Summer LINK Seattle

Seattle is one of the nation’s darkest places spiritually. Christians here are few and far between. Rather than a church on every street corner like there is in the Bible belt where I’m from, there are enough Starbucks establishments here to where it’s hard to walk more than a couple blocks without smelling coffee. Agnosticism and ungodliness are both rampant here. There is a general lack of understanding of the gospel here, as defined in this picture I took in a coffee shop the other day:

“THE way does not exist.” Quite contradictory to what Jesus says in John 14:6.

All this unbelief, however, does not mean that God isn’t active and working in this city! The Summer-LINK Seattle team has been fortunate enough to see some proof of this in the past couple of weeks since we have been out here working with Essential Church in Bellevue. I’ll just tell a few stories of things we’ve done out here that have been examples of how we have seen the hand of God here in Seattle. One example is our hiking adventure up to the top of Tiger Mountain outside of Issaquah, WA. After an exhausting hike up, we had a time of sharing testimonies and prayer as we looked out at out mission field that God placed before us this summer. It was an incredible experience to see and visualize the place where we would be spending life for the summer, the place where we would have the opportunity to serve in all types of ways.

Another time where the team and I were able to see the hand of God active and working was at a free carwash that we put on for the community. One might not usually think that God can do cool things at a carwash, but I am sure that he was there and that he was moving. I was the “popcorn guy” for most of the time there: the guy who makes popcorn and then offers it to people in their cars as they wait in the line to get their car washed by the mission team from Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas. I was able to have several conversations with people about the Lord during that time, and it was very surprising how open people were to talking about God, even if their thoughts about him were drastically different from mine. I got to pray for a few of the people that came through, and a few of them showed some legitimate interest in coming to church!

                       

One of Essential Church’s primary goals is outreach in the community, and their “Love Bellevue” month is the time of year when that idea is ramped up to a max. That time started this week, so the Summer-LINK team has gotten to be a huge part of it! For me, I’ve been running a free basketball camp at one of the local elementary schools for the kids in the area. The planning and executing of the camp has been frustrating, exhausting, and confusing. However, it has been a huge source of joy to be able to get to know the kids at the camp and to get to show them the love of Christ, even if we are not explicitly sharing the gospel with them. Our hope and prayer is that many of the families with kids in soccer and basketball camps this week will attend the block party that we are having this Friday and will be willing to have Christ-centered conversations with us as we seek out opportunities to share the gospel with them while they are there. I have no doubt that the Lord will do big things through the other activities for Love Bellevue, and through Essential Church and the Summer LINK mission team for the entirety of the summer.

            

by Ben Casey

SummerLINK Honduras: Los Niños

¡Hola!

Girls playing at recess.

Boys eating their snack.

So far my favorite experience is helping at the bilingual school in Rio Esteban. We all walk to the main road from our house at 6:15 AM every Tuesday and Thursday to catch a school bus full of little Honduran niños. The first morning we got on the bus, every child just stared at us with confusion. After a short drive through God's beautiful creation, we get to this little school that is nothing like what we are used to, but out here this is the best of the best. These children in their cute little uniforms are all running around. The school is made up of students that are kindergarten to ninth grade. It did not take long for the children to warm up even though for the most part, we did not know what they were saying. As long as we play soccer, duck duck goose (pato pato ganso), and little sally walker, the children couldn't be any happier. We were able to help teach the little kindergartners working on their words, numbers, and colors. The language barrier is still very hard so prayers for gospel conversation to occur despite such obvious barriers would be great. We are hopeful in this and we look forward to spending time with them every chance we get to love on them.  

Kindergarten class

Another great opportunity we have all had is to be able to shadow in the hospital that we are affiliated with here, which is Hospital Loma de Luz. It has been great for us because most of us have medical career plans and it has been awesome to see the mission side of this field. The doctor we shadow most of the time is Dr. Vance Pirkle, who is an OB/GYN and a very interesting man. We are lucky to live right beside their family so we see him hop on a dirt bike and ride off to the hospital in his scrubs every morning and you never get used to it. In the hospital, a few of us were able to witness life being brought into this world. Three of us were in the hospital at the same time last week and were able to watch a C-section, and this week, one of us were able to see a natural delivery. Both babies are healthy and we all saw it as a blessing to be able to be in the same room to watch these miracles happen. The Pirkles have been very welcoming to our team and because of that I have to share the coolest family picture I've ever seen so you can meet them too (even if they are pulling for Georgia).

Pirkle Family
(From left: Rebekah, Caleb, Sarah, Vance, Elizabeth, Phillip, Susan)

This doesn't even scratch the surface of all that we are experiencing here, but it gives you an idea. We all look forward to what the Lord will do in the weeks that we have left here. Keep us and the Honduran people in your prayers! 

¡Adiós!

