So Long...Farewell...

After 44 days of training, equipping and ministry, Operation Barnabas 2009 is officially winding down.  For the next two days, ob students will spend time with their teams reflecting over the work that God has done in and through their lives this summer and preparing to return home.  It has been one incredible journey and words can not express the immense gratitude and overwhelming joy we have for our God and Savior.  We stand in awe at the magnitude of His unconditional love and faithful provision for us that was continuously evident as we served Him this summer.

For one last time, all three ob 09 teams joined together to worship along side the Worthington Grace Church on Sunday morning.  During the Sunday School hour, Keystone did a program for the children’s ministry complete with puppets, dancing and stories.  Team Central used pantomimes and skits to lead discussion groups in Jr. High while Tri-State did the same in High School.  As pastors and guests from all over the country were pouring into the church for the start of Equip 2009, ob students were quick to mingle and interact with everyone.  They have learned this summer that Barnabas was a greeter and it is clear that they have begun to develop this character trait in their own lives.  

For the combined Sunday Worship Service, the choir sang a plethora of songs in worship to the Lord...and it sounded absolutely beautiful!  When 90 voices are singing in harmony, worshipping at the foot of the cross and responding to the Almighty God...there is nothing quite like it...it is absolutely beautiful.  Students from each team shared the testimony of how God is refining their lives and guiding them to be more like Jesus.  We rejoiced with the congregation at the lives saved as a result of God working through the ob ministry around the country.  During one of the testimony times, Tri-State student Luke C. shared how God has been teaching him that he needs to be 100% reliant on the Lord in every aspect of his life...even when things get tough.  At Momentum, we were all in fervent prayer for his mom who was undergoing an operation.  In an answer to prayer, she was able to return home that same day and we rejoiced in that.  However, yesterday Luke discovered that she was back in the hospital battling the illness and he once again was reminded that God is sovereign and the only source of our peace, hope and healing.  All of the students gathered around Luke as prayers were lifted up asking that God heal Mrs. C. and bring her quickly home to her family.  May God be glorified...      

It was evident that God was moving in that place...His presence was felt and hearts were changed.  Many people committed to living their lives as a daily sacrifice to the Lord and stood to make that public profession as the ob choir sang “I Give You Me.”  We pray that the students will continue to give the entirety of who they are to the Lord even as they return home...all that they have, all that they are and all that they will become.  We pray that they will continue to seek out opportunities to love God and love others through servanthood.  We pray that they will never stop becoming more like Christ; developing a heart for God, a heart for the lost, a heart for encouraging believers and a heart for full time vocational ministry.  

The debriefing process is now underway...TK taught on the pitfalls of returning home and warned the students of obstacles they will likely face.  He encouraged them to remain steadfast in the word and fervent in prayer on a daily basis and to actively seek an older believer to be mentored by.  Teams will now continue meeting and debriefing and hanging out together before goodbyes on Wednesday morning.  

It’s hard to believe...but this will be the final blog for the Operation Barnabas 2009 tours.  From the bottom of our hearts we thank you, faithful blog readers, for supporting our ministry and being diligent prayer warriors.  We have experienced God’s answers to your prayers and we would not have been nearly as effective without your support.  Please continue to pray for the ob students as they travel home and jump back into their daily lives with a deeper passion for the Lord.

From Sara, Phil, Eric and all of our guest blog writers...thank you...thank you...thank you...and adios!

July 25th- The Last Day - More Manual Labor!!!!

Julie H enjoying cleaning some kid toys

Cody R working on a weed-eater

Tahj cleaning some little toys

Matt A mowing up a jungle

Jade L concentrating on painting a railing

6 men and a huge rock

Grand Finale

The days left on the Team Central calendar may be winding down...but the ministry opportunities and long days most certainly are not! Friday was our last full day of ministry as an ob 2009 team and it was jam packed with opportunities, prayer and the sharing of our faith. It is evident that the students have grown more like Christ this summer and are leaving an impact on the churches and communities they have visited. God has done an amazing work in their lives and they are overflowing with joy while serving and loving.

Through an unforeseen chain of confusing events, the morning started off quite hectic. All 34 of us were challenged to practice patience...we are all being refined as we aim to become more like Christ. Patience is one of those virtues that seems to require a lot of practice...and God gave us the perfect opportunity this morning. After we finally hit the road, the students were delightfully surprised with breakfast at McDonalds. Amanda was able to sit and eat with a woman she had met during lunch at Wendy's the day before...how awesome is that?? The chance to make TWO connections with the same lady and share the love of Christ...SO awesome! Team Central students sat and visited with every single person in the restaurant...way to go guys!

After arriving at Ellet GBC, we quickly jumped into ministry. With a program and ice cream party (YUM!) coming at 7pm, the students broke into groups and canvassed the 600 homes in the neighborhood with flyers, continuously praying that God would be glorified and people needing Christ would come to the program. We then hopped over to a local senior housing apartment complex to be an encouragement to the residents. Our choir was beautiful, our skits were hilarious, our puppets were energetic and our testimonies were powerful...but most importantly our conversations were glorifying to the Lord. The students shared their faith and prayed with the residents...and received extremely positive feedback. God is definitely at work in the hearts of the residents and we were thankful to have been a part of that!

The afternoon brought some more manual labor...in the form of window washing at local communities, picking up trash, running a car wash and passing out more flyers. Andrew, Jade, Cody and DeAnne washed windows at a pizza place where they were "paid" with a large pizza and drinks. They took the opportunity to talk with the owner and invite him back to the program that night...they planted the seed of the Gospel message. Joel, Brian and Sam took turns wearing our Quimper head on the street and brought MANY cars into our free car wash at the church. Khyri was our Official Car Wash greeter and was fabulous at starting spiritual conversations and offering cold drinks. No one left the car wash without someone praying with them...in fact, one woman stopped JUST because she saw us praying and needed prayer. WOW!

At 7pm we had our final park program...and what a way to end a summer! In an answer to prayer, the community in Ellet came out in droves. People from the senior center who had questions about the Gospel showed up...people who had their car washed in the afternoon showed up...the guy from the pizza place showed up...people driving down the street stopped. And the common thread between all of them? They were ALL looking for a local church or searching for something to fill the void in their lives. One lady said, "I'm looking for a church...I just feel like I need to go back. Something told me to come here today...I don't know what...but I got a flyer and knew I had to be here. I need to come back to Jesus." Another attendee said, "I saw your car wash and stopped. I don't go to church...but I think this church is where I need to be. Can I meet the pastor?" Awesome??!?! Uh, yea...we think so. It is evident that God is moving in this community...and the Ellet church expressed immense gratitude for the role Team Central played in that the past few days. It was clear that God was present at the program and was tugging at peoples hearts. We pray that those people will respond and surrender their lives to the Lord. The Gospel was clearly presented throughout Ellet all day yesterday...and we praise God for the work He has already begun.

As Team Central sang "I Give You Me" one last time together...they were overcome with emotion...responding to what God was doing in the community...responding to what God was doing in their own lives...and realizing that goodbye is coming quickly. With tears in their eyes, both joyful and sad, they prayed with community members, church members and each other. They prayed that the Ellet GBC would rock this town for Jesus and that hearts would be changed. They prayed with the neighbors and encouraged them to begin attending church. Basically, they prayed, prayed and prayed some more. It was awesome. True story.

The ended the night with team worship time...and a chance to share what God has been teaching them this summer...which is more than any of us can ever express with words. We are in awe of who God is and what He has in store for us...we are in love with Jesus.

July 24th- Our Final Program

Jordan D found a camera buddy

Sam G using some enthusiasm to invite people to the show

Brian S and "Quimper" attract cars to the Free Car Wash

Joel F and Cody R pray for the program

Amanda S, Patrick H, and Julia S pray for people at the program to make decisions for Christ

Andrew P, Kelsey M, Julie H, and Kelly M during one of the pantomimes

Brian S prays for Blake R before he goes up to speak in front of the crowd

DeAnne S dancing with a new friend

Jess W teaching her new friend how to dance to "Don't Stop Believin"

Ben R shares what God has been teaching him this summer

July 23rd- Clouds + Rain = Plan B. Plan B = Bowling!!!

Team Central Leaders looking nice!

