Nicaragua '18

It’s that time of year! Time to double the amount of clothes you wear with coats and hats and gloves and scarves. It’s cold out there. And even though we’re only outside for the minute it might take for us to walk to our car, we don’t want to feel that cold.

That’s why, if you’re like me, you can battle the cold by thinking about the warmth of Spring. And you know what’s even warmer than an Ohio Spring? Nicaragua.

Did you like that segue? 

I know our minds are on gifts and family and not eating too many sweets (but certainly some), but if you find yourself with a free moment, consider and pray about joining us in Nicaragua next summer.

Our students will once again be heading down to Managua, Nicaragua to minister with our dear friends, the Holsingers. I know summer feels like a lifetime away, and it sort of is, but we are in the process now of putting our team together and preparing ourselves mentally, physically, and most importantly, spiritually for the adventure we will be taking with God.

I encourage you now, take this time of brief respite from school and work to commune with God. Talk to him about Nicaragua and see if he is perhaps leading you there to do his work with us. Whether you are a parent or student, you are welcome!

If you want to be a part of that team, please contact me. If you have questions and concerns, please contact me. If you aren’t sure or have any doubts, pray. Then please, contact me!

Our trip will be June 11-20, and the cost will be $1500. If seeing that price tag makes you black out for a second, see the previous paragraph. Okay, now let’s talk. I have seen from previous trips and my own experience with support raising for my entire salary that money is nothing for God. If anything, it is a chance for him to show off and bless and surprise you. We have methods of support raising, and we as a team will discuss those, but more than anything, if God is calling you to join us, he will get you there. That doesn’t mean it will be easy, but it does mean that he will show you his sovereignty. And that’s even before we even step foot on a plane!

If you are interested, we have applications available. Contact me and we’ll get you started. Applications, along with a $150 deposit will be due Sunday, January 7. That day will also be our first team meeting. We will meet in the youth room after church from about 12-1:30pm (Bring $3 dollars for lunch). In this meeting we will talk through preliminary information, medical forms, fundraising, and all other questions you are asking yourself as you read this.

I want to conclude with this: God is moving. The Good News of his Kingdom is spreading and bearing fruit throughout the whole world (Colossians 1). With or without us, God is redeeming and restoring his creation, because that is what he does. We have an opportunity to join him in this work with our brothers and sisters in Nicaragua. I encourage you to go to him and consider whether he is asking you to join him and us.

Suburban Farmers

The last activity from our Dayton Trip that I want to write about is our time at Mission of Mary Farms. 

The mission has a special place in my heart because from the first time I came to the farm and met Stephen, the garden manager, several things that God had been teaching me started to collide and morph together to form how I feel God is calling His people to live, and, maybe more significantly, how we’ve been missing it. 

We live in a culture today in which place is unsettled and time isn’t fast enough. We were made for community; we settle for Facebook friends. We exist to reflect the image of God to creation; but the only image we care about is our own.

What if we were created to live in the world more intentionally than that?

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Many of Jesus’s parables have to do with farming. We tend to look at this and suggest it had to do with 1st century Palestine being a largely agricultural community; so we take our moral lessons and leave. What we miss, however, is that maybe Jesus was intentionally using farming metaphors, and that perhaps through this purposeful use of metaphor He was subtly preparing us for the way of the Kingdom, and not just the doing.

Let me explain it this way: Farming is a slow process. Slow, but not lazy or inactive. In fact, farming is a much more “active” type of lifestyle than most of us are even aware of. Yes, the farmer is busy and works long, hard hours, but it’s not just about the farmer’s schedule. The ground itself, the land, is busily moving below the surface. In fact, one might say that in comparison to the work of the land, the farmer does relatively little. It is not the farmer’s role to work himself into a frenzy, it is his to wait and prepare. A good farmer knows that there is little he can do to make the ground work faster, and anything he might try could actually impede the process of growth. Whether planting or harvesting, the farmer is simply stepping into the work that the land is already doing.

But this means that the farmer must know the land; he must trust that it is operating the way it is meant to. The farmer also must understand that his primary role is to operate in support of the land, and that he is largely replaceable. The soil is not.

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There is much and more that could and probably should be said about how this work of the land correlates with the work of the Kingdom. If you are interested, pick up the works of Wendell Berry. I also realize that it is ludicrous to attempt to sum up the vast number of Jesus’s parables into one simple concept. There is so much untapped depth to the teachings of Christ.

The point is this: we must take a hard look at how we live our lives for the Kingdom. Are we deeply invested in the community around us, like a farmer to the soil? Are we trusting God to be working under the surface even when we don’t see it? Are we more invested in what God is up to, or what we think needs to happen? Do we live as if people are being written into our story, or are we looking for how we can step into and be used to change theirs?

In our week at Mission of Mary we were blessed to spend time with people who understand these concepts for both farming and the Kingdom. The week afforded us the opportunity to slow down our busy lives and look around us what God is doing. We got to know our city, and we got to know each other. This is largely impossible at the pace at which we typically run our lives. Learn from us as we learn from others: slow down, know the ground, and step into the work that God is already doing around you.

