Summer LINK India: Delhi Days

Most of the India team flew into Atlanta Thursday afternoon after 27 hours of airports, delays, and layovers. We left Amy Calfas behind to continue living and working in India until December. Please be praying for her as she adjusts to her new normal in India.

When we first arrived in India, during orientation, we were taken around to several temples in I-town. That night we had praise and worship with a few national believers. I was talking to one brother, P, about the day and the different temples we visited. He said something that I cannot stop replaying in my mind even now as I am in my house in South Carolina. He said, “It is only by the grace of God that you are not bowing down to those idols in those temples.” It’s not a super original thought, but it struck me in a way that I cannot stop thinking about my salvation and thanking the Lord for what He has done in my life. It is easy to look at idol worship in India and see hopelessness and be moved to share the Gospel of the one true living God. Idol worship in America is more deceptive. Generally speaking, we do not have carved images with faces that we physically bow down to, but we do have a multitude of things we mentally and emotionally bow down to. Idol worship is not finished when we become believers. There is always something competing for our affections. We are always worshiping something. Let us not worship that which is false.

“Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.” Jonah 2:8

"Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.

There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you." Jeremiah 10:5-7

This summer I have learned a lot about missions. John Piper explains the purpose of missions well: “Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.” We have a finite amount of time to proclaim the good news of Christ to perishing people. We should greatly desire His name to be exalted in the earth.

"To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." 1 Timothy 1:17

The last Thursday we were in I-town (August 1) the girls had a spa day at a nearby salon. It was one of the national believers’ birthdays so we invited her to join us and treated her to a couple of salon services. We later celebrated with some cupcakes and enjoyed spending time with G on her 17th birthday. G comes from a Hindu family (please pray for their salvation; she shares with them everyday). She became a believer this past year. I was sitting with her that night listening to Christy Nockels (G knew the words better than I did!) and talking about her salvation. She kept repeating how happy she was that God chose her. She would say. “I can’t believe He chose me! The best thing in my life is that He chose me!” How beautiful to see a sister so excited about her salvation. It was a blessing and encouragement to be able to celebrate G's birthday with her.

Sunday the fourth we left I-town and flew to Delhi. We went to a couple of different markets to do some shopping and ate at a great Caribbean restaurant. Thankfully throughout our stay in Delhi no one on the team got Delhi belly! :)

Kayla getting on the plane to Delhi.

Kayla and Jill shopping.

Monday we took a bus to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. It was a great mini-trip! We took tons of pictures and had some fun walking around outside the palace.

         

       

 

Anna holding the Taj Mahal.

Josh

Tuesday we visited the India Gate and took bicycle rickshaws around Old Delhi. That afternoon we did some more shopping at our favorite market and that night we had our end of the summer banquet at Hard Rock Café.

Justin riding in a bicycle rickshaw in Delhi.

The team after eating so much good food. :)

Wednesday we had our half day with the Lord, finished our last minute shopping, and packed up to fly home to America.

Anna and I (Anna Grace) got henna at a market before we left.

The finished product.

Justin has been such a good sport about these pictures of him at the end of each blog. Thank you Justin! We had to finish big:

Justin and the Taj.

Posted by: Anna Grace Watkins

Summer LINK Myrtle Beach: All Good Things Must Come to and End

All good things must come to an end…or do they? This has been running through my mind over the course of the past week as Summer LINK is coming to an end. Many of the previous blogs talked about what we did that week or what the Lord has taught them that week; but I have the bittersweet privilege to write on what our God has done for us this summer.

            Before I dive into the summer as a whole, I will look back at this week so you can experience our last week in Myrtle Beach. Lets begin with Sunday, July 28^th. Early Sunday morning, the team woke up blessed for another day we could fellowship at Cornerstone. After worship, we had to say goodbye to Andrew as he left to help lead worship for his home churches youth group on their trip to Panama City, Florida. Thankfully, I was refocused to hear the sermon that would be brought by Paul Moore. He spoke on Psalm 41 and really pointed out how we can relate to the psalmist’s emotions. Moreover, he pointed out what a beautiful picture of the gospel Psalm 41 paints for us. It reminded me how Jesus was disliked and betrayed by men, but more than that, the Father “turned his heel” against Jesus on the cross, so that we may dwell in the presence of the Lord forever. Sunday night’s prayer and praise was much different without Andrew (he usually would lead us in a few songs to accompany our prayer). We spent the majority of our time praying, but after we had the privilege to catch a few songs by KJ-52, who is labeled as a Christian rapper, at Ground Zero on the strip. It was definitely entertaining, but also encouraging to hear him testify to what the Lord has done for us in front of a crowd in the heart of Myrtle Beach.