Team Central all dressed up for a night at Olive Garden

Mandy J and Hillary B enjoy a conversation with Matt Wheeland over dinner

While bowling a woman requested we dance to "Don't Stop Believin"

Admiring the bowling scores

Patrick H, Carolyn S, and Matt A enjoy a day of bowling and acting crazy

Hannah T and Kelsey M enjoying a relaxing day

Plan B = Bowling

In Case of Rain...Plan B...

Well...despite our prayers, today was definitely not a sunshine filled day. Thankfully, Team Central is flexible and spontaneous...and can have a blast hanging out with each other regardless of the surroundings! The students got ready for a day at Clay's Park for swimming, laying out, hanging out, lunch, and beach volleyball. So, with swimsuits and towels in hand we headed out the door for the day. We handed out allowance and made a quick stop at WalMart, which makes a day exciting just on its own...so at least we had that! As we loaded back into the bus it became quite evident that the dark gray clouds were coming closer and growing larger...showing no sign of letting the sun peak through. In fact...sprinkles began to fall in the parking lot...

...which only meant one thing...no Clay's Park...no beach volleyball...

Determined to still have a fun and relaxing day off we quickly came up with a Plan B...bowling! Everyone loves bowling, right?? Well at least everyone on Team Central does! The Lord blessed us with a fabulous deal at a local bowling alley that gave us 6 lanes for 2 hours...shoes...pizzas and drinks...for the same price as Clay's Park! Definitely an answer to prayer! The students LOVED being silly with each other and bowling the afternoon away. With music blaring in the background, we bowled, ate pizza and just enjoyed each others company. Even though it was a "day off from scheduled ministry" the students still looked for opportunities to talk with people, share their faith in Christ and serve. And...just because its a day off CERTAINLY doesn't mean its a day off from "Don't Stop Believing"! When the Journey song began playing at the bowling alley, you better believe that all of the Team Central students broke out in choreographed dance as if it were a park program. It was so entertaining, in fact, that a woman at a nearby lane requested the song a second time just to see it again! It was a wonderful opportunity to start conversations with other bowlers as the students stood in front of the lanes 30 people strong...dancing. It definitely drew attention...and was definitely a highlight of the day.

Having a little bit more time to pamper themselves this afternoon, the students looked dashing as we headed off to Olive Garden for a nice dinner. The girls were beautiful...the boys were handsome...everyone was still hilarious. It was lovely to strengthen friendships and catch up on life with each other...over pasta and breadsticks.

We ended the evening with some team time and ice cream. The students read through 1 John together...and then split into guys and girls groups for Q&A with the leaders. Matt and Jeremy joined the girls while Stacie and Sara met up with the guys. It was an opportunity for the students to get to know their leaders a little better...and ask any questions they had regarding, well, anything! All joking and silly questions aside, the students were challenged to become godly men and women in every aspect of their lives. It was a sweet time to encourage each other while having a little fun...and a perfect way to end a fabulous day...

We are thankful for the rest we had today...and the energy that we were able to restore. Tomorrow we will travel to our last church before debriefing and pray that we finish this adventure serving the Lord strong...

From Norton...Goodnight!

Rewind...

...since an update was unable to be written last night...here is a recap of Team Central's July 22nd...

Our second day in Hopewell was just as jam packed with effective ministry as our first day...they really did a fantastic job of using the team to the fullest!  Many thanks to the awesome cooks who spoiled us with pancakes, eggs, sausage and other delectable goodies in the morning!  We sure have had many hot breakfasts these past few weeks and it has been utterly wonderful...

We headed off to the nearby town of Saxton to partner with the Saxton GBC church in community outreach.  Half of the team, along with Hopewell staff, helped Pastor Hall and his family beautify the  community park in front of the church.  They planted flowers...scrapped and swept a brick walkway...and painted five park benches...all in the ridiculously humid air.  We were thrilled to be a part of something so encouraging for the Saxton community and pray that the work done will help the Saxton GBC to become better known and grow in their ministry.  The other half of the team walked to a senior center for a program and time to mix and mingle.  With only half of the students present, creativity was needed in order to have enough material for a complete program.  Word on the street is that Team Central leaders Matt and Jeremy stepped in and performed during the "Job" skit.  Apparently it was hilarious!  Hillary used her talent on the piano to encourage the audience and all of the students loved as Jesus would love.  

After lunch the entire team met up at a local school for a mini carnival and park program.  With rain clouds looming, we prayed that the storm would hold off for the afternoon...and praise be to God...it did!  Despite the climbing humidity and soaring temperatures, Team Central pulled out all the stops and served the community with energy and strength that came only from the Lord.  Neighbors and church members alike came to the carnival...ate popcicles...jumped in the bounce house...and heard the Gospel message.  Julie and several other students were able to pray with people who made first time commitments to the Lord...how awesome is that??  We rejoice in knowing that the Kingdom of God grew a little larger that afternoon...

The students all worked their hardest and with cheerful and energetic spirits despite the humidity and sweat...and let's just say that the bus had quite the aroma once all 34 of us hopped on after a full day in the sun.  Good thing showers were next on the agenda!  Many thanks to the local highschool which graciously offered their shower facilities to us free of charge.  Definitely a blessing from the Lord and we are continually thankful to Him!

We ate dinner with the Hopewell family...loaded the Penske in the rain storm that had been delayed that afternoon...said our tearful goodbyes...and then began the long journey back to Ohio.  We arrived at the Norton church around midnight and the students were told that an additional church had been added to our schedule...because they had an abundance of mulch that needed to be put into their planters and playgrounds.  The students were given a schedule for the next day before Team Central leaders said, "Aw...nevermind.  Forget about that.  Let's just have a day off and play tomorrow!"  Cheers and excitement filled our blue bus and smiles were seen all around...no mulch for us on Thursday!

We worked as a team to unload our belongings in the pouring down rain and began to pray for a sunshine filled Thursday so we could go to the lake and play some beach volleyball...

...to be continued... 

July 22nd - Another day at Hopewell

One last picture before our departure

Hillary B shares the cross illustration with two kids at a carnival

Julie H, Drew W, and Candice A work together to share the cross illustration

B-I-B-L-E

DeAnne S making a new friend

Andrew P talking with one of the senior citizens after giving his sermon

Jade L scraping away some moss

Oh Happy Day!

Today was a good day...a very good day, indeed! Perhaps one of Team Central's best...and that is definitely a true story. We are currently in the smallest town many of us have ever been to in our entire lives...approximately 200 people live in Hopewell, PA, and we have the pleasure of serving alongside the Hopewell GBC for the next few days. We were used to the fullest of our abilities today and it was awesome!

Many thanks to Pastor Mark and his family for letting the blogger and picture taker use his home internet tonight...just to let all of our family and friends know that we are doing well...actually, doing AMAZING...

In a quick outline format...here is a glimpse into Team Centrals outstanding day of ministry...

1) Pancakes, eggs and bacon hot off the grill for us this morning! THANK YOU MEYERSDALE!! It was absolutely delicious! We had some spare time before our journey to Hopewell in which the students did their devotions, wrote home and...played some all important volleyball.

2) We drove to Hopewell...stopping at McDonalds for a quick lunch along the way. The students made the most of all the opportunities the Lord placed in their path...we are pretty sure everyone in that resturant was approached by Team Central. Opportunity to share their faith #1.

3) After arriving at Hopewell GBC, we were warmly greeted by the Pastor's family and a surprise visit from Ben R.'s entire family! We took a quick tour of the church and then left for our first ministry event. DeAnn, Julie and Cody stayed at the church to...you guessed it...mulch. The rest of us headed over to Love In the Name of Christ, a local ministry organization, to help with a Car Wash and street evangelism. Opportunity to share their faith #2 and #3. Stacie took a group of students door to door passing out tracks and sharing the Gospel. Jess and Kelsey dressed up as clowns and helped draw people into the car wash. Students took the time to not only wash cars ridiculously fast but also to make connections with the community. They had a lot of fun washing a dozen cars and our bus...but more importantly, it was exciting to see them sharing their faith and loving people.

4) With our tummies full of wonderful food...half of us headed back to Love INC. to finish the car wash. The other half went with Pastor Mark to a local pizza joint and ice cream stand to do some more evangelism. Opportunity to share their faith #4 and #5! They passed out coupons for free pizza and free ice cream and spent the night starting conversations and praying with people. Over at the car wash, Matt A. had the opportunity to share his faith with a couple of Morman missionaries. We are so proud of him for taking a step out of his comfort zone to share the Gospel and ask questions. He was engaging and confident and really stepped up today. On the way back to the church he said, "This makes me want to know more about what I believe to be able to defend the Gospel. I want to study the Scriptures more...and I want to take advantage of learning from my Dad...he knows so much. I've learned alot about the Bible this summer...but I want to know more!"

