We Must Go

2010 HS Trip Summary

Another very successful trip for the Brazil team at Lifepoint. Lives were changed on both ends and new friendships that will last a lifetime were made. If you had a family member on this trip (or any other trip in the future) understand the need for time to digest this trip upon returning home. Coming home after spending 8 days (and 2 long nights on a plane) in the environment encountered on this trip can have an impact on you. The first few days back are sometimes difficult to accept and fitting your new perspective on life into your old lifestyle can be difficult.

To the students I had the chance to become friends with on this trip, I THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I was very impressed with this team and am so excited to see how you will change the world. Be proud of your parents for letting you take this trip and making i possible.

To the adults that went on the trip and I also got to know for the first time, or a little better, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart as well. I know this trip had impact on you as well, but do not forget the impact you had on the students as well. Your leadership was appreciated and "influential" in the lives of the next generation.

To my 9 year old son, Hayden. This was your 4th trip and watching you interact with the teams and the Brazilian friends you have made down there is a privilege. I am proud of you, not just for down there, but for the way you prepare for the trips, the way you share the trips with others when you return, and the way I have watched the trips make you a better person. No parent can be prouder.

To the parents of the students; be proud of yourself. This was an opportunity for your child that many of you probably never had yourself as a child. This was probably one of the top ten investment moments you will ever make in your child's life. Be proud for loving your student enough to make this possible.

Please contact me anytime you need to for information in this trip or any future trip.

2010 trip.....Friday edition

Let the tears begin. We left Gleba-B today for the final time. This is the favela that AMO has been in the longest. It is also where most of the close relationships are at with the trips and the embrace-a-child program. Most of your students developed very close friendships with people in this community this week and saying goodbye to these friends is always very hard. It was realistic to see a few students break down in tears and a brokenness feeling as they left there new friends behind in a world that is unmanageable to think of someone living in, much less leaving someone behind that you care about.

We have reflection time at least every other day during these trips. This is a time where we share experiences and stories with one another to help the digestion process of all that is taken in every day down here. Tonight's reflection time was outside around a camp fire. It is always an enjoyable evening/experience that we end each week with. Again, this group is very level headed and hearing their perspectives about the week was encouraging and very enjoyable. There is a group of young adults returning to Smyrna as new people and with new perspectives on life. As parents/family you should be proud of yourself for allowing your student this experience. I promise you that the trip is worth the price of admission.

We have been able to share a few cultural experiences during this trip as well. Last Monday evening we went to a Brazilian pizzeria. That was an experience that I am sure you will hear about and see pictures of as well. I am sure you will hear about the ice cream pizza! Wednesday we had lunch at a Brazilian churrascaria. Same here as for pictures and stories. Tonight after the reflection camp fire we went into downtown Campo Limpo to eat (X tudo), a sandwich that is a walking heart attack. There is also the driving around in the bus and just seeing the cities and the people.

Chow for now. Again, be as proud of your students as I am. This may be my last post before we leave, therefore if so, we will see you Sunday morning at the airport. I will try to post again tomorrow before we leave for the airport here. I am thinking of posting a top 10 list of things that happened this week, but I was too afraid to post for fear of you misunderstanding the level of safety for your student. Hmmmm. There are stories to share that helped your students grow a little this week. Oti Logo (see you later in Brazilian Portuguese).

 

2010 trip update.....Thursday edition

What a blessing to get another chance to blog again so soon. Things are still going great. The emotions are beginning to surface as everyone realizes that the end of the week is near. I hope the pics posted earlier were appreciated as they did represent the environment your students have been operating in this week. Next week be prepare to offer some emotional support as the students begin to digest the week and go through a debrief period. They deserve the support and help I promise. 

Tonight we had our last church service of the week, and today we got to share some time with a class from an English speaking school. Your students were on fire for both opportunities and once again excelled at sharing the gospel with non-believers. The testimonies have been strong this week, probably the strongest we have ever had down here with one of these trips. That does need to be contributed to all other groups however, as well as the AMO team here in Brasil (the s is correct, it is only spelled with a z outside of Brasil). One of the things we do at the end of each trip is debrief the trip looking for ways to improve the next trip. As a result of these debriefings, the testimony training on the front side of these trips has been much more effective. Thanks to everyone who has taken part in this activity, your efforts and input are paying dividends.

We had our second (and final) seminary class today. This week we have focused on leadership and leading by influencing others. The discussions have been great. There has been plenty of input and discussion concerning the topics. Just another sign of the maturity level of this group. God is going to do great things through each and every one of these young adults just because they have put their "Yes" on the table. Their commitment is second to none. One thing that the students were challenged with today is the importance that college will play on their development as great leaders for the church and God''s kingdom. We also discussed being prepared for the challenges that college offers with letting the enemy impact their lives. I think this group is well prepared mentally, emotionally, and mostly spiritually for the college life. That has come from two factors: home and church.

We had the privilege of witnessing two young men that have recently surrendered their lives to God and who are on fire for Christ do something unheard of tonight. They walked 28 miles to be at church with the group and with AMO. They were exhausted and famished once they arrived. What an inspiration they were for our team. Fatigue is beginning to set in for our group as the week wears on, but these two young men gave us all an instant shot of energy. I thought it was ironic that we discussed leadership through influence this morning and before the end of the day God provided a perfect example from two very unlikely sources. God is great isn't He?

