Summer is almost here!

It's hard to believe, but summer is almost here! We have a lot of great opportunities ahead of us for spiritual growth. Spiritual growth happens in so many ways, and we try to incorporate a variety of them in to the MABC Youth Ministry. During the school year, we spend our time examining Scripture and looking at the ways in which our lives intersect with Scripture.

This summer, we'll be focusing on living our lives together. Passport's theme, "Life Together," will help us learn how to be a true community. We'll focus on learning the spiritual discipline of seeing God in our everyday experiences, and how we share them with one another. Each of us has a story to tell, and each of us needs to learn about the stories of those around us.

So join us this summer as we do life together and as we share our stories!

Social Media: The Fourth Dimension

Below is an article I wrote for CBF Georgia regarding the effects social media has had on youth ministry... hopefully it will help those who have teens, work with teens, or know teens to understand a little better how social media is changing youth culture!

To see the full issue of Visions, which is dedicated to Student Ministry, click here

Surrender Our Sin

The pink post-its represent "our sin."

We spent our last Sunday before Easter discussing the challenging topic of sin. We talked about how many churches seem to either focus on sin all the time or not at all. We watched several different videos that showed some very different perspectives on sin.

In our small groups, students were encouraged to look at what Jesus had to say about sin. We also read what Paul had to say about how difficult it is to avoid sin.

As we observe Good Friday, we recognize this as a day where the sins of humanity got the best of us and led to us putting to death the one person who had never sinned.

May we take the time to observe this Holy Weekend just how much history was changed. May the story of Jesus's death cause us to rejoice all the more that evil did not have the final word.

As we join with millions of Christians around the world, tonight we mourn all that is wrong in the world and in us. We mourn the death of Christ. Tomorrow we dwell in the agony of waiting and the difficulty of uncertainty. And as the sun's first rays peek over the horizon on Sunday morning, may we shout with all of creation that "CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!"

Surrender Our Status...

"Surrender" is a tricky thing! There tend to be a lot of areas that are easy for us to give over to God. If we're honest, though, there are probably some areas of our lives that are easier for us to hold on to. Perhaps these are some of the intangible areas, like our status-- those areas that are hard to define, and hard to determine how much Christ should influence them. 

The orange notes represent what we want to surrender about our status

We talked about how our status, especially in middle school and high school, can be quite dependent upon what our peers think of us. We talked about the positive and negative aspects of status. We also talked about how much Jesus emphasized the opposite of what society often thinks regarding status-- that the last will be first, servants will be honored, and the lowly raised up. We looked at descriptions in Isaiah about the coming servant of God and how he would not be what people expected!

Here's what some of our youth are seeking to surrender:

"To do things for me, not because it will look good to my friends."    "To learn to serve so that I can lead."  " To leave the status quo behind." "To reach out to those who are 'outcasts' and be a better friend."

As we continue on our Lenten journey, we are going to spend this last Sunday before Easter discussing a difficult topic... sin. It is one of those areas that churches seem to either spend all their time focusing on, or very little of their time acknowledging. Where is the balance? What did Jesus have to say about sin? How do we acknowledge our mistakes, and learn from them? 

Join us at Inside Out this Sunday as we explore all these questions and more!

Surrender...Our Stuff

Each week we'll add what we need to surrender...

For the next several weeks at Inside Out, we will be delving into the topic of "surrender." As we discussed last Sunday night, this is a very "churchy" word that we may have heard a lot about, but never really applied to our daily lives. As we look at various aspects of our lives in which we might be called to surrender to Christ's way of life, we are trying to be really honest with each other and ourselves.

Last week, we looked at surrendering our stuff. This is a really important area for us, especially as those who live in the US. We brainstormed about what drives us to always be seeking "more": perhaps our own insecurity, the desire to have security, the various perks that seem to come with accumulating more, the status that comes with stuff, etc.

We read a lot of Scripture that is most often cited in discussions regarding money and possessions. One of our challenging thoughts was how the trap of just saying "spiritual answers" because they sound spiritual can actually turn us into very "me"-focused individuals... which contradicts Jesus's call to love our neighbors as we love ourselves!

