Hey folks... Sorry I haven't updated this blog in a while. We're about 3 weeks into Kaleo and already I'm worried that my time here is quickly running out. I never really explained my day to day life here in Gulf Shores, so I'll go ahead and describe what we do.
Sunday:
Attend church at Liberty Church in Foley--this church used to be an old movie theater!
A little bit of spare time to do errands and group bonding
Soccer Sundays with the campus
Monday:
Work at McDonald's Orange Beach, AL (usually 7-3)
TVT-(Stands for Tuesday Vision Training, because in previous years it was on Tuesdays): We learn about how to apply the bible to our daily lives.
Tuesday:
Work at McDonald's Orange Beach, AL (usually 7-3)
D-Group night (Discipleship group); inductive bible studies (Greek roots, observations, interpretations, applications of the Word) and group bonding
Wednesday:
Work at McDonald's Orange Beach, AL (usually 7-3)
Free night--usually some sort of social or a game of basketball or something
Thursday:
Work at McDonald's Orange Beach, AL (usually 7-3)
TNT-Thursday Night Talk-very similar to our Stumo nights at K-State (Music, lesson, worship)
We invite our coworkers and beach friends to TNT to help them learn more about Christ
Friday:
Work at McDonald's Orange Beach, AL (usually 7-3)
Group date night: Our male D-Group takes a female D-Group out on most Friday nights. It's a different group each week, and there's somewhat of a competition between male groups on who can have the best date plans--i.e. most awesome activities.
Saturday:
SLT-Spiritual Leadership Training-we learn about evangelism and discipleship
Beach Evangelism-we go out on public beaches and share the Bridge illustration with strangers.
Free night-usually a casual group date of some kind
What we've been learning and doing:
The focus of Kaleo is intense spiritual training and growth. The twofold objective of this summer is to prepare each person to "finish the race," which means to labor and share the Gospel and live our lives for Christ until we die. For most of us, that means 70 more years ahead of us, and it has to be our goal to serve Christ harder then than now.
For now, we're applying lessons from the Bible on how to share the Gospel every single day, how to reach out and disciple at least one person at a time, and how to impact our campuses and future workplaces for Jesus Christ.
Simultaneously, we're learning about how to have romantic relationships in a spiritually healthy way, which we'll learn a lot more about this next weekend as all three Kaleo locations (Gulf Shores, Destin, and Panama City) come to Gulf Shores. We'll see OU, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, and TCU, on top of KU, K-State, and Missouri, which are part of our Kaleo location.
A few weekends after that, we'll learn a lot about world missions at the missions conference in Destin. We'll end the summer with Back to Campus Week, where we invite believers from our colleges to come share in our vision for the next school year. We'll even get to see many of our friends who have gone to India for the summer and hear about their progress there.
I'll hopefully update more often and I'm hoping to be taking a lot more pictures hopefully soon!
Until then,
-Brock
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Beach Evangelism
It's a cultural taboo.
It often makes people really angry or uncomfortable.
It is actually becoming illegal in many first-world countries that are "post-Christian" societies.
Sharing our faith.
On Saturdays, Kaleo students go to the beaches and share the one-verse bridge illustration with strangers on the beaches. It's not about talking to people drinking on the beaches. It's certainly not because we think people in Alabama are heathens who have never heard the story about Jesus Christ. It's practice. We're practicing doing something we truly believe in, sharing the gospel with strangers, so we can share with people who aren't strangers--the rest of our lives.
I certainly haven't shared my faith with very many people, but I've been convicted for a long time with one major thought:
How great is my love for Christ, if I'm not willing to tell my friends about him, let alone strangers? People brag about their careers and possessions with strangers all the time--why do we not dare talk about something that is supposedly the greatest thing to have ever happened to us?
Well, long story short, my friend Aaron and I shared the bridge with four groups of people. Three revealed that they were followers of Christ. The first group not only rejected but nearly threatened us. Still, the fear of sharing is no longer there.
After all, why fear the actions of a human being when I serve an omnipotent, perfect, and holy God. In a country with religious freedom, when sharing with people who couldn't hurt you, and while sharing the Truth, what is there to fear?
It often makes people really angry or uncomfortable.
It is actually becoming illegal in many first-world countries that are "post-Christian" societies.
Sharing our faith.