Here are a couple more pics. Be as proud of your students as I am.

 

   

 

 
 

Pics

 
 
 
 

2010 trip update.....Wednesday version

Things are going great. Everyone having a great time. I know that I  mentioned more than once that one of my goals for this trip is to push your students out of their comfort zone and to teach them something new about themselves. Well, this group is challenging me in this area. They are all jumping right into every challenge they are being given without hesitation and exceeded my expectations.We are still not having any issues finding people to present testimonies or to share the gospel through some form or another. Every student has shared their story at one point or another (many several times even).

Tuesday we did visit downtown Sao Paulo again and there was some exposure to some pretty dismal conditions. Appreciation for life and what they each have will not be an issue for your students when they return. We walked through one favela that even scares me a little when I walk through it and everyone did great. In another favela we had an interesting event that just kind of happened without plan. We were outside the hut we use for services as there was a woman's Bible study taking place on the inside. Somehow David ended up with a borrowed guitar from one of the residents and we begin to sing in the streets (dirt path) and kids and adults from the community gathered around and next thing we knew there was a concert taking place. I will let the students give you the details of the event and what was taking place around us at the same time! (don't worry, they were safe).

Your students have been exposed to some real world stuff this week. It will be interesting to see how it is all digested. I apologize up front, but I will not be bringing the same people back with me that I left Smyrna with. This group has been as impacted as any group I have ever seen. They are all doing great.

I am going to break mold this time and call out individuals for what I have been most impressed with. The four returning students have done an excellent job of preparing the first time students for the trip. Samantha Scott, Jordan Prewitt, Ryan Tidwell, and Chris Loveless also have developed as individuals exponentially since last week. They all four did an excellent job with testimonies and sharing the gospel. Taylor Thompson and Lizzy Campbell are work horses that have jumped right into the environment and are shining brightly. Callie Mills jumped right in the quickest and is first to volunteer for any and every thing. Jordan Owens is a natural with the kids and has absolutely fallen in love with the people here. I asked her yesterday if she was still scared of the lice situation and she just said "what lice?" Taylor Simpson was the slowest to share her testimony and to talk in front of people, but when she did step up, wow, it was great. She had tears everywhere as she shared what God has done for her (mom be proud). Amy Adkins is probably the quietest of the bunch, but is in the middle of everything as well. She just takes it all in and throws herself into the middle of whatever just to make sure she is making a difference. Randle Alignamath is a young man that does not hesitate to share his believes with anyone and has a passion for Christ that is unmatched for his age. Mariah Suri is another awesome young lady that has embraced Brazil and its people with full force. She is having an awesome time and enjoying every minute of every day. Parents be as proud as I am because this group is exceeding expectations.

The connection is still too slow to upload pictures. I will try every time I can and hopefully one day I can get some pictures posted, but don't worry, each of you will see more than you care to see once your student returns.

2010 trip update.....Monday version

Things are going great still. Service yesterday saw more than 175 people on the property here in Jarinu, and another 120 in Gleba-B. Your students are stilling going strong. I usually have some trouble early in the week finding people who will speak to groups, give testimonies, or just do what is needed; that is not the case with this group. Everyone is so quick to jump in and volunteer, and most every time the hardest part has been determining who "gets" to speak or serve.

We had a reflection time this morning. I just sat and listened as most students shared their favorite part of the trip, shared what touched their hearts the most, or even asked a question or two about something they had saw or witnessed. Sometimes it takes some questions or action by me to get these sessions moving this early in the trip, but not with this group. This is an impressive group.

We also visited a neighborhood this afternoon and just walked the streets talking to people, playing with the kids/adults and sharing testimonies. A couple of students also had the chance to use the Evangeacube to share the gospel. The energy this group has at this point in the trip impresses me.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) we are heading back into Sao Paulo to visit favelas. There are a couple of women's Bible studies planned as well as women's crafts. This is usually a good time for the females in our group to share some intimate time with the local women and build some friendships that will last a last time, even if they never see one another again.

Each morning the students have received a theme for the day, or you could say a quiet time devotional. We have touched on some subject matters that are not unfamiliar to your students, but maybe from a different perspective. The goal for the week is to challenge your students thinking and comfort zone. They all were told that they would be treated as adults because the commitment to this trip showed maturity beyond their years. The students have been challenged about the real reason for the trip, their commitment to service, and what it means to really serve. Like I said not new subject matter, but an attempt to challenge the status quo on their thought process.

Still not connected well enough to upload pics, so another update in a day or two and hopefully pics to go along as well. Be proud of your students, they are exceptional young adults doing you proud.

High School Trip 2010 version

We are safely in Brasil and things are going great. This is a really grounded group and they have grasped the purpose of this trip with arms wide open. Everyone has taken to the Brazilian kids and people quicker than any other student group. We held services/activities to more than 250 kids in two different favelas, and the kids had a blast (both ours and the Brazilians).

Your students have made you proud right out of the gate. Their grasp of the reality of the world changed today, for the better. I wish I could have captured the looks on some of the faces as they were able to walk through the favelas and realize that people really live in the conditions that were experienced today. Without hesitation every student in our group stepped right in and loved on the people/kids. I was proud of them all.

Very tired at the moment so keeping this short. Will blog as often as possible this week so keep checking for updates. There will be some pics on the way soon. I am proud of them all and assure you that you would be too.