Fill Us Up, Send Us Out

We concluded our four days of training yesterday with a study on cross-cultural ministry. Today, we will begin putting into practice all that we have learned this week. We have split the 30+ young people who have been trained this week into three different teams, each sent into a different township. My group is heading to Daveyton, where we will be doing ministry in a squatter camp (an informal settlement). Justin and Wes will also be helping lead teams heading into Tsakane and a more rural settlement called Grootvlei. Please pray for our safety as we travel today, as well as for our ministry to the people in these townships. Pray that we would be an encouragement to the local church and that hearts would be moved toward Christ as the Lord works through our group. Thanks for praying!

Update

Just a quick update from South Africa. Thank you to those who prayed for Justin. He was able to see a doctor who gave him a shot (you will have to ask him where! :) and also got him started on some antibiotics. He is already feeling much better today. Besides Justin's minor illness, it is a praise and a blessing that our team has been very healthy so far on this trip. Sickness can often be a distraction from the mission on a trip like this, but we have experienced God's hand of protection from sickness as we had long, tiring days of travel, as well as in our adjustment to a new environment and new kinds of food here in SA.

We just finished our first session this morning called "Triple T" (Telling The Truth). We learned that our own personal testimonies can be a powerful tool in sharing the gospel with others, and we were given time to write out our own testimonies and share them with a group. It has been amazing to watch our students really embrace the community here at J-Life, as well as the teaching. I have seen incredible growth in each one of our students in just the first few days here as they are stretched and challenged outside of their comfort zones. And this is just the beginning. Please pray that God would continue to grow our students into maturity as they are stretched each day.

STeM Day 2

Today we woke up at 6:30am for a time of group prayer. It was great to unite our hearts together in prayer with believers from many different cultures and languages. We followed that with a time of personal devotions. We are studying the life and ministry of Christ for the next ten days--really exciting stuff! After devotions, we had a time of worship together as a group and then a group discussion surrounding the Scripture that we read for devotions. (And all of that BEFORE breakfast!). After breakfast, we had our first session of practical training for the short-term mission. We are on a short break now (it is noon here), and then we are heading back for another training session. It's been a very busy morning!

One concern for prayer...Justin has not been feeling well. He often has problems with inflamed tonsils, and he has started feeling an infection coming on. We wanted to take every precaution, so he has gone into town this morning for a doctor's visit and to get some antibiotics. He is really doing fine, but please pray that he stays healthy and strong so that he can continue pouring into our students. Thank you for praying!

Adjusting Well

I'm super impressed with the way our group has adjusted to the new time zone already. We got a great night's sleep (us guys actually slept through our alarms and woke up at 10am!), and after a good shower and breakfast we all felt very refreshed. We went for a nice hike up in the mountains at Camp Eden this afternoon--even in the dry winter it really is beautiful here! As we came back to the campsite, we had the chance to meet several groups of African students who will be joining us for STeM. Our kids seemed to really connect well with the other students. Please pray that we would continue to be unified both as a team and unified with the rest of the students here for STeM. Tonight officially starts STeM training--we are very excited! Stay tuned for more updates, and hopefully I'll be able to put up a picture or two soon. As they say "goodbye" here in South Africa...cheers!

Settling in to South Africa

The last two days of travel went as smooth as could be. We arrived in Johannesburg right on time about 3 hours ago, and we are just now settling in at Camp Eden. There is a 7-hour time difference, so it's currently almost 12:30am in South Africa. It may take our bodies some time to adjust, but we are all hoping for a good night of rest as we are pretty exhausted from two long days of travel. Pray that our adjustment to the new time zone and culture here will be quick--STeM training starts tomorrow afternoon! We are all very excited to be here and excited for what God has in store for us. Thanks to all of you who are keeping us in your prayers! We really appreciate your support!

Preparing Our Hearts

Our trip unofficially began tonight as our complete team met together for the first time in Granger. The focus of the night was to begin building unity as a team and to prepare our hearts for the two weeks of ministry ahead of us. Justin really got us started out on the right foot, as he led us in a time of prayer and confession. We each went off on our own to pray and ask God if there were any barriers or sin issues in our lives that might prohibit His working in and through us on this trip. We then got together with a partner, confessed our sins to one another, and prayed for each other. After confession, then, the natural response was to worship God and thank Him for His forgiveness and the work He did through Christ on the cross. And we did just that, spending an hour or so worshiping God together as a team. What a powerful way to begin this trip. Our hearts are ready, and I'm excited to see what God has in store for this team! Africa, here we come!

