Life in Haiti

So we made it. After 12 hours of traveling and fighting through what is possibly the most chaotic airport experience of my life, we arrived at the apparent project. The best part of the day was riding in the back of the "tap tap" through Port Au Prince. A "tap tap" is a truck that baically has had it's gate taken off and is used for carrying luggage long distances. The "tap tap" also had wooden benches on both sides for passangers to sit on. So basically the guys on the trip sat in the back of this truck and rode through out Port Au Prince until we reached the Apparent Projet's guest house. Almost immediately after leaving the airport I saw the tent cities for the first time. It was hard to see this kind of poverty. I have definitely seen poverty in the States but nothing like this. These people literally used the tents that Americans would take on camping trips to substitute as a house. This may sound awful, but as soon as I saw this I started to think I'll be gone in a week and back to reality, I don't have to deal with this. I was simply trying to ignore the issue. But the truth is that for a lot of people, tent city is reality.
Through out the rest of our ride, which was probably half an hour, we saw some more of Haiti. Unfinished roads, housing structures that would never last in the states and Haitian people were literally everywhere. I really tried to focus in on the Haitian people during this ride. I wanted to see their faces and see what they really were like. I realized while riding in the back of the tap-tap that the beautiful thing about being created in the Image of God is that all humans are the same. This ride really showed me the heart of these people and the heart of this nation. They are just regular people that God has a plan for. They have the same potential that I do, same skills, talents, I was really impressed by watchng them. I really can't pin-point why Haiti is in such poverty, but the fear that many display coming to this island could not be more wrong. There is certaintly danger in Haiti but I'm not convinced it's an awful situation. Rather I would say this island has potential. From what I saw out of my ride today in the "tap tap" was a nation that God is alive in, that God is working in. I'm glad I'm here because today I realized that for this week, I get to witness God work. My prayer for the rest of the week is that by his grace I may actually be apart of this work. But even if I'm not I know it's going to be a great week.

In Christ,

Joey

We're Here!

Just a quick note to let you know that we made it to Haiti and are settling in. Over the next few days we'll have one or more of the students post their thoughts and observations of our trip. Thanks so much for your prayers and support!

Keith

Haiti Team 2011

On Sunday morning, faculty members Kim Budd, Keith Krispin, and 14 Christian ministry students will be leaving for Haiti where they will be serving alongside of our mission partners, Corrigan & Shelley Clay, founders of the Apparent Project.  The mission of their organization is fourfold:

• Helping parents rise out of extreme poverty in order to keep their children
• Responding to Haiti's orphan crisis and the needs of parentless children
• Making the needs of Haiti apparent to potential helpers through media & the arts
• Inspiring adoration of our loving Father God with hope that one day he will be apparent to all

Our team mission is:
„Our mission, as imitators of Christ (Eph 5:1), is to offer ourselves as servants with empty hands (Phi.2:1-5, Romans 12:1) to the Apparent Project furthering our relationship to bless and be blessed while embracing the differences."

Our team will be stretched and challenged during our week in Port au Prince.  During our week in Port au Prince questions will be asked, eyes will be opened, and hearts will be broken.   Would you please partner with us in prayer this week?

Team Updates:
For updates please follow this blog throughout the week. To learn more about the Apparent Project visit: www.apparentproject.org

Senior Seminar Presentations

The Faculty and Senior students of the Christian Ministries Department invite you to the fourth annual Senior Ministry Oral Presentations & Defense.

Where: Creekside South, Room 130

When: Monday, Nov 29-Wednesday, Dec 1

Schedule:

Monday, Nov. 29- 2:00-6:00PM

2:00-3:00- Erin Deremer:  House of Hope; empowering moms and families through the restoring love of Christ.

3:00-4:00- Sarah Kaggwa:  Community Center for homosexuals in Kampala, Uganda

4:00-5:00- Karen Peck:  Discipleship Camp; a new paradigm in camping ministry

5:00-6:00- Rob Kuhl: Family Based Youth Ministry

Tuesday, Nov. 30- 6:00-9:00PM

6:00-7:00- Ashley Berkholz: ConnectionHouse

7:00-8:00- Tiffany Komosa: Gripping Freedom; a recovery ministry for victims of sex trafficking

8:00-9:00- Kelsey Little: Judson World Mission

Wednesday, Dec. 1- 3:00-6:00PM

3:00-4:00- Kiley Helgerson: Dove's Eyes; a parachurch curriculum development organization

4:00-5:00- Phillip Lambert: Service Learning and youth ministry

5:00-6:00- Caitlyn Powers: Equipping and Empowering for World Transformation

Come join us for the Senior presentations this year!

Dr. Dave at Youth Specialties this year!

Dr. Dave will be hosting a booth for Judson U at the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention in Nashville.  The event goes from Nov. 19 to the 22nd.

Make sure to stop by and say hello if you are at the conference!  Find out about the growing department and its recent developments or just to say "Hi!"

Two Students go to Africa for World Conference

Tiffany and Caitlyn in Cape Town!

Caitlyn Powers and Tiffany Komosa returned recently from their trip to Cape Town 2010: The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelism.  They both had a great time and were able to engage with others about social justice and evangelism.  Here's what they had to say about the trip.


Caitlyn says: 

Over 4,000 delegates from 200 different nations around the world made history as they united together at the 3^rd Lausanne Congress in Cape Town, South Africa. Through Judson, I had the privilege to serve there and connect with evangelistic leaders and fellow stewards.

During the sessions there was singing, dancing, and powerful speakers, both well known names and individuals who remained nameless to protect themselves from being killed for actively participating in this conference. As a steward I literally had to ask people not to take pictures or recordings of certain speakers.

Hot topics about trafficking, poverty, and youth outreach were discussed, but far greater than the speakers or dialog sessions was the indescribable community of love that was build among all the stewards and participants through the power and unity of the Holy Spirit.

Tiffany had this to say about the experience:

Tiffany hosting a table discussion at the conference.

            Serving at Cape Town 2010 Third Lausanne Congress was the experience of a lifetime. It was wonderful to meet fellow stewards from all over the world and hear about what they are doing in their ministry. It was encouraging to meet others with the same passions and struggles in their ministry and be able to uplift each other. Cape Town 2010 was a display of how God is moving and how his people are responding!

Catching up with Jeff Tilson

It's always great to catch up with our alumni. A couple weeks ago I had the chance to interact with Jeff Tillson (Youth Ministry/Adolescent Studies 2004).

What are you up to these days? Living and loving Katy, TX as the Junior High Pastor of Grace Fellowship UMC.  I’m also cranking out as many reviews and articles for Youthworker Journal that I can.  I can’t believe that people would actually care what I think about ministry.  Working on my Masters at Fuller.

What do you love about your ministry?  I love the balance and healthy leadership that Grace Fellowship offers families.  We do Sundays only (the Simple Church model) and our busy community loves it.  How do you do youth ministry without Wednesday nights?!  We do and it works.

What has God been teaching you about ministry?  As I lead a ministry of over 300 kids and a couple hundred volunteers, I must multiply myself.  My volunteers must be doing the work of a youth pastor (mentoring, knowing names, etc.).  I even have high-capacity volunteers for every major ministry thing we do.  I lead the five of them, they lead the rest of my volunteers.  I should have been doing this a long time ago – even in small churches.

What’s the best ministry related book you’ve read in the last year or so? How was it helpful/challenging?  Apologetics for a New Generation by Sean McDowell.  It heightened my view of discipleship and encouraged me to crank up the heat on what I was teaching students.