West Virginia Stuff

Week 5 is about to start. It is a week of 60 and finding work for that many isn't hard, but organizing it, and getting things ready is. McDowel County is a fairly poverty stricken place. Most people are left from the mining era, but weren't able to move out when the mines closed. They live off of fixed incomes, and most of them live in the houses that were set up as miner houses from the original miner companies. If you don't know, the mining companies originally set these towns up as their own. They paid the workers in company credits, which were only good in the company store, and housed them in company houses, which made my dorm room look like a luxury suite. So these houses are little shacks that were put up about 100 years ago, and have just been repaired and altered throughout the years. So many of them are just left abandoned, leaving it as an eyesore to the community around them, as well as a danger and even worse when it is a duplex that someone still lives in the adjoining house. The folks I get to meet here are absolutely amazing. We put together a porch for a guy, and it is more a community center than a porch.

Our main community partner is a man named Jack Fultz, he started School For Life here at the school we stay in. He bought it right after it was put up for sale. He has a game room for kids, and really tried to do whatever he can for the community. I love driving around with him, cause he just stops and talks with just about every person, and cares about them and their needs on the highest level I have ever seen. He truly loves every person. He doesn’t just meet their immediate need, but a deeper need. Like if they need some work on their house, he will do his best to help them with it, but he won’t do it for them, and make them dependent on him, but allows them to grow in themselves. They are fully capable, but just need a good friend to come along side of them. He is that friend if they need.

Shook the hand of a man from the first wave of Normandy, and a vice president of Tyson Chicken, good times

I know I just posted yesterday, but I forgot a few things. First off this week I meant a lot of amazing people, but 2 stick out a little, mainly because of their lives. I met a lot of great men and women this week from a great church in Arkansas, that I'll hopefully get to see again sometime. One of them is a vice president of Tyson Foods, and shared a lot with me about how his company has regualr prayer meetings, and even has a chaplin on staff for their offices. It was really encouraging to hear him talk with his boss openly about praying for people and situations in his company, and that they really seeked the Lord's guidence in their daily bussiness meetings.
The other guy I got to meet, was a veteran who was among the first waves of Navy ships to hit the beaches of Normandy. His story was amazing, and it was a priveledge to work for such a man that gave up so much. As well as he was worried about his wife as she was in the hopsital, and he was sad she wasn't at home anymore, and missed her a lot. I hope to have that kind of love for my family when I get one of my own.
My team and I are really connecting. Chad and I are really becoming close. He is such a great thinker, and cares about God so much, we have great discussions. Things are just alot of fun when we are together, even cooking hamburgers has never made me laugh so hard. But we both love serving the Lord, and having a good time so it's all good. As well as he is our worship coordinator, and he has a box drum, a box you sit on and the bottom is a bass drum, and a snare towards the top. But he has been working with me on it, and while he plays guitar for worship, I am actually playing the drum. Not to mention the one night last week where I actually led singing... That was a fun time, where we sang to God and for His praise, and not for our own ears to enjoy... But alas that is all. I'm leaving for Kentucky in the morning for another crazy God adventure, and who knows maybe get to see some of the Icthus concert this year.

Crazy Awesome God, yet again

Hi everyone, welcome to a glimpse of my last 2 weeks.
Our first week, was pretty crazy. We had 2 groups of high school Christian schools taking their senior trip. They were great, gave me a pretty fun nick name. I live in an old elementary school. Creepiest thing ever, especially when I have to lock the doors at night. Not to mention the bats, and such. But I had a couple work projects. This year is a lot different than Atlanta. Chad, my contstruction partner and I find a lot of work sites, then we work out the details, and then take the mission trip groups to the sites and get them set up, but then we have to get ready for the next days sites, so we don't get to be around the groups as much. But we get to help tons of people. The people in this county use to be a very rich with the coal industry, but when it started declining, the community went from over 100,000 people to only 20,000. But they are great, everyone I meet treats me like I'm a long last friend.

As for this week, we have a group from a church in Arkansas, and it they are great. Their heart breaks for this community, and they want to work so much, and they worked so hard all week. If the weeks coming have half the heart of these guys, this will be a great summer. We got up 3 hours early today, just to finish a ditch they were digging.
As for next week, I get to go to Kentucky, and work with that EM site. I'm a little confused as the deails, but something to do with Ichthus. So I might be able to catch a show :)
So my team is great, I miss everyone from last year, but am excited about all these great new oppurtunities of how God will use me.

I love continually seeing God's great love for me, and that I counted worthy to work for the God that has done so much for me.