We are so thankful for the opportunities Team Central had today to share the love of Christ with the lost. We pray that the seed of the Gospel fell on good soil and that people will come to salvation as a result of what God did through us today. We are overflowing with joy at the sight of Team Central students proclaiming what Jesus did for them on the cross...and doing that with a spirit of boldness and confidence. What a mighty and awesome God we serve! Today was the best day we've had so far...because all of our students were able to share their faith and serve the Lord with all of their abilities. It was a good day...a good day indeed!

Just as an FYI...due to our travels tomorrow night there may not be a blog update...know that we will be in Norton, Ohio tomorrow night and that we will have an update for you as soon as possible.

From Hopewell...Goodnight!

July 21st- Hopewell PA

This is what we handed out tonight. A tract and a free ice cream coupon.

Khyri D handing out some coupons

Kelly M displaying her clowning abilities advertising Free Pizza!

Senior Leader Matt Wheeland and students Patrick H and Tyler T pose with the owner of the car they just finished washing

Patrick H drying a car like a pro

Carolyn S making some trailers silver

Jordan D reaching to new heights with a paint roller

Ben R making the perfect streak

Mulch, Marshmallows and Ground Beef

Question:  When Team Central is told they will be doing manual labor...what is the first thing that quickly pops into each students mind? 

Answer:  MULCH.

True story.  Yesterday was another busy day for us as we started bright and early in the morning on a variety of projects the Meyersdale GBC had prepared for us.  Students spent hours painting the exterior of a garage...painting both sides of 10 doors...cleaning the inside of the church building...digging the longest ditch we have ever seen in our entire lives...planting new landscaping...and yes, mulching.  The students worked extremely hard and were cheerful servants as they diligently completed their tasks.  They were actually excited to be doing manual labor...SO excited in fact that many of them didn't even want to stop for lunch!  Cody ate his Subway sandwich in record time and exclaimed, "I want to go finish digging that ditch!!!"  Rebekah did the same and exclaimed, "I want to finish mulching!"  And both of them dashed out the door back to their jobs with hearts overflowing with joy.  What a blessing the students on Team Central are!  God is most definitely at work in their lives!

In the afternoon, the students were sent out into the community to complete some projects at local businesses and participate in prayer walks.  Some of Team Central walked around the neighborhood and did "Seven Minute Servants."  They knocked on doors and asked if there were any projects or jobs they could help the homeowners with...it provided ample opportunity to share the Gospel and demonstrate love to the people of Meyersdale.  They also made sure to invite the families to the local park for a puppet show that night...

In an effort to help these students gain more knowledge of the Scriptures and become more like Jesus, Matt W. finished his three part teaching time on Soteriology.  The students learned about sanctification, the Christian walk, perseverance and what Heaven is like.  This teaching series was both challenging and stretching for Team Central and most of the students walked away with their minds still processing what they had learned.  It was awesome to hear them discussing theology and asking thought provoking questions regarding the elect and process of salvation throughout the rest of the day.  We pray that they continue to study these things as they return home and that they will be diligent students of the Word.

Much to our surprise, as we began to walk to the next building for dinner, we found ourselves drenched from the freak rain storm that rolled in during the afternoon.  The fierce wind blew and it just wouldn't stop. (Whew!  That's fierce alright!)  The rain kept coming down drop by drop.  (Splish!  Splash!  They were takin' a bath!)  This presented quite a predicament since there was an outdoor park program scheduled for the evening.  We immediately began praying that the rain would cease and that God would bring unsaved families to the park despite the undesirable summer weather.  In an answer to prayer, the wind stopped blowin' and the rain stopped comin'...and it was quiet and still in Meyersdale.  Several families from the community came to the park last night and stated that they have been looking for a local church to attend.  Kellam shared the cross illustration with a little boy who accepted Jesus as his Savior.  Hannah, Ben and Kelly all shared what God has been teaching them this summer...what wonderful testimonies they have!  Kelly was a little nervous but prayed that God would give her a spirit of power and strength and not of timidity...and she did a fabulous job!  We were so proud of her!  Praise God for the new members of His Kingdom!

The boys returned back to their host homes for the evening (well...all except the three who pranked the girls during our surprise outing...) and the girls went to ob 2008 alum Hannah Richter's house for some roasting of hot dogs and marshmallows.  Thank you Hannah and family for opening your home to Team Central!  We had a fabulous time and it was fun to have girls night with you!  A special thanks from Sara for the delicious peirogies!

Thank you, Meyersdale GBC for your hospitality!  We have enjoyed serving the community along side you and have been encouraged by your generosity.  May God continue to bless you!

We pray that God will continue to work in the hearts and lives of these students as we finish up our summer this wee.  We pray that they will step up to the plate even more than they have been...and that their joy for the Lord will literally be overflowing.  We pray that opportunities will arise for the students to practice sharing their faith and stepping out of their comfort zone. 

From Meyersdale...Have a lovely day!

July 20th - Ditch Digging and Fun Under A Pavilion

Cody R claps along with a clown song with the crowd

Julia S shares the cross illustration

Kellam V talks about what Christ did on the cross

Matt A prays with a new friend after the cross illustration

Joel F works with other members of the team to dig a ditch

Amanda S trimming up some bushes

Hannah T, Brian S, and Blake R work hard to make a long ditch

Khryi D and Kelsey M set the tarp for mulch

July 19th - Here We Go Again

Singing "I Give You Me" with some ob alumn

Bekah W shares about what God is doing in her life

Kellam V gives his testimony

Tahj M talks about what she is learning

Sam G and the rest of the circles rock out during puppets!

Hillary B shares her experiences

Patrick H talks about what he learned during Momentum

Khyri D delivering a strong sermon at Meyersdale GBC

Joel F playing his "guitar" during "Wise Man Rock"

On the Road Again...

Team Central just couldn't wait to get back on the road again after a week at Momentum!  The students did an amazing job connecting with their youth groups and re-establishing relationships with their peers.  Many of them can now see the need to step up and take leadership in their youth groups and used last week as an opportunity to practice the skills they have been equipped with this summer.  Jade and Hillary helped lead their youth group meeting times in prayer and discussion while Jordan continued to fervently share his faith and initiate prayer with every single person who walked past him...including RMU staff and visitors.  Tahj did an AWESOME job building relationships with several girls from Urban Hope who were staying in her dorm room.  She noticed that she had a similar testimony and used the commonality as a catalyst for spiritual conversation.  It was encouraging to see Team Central jumping back into their peer groups while continuing to daily make time for the Word, seek out opportunities to practice servanthood and share their faith.  All of the students were challenged by the speakers at Momentum and left with an even greater passion for the Lord.  While they loved being with their youth groups, Team Central missed each other immensely...and there was a joyous reunion on Bus #1 as we rolled out of Momentum together once again as an ob team.

While Momentum was a break from the busy pace of traveling on ob, it was definitely not a break from ministry and learning.  In fact, all of Team Central probably got less sleep than we do on ob!  (Crazy, huh!)  With a two hour trip in front of us, we made a pit stop at Starbucks to load up on caffeine and reconnect with each other after a week apart.  Everyone was overflowing with excitement...and that excitement carried us all the way to Meyersdale.  We quickly unloaded the Penske, dreaming of soft pillows and comfy pj's, and practically collapsed into our beds minutes after our arrival.

We hit the ground running Sunday morning with another full day of ministry.  Students joined the Meyersdale Sunday School classes and lead the congregation in worship during the main service.  Khyri preached a sermon on having a heart for the lost and did a wonderful job conveying the message of the Gospel.  Jenna and Tyler shared their testimonies of what God has been teaching them this summer.  All of the students jumped right back into the swing of things, mingling with the church family and initiating prayer...and...the Team Central choir still sounds absolutely amazing!  Many students were surprised with visits from family and friends who were thrilled to meet the rest of the team.  The Meyersdale church joined Team Central for a pot luck lunch with an abundance of delicious food.  Through conversations had over the meal, it was evident that the congregation was encouraged by Operation Barnabas...and the students were mutually encouraged by our family here in Meyersdale.  

