The Return of Staff

On Friday, at 12am (curfew) war began. The students were called together on Thursday (at 11.45pm) and told that curfew was at midnight but that they could hide around Project (within certain boundaries) and when they were hit with a water balloon throw by one of the student leaders they had to go to their rooms. By about 1am almost everyone was in their rooms – the last few people were hiding behind fridges, in water cisterns and Ken (who was on the roof last year) was in a mysterious hiding place – no one knows where. 9am found us at Bible Study Training and after some rapping from Sahr and Greg we dove into the topic “How do I study the Bible without Bible Study Training Each Week?” lead by Jens Paulson. Basically, we can do it by dependence (IOUS), discipline (have a plan) and community (getting someone else involved).

Here is the link to the Bible reading plan for Shirkers and Slackers http://www.ransomfellowship.org/publications/notes_biblereadingprogram.pdf

Everyone headed off to work and in the afternoon staff started to arrive back, it was great to see them again as well as the Curries!

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Machine gunners & snipers

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A morning to sleep in (for most at least; some people worked), go to the beach and relax. At beach evangelism Larry Martini (on a caffeine high) shared about “Evangelism and your college campus” with the hope that a sustained desire to give our lives away on the college campus will develop. We are called to a race (Hebrews 12:1-2) but God is to sustain us, it is about endurance. We can share our faith like a machine gunner (everywhere and to everyone, all over the place, not very accurate) and share it like a sniper (very accurate, working in one person’s life). We are to pray over August about where we can go in our college. Then, as machine gunners we hit the beach to share the gospel and got back and shared the stories. For the rest of the day, many Wal-mart workers went bowling to raise money with their co-workers, a couple of group dates went on and lots of people were organizing themselves for the presentations at the job social!

Preparing for the Job Social

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Everyone headed off to work bearing posters and invitations for the Job Social on Thursday; we are hoping lots of co-workers will come! The groups of people at different jobs are each preparing a skit, a dance, a rap or another show for their co-workers. After work and Ait everyone gathered together for the last team time together and then D-group. Pray for gospel conversations at work and AiT in the little time we have left!

Last normal week

Countdown begins. 10 days left. Everyone headed off for the last week of work (it has gone by so fast!) and there was AiT in the afternoon. We had Arby’s for dinner and then walked into the Chapel; it was dark and spooky with members from Sandlot dotted around dressed in black. When everyone was in, the music started and they started jumping around everywhere with glow sticks to pump us up. Chris and Linda were the MCs for the night, we saw a “STP Memories” (or “Ese-te-pe memowrias”) video and then Jens and Nikki walked us through a normal week for the team in India and read us the India team’s update – India is the prayer emphasis for the week. Steve Discher gave the talk on “Suffering”. The purpose of it? It’s for our good (it sanctifies, tests our faith and helps us long for heaven), it’s for other’s sake (so we can comfort them, so they can be saved) and because Christ suffered for our salvation (he took the punishment for sins, now suffering is not punishment but grace). Back at Project, Jeremy (who just came back from a CCP in Malaysia) shared some of his experiences there.

End of week eight...

There was soccer on Saturday as well as a full day of work for most people; it was the Wal-Mart’s worker's last Saturday! On Sunday Matt Messerly shared about “Family”, how we are to love our family but love Jesus so much more. We have a spiritual family in Christ (born again into it, and adopted by God) and that we can easily fall into idolizing our family or neglecting them. There was Campus Time and then everyone went to their churches (second last week of Church, so sad!). There was much appreciated free time in the afternoon (beach, group dates, meeting up with co-workers) and then at 8.20pm everyone headed off to the Brazilian Steakhouse RIOZ for a half price all you can eat meal with our co-workers. Not all of the co-workers invited came but there were a good number, keep praying that many would come to the evangelistic Job Social this coming Thursday and for the conversations that went on last night as well as them seeing us in community.

"Dale a tu cuerpo alegría macarena"

9am found us dancing the Macarena before Bible Study Training to wake up (although quite a lot of people resorted to Dunkin Donut’s coffee) and we had a special performance from a certain room that arrived late because they had just woken up, they had to “walk it out”. Jens Paulson shared “What About Prayer?” and tied together how we are to read the Bible (hear God speaking to us), meditate on it (speak God’s truth back to your heart) and pray (speak back to God) with the acronyms IOUS (Incline, Open, Unite, Satisfy) and ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication). Everyone headed off for one of the last weekend shifts and by 11.30pm everyone was back and eating free chicken brought by the KFC girls and free cakes and bread from the Bi-Lo Deli.

A rainy morning with a touch of improv

The rain poured down all morning, but those that went to work early were able to enjoy blue skies. There are exactly 2 weeks left, pray for co-workers and the meal on Sunday as well as the Job Social next Thursday – they are all being invited to come to see our Project, see some work skits and will hear the gospel. We had Dagwoods’ subs as well as banana and peanut butter at Project meal and then everyone put their pyjamas on to go to Okey’s for a night of Family Games. Many teams of four people went up to do improv (based on “Whose Line is it Anyway?”) and it was a blast. Then we could either watch the movie “Where the wild things are” or play board games. A fun night ended at curfew; midnight.

TET: Matt Reagan "The Cost of Your Self"

"Jesus comes and says, 'You don't have to fight, you don't have to try, you don't have to keep struggling... It's over. I did it for you. You can be done now. Just come, be part of my kingdom and enjoy everything, I give you everything....'" Matt Reagan borrows imagery from the film Alice in Wonderland (2010), comparing our self to the Red Queen in rebellion against the White Queen, Christ. In doing so he reminds us to whom our life belongs and the battle against our flesh.

Backrubs and Breakouts

A relaxing morning was followed by Evangelism Training “Evangelism and Mercy Ministries” by Larry Martini. There is so much need in the world, we must meet spiritual needs but also physical ones (Mat 25:31-46), not because of guilt but because we have been loved by God and point people towards Christ as we do so. Our beach evangelism ended slightly early because of heavy rain, which resulted in a mud fight and everyone in the pool going round to make it a whirlpool. Forever Young then encouraged us all with backrubs which were amazing and then there were Guy/Girl Breakouts – the guys went to the beach in athletic clothes and played violent games, the girls went to a room behind the church in pyjamas and talked. Reinforcing stereotypes? Sadly, yes – but it was a great time.

Time is flying by...

Most of us can count off the days of work we have left on our two hands. It’s good to know but it also marks the end of Project and the end of relationships with co-workers that have been steadily developing. Pray for them and for the time we have left. We have the amazing opportunity to go a Brazilian steakhouse for half the normal price and are inviting our co-workers to come as well, this Sunday night. Pray that they would come and there would be gospel conversations and many stories to tell! Team times were at 6.30pm and then D-groups. After the vulnerability talk the day before, groups were encouraged to open up more and share more things.

Share your dirt

Second last week of work, time is suddenly flying by way too fast. It was a very hot and humid day with a breeze (a sure sign of rain) and sure enough, it came as we were having our Project meal – Kyoto! That evening Forever Young and the Pit Crew joined together - they are organizing this week. After Jack told everyone that we were in trouble for littering we were not expecting a sudden climax as a group came out to do a dance for us! (It was all lies to make an anticlimax!) Then we saw a bit of “Whose Line is it Anyway?” in preparation for Thursday’s social. Steve Discher shared on “The Cost of Vulnerability” – we need to be vulnerable in community and we can be because of the gospel. We were encouraged to share “our dirt” with people, we are free to do so and should because sin is so deceitful and progressive (starts small, grows quickly).