kelly's korner

This week has been all about planning for the youth staff of Maadi Community Church! We have had 2 hour planning meetings every day and it has been quite exhausting but also exhilirating! It is so exciting to think and dream about all that we long to see God do here in this place! And His dreams are so much bigger! It is amazing to think about! With where our numbers are right now and with the growth that is already occuring as a result of our cell groups, we are asking God to expand our ministry to where we will be reaching over 450 students in the next 2 1/2 years! This is growth and progress that only God by the Power of His Spirit can produce and we are asking Him to bring it! Our vision statement has also been recrafted to read: We are about leading students through the process of encountering Christ, to engaging Christ, to embodying Christ so that they will be equipped, empowered, and excited to lead others through the same process. We want to take students from where they are and call them to go deeper, to go further, to go closer to God and towards the destiny that He has in mind for their lives: to shaped into the image of Christ! And so we will move to an empowerment mindset where we pour into our student leaders who will in turn pour into their friends and on and on and on as we reach to the fringes! It is about discipleship here! It is about raising up students who will duplicate themselves and it is exciting! Praise God!

 

We have now completed both our middle school and high school retreats now! Yea! It was an exhausting and exhilirating experience. I am so thankful that we are done with our work of planning and executing a most detailed retreat schedule two weekends in a row but that God is not even close to being done with the work that He is carrying out in the lives of these students! It is so good to serve a God, a King, who never sleeps, who never tires, who is never exhausted or annoyed or in need of a refuel time. And I am overwhelmed as i reflect on the movement of God in my own life. It started at summer camp at ACU. It was an incredible week of bible study, service projects, skits, cool counselors, great group leaders, new friends, intimate worship times, etc. And then, on the last night of camp, God's Spirit showed up in such a mighty way in that small, crowded room with a Jars of Clay song playing in the background and i was drawn to my knees weeping before him and I was not even sure exactly why. Looking back I see that it was the conviction of the Holy Spirit and God's love pursuing me and offering me more. He was telling me that this experience of feeling near to Him did not have to end when i left camp the next day. And so I commited my life to Him that night. I tasted of something that was so completely "other" and so completely supernatural and so completely better than anything i had ever before known that I left that place longing for more of Him. So that night i committed to God and to myself that i would begin a journey to know Him. I dont know how that knew the way was though His word, meditation, and prayer. But i did, HE taught me and I got to know HIm. His work in me had only begun at camp. It was not finished when i left and He is not finished even now. But that was the beginning. So when i am seeking His face and interceding for my kids here at MCC that is what I am asking HIm to do. I am asking Him to begin, to start them on this journey of a life that is lived for the cause of knowing Christ. I remind Him of what He has done in my life and throughout history and I beg Him to do more. So as i was praying for our kids post-retreat, i began thinking and analyzing (as i always do) and i found myself being a bit discouraged because i always could have done more, or could have asked more questions, or could have prayed more, or could have planned more or ...... on and on.... and God spoke to me through His spirit and He said "I am not finished." God has not closed this door or shut down just b/c the retreats are now over. Praise His Name! So now we move to focusing on launching our cell groups. Our 20 kids who have almost completed training will start their groups within the next two weeks. And then we are asking God to raise up more leaders to go through training. We are also asking Him for adult leaders. We are desperate for Him to provide and know that He will in abundance!

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And He condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in US, who do not live according to the sinful nature, but according to the Spirit...And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose...What then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? ...Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or sword?...No in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am CONVINCED that neither death nor life, neiher angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is the passage from Romans 8 that our youth pastor read to our kids the night that our Senior Pastor Dave Petrescue died. He died from a tragic accident that happened in his home. It has been a very difficult week but the thing that we are longing for our kids to grab a hold of is that their Pastor lived a life of no regrets. He was not perfect, He was willing to admit sin and darkness in his life and in his past. In fact, at the staff retreat the previous weekend, dave humbly shared with us about the darkest season of his life. He was moved to tears as he stood before us and taught us out of 2 Peter that God has given all that we need for life and godliness... This man exemplified a life commited and sold out to the call of Christ. His impact spread throughout the world and his absence in our lives is significant and tragic. BUT dave is where he has longed to be. The fullness of His desire for God is met and satisfied at this moment. He is dancing with Jesus and rejoicing in the presence of so many saints that went before Him. But dave lived every day up to Tuesday will the energy of Christ working within him. We long for our youth to be so inspired by his life that they too will sell out to everything else for the cause and purpose of Jesus Christ. Life is just too short not to! Please pray for our kids for our church and most of all, for daves family, his wife and 3 kids.