With the energy level dragging and students (and leaders) not being up to full speed yet, we took a little jaunt down the street to Sheets to stock up on coffee, soda and snacks in preparation for a marathon teaching time on Soteriology with Matt who adores teaching theology.  The students discussed the doctrine of salvation through Jesus Christ and asked great questions...it was evident that they were engaged in the conversation and eager to learn more about election, regeneration and sanctification.  As a collective group, they are hungry for knowledge...it's pretty awesome.

Our evening ended with a program in the parking lot of the Summit Mills GBC a few towns over.  With the sound of horses hooves pulling buggy's, cows mooing and Amish children watching from a nearby barn, Team Central clearly presented the Gospel and had a blast dancing along to our favorite ob songs.  Hillary, Patrick, Matt, Bekah, Tahj and Kellum had the opportunity to share what God has been doing in their lives...these students are growing in incredible ways...it's basically awesome.  The congregation was encouraged to live their lives loving Jesus...and to let that show...to live their life like they actually mean it.  

After an adventurous ride back to Meyersdale, the boys were whisked off to host homes while the girls stayed at the church with the leaders who shared hilarious bed times stories...many laughs were had by all.

Thank you for your continued prayers...we are excited for the next week of ministry and pray that God will continue to develop in these students a deeper passion for Him and for reaching the lost.

From Meyersdale, have a fabulous day!

   

July 10th and 11th Pics- Camp and Lexington Ohio

July 10th

Julia S and Drew W listen to junior highers at Camp Bethany

Carolyn S, Matt A, and Jade L discuss with junior highers

Kellam V and Hillary B during the pantomime "Embracing Accusation"

Cody R and Andrew P perform part of the pantomime "Broken"

July 11th

Hannah T enjoying a day in the jungle of weeds

Jessica W having fun as a clown with a new friend

Julie H gives the cross illustration story

Kelly M, Drew W, Tyler T and Quimper promote the kid's program at Lexington GBC

Joel F knows how to handle mulch

Ben R taking out the weeds

Half Way...

It has been a whirlwind couple of days for Team Central...we have been all over the place in Ohio...from Wooster, to Camp Bethany, to Lexington and everywhere in between...through humid sunshine and freak thunder storms.

Yesterday morning we were blessed with some team time after a hectic few days with the Wooster GBC. We were grateful to have been a part of their park ministry and were a little sad we couldn't participate on the last day. The students spent an hour with God to start the day off and then learned about encouragement from Jeremy.

We traveled to the Lexington area and met up with the pastor at Camp Bethany. It was the final day of the Jr. High camp and coincidentally, the final day of their summer ministry at the camp. Team Central jumped in to help finish up various projects before the doors closed for the summer. We painted, mulched (basically pros now), stained wood, pulled weeds and mingled with the students. We demonstrated the Gospel and God's love for us through the use of three pantomimes and lead the Jr. High students through some discussion time. Team Central did an awesome job mingling with the youngsters and having spiritual conversations with them. The night ended with a dance party complete with all 30 students performing "Don't Stop Believing". It was hilarious and the Jr. High students loved it.

Throughout the day the students were given their mid-tour evaluations by their Discipleship Group leader. They discussed areas in which they have been doing well and areas in which they can continue to grow and develop. The hope is that by setting goals at the half way point, students will be able to become more like Christ and better equipped to head home at the end of the summer. They were each encouraged by their leader and given specific areas in which they can still have growth.

After a sleepless night for the girls due to ridiculously loud creaky bunk beds, we enjoyed brunch and headed off to Lexington where we learned an important lesson in flexibility and the sovereignty of God. Not only did our original plans fall through...but the backup plans fell through hours before arrival as well. We finished up some manual labor (Yes...that most definitely included some more mulching.) and came up with plan #3. We made makeshift flyers and blitzed the neighborhood looking for kids to invite to a parking lot program an hour later. For reasons out of our control, our plans were being changed by the minute...we prayed that God would bring families to the church parking lot and that the rain would be held off.

Jordan excitedly put on the Quimper head and danced on the street corner with Drew, Kelly, Hannah and Amanda who held signs and drew attention to our program. Several families from the community came as a result of our flyers and showed interest in attending the service tomorrow morning. Another few other families stopped after seeing Quimper while driving down the street and also stayed for quite a while after wards to talk and ask questions about the church. We pray that the seed of the Gospel fell on good soil and we hope to see these families in the morning.

The students are now all in host homes for the last time before Momentum...crazy!

Thanks for your continued support and prayers!

From Lexington, Ohio...Goodnight!

Today...

...was another long day for Team Central. This morning we helped run day two of the Park Day Camp here in Wooster. Apparently their attendance record last year capped at 25 children. However, yesterday 50 showed up...and today there were over 70. Many of the children prayed to accept Christ and we were able to connect with families from the community. During our two programs, Hannah and DeAnn both shared their children's stories...and all of the students did a fabulous job building friendships with the kids. Julie had a very special bond with some of the little girls and was able to pray with one of them...she shared that she is considering going into children's ministry after realizing that she has a special place in her heart for children. It was cool to sit at a public park and play kickball, do crafts and have lunch with kids that we do not even know...sharing the Gospel with them with music boldly proclaiming the love of Christ in the background. Not a typical day at the park...but it was awesome.

This afternoon the schedule allowed for an extended team time. We talked about worship, the taming of the tongue and how ministry is not about our performance...but about reaching the lost. The students also tried their hand at the Pole Game again...only this time with a pole twice as long and the entire team participating together. They worked extremely well together as a team...but still weren't able to complete the task. But don't worry...we will try again some other day!

We ended the night with a pizza pool party. The students played volleyball, threw each other in the pool, relaxed in hammocks, walked through corn fields and visited with members of the Wooster youth group. It was a lot of fun.

Thank you for your continued prayers!

From Wooster, Ohio...Goodnight.

July 9th- Another Program, Another Day

Another attempt at "The Pole Game" this time with the whole team

This was the line for lunch at the day camp. It went all the way to the back of the second pavilion. The first time ever!!!

Kelsey M hanging out in the creek with her new friend

Julie H jump roping with Gabby.

Ben R shares the Cross Illustration

Tyler T tears his paper during the Cross Illustration

Hannah T shares her children's story

DeAnne S talks about the stains in life

Helping out with some VBS songs

July 8th- Programs Galore

Drew W has lunch with a new friend

Carolyn S giving that extra push on the swing

Julie H enjoys games with her new friend

Andrew P helps out with crafts

Brian S and Mandy J share the Cross Illustration at the Day Camp

Jade L sharing her children's story

"Na Na Na Na Na Na Na" Dancing to the clown song "Stories"

DeAnne S having fun during a puppet song

Program x3

We...are...EXHAUSTED. Had a great day of ministry...another twelve hours of it...and we are quite literally exhausted. Due to the aforementioned exhaustion, this blog will be short and sweet...sleep is of utmost importance right now for all of us...so we can be fully refreshed and most effective for God tomorrow...

1) We partnered with the Wooster GBC for the start of a Day Camp at a local park. About 50 children from the neighborhood came today...we ate breakfast with them...did a program...helped out with crafts and game time...did another program...and ate lunch...it was great. Jade shared her childrens story...it was great. Ben shared the cross illustration...it was great. Cody and Joel led game time with a parachute...it was great. Five children prayed to receive Jesus...it was incredible. All that on day one...we can't wait to see what happens tomorrow. We pray that students will come again tomorrow and bring friends with them...and that they will have hearts that are open to hearing the Gospel.

2) Brian, Joel and Blake poured an entire cooler of ice water on Matt W. during a surprise attack before leaving the park...it was hilarious.

3) We gave the students all time to do their devotions, have alone time, write home, and process what they have been learning...it was refreshing. We also encouraged students who haven't called home in a while to take that time to make their phone calls to parents...

4) We went to WalMart and handed out allowance...it was fun. You'd think they hadn't been to WalMart in a decade. For the second time in a row, they bought the most ridiculous things. Although...props to our girls for buying all of the guys their favorite candy as a surprise treat...it was precious.

5) Surprise! A trip to Starbucks! (Que the mass chaos and crazy excitement. Also...Ben and Cody had their very first drinks from Starbucks.) It was enjoyed.

