Go Local 2014 Slideshow

Here's the 7 minute slideshow of our week that I put together with music.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4LplTX_irVbU1dkVGJuNlQtb0k/edit?usp=sharing

Enjoy!

Friday - Living Locally for Jesus as a Lifestyle

We were up bright and early to serve breakfast tacos to residents at the apartment complexes where we  did BYBCs and read to the children.

  Then we started a road rally to find and learn about even more community impact ministries, including mentoring at the Williamson County Courthouse with Judge Staudt, the Twin Lakes YMCA, a clinic for those with no health insurance called Samaritan Health Ministries, Austin LifeCare which provides pregnancy resources and services, and Faith House, a transitional home for women.We ended the road rally at Cypress Creek Park on Lake Travis, praying for rain to end the drought and for all the different ministries which we got involved with this week.

 We ended our week with a mini-summerfest for families who are a part of the foster and adoption organizations who partner with our Foster Adopt Ministry. Cecily did a great job sharing the gospel with everyone using hand illustrations.

 Here are a before (below) and after shot of some of our gardening efforts at Twin Lakes.

We ended our time together with a final worship time. We celebrated 13 children and 2 adults entering into forever relationships with Jesus in 16-18 different groups where we met with them this week. Each time we shared the gospel with all the kids and many adults we met. In a final message, Doug challenged us to consider - does our work end tonight or is it the beginning of a new lifestyle to live locally for Jesus for the rest of our lives? We were obedient this week as we responded to His call to missions with "Here I am, Lord, send me." The last words of Jesus were to spread the gospel first in Jerusalem (Cedar Park/Leander), then to Judea and Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth. Who has God put in our sphere of influence that he wants their life transformed for eternity?  We need to reach people and grow them in their walk with the Lord, and we need to start at home. Are we going to live for Christ or the things of this world?

To enjoy our final day of Go Local, check this out: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B4LplTX_irVbbWNQVTZwZVdJUkU&usp=sharing

Thanks for following our activities this week! Praise God for all He has done.

God is good - all the time!

Thursday - Striving to Be the Best - for Us or for God?

We started our morning with a tour of LifeBridge Job Corps, where they equip, encourage, and mentor men and women as they develop life and job skills through classes in computer, resumes, interviewing, nutrition, GED, and other skills while also engaging in Bible studies and prayer. We toured their career clothes closet for women and the computer lab.

All morning we worked hard to finish work projects like spreading pea gravel on the playground and cleaning up trash and weeds around the property.

  Throughout the week we spent half of our lunch hour reading to the kids who came to the LISD free lunch program at Twin Lakes and Cypress Creek.

 In the afternoon we celebrated as we completed our big work projects like the pavilion and picnic tables and playground area. 

During worship, the team shared ways that team members finished strong doing their work projects even when they were very tired or even sick, like Tifton. The Blue team shared about their part in God's plan as they rejoiced with 5 people who prayed to accept Christ as their Savior and begin a relationship with Him today, and 2 others who rededicated their lives to following Christ.

Eli talked to us tonight about how we all want and strive to be the best. Mark 10 tells the story of the rich young man who wants to know what he needs to do to inherit the kingdom of God. He did everything he was suppose to and followed all of God's commands, but when Jesus told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor and follow Him, the rich man left sad because he just couldn't give up his wealth. Are we like that? Do we think about how we want time to ourselves to be on our phone or with friends or in the pool, and move God to second instead of giving Him all of ourselves and time? Do we strive to be the best in our sports, work, or whatever worldly label we want...or do we always strive after God's label with everything we've got - to be with Him in His Word and prayer....to serve Him by putting the interests of others ahead of our own interests without complaining...every single minute of every day?

To enjoy more pictures from our day, visit: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B4LplTX_irVbUXRGTkp2SXFFaWc&usp=sharing

Wednesday - Servants for the Lord Get Wet 'n Wild

First thing today we talked with ministry leaders from Austin Disaster Relief Network and Heroes Night Out, hearing their stories of how the ministries got started and who they serve. Pretty impressive stories of selfless sacrificial living to make life easier for those who have suffered a crisis or given years of their lives in service to their country. 