Check out this funny video about how sometimes we turn to greed to fill the holes in our lives, rather than working on our relationships with each other or God...

This Sunday night, we'll look at "Our Status." In a world that is constantly urging us to climb various ladders-- social, material, occupational, etc.-- we are faced with the challenge of Jesus telling us the last shall be first and the first last! Don't miss out on our discussion of "Surrender...Our Status."

Spring Break, Madness Report, and What's Coming UP!

Our work crew (including Natalie Byrd and Kala Horvat)

I hope that this finds those of you who have been traveling for Spring Break enjoying some much needed time off!!

As many of you have heard from both our students and from all of our pictures posted on Facebook, we had a GREAT time at March Mission Madness. To explain a little more in depth... my crew was tasked with doing some painting, organization, and cleaning at a half-way house for abused women and children. I had 8 girls on my crew ranging from 8th grade to 11th grade, and they were AWESOME workers.

But beyond all the good work we did, one person we encountered throughout our day really brought home the meaning of all of this. This person told us that while painting might not seem like a big deal to us, it helped to remind this person that the world isn't an entirely bad place. Seeing complete strangers coming and caring for this half-way house made this person recognize that not all people were bad, either. Talk about a powerful moment.

This about sums up our great time on St. Simon's!

As one of our students so aptly said, "MMM was a weekend of fun with friends and doing God's work...a perfect combination!" 


As we continue our Lenten journey in the Youth Ministry, we will be looking at the theme of "Surrender" over the next several weeks. Jesus's journey to the cross models for us what it might look like to live out our faith despite all the distractions that surround us! Join us this Sunday evening from 5pm- 7pm at Inside Out as we delve into what it means to really surrender.

March Mission Madness--Meet the World

By the time you're reading this, we are on the road to St. Simon's Island where we will join with 200 other youth from all over Georgia for the weekend! March Mission Madness (or MMM) is focused on helping students incorporate their faith, their worship, and their missional activity into their everyday lives. Each year our theme challenges students (and adults) to stretch their faith and strengthen their relationship with Christ. Please be in prayer for our students and chaperones this weekend as we seek to dive deeper into our relationships with God.

As a youth minister, I constantly wrestle with how to encourage students to live out their faith right where they are-- in all the avenues of their lives. This is what Jesus urged his followers to do, and this is what we are called to do as well. But as most of us are all too aware, there are so many distractions and so many other voices that demand our attention-- status, self-image, material possessions, relationships, public image, fitting in, hurts, illnesses, worries... the list goes on and on.

So in keeping with my Lenten journey (see last week's post), I've been asking students if there's one thing I can pray for them for as we journey through Lent. This week, here is my prayer for our students:

God of Healing and Comfort,

Be with those we know who are sick and suffering. In the midst of the pain, hurt, and tragedy that exists in our world, give us the strength to remember your promises-- You are near to the brokenhearted, and you draw near to us. Let the warmth of those words comfort those who need it most. Give us the strength and courage to be your hands and feet to the world and to those right in front of us.

In Christ's Name I pray, Amen.

The Journey to the Cross

Well, Lent is officially upon us! Beginning last Wednesday with Ash Wednesday, Christians around the world step onto the rough and rocky road that leads to the cross. Each year, millions of Christ-followers the world over enter into 40 days of self-examination, sacrifice, repentance, prayer, and contemplation.

Some of our students asked me what I gave up for Lent this year. They did so with slight smirks because many students were aware of my disastrous attempt last year to give up dessert. Yes, I know, it was an epic failure on my part.

So this year, I'm taking another angle. Lent is, after all, a time of spiritual "spring cleaning." A time where we decide what to keep and what to throw away. This season, I have decided to take something on... prayer!

This blog is just to tell all of you students that I am praying for YOU this Lenten season. If you have anything specific you'd like me to pray for, just message me on Facebook, text me, or email me.

Here is my prayer for you this week:

God of grace,

Grant each of our students a knowledge that you are walking this journey with them. Help them have the strength and courage to live out their faith wherever their journey takes them.