On Saturdays, Kaleo students go to the beaches and share the one-verse bridge illustration with strangers on the beaches. It's not about talking to people drinking on the beaches. It's certainly not because we think people in Alabama are heathens who have never heard the story about Jesus Christ. It's practice. We're practicing doing something we truly believe in, sharing the gospel with strangers, so we can share with people who aren't strangers--the rest of our lives.
I certainly haven't shared my faith with very many people, but I've been convicted for a long time with one major thought:
How great is my love for Christ, if I'm not willing to tell my friends about him, let alone strangers? People brag about their careers and possessions with strangers all the time--why do we not dare talk about something that is supposedly the greatest thing to have ever happened to us?
Well, long story short, my friend Aaron and I shared the bridge with four groups of people. Three revealed that they were followers of Christ. The first group not only rejected but nearly threatened us. Still, the fear of sharing is no longer there.
After all, why fear the actions of a human being when I serve an omnipotent, perfect, and holy God. In a country with religious freedom, when sharing with people who couldn't hurt you, and while sharing the Truth, what is there to fear?
"Y'all want some sweet tea?"
After getting used to the fast pace of working at McDonald's in Orange Beach, Alabama, it's been pretty tempting to pick up a Southern accent. While it's been fun for my friends and I to make fun of Bamers, we've had a blast down here in Gulf Shores.
So far, I've had 5 LONG days of work at McD's, including one day where I worked 9.5 hours, forgot to ask for a break (i.e. no food), and never so much as sat down the entire time.
Today was great, though, because I got to have two great spiritual conversations with coworkers. The long hours and the hard work are all worth it when you remember your purpose for that work.
Prior to this week's work, our D-group of 6 guys, along with three other D-groups, went to Liberty Church in Foley on Sunday. It was Saturday, though,, that had a huge impact on what the first week was like at Kaleo...
P.S. Here's a picture of me at the register at McDonald's. Ignore the awkward sign asking for money--that sign was really awkward. Also, here's a much more photogenic picture of my friend Eric working.
So far, I've had 5 LONG days of work at McD's, including one day where I worked 9.5 hours, forgot to ask for a break (i.e. no food), and never so much as sat down the entire time.
Today was great, though, because I got to have two great spiritual conversations with coworkers. The long hours and the hard work are all worth it when you remember your purpose for that work.
Prior to this week's work, our D-group of 6 guys, along with three other D-groups, went to Liberty Church in Foley on Sunday. It was Saturday, though,, that had a huge impact on what the first week was like at Kaleo...
P.S. Here's a picture of me at the register at McDonald's. Ignore the awkward sign asking for money--that sign was really awkward. Also, here's a much more photogenic picture of my friend Eric working.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Day 1
At last, I get down to the main reason I created this blog, which is so that people can follow me as I spend my summer at Kaleo, a 9-week discipleship and evangelism training program. I'll be spending all summer in Gulf Shores, Alabama, bonding with a D-group of 5 guys, my campus, fellow employees at my job, and all the people I'll get to meet on the beaches on Saturdays.
Today was Day 1 on the job at McDonald's. I have long methodical reasons why I am CHOOSING to work there, but I'm just really ready to have a blast working at a fast food restaurant. Today two other Kaleo guys, Derek and Spensor, and I had to sit and watch training videos for a few hours, but we eventually got assigned to work at various places in the restaurant. I literally became a fry cook. So far, I've gotten to meet people named Pamela, Summit, Ying, Christina, Andrew, and Tequila. I'm really excited to get to know all the people at McDonald's in Orange Veach, AL!
Today was Day 1 on the job at McDonald's. I have long methodical reasons why I am CHOOSING to work there, but I'm just really ready to have a blast working at a fast food restaurant. Today two other Kaleo guys, Derek and Spensor, and I had to sit and watch training videos for a few hours, but we eventually got assigned to work at various places in the restaurant. I literally became a fry cook. So far, I've gotten to meet people named Pamela, Summit, Ying, Christina, Andrew, and Tequila. I'm really excited to get to know all the people at McDonald's in Orange Veach, AL!
Dr. Bob
This past spring semester, I got the opportunity to be a part of something really special. My friend Dean Eckhoff invited me to be a part of a bible study that Dr. Bob and Mary Taussig were hosting at their house. I had not only never met Dr. Bob, but (somehow), I had never even heard of him. Looking back, I now know how incredible it was to have been invited to help Dr. Bob with a bible study class for international students this past semester. This class answered prayers I had never even prayed yet.