6) We had Mexican food for dinner...thanks to the women here at Wooster who graciously prepared it for us...it was delectable!

7) Wooster hosted a Family Fun Summer Night through their children's ministry...and featured Team Central as the main event. We had our third program of the day...it was energetic, surprisingly. The students said this program was the most fun they've had in a while. The crowd was excited and interactive, which made for a fun night. Tahj, Matt, Andrew and Julia all shared their testimony and stated what God has been teaching them so far this summer.

8) We ate ice cream sandwiches with the congregation and host homes...it was perfect.

That's about it...tomorrow will be just as busy as today was...hurray! We are praising God for the new children that were added to the Kingdom today...and praying expectantly that people will continue to be encouraged and lead by Team Central...We are also still praying for this cough situation that is taking place in some of our students and leaders...it is draining. We are praying for strength and health.

From Wooster, Ohio...Goodnight!

A Day in the life of Team Central Leaders...

(This blog is written in response to the Tri-State blog of July 6th.)

OK, so...typically Team Central leaders find sweet slumber within the walls of the gracious churches that we visit during Operation Barnabas...while our students are whisked off to incredible host homes to be dazzled with copious comforts. The four of us sleep where we can find a quiet space...youth rooms, cafes, gyms, sanctuaries, kitchens...you name it, we've set up our sleeping bags and air mattresses in it. And we love it! However...every so often we are invited to stay with a church family in our very own host home and such was the case in Canton...

This morning we awoke to the sweet aroma of crackling bacon and sizzling pancakes...an occurrence that is most definitely uncommon during our summer adventures as ob leaders. We all met up at the breakfast table to partake of our delicious meal...freshly ripened strawberries, hot off the skillet pancakes, steaming bacon and a cornucopia of heavenly breakfast treats. We prayed with our gracious host mom but did not sing the "Thank You Song" for her...we decided to leave that special rendition untouched by leaders and to be used solely by the students. With full tummies we loaded up our borrowed mini van with a ridiculous amount of luggage (Which BARELY fit...by the way.) and quickly drove back to meet up with our very well loved students. But have no fear, we followed all traffic laws.

When we arrived in the parking lot we were delighted to see that our awesome and amazing students were already dropped off by their host families and had taken the initiative to start packing up our Penske for yet another travel day. A second shout out to our packing crew who are oh so diligent! We were greeted with shrieks of excitement as our students bounced across the campus to say, "Good morning to the best ob leaders ever! We missed you SO much!" (Ok, maybe this was just the girls...our boys don't shriek and bounce...) We watched as the students lovingly said goodbye to their host families.

For devotions this morning, all 34 of us read through the first three chapters of Philippians and then watched another challenge filled sermon in the Philippians series by Mark Driscoll. All 34 of us really do love these sermons. You should check this pastor out...true story. We then broke the students up into their Discipleship groups and took an hour to meet with them...to gauge how they are doing spiritually this summer...what God has been teaching them...how they are growing...and areas where we as leaders can better challenge and push them to become the men and women that God is calling them to be. It was a sweet time to share our past struggles and what God taught us through them...the students shared with open hearts giving us all the opportunity to learn from each other...and to marvel at the work of our mighty, powerful and all-knowing God.

When we reached the end of our scheduled team time this morning, we dashed to the bus where the students (and leaders) all signed a lovely encouragement poster to leave for the Canton congregation. We got on the bus...except for Jeremy...he hopped on the Penske and took Ben with him. We drove the students to Cici's Pizza...a crazy all you can eat pizza, pasta, salad and dessert buffet. Normally, our faithful financial adviser, Stacie, would pull out her blue money bag to provide the funds for lunch...HOWEVER, today we owe a HUGE thank you to Tom and Mary for footing the Cici's tab. What a blessing to Team Central! Thanks guys! We are continuously grateful for the ways that God provides for us. We leaders ate a delicious properly portioned lunch from the buffet line complete with absolutely amazing cinnamon rolls...and watched as many of the guys (Brian) ate a not so properly portioned lunch from the buffet line. We enjoyed the time we had to sit and visit with our students...we think they are pretty funny...and they think the same of us because, well, we ARE pretty funny.

On the bus ride from Cici's to Wooster, Jade and Drew led the team in a time of prayer. Prayer for unity, for divine appointments, for the ministry we did in Canton, for the Wooster church and community and for personal growth. As leaders, we love to see students taking the initiative to start spiritual conversations and making Godly decisions. We are excited to see that God is growing Team Central students into spiritually minded and ministry minded young people.

After a few missed exits, we pulled our blue bus and yellow Penske into the Wooster parking lot and instructed the students to pray for our new ministry here in Wooster while we dashed inside to meet with our contact and finalize last minute preparations. (PS...this church is smack dab in the middle of a cornfield! How awesome is that??) We brought our students in and introduced them to the Wooster GBC staff. We took part in a prayer session with the staff and we were all encouraged to hear their stories of ministry and get a glimpse into the heart of this congregation. We know the importance of starting off a new ministry with a time of prayer and loved being able to do that with both our students AND the staff.

Following the prayer meeting, the Triangles stayed on campus to work with the Maintenance crew on various projects such as weeding, raking, painting, cleaning and Sunday morning set up. Cheerful and enthusiastic, they completed all their tasks and were ready to greet their host families. The rest of the students joined Stacie and Wooster GBC staff in handing out flyers for the Day Camp coming up in the next few days. They knocked on doors and invited students to the camp...even giving the opportunity to register immediately. They took time to start spiritual conversations and pray with community members before heading back to the church. We pray that the Day Camp will be fruitful this week.

We assigned host homes. We spread hugs all around to say, "Goodnight! We love you!". We unpacked our ridiculous amount of luggage. We searched for one of the aforementioned "quiet spaces" to sleep in this large church. We went to WalMart. We went to Chipotle (yum!). We discussed our team and how we have been seeing God work. We watched the beautiful Ohio sunset and brainstormed ideas in which we can make Team Central most effective for the Kingdom of God. We went back to our current home, Wooster GBC. We prayed for the students, for our ministry in Wooster and for Wifflefest. We played some basketball. We had our nightly leaders meeting. We prayed some more for our team. We journaled. We wrote blogs. We posted pictures. We thanked God for yet another effective day of ministry for Team Central. We went to bed.

ZZZZZzzzzzzz.....

(Ps...Matt received an email tonight from the youth pastor at Western Reserve. He wrote a note of encouragement to our team stating that as a result of the flyers we distributed during the Saturday Night 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular, a woman brought her family to the Sunday services...the very next day! AND...she made a first time decision to give her life to Jesus Christ! AMAZING! We are rejoicing.)

From Wooster, Ohio...Goodnight!

July 7th- Manual Labor at Wooster

Jordan D works on getting rocks out of the baseball field

Kelsey M enjoys pulling out some weeds

Kelly M works diligently on painting a speed bump

Cody R and Julie H like the color yellow and speed bumps*

Jade L works on making Wooster GBC's flower beds weedless

* It is not known if Julie or Cody do like the color yellow or speed bumps. But on ob, we love everything!!!!

Mucho Mulching...

Yesterday was one of Team Central’s longest most grueling days so far...a complete whirlwind of ministry and manual labor.  And we wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.  

After an hour with God and our morning teaching time on reaching the lost and learning about what hell will be like for those who do not know the Lord, we made a crazy transition into park program mode.  Talk about a heavy subject!  The students all did a fabulous job processing throughout the day what Matt had taught and were able to jump right into ministry with the Canton GBC day care.  During the program out on the grass, the children were dancing around and laughing with the ob students.  They were so captivated by our students and the puppets that they were heard singing our songs up and down the hallways for the rest of the day.   Hillary shared her children’s story and the day care students were very responsive...she was awesome!  

We had extra time to hang out and play with the day care during a picnic lunch outside.  According to the director, many of the families who attend the day care are unbelievers making this the perfect opportunity to impact the community for Christ.  Team Central loved on those little kids with joyful hearts full of Christ.  Cody and Jordan went above and beyond to connect with students.  Cody sat and ate along side a child with special needs and gave him extra attention and care.  Precious!  Jordan grabbed a piece of paper and did the cross illustration during lunch time with a student who had yet to make a decision to follow Jesus.  He sat with that student for the duration of lunch to answer questions and pray with him.  It is so amazing to see these ob students loving the lost as Christ would love them and being continuous servants!

