Praying For Dallas

March 22-26: We will be taking a group of high-school students to inner city Dallas for Spring Break Outreach ... join us in praying for ...

- This to be a significant and pivotal time in the lives of the students going. "May You stir expectation in the hearts of each going ... so that they come expecting God to change their lives, expecting God to speak to and through them, expecting to never be the same."

- God to put together our group. "We pray that You would bring the 'right' students, the ones you have hand-picked, that You, Holy Spirit, would draw our team together."

- That the staff model to the students God's heart: It's about people, not about programs. "May we not trade a program for relationship w/ people." "Above all we acknowledge we need the Holy Spirit ... more than a good idea ... more than a good number of students ... We need You, Holy Spirit, to be the MVP of our group, to be the coach giving us the plays ... this is the only way we will truly make a difference in Dallas."

- We echo Moses' prayer in Exodus 33, "If Your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth." "Go with us; make us distinct b/c of Your presence."

Beginnings

This week began our study of the Old Testament. Appropriately, we started with Genesis or "in the beginning."

Some fascinating proof of the Bible:

Many cultures have preserved a "creation" or "flood" account in their history and legends. The following link is an article following the traditions of the Miao tribes, a primitive people traced to inland China. The Miao accounts of a creation, flood, and tower of Babel are incredibly accurate to the Biblical account.

In his evaluation of the Miao traditions the editor comments, "Although many legends of creation and the flood have been preserved, only a few have included the story of Babel and the post-flood dispersion. This is surely one of the most Bible-like of all these traditions, and bears significant independent testimony to the truth of the record in Genesis. Even though we have been unable so far to locate anyone who can confirm the authenticity of the Miao tradition or the accuracy of its translation, it clearly has the ring of truth about it and we can believe it is authentic until someone can prove otherwise. Its differences from the Biblical account clearly show its source was not directly from the Bible or early Christian missionaries (if any), but its similarities are so striking as to imply that it came from the same original source - namely, the events themselves!"

The Miao people

Spring Break = Dallas, Texas

Last Spring Break we took eight students to inner city Dallas to serve. Thanks to popular demand Dallas Spring Break is back!

Our heart for this outreach is 1. to serve YWAM Dallas and the ministry taking place there 2. to create an atmosphere outside of students' comfort zones for growth and discipleship and 3. to launch students from Ozark, AR into God's heart for missions and the world.

I would appreciate your prayers and encouragement as we prepare and recruit students for this trip. Please join us in praying for students to not fear, to be bold, and to invite God to do all He wants in each of them.

Below is a video from last year's trip.

In Light of Martin Luther King Jr. Day ...

It is a lesser known fact that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was also REVEREND Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. An impressive name given to one who has made impressive impact on our history as a nation. Prior to being known for his strides against segregation, he was known for his sermons.

The following is a sermon given on November 4th [ironically on my mom's birthday] in 1956. In this sermon King writes a fictional epistle from the apostle Paul to the church of America. Much is still applicable for the church of America today.

Click here to read.

Humility

Excerpt from the Reading Corner:

The best definition of humility I've heard.

"Humility is always relational. To be humble, we need another person to serve. The humble person doesn't seek a low status just for the sake of groveling. In fact, he doesn't want a position at all. His goal is the betterment of the other person, the one who is better than himself."

From Dear Paul, Am I On The Right Track? by Ron Smith & Rob Penner

Meet The Staff Of 2009!

Jim Nizza

Campus Director/Founder

School Leader

Jacob Ainsworth

3rd Year on Staff

Wisconsin, USA

Anna Joy

2nd Year on Staff

Garden Valley, Texas

Vincent Humphrie

1st Year (YAY!)

Dallas, Texas

I Think I'm Being Followed ...

392 Miles

5 pieces of luggage

1 Carole King CD

And a Goodie Bag from Mom ... began my journey back to Ozark, AR.

One feeling followed me there: GRATEFULNESS.

For the two months I spent at home, I experienced God's pleasure.

There is no other way to put it.

It all began with a conversation. My friend shared a personal revelation about her relationship with God. She said, "It's not God's obligation to provide for me, it's His pleasure." This changed something in my heart --- I trusted Him.

The gifts God gave me this summer are literally too many to count, too precious to count.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think that God wasn't pleased with me before this summer. But it was as if I was just sitting back and watching Him enjoy surprising me with gift after gift.

Just a few: a perfectly working car, a surprise pedicure from Mica, a dear friend, long talks sitting on the end of Mom's bed.

This feeling of gratefulness followed me to Ozark, AR ... "Gratefulness, please stay and make your home in me."