Back to South Africa!

It's hard to believe that it's been 18 months since I last stepped foot in South Africa. But, after much preparation and anticipation, I am heading back this week to the country and the continent that has stolen my heart! I'll be leading a team of students and leaders from The Crossing (the school where I taught this year), as well as the youth group from Rona Missionary Church (OH) which I am connected to through my good friend Justin Romine, youth pastor at Rona. We will be partnering in South Africa with J-Life Africa for their annual missions training/practical event called STeM (Short Term equipping Mission). We'll first spend four days at J-Life's training center about an hour outside of Johannesburg, where we will receive training in short-term missions, including the theory behind what we do on short-term missions, as well as practical training in evangelism, sports ministry, etc. We will then be sent out in teams to impoverished townships to partner with the local church there and apply what we have learned in our missions training. After five days of practical ministry, we will travel back to J-Life for one day of debriefing our experience. And, finally, our group will conclude our time in South Africa with a two-day safari in Kruger National Park, where we will have the opportunity to continue reflecting on our trip, all the while enjoying God's beautiful creation!

I couldn't be more excited about this trip, and I can't wait to see how God moves! Please consider partnering in prayer with our group. Here are some ways that you can pray specifically:

• Pray that God will provide safety in our travels (both as we travel to and from South Africa, as well as during our time there).
• Pray for team unity.
  
• Pray for God to open our hearts to what He has for us on this trip.
• Pray that we would encounter God in new ways.
• Pray that God's name be glorified through our service to others around us.
• Pray that lives would be changed.
• Pray that people would see Jesus Christ and be drawn to Him through our lives and our ministry on this trip.
• PRAY THAT GOD WOULD SHOW UP IN BIG WAYS!!!

Thanks so much for your prayers. I will be keeping this blog updated regularly throughout our trip, so feel free to check back in over the next few weeks to see how we're doing. Thanks!

The Crossing

There was a great article on the front page of the Elkhart Truth on Sunday about The Crossing. Check it out here.

Funniest. Video. Ever.

No folks, this is not a joke. This is the actual speech this man gave as he ran for treasurer of Stark County, OH. Enjoy.



Link love to Seth Bartlette for bringing this video to my attention.

Congrats Nick and Sarah!!!

Congrats to my sister, Sarah, and her hubby, Nick, on the birth of their first child! Phinehas Blaze James Anderson was born this morning at 3:43am. He weighs 8lbs 4oz, and is 21.5 inches long.

The proud parents!

And one proud uncle!

A Life Marked By Faith

“No Compromise: A Life Marked By Faith”
In Loving Memory of My Dad
12 August 2010

My dad was the enforcer of justice in our household. I guess that’s the nice way of saying that my dad had a belt, and he wasn’t afraid to use it. Or a ping pong paddle. Or a large wooden spoon hanging on the wall. I suppose anything that made a loud “smack” on our behinds was considered fair game when it came to corporal punishment.

But it was never the physical act of discipline that drove fear into our hearts. We knew that our dad loved us, and he would never truly hurt us. Rather, when dad corrected us, it was his absolute authority that was awesome and, truthfully, terrifying at times.

I remember once as a teenager getting in trouble, and my dad threatened that I was “not too old to get a spanking.” Thinking I was tough stuff because I was a big, strong football player, my cocky response was, “Try it. I think I can take you now, dad.” My dad immediately rebuked my rebellious and disrespectful attitude, putting the fear of God in me—a quick and frightening reminder that my physical stature was no match for the “dadness” of my dad; he was still the “Chief,” as we often affectionately referred to him.

My dad used to say, “Nothing ever gets by me.” And at times we truly questioned whether he might have omniscient powers because he had a knack for digging up all of our dirty little secrets. Like the time I tried speeding down a country road at night with my lights off and ran over a mailbox. Or the time when I got in a fistfight at youth camp and busted a guy’s nose because he was trying to flirt with my girlfriend. Luckily, it took my dad nearly two years to dig up that story, at which point the only logical response was laughter.

At the root of my dad’s discipline was not a love for punishment or even a love for justice. No, I believe dad disciplined us because of his own high moral standards, grounded in Scripture—standards that he faithfully imparted to his children by holding us to them.