After a pretty relaxing (but crazy busy) morning, we jumped right into manual labor.  Jade, Hannah, Drew and Julia painted an entire room in the preschool...complete with removing bulletin boards, picture frames and white boards and preparing the walls first.  Amanda, Kelly, Tahj and DeAnn cleaned and sanitized all of the day care chairs, tables and cots.  All of the windows in the entire church were washed both inside and out.  A group of our guys set up and cemented two teatherball polls into the grass and worked on miscellaneous jobs around the yard.  And...for the biggest project of the day...a dump truck came and dropped off FOUR loads of mulch for the playgrounds.  FOUR LOADS!  We were given the crazy task of moving all of the mulch into the playgrounds...in just a few hours...with only one or two wheelbarrows.  Team Central has never seen so much mulch in their entire lives...guaranteed.  With the hot afternoon sun beating down, we worked together as a united team and used our flexibility and creativity to get the job done.  Only one wheelbarrow??  No problem for us!  We used playground toys to help move the mulch...wagons, sandboxes, play houses...you name it, we used it.  We covered both playgrounds with one foot of new mulch at warped speed.  Talk about team work!  Blake, Andrew and Joel directed the shoveling of the mulch...and Patrick, Mandy and Candice directed from inside the playground, letting the wheelbarrows know where to be dumped.  Mulch was flying all over the place as we shoveled, dumped and raked in a frenzy.  By the end of the afternoon, every Team Central member was covered from head to toe in mulch.  It was crazy...but surprisingly fun!  The students learned that working as a team makes a daunting work load not so bad...and when serving with cheerful hearts, everything becomes fun!  We were so proud of them!

We sat down for a quick dinner and then immediately jumped into vans and headed out to canvass the Canton neighborhood with flyers for an upcoming VBS.  And yes...we were all still covered in mulch.  We were so busy with ministry during the day that we jumped from one opportunity to the next with little time for anything else...the perfect ob day! 

The night ended with a pool party with a visiting youth group from Indiana.  One would think after such a crazy day there would be little energy left in the group...but one would think wrong!  This relaxing little pool party turned into a mission to throw every single person into the freezing cold pool...EVERYONE!  Students and leaders alike were thrown in clothes and all.  It was ridiculous, but everyone had a great time relaxing and hanging out...and getting all the mulch off.  Team Central made awesome at making connections and friendships with the youth group and are looking forward to seeing them at Momentum.

Today we are off to Wooster, Ohio for a few more days of ministry before Momentum.  We pray for safety as we travel and for health as we continue to have long days.  We are excited about what God is doing in the hearts and lives of these students and we are thankful for all of the opportunities he has provided us.

From Canton, Ohio...Have a lovely day! 

July 6th Pics- A day in Canton, OH

Carolyn S distributing flyers for Canton GBC's VBS

We love mulching!!!

Drew W helps prepare a room for painting

Ben R works on putting up new flags

Jenna W makes a new friend from the day care

Patrick H sits next to his new buddy before lunch

Hillary B shares her children's story with all of the kids at the day care

Julia S enjoys dancing with the kids during one of the clown songs

Craziness...

After a restful night with new host families, Team Central is gearing up for our second twelve hour day in a row. CRAZY! While that may seem daunting to most people...we are overflowing with excitement about what the Lord has planned for us and are eager to discover opportunities to reach the lost, encourage believers and serve the Lord diligently today. We just finished spending an hour with God...uninterrupted time to come before our Lord to pray, worship and study His Word. It is so refreshing and humbling to lay all of our burdens at the cross and to sit before the God of the Universe in silence listening and praying. There is no better start to our day...in fact, many of us stated that we could do that all day long. The students and leaders of Team Central are passionate about the Lord...it is awesome!

Yesterday was a typical ob Sunday...full of programs, packing, traveling, goodbyes, hellos, unpacking and little sleep. We worshiped together with the Western Reserve GBC during both of their Sunday morning services. 2/3 of Team Central did a program for the children's ministry during both services, while the rest of us worshiped with the congregation. Amanda and Julie had the opportunity to share their children's stories during the programs and they both did incredibly well! It is so obvious that they love Jesus and were excited to share that love with the children.

We had a wonderful time serving at Western Reserve and were definitely well taken care of! Team Central made awesome connections with the youth group and developed friendships that are sure to continue after summer. Many youth from Western Reserve are ob alum and it was encouraging to see that they are still walking with the Lord and serving in their church. What a fabulous example for the current ob students! Muchas gracias to all of the families who provided meals for us and were such an encouragement to us as a team...

After goodbyes and yet another packing session on the Penske (Shout out to our packing crew: Kelsey, Khyri, Brian and Tahj...they are awesome, diligent and super quick at loading up all our luggage! We couldn't do it without them!) we hit the road to travel to the Canton GBC. Julie was especially anxious to arrive since Canton is her home church and was the first to bounce off the bus eager to greet her friends and family. Boy were they excited to see her! Actually, they were excited to see all of Team Central...we were greeted with so much excitement and enthusiasm by the our family here in Canton. We can't wait to serve alongside them for the next few days!

After a teaching time on the importance of confrontation, we were all treated to a quick nap before a Sunday Night Service program for the community and host families. The pick me up nap was a delight and left students energized and ready to go for another night of ministry. It was evident that they had some time of rest because the energy in their program last night was ridiculous! They were overflowing with energy and joy and it definitely showed. This Canton group is probably the most interactive audience we have had and it made for quite the lively program...our puppets were dancing like no one was watching, our choir was worshiping with extra charisma and our skits were funnier than ever before. Candice and Ben were rockin' out in choir and it's so cool so see on their faces that they believe what they are singing...that God is stronger than the sin that was broken when Christ died for us! It was an awesome time to connect with the Canton community and share our passion for the Lord with them. Blake gave his sermon on the topic of unity and it was clear that he had spent time preparing and studying the Word. God is definitely working in Blake's life and he is growing in his leadership and walk with the Lord...Team Central is blessed to have Blake with us for the summer!

We had a cookout with the congregation for dinner...complete with cooking hot dogs over an open fire on a perfect summer night. Team Central students were awesome at mingling with the Canton GBC family and were seen connecting with and praying with people all night. Caroline, Sam and Andrew sat and chatted with the Pastor for quite some time and were encouraged by his heart for ministry.

We can not express how grateful we are, as leaders, for the team of students God has placed in our care this summer. As a collective unit they are passionate about serving the Lord and are expressing eagerness to share the Gospel with those who do not yet know Him. They are developing servants hearts and bold faith...and that is awesome. We truly love these students...each and every one of them! Please be praying for continued health as we have long days coming up this week...many of us are fighting colds and coughs and we want to be effective in ministry despite the sniffles.

From Canton, Ohio...Have a lovely day!

July 5th- Puppet Shows and Sunday night services

Hillary B strikes up a conversation after the program Sunday night

Team Central singing "I Give You Me" with ob alumni

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Blake R gives his sermon on unity

Kellam V shares the Cross Illustration with kids at Western Reserve

Amanda S shares her children's story

Kelsey M folds her paper during the Cross Illustration

Julia S tells the Cross Illustration story

The "Triangles" perform one of their puppet songs

Joel F playing the doctor in "5 Little Monkeys"

Happy 4th of July!!!

Kelly M and Julie H enjoying a night of fireworks with ob alum Josh and Sammi

Tyler T and Patrick H having a spiritual conversation before fireworks

Cody R working hard with a member of Western Reserve GBC.

Working as a team to take out a "tree"

Jordan D concentrating on taking out a stump

Hannah T, Tahj M, and Hillary B talk with a local woman at the Laundromat

July 3rd Pics

A time of sharing and praying between OBers and students from the Western Reserve youth group

Hannah T talks with a new friend at the lake party

Jade L and ob alum Lexie

Amanda S and ob alum Kara watch the intense volleyball game

Khryi D, Patrick H, and Drew W play volleyball with some of the youth

Joel F and Junior hanging out at dinner

Two For The Price of One...

Happy Fourth of July!

How in the world is it July already??!!? It seems like ob 2009 started just a few days ago and yet here we are almost halfway through! Team Central students are growing in the Lord and becoming more like Jesus each and every day...they are developing the ability to boldly share their faith on a daily basis and are practicing being servants. The past few days are practically a blur for us...it's hard to believe that just yesterday morning we were still at Wifflefest!

