Oklahoma Part 4: Prayer

About half way through the session I slumped. I was done, burned out, ready to go home, physically and emotionally drained. I don't know what happened, but I needed to recharge! It was at this point that my roommate, Camellia, and I started praying every night for our classes the next day. The change in atmosphere as we prepared for classes, and the very atmosphere of the classes were dramatically changed the very next day! Why do we wait so long to turn our burdens to the Lord?

"What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh, what needless pain we bear!

All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer!"

That next morning, I held my breath as we walked into a usually difficult 4th grade class. The kids eagerly waved at us as we walked in, but they are always ready for something other than reading, writing or arithmetic. Camellia and I had prayed specifically for this class the night before. For the teacher, and several of the children by name. Not just that the children would behave, and that the point of the lesson would come across clearly, but that we would be able to meet a need in their lives as we taught the character quality of obedience. Amazingly this class time went surprisingly well. The class's attention was held unusually well with a skit about a soldier and a civilian boy who made the decision to go the extra mile. They loved it when we 'barked' out orders to them in military fashion. We finished class time with a quiz. As I collected the quizzes I started talking to one of the students while Camellia ended class. After some small talk he suddenly said, 'There are a lot of people in school that make fun of me, and pick on me. I get so mad! I know I shouldn't get angry at them, but I just don't know what to do!' He was visibly upset at the fact that he couldn't control his anger. He knew it was wrong and wanted desperately to do right, but he was helpless, as we all are, in his own strength. I wasn't quite sure what to say. I know the only one who can help him, but I have 30 seconds to talk, at best, and I'm sitting in the middle of a public school! A quick prayer for wisdom, and I asked, 'Do you ever go to Bible club?' 'Sure,' he replied, 'I go to church all the time!' 'So,' I continued, 'You already know who can help you!' After some thought he asked, 'God?' 'Yes!' I answered. 'Next time you get angry, pray, and ask God what He wants you to do.' He agreed to 'try' it the next time he got angry. I don't know exactly what his home life is like, but I know it is less than ideal and that God has a plan for him who has been made perfect in the image of God. Sometimes I feel helpless. The team can tell you story after heartbreaking story of child after child who's home life is terrible. Children who live with their grandparents and have no desire to, or even fear, seeing their parents because of how they have mistreated them, or because they are in jail. Children who have never known their earthly father, and hardly ever see their mother who lives with a boyfriend 10 years younger than she, 8 years older than them, and are left with most of the responsibility of caring for younger siblings. Elementary aged children who are involved in gangs and gang violence. Children who have 9 other siblings, all of whom are half or step siblings and have no idea who their 'real' father is. Children with deep emotional scars from abusive situations. Children who have never known the love of a real family, who grasp at the glimmer of hope we bring to them once a week in character class or Bible club. Each of these situations has a face. A soul that will last for eternity. Who will stand in the gap for them? "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest."

Oklahoma Part 3: Silly Bands

A canceled afternoon Bible club and an impulse purchase. Not things that would normally take anyone by surprise, and they didn't, but the outcome did. It was our second week of teaching and our Wednesday Bible club was unexpectedly canceled, so we headed to a housing project where most of the kids know us from school, to play with the kids at the park. All we had to do was start throwing a Frisbee around before kids came pouring out of the houses to play! Children's ministry can be exhausting work! Between basketball, tag, Frisbee, and anything else the kids could think of, we managed to exhaust ourselves quite thoroughly! In the middle of a game of tag, one of the kids noticed my silly bands. "Hey!" he shouted, "You have silly bands! Let me see them!" With that, he started tugging on my arm, trying to yank them off my wrist to see what shapes they were. Within seconds there was a crowed of three or four kids clustered around me, trying to see what they were. I didn't know plastic could be so exciting! I quickly snatched my hand above my head before it was dismembered, lol!, and said "They tell a story! Want to hear it?" They eagerly shouted (and I mean shouted!) "Yes!" At the excitement, several other kids joined the group that was literally bouncing in anticipation! I pulled my roommate, Camellia, and her matching silly bands into the mix. Together, we told the complete message of salvation to around 5 children! Praise the Lord for wordless book silly bands, my impulse purchase before leaving for Oklahoma! None of the children we witnessed to received Christ that day, but seeds were planted and we were able to explain some things they did not understand. I was amazed at their eagerness and interest in the things of God. Their interest was not isolated either, everywhere we went the kids were looking. Looking for something to make their life worth while. Looking for something different, meaningful, substantial, satisfying. The sad part is, they probably won't find it. Their chances of having a good role model, much less one who would point them to the Lord, are practically non existent simply because there is no one to tell them. "The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest." Luke 10:2

Christmas Cookies!

We take a break from our regularly scheduled programing (i.e. heart wrenching stories of crazy experiences in Oklahoma City) to bring you... my new favorite cookie recipe! These are amazing! Just the right amount of chocolate, soft, quick, and easy! So far, the only complaint is that I didn't make them big enough! While mixing them up, I should have let the dough cool a bit more from the melted butter before adding the chocolate chips, (I used white instead of milk chocolate) as they started melting as I folded them into the dough. A few of the cookies have white chocolate swirls instead of white chocolate chips! The recipe recommends baking for 12-15 minutes, but I found the perfect baking time to be 10-11 minutes, as I prefer a softer cookie. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation:

Beat melted butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Cool slightly and beat in egg and egg yolk. Beat in vanilla.

Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda. Slowly beat into the butter and sugar mixture until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips.

Chill the dough for at least 1 hour, or until firm.

Heat oven to 350°.

Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop mounds of dough onto a silicone-lined or greased baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2 to 2 inches between cookies. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until set.

Cool on baking sheet on a rack, then remove cookies to rack to cool completely. Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies.

Oklahoma Part 2: State Fair!

Most who know me, know I love the Fair! So I was naturally excited when, the first week back in Oklahoma City, we went to the Oklahoma State fair. Ok, so we were volunteering at the CEF (Child Evangelism Fellowship) booth, to tell the wordless book, but we had time to look around and have fun too! Praise the Lord for the work he did in the hearts of those who listened, and in mine! I've never been very bold in sharing my faith, and God has a way of pushing us out of our comfort zones! I had stationed my self out side the tent where my job was to get people's attention as they walked by and invite them to hear the story of the wordless book. (my comfort zone) As I was standing there, a man stopped and looked at the walking sticks with the wordless book colors on them, that we give to people after they have heard the story, and asked how he could get one. (This man was obviously drunk... still thinking straight, but drunk all the same) I told him all he had to do was listen to the story and we would give him a stick. So he positioned himself smack dab in front of me and said he was waiting for me to tell him the story so he could get his stick... long story short, he practically told me the wordless book, then proudly walked off with his stick after giving me a smelly hug! (The Lord gives grace!) I'm glad he knew the story, but pray he takes it to heart! My favorite moment of the night came an hour or two later. Camille and I were standing out side the tent inviting people in, when Camille challenged me to tell the story with the next people that came by. (out of my comfort zone!) I finally agreed, and a few minutes later, two young men (about 17 or 18 years old) came in. (Way out of my comfort zone!) I gulped a prayer, sat down across from them and started. By the time I got to the dark page, they both seriously realized their need for God, one started tearing up. By the grace of God, both young men received Christ! Please pray for Kenny and Delven, that they would connect into a church and truly serve the one who gives perfect peace!

Oklahoma Part 1: Perfect Peace

In The Gap (ITG) Training -- I don't think I remember a week flying by so quickly! It was spent in the lodge at Eagle Springs, a beautiful place west of Tulsa in the country -- really, the country! I would sit on the porch for morning devotions and listen to the cows mooing in the field across the road, then go for a walk at night and watch glow bugs and listen to the coyotes howl at the moon! Yes, I loved it! But don't worry, I paid attention to the training sessions too! Everything from school relations, lesson planning and research, object lessons, song leading, student praise and correction, and many others.

The class that stands out was story telling. Our assignment was to tell a story without using words, only gestures, sounds, and body movement. Everyone else had to guess what the story was. There was lots of laughter, and yes, we got them on tape! In the midst of training, having fun with the other interns and home work, we always started the day with an extended amount of time alone with the Lord. I appreciated that time to recharge spiritually and put my focus where it needed to be. During one of those morning meditations I was reading Isa. 26:3 'Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee." I asked, "Lord, what is perfect peace?" He gave me a picture. A still lake, crystal clear, no wind, not a ripple on its surface. But a storm brewed in the distance. As the menacing clouds rolled in, the trees on the shore of the lake began to bend and sway in the wind, leaves skipped across the shoreline, pushed by the wind, littering the beautiful scene, but the lake stayed as still as ever. It was still crystal clear, the water never trembled, or marred the image it reflected. It never took notice of the tumult around it because it was stayed on one thing, and that one thing never moves. "That," Said the Lord, "Is perfect peace!"

Home Again

Out for lunch with a friend, a denim skirt before 5 o'clock, a right side out hoodie, music playing in the background, and a peppermint hot chocolate from Panera. Life is good. I'm home! So much has happened since I left for Oklahoma City! There are so many stories I want to share with you all. God revealed Himself in amazing ways, children's lives changed, my life changed. Stories of God's grace and goodness, His sustaining power, and the peace only He can give in the midst of a storm. But some of you might not know why I disappeared out west in the first place. I took part in a 10 week 'short term mission trip' with a ministry called 'In The Gap.' We spent the first week in Eagle Springs. Training, getting to know each other, playing ultimate Frisbee, practicing teaching skills, and reviewing the wordless book, then it was back to the city to put what we had learned into practice. We worked with CEF, witnessing at their booth during the Oklahoma state fair, taught character classes to over 2,800 children in the Oklahoma City public elementary schools, conducted 3 after school Bible clubs a week, and taught Bible time at a tutoring program in the city. It was crazy, stressful, challenging, heart breaking and amazing, often, all at the same time. Check back often. I'll be posting stories of what God did in Oklahoma City!

Farewell, for a time

A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps

Proverbs 16:9

I've been devising a way, but the Lord is directing my steps to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. For the next 10 weeks I have the opportunity to take part in a 'short term missions program', called In The Gap (Some of you may know it as Character First) Where I will be teaching character classes in public schools, and Bible clubs after school hours. It is an intense schedule with little free time and lots of learning. Please hold me up in prayer as we take the character of Christ into the schools and bless the children there with the knowledge of Christ.

I don't think I will be able to update my blog while I'm gone, but I will have email access. I'll try to send word that I am still alive every once in a while :)

God's blessings on you, my readers,

~Mary~