Washington, D.C.| Presidents' Weekend

Here are a few thoughts from a few of the students who were sent out this past weekend to serve The City Church and Washington, D.C. The team of 14 students and leaders worked hard and gave it all. They served, encouraged, and strengthened all that God is doing in and through The City Church. Thank you so much for your prayer, support, love, and desire to be a Church who reached beyond our own zip-code. 

Jonah Hamman, 6th Grade:

This weekend, I went on my very first mission’s trip, ever.  I went to Washington, D.C. to serve the City Church with a team of other students and leaders from my church, Christian Life Center.  I took a couple things away from this trip.  

One:  “it’s better to give than receive”.  We were basically servants to the City Church.  Usually, I hate work, but in D.C., I thought what we were doing was; ‘helping God through work’ and so if I thought about what I did like that and then it really didn’t feel like work.

I also took away the feeling that we made a difference.  One job we all did took five minutes to finish, but the man from the City Church said it would have taken him forty-five minutes to finish the task.  Some of the staff at the church remembered some of us that came in the years before and some of us remembered some of the staff there at the church.  We did big jobs and small ones.  Whatever and wherever there was something to be done, we did it.  Some of us even worked in their “City Kidz”, their version of our toddler nursery and Jr. Kids program.

I also took away what another church is like.  They were somewhat similar to CLC but had many differences, too.  Many of the songs they sing in service are the same. Many of the ideas they express as a church are the same, too. But, there are a few differences: some in look, some in song, and many in people. We, as a church could easily learn from them. They have some good ideas that we could benefit from.

And finally, I took away how much CLC cares.  Not just the people who went to D.C..  Not just the leaders, who went too, but the whole church, the ones who sent us off to D.C., the ones who prayed for us, the ones who had faith.  So, I say thank you to you all!

Summer Zacharias, 10th Grade:

Church family, 

I love times that are set aside to partner with other churches and what they are doing in their city. It is so cool to work alongside and lift up and encourage others working to expand the kingdom of God. 

On Saturday, we did all sorts of in's and outs at the church building. Some of our team did cleaning while others helped out in the offices. After we finished everything we were able to do there, we were sent out into the streets with a stack of what is called "reach cards." We split up into 3 groups and all walked in different directions to hand out the cards and invite people to church. That night, we took the metro to Chinatown and grabbed dinner. On Sunday, we hung out and had the opportunity to be a part of the services going on.

Although the whole weekend was tons of fun, the highlight of the trip for me was on Saturday afternoon when we handed out the reach cards. My group had the opportunity to talk and pray with some people and invite them to check out the City Church. Through this experience I learned that you don't have to know much about someone to pray with them. I also learned that praying doesn't have to be this long, extravagant and complicated dialogue. In fact it is meant to be simple. Nobody that we prayed with broke down into tears and excepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior right there, on the spot. As great as it would have been to have seen someone come to know the Lord, I know i'm not called to produce results but to be obedient and let him handle the rest. 

Jordan Lee, 7th Grade:

To me this missions trip was really a time of being a helping hand to The City Church and the city itself. Helping out by cleaning was one of the things we did, and during the time that we spent cleaning I just kept reminding myself that we were being the hands and feet of Jesus. One of the things I was personally praying for was opportunities-no matter how small- to help with any and everything, mainly in-between jobs. And that prayer was fulfilled when Isaiah and I were walking downstairs to get something, when a man came up and ask us to hold the door for him while he got something from his car, and Jesus just told me “No matter how small of a thing this is, it can make a big impact,” and by the time he came in he was very thankful for something very small. What I got out of this was just to take the small time out of what you’re doing to help people with the small things. What really matters is where your heart is and doing what you can to help, not the expectancy of reward.  

Haiti, Holly Aman | Back, again.

Well, another two weeks in Haiti has come and gone and I am still amazed that I have room to love a place and people so much. Every time when I think that I have reached my limit in how much I can love people, God takes me to a new level.

And every time I feel Him expand my heart for Haiti, I am amazed at how my love for Williamsburg grows. You would think that as you love one more, your love for the other would diminish but it is quite the opposite. I guess in God, most things are the opposite. 

Besides who would want a passion for one thing if it diminished your love for others? That would not work very well for a growing family. Or a growing Church.

