given to Nate by the grils on our trip....

Tips for Nate!

(Remember: these guidelines are written by females to help you gain a better understanding of the opposite gender. Feel free to not change your habits around your buddies…its all about context!)

1. Farting around your homeboys may be permitted, but not all homegirls will appreciate your ability to fart the loudest, longest, or even smelliest.
2. Gleaking, spiting, and drooling is not attractive unless you are under the age of two.
3. Leave squealing to girls…they need you to protect them!
4. It is always better to keep your hands to yourself. Leave punching matches for guys’ nights!
5. Don’t bring attention to embarrassing moments…leave pointing and laughing for when you are not in public.
6. Girls respond better to whispered complements in their ears over loud barking…always remember, “I am a human, NOT a canine.”
7. Do you not leave your dirty underwear on the floor, especially inside-out!
8. Never show the coin slot…wear a belt boy…no girl wants to see your vertical smile.
9. Learn to be tactful in pointing out the amount of an over priced item in a high quality store.
10. Do not repeatedly smack the air while saying “oh, yeah, oh, yeah!”
11. Regarding the table:
1. Despite common practice it is not always polite to overly exert bodily functions.
2. Chewing with your mouth shut is not just a polite gesture, it is mandatory
3. The path of food is from the plate to the mouth.
4. Utensils are not weapons but tools for transporting the food along that path, there is no need for aggression.
5. Napkins are for prevention of stains not for attempting to remove the aftermath
6. Wipe off your mouth before sipping out of a glass.
7. Leaving your wallet at home is not a good start if you are paying for the meal. Also make it clear at the beginning of the date who is paying, but it is better to be the gentleman and pay anyway.
12. Shoes and their scents go on the feet not up your nose.
13. Showers are great! They keep you clean, healthy, and people around.
14. “Stupendous” is a cute phrase is for children and does not work well as a word of endearment for a sweetie.
15. When asking a girl if she is ready to go to the car, refrain from demanding her to “Get to the Chopper!”
16. If the girl has to excuse herself to go to the restroom keep composure without saying “again, how long will you be?”
17. Not all women are impressed with how much of the burger you can stuff in your mouth at one time. However, if you find a girl who challenges your burger eating ability you may have found a winner!
18. NEVER, NEVER agree with a girl when she says she is fat.
19. Girls enjoy meaningful conversations that may pertain to real life! In these moments avoid cartoon impressions.
20. God blessed you with a sense of humor, use it to your advantage.
21. Keep God number one and He will work out all the details.
22. …

an adventure

This trip has been pretty sweet. This evening I met a guy who knows a guy that I met at Chi Alpha in Moscow, ID three years ago. I told him that my sister is up there now and knows his friend, confused yet? They gentleman here said that this the second random connection in the past week. Crazy!

Well, aside from random connections, this trip has been great because we have bonded pretty well as a team. A few nights ago we had a girls night, and the guys copied us and then joined us at our movie after theres was over. As a team we have been met with some huge obstacles among each other as well as spiritual challenges.

God is good. For me, there is the occasions for me to step outside my comfort zone and just rest in the place that God has laid before me. For all of us, we have expressed our difficulties and have tried to encourage one another in the things of God.

The things that we are doing here we can apply when we return to Poky. There are three new -be's to Pocatello this semester that are on the trip and it is crazy how it happened, but we are all making connections with people that plug us into the campus and give us a good fellowship base.

We are getting really comfortable with each other. . . like real brothers and sisters. We have shared meals and a bazillion stories with one another and laughed too much. Like grown-up kids we have cleaned, learned and read. We write, we sing, and I do not feel so uneasy about singing in public.

Tomorrow we are going to Portland, I have never been there, and so I am so excited. I love big cities and Oregon is so beautiful. I am so short on words, and am very distracted as I write during this bonding moment around me.

"don't ever say stupendous" with a -Barney voice

Well. I should go because I cannot think but I will write more later.

our story

I thought today that I would share one of the experiences Megan and I had on our trip. On Tuesday, we parked the van at the Fred Meyers parking lot.

What we have been practicing on our missions trip is how to hear God's voice. So we ask God where to go, any directions, practically anything that will lead us to who God wants us to talk to. We also ask God what to do along the way. It is amazing how God shows us and truly does speak.

Back to Megan and I, I felt that we needed to go out together, so we paired off and everyone went their seperate ways. We both felt we needed to take a right and Megan said we had to walk across the parking lot and sit on the curb at the hair salon. We walked over there and then we felt we needed to sit on the chairs right next to the salon in front of Sandwich Express.