 Then we all worked super hard and got so much done on our work projects today - setting up community garden boxes, spreading pea gravel on the playground, staining picnic tables and the pavilion and working on its roof, pulling weeds, and painting.

Mealtimes are a time of rest, competitive cheers, and good food and fellowship. Kristin and Jeff's small group brought us a wonderful Tex-Mex meal of fajitas, chips and queso, beans, and rice. Mucho gracias! We also learn about more ministries in the community after our meals. Today Ken Williams shared with us about Apartment House Cares Teams, like the teams who are hosting our BYBCs at the Marquis Volente and Cypress Creek Apartments.

 Our clubs today were wet 'n wild. Some of us held clubs in the apartment pools. Pretty cool sharing the gospel on top of a splashing pool waterfall! Others played water games on grassy areas. 48 kids attended our clubs but no decisions for becoming Christ followers were made today, so we are praying for some fruitful club time tomorrow.

 

In worship tonight, Alyssa talked about what it means to be called by Jesus, to deny self and take up your cross daily to follow him. The call has many aspects - it is physical, it involves learning from Him and believing in Him, and to serve and disciple others. Also, Kristin shared how one of the students left their Bible at the hotel and the desk clerk picked it up and started reading it. He was so excited about what he was learning that he called Kristin over from the lobby to share with her what he was learning. God works in amazing ways! And God is good - all the time!

If you want to see more pictures from our day, check this Google drive out: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B4LplTX_irVbUlhqekMxZlB4bzg&usp=sharing

Tuesday - Becoming a Slave for God

Today we learned more about how we should not just look to be served, but to serve others. We continued our work projects on the pavilion roof (led by Barry) and cleaning out unwanted furniture in the Christian Compassion Center building at the Twin Lakes Resource Center.  Tom had fun with his power washer while students raked leaves and moved trash to the dumpster.

We had 20 members of our team over at the Reveal food and clothing pantry, where 359 families and 1525 people were  received food, clothing, and prayer today. Noah spelled out the gospel and then showed two ladies at Reveal Romans 10:9. She then read it for herself, understood it, and prayed to receive Christ! I brought a woman who lives in her car to Reveal for food, but then she helped out as a coach in the computer class at LifeBridge Job Corp.

 At BYBCs today we played lots of fun games, but we also spent 1:1 time with several of the kids, sharing the gospel and God's love with them. 58 kids attended the clubs, with 2 adults at Reveal  and 9 kids at BYBC praying to receive Christ as the Lord of their life!

 One fun competition we are enjoying is maintaining possession of the "spirit stick." The Blue team stole it from the Red team during lunch today, but the Red team won it back tonight.

In worship, Courtney talked about what Jesus meant when he said to James and John, "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ranson for many."

To enjoy more pictures of our day, visit: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B4LplTX_irVbbXN2SUttT1ExbXc&usp=sharing

Monday - Positive energy on work projects, BYBCs, ministry tours

 Two teams visited Job Seekers Network, which meets at HCBC every Monday morning. The third team went to Reveal, which provides food and clothing on Tuesdays to those in need.

Work projects at Twin Lakes Fellowship - prep for painting classrooms for Christian Compassion Center, fixing the roof and painting a picnic pavilion, weeding and gardening. 

Cooling off in the hotel pool.

 Buca di Beppos for dinner.

 Over 60 students came to our Backyard Bible Clubs at apartments where we have Cares teams (like Marquis Volente) and schools and apartments where we have the summer LISD lunch program, like Twin Lakes Fellowship

 Friendly competition with team spirit cheers - the Red team currently holds the spirit stick

 BYBC at Cypress Creek Apartments

 Reading with the kids at the summer lunch program

In worship Jon talked with us about humility and the significance and example of Jesus washing his disciples feet.Life's not about us - it's about God and bringing him glory by serving others.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Phillipians 2:3-4

To see more pictures from our day, visit this Google Docs folder: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B4LplTX_irVbOGVTZ1pBYzA3MG8&usp=sharing
Cathy