Saturday, July 17, 2004

This summer has been a real pain to keep this thingy updated... since... i'm gunna be away for like.. 11 weeks.. so yeah don't expect much updates :p
 
 
--- Well im back to the wonderful confinements i call home.  Well at least im back for about 10 hours, haha. UM Army was all that-- and i do mean all that.  As tally mark four, this year was one of this most unique since.. well I was on staff... I felt so useless.  I knew nothing about what I was doing the first two days, i pretty much followed around my co-safety girl (who knew everything) and tried my best to squeeze out some of my heart into the lives of others.  And, by far, this year had the most amazing sites I've ever seen.  I will never forget how Josephine's proclaimed how she was  "Taken" .. over and over.. after seeing all what we had done for her.  She was (i'm pretty sure) 83.  Her couch was infested with rats, 7 to be exact... she couldn't wash clothes because rattle snakes were bedded around her washer... water poured through her bedroom roof... and the first day the team working there watched her eat cat food for lunch.  They didn't know she was going to eat it.. they couldn't stop her.  Her son also lived with her and he was about in his late 40s.  He was in tip top condition guys.. he was built.  His room in the house had no leaks.. it was fully furnished.. carpet.. clean, it was an entire different world than what his mother was living in right down the hall.  He had a lock on the outside of her bedroom door to lock her in when ever he pleased.  It only made the situation more devastating.  How could anyone live in such conditions.  At night she said two little eyes were always keeping her company somewhere in the room, whether it was a rat or possum. 
 
 God placed it on the director's and many other's heart to help Josephine in every single way we could before the week ended... so get excited guys.. we've all seen trading spaces... well this is more like.. trading lives.
In three days we took all the furniture out of the house.. killed every little pest, ripped the outside lock off her door, refloored nearly the entire house, reroofed the house, got her a fridge, microwave, 2 AC units.., put linoleum down in her kitchen, living room, hallway, bathroom, bedroom, utility room.. sprayed her entire house for everything.. Gave her real food.. and plenty of if, let me tell ya.  This client broke so many hearts guys, it was unbelievable. 
 
The verse that really defined UM Army for me this week was

2 Corinthians 2:17 
"Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity as men sent from God"

(ALOT of people knew it was my verse of the week too :) )
 
 
This is a magnificent portrait of what Christianity is all about.  Its not about the "Do's and Dont's", its about the "I Wills, and I Wants".  We aren't a body of rule followers, we are a body of believers.  What we believe in doesn't preach about how we should be "nice" or conform to "modern Christianity".  It preaches about love, love, love. Thats it. Love.  If you allow your heart to love, everything else will follow.  What the world does is numb us, causing us to do things and worship things that bind our loving ability.  We are a perverse and self-centered society that runs as far away from God's love as possible. 
 
John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.."
  
  
 
Oh well... once more i proved to be the most absent-minded person on the face of the earth.  On the way back from kamp last month i left my term check in my friends truck in Dallas.... GO ME!!!  ... aaaaand today i left my laundry bag full of stinky.. dirty... grimy.. uhh did i say dirty? gooey... grotesque.. (blah you get the picture) clothes at the church in Wharton.. why did i leave them??? no clue... got busy doing little chores for peeps.. oh well i'm just durn airheaded.
 
GET EXCITED!!! Kamp cheers are running through my head... I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET MY NEXT 48 KIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Pray for me guys, pray for my kids.. pray i would live far above reproach.. that my heart would be the softest material possible for Christ to leave his imprint.  Pray he would keep me energized and that he would increase my discernment to an all new high! 
 
"But when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears"
1 Corinthians 13:10
 
Peace be with you brothers and sisters
May His face shine upon you :)
 
~Forever Forward~
Ryan
 
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