            Monday began a lot of lasts for the team as a whole. All of us that were still in town began our last week at work (second to last for Michelle). After work and a terrible storm that knocked the power out, we departed for our last official home night at the Hills from church. After some delicious jambalaya, we discussed ways to take the most home from summer LINK. It was great to hear advice from the Hills who spent time in different mission fields and can look back and see things that we may not notice yet. I am very thankful for them and other families that have contributed to our growth by opening up their homes and loving on us…. and letting us play with their chinchilla.

            Tuesday held yet another day of work along with reflection night. God showed me a lot during this time to help me finalize details for leading bible study the following day. I spent my reflection time with James, which became customary for a few weeks. One thing I love about spending reflection time in the same place is the encouragement I get from pushing each other to answer questions and open up to each other.

            Wednesday was the last day of work for James, Mackenzie, and myself. Clocking out that day had to be one of the weirdest feelings all summer. My mind was crowded with thoughts as I realized the reality of only having one more week of Summer LINK.  Wednesday night, we attended a prayer meeting at Cornerstone and held our bible study afterwards.

            Thursday was different for me. Why? It was very restful and I did not do very much. As my first day off from work, I was able to enjoy sleeping late and hanging out around the Sea Mist. However, that got old faster than I intended. So, to my roommates content, I cleaned our room pretty spotless. As others came home from work and my boredom subsided, we got ready to go to Chik-fil-a for dinner followed by gender night. James also had to leave on Thursday for a wedding, so we said our goodbyes to him. After quickly eating our chicken, Tim, Logan, and I rushed to Cornerstone to join in their men’s bible study on The Reason For God by Tim Keller. It was neat to hear from different men in the church and to see how they verbalize their beliefs in God. After the bible study, we did the next manliest thing possible…. .frozen yogurt. We ended the night with listening to open mic at Fresh Brewed Coffee House.

            Friday was a lot more active for me. Logan and I woke up and went to market commons to walk around and see a movie. Then, we came by the Sea Mist and picked up Mackenzie for a nice trip to the YMCA to see Michelle in her workplace and get our exercise on. Next, on the agenda was a quick trip to Tanger, which included Hwy 55 for dinner and a whole lot of coupons. The night finished off with the beautiful sounds of Dustin Raley and friends, also at Fresh Brewed Coffee House. If you haven’t noticed, Fresh Brewed is a pretty happening place for Summer Linkers. Upon arrival at Fresh Brewed, we were reunited with Ryan, which was one of the greatest parts of the day.

            On Saturday, my day away from the Sea Mist began with Lunch with Logan, Tim, and Ryan at Jimmyz Hibachi. The rest of the day was filled with preparing for the Cornerstone outreach cookout. The cookout was planned as a way to fellowship with members of the church and invite people who we have met over the course of the summer in hopes of them getting plugged into Cornerstone. The turnout was great! We enjoyed everything from food, games, swimming, to simply hanging out with each other. Praise the Lord for working there and allowing us to serve Cornerstone and the community in that way.

            We have come full circle with Sunday again and only have a few days left of Summer LINK. Our last Sunday at Cornerstone Church was sad, but happy too. Wes Fondren preached on Psalm 29 and did a fantastic job. His sermon made me meditate on the glory of God in the smallest of things. The desire grew stronger to just look at what God has done and shout, “Glory!” That is what our God deserves. Sunday night we had our last social and spent that time bowling, eating pizza, and watching a movie.

            On Monday, we spent a half-day alone with the Lord at separate locations. I went to an old boat landing on the Waccamaw River that was absolutely beautiful. The Lord brought me much peace there and I had time to reflect a lot about the summer and what I can do to stay on mission after Summer LINK. Monday night we joined the Pauly’s at their house for yet another delicious dinner.

            We mostly cleaned and packed on Tuesday, which brought about a sad reality that we had to leave. Thankfully, we had something to look forward to all day….. the end of summer banquet! We got all cleaned up and in our best dress and had a nearly overwhelming dinner at Rioz Brazilian Steak House. We all overindulged in the all you can eat meat. Afterwards, we ended our last night together with some ice cream and prayer. I am grateful that God provided closure during the prayer and instilled a desire to carry on the mission at home.

That is enough about the week though. I noted that this privilege of writing the last blog is bittersweet. It is bitter because of summer LINK coming to an end yes, but the sweet part is what makes the summer worth it. What is sweet is that despite the community we have shared this summer as a team, community is not dictated by location! We are the body of Christ and we are as close together as we will ever be in Him. Just because we are leaving does not mean our work is done. It does not mean that this team is done. It does not mean that our mission is over. What it does mean is that we get to carry our work over into our lives outside of the close quarters of the Sea Mist and Myrtle Beach. We get to work together as the body of Christ in the upstate. We get to be on mission in our daily lives and have the privilege to use what we have learned this summer in those places. My prayer is that each of us would remember Summer LINK, and use it to foster community wherever we are and to labor for our growth and the growth of others. One of the things I have learned is that I cannot dictate who God is. He isn’t subject to location or my beliefs. He is God and He is everything He says He is, regardless of who believes it or not.