"We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with His energy, which so powerfully works in me." Colossians 1:28 There have been many of you who have asked me, "what exactly are you going to be doing in Egypt?" I have not given a very accurate answer simply because i have not been fully informed myself, that is until recently. I have been in Maadi for two weeks and one day. It has been wonderful, tiring, and stretching in every way. I want to give a more accurate description of what i am doing here in hopes that you will buy into the vision with me and pray accordingly. At MCC we are restructuring the youth group to function in cell groups. Small groups of people coming together at a home to discuss ethical and spiritual issues in an environment where you can be real and transparent about who you are. The youth cell groups will be comprised of a cell leader, a co-leader, and an adult leader who will be there to simply participate in the group and provide oversight and mentorship to the cell leader. And so, what you are looking at is a completely student led group of around 6 to start with and it is a place that is designed to create an atmosphere that would be easy and comfortable for a non-believer to come into. Once the group grows to 15 members, the group multiplies itself and becomes two different groups. The goal is expansion and multiplication. Evangelism takes on a new meaning within this framework. It is no longer about bringing your lost friends to church so that they can sit through a bible study that makes everyone feel a bit uncomfortable. In this model, kids come to houses where spiritual issues can be discussed openly and opinions can be shared among a group of kids who are in the same peer group. God's word is shared and discussed and discipleship takes place from one youth to another. It makes sense to me that youth ministry is most effectively done by the youth themselves. As youth ministers, we are not going to be able to walk into english class and sit next to a lost student, strike up a conversation, and then invite them to come to a place that will put them in an environment where they can come into contact with the truth of who God is. Our students have this opportunity every day. So this is what we are asking them to do. We are asking them to be intentional in their conversations with their friends. We are asking them to be devoted to intercessory prayer. We are asking them to spend time with God every day and allow His word to dictate their thoughts, actions, and every day lives. We are asking them to share the gospel with their friends who claim "nothing" as their religion. And so, the cell group will be our main form of outreach and our "Collision" time will be a place that we will all come together weekly to be taught from God's word and worship! This takes the responsibility and gives it to students. This gives them a sense of ownership and a need to be accountable to one another. It takes away the consumer driven mentality that so many students have that says they are coming to church to get their needs met. This framework empowers students to live up to the call that God has already placed on their lives, thus bringing about growth and maturity and a desire for more of Him! So, my main job is to disciple student leaders, provide guidance and oversight to the cell groups, meet with students, pray pray pray, teaching, and various other tasks. It is completely different than what i am used to, but it has been and will be so good to watch it all unfold before me. God is truly at work and His desire is for these students! Our desire is to see many come to know Him this year! Please pray toward that end.

