it was a cold & wet day.
We are excited at how well we connected today, and thankful to God for the group He has put together. Our prayer is that we will be able to give and receive (all of us) during this season God has put us together!
We just got home from the airport to pick up Giovana and Lisa, and just before midnight Facundo & Roland arrived with Steve, Esther and Susan Hawkins who drove them from Canada.
I learned a new phrase from Sherryl Potter (I think it is an old one) that says “THE EGGS ARE IN THE BASKET” . . . which means in this case today . . . that we have all the imagiNations ARTISTree participants with us. Orientation begins tomorrow. WOO HOO! Thank You Jesus!
Darwin came back to Marlette, MI to visit us after his first visit here for imagiNations 4 years ago! Tonight was the last night he has with us and we celebrated by eating at Treves Pizza. He heads back to California where he is a Tennis Coach, and soon to be student there. We have been able to see him almost every year since we first met him in Uruguay for TeenStreet about 6+ years ago now. We have been able to have him as another “son” living with us for nearly 3 weeks.He and Josiah spent most of their time together and it was great for both of them. 
We enjoyed him too! He also was able to go to all the Soccer Practices for Josiah’s Marlette Varsity Soccer Team . . . and be a great encouragement and support to all the guys on the team! We will miss you Darwin, come back and stay again anytime!
Steve Ellis (pictured here on the left) has only been playing guitar now for 4 weeks. He has really fallen in love with playing it, and finds it really relaxing, especially after a long day. He is our insurance man.
This week as we were preparing for worship for Sunday morning in our church, we realized that we had me able to lead with my guitar, Dan on the bongos, Todd on the drums, and Sherryl on the piano, and other singers, but no back up guitar. Steve has been doing so well picking up new songs and rhythms, that he was up to the challenge.
During our Thursday lesson this week, I presented him with 5 new songs, that’s right 5 new songs. He knew all the chords (except A) and mostly knew the songs, and I felt he was up to the challenge. I thought I would try him out with the songs. Amazingly he was able to play along. I gave him the challenge to practice them all and just play the ones he felt comfortable with.
He showed up this morning before the service for our practice with his stool to sit on and a smile on his face. He said he was ready with 3 of them. After practice, Dan encouraged him to just go for them all, and turn his volume down on the ones he wasn’t as comfortable with.
He did a great job. I am so excited to be a part of the lives of the 6 guitar students I have presently. I have 3 more already to start up in September when we are back from Europe. It is wonderful to share this gift of playing the guitar and influence others to worship God in this way too!
Michael Knight (18 1/2 years old) went to be with Jesus on 1 AUGUST 09. His dad went to wake him up and found him non-responsive. The reason for death at this time is unknown, but tests in the coming days will be done. He is now with Jesus!
Michael (known to many as Mike) is pictured here at MTO ‘08 between his two sisters Laura (on the left) and Akila (on the right). This photo captures the three of them and their personalities well. We have known Mike (and his family) since he was quite young, as he was one of our Missionary Teenagers. His parents have been serving in many capacities with Operation Mobilization for over 20 years. We have had the privlege of watching and walking the road of life with the 3 Knight kids now for many years! The Knight family now lives and bases their ministry from Carlisle, Cumbria, United Kingdom.
This is the way he describes himself on his facebook profile: “Hmmm me well my name’s Mike some people like to call me Mikey, Mikey, Mikey or just Mikey or Mikey Man. I’m a Christian and proud. I like being random and making people laugh, i’m not good at it either. I have lots of friends and love them all.”
In the last couple of years Mike has been full on for loving Jesus and spending hours on his guitar worshipping Jesus and growing in this. In fact he was planning to start studies at a worship academy in October of this year. He was spending much of his time working at McDonalds to earn money for this.
I spoke with Laura shortly after his death. She (and the whole family and us friends) are sad that Michael is no longer with us here on earth, but is excited that he is now in heaven and is worshipping Jesus all the time. That perspective is really refreshing and exciting to think about in the midst of what to us feels so sad.
We are praying for the Knight family and friends in their time of grieving and rejoicing.
Today we celebrate the life of Kim McDowell! She is an awesome friend and like family to us!
This morning she stopped in for a cappuccino on her way to work. She is the Marlette Jr/Hi School counselor, with loads of various responsibilities including scheduling (which she is a bit consumed with now because of the end of the year), and most importantly helping students process life!
Her passionality statement is: “support peace through serving”. That is who she is!
Tonight I have the privilege from 3:15 or 3:16pm to take her out for her Birthday. The plans are a surprise to her, so I can’t mention it here until later . . . but it is going to be an awesome time to CELEBRATE KIM’s LIFE!