I am so thankful that Jesus’ heart is for all people and all nations. Church - we have been called to all nations. All languages. All peoples. Lets fall in love with people. Lets fall in love with our City. Lets fall in love with being Jesus to our neighbors, our co-workers, the Wal-Mart cashier, and those who sit with you in class or on the bus everyday.

Right now, I am sitting on the plane overlooking the sunset and the one phrase I keep hearing God say is “greater things.” “Holly, I want to do greater things.” In my life. In Wings of Refuge Children’s Home. In Haiti. In Williamsburg. And in Christian Life Center. 

The best is yet to come. Lets love well, give it all, and lay it all down! Nothing is too expensive when you know that God gave Himself for you!

Blessed to be home in OUR City and believing for Jesus to be exalted through us! Thank you for all your prayers, support, love, and encouragement. It means the world to me.

The best is yet to come, always.

Much love!

Holly 

Haiti, Holly Aman | Blog 4.

When accused by the Pharisees of eating with sinners, Jesus simply responded with, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:7). Everywhere Jesus went, He healed the sick. He attracted the sick. People recognized Him and brought all their sick for Him to heal.

How easy it is to say that we desire the sick to find healing, the broken to find wholeness, and the lost to be found, but how do we respond when the sick, broken, and lost come walking through our doors? Do we rejoice, accept, and embrace or do we act as if they are preventing us from the real important things, like oh, say, ministry? What a sad day when the Church rejects who they are called to be to go after those who think they are healthy and whole. The sick, lost, and broken are not an outreach but the purpose of the Church and the whole body (not the staff, the pastors, or the administration) has been equipped to meet every need that arrises.

This is what I love about the ministry of Pastors Wilson and Gladys. They seek out the sick, broken, and lost. They don’t sit blindly back and pretend to not see the needs all around them but rather, run headfirst into the hopelessness, recognizing that God will meet the needs that He calls them to. 

Let us always be a Church who meets the needs of the sick, broken, and lost in Williamsburg because we know that we are no different. 

Much love to you, Church!

Holly

Haiti, Holly Aman | Blog 3 | A Tour of WOR!

While many of you have seen pictures of the new home and even some footage of the kids, I figured that next to you personally visiting the ministry here in Haiti, a video is the next best thing. 

Here is a quick tour around the new home: http://youtu.be/xktbBLUG0lQ

Also, please let me know if you would like to be a part of a team this summer to serve this Church, family, and ministry. God is doing big things and it is exciting to be a part as He builds His Church all over the world!

Haiti, Holly Aman | Blog 2 | Quilts 4 Kids.

Yesterday, I had the honor of watching the children open up and see their quilts for the first time. At first, they seemed to have no idea what the large bundle of bright fabric in their hands was and seemed more interested in the laminated picture tied to their quilt. As I took Fadelin’s out of his hands, all eyes followed. I opened the quilt and hung it around his shoulders like a cape. All the kids erupted in excitement, realizing that this same look was now available to them. 

Quickly we began untying and hanging each quilt on the matching little body while showing them their name monogrammed on the blanket. They rejoiced at the sight of their names, realizing that this really was their very own. 

Thank you so much Church for not only giving of your money but choosing to give of your time and skill. Your investment is and will continue to give hope as it tells Adeline that he is thought about, Januise that she is cared for, and Sarah that she is loved. You, Church, are the hope of the world. I believe it. 

Haiti, Holly Aman | Blog 1.

Yesterday marked three years since the earthquake in Haiti. On January 12, 2010 and the days that followed, it has been estimated that 330,000 people lost their lives. Even as I write that, it bothers me how easily 330,000 can become a number instead of lives, people, destinies, moms, dads, children, siblings and friends. 

While we sat in the memorial service yesterday evening, I felt struck with the beautiful reality of what God calls us into - not a job, a list of rules, or a set of obligations. He did not redeem us and set us free to work for Him. He calls us into relationship with Him and invites us to walk with Him through everything. It is a deep, head over heels, changes everything, obsessed kind of love. 

No one exhibited this better than eight year old Sophia.

She worshipped as if Jesus really was all that mattered to her. Her eyes shut tight and body swaying back and forth as the words of the song burst through her little lips. Dressed in white from head to toe, I wondered if she had forgotten that anyone else was in the room while her arms flung wide as if to engulf the Lord in a big bear-hug. The more she worshipped, the more she became lost in God’s presence, tears falling down her cheeks while a smile formed across her sweet face.