            I am more than thankful for what the Lord has done this summer in growing each of us individually and as a team. Glory!

Psalm 29

1 “Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,

    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

    worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

    the God of glory thunders,

    the Lord, over many waters.

4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;

    the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;

    the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,

    and Sirion like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.

8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;

    the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth

    and strips the forests bare,

    and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

    the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.

11 May the Lord give strength to his people!

    May the Lord bless his people with peace!”

H.A.G.S!!!!

Daniel Johnson

We Find Our Yes In Christ #BLINK13

        “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” (Matthew 28:5-6). How great is it to serve a living God who loves us so much? He humbled himself to the point of death on a cross for us. Praise the Lord for his grace he pours out upon us daily!

Downtown Boston from the Prudential Tower

      This past week was Serve Medford and we ended the week with Community Fun Night. We had about eighty people come up to serve Medford alongside us. We served the community by doing work in the parks, giving out granola bars and gum at T stops, volunteering at Willis Avenue, serving at the Boys and Girls Club, and serving the local businesses. We closed the week with Community Fun Night. Nearly a thousand people showed up on Friday night and hung out with us. The night included; food, sno-cones, popcorn, carnival games, inflatables, face painting, arts and crafts, a bike stunt show (he also shared the gospel as he did his tricks), and nearly 25 raffle giveaways. The raffle giveaways included Red Sox tickets, two bikes, and gift cards to local businesses. We were able to connect with many different people during the event. I spoke with one young man for about forty five minutes and was able to answer some questions he had about Christianity and was able to share the gospel with him. Our outreach team did a great job of engaging people and telling them more about Redemption Hill. They also gave out multiple Bibles throughout the night. Community Fun Night was a great opportunity to display our love for Christ and for Medford.
 

The kids enjoyed the bouncy houses

Setting up the obstacle course

What a combo; sharing the gospel while doing bike tricks

Owen helping us clean up afterwards

 

Throughout the week many people asked us “Why are you doing this?” Our response was “because Jesus first served and loved us so now we want to serve and love others.” Many people were surprised by this answer and at times confused. But, it was an easy way for us to share the gospel with them. I’m so thankful for the many opportunities God was able to work through us and allow us to display and declare the gospel.

God is so amazing in the ways in which He works. On the second day we were up here in Boston we met a lady who houses international students. She invited us over for a barbeque on the fourth of July. We were able to make connections with many of the students and were then able to hang out with them throughout the summer. Liz and I were able to make a good connection with two of the international students. We both had opportunities to meet up with them and to share the gospel with them. The guy I have been spending time with actually came to church this past Sunday (our last Sunday here). Our God works in powerful ways and it is awesome to see fruit from His work through us. We formed a relationship on the second day we were here and five weeks later we have one of the students coming to church with us. Of course this is just the beginning and a lot more work needs to be done, but I can’t wait to see how God will work in his life. This is one of my favorite stories from our trip because we see the cumulative effect of God’s work.

It is crazy to think we are leaving here on Thursday. It seems like yesterday we were pulling up into the city witnessing a policemen chasing a guy on a motorcycle (Yes, that is the first thing we saw when we got in late on June 29th). Our group has been blessed to serve under such a great leader and assistant leader in Chad and Christy Ferrell. I also want to give a shout out to the Redemption Hill staff and thank them for everything they have done for us. Last, but not least I want to thank my teammates; JC, Aaron, Kerrin, Liz, Farris, Meredith, and Kelsey. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to serve with. We worked extremely well together and made so many memories together. I love all of my bruddahs and sistahs in Christ.

Our last Sunday at Redemption Hill

In mine and Chad's one on one time we went through a lot of the Old Testament. I am thankful that we can look back and see all the promises made after the fall, to Abraham, during the passover, to David, and in Isaiah 53 are fulfilled by Jesus. Being discipled by Chad was one of my highlights this summer. I learned so much from him over these six weeks. It is awesome to look back through the scriptures and see that we find our yes in Christ.

As I reflect back on this experience it is evident how faithful, loving, and full of grace our God is. He provided each of us the support in order to do summer link, the knowledge, the boldness, the faith, opportunities to display and declare the gospel, team unity, and the list goes on and on. I am so glad to serve a loving and faithful God. 

How you can pray for us:

• For our group to take what we have learned during our six weeks here and apply it to our daily lives.
• For Chad and Christy as they prepare to move back up here in a year to plant a church
• For Redemption Hill to continue to lead their church well and to continue to grow
• Safe travels back home as we drive 17 hours tomorrow

In Christ,

Jonathan Mitchell