Dirty

There is this song by Audio Adrenaline that I think SO sums up our Servant Event experience...(cue the music)


Tired of being clean, sick of being proper
I wanna live among the beggars
and dig out in the dirt
step outside the walls we built to protect us
don't be afraid to get some mud on your face


come on, come on everybody
come on, come on and serve someone

(chorus)
let's get dirty, let's get used
no matter where you come from
if you're beaten up or bruised

let's get foolish - let's get free
free to be the one thing you were meant to be
let's get dirty


you might get a bruise or some blisters on your fingers
you might start a question and wonder what it’s worth
you may slip and fall from the burdens that you carry
but you can’t have this treasure
'til you dig it from the dirt


come on, come on everybody
come on, come on and serve someone

(chorus)

come on, come on, everybody
come on, come on, serve somebody
come on, come on, everybody
come on, come on, serve somebody

Working towards the end

It is always amazing to me to see how the worksites come together and get accomplished. The four that we began on Monday are all within striking distance (Pearson's is actually done).



We still have some painting to do, a shower to put in, a cabinet to shore up, some molding to put in, and some serious clean-up to tackle. The servants have worked extremely hard this week, and I'm proud of them.



Last night (while the adults were still in their affirmation circle) the youth had some time on their own and we ended up getting to bed a little later than the posted time. Never to fear though, I woke them all up at the appropriate time with some hard rocking music. They were a little dragging and needed a little pick-me-up.

The heat was pretty hard on us today. I don't know what it topped out at, but I know that it was already hot when we climbed up onto the roof at 8:00. It was so hot you could burn your hands on the shingles or on tools that were left out in the sun. When I really noticed I had been sweating was when I went over to Beryl's to help with some cabinets. When I got inside her kitchen I thought "man, I smell bad, I need a shower!" Needless to say, the pool felt wonderful this afternoon.

Right now the youth are finishing up our eXtreme decatholon with tricycle races, and extreme makeovers and the like. They're having a great time and have grown to really love their time together and their close bond in Christ.



Tomorrow we finish up the work sites, have a final tour of all the worksites, and come back to church for our closing worship. I know already that there will be many tears as they begin to say goodbye to each other. We've shared a very special time together...and it's not done yet!!!

What Day is it?

It was beef brisket day...we actually got some delivered to the sites for lunch!!!!

It was affirmation circle day during Bible study...and it did take the adults 2 3/4 hours!!!!

It was crunch day on the worksites...and we did make tremendous progress and make finishing within striking distance!!!!

It was "Dennis finally got his way and started work at 5:30 AM" day...some of the adults layed vinyl flooring at Beryl's before morning devotions!!!!

It was a day with an emergency room visit...Heather roller her ankle (nothing too serious).

It was NOT "hit the wall" day...the group dynamics are still going great and everyone seems to be doing well!!!!!

It was another great day in the Lord!!!!

***sorry it's short tonight...I was one of the 5:30 adults!!!

Sharing

Well, Wednesday is our beach day, which we are now safely back from. Annually it is a time of emotional sharing of how God is working in and through us this week. Tonight was no different. And since it's all about sharing, I'm going to share the blog space with some other writers tonight.



Hello, This is the first non greg Blog for the Servant Event! Let me just say that this week has been incredible! Our group bonded almost instantly...and we have done sooo much work! I am dissappointed to know that we will not be doing everything needed to the Cass City House, but we are making a HUGE improvement! The little boy matthew is so happy to help! The beach is amazing, i wsih you could all experience this! Much Love, God Bless
-Megan



Today was windy. This was excellent because Megan, Elizabeth, and I had bought kites to fly at the beach. After freezing our butts in the ice cold water of Lake Huron we ran around flying kites to dry off. It was a most excellent adventure. We have yet had dinner, but by the smell it's gonna be delicious. The sky is clear, so I think the sunset is going be a great show of God's beautiful creation.
In Christ,
Kyle Peters



What a week so far. As I write I'm watching the beautiful sun at Port Austin. The youth this week are wonderful. I'm so proud of the work they have accomplished. We also have a wonderful group of adults. Thanks to everyone for keeping us in their prayers. The week isn't over yet keep it up.
Sarah



All I can say is this year is already better than the last year. The youth and the adults all have a special connnection. Right now i am watching a beautiful sunset!! I'm just glad that God influenced me enough to come to this. Thanks.
Kayla

Fixin' Up...