My dad’s values never wavered, even when they fell in direct opposition to the world’s values, or even the values of other God-fearing believers. As a kid in AAU basketball, my dad took a firm stance that I would not play in games on Sunday mornings, even though the coach of the team was a believer himself, and he didn’t seem to have a problem skipping church for basketball. But in our household growing up (and still to this day), Sundays were set aside for church and family.

Or when other parents in the youth group allowed their kids to have co-ed New Year’s Eve slumber parties, my dad took a strong stand, not allowing us kids to put ourselves in situations that might possibly compromise our integrity or our witness to others.

As a child and teenager, I sometimes resented my dad for his uncompromising values and rules. But, my dad was more concerned about being my dad than being my friend. And, I believe it was because of his courage to be a great dad during my childhood that I was later able to call him a good friend. And, much to my dad’s shock, on my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary I wrote them a letter, specifically thanking dad for disciplining me as a child.

In today’s culture of friend-first parenting and discipline-less anarchy in the home, my dad stood in the gap as an example for other parents on how to discipline their children with love. Sure, sometimes it felt as if my dad’s favorite verse in Scripture was the old Proverb of King Solomon: He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. (I’m still convinced that my dad had that underlined a few times in his Bible.) But I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. And, in hindsight, I can clearly see that dad loved us too much to let us live by any other standard than God’s standard.

My dad recently lamented to me that he could never keep up with my mom’s level of spiritual discipline. (And, in reality, who could? My mom is a prayer warrior and a saint.) But what my dad didn’t realize is that for over 30 years he modeled for us kids a life marked by faith. His integrity in all things modeled a life grounded in the authority of Scripture. His commitment to church and family modeled a life centered on godly priorities. And his well-worn Bible found throughout the house spoke to an intimate relationship with his Lord.

While my dad was not a perfect man (and he’d be the first to admit that), he was a loving father whose life painted for his children a beautiful picture of our heavenly Father. And for that, I am eternally grateful. His was a life without compromise, a life marked by faith.

Pong Shots: The Original

For those of you who enjoyed 4 Guys Pong Shots Deuce, here's the original pong shots video those same guys shot last summer. Enjoy.

Passion

I've been reading like crazy in recent months. Right now I'm really enjoying a book by Mark Batterson called Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God. Here's a quote from the book that pierced my heart this week:

"I'm not convinced that your date of death is the date carved on your tombstone. Most people die long before that. We start dying when we have nothing worth living for. And we don't really start living until we find something worth dying for. Ironically, discovering something worth dying for is what makes life worth living.

"Maybe that explains why Jesus was so full of life. He had so much--or rather so many--to die for. No one was more passionate about life than Jesus. In fact, the final chapter of His life is appropriately referred to as the Passion. And we are called to follow in His footsteps. Christ followers ought to be the most passionate people on the planet. Pursuing God-ordained passions isn't optional. It is an essential part of chasing the [Holy Spirit]. And the adventure begins the moment we start pursuing a God-ordained passion."

I don't know about you, but that gets me fired up. I've experienced the passionless life of living for myself--for temporal things--and I've tasted the joys of passionately pursuing God's kingdom on this earth. And I know that I can never go back. Sometimes I allow myself to get distracted, but then the Spirit graciously pulls me back into the abundant life. I'm feeling that tug again, and I'm insanely excited about where the Spirit is leading me this time. He's got big plans for me, and He's got big plans for you. It's time to forsake all else and passionately pursue God at all costs!

Amen?

Pong Shots

Wanted to give a shout out to some of the kids from my old youth group at St. Mark. They just released their second "Pong Shots" video on Youtube. While they may have wasted an entire summer shooting this video, I'm not complaining because it's downright entertaining and actually quite impressive. To all you youth pastors out there, I think this would be a good "just for fun" video to show at youth group sometime. Enjoy!

Jehovah-jireh, My Provider

I've spent several months now trying to figure out what in the world God is doing with my life. These months have included lots of soul-searching, lots of frustration, some low points spiritually and emotionally, and a true test in my patience. After a year filled with purpose and adventure in Africa, I was forced to slow down and wait on the leading of the Spirit for my next step in life.

So I waited...and waited...and waited. I waited for what seemed to be an eternity, knowing that God had a plan for my life but uncertain of where He was leading me next. My heart was torn between returning as soon as possible to Africa or staying home and continuing to be there for my mom and dad as my dad fights for his life. To make matters more confusing, in the midst of my soul-searching I sensed that God was calling me back to Africa and had a purpose for me there. At the same time, I felt like to abandon my family at a time like this would be disobedience. In the midst of all this confusion, I found it really hard to trust God--to trust that He knew what He was doing in my life and that He had a plan.