By Olivia Addis

Summer LINK India: Vic and JJ Exposé

Delhi, India

On the flight to Delhi (Credit: Logan Dickinson)

We flew from GSP on Saturday June 28th to Newark, NJ where we had a brief layover before boarding our flight to Delhi. The flight was an uneventful, not very restful, 14 hours. We passed the time watching movies and sleeping. When we arrived in Delhi we went through customs and met "G-man" who is working here in India. After introducing us he took us outside for first glimpse of India. The air in Delhi is hot and thick and a layer of smog hangs over the city. We loaded our luggage into his car and got our first taste of traffic in India. For those of you who have been to India before I'm sure you can relate. The only traffic rules followed are stop lights. Everything else is a suggestion. "G-man" took us to a "transition house" to stay for a couple of days while we were in Delhi. The next day after eating at a local restaurant "G-Man" took us to around Delhi to get a feel for the Indian culture. One of the places that we visited was a part of the city known as Old Delhi. In this part of the city we went to the Spice Market. The special thing about the Spice Market is that there are a ridiculous amount of people in this tiny open-air market where there are hundreds of stands that included spices (obviously), raw meat, and anything else that your heart desires. We finished the day by visiting the India Gate and playing a pick up game of soccer in the surrounding park with some of the locals. 



The next day we got an opportunity to explore Delhi on our own. We visited Humayun's Tomb, known as the Red Taj, and the Hauz Khas Deer Park. Some college-aged locals introduced themselves to us there and we were able to talk to them for  long time. We eventually were able to share the g0spel with them. However, we did not see any fruit from the conversation but we are called to proclaim the G0spel and leave the spiritual work to G0d. We finished up orientation, left Delhi, and flew to I-town on Wednesday. 

India Gate (Credit: Logan Dickinson)

Humayun's Tomb (Credit: Logan Dickinson)

I-town, India

In I-town we were welcomed by the families working here as well as some other short-term teams like us. We did some sight-seeing around the town to get some sense of direction and "P-man", one the guys working here long term, went over a discipleship program known as the Four Fields that includes G0d's vision, proclaiming the g0spel, discipling new believers, and church planting. We have also gone to some of the popular malls where we have been able to meet some local students. One of our goals is to have G0spel-centered conversations and try to build a relationship with them through follow ups.

Just landed in I-town (Credit: Logan Dickinson)

Street corner in I-town (Credit: Logan Dickinson)

Our main goal here in I-town is to assist the long term workers in mapping out the churches in I-town and meeting with local pastors. On Monday several of us had the opportunity to go to a meeting with nearly 30 local pastors. Another group of us went to visit a local pastor who is partnering with the longterm workers here. On Tuesday we called many of the pastors we met and set up appointments for the coming week. We were also able to visit with three more local pastors around the city. 

What We've Learned

We have been experiencing great community here with the long-term teams here. "P-man" has been leading us through 1st Peter,"Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health" by Donald Whitney, and group discipleship training. We will soon begin one-on-one mentoring with the long-term workers. We also have house worship with the families on Thursday nights and go to the local churches on Sunday mornings. 

Please pr@y that G0d uses us to serve the national and international workers here and that we boldly proclaim the g0spel to the locals. Also, pr@y that G0d will bring unity among the pastors and churches with the Four Fields strategy. 

Summer LINK Seattle

Greetings from the Seattleites!!!

 Our first week in Seattle has ended and we have seen God work in some mighty ways already. Brock and Ben picked us (Katelin, Jamie, Crystal, Jordan, and Christina) up at the airport on Thursday, June 26, to go meet with Pastor Warren and Sarah Schuster from Essential Church for dinner in Factoria. We talked about the coming summer and ministry opportunities that each of us will have in our 6 week stay. We had a time of sweet fellowship and prayer before heading to our home- the Purple Door.

            Let me start by saying the Purple Door is unlike anything I have ever experienced. It is a mix of camp goes to college with a little hominess thrown in. The PD serves as a home for some on missions and even a few who attend the University of Washington for school. The community and Christian living here are so refreshing as Seattle is an otherwise very spiritually dark place. We all share responsibilities with the other missions teams like cooking, cleaning, and leading worship in a group together on Tuesdays. One of the “mottos” hanging up on a bulletin board says, “Doing life together”. Praise the Lord that we have the opportunity to experience this throughout the summer!

                    Purple Door arrival! Ben, Brock, Jordan, Jamie, Katelin, Christina, and Crystal.

The Lord has allowed us to move two families this week. First, we helped move the Mainards into their new home, which is now closer to where Essential Church meets for worship. Our second move was rather spontaneous. Jenny, a 17 year-old, who the Seattle team met last year, was moving out of her apartment on Monday and asked if we could help she and her mother pack things into their storage unit. The Lord allowed us to demonstrate love of Christ towards them by helping for about 3 hours. Jenny attends one of the local high schools in Bellevue and her mother works at Jubilee Reach. We are unsure about her and her mother’s spiritual state but, they agreed to come with us to the fireworks show in downtown Bellevue as well as church Sunday! Our team is so excited to be able to reach out to this family.

Essential Church meets at the local Boys and Girls Club in Bellevue. This past Sunday was the launch of having 2 services! This is such a blessing to those who serve in the church and have varying work schedules so they too can worship our Savior and hear the Word of God. Brock and Ben both played in the worship service-Brock on the cajon and Ben on the banjo. We girls helped teach the 1^st through 6^th grade and took care of the nursery babies. Our team was totally immersed into full ministry the very first service! Praise the Lord for His provision and allowance for each of us to be used at Essential Church.