Our trip to Beni Suef was an incredible experience. I have posted some pics but a photo can not capture the intense poverty that these people live in. I have never seen kids bathing in dirty water, running around with no clothes and no shoes on. Houses that have no roof and lack four walls... it produces in me a speechlessness b/c all of my words are insufficient to describe what my heart is experiencing. It is deeper than any pity or compassion that i ever felt. It is a scary all-consuming desire that i know will require my very life. I see these children and these villages in the framework of the gospel and realize that Jesus' message is for these: "The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." matt. 4:18-19 It was a two hour car ride to get there on bumpy dirt roads the entire way. We arrived and were ushered up seven flights of stairs to the roof of this flat where 21 dutch students were staying. World Servants is a Christian organization that takes students on short term (3 wk.) service trips all over the world. This group was from places all over Holland. They built a shelter in Beni Suef for women and children who do not have housing. We got to tour the city and see the work that they had done. It was incedible to be able to stand on what these kids had worked so hard on. So much blood, sweat, and tears, and in 100+ degree weather in the desert! We were encouraged by one another. Travis, Kelly and I took one of our kids, John who is the red head leading worship in the pics and Alexa, who is a college student just traveling through. We worshipped in dutch and english. We prayed in dutch and english and I began to understand more of God as i sat in his presence and worshipped Him in a language that was foreign to me. What an incredible day! We got back to Maadi in the evening and i was caked in dirt. Do not be deceived by your interpretation of "car ride." There is no AC in this car and the seats are dirty and old. The only relief is to roll the windows down as we drive through desert in over 100 degrees. It was awesome! I have never quite felt so dirty before i came here. it is a great thing and i think all of you should experience it :) The rest of the week Travis, kelly, and i have done a lot of brainstorming, praying, planning, and meeting the kids who are getting back to maadi from their "holiday," which is what we would call "vacation" or "summer break." I love all the girls that i have met and there are already amazing relationships that are being build because of what God is doing and the favor that He is granting me with them. We have spent time with some amazing families as well. It is so incredible to be so far away from home and yet feel right at home. This family here is one of such uniqueness and love that i feel as though i have been a part of it all my life. I find myself already using terms like "our church" or "our youth group." I have never so quickly identified myself with a place or group until now. God is so good. May you be encouraged today knowing that God is for you and that He is all about preparing you for what it is that He is calling you to! His desire for your life is that you be like Jesus, all else is secondary!

I arrived in Cairo yesterday. I flew from DFW to Frankfurt, Germany where I almost missed my plane that was to leave for Cairo. The gate was wrong on my ticket so I was just putzing around waiting until I asked someone and she told me that i had better hurry because I was about to miss my flight. I was panicked but I made it! No big deal! Three and a half hours later I made it to Cairo and despite the six screaming babies and extremely loud Egyptian men talking very loudly behind my head the entire time and staring at me, it was a fairly pleasant flight:) I was a bit stressed toward the end and was feeling a bit of nervousness about getting through customs, etc. I covered my ears to drown out the noise and asked God to continue to provide a way for me. I asked Him to go before me as i deboarded the plane, to protect me and watch over me. In that brief quiet moment, i was again reminded by His Holy Spirit that He is asking me to trust Him. I was told that I was to meet an expeditor at the airport so that he could take me to get my 30 day visa and then through customs. The airport was unusually crowded this day and no expeditor showed up to meet me! The place was a madhouse but I actually didn't panic (i know that this shocks me family:) There was an american lady walking behind me and i kept my eye on her b/c she looked like she knew what she was doing. She mentioned that her expeditor had not shown up either and so I asked her what I should do. She told me to come with her and she would take care of me. She found her expeditor and asked him to take care of me as well. This kind assertive egyptian man took our passports, got me my visa and because this woman (terry) worked at the embassy, we did not have to stand in any lines! He helped me get my bags b/c I had a lot and they were reeeeeeeally heavy (i know how this must shock you). And i had an item not show up and so he helped me take care of all of that. I do not know what I would have done had God not provided this woman at the exact time that He did! I will tell you what i would have done, i would still be there crying in the corner! :) I got through customs and Travis and Kelly (Garrett) were there to pick me up.God is so Good. I am feeling really good, not too jetlagged. My feelings about being in Maadi can be summed up in the way that our pastor greeted me yeserday: with a smile and a big hug he said, "Welcome to the Family!!" What a precious, kind man of God! I have been accepted and treated that way by every person since I have been here. Because this is such a transient community, (families stay an average of three years) people connect and begin to know and love one another almost immediately. For example, I already have a new "best friend" (not replacing any other best friends, brenna! :) Her name is Revo. She is Egyptian and she works at MCC. She is a precious girl, wanting to help me with everything that i need, including driving me around and telling me more about this culture. She is one of many many individuals who have made me feel completely at home! God truly provides! I could go on and on about God and how He knows exactly what i need at the exact moment that i need it. The family that I am staying with, the Ideus', are so amazing! Gregg and Dide have Songar (5th grade boy), Asena (5 yr old girl) and Cayta (2 yr old girl) Does He know the desires of my heart or what!? They are so precious to me and sooo overly-accomodating! God provides and I love learning what it means to trust Him! More to come from Cairo. "The EYES of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those who hope is in His unfailing LOVE, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is my HELP and my SHIELD. In Him my heart rejoices, for I TRUST in His Holy Name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you!" Psalm 33:18-22 If you are reading this and want to be added to my email list that will keep you updated more on what to pray for, then please leave your email.

