Courage

Our group recently had a meeting (the second to last one!!) and one word really came to mind, thanks to Calder, when I think about where we are as a group...courage; that sense of purpose that is the backbone of any tough endeavor. Courage is in the mind and the spirit and enables us to do things that we would not normally do. An example of this is when we share with each other our life story. These depictions usually include how we became a Christian and also our upbringing with family and friends. There are times and seasons in everyone's life they may not be particularly proud of, and when you share that with others it takes a lot of courage because you do not know how the listener(s) will respond/think. But, on the bright side, letting others inside to know you on a deeper level is the laminin (A shout out to Louie Giglio, Google it) of a great relationship. I have to say, that this group has God's blessings all over it and the bonds between us are ever growing.

Another type of courage can be in the form of endurance during a long and an endearing task (such as raising $28,000 for an overseas trip in the span of five months!). I will admit it, the idea of raising 2500$ dollars a person in a couple of months seemed like the ultimate mountain to climb and I knew only through God could that mountain be climbed. With that mindset, our group waited patiently each day for new members to join our support team and give their prayers and/or money. As these last days before our trip conclude, there are two verses that I think are fitting because of the depiction of trust and love between us and our Holy Father...

Isaiah 40:28-31
"...He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding. (29) He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. (30) Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, (31) but those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint."

Matthew 6:33-34
"But first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. (34) Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

These two verses really depict an amazing concept. A concept full of love, reassurance and guidance that can revive you and take you places you have never been before. Now I know the Bible says faith is proof of the unseen but the more I reflect on the status of the group and where we are going, I see a lot of God.

"This is way cooler than I thought"

Well, as of this morning, we are three weeks away from our departure date.  We are planning prayer walks, games, devotions and fundraisers.  It has been a busy month, for sure.   Although we are all still looking ahead to camp, it would be a shame not to celebrate what we have already accomplished.  As of yesterday we were at 66% of our financial goal.   That is a huge increase over the past several weeks.  More importantly is the camaraderie that is building within the team.  I've heard more than once that the relationships that have been established since Feb are in some cases more authentic than some community groups experience over the course of 18 months or more.  

As for this morning's title - that is a quote from Tat when he showed up on Sat and saw what the team had dreamed up and executed.  I think, in some ways, we all have to agree with his assessment.  Granted, we had a ton of help - from Tat's office for loaning us the tables, Sally's Catering for loaning us the plates/silveware, from Noelle and Tom for loaning us their culinary prowess, from Angie, Suzanne, Nicole and Amy for allowing us to completely commandeer their home to all the friends/family who came on Sat night to enjoy the evening, support our team and intersect their stories with ours.  Soooooooo cool to see it all take shape in one incredible evening.  Of course by 1:00 when the last dish was mostly clean, we were one tired team...except for the fellas who were heading out for some more Sat night fun.  Just a reminder to us 30-somethings on the team (ok, by "us" i mean "me") that we are not as young as we used to be...

Other notes from Sat night:

- Tat and Jeremiah tied for most applause as waiter of the evening.  

- D-mac (although he'll never admit it) totally obliterated Grant L. in the contest for having the most girls ask questions about his dating availability.  (By the way if I don't finish this posting it will be b/c Grant L has snuck up behind me while I'm typing with his ninja skills and used his MMA training to ensure that I never type again.)

-  Grant L tried unsuccessfully to get Grant G to change his name to Gilley.  Grant G refused, so for the rest of the summer there will be endless jokes as we say stuff like "The good looking Grant needs to do so and so...."  just to see who responds more quickly.  In fact the only time that didn't work on Sat night was when we said "The humble Grant..." and neither responded.  Although Grant did try to explain to us the difference between 'Confidence' and' Arrogance'...or was it 'Cockiness' ... 

- Ricky is real.  He was there on Sat night and very much in love with his fiance, Amy...

- Sara May rocked as the guru of all things fundraising...

- Eric May rocked as the husband of the guru of all things fundraising.  Not to mention he can light Tiki torches with the best of them...

- Was it me or did Jeremiah's truck seem way more manly when he drives it than when D-mac drives it....I'm just saying....

More Pictures From The Dinner

Thank you to all those who came out!

Estonia Fundraiser Dinner

A few weeks ago our group decided to do some fundraising events. One of the events, which took place this past Saturday, was an elegant dinner located in Brookhaven (North Atlanta). It was a night of many blessings, both financially and for the continued growth of our group. Along with our eleven group members we enlisted the help of two other very gifted people, our chefs, Noelle and Tom.