I loved watching Sophia worship, not because she did what would be expected but because she did what was completely unexpected for an eight year old girl on the anniversary of one of the most devastating days in her country’s history. In the midst of a country marked by instability, she completely engaged with Jesus. To her, God was not a last resort or someone she depended upon so she could make it through the day. It was her relationship with Him that made everything else worth it. 

I desire to be a Church who is entirely obsessed with Jesus. So obsessed that we are not concerned with what those around think when He walks into the room. There does not need to be balance between loving God and loving people. When you hit the heart of God, you will always hit His heart for people. The more obsessed we become with Him, the more we will look like Him and the better we will love and live for the world He gave everything for. 

Miss you, Church!

Holly

Haiti, Chris Rowekamp | Blog 4.

All I can say is “Thank you.” 

Thank you, God, for orchestrating every step of this trip in such an amazing way. Thank you, donors, for making this trip practically possible. Thank you, prayer-warriors, for holding me up when I was weak. Thank you, readers, for your interest and encouragement. All of you are awesome, and I appreciate you so much!

The last few days of my trip were a whirlwind; we traveled to Lartigue, a mountain village near Haiti’s southern coast, stayed there overnight, and returned to Port-Au-Prince the following afternoon. We took beans, rice, and Christmas gifts for the kids at the school operated by Eglise Communion de la Manne Evangelique.  

That trip redefined poverty for me. A teacher in Lartigue told me that most kids simply want to grow up and move somewhere else in Haiti, like Jacmel or Port-Au-Prince, where there is work. Note that unemployment throughout Haiti was at 40.3% in 2010, the last official figure from the CIA World Factbook, and depending on the source, current estimates range from two-thirds of the labor force up to 90%. 

As in the country as a whole, the obstacles are enormous. But I have hope. 

God is moving in Haiti. The spiritual climate there is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Pastor Wilson told me that something shifted in January 2010 when the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti; the country has been seeing a spiritual revival ever since. I have hope because God’s chosen instrument of Kingdom-building on this earth is His Church, not a dysfunctional government or international agencies. His work is evident at Wings of Refuge Children’s Home, and it is unquestionable in Lartigue, where 178 children are being educated and fed at the church-operated school. Education is powerful, and has a far-reaching impact. God’s work in Lartigue and Petion-Ville is far from over. 

It was so hard to say good-bye to Haiti and everyone there, but I know that it is not good-bye forever. I will be back.

My trip home went more or less smoothly, and after two days in Williamsburg, I was able to head to Richmond to be with my family for Christmas. I hope that all of you had a wonderful, blessed Christmas, and I wish all of you a Happy New Year!

Again, thank you so much for your prayers and support.

In Him,

Chris

Haiti, Chris Rowekamp | Blog 3.

It is so easy to forget that God never told us to stop dreaming.

Looking at the persistence of the structural, political, and human wreckage in Haiti, it is so easy to become discouraged. Thinking on the enormity of the challenges yet to be overcome can be paralyzing. When it seems like the entire neighborhood shows up to fill plastic buckets with water gushing from a broken pipe in the street, it is an understatement to say that they are in need.

Through all this, God says, “Believe.” He does not ask, “Can you believe?” He asks, “Will you believe?” Faith, possible only through the grace of God, is not a passing, whimsical feeling we produce within ourselves. No, it is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, ESV). It is a choice, made in response to and in agreement with the truth God has spoken to us. 

And make no mistake; His Kingdom is advancing.

Faith leads to action. Today a shipment of rice came to Pastor Wilson’s house; a few guys and I unloaded it. Its destination is Lartigue, an isolated town in the mountains of Haiti where Eglise Communion de la Manne Evangelique operates a school. I’ll be traveling there with Pastor on Monday to deliver the rice and many other essential supplies to this town, which was devastated by the recent hurricane. 

Another example, more close to home: the church family at Christian Life Center, in Williamsburg, Virginia, got together, sold Christmas trees and homemade ornaments, hosted an event representing local vendors where community members could do their Christmas shopping, and gave generously, all to raise the $15,000 necessary to provide a generator for the new Children’s Home. To literally provide light to the 21 amazing kids and the volunteers who tirelessly serve them.

We can look at the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in our path and freeze...or we can choose to do something. Thank you all for believing.