In some ways today was very similar to yesterday, we worked very hard, got lots accomplished on the worksites, and at the end of the day assessed where we were at and have made adjustments for tomorrow to help us successfully get the worksites finished.

In the past I've blogged a lot about the work sites and our progress on them. Tonight I want to share about some of the spiritual aspects of what we're doing this week. After all, the #1 reason we do Fixin' Up The Thumb is the spiritual growth of the high school students.



Each day we start out with morning devotions: lots of singing, a Bible reading (focusing on one of Jesus' miracles), a few questions about that story and a closing prayer. It's short and simple, but a great way to start the day.

During the day we are blessed to have Kyle going around to all of the worksites videotaping how the work is going. Another thing that he does is he asks people the "question of the day." The question relates to the Bible study and keeps people thinking about their walk with Christ through the day. For example, today's question was "what was the greatest team you've ever been on?" which led us into the story of the some friends who brought a paralized man to Jesus on a mat to have him healed.



Each evening when we all assemble again Kyle shows us his "man on the street" interviews and humorous (and the serious too) work that happened that day. It's a great way to get us into our Bible study and for us to stay connected even while we are on different sites during the day.

Our focus object this year is an 8' X. It symbolizes our 10th year, but also stands for eXtreme servant. Each day we add another section over our base X. So far we have added water (Jesus making us fishers of men), "untouchable" items (Jesus healing the leper), and a "roof" built from worksite items (the friends who lowerd their friend through the roof). We have three more sections to add to the X, but I can't reveal what those are because that's top secret information to the Servants.



From waking up in the morning to Christian music, to personal affirmation bags, to singing, to small group time, to praying in a circle, to summarizing the Bible study through a skit, to stretching our faith on the worksites, to sharing about our faith with others, to worshiping together...God is fixin' up our hearts as we fix up the thumb.

Wow!

I'll say it backwards: Wow!

Here is a short list of what was done here on our first workday:

Kern's:
>Cleaned hallway (prep. work for tomorrow tearing out the floor)
>Cleaned out 3 large cabinets
>Assembled 2 new storage cabinets
>Cleaned out back porch
>Primed the kitchen wall



O'brien's:
>Stripped 1/2 of house roof which had 3 layers of shingles, the bottom one being cedar shingles
>Removed dormer on same side of the house



Ozorowicz':
>Removed a bedroom wall
>Framed in another wall and doorway by the stairwell
>Installed some drywall



Pearson's:
>Removed all of the bathroom walls
>Removed 2 walls in a bedroom
>Removed old flooring in bedroom and bathroom
>Installed some of the new walls
>Insulated outside walls in these two rooms



Now mind you, this is not an "end of the week list", this is only the "first day list".

I don't know about all of these younger folks (I had a realization that I am in the top three oldest servants-how did that happen to me?), but i will sleep well tonight. It was a physically demanding day for my site, but will only get easier as the week goes on. At one point Dennis showed up at our site and wondered if I was pouring water on myself to stay cool and I had to respond "no, Dennis, that's sweat!"

Daily I'm placing the blog, with all the commments you all make, on a board in the fellowship hall. I've been told to say thank you for all the comments and e-mails. The servants appreciate knowing you're thinking of them. They also all say "hi!"

Now, about that sleep!

Ready to Roll

Day 2 of the Fixin' Up The Thumb Servant Event!

It has been a very full day. We started out with some very cold showers (words like refreshing, invigorating, etc. Were used) at the High School. Then we were commissioned in both of the morning services with a virtual tour of the work sites during the Bible class time.

A special moment during the service was an interview with Beryl Kern (a woman who we will be working for this week) in the services. You see, Beryl has Cerebral Palsy and is pretty much confined to a wheel chair now. We've worked on Beryl's a few times over the 9 years and In her own words "the Servant Event has enabled me to stay in my own house, and it's very important to me to be able to stay in my house."



After the services we had lunch and some "personal choice time" out at Darbe Park.



It was at the park that they finally found out what work crew they would be on for the week. That's a huge thing for them, and they were all anxious to know which family they would be working for. Having said that, I think we have achieved our goal of an outsider not being able to tell which youth are from which church by Sunday afternoon and everyone being on "the same team".