The day was filled with preparations ranging from the farmers market to party city. It was a huge team effort. By the middle of the afternoon the cooks were busy in the kitchen. Our group showed up shortly there after to set up tables and decorations. Of course there were also last minute items to grab so others ran to the store.

Our first guest showed up just before 8pm. By 830pm we had a total of 26 guests, just over the goal we set of 25! Dinner started out with a nice caesar salad. That was followed shortly by filet mignon or grilled chicken with risotto, and asparagus with bernaise sauce. Bananas foster finished off the evening on a sweet note.

Stuart, our fearless leader, gave a great talk about our vision for Estonia, the hearts of our group, and our plan of impacting the youth. The night was a success for many reasons. First and foremost, the food and company was great. Second, our group was able to come together with great teamwork to host an incredible evening. Third, with many thanks to those who made donations, we raised over $1,300.

We had a wonderful time, and if you were there, we hope you did as well. Thank you again for your support, prayers, and encouragement. Also a special thanks again to Tom and Noelle, who selflessly donated their time and skills for the sake of others. We would also like to thank Noelle and her roomates for opening up their home for our use.

Question and Answer Time with Eric

1)When do you feel most alive? Why?

I feel most alive in the outdoors. Most specifically rock climbing. I love being in the wilderness, hiking, backpacking, etc. And the best of both worlds is when I go backpack or hike somewhere to go rock climbing! Climbing is an exciting game of trust; trusting yourself, your gear, your partner, even the rock. It requires smart decisions, careful movement, strength, determination, partnership, comradery, companionship and so much more. I love it!

2)If they made a movie of your life who would you want to play you? Why?

I would say Tom Cruise but I think he is kinda nuts! Why him? Because he is small, energetic, fit, usually smiling and of course flew F-14's!...but the "crazy" part of Tom Cruise I don't associate with as much... Or at least I'm on a different level of "crazy" than he is!

3)Whats the greatest song ever written? By who?

That is the world's hardest question. My favorite song right now is Waiting, by John Waller. But if I had to say the Greatest Song Ever Written...the award would go do Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody. They might be crazy too, but they made the most ingenuous song ever written (minus their hair styles in the music video :)

4)What do you hope to accomplish while in Estonia?

This is my first mission trip so I would imagine I will learn much more from the students than I will teach. However, I do want to have a huge impact. I want to impart on them having a personal relationship with Christ and having a daily focus on learning more about God; prayer, quiet time, conversation, etc. I want to establish meaningful relationships with both my mission team and the students and grow those relationships during and after the trip. Most of all I want to be a light; I want to reflect Christ's love and grace.

Q & A

When do you feel most alive? Why?
I really enjoy football games; especially SEC games. GO Gators! You haven’t experience a real football game until you’ve been to an SEC rivalry game. If you’re from the South, you know exactly what it’s like to plan business and personal engagements around your favorite team’s football schedule. We know all the words to the school’s fight song. We take part in singing the alma mater. And we wake up early on Sunday morning, not for church –we can always attend the evening service, but we wake up early Sunday morning after a win so we can read each sports column about the game we witnessed the day before while, at the same time, watching ESPN Sports Zone. But more so than a college football game, I feel most alive when I’m serving others. I shared with one of my best friends, David, whom I’m extremely excited to be serving alongside with on this trip that nothing pleases me more than making a difference; a change for the better in some one’s life. I’ve been blessed beyond measure. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand why God would choose to bless me with all my faults while there are so many others who are less fortunate and more deserving. Serving is my opportunity to be a blessing to others.

If they made a movie of your life who would you want to play you? Why?
I think Denzel Washington could play me. He has it all. He’s handsome, charming, and extremely intelligent.

Whats the greatest song ever written? By who?
My favorite song is Amazing Grace... Words originally by John Newton; Melody by Slave Unknown… This song, the history, better explained by Wintley Phipps, President of an organization called US Dream Academy who supports children of prisoners. Check it out on youtube here:


What do you hope to accomplish while in Estonia?
This will be the 3rd mission trip I’ve had the opportunity to be apart of. The one thing I like the most from these trips are the relationships and bonds are that formed with both my team and those who we are serving. Part of this has already been accomplished, as I feel this is the best mission team I’ve ever been apart of. The best has yet to come!