As a recap, here are the highlights of our last few days in a quick bullet point format...

* After the morning Elementary School Wifflefest Tournament, Team Central played our own game of wiffle ball...boys vs. girls of course! The girls were basically creamed, but thanks to clutch hits by Stacie, Amanda and Hannah and a few priceless catches by Jess and Drew, it was not a complete shut out. It was an absolute blast to hang out together and have a little friendly competition. In the words of some of the girls, "We were the better team OBVIOUSLY...it just wasn't a good game for us. You can't win ALL the time." OK, girls. :)

* In an attempt to give the students opportunities to start spiritual conversations in "the real world" we stopped for lunch at a mall on our way to Macedonia. They were excited to spend some time in a mall but were anxious about sharing their faith in such a public place. We gave the students a goal of starting at least two spiritual conversations before hopping back on the bus...and then prayerfully sent them on their way. While walking through the mall, we saw Jenna, Patrick and Tahj talking with a family of Jehovah's Witnesses...Joel, Blake and Jade eating their lunch together with a guy who had questions about the Gospel...and Jordan talking to a variety of people (as Jordan always does...). All of the students did an awesome job taking a step out in faith to share the love of Christ and develop a heart for the lost. We pray that they will continue to walk into rooms full of people and see souls that desperately need Jesus...and then be willing to take action and share Christ.

* After arriving at Western Reserve, we had a Q&A time with the leaders. The students submitted questions and we tried to answer as many as possible. It was a sweet time for the OBers to get to know their four leaders and dig a little deeper into our lives. Questions ranged from the silly (Why is the ob bus always blue?), to the practical (What are the top three qualities you are looking for in a husband/wife?), to the spiritual (What has God been teaching you this past year?), to the awkward...we'll just leave it at that. :) Pretty sure everyone had a great time and many laughs were had.

* We went to an ANOTHER incredible house for dinner...only this time instead of it being a country farm it was a lake house with its own private beach and dock. We spent time meeting the host families and youth group members from Western Reserve...kayaking...canoeing...playing volleyball...roasting marshmallows...playing cornhole... and eating lots and lots of delicious food. Props to Tyler's dad for grilling some top notch burgers! At the end of the night, the students broke into small groups with the church members to share what God has been teaching them this summer and to pray.

* This morning the students arrived back at the church from host families and half were quickly bussed off to the laundromat. We had exactly 1.5 hours to wash, dry and fold the laundry of 34 people. It was mass chaos but the students were up for the challenge...that Laundromat had NO idea what was happening...but we reached our goal! Team Central students are laundry pros! (Parents...take note...your student CAN do their own laundry now when they return home. Aren't you proud??) And in the midst of the laundry craziness, almost all of the students had time to interact with and share Christ's love with the other people who were washing their clothes.

* Thank you Chick-fil-A for a free lunch! Thank you Bekah K. for gracing us with your presence; always a delight to see you! Chick-fil-A also sent their cow mascot out to entertain us during lunch and it was absolutely hilarious.

* Yard work....yark work...yard work. Manual labor builds character. We ripped out almost all of the landscaping in the front of this church...leveled out all the planters...filled it with new mulch...tore out trees...and cleaned the playground...for HOURS. Team Central really picked it up today and worked as a team and as servants. Kelly helped carry away all the trees that had been pulled out and Ben never put his wheelbarrow/shovel/rake down the entire afternoon.
The award for "Biggest Root Pulled Out of Planter" goes to both Tahj and Kelsey...the weeds they discovered were absolutely ridiculous and they weren't afraid to get dirty. Mandy also did a fabulous job of diligently working in the dirt to make the church look beautiful. By the time dinner rolled around it was obvious by the appearance of our entire team that we had been doing manual labor all day.

* Happy 18th Birthday, Brian! Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. S. for the ice cream cake and yummy treats !

* To celebrate Independence Day and practice sharing our faith, we joined the Western Reserve youth group and went to a nearby town to watch the local firework show. Students were sent out in groups of four to pass out flyers about the church and Chick-fil-A coupons. They were stretched to start spiritual conversations and be true servants of the Lord. There were hundreds of people flooding the park for the show and Team Central didn't stop talking to, praying with and loving on people until we were about ready to leave. We watched the fireworks (Which were just as awesome as everyone made them out to be.) and headed back to the church.

The students are now back with their host families and looking forward to another fun filled day tomorrow. We pray that they will be well rested and that this cough that is going around will disappear quickly so that we can be most effective as a team in being used by God. We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay here at Western Reserve GBC and pray that we will have a safe trip to Canton, Ohio tomorrow afternoon. We also pray that the Southview GBC in Ashland will see fruit from the finale of Wifflefest which took place tonight.

As students are starting to step up in leadership and take risks this summer, we pray that God will continue to refine them and draw them each into a deeper relationship with Him. We know that God will continue to do a good work in each of our lives and our prayer is that the students will have willing and teachable hearts as they continue on this great ob adventure.

From Macedonia, Ohio...Goodnight!

Way to go Marty!!

Team Central friends and family...we apologize for the lack of post last night!  The internet here at Western Reserve GBC in Macedonia, Ohio was on the fritz and we were unable to connect.  Such a bummer!  Know that yesterday was great and that a real post will be coming later tonight.  For now...we are celebrating Brian's 18th birthday with some awesome ice cream cake and then heading out to finish Independence Day with some fireworks...

Thanks, Marty, for fixing the internet!  

And for all those parents and friends from Western Reserve who have personally let us know that a blog failed to appear last night...here you go.  :) 

From Macedonia, Ohio...Happy 4th of July!

Well...it is after midnight here in Ashland and the Jr. High Wifflefest Tournament is currently still underway.  In fact...there are probably five rounds of play left before the Champion of Wifflefest 2009 is crowned.  According to the experienced Wifflefest attendees the estimated time of completion for the Jr. High Tournament:  4am.  Yep, thats right...4am.  All of the girls have been taken graciously taken back to their host homes to sleep...and the guys are all asleep here at the church...while hundreds of people are still standing outside this building cheering, eating and playing some wiffleball.  It is quite the event!  Throughout the night, the ob students met a plethora of families from the community and surrounding towns and were able to share the love of Christ with them...they were servants, greeters and all around great representatives for Southview GBC.

And all of that was done after an extremely full day!  What troopers we have!  This morning the students had a marathon teaching time on priorities, discernment and the will of God.  Nothing like starting the day off with some light topics!  :)  Our morning concluded with the ever so popular "Pole Game".  We broke the team into two groups and each group had to balance a pole on their index fingers.  Working together has a team, they had to lower the pole to the ground without any of their fingers coming off of the pole in the process.  Sounds pretty easy right??  Well...after an hour neither group had accomplished the task.  Not so easy after all.  This game builds team unity and causes student leaders rise to the occasion as a strategy must be devised and carried out 15 people.  With an ob team full of leaders, almost everyone was trying to come up with a new plan at the same time.  In the words of Jess W., "Sometimes leadership is stepping back, listening and helping ."  They quickly, or actually not so quickly, realized that they needed to work together and have one point person instead of all trying to take the lead.  Andrew and Patrick led one team to success while DeAnn, Blake and Jade helped lead the other.  You should have seen the excitement and relief on their faces when those poles finally touched the ground.  Little do they know that in the next few days they will have to do it as an entire team together...

Southview hosted a park program at an awesome local park this afternoon and despite the rainy weather, an entire day camp was hanging around on the playground...what an answer to prayer!  We learned some important lessons about evangelism today...that even during park programs and fun puppet songs there can be resistance to the Gospel message.  We are learning that we must be strong and bold in our faith even when people are not open to hearing...for we are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.  Jordan and Julia were awesome at mixing with the kids and getting them up and dancing around.  Sam and Kellam stepped out of their comfort zone and mingled with the parents and adult supervisors at the park taking opportunities to share the love of Christ with them.  Amanda met a family who came as a result of the fliers we passed out on Tuesday and prayed with the mom.  It was awesome to see these students making the most of the opportunities at the park.