Right then, Megan saw one of the workers in the sandwich shoppe that we needed to talk to. I couldn't see her, but we started to ask God what we need to say to her. I felt that people have been canceling on her and not following through, but God is not going to cancel on her. He is always there. Megan felt that she needed to know that she was ok.

So, we went into Sandwich Express and Megan asked her if she would come to the table we were sitting at to talk. She did. We then said, "we are Christians and this might sound really odd, but God told us to come here and tell you that God is not going to cancel on you like everyone else has been doing."

Hannah (the girl at the shoppe) was really suprised and she said that everyone hasn't been following through. She has only had the job for a couple days. She was really thankful that we told her what we did and I gave her a chocolate bar I bought the day before. I bought it because God told me to and I knew she was the one I was supposed to give it to.

The suprising thing is that Megan and I left the shoppe and went to Fred Meyers. We saw Kyle and Jamie there and told them the story about Hannah. We walked around the store and I bought Megan the first pie she has ever had...believe it or not. We were putting it in the car, and guess who was right outside our van....Hannah was there.

She was waiting for her mom to come and pick her up which gave us the opportunity to talk with her for about twenty minutes. She is home-schooled because she was kicked out of public and the alternative school. She is also on probation right now. She said that she is starting to get back on the right path. Hannah is starting to go to a youth group out of town, which was encouraging.

Overall, I think the experience was really eye opening because, for one, it was so sudden and well-receipted. We also were able to see her again and get to know her. Since, a lot of times when you get words for people you tell them the word and never see them again. But the great thing about the experience with Hannah was that we saw her again. God placed her twice in our path. How amazing. So that was one of the stories of how God spoke to us and gave us opportunities to share words of encouragement with others.
-Amberlee

Jurassic Park, Sardines, and Hostage

We have been having a great time here in Newberg. I thought I would share a bit of our experiences of our evenings. I will venture to say that our spring break team knows this church inside and out better than most of those who go to church here. We've been playing games such as Jurassic Park, Sardines, and Hostage. I thought I would attach some of the picture of our winnings.

Obedience

Hi it’s Nate, it’s my first time actually writing a blog for the missions trip. The drive up here was long, but I got over it after we arrived here in Newberg, Oregon. The reason we’re up here is to hear the voice of God. It has been a very exciting time, and God has spoken to me. Today, we had pizza with Dave Benson the pastor at the church we are staying at. After lunch with him, we set off doing our acts of obedience, we prayed to hear God’s voice to know what we had to do for him. He told me George Fox University. So we continued on down the road to a place in the middle of no where. We stopped for some reason, maybe it was because some heard from God to stop, I don’t know? We all got out of the van and prayed for God’s direction. God told me to walk to GFU (George Fox University) and I was like “I aint walking that far, and God was like do you trust me and i was like mmm, I aint walking that far, so no.” I told james that I needed to go to GFU so, we got back in the van again after a few minutes of just standing there. We started down that road, we drove for a couple of miles and God told me again to start walking to GFU. I was like “heck no I aint walking that far and i don’t know the way.” We continued going back into Newberg, everyone wanted to go to the bathroom, so we arrived at Thriftway. I was in the store waiting for the group to get done going to the bathroom and God told me to go to George Fox. I was like “mmm no, and it’s far away and I don’t really know the way.” Everyone got done, we got back in the van, and we drove off. James asked me if I still needed to go to GFU, by then I knew God was pretty upset with me. so I said “yes, drop me off there.” We got there and me, James and Hannah got out of the van so we could go pray for the university. By then i felt very disobedient with God by not listening to what He told me to do. Me, James, and Hannah walked around the University just praying for it. We went down to the creek/ river bed thing. There was a pipe crossing the river. So James being James crossed the thing. The pipe was pretty narrow, i was like “WTC!” So Hannah crossed it with no problem. I was like, “nrr i just wanna go back”, James told me to across it. God told me “do you trust me?” by then i felt like crap so, I went across the pipe with fear. I went slowly across the pipe fearing that I would fall in. I finally crossed the stupid thing saying, “I would never do that again.” God saying, “Do you trust me?” and I told Him “Yes” and I trust Him. In my life, I really haven’t been trusting God with my decisions. Today God really opened my eyes to faith in Him and being obedient to what He has to say. God made me to follow Him and to be a man of God - that’s what my purpose in life is at this point.

We can reach our culture...

I haven't written on this at all this entire trip, so it is time. This missions trip has been quite rewarding for me. I don't even know where to start. We had several different speakers come and share new perspectives, insights, and spiritual truths to us.