In Christ's name I pray, Amen

Blessings on your Lenten journey friends!

~Kristy Bay

One journey ends...and another begins

Well friends, we have arrived safely back home in Athens, GA. You might see some of us in church today looking rather tired, seeing as we got back around 12:30 am!! Our trip was incredible, and each of us has many stories and memories that we're looking forward to sharing with each of you in person.

There is a story to tell about Haiti, and it's not all sad. There are some beautiful things happening there, and of course, wonderful people! We are extremely grateful for all of your thoughts and prayers over us, as well as your encouraging words.

Be watching for our pictures that will help illustrate our journey and some of the stories we told throughout the week. We will add some final reflections as well!

So wherever this finds you on Pentecost Sunday...be it Haiti, Athens, or beyond... we pray that the Holy Spirit will bless you on this journey we call faith. We were blessed in Haiti, and hope to continue to share those blessings with others!

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8

Resting and Waiting

This morning we painted part of a wall in the medical clinic before running out of paint. The flexibility of the island schedule means that there is a lot of hurry up and wait. Once the painting was finished, we played highly competitive games of catchphrase that were very narrowly won by BA, Kristy, and David. Let's take a minute to talk about our culinary adventures. Yesterday we had goat and pumpkin soup, and every morning breakfast has fresh pineapple, papaya, and mango. While touring the school yesterday someone cut open a coconut for us to drink. Everything is full of flavor, even without salt and pepper.
 Yesterday afternoon we walked into town and everyone got a coke or a sprite, our first cold drink since leaving the US. So far our afternoon has consisted of playing card games and waiting for our trip to the datrophe plant. All we know about it now is that it makes bio-fuel. We'll tell you more about it when we get back.
(Typed by John)

"Life Is An Adventure"

Our plan was to go do the feeding at 8:30 this morning, so it wouldn't be that hot...life is an adventure. Turns out the truck had 2 flat kawoutchou(tires). We didn't leave until almost 10. In the mean time, we were the show and tell in school. Kristy was asked to talk about herself to the classes. They all enjoyed it and laughed at her when she made mistakes. Then, we went to the concrete courtyard and took pictures with the kids. They crowded around us, fought each other to see the pictures, and all wanted to hold our hands and get our attention.
For the feeding, we first went to Phoeton. It was orderly and the people were very grateful for the food. The oldest people came first, then the pregnant women, families, and everybody else if there was food left over. Most thanked us for the food. After we left Phoeton, we went to Paulette. This town is very poor because the factory that used to be there shut down and people lost their jobs. We were accepted very differently. The people were more angry and the crowd shoved to get to the front. The town leader organized the people to make it more orderly and to keep us safe. The feeding was very humbling. It made us realize that we have a lot even when we don't think we have enough. Not everyone got food, so it was depressing to see the hungry people leave empty handed. Then, we climbed in the back of the flat bed for the very long, very hot, very bumpy trip back to Phoeton to see the beach. The water was warm but felt really good. After we left the beach, we rode back in the truck for an even longer, even hotter, still bumpy trip home. We are all sunburned(John more than most) and rested after an afternoon siesta.
It's raining, and it feels really good. We're waiting for it to slack off so we can walk to town and get a coke. Stay tuned for further details of our sweaty Haiti adventures
[Typed by Zoe :)]

Yesterday... Hurry Up and Wait!

Sorry for the delay, but last night there was no internet. Yesterday we painted one of the walls in the clinic and in the middle of a seemingly endless task, we kept reminding each other of who we were doing this for. We also encountered the local wildlife... donkeys, dogs, puppies, goats, pigs, chickens, oh and a horse dashing down the road!!

We also packed TONS (like literally several tons) of food. We put rice, beans, vegetable oil, spaghettie, and Zoe's favorite...dried fish that still looked remarkably like fish (and smelled that way too). Pam still has a slightly fishy scent.