One of the families that we will be working for, the O'briens, sent me an e-mail a while back that I want to share with you. They said: "On behalf of my family and myself, I would like to say Thank You, for choosing our family
for your Fixing up the Thumb Project. We were speechless when we received your letter telling us that we were picked as one of the families that would receive help this summer in home repairs. When difficult situations come into our lives we can only lean on God as our source of strength and know that He has a plan for our lives, even if we aren't sure where it is taking us.
We have had many dark moments in the last 5 yrs since Jim's accident put him in a wheel chair. Our faith in God and each other has taken us through. The added stress and worry about keeping our home kept up has weighed heavy on our minds. God has answered our prayers through your program. This gift that you are giving us is priceless, not only in the work that will be done, but in the rays of hope and peace of mind that comes with it. May God bless your program and all the people who are giving their time and materials to complete it. With our God all things are possible."


All things are possible...even Zaks.



Indeed, we feel blessed to be able to work on these homes and serve Christ through this Servant Event.

Tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM we will be having a ribbon cutting ceremony at Beryl's to officially start the work! We're ready to roll!!!

Fixin' Up The Thumb X has begun!

If today is any indication of the way this week is going to go this is going to be...



A GREAT WEEK!!!!

Everyone arrived safe and sound (maybe a little road weary) and things got off to a great start. Everyone found a bed to call home for the week, made their name tags, Secret Servant Bags, and claimed a folder in short order. We were even able to get some freetime in (except that we call it "personal choice time" on the Servant Event) before dinner.




Then the groundwork was laid for a successful week...Name games, an introduction to the Bible Study, Covenant, Adult Leader Meeting, and now everyone is back to personal choice time.

It's exciting to see how many of the participants have been here before. For many of them this is their 2nd, 3rd, or even 10th year at our Servant Event. It's exciting to think that this is the tenth anniversary of the Fixin' Up The Thumb Servant Event. God has richly blessed us over the years and we look forward to what He's going to do this year.

Notes from the war room

You could also read "Greg's office", but I like the analogy of war room. Here, look at this picture and you'll understand.



If you look close you can see:
>Tools that are coming back from Mexico and being prepared for the Servant Event
>Several musical instruments (guitar, djembe drum, keyboard, and shakers)
>Our Servant Event Bible study focus object
>Zaks
>Left over vanilla (anyone want to buy a bottle?)
>Cabinets to be installed at a Servant Event house
>And even a tricycle (sorry, I can't tell you what that is for-it's a surprise)

It looks like preparation for a battle (of sorts) doesn't it? Or does it look like a war happened? I guess it's both.

So anyway, last Friday the generals (read "Servant Event leaders") all gathered to prepare for our invasion (read "start of the Servant Event")

Here is what our secret agents in the field have found out:

>There will be 29 servants total
>They will be from Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan
>We will divide into 4 work crews
>There will be 5 main work homes and an unlimited number of back-up sites (you can see pictures of the houses to be worked on at: (http://www.stpaulcaro.org/servantevent/sites05/index.html)
>We will be showering at the local high school because the MARC is closed to us due to remodeling
>We received $2500 from LCMS and $6300 from Thrivent
>This is the tenth anniversary with lots of special activities planned
>There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony kicking off the work at 8:00 AM at Beryl Kern's house (645 Meek St.) and everyone is welcome
>We start setting up today!
>The servants arrive on Saturday!

Stay tuned here for daily updates from the front. And know this: "no weapon formed against us shall prosper!"

This Coming Sunday...

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

The Scripture readings for this coming Sunday are the following. Take some time to consider their themes and what brings them together.

Exodus 19:2-8a (Remember the exodus as the supreme redemptive act of the Old Testament in order that you may be "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.")
Romans 5:6-11 (God's work of salvation in Christ is the heart of the disciples' faith and the content of their message.)
Matthew 9:35---10:8 (The sending of the Twelve to do Christ's work.)
Psalm 100:1-5 (The call to praise God with joy and singing)

Here are some hints. In each of these readings there is an account of something wonderful that God has done for us. His work, corresponding to His very nature is ultimately good. We have a kind and wonderful God who has shown His power in the past (the children of Israel at the exodus from Egypt), and in the greatest event in all of history (the atonement on the cross for unworthy sinners). Because of His action to save us, He also desires to use us to share this good news and serve others (Jesus sends the twelve).