This past weekend I was at a spiritual retreat, and I heard from the Lord in powerful ways. The most impacting thing I heard from God was this:

"Adam, My plans for you are better than your plans for you."

Wow. Here I have been, running around trying to put together my own goals in life and set into motion my own plans, and I've honestly failed miserably in those efforts. I want my life to count for the kingdom, but that starts by allowing the King to call the shots. As I'm learning to come to grips with that reality, I'm again realizing what it means to die to myself. When I give my future over to God, I'm allowing him to reshape my desires and my dreams. And in doing so, my life will look significantly different than it would have been if I continued to be the one in charge. But at the same time I know that this "new life" will be so much better--so much more fulfilling--because it will be for Him and not for me.

So the Lord has led me to two unlikely places that were never a part of my plans. Through his unmistakable leading, God has brought me to Granger Missionary Church, where I've accepted a position as their interim worship leader. At GMC, the Lord has provided a place for me to use the talents in music He has blessed me with, serving the body of Christ in leading them before the throne in worship each week. Having been there for a few weeks now, I feel like the Lord has anointed me for that position.

While I'm passionate about leading others in worship, more than anything my heart continues to beat for impacting the lives of young people. Over the past couple years, I've also felt the Lord drawing me more and more to at-risk teens--to the kids that face poverty, broken families, lack of education, addictions, and abuse. In light of those passions, the Lord has provided a full-time job for me as a teacher at the Crossing Educational Center--an alternative Christian school for at-risk teens. Honestly, I never would have imagined myself as a high school teacher, but I sense that this job will be perfect for me at least for this period of my life. I seriously feel so blessed right now.

In the words of the old chorus:

"Jehovah-jireh, my Provider, His grace is sufficient for me..."

Contextual Youth Ministry in a Diverse World

I was recently given a really cool opportunity to write an article for Youth Specialties. For those of you who don't know, Youth Specialties is one of the largest youth ministry organizations in the US and a major publisher of youth ministry resources. The topic I was given to write about was "contextual youth ministry." The final product was an article I entitled Contextual Youth Ministry in a Diverse World. Give it a read, and let me know what you think!

*Shout out to Terry Linhart over at y.m.e.r.g.e. for helping me with the writing/editing/publishing process, and for helping shape my thinking for this article!

The Most Egomaniacal Man in the World

That's right, LeBron...we are all witnesses. Witnesses to the Most Egomaniacal Athlete in the History of Sports. At least that's one title you've already won...

"God Is Not A White Man"

I recently ran across a pretty sweet band called Gungor. Their song "God Is Not A White Man" challenges the faulty worldview and perspective about God that plagues many Christians in America today, which is why I really like it. Hope you enjoy the music video!

Link Lovin' It: Friends in Missions

I want to continue highlighting some blogs that are worth checking out. You can follow these blogs in the blogroll on my sidebar, or better yet, add them to your Google Reader! Here's some link love for my friends on the mission field:

• Amanda Lehman has spent much of the past two years serving as a teacher and working in an orphanage in northern India. You can read about Amanda's heart for "the least of these" here.
• Jess Gates is mentoring teenage girls and doing some incredible sports ministry in the Dominican Republic with Students International.
• Kory and Ali Lantz are missionaries in the truest sense of the word. They work with at-risk teens right here in our own backyard, in the Keller Park neighborhood of South Bend.
• Miah and Michelle Collins train youth leaders with J-Life in South Africa. Miah recently ran a 56-mile race. You can read about that experience here.
• Nick and Sarah Anderson are church-planters in Oaxaca, Mexico. They talk about "spiritual mapping" here.
• Ranae Holdeman is a teacher for missionary kids in Botswana. She shares some good thoughts about wisdom here.
• Jeff and Amy McKissick serve as medical missionaries in Paraguay. They also have the cutest kids E-VER!

I'm so blessed to have friends serving the Lord all around the world! Check out their blogs, pray for them, and send them some words of encouragement!

New Blog Design

Over the past couple weeks, I've been learning about HTML code and tinkering around with my blog design. It was a fun little experiment while it lasted. But, I'm realizing that there are people out there with A LOT more knowledge and skill with this stuff, so I've scrapped the whole project and picked an entirely new blog template.* Hope you like it!

*Shout out to Josh Peterson for this template design!