91社区福利

Saturday, 3/17/18

There is something about manual labor that brings out a different side of people who do not normally do manual labor.聽 While serving in Houston I witnessed people working hard with newfound confidence and joy.聽 We worked really hard all five days that we served with Friends of North Rosenberg.聽 I was impressed with the student resiliency even when they were tired, frustrated, or discouraged.聽 The students spend a lot of time together as it is, and we as leaders do not spend as much time with them as we did in Houston.聽 I got a glimpse into what their community is really like when we are not around.聽 They rally around one another and work as a team.聽 Does that mean they don鈥檛 ever get frustrated and say things they don鈥檛 mean? 聽No, but I witnessed first-hand the beloved community that they have built this year.聽 For me personally, this trip was wonderful.聽 I did my undergrad studies in Austin, Texas, so I often miss aspects of living in Texas.聽 I loved hearing southern accents again (mine definitely came out), eating southern cuisine, and experiencing southern hospitality.

I saw Jesus in many different ways throughout our time in Houston, but I think the most impactful way I saw Jesus was through our hostess.聽 Allison and I got to stay with Sharon, who is a widow and has an incredible life story.聽 She frequently talked about her late husband and you could tell that she loved him very much, and misses him a lot.聽 Her story of God鈥檚 provision throughout her life inspired me and I will remember our time with her for a long time.聽 I could write forever about my own God moments and those of the students that they have shared with me, but I will leave it at that.聽 I know that God moved in mighty ways in everyone involved in the trip whether we realize it or not.

鈥� Emily Noyed (Seminary Ministry Coach)

And he prayed to the Lord, 鈥淥 LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious God鈥︹�� 鈥� Jonah 4:2

We love to feel like we鈥檝e got the world figured out. But the book of Jonah shows us that being one who bears the mission of God in our lives means that we often won鈥檛 understand the ways of God. Jonah from the beginning knows God鈥檚 compassionate character, and does not want to see his enemies enter into God鈥檚 grace. But God wears Jonah down, and shows Jonah that his mission is for聽all聽people 鈥� including Jonah himself.

Texas gets a bad wrap. Yes, they were once their own country, and yes, there鈥檚 a lot of Texas pride. Yes, to the rest of us, Texas may seem like, 鈥淲ait isn鈥檛 that state just the really big, really flat, really southern one, where greasy foods reign and oil pumps through veins of its citizens?鈥� But those are outside impressions that don鈥檛 look past Texas to the聽people聽that comprise it.

Spending eight days in Texan homes, eating Texan foods, listening to Texan accents, driving on Texan roads wore me down to the point where I looked past Texas to the聽people聽who live there. The hearts, the souls, the lives鈥� the struggle, the pain, the worship鈥� I was able to break away from my judgments of country music, of rodeos, and of personal politics. I was able to see families with real traumatic experience. I was able to experience a woman I had just met not only opening her home to me in southern hospitality, but also opening her聽heart聽to me as she cried, asking for prayer for her brother who was in the midst of surgery. I was able to see the personhood of little boys playing soccer, a teenager who had big dreams for his life, and a kid who laughed as he threw an聽awe-inspiring聽curveball.

There was beauty in Nineveh and God saw it. In a place like Texas, a place of which some outsiders might say, 鈥淗ow can any good come out of there?鈥�, I found myself realizing, 鈥淭here is beauty here.鈥� I found myself looking into the face of Jesus in each person I encountered. As he did with Jonah, God, through his mission to Houston, widened my heart to his work, showing me the greatness of his compassion and utilizing my life as an agent of small steps of healing toward people that he loves.

Lord, helps us to surrender to聽your聽mission, to聽your聽boundless grace, and continually associate with those whom we might not naturally associate not only that聽they聽be transformed, but that聽we, too, find ourselves transformed by your love.

鈥� Matt Butin (Seminary Ministry Coach)

This is the final installment of the CRUX in Houston Spring Break blog series. To read the rest of the student blog posts in this series, click the links below or head back to the stories page.

Part 1

Part 2

Stories Page

Monday, 3/12/18

Today was our first day of work which started out by demolishing a home, and at the back of my mind I was figuring out what I was going to write about for this blog post. Our day started at eight in the morning and went until late afternoon, so there were many points throughout the day I could choose to talk about. But, one event in particular stood out over the rest, which was not only having the opportunity to pray for Diana and her family who we were helping with this house demo, but also for Rose, the Friends of North Rosenberg Director, who shares in the responsibility of making this all possible. In that, we were able to see their vulnerability and share that spiritual space with them, as a few of us were able to hear Rose鈥檚 story and pray for her.

Diana鈥檚 six-year-old son Issac asked why Rose was crying in the middle of us praying for her. What made that moment memorable was how after praying, Rose decided to take the time to go back and explain to Issac why she was crying. Her response was similar to that of Psalm 16: 1-2, 鈥淜eep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say of the Lord, 鈥榊ou are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.鈥欌�� So, she not only expressed how God is everything in her life and her savior, but through that she evangelized to Isaac who could remember that moment and take that with him
鈥� Tiffany Whaley

Tuesday, 3/13/18

When asking myself how I saw God during our demolition work, one thing that points out to me is how He uses every age, race, origin, etc. to do his kingdom works. When looking around me, I saw kids from ages 7-15, NPU peers, FNR (Friends of North Rosenberg) workers, and other adults, all of whom were of varying races and yet, working together to show Christ鈥檚 love. One specific example would be just how willing the kids of the family we got to serve (Isaac and Caesar) were in helping in the process of demolition. Despite their hardships within the past couple months due to the hurricane disaster, they seem to have a servant鈥檚 mindset. Seeing our CRUX team unite with them to get one step closer to getting their family a home was something special. That is what I believe God鈥檚 Kingdom should consist of: people of all backgrounds and races being united in Christ to spread his love within this broken world we live in.聽 鈥� Sophie Emerson

