Photobomb!

Better late than never, right?

Apologies for the delay on this month's e-news, but I figured I'd try to crank something out before the next one is due in 3 weeks.

I can't believe we're wrapping up another whole summer.  School supplies are flying off the shelves, people are finally coming home from DisneyWorld, and all I can think about is how the current temperature is what I'm going to h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ get to experience everyday for the next 5-7 years of my life.  Good times.

Khon Kaen, Thailand is where our team will most likely be living after our year of language school.

As I'm sure many of you have experienced, this last month of my life has been pretty packed.  So instead of giving my usual quirky sermonette, I decided to update/bomb you with photos of my July existence.

Here's where I've been the last month (and where I'll keep being until the end of this one):

Don't take it too literally.

I resided in the home of Mark and Denise Bruner, who have been missionaries in Africa for most of their lives.  Mark works for Avant, and the two of them regularly host people like me in their home to disciple them and help them explore their ministry giftings (i.e., they feed us and let us hang out with them and talk about Jesus and our lives, rub off all of their wisdom on us, and sign us up to volunteer in various ministries and outreach centers in Kansas City, MO so we can actually practice doing some of the things we’re going overseas to do).  So, obviously, that’s exactly what happened.

I helped out at , which is an organization that seeks to transform impoverished, violent, and hope-started communities into healthy, thriving, and Gospel-living communities.  I interacted with groups of youth in different neighborhoods and helped the staff with random administrative/organizational tasks.  

Sweet baby kids who came to the carnival neighborhood outreach.

At the  office, I worked with the same recruiter who spoke at Echo Ranch Bible Camp last summer and convinced me to give this organization a shot.  In addition to a couple other writing projects, my main gig was to feedback and fancify his PowerPoints for this summer's chapel messages at ERBC.

he year wasn't important.

At , a coffee shop that provides food, clothing, other essentials, and the Gospel to the down-and-out in Northeast KC, I had coffee with a gangster, put together puzzles and talked about God with a 4-year-old, invented sandwiches, and helped transport a semi-homeless lady to a psychiatric hospital.

Coffee for Jesus!

While July was a whirlwind of different ministry roles and interruptions to normal life, August here in Kansas City is a little different.  I'm spending this month with my team at the Avant headquarters, where we'll be going through team training (i.e., learning how to plant churches without killing each other).  More on that in the next e-news.


THE STUFF OF PRAYER:

• God has been giving me a heart overhaul over the last month.  It's one of those pain-leads-to-growth kinds of things, so I am honestly excited and grateful for it.  He appears to be doing the same thing in a few of my teammates as well.  Please pray for us, that we will hear His voice and be obedient to what He desires for us.
   
• I have reached 82% of my required monthly support!  Thank you to those of you who have chosen to partner with me in this Kingdom work.  Please pray for my team as we continue to seek ministry partners to serve with us through prayer and finances.  If you believe the Lord is leading you to help send me to Thailand, please click the button below.

Help Send Me to Thailand! What have you been up to this month?  What has God been teaching you? I would love to be praying specifically for each of you.  Please tell me how!