Target Dayton

One of the last minute, surprise, God-planned things we got to do on our Dayton Adventure was to serve with Target Dayton. Target Dayton is a church located on the corner of Keowee and Xenia whose congregation is made up mainly of homeless individuals. They hold services 6 days a week, which are either followed or begun with a meal. These meals are typically served by volunteers.

I was humbled by the impact of this church, and mostly by the things they are successful at, which would seem to be the things that matter in God’s Kingdom. I was humbled into considering the things I think make us successful as a church of God and whether those things are evidenced by our (my) actions? Or do I say one thing and show with my actions very different priorities?

Am I attempting to reach the lost and serve the least of these, or am I focusing on comfort and reaching the nominal? Am I directing the gospel towards all who need to hear it, or just those that make it convenient for me?

I don’t like wrestling with those questions anymore than you do, and yet, I feel that we must.

I was so proud of our team and how they allowed themselves to be put in uncomfortable situations. They didn’t just put up with being uncomfortable, they thrived and loved those they encountered. This “service opportunity” that I didn’t plan (and was actually leaning towards not doing) turned out to be one of the most impactful and enlightening parts of our trip.

I’m also proud to say we’re going back. I fear there would be mutiny from our team if we did not. But it’s not just us who are going back, we want you to join us.

On Saturday, August 26, we will be meeting at the church at 3:15 to go downtown and worship with our less materially wealthy brothers and sisters and we will then be serving them a much-needed meal. Please join us. See for yourself the need around us that God has put us on this earth to address. Join our amazing, God-fearing, least-of-these-loving students who were willing to say ‘yes’ when asked. The question is now posed to you. Will you be uncomfortable with us?

Dayton VBS

One of our two main activities on the Dayton Trip was to do a VBS for kids of East Dayton hosted by Emmanuel Baptist Church. There were so many good lessons and takeaways that came out of this opportunity, but I prefer stories to telling lessons, so allow me to tell you another good one.

One of the little girls we got to hang out with at VBS was named Pandora. She was a cute, little redhead who loved to sit on our girls’ laps and both show and receive affection. But what started as a cute kid to whom our girls got a chance to show the love of Jesus, quickly became a humbling lesson.

One day our girls were talking with the kids and Marie asked Pandora if she liked bagels. Pandora said they were too big for her mouth, so Marie logically replied that you can cut them with a knife. It was then that Pandora told her that they didn’t have a knife at home because her mom couldn’t afford one.

Later in the week she asked to take her shoes off in gym because she had a blister because her shoes were too small and she couldn’t afford new ones.

Pandora lives right off Wayne Ave. We passed her house all week. I pass her house frequently. And yet her life is vastly different from mine.

We were able to buy her shoes and it felt great to do that for her, but it doesn’t change the fact that her life is drastically different than ours. And yet God is still pursuing her.

Pandora’s story reminds us of the very real reality of poverty all around us, but along with that we are reminded that God is pursuing every single person, whether they share our level of material resources or not. I pray that we can be his agents in the lives of all those around us.

Weekend Update

This post is slightly delayed, but consider this your update from our weekend here in Dayton.

I could tell you a lot about this weekend. 

I could tell you about our time at the Miami Valley Women’s Center Saturday morning and how we powered out more projects in one day than I’ve seen us do in several months combined.

I could tell you about our Friday night hang out at the site of the first NFL game (Go Triangles!).

I could tell you of our adventures on the RTA Saturday afternoon as we explored our city.

I could tell you of our Sabbath rest on Sunday spent at John Bryan, and how many of us experienced very real healing. I could even tell you of our Sabbath play at Young’s Dairy and how I was better at the driving range than all the students. Okay, I guess I probably shouldn’t brag about that.

I could even tell you of our worship and service at Target Dayton Ministries Sunday night and how for many of our kids it was their first real interaction with the homeless population here in Dayton (roughly 1000 people on any given night).

I could tell you about all of that and more, and I hope to, and I hope our kids do, and I hope you ask.

But I want to tell you about Ron.

Ron lives in Dayton. Ron’s mother passed away a couple years ago. Because of the grief of the loss of his mother Ron began drinking more. And that drinking led to a DUI. And that DUI is the reason Ron found himself on the RTA with us Saturday afternoon. Obviously confused as to why 30 obviously suburban kids piled onto his bus, Ron began a conversation with one of our adults and told us his story as we told him ours. 

You see, Ron knows he shouldn’t be drinking. He knows he should be reading his Bible and trying to live how God wants him to live, but it’s hard.

And that’s why Ron was stunned when he was told that there were 30 high school students from his city that cared enough about the broken and hurting and loved God so much that they would give up a week of their summer to help others. Perhaps stunned isn’t the appropriate word. Ron was moved.

His exact words were, “It was no accident that you were on my bus today”.