We finished destroying a house today.聽 The little boy who used to live there was watching pretty much the entire process. He came over to the space where his house used to be and kind of looked at it plaintively for a few minutes. Looking at him sadly stare at his old house made me a bit angry with God. It seems unfair that he would let this happen to a family (and others like them) who never really had much to begin with. How can someone who claims to love “the least of these” let hundreds of families be destroyed? 鈥� Ben Zamble

Wednesday, 3/14/18

Today we split up into groups to floor and paint one house and put sheetrock on the walls of another. I was a part of the flooring/painting team at the house of miss Ivory, an elderly woman who told us many stories of God鈥檚 work in her life. Both her brother鈥檚 and sister鈥檚 houses were completely destroyed by the flood and they lost everything. Katey and I had the privilege of praying with her after she shared her story, and I can鈥檛 wait to head back tomorrow to finish the job! 鈥� Joshua Crozier

Thursday, 3/15/18

Today I worked on installing drywall. I saw God today in the teamwork on the job site. Putting up drywall involves many steps and you have to work together to do it. We were able to get into a groove since this was the second day installing the drywall and it was such a great glimpse into the kingdom of God. We all had our strengths and abilities and had to work together to get the job done. The same is true in God鈥檚 kingdom we may not all be the arm but the body cannot function properly without the arm. Each of us has our own God-given strengths and abilities and it truly is beautiful when we are able to come together as one body to work towards the ultimate goal of building God鈥檚 kingdom here on earth.

鈥撀犅� Allison Harvey

To read the rest of the student blog posts in the CRUX in Houston Spring Break blog series, click the links below or head back to the stories page.

Part 1

Part 3

Stories Page

During Spring Break 2018, the CRUX discipleship group went to Houston, TX, to volunteer for a week.聽 CRUX聽is a residential cohort at 91社区福利, in which a group of first-year students follow Christ together by living together, taking classes together, serving in the city together, and more.聽 As service is a key part of the program, the CRUX group decided together to assist in relief work in Houston, after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

On March 10, 2018, all ten students, the two seminary mentors, and the co-directors of CRUX traveled to Houston for a week of service.聽 They were accompanied by a carpenter and contractor, Jehan Bourne (father of co-director Emily Wickstrom) who facilitated the construction work.聽 The group was hosted by 聽and partnered with the work of a community development organization named .聽 Life Church had hosted a group of volunteers from 91社区福利 last October, and wanted to extend the same hospitality to another NPU group.聽 The church partners with Attack Poverty as well, so they directed NPU to connect with the organization as well.

The trip was also organized through a partnership between North Park’s University Ministries and of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

Keep reading to learn more about the experience, what happened, and what impact it made in the community of North Rosenberg and for the North Park team.

Saturday, 3/10/18

It is great to finally be in Houston!聽 After many, many months of preparation and coordination, the CRUX team has finally arrived.聽 We are eager and ready to serve, and look forward to how God is going to work during this trip.聽 Even though we do not know the details or extent of our work, nor are we familiar with the organization that we are partnering with, we trust that God will use us and work in us during this week.

One thing that stood out to me this first day is the testimony of the members of Life Church Fort Bend.聽 We have the privilege and honor of being hosted in the homes of members of Life Church and working with Attack Poverty, a Houston-based organization with whom the church often partners.聽 But more meaningful is why the congregation has offered to host us.聽 For the past twelve years, members of Life Church have traveled to Guatemala on service trips, but this past summer was different for them.聽 They worked with Merge Ministries (a ministry of the ECC), and instead of sleeping in a hotel, they stayed in homes of Guatemalan people.聽 The hospitality received and the relationships formed in Guatemala had such an impact on the group that when Hurricane Harvey hit their own city, the congregation decided to offer the same hospitality to people who travel to Houston to help rebuild.

Having experienced similar fellowship and hospitality on past trips, I was encouraged to hear the transformation that has taken place in Life Church.聽 And it is humbling to be the recipient of such hospitality this week.聽 Even the first evening has been rewarding, and I have had many good conversations with people from the church and community.聽 I look forward to what this week will bring!聽 No matter what work we accomplish, we are blessed and excited to build relationships here in Houston as well.

– Ben Wickstrom (Interim Co-Director)

Sunday, 3/11/18

The biggest area I saw Jesus today was in his people.聽 I have been learning through our CRUX community over the last few weeks about how big and how complex our God is; I have found the complexity of the God we serve to be such a gift.聽 How wonderful is it that we cannot fully understand or know how vast God is?聽 So wonderful, because through the essence of his creation 鈥� people 鈥� we are able to discover pieces of him.聽 There will always be more to know, not in a way that defines God and puts us in power, but in a way that expresses even more fully how great he is and how small we are.聽 Today, we went to church and then to the Houston Rodeo, and were able to be a part of鈥攁nd see鈥攃ultures very different than my own.聽 It was beautiful to be around new people, stories, and traditions.聽 All of which, at some level, portray who God is differently than the next. 鈥� Emily Ostercamp

So the first day we got here I realized what a good and united community we have here in CRUX. We had a blast playing spike ball in the airport, the weather was a little muggy so I felt right at home. We got back to our host house, the main base. We ate burgers and hotdogs with pastor Mike and Katy (our host). The next morning we went to church in Sally and had a good time. I got to work with the kids (5^th and 6^th graders). Later we got to go to a burger place (can鈥檛 remember the name鈥�) and finally had a fun time with our hosts at the end of the day. 鈥� Zach Peterson