- Chris Rowekamp

Haiti, Chris Rowekamp | Blog 2.

Being in a different country, surrounded by people who speak a different language and come from a completely different cultural and ethnic context, has a way of reminding you that this life really isn’t about you; that God’s Kingdom is much bigger than you had implicitly believed.

Although I had been to Haiti once before this trip, I had no idea what to expect this time around. About two weeks before my departure, I had a “freak-out” moment where I realized, “Wait. I’m leaving for Haiti in two weeks…and I’m not ready. At all.” I hadn’t sent out a fundraising letter; I hadn’t thought or prayed for a specific vision for the trip; I felt completely unprepared. I came very close to cancelling my flight, taking the $150 fee, and trying this trip again later with my transferred plane ticket. I even told my student ministry pastor and our church life director that I needed to cancel the trip…but then decided to give that final decision a few days.

It’s funny how a day off can do amazing things.

I went home for Thanksgiving 48 hours after my moment of panic, and after a day of rest, over-eating, and general good times, I was in my car on the way back to Williamsburg. As I was sitting at the stoplight at the entrance of my parents’ neighborhood, I weighed the pros and cons, and it was pathetic. At the core, I didn’t want to go because I didn’t have a plan for the trip. I couldn’t see the specific purpose I would accomplish, the way in which this would concretely move me forward in my walk with Christ. And then it struck me: the last thing the Haitian church needs is a presumptuous foreigner thinking he can solve all of their problems. God is moving in and through the Haitian church; He doesn’t need me here to do that. 

So why am I here? I’m here to serve Jesus’ church. I’m here to learn. To grow. And to see how God grows His Kingdom in a unique context. 

Really, it’s no different than the perspective I ought to have about my role in Williamsburg. The church doesn’t exist for my consumption; the church, of which I am part, is God’s means for bringing His Kingdom to this Earth. 

And this brings me to one of the foremost purposes of short term missions, in my opinion: to remind the church, as individuals and as a corporate body, that we do not exist as an end in and of ourselves. God is building a Kingdom. And we, as His church, get to be His partners in that work. What a privilege.

-Chris

Haiti, Chris Rowekamp | Blog 1.

You know, the cold showers are quite pleasant when it’s in the low 90s during the day. I actually look forward to the cold plunge after a long day in the heat, especially because I’m never sure if we’ll even have running water…the electricity can be unpredictable.

Whew. Now that I’m done with the obligatory “hardships of serving in a developing country” story, I have to say, I’m having the time of my life. The weather is actually quite nice; it is winter after all, and I get to be in the shade most of the time. And the water isn’t really that cold…more cool than anything. Not unpleasant at all.

I came here in March of last year with an amazing team of mostly college students loaded down with supplies for Wings of Refuge, a Children’s Home run by Eglise Communion de le Manne Evangelique in Petion-Ville, Haiti. We served Pastor and Mommy Pas as best we could, and tried to be helpful, but by far the most rewarding part of our trip was the time we spent with the kids at Wings of Refuge. When I say that it was hard to say goodbye to them, it’s a terrible understatement, and it only got worse when I saw their pictures every time I walked into Christian Life Center, my home church in Williamsburg, Virginia. 

Coming back was something of an emotional anticlimax. I’m not really sure if the kids recognized me, at least not at first. That’s the anticlimax; the rest is emotion. When I stepped into the Home, I was still wearing my suit from my flight, and I was so tired I was afraid I would fall over any minute…but when I saw those kids, I’m pretty sure my heart stopped for a second. Or more likely sped up, I’m not really sure. All I know is that it’s good to be back. I’m trying not to think about the next inevitable goodbye in just over a week.

I miss everyone back home, but even more, I miss the team I came with last time. I have so many amazing memories of that time with them that keep flooding back into my mind every time I step into Pastor’s home…frustrating games, impossible riddles, seagull sandwiches and oh so much more. I remember sitting in the very room I am writing this post in right now, and listening to Nick Lopez and Caleb Elgut take turns driving me crazy with riddles they were finding online. Such good times.

Well, that’s all for now; I’ll send more updates soon. I have much more I could write about, but nobody wants to read long blog posts, so I’ll stop here.

Thank you all for your interest, prayers, and for making this trip practically possible through your generous financial support. I can’t thank you enough.

God bless,

Chris