Fun stuff from my bros from church!

Here's something that some of the guys from CCF put together. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw_NRdeitxY&feature=share

Exodus from other perspectives

Operation Exodus Young Life leader blog:
http://rachelginnaty.blogspot.com/2012/03/washington-heights-young-life.html

Operation Exodus is on pinterest (if that is something you're into):
https://pinterest.com/operationexodus/

The Operation Exodus highschoolers are planning to go on a missions trip to West Virginia this summer. This is an amazing opportunity for growth for them, as they see the world outside their own community and practice empathy towards the suffering of others. It is also an opportunity for discipleship, as not all the students going on this trip are believers. Please watch this promo video they made and consider helping their fundraising efforts. And feel free to tell your friends about it too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFgKovjlWh4

Peering through the cracks

The shell cracks - just a little - and I catch a glimpse underneath. 

It’s not what you’d expect if you saw only the shell. 

The shell is tough, seemingly impenetrable. It has no questions, no insecurities, no weakness. It is armed with dangerous-sounding words and expressions and actions. It glitters with the promise of easily-gained wealth, fear-based respect, and freedom from constraints. It is draped in apathy: no empathy for others, no emphasis on the value of others, no desire for excellence. It draws a firm line in the sand, and scorns any who cross that line: the wrong clothes, the wrong way of talking, the wrong amount of income, the wrong level of academic excellence, the wrong display of emotion, the wrong gender, the wrong social class, the wrong opinions, the wrong music. 

But the shell cracked, just a little. 

And this is what I saw. 

I saw a young man come to Exodus immediately after school, an hour early, and sit alone in a classroom with me, his chair pulled right up to the whiteboard, determined to figure out the answer to the problem written there. I saw him spend an hour working on the problem with me, recognizing patterns, trying to make sense of hints, begging for encouragement. I heard his shell say, “I hate you”, but the crack in the shell said, “Thanks for not letting me give up, knowing that I can do this, and walking through it with me”. I heard his shell swear in frustration, but he said, “Sorry, miss. I am determined to get this!” And I saw a smile that cracked his shell even further when he finally solved it. I saw him solve the next step, and the next - just for fun - and I heard his words dissolving part of that cracked shell: “You know, I’m actually having fun with this! I can’t wait to see how the others try to solve it!” 

I saw a room full of teenagers, most of them boys, pretending diligently not to listen to the guest speaker but actually listening intently, desperate to understand how to have meaningful relationships with the opposite sex. I heard their shells asking inappropriate questions just to get a reaction, but through the crack in the shell, they were asking, “What does it mean to be loved and to love someone? I don’t understand this stuff. Am I loved?”

I saw some really tough-shelled boys in men’s bodies feeling desperate and hopeless at a conversation about college, because they don’t feel they can ever get there. I saw honesty in their eyes when I asked them to think about a couple of things before they left, and they said, “Yes, miss, we’ll think about that.”

I saw a keen understanding of the world and yearning to be part of something big, something lasting, when a conversation with one boy started in ancient Rome and led to astute observations about our culture’s emphasis on living life for the short-term. I heard his voice fill with eagerness and excitement to be part of something that is lasting and meaningful. 

I saw young people returning day after day during homework time, exuding apathy and avoidance from their shell. Through the crack in the shell, I saw a desire to do well in school, to understand and learn no matter what obstacles are in their way. I saw them waiting, almost nervously, to make sure that I would get after them to do their homework, so that they wouldn’t lose face. Their shell said, “She makes me do my homework all the time!” But every time they come back and wait for me to push them to do their work, I hear them saying, “Please provide me with an excuse to succeed!”

And I saw twelve hardened teenagers, for one precious moment, forgetting that they had a shell. They watched the visiting volunteer group do a skit about how following Jesus is an all-or-nothing deal, leaning forward in their seats, completely silent and 100% attentive, totally engaged. In that golden moment, I saw twelve priceless kids hungry for a life rich with meaning. 

This week I have had the privilege of filling in for the high school program coordinator while she was away. It has been such an amazing reminder of the preciousness of each person and their desperate need for the gospel. It has been a challenge at times, and I have gained even more respect (if that could be possible!) for the amazing job that Amy and the other staff at Exodus are doing at living in love, being the hands and feet of Jesus to the kids here.