The rest of the week we planned for the upcoming Love Bellevue events. Everyone on our team has been assigned different leadership roles from sports camps to block parties. This summer will be a time of growing and learning as a whole and individually as we serve the community of Seattle, WA.

Special thanks to Josh Davis driving some team members to the airport and thank you to everyone who has financially and prayerfully supported us thus far. We are looking forward to what the Lord is going to do through us and Essential Church!

By: Christina Gibson

            

SummerLink Honduras: Gracias a Dios

We've been here in Honduras for 5 days now. After a few days of getting acclimated to all that this beautiful country has to offer, we've begun to settle down into our roles and see what it is the Lord has in store for us this summer.

Our backyard

It's been a tremendous learning experience for us all. We are teaching two English classes to students at a school at the base of our hilltop Casita. In addition, we are working at a Bilingual school in an adjacent town (twenty minutes on a school bus and two river crossings away). After school, we have started leading an adult english class held at the Hospital Loma de Luz --did I mention that only one of us speaks reliable Spanish?  This has pushed us all out of our comfort zones for sure, but has ultimately helped us connect in a way that will foster Gospel conversations.

Amid the many English classes, we are rotating through days spent in the Hospital. Despite the fact that I have not yet had my first chance to spend the day with patients, I have heard many great things from our friends who have had that opportunity already. Surely there will be riveting stories to come in future posts...

Though much of the linguistic work we are doing is a very practical and useful skill, I am sure we would all agree that the most impactful aspect of our trip so far has been in seeing the relationships we have built --both within our team, and amongst the kids staying at the Children's Home run by the hospital or at the bilingual school. To paraphrase the words of a fellow teammate here, seeing the children and their needs has deepened our understanding of the Father's love for us all as we have been given this opportunity to share in providing that love with them all. We've already developed incredible bonds with countless Hondurans here and I pray that these continue to be points of much growth and fruit for us all.

Hanging out under the mango trees

Continue to pray for our time here and the work to be accomplished.

Gracias a Dios
Thanks be to God

By Eric Holberton

Summer LINK Columbus: The True Joy in Ministry

Summer LINK Columbus has been very different than expected, but I am thankful that it has been. I have had “wander lust” for a while now. The Lord has been growing my desire to minister in a place where the Gospel is desperately needed and the Church is not fully established. At first, I thought this would surely lead me overseas. It may one day, but this summer, he has led me here: Columbus, Ohio.

                                                                       Getting ready to talk to students at The Ohio State University 

My rose-colored vision of ministry and church planting has radically changed in the past three weeks. I have always seen the established side of it. Growing up in the Bible-belt means that I am well acquainted with organized programs, mission teams, etc. However, I was always on the other side—the worker who did whatever she was told. This summer, God has allowed me to be on the planning side.

God has stretched my team this summer and He has stretched me. I have seen that plan A may not always work. But we have to learn that God’s plan is different than our man-made ones. He molded them before any idea of them ever popped into our minds. He is sovereign in the messy planning and execution of ministry. He will work through and in it for His glory.

Columbus, and specifically the area we are working in—Bexley—is in desperate need of the Gospel. It doesn’t look the same as our rosy visions of ministry usually lead us to think—people in poverty, reaching out on street corners, etc. These people are wealthy but empty of the truth of Christ. They need Him.

In order to reach them, we have to throw our assumptions of what ministry looks like away. We have to trust the Lord to help us be “all things to all people so that by all means [we] may win some”.  And this means we will not always have everything together.

Summer LINK has challenged me to why I do ministry: Am I doing it for instant results or to be obedient to the Lord out of my love for Him and his Gospel? It challenged how I see people: Are they only lost if they are (from the world’s perspective) below me or should even these wealthy people be seen as “sheep without a shepherd”? It has opened my eyes to the good and the tough parts of ministry, the exciting and the mundane. I am thankful for the experience so far and that every day when I ask myself “do you still desire to be involved in long-term ministry?” I always say yes—this is growing even more as the beat of my heart here in Columbus.

  Spending a day at the Columbus Zoo with some church family

By: Kayla Sweeney

SummerLINK Honduras: Nosotros estamos en Honduras!

Bailey, Shannon, Steven, Eric, Chad, Katy, Olivia, and we met up with Audrey and Johnny in the Airport

First picture of Honduras!

The whole group!

Overlook of Balfate

After a 3 hour plane ride and a 4 hour car ride through the rough roads of Honduras we finally arrived in Balfate, Honduras. For the next five weeks we will be teaching english to children on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and we will volunteer in a bilingual school and teach english to adults on Tuesday and Thursday. We will also rotate through shadowing different doctors at the Hospital Loma del Luz. Also the girls will have the opportunity to watch deliveries, and the boys will be able to watch c-sections. So far we have all loved getting to play with the kids, trying new foods, and taking in all of God's beautiful creation, and we can't wait to see what all God is going to do in Honduras this summer!