Every Saturday night at 6PM, we met in the Taussig's house and Dr. Bob taught about one lesson a night from the beginning of the Bible to the Gospels. Some students unfortunately came and went, but in the picture right above, we have Justin (who was a helper like me), Dr. Chen, Lili (Dr. Chen's wife), Wei, Dr. Bob, Mary, Cunli (pronounced Choon-ley), Bonnie or Bao, and Dean, a spiritual mentor of mine. I took the picture itself. At one point in the semester, we had about 9 or 10, but we were all thankful just to have each of them in our study.
I knew this bible study was something really special at the time, because internationals on a college campus, whether undergraduate or doctors, are at best ignored and often actually hated and ridiculed. This class was a great way to meet really awesome people and invite them into an American home.
With hindsight of 20/20, now I know that this class was easily the most important thing I got involved with last year. I probably won't have a future ahead of me as a missionary or as a translator of the gospel to non-Americans or anything like that, but there's no reason I can't reach out while I'm still surrounded by international students in college.
Even the reason of getting more experience reaching out to people very much unlike me pales in comparison to the man I got to know really well this past school year. Dr. Bob was not only a legendary Christian, but probably the MOST respected Christian in the community of Manhattan AT LEAST. His legacy overcasts Stumo and the Navigators on campus--he was truly a living legend. And, I got to know him really well right before he went home.
Dr. Bob died Tuesday. His life and death are an absolute triumph and he is now home with his best friend Jesus. I was tempted to be very sad at his death since I was eagerly looking forward to getting to hear many more of his incredible stories next semester. But instead of being sad, I am just so thankful I got to know him at all and hear his Christian story. Dr. Bob has shaped me in ways I don't even know yet but I am really looking forward to living a life like him, laboring each and everyday for his best friend.
Every Saturday night at 6PM, we met in the Taussig's house and Dr. Bob taught about one lesson a night from the beginning of the Bible to the Gospels. Some students unfortunately came and went, but in the picture right above, we have Justin (who was a helper like me), Dr. Chen, Lili (Dr. Chen's wife), Wei, Dr. Bob, Mary, Cunli (pronounced Choon-ley), Bonnie or Bao, and Dean, a spiritual mentor of mine. I took the picture itself. At one point in the semester, we had about 9 or 10, but we were all thankful just to have each of them in our study.
I knew this bible study was something really special at the time, because internationals on a college campus, whether undergraduate or doctors, are at best ignored and often actually hated and ridiculed. This class was a great way to meet really awesome people and invite them into an American home.
With hindsight of 20/20, now I know that this class was easily the most important thing I got involved with last year. I probably won't have a future ahead of me as a missionary or as a translator of the gospel to non-Americans or anything like that, but there's no reason I can't reach out while I'm still surrounded by international students in college.
Even the reason of getting more experience reaching out to people very much unlike me pales in comparison to the man I got to know really well this past school year. Dr. Bob was not only a legendary Christian, but probably the MOST respected Christian in the community of Manhattan AT LEAST. His legacy overcasts Stumo and the Navigators on campus--he was truly a living legend. And, I got to know him really well right before he went home.
Dr. Bob died Tuesday. His life and death are an absolute triumph and he is now home with his best friend Jesus. I was tempted to be very sad at his death since I was eagerly looking forward to getting to hear many more of his incredible stories next semester. But instead of being sad, I am just so thankful I got to know him at all and hear his Christian story. Dr. Bob has shaped me in ways I don't even know yet but I am really looking forward to living a life like him, laboring each and everyday for his best friend.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
An Ambassador in Chains
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord
and in his mighty power. 11 Put
on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s
schemes. 12 For
our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against
the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor
of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your
ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with
the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of
righteousness in place, 15 and
with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take
up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of
the evil one. 17 Take
the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all
occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert
and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that
whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known
the mystery of the gospel, 20 for
which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I
should.
This is probably my favorite scripture within the Bible. As my life has changed drastically this past year, I have seen firsthand the armor God gives each of us who live our lives for him. This armor has saved me many times from a lot of different adversaries, but with this armor, I aspire to be an ambassador in chains--not necessarily in chains of human bonds, but in the chains of the gospel.
As I write this blog, I will talk a lot about how my life has changed, especially since September 2011, and I will journal my life as I go through a lot of awesome changes in the near future. I really look forward to sharing with others my experiences and the things that are most important in my life--first and foremost, my new life in Jesus Christ.
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