Down here education is a gift, not something to be taken for granted. -- John
Everyone worked really well together, and would stop and pitch in whenever they saw a need. It wasn't just us working, it was the school community. Pam

Visiting the classrooms was really interesting, and impressive. The kids in 8th grade were studying physics in French! It was cool to see! -- David

One of the cool things was when you took out your camera, you were mobbed with cute kids who wanted their picture taken and then wanted to look at it on your camera. -- Zoe

Everyone has been so welcoming and willing to teach us Creole. Haiti operates on its own time schedule and you simply live in the moment... we do whatever needs to be done, right then-- painting, making jewelry, packing food, or just sitting and playing a game. It's been great... nou tann ampile "We wait a lot." :) -- Kristy

Beth Anne has alreay headed over to the school so she is hanging out there as we write! She enjoyed sitting in the kindergarten class yesterday as they practiced writing the letter "O" on their chalkboard slates. And they loved having her there too!

So from all of us to all of you...bonjour, man bon jodia a! (Hello and have a good day!)

The Team (Ps. We're all totally healthy and doing well now that we have clean clothes to sweat in!)

At the End of a Long Long Day

Well, we woke up at 4 am this morning (after a short nap on a comfortable bed) to catch the shuttle to JFK (yes..that's NYC folks) to get on our plane to Santiago. Of course, we had some time to kill in JFK watching the airport open. The flight went well, and we arrived safely.

Unfortunately, our luggage did not arrive safely with us. In fact, it didn't arrive at all. Turns out our bags decided to spend the night in Miami...even though we did not.

Upon arriving in the Dominican Republic, we boarded a bright green (air-conditioned) shuttle for the long ride to the Haitian border... and yes, it was bumpy and somewhat harrowing.

The farther away from Santiago we went, the more rural and impoverished the area became. At the Haitian border, there were tents everywhere. You could see such a clear dividing line between the D.R. and Haiti. The border crossing closes at 5pm, and the militia were definitely on the DR side, but not on the Haitian side.

As our jeeps moved toward Terrier Rouge, we noticed that transportation changed from car to moped to horses/donkeys. We were amazed at the stark contrasts that we've seen already-- people sitting in squalor, holding cell phones.

The Ecole St. Bartholomy stands out in the community as being a very clean, neat place that is well-respected. One of the things that amazed us was the resourcefulness of this place... the clinic has an X-Ray machine from World War II that is in great working order, and the clinic runs off of solar energy and gathering rainwater. So much creativity is exhibited...right up to the prayer labyrinth that is prescribed to lower blood pressure.

We enjoyed playing cards and meeting Son and Lulu, who have become our friends! We're all doing well...eagerly looking forward to bed time tonight and hopefully getting luggage tomorrow. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers, and we'll update more tomorrow.

Blessings.... from Zoe, John, David, Beth Anne, Pam, Kristy, Trey and the Haiti Team.

The adventure continues...

New plan... Heading to New York around 10pm, arriving around 12am, leaving for the D.R. at 6 am... Fun times ahead.

In Miami for the night.

Due to Atl delay, we missed our connection. So the adventure begins with an overnight in Miami. Ps... We watched our flight pull out. Yay!!

At the airport... Waiting!

So we're at the Atlanta airport and our flight delay is up to 2 hrs. We're now leaving at 3:50. This means that we'll have an exciting run through the Miami airport to make our connection. More to come!

Welcome!

Dear Friends and Family,

Welcome to the MABC Youth Blog! This is where we will chronicle our travels as a group. To inaugurate our blog, the Haiti Missions Team will use this space to tell you all the story of Haiti.

We leave June 6th and will spend the next 5 days in Haiti, returning to Athens on June 11th. Please keep checking back to hear reflections about our experiences in Haiti and specific ways you can be praying for our team.

Trey Scott, Pam Sloan, Beth Anne Mathis, David Sloan, John Bolen, Zoe Bolen and myself (Kristy Eggert) are the MABC church members going on this trip, along with several Athens medical professionals. Please keep our team in your prayers as we embark on this week of spreading the love of Christ in Haiti.

Blessings on Your Journey,

Kristy Eggert