Crossroads Bible Church, Team Holland 2006 Official Blog Site

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Until We Meet Again…

17 days ago we left Dallas for a mission trip to The Netherlands.

We’d done our best to become a “team” but there were injuries, universities, busy schedules and unforeseeable emergencies that kept all of us from being in one room until we met at the airport. I was a bit concerned.

I mean, sure, we’d studied a book on post-modernism and all that. I tried my best to prepare them through e-mails and such for the realities they would face…including personal experiences from my previous trips.

But we were going to be in some VERY close quarters for over two weeks…9 girls, one bathroom. Some team members had never been this far from home. Some had never been apart from family that long. There would be bouts of homesickness. There would be laughs. There would be times when we got on each other’s nerves. It was a roll of the dice to see how they’d respond to a full-blown overseas mission trip.

In retrospect, I’m not sure why I was concerned.

It was a real live Ecclesiastes 3 team:

They planted; they shook off the dust.
They laughed; they cried.
They danced (and boy, did they dance!); and they mourned.
They tore down; they built up.
They felt like throwing stones; they slowed down and collected them.
They searched high and low; they gave up as lost.
They kept; they threw away.
They were silent; they spoke.
They loved; they hated.

I could go on, but you get the drift.

And, as head of the team, I gotta say it was beautiful to watch. The kids I’m bringing back are definitely NOT the same kids I brought over. Broader horizons and all that jazz, sure. But also in a spiritual sense as well. It’s one thing to build homes for the underprivileged in Juarez. It’s entirely another to arrive somewhere, and say, “Pray, be Spirit-led, and try to share Christ in some way today with someone who doesn’t know Him.”

And they never seemed to pick up on the reality that this should be a terrifying endeavor. They pulled it off in spades. They did the mission they were tasked with. As I sit here right now, I can’t say that anyone accepted Christ…but I know some seeds were planted. Some previously planted seeds were watered. We’ll let God worry the growth. Deal?

With that in mind, I’d like to thank the team members individually, so stick with me, okay?

To Debbie “Mrs. Deb” Schmidt: Thanks for keeping us fed and for bringing the girls some earplugs. You made our building a home and supplied the right amount of “mom” to all of us…for the girls it was hugs and compassion, and for the guys, well, it was food. But thanks for being the house mom and adding to the CBC legacy of incredible house moms. You’re always welcome to come back, okay?

To Alicia “Keep in Touch With The Dutch” Garcia: Thanks for yet another mission trip. From Juarez to two Holland junkets we’ve been there and back again. It’s been so great to see how you’ve picked up where you left off from your six months here. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at all, though. Your consistency and passion are so encouraging.

To Michelle “Mish Pish” Davis: Thanks for you missionary zeal and compassionate heart. It’s easy to overlook those things if you’re not careful, but your reminder of “child-like faith” and how you live that out is such an encouragement to all of us. Also, what would the 20 minutes before bed-time be like without you stirring everybody up with giggles and laughter? Full-time missions, anyone? Anyone?

To Kayla “Kay Kay” Russell: Thanks for using this trip to jump out of your comfort zones. I’m so thankful you’ve let us see this side of your personality on this trip and if you could only take what you’ve learned here off to college with you. SHSU will be a better place for having admitted you, and the Kingdom will be better off if you let the rest of the world what you’ve shown us on a consistent basis. I’m thrilled to see what happens, too.

To Maria “Pain Is Bad” MacGilvra: Thanks for your teachable spirit and joyful countenance…even with the difficulties of resting your knee and trying to balance out team stuff with continuing your previous ministry here and the personal family stuff going on. Your seeing the value in “pressing on” is so encouraging and inspiring. Maria, it’s nice to have spent 9 years with you…and frankly, I think the next 9 will be even more enjoyable. I value our friendship.

To Olivia “Pig Pen” Schmidt: Thanks for just jumping in and starting the work here. I’ll NEVER forget just taking time to show some others around on the first day here and turning a corner and seeing you sitting at a table, spending your “expense account” and actually doing the ministry. That kind of attitude is something I like and can’t wait to see how it manifests itself your senior year. It should be a great year, and we’ll have to grab terraces more often to check in, okay?

To Keila “Kee Keeker Deeker” Lorenc: Thanks for just being yourself. I mean, you know that I know your three older sisters and yet you’ve never tried to follow their path but rather just let me see the real you…and I don’t ever want you to forget the words I told you on the terrace at lunch in Haarlem: You are incredibly unique and gifted and it’ll be an honor to serve you as those gifts and talents become more defined your last two years of high school. You are amazing, Keeker. Wow.

To Bailey “Bitterbollen” Price: Oh my gosh. Thank you so much for the late night Pims and milk sessions…I can’t think of any one student I’ve ever laughed so much with and you know, this is really only the start of your mission trip, right? I mean, there’s Bailey and 19 reasons to be salt & light, and never ever forget the proper place of things in the big priority list. You’ll never regret it, and well, Bay…you’re the best.

