Monday, August 30, 2010

3:18 Ministries...The Foundation

Foundations are probably the least exciting part of a house.  The roof and rafters...pretty exciting.  Windows and lights have a visible purpose.  Usually foundations are boring and not thought of most of the time.  And yet if the foundation is bad, the whole house is in trouble.  At 3:18 Ministries, we are in the process of laying God's foundation for His ministry here.  We have 4 people who have agreed to be on our board and several other people praying about their involvement with the board.  We have begun working on our bylaws.  Once the bylaws are completed then we can begin the process of applying for our 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service.  Things are moving forward.  It is not the most glamorous time in the history of 3:18 Ministries, but it is such a vital part!  Please pray for God to lay His foundation for His ministry to the San Carlos Apache people.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Two things

C.T. Studd wrote...


"Some wish to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell. I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of Hell."
 
Read the rest of Robert's post here:
http://crewsfamily3-18.blogspot.com/2010/08/two-things.html

Thursday, August 26, 2010

A Life Cut Short...

Sunday I attended a funeral for a 17 year old that we have known since 2002. He had been hit by a car early on the morning of August 9th. He was a boy with a sweet, kind heart that often had a wall covering it to appear as a tough guy. He had many obstacles before him; sometimes home was tough, he was deaf and he was longing for a place to be accepted and loved.

I was full of emotion and memories as the Master of Ceremonies asked us to rise while they brought in the casket. Rolling in the double doors of Rice Gymnasium was a casket with about 15 young men dressed in blue t-shirts with blue bandanas in their pockets and covering their faces like bandits. They were all members of his family or his gang family. My heart was broken. I looked around at other young men who were showing where their loyalties lay. I knew their souls were hanging in the balance. This could have just as easily been any one of them in this casket, but it wasn’t …this time.

They began the service with a worship time. I prayed. I prayed each person there with a broken heart would let Jesus be their sustainer and comfort. Then the eulogy began. I heard the wails of a mother who was mourning the death of her teenage son. No mother can fathom losing a child that they love. Again, my heart was broken.

I remembered all of the times we had spent with this young man. His smile, wit and talents were gifts he would share with those around him. His hurt, pain and struggles he wore on his face. We had watched him grow and now I participated in mourning his passing. At the funeral they spoke of his relationship with Jesus. I pray he continued to walk with the Savior. I hope the seeds we planted and the love we gave helped him on his journey to walk with the Lord. I continue to pray for the young men who carried his casket, and his huge family, that they too would truly know Jesus personally.

His child,
Kara

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Thoughts from a board member...

Here is a link to Mike's blog. He is one of our board members.

http://theoquest.blogspot.com/2010/08/318-ministries.html

Monday, August 23, 2010

Arizona Recap Video

3:18 Ministries Short-Term Ministry Team Partner
Parkcrest Christian Church Long Beach, CA
August 9th - 15th

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Thoughts from a short-term ministry team member

Here are the post-trip writings from Evan.  He was here with the group from Parkcrest Christian Church.  We are already looking forward to next year!

http://www.realevanmcelrath.com/blog/2010/08/arizona-wrapup-post

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

What a day...

This was my day on August 9th.


A man, Manuel, came to the door looking for help. Hold on, I happen to work at a church in our Cross-Cultural Ministries department. I work with the homeless and people who are looking for all kinds of assistance. Anyway, back to Manuel, he lost his job, the person he was renting a room from up and moved and took/threw out his belongings. His daughter is on Sec. 8 housing so he can't stay with her without jeopardizing her housing.
He needed a place to stay for the night. I sent him to a motel to find out if they had a room. On the way back he put in an application at the .99 cent store. When he came back, they did have a room so we paid for a night.
He was so happy he started to cry. He wanted to shake my hand and when I did he grabbed it and kissed it.
He said he had talked to some other Churches but they couldn't help.
He sat down, looked up at the sky and prayed for help. A guy came up and told him to go to Knott Ave. Christian Church because "they care there."
That was a good day.

Well, here is an update on Manuel.
He came to Community Assistance later that same day to get food and when Jim, one of our volunteers, talked to him, he accepted Christ as his personal Savior.
A good day indeed!

Later in the afternoon I got a phone call from Tory. He told me that an Apache kid, Donnie, I knew from a few years ago; actually I taught him how to do a magic trick while I was there on a Short-Term Missions trip, was hit by a car and killed that morning. Donnie was deaf and involved in gangs.
That day isn't so good any more.

Kids like Donnie are the reason Liz and I are being called to the Reservation. And guys like Manuel are the reason I'm here at Knott Ave. for now.

In Him,

Robert

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Interesting week...

Several nights ago I spent some time out watching the stars. It was a beautifully clear night, the night of the Perseid Meteor Shower. I didn’t see many shooting stars, but I was amazed by the vast expanse of the stars. You can’t help but look at the stars and feel so small.

Tonight I was driving our teenage boys back to their biological parents’ homes and there was a thunderstorm surrounding us. We watched lightning dance across the sky for 30-40 miles around us. As the lightning bolts zigzagged down and the expanse of the storm enveloped us, I felt small.

Monday we received word that a teenager we have known for 7 years was tragically killed. Details are still sketchy, but it is a horrible situation. Thursday and Friday we were privileged to spend some time in a neighborhood in San Carlos. We have been spending time with those kids for more than 7 years. On Thursday several of the teenage boys stopped by to chat. They talked about drinking and partying. My heart broke as they joked about the emptiness they were chasing. We talked a little about the boy who was killed. One boy callously said, “That’s life. We are all going to die.” Earlier that day I talked with a close friend who was given until Tuesday to be out of his house. He was broken as he looked at his family being homeless in 5 days. On Friday a good friend of ours had the opportunity to dialog with a teenage girl. This girl shared her desire to have someone to talk with. She feels like she has no support, no boundaries and no one who cares.

This week I have been overwhelmed with the pain and emptiness that surrounds San Carlos. It makes me feel so small and so hopeless. How can we even make a dent in the darkness? How can we help these precious children see that there is more to life than what they can see? How can we give them hope when a teenager dying is just another day?

The truth is that we are small. We are just a speck in this universe. However, there is a God who made the stars and knows them by name. He holds the lightning bolts in His hands and they obey His voice. How can we make a dent in the darkness? We can’t, but there is a God who is real, who is powerful, who is filled with love and compassion, who can. I’m small, but He is big!

tory

First summer of 3:18 Ministries!

I can't believe our summer is over and we had the privilege of serving alongside so many incredible high school students and adults.  This summer we had groups from Ridgeview Christian Church in Rolla, Missouri; Kingsway Christian Church in Omaha, Nebraska; Central Christian Church in Saint Joseph, Missouri; and Parkcrest Christian Church in Long Beach, California.  These groups served the people of the San Carlos Apache Reservation by presenting Vacation Bible Schools in several neighborhoods, serving the Youth Home (tribal run group foster home), fixing the exterior of the San Carlos Cultural Center as well as painting inside, painting outside and inside the San Carlos Fitness Center and providing a Sports Camp for the youth of San Carlos.  God did some amazing things are we are excited to see what He has in store for the future!