We probably won’t see Ron again (although we could, we do after all share a city with him). But Ron’s story is just one small example of how God can and will and has used our students, your students, to do the subtle, quiet, incognito, subversive, powerful, unstoppable work of His Kingdom.

If there is a theme to our trip it is redemption because we worship a God who is in the business of redemption. God is in the work of healing his creation and calling it all back to Him. We are honored to be part of that work. We look forward to telling you about it. We pray for the continued redemption of our City, and for the life of our new friend, Ron.

Technical Difficulties

We all love technology, right? Gets us where we need to go, teaches us what we want to know, never works when you want it to. Perfect! I promise I wasn't being lazy when I didn't post on the blog, the internet was just having a joke at my expense.

Well, I obviously got it figured out! I still want to share with you the blog posts I put together to update from the trip. It may not be timely or useful, but allow me to share our thoughts from the trip in the following posts over the next several days!

Thanks for being patient and forgiving and thanks for allowing me to spend time with your amazing kids. They humble me.

Josh

Dayton Trip Price Reduction

It's still not too late to join us for Dayton 2017.

This blog is to let you know that it is still not too late for you or your students to join us for our trip to Dayton this summer. We have pushed the application and deposit deadline back to next Wednesday, March 1st. If your student is interested in being part of the team, but has not managed to turn in their application, make sure they find the gumption to get it in. If you would like to join us on the trip as an adult leader we would absolutely love to have you be part of the team as well! Please contact me if you are interested.

One other piece of information I'd like to share with you is that we are dropping the price of the trip from $500 to $250. 

The reason for this change is that we want the trip to be affordable for all our students. We know that your families have many costs in the summer, and we don't want the price to be a reason for you or your student not to be part of the team. The initial $500 was in interest of raising funds with which to support our partnering local organizations during the week, but our planning team decided this should be an additional and supplementary goal.

Thank you for your support of our ministry and for sharing your students with us. I look forward to being able to share more details about the trip with you as we continue to solidify our plans.

Josh

Here I Am

The phrase “Here I am” appears 24 times throughout scripture. All but one occurrence takes place in the Old Testament. Eight times it appears in Genesis in the story of the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Five of its appearances are found in the story of Samuel’s calling in the temple in I Samuel 3. 

This statement, by nature, is a response. 

But it is also, by nature, an unnecessary statement. 

Let me explain.

When someone asks you where you are or says something to you and your response is, “Here I am”, you are not telling anyone anything they couldn’t have said themselves. To say, “Here I am”, is to say, “I am here”, but of course you cannot be anywhere other than where you are. So you see, the answer itself is not useful in giving your location. Furthermore, in most of these stories the speaker was responding to God. God did not need help finding them. So why is this response significant?

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We live in a culture that does everything it can to change the statement from “Here I am” to “There I am”. Whether it is our compulsive need to live inside the world wide web or simply our desire to know what is next and be there, we struggle to be present.

I see this in almost every conversation I have with students. We have created a culture that forces our students to constantly focus on what is next. Where are you going to college? Where are you going to work? Who are you going to marry? Are you going to live here or there? High School has essentially become a launching pad to the future, focused solely on getting students to the next stage.

Please don’t hear what I’m not saying. It is obvious that High School should prepare us for the rest of our lives, but what I want to suggest is that we have created a system that is willing to sacrifice experiences now for what you will be doing then.

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One of the more difficult stories involving “Here I Am” takes place in Genesis 22. The story starts with God calling to Abraham, and Abraham responds by saying, “Here I am”. God was not asking where Abraham was, he simply called his name. Yet Abraham felt it necessary to respond by stating his location.

Here is the significance of Abraham’s response. Abraham was present. Abraham was “here”. 

He was not throwing on his coat, preparing for God to send him somewhere else. 

He wasn’t getting his passport so he could go to another country. 

He wasn’t waiting until he received his education or “grew up” a little more.

Abraham was present, ready for the task God had for him in that very really moment and in that very real location. 

What if we responded to God right now? What if we served God right here? What does it look like for God to use me as I am and where I am, instead of assuming he needs to fix me and my circumstances before He could find a use for me.

Forgive me if this has gotten long, but this is the fuel behind our “trip” this summer.

At the end of our trip to Nicaragua we as a team shared the same thought: “This is great and we love being here, but how can we do this at home?” I fully believe that God is stirring the hearts of our ministry to love and heal the city we call home. We are creating partnerships with people who are way ahead of us in this work. We are building relationships that we hope will last beyond a single week of ministry work. We hope these relationships can allow us to continue to spread the Kingdom of God here in Dayton.

So this year’s experience is not so much about “there”, although “there” is good too. But this year we want to focus on “here”, because “here” is, after all, where we are.

I truly feel the Spirit of God calling our ministry and our church, let our response be “Here I am”.

2017 New Heights Go Trip Details:

Location: Dayton

Dates: July 14-22

Price: $500

Applications are available at Washington Heights and are due February 1 with a $50 deposit. 

Please feel free to contact Josh Tuttle with questions.