To Alex “Ranch” Ehrich: Where do you get the energy? Oh, yeah…it must’ve been the liter of cola you drank before bed time each night. Thanks for ramping us up with your excitement and enthusiasm when we were tired and zapped. And, I’m glad you left all your energy not only on the dance floor but also in the work you did here, and I’m glad you’re going back with no regrets.

To Steve “What’d You Say To My Face?” Davis: Working with you is a blast, and seeing what this trip has already done in your thinking has been one of the highlights of my ministry…having known you since you were in middle school, well, there’s not a lot that hasn’t already been said. But, mi hermano, thanks for a great trip. I’m glad we did this one together.

To Thomas “Tom Tom” Egbert: Thanks for your constant seeking of the adrenaline rush and pioneering spirit (think North Sea on that one). This year’s Senior guys Bible study was a highlight and finishing it off this way…well…I can’t think of a better way. Take care of your freedom, and find ways to use your incredible gift for photography to glorify Him while you’re at Wheaton. I expect greatness from you.

To Schuyler “Scrubs” Crabtree: Thanks for thinking through so many issues and coming to sincere conclusions on your own. You’re a great thinker and can use that gift to influence many…so use your powers wisely grasshopper. I know that OU has many opportunities to minister and I hope you’ll listen as well as you debate, because the Christian community there can accelerate your growth if you’ll let them. And, I promise I’ll try my best to imitate your keen fashion sense!

As you can see, we’ve become quite the little family here. We’ve grown closer, gotten all sorts of inside jokes and shared experiences. Youth ministry books call it “group mileage.” I call it life together…and with the bikes returned and us just waiting for a 4AM pick up to go to the airport…well, I’ll just enjoy that little bit of family before we have to return if you don’t mind.

But, I realize that it’s easy to pat the team on the back and say, “Job well done, troops.” The harder task is to try to thank the others that make a trip like this possible and make sure you get everyone. I won’t. But I’ll give it a shot, okay?

First of all, thanks to Peter Hays and the entire Hays family. Working with you and your ministry over these last few years has had long-term effects within our congregation... and I only hope we’ve returned the favor in some small way. Thanks for inviting us in 2000 and thinking enough of our goofy approach to this thing to keep welcoming us back. We appreciate you guys serving our body here in Holland, and we look forward to seeing you at the conference in October.

Secondly, thanks to Merrikay Lee, keeper of the CBC worldwide vision. Doesn’t matter if we’re going to downtown Dallas or anywhere else on the globe, you’re always supportive of the student ministry…even if that means a budget line item is a bit higher than expected. Your giving opportunities like this to our students will reap long-term rewards if past performance is any indication.

Thanks to Tim Stevenson, our senior pastor, for considering the students of CBC a vital part of the body of Christ right now rather than waiting for 10 years until they “become useful.” Your support of this kind of thing is what most youth pastors can only dream about and thanks for seeing it this way for the last decade.

Thanks to Nathan, Heather and Kristy for keeping the ministry running smoothly while I’m away. When we come here, we leave you not only with your own jobs to do, but also having to cover what we leave undone. And you all do it without complaint because you see the bigger picture. I’m grateful for your professionalism above and beyond the call of duty.

Thanks to the CBC deacon board for ensuring that all the monetary hoops are jumped through, and thanks to Kim Kerr for making the vision a tangible reality…and not to mention your oversight in keeping our financial practices “above reproach.” People heard the gospel because of your work, and I only hope you see that.

Thanks to everyone who hit the blog site and wrote words of encouragement. Technology can communicate love, and it did. Our 12:31AM team sessions were a chance to experience family over an ocean away.

Thanks to Paul Edwards for doing my yard work while I’m away. In the Texas heat, that might be one of the most valuable ministries we’ve got.

Special thanks to all the team members and CBC folks who’ve been here previously. We can see your footprints all over the place.

And don’t even get me started on thanking all of you who contributed money or prayed for us. There simply aren’t enough words…and I only wish there were. It is an honor to be your hands and feet.

One final thank you to the Schmidts, the Parenteaus, the Davis’, the Ehrichs, the Prices, the Lorences, the Egberts, the Crabtrees, the MacGilvras, and the Russells. You have entrusted me with the most precious of cargo and I assure you I’ve done my very best to be worthy of that trust. I’m grateful for all of your love, support and prayers…not only for this trip but through the years as well.

And, as always, thank you to the most beautiful woman in the world, my wife Tracy. And, thank you to Kelsey and Shelby, the best daughters a guy could ask for. The sacrifices you joyfully make so I can serve others using my gifts and talents is something I never take for granted and am deeply grateful for your putting up with the unique demand of a life of ministry. I absolutely love the reality that when I say “home” it implies that you three will be in it.

If you’re reading this, we’re well within 24 hours of landing at DFW. You can get the flight information in the column at the left…we’d love to see you there at 2:30PM or thereabouts.

We’re glad we came.

We’re glad to come home to you folks.

And I think I speak for everyone on this team when I say we’d come again in a heartbeat.

If you've come this far...

...thanks for reading!

Brent 4:24 PM