After a pizza party dinner, it was time for Wifflefest to start.  Basically, Team Central was on hand to reach out to the community members participating in the tournament and build relationships with visitors.  Hannah sang the National Anthem to get things going and she sounded absolutely beautiful!  For four hours, the students walked from field to field and dodged mud puddles to meet new people and encourage the players.  Ben and Candice were seen cheering on one of their new Jr. High friends as he struggled through a tough inning.  They never left his side even as he walked in two runs and his team lost the game...and were there to cheer him up and get him excited for the next round of the tournament.  After all...thats what Operation Barnabas is all about...being an encourager.  Way to go Team Central!

We are thankful for the ways that God provided for us today...from the daycare at the park, to the lack of rain during Wifflefest, to teaching times, to refinement, to McDonalds cheerfully making the ridiculous amount of McDoubles we just surprised our guys with...and for Team Central growing closer to the Lord and being passionate about serving in ministry.

We pray that the rain will hold off for the next round of Wifflefest in the morning...that this Jr. High Tournament will end soon so that Southview GBC staff and volunteers can get much needed rest...that the kids sitting outside this room will stop singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" soon...and that we will have safety in travel as we head to our next stop tomorrow.  

From Ashland, Ohio...Goodnight! 

July 2nd- Parks, Poles and Wifflefest. OH MY!

Blake R and Khryi D enjoying a day at the park with some great kids

Sam G and Kellam V spending some quality time getting to know some new friends

Enjoying the puppet show!

Hannah T singing the national anthem at Wifflefest X

The infamous pole game

Jessica W and Drew W dancing around with kids at the park

Jade L and Kelly M getting the kids fired up

Khyri D and Drew W performing "Don't Stop Believin" with the rest of the "circles"

Running the Race...

Well, the Team Central blog is being written in the morning again today...these days just seem to get longer and longer...with less time to work on these things!  Yesterday, all 34 of us did manual labor like there was no tomorrow...and surprisingly we all still had an abundance of energy at the end of the day!  Obviously there were many people praying for our team to remain diligent and rely on the Lord for our strength because we definitely would not be this strong and energetic if we were trying to do this on our own!  So thank you, faithful blog readers, for lifting Team Central up in prayer!

Yesterday morning started with a few hours of teaching time with Matt W.  The students took a survey to help them discover what spiritual gifts they have been given by God, which was exciting for them.  They were so eager to learn what gifts they have and were asking a plethora of questions regarding what each one of them meant.  We are continuously amazed at the sincerity of many of these students and their thirst for knowledge...as a collective unit, they have a hunger for learning more about God and increasing their understanding of the Scriptures...it's pretty awesome.  Matt then spent time explaining each of the spiritual gifts and helping the students to understand their gifts.  He probably could have taught all day on this topic...the students were THAT interested and had THAT many questions.

Unfortunately, the teaching time couldn't really go all day because we had a multitude of other things to get done yesterday.  Including...a LONG list of projects to help prepare Southview GBC for this weekends Wifflefest.  The rest of the afternoon was spent doing manual labor with every fiber of our beings.  We painted railings, tore out and replaced all of the landscaping in front of the church (By the way, those ob landscapers did a FABULOUS job...it looks absolutely beautiful!), cleaned every window inside and out, painted posters and signs, set up wiffleball fields with fences and bases, prepared decorations for VBS and gardened.  Two groups of students went to various homes to help out with miscellaneous tasks.  DeAnn and Carolyn powerwashed an entire house AND mowed the huge yard.  Windows were washed, garage doors were scrubbed and gutters were cleaned.  By the time dinner rolled around, we were all hungry and tired and dirty...but with happy hearts.  In fact...many of the landscapers didn't even come in for dinner right away because they were diligent in finishing the planters.  

Southview held a concert of prayer for Wifflefest last night.  Team Central led the congregation in worship and then joined with them in walking around the fields praying for the outreach event this weekend.  With 500 people coming onto this campus starting tomorrow, there is ample opportunity to share the love of Christ with the lost.  We pray that hearts will be changed this weekend and that the Kingdom of God will increase in incredible ways.

As the girls giddily left with their "awesomely incredible" host families, the guys spent some time playing games and building relationships with each other.  Team Central guys are HILARIOUS.  True story.  After some downtime, Matt took all of the guys on a late night run in the brisk air and led a discussion on running the race in our Christian lives.  The guys were extremely responsive and actually loved the time to spend as a group of guys studying God's word and running together.  In fact...apparently many of them have asked that Matt take them running again tonight!

We have another busy day ahead of us today...and we are praying that Ashland will be rain free this afternoon and that families who need to know Jesus will come to the park despite the dark looming rain clouds.  We know that God has divine appointments set up for Team Central this summer and we are confident that even a little rainfall will not hinder what He has in store for us.  We also pray that our team members and leaders will stay healthy...allergies and coughs are acting up and we want to be able to serve our Lord to the best of our abilities...

From Ashland, Ohio...Have a lovely day!

July 1st- Manual labor and a time of prayer

Jessica W and Amanda S helping get dinner ready

Julia S getting dirty during manual labor

Cody R making signs for wiffle ball

Joel F and Andrew P working together to prime the railing

Tyler T trimming the hedges making them nice

Drew W enjoying the trim work

Hillary B making the windows sparkling clean

Jordan D using his computer skills during manual labor

Prayer with members of the church

The OBers pray with members at SVGBC for the Wiffle-ball tournament

Kellam V praying with one of the members at SVGBC

New Experiences...

Yesterday, Team Central said goodbye to our new friends at Upper Arlington and headed off to Southview Grace Church in Ashland, Ohio. It's always hard to leave a church, especially after students have had such a wonderful experience with the congregation. While exchanging goodbyes with their host families, it was obvious that the students had a special connection with the people they had met in Upper Arlington. Many of the members at UA are new Christians and had never heard of Operation Barnabas before we arrived on Sunday so they had no idea what to expect. Team Central students left a wonderful testimony for the church and were extremely encouraging...there were definitely tears shed during the quick morning goodbyes.

Before hopping on our bus, we watched a second Mark Driscoll sermon on the book of Philippians and had some time to start their day with devotions. It is awesome to see that these ob students are starting to understand that daily time in the Word is of utmost importance in their lives. Many have shared that they realize they are not as effective in reaching the lost and building relationships with people on the team when they skip their devotions. We pray that this daily discipline will continue as they return home at the end of the summer and that they will hunger and thirst for Scripture every day.

We arrived in Ashland, Ohio just in time for lunch and were greeted by two former ob students who are organizing our stay here this week. After a delicious lunch of sloppy joes and hot dogs, the students embarked on a CRAZY adventure to pass out 2,000 flyers for upcoming Southview GBC events in a very short period of time. They were dropped off by the bus throughout various neighborhoods in this community and many of the pairs had to run from house to house in order to finish the task in time. Southview has a large wiffle ball tournament and community outreach this coming weekend called Wifflefest. Now in its tenth year, Wifflefest attracts approximately 500 participants...which is remarkable for a church of about 150. While canvassing the neighborhood with flyers, students prayed that Wifflefest would be successful in reaching people for Christ.

For many of our students and leaders (Ok...maybe just the ones from California...or actually, maybe just Sara...), dinner was definitely a new experience. A family from Southview GBC graciously opened their home for a cookout and provided a vast assortment of delicious food for us all to eat. But this wasn't any old home...it was basically a country farm! A real life farm! With horses galloping around open fields...a pond where many of our guys spent the evening fishing...a barn complete with sheep, goats, steer, rabbits and ducks...a garden with berries that were freshly picked to make dessert...and acre after acre of open land. It was absolutely beautiful and peaceful.

The students mixed and mingled with the host families and spent time playing wiffle ball (Ashland folk sure are serious about their wiffleball! No joke.), fishing, playing volleyball and extreme duck duck goose, eating, picking berries, jumping on a trampoline, riding horses, chatting and enjoying a beautiful Ohio sunset complete with fireflies buzzing around. Stacie even got electrocuted by a fence. True story. There definitely could not have been a better place to spend a relaxing evening with Team Central and the Southview GBC families. The girls left from dinner with their host homes and the guys came back to the church with the leaders for the night.

This morning we all got to sleep in a little bit and are starting off with some team time led by Matt W. The students are practicing how to study the Bible in a more effective way. In a few hours we will start on some serious manual labor to help Southview get the property ready for Wifflefest...thank goodness it is beautiful and cool outside!

It is sure to be a fabulous day...and we can't wait to see what God has in store for us...

Thanks for your prayers!

From Ashland, Ohio...have a lovely day!