As a good summary of all of these ideas I would direct your attention to the appointed Psalm for the day. Note there is a call for us to praise God joyfully and along with that call there are "reasons" given. The Psalm will be the focus of the sermon.

Perhaps you know of someone who would benefit from a reminder that God has done wonderful things for them and, in Christ Jesus, has purchased forgiveness of sins. Invite that person to come to church with you. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday. 8:30 or 11:00 AM
--Pastor Steele

Prepare Your Hearts

Tomorrow is the Third Sunday After Pentecost. You can prepare for worship by reading the appointed Scriptures for this day. As you read, ask yourself, "What do the three Bible readings have in common?"; "How do these readings fit together?"

The Old Testament Reading is Hosea 5:15-6:6 (God calls His people to repent and Hosea reminds them that repentance is a good thing that is sure to find willing forgiveness from the mercy of God)

The Epistle Reading is Romans 4:18-25 (Abraham trusted the promises of God in the face of seeming impossibilities)

The Gospel Reading is Matthew 9:9-13 (Matthew, a most unlikely man for the job, is called to be a disciple and an apostle)

In each of these readings notice how God takes complete responsibility for caring for his people. Everything that the people do is just in response to the declared and delivered grace of God. People repent, Abraham believes, and Matthew follows Jesus, all in response to God's action of calling, promising and leading.

Think of your own life, how has the call of God to repent, believe, and follow made a difference in you? Or, perhaps, how should it make a difference? Thanks to God in Jesus Christ that His declared and delivered Grace (His death and Resurrection) can make all the difference in your life and mine.

See you Tomorrow! 8:30 AM or 11:00 AM. -- Pastor Steele

Blessed & Dedicated

The houses, that is. I received this collage from Jo today and wanted to pass it along to everyone...



I'm happy to see that the families got to receive their houses so quickly.

I've also been processing the trip in my head and wanted to share a few thoughts about this whole "blessed" idea. I've heard a lot of people say "it sure makes you grateful for what we have!"

Having been in Mexico, and now returning, that is not the reaction that I'm having. Sure there are things that I am more grateful for, like indoor plumbing, but my biggest reaction is one of despising the material orientation that we have "up" here. I once heard someone say that materialism is it's own curse. That seems to be where I'm at right now.

Pastor talked in his sermon this Sunday about blessings and curses. Are we blessed by God, and the Mexicans cursed? No way! I've learned many things from my friends down South over the years: we speak a different language but serve the same God, we serve in our way-they in theirs, we Northerners are very task orientated-they are much more relationship orientated, they don't waste a thing-we too easily throw things away...

The conclusion I've come to over the years is that yes, God has blessed us with material goods. That's no big discovery. But the discovery has been why: so that we can be a blessing to others. None of us who went to Mexico are hurting today because we spent $500 to go, or even from the $10,000 it took to build the houses. We have all that, and more...so that we can share with those who don't.

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18

Thankful for the Opportunity

Hi, this is Pastor Steele,

I want to thank all the participants of the 5X5X5 Mission Trip to Mexico. Thanks too, that I had the opportunity to join the trip. I would call this a life-changing experience in more ways than one. It was a blessing to meet brothers and sisters in Christ from Michigan, Texas and from Mexico.

Please keep the work of Servant Events and Missions in your prayers and if you ever have opportunity to go on a similar event, do not hesitate. God may be calling you to just such a life-changing challenge too. And remember, you can be His servant wherever you are.
In Christ,
Pastor Steele

Wrap Up & Thank You!

It is now the second day back in my office since the trip.

Thank goodness for Memorial Day, and a nap or two!

Today I plowed my way through a pile of receipts and one well worn money envelope.



We were planning on spending $10,000 for building materials and came out almost exactly there! (it's somewhat grey with the exchange rate and Dennis going into the material store and buying building supplies without knowing how to speak Spanish ;-)

We owe some huge thank you's to LCMS World Relief. They do great work and matched gifts to the tune of $6,000!!! I would encourage you to support them for all the work they do! The Michigan District Church Extension Fund also supported us with $2,000. Add that to Thrivent money, a VBS here, LWML there, a bunch of hunters at our Camo Night Out, and over $2,000 in individual donations and we had a ton of support for this mission trip! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

At St. Paul we will share the rest of our pictures, and stories between services (9:45-10:45) on Sunday, June 12th. We'd love to see you then.