I often say to myself or to my sister, "How is it that I am so blessed?" There is an overwhelming sense of awe that comes over me when i sit and allow myself to reflect on the blessings in my life. The gifts that were given to me for some unknown reason that, as i  look around at other lives, i dont see how it is fair that i was given so much. Tonight it was my family! There were aournd 25 people in my momo's living room this evening who drove into town to see me and say goodbye. Everyone is laughing and visiting, making fun of each other and taking pictures. Momo cooked all day and now she won't even sit down long enough to eat b/c she has to make sure that everyone else is taken care of. Oh, that i could inherit if only a portion of her servant heart! She is amazing! 

 In less than 48 hours i will be in Cairo!! I am so excited that i can hardly sit still long enough to really think about it. People keep asking me, "are you nervous?" I am not nervous, i am not anxious. I am just ready! God has given me such an indescribable peace about this next year and i am confident that He is leading me. He has opened every door. My internship is going to work out now as He has provided the perfect woman to supervise me so that i can still graduate in December. He has provided a precious family for me to live with: the Ideus' They have a 5th grade son, 5 yr. old daughter, and 2 yr old daughter. Precious kids! Wow, does He know the desires of my heart! He has done so much more than i have asked for or could have imagined.

I will see you all in Cairo!

Working as the Head Girls Counselor at ACU Leadership Camps has been an amazing experience this summer. I have worked on staff for three years before and so I have grown accustomed to the camp curriculum and going through the same theme four different times (and 3 different times) every summer. This year the theme for our high school camp, Kadesh, is Freedom. This curriculum has spoken to me and shaped me differently every week. This past week God has revealed to me that our Freedom in Christ has already been won (for believers in Christ and those who walk in relationship with Him) but now we choose to claim that freedom and walk in it. He has spoken over me out of Exodus 14. The Israelites have already been set free from the Egytians who enslaved them. The Israelites were treated horribly: their babies were killed, they were forced to worship foreign gods, they had cruel masters dictating their lives. Not long after God used Moses to lead them to freedom toward the promise land, the land flowing with milk and honey, they began crying out and complaining. They were afraid of walking in freedom because the slavery that they knew was familiar and easy and they wanted to go back. (Ex.14:10-12) This story was familiar to me because i found myself in it. This past semester I have been asking God the same questions about different situations and life transitions that i have been making: "why are you leading me here, i want to go back to when it was easy and i felt safe and i knew what my future was going to look like" It was here that God spoke to me the same way that he spoke to them so long ago: "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still...Why are you complaining to me? Tell the Israelites to MOVE ON. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground." (Ex. 14:13-16) God will fight for you. You need only to be still. If we will agree to be in the presence of the One who set us free every day then we will know the true meaning of walking in freedom. We will experience freedom from the masters that control us every day, the ones that tell us what to do, what to think, how to feel about ourselves, etc. It is here that we must believe that Jesus has bought our freedom at the cross and that He is still about setting captives free every day and in every situation. If Christ has set you free then you are Free indeed, let us no longer be burdened by the heavy weighy of slavery! The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still!

Leave your emails posted and i will add you to my email list that i will send out frequently! thank you everyone for all of your support financially and through prayer! God is using you to work out His purposes in this world! Blessings! kel