We had Paul Gibbs come and speak yesterday. What he said really stood out to me. His main point was that the church's biggest crisis today is that we fail to go deep enough in the Scripture and faith, and because of that, we are not capable to reach our culture.

In our Christian society, I think we try to come up with different strategies in our humanness of how we can reach our culture. We try to come up with different activities that would draw a certain crowd in, which is not inherently wrong in and of itself... but the focus is almost a bate and switch technique. But what Paul says that we can't reach others and relate to culture until we know God on a deeper level. He encouraged us to use the resources we have. Dive into His word. Use commentaries. Study the original languages.

In the book of Acts the Eunuch was reading the book of Isaiah which was unheard of having your own copy of the text. That would be like reading a $50,000 book. That made me think...the book of Isaiah is worth that much at that time, it is valuable. Today, it is so easy to just keep our Bibles on our book shelves. They didn't cost much. You can buy them everywhere.

We need to see the Bible for it's actual value, it is priceless, our firm foundations, the words of life, truth and peace. Why would we not be devouring God's word? Personally, I have been wrapped up in busyness and I have been neglecting to spend time in God's word. I should take time out of my day and spend it with God. There is so much I do not know. That is the amazing thing about the Bible and God, the more you learn, know, and experience, the more you realize how much you still need to know. Our walk with God is a journey, I am glad we can dedicate a week to seeking God, and reenergizing our walk with Him.
In Him,
Amberlee

An uneasy day.

Well, we were off on another grand adventure and nothing exciting happened and was just a frustrating day. I mean God worked and talked to me but I didn't see any tangible result. The only person I really talked to shot Amberlee and myself down very quickly. Well a guy started tagging along with us. Once we got back to the church I begin to feel this darkness in the pit of my gut. It seriously felt demonic. I have never felt like that before. So I laid down and started to pray and read the word. One of the thing I had gotten was the number 876. I had been looking for that number all stinkin week, and no such luck. So I get back and God prompts me to look up Acts chapter 8 and verses 6 and seven say:

6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.

wow that makes all the sense in the world to me.So I spend the next hour in prayer and God tells me to fast during dinner which I do. I start to feel a little better but it's still there. But then we worship and boom. It's g one. So I have no idea what this means but it was something that had never happened before today. But praise be to God!

Benjamin "Buster" Smith

Hittin' the street

Today was our first day out on the streets of Newberg. We started with some teaching from Darin Lindly, then he went out with us to hit the streets to go where Jesus wanted us to go, and to bless who those Jesus wanted us to bless.

God showed himself real to many of those on the trip, as well as on the streets. Of which stories will come. But something that God was revealing is that we must diminish and he must increase. The places He directed us to go and the things he had for us to say didn't come from ourselves. It came from God. The boldness to reach out and the action we took today were all orchestrated by God. I know this because the Bible says that apart from Him we can do nothing. He is our vine. We are His branches.

- James Rich

And God Shows Up

Today is March 24th and today God Showed up.    We went out today to do acts of obedience which started off with us all in the van driving around and following Gods direction, from take a left at the light to look for a white house with green trim.  At first like always you start to second guess if you are really hearing God or if you are just following a hunch, but then it happens.  You see that person or house or what ever it may be that God told you to look for and it all adds up to a point where you have no choice but follow through with what God told you to do. 

This was the case for Ben "buster" Smith and myself.  We found ourselves in Fred Meyer's sporting goods section looking for some one who at first was not there, because we really didn't know who we where looking for, all we knew was we needed to be there.  Then God gave me some more insight, He tells me that we need to look for "new life" and a woman.  So this told me that we should be looking for a woman with a newborn baby, and He told me that I needed to tell her that her husband cares.  Just as I finished telling Ben what God had told me Ben points to a woman behind me and says "like her".  So I turned around and I just knew that it indeed  was her  and I was at that moment of having no choice, I had to go tell her what God had said.  So in the most normal way we possibly can think of Ben and I told her that we where christians and we wanted to know if there was anything we could pray for.  I wish I could say that she then broke  down and confessed all her sins and became a follower of Christ, but I cant because she already was a Christian and told us that she had no prayer needs.  At this point I just wanted to leave it at that and call it a day, but I knew that I had to tell her the rest of the reason we had approached her.  So I told her God wanted us to let her know that her husband cares.  By this point to be honest I was wishing for some kind of reaction but there was non and she just stood there.  Not knowing what to do next and knowing we had done all God asked us to do we told her to have a good day and walked away.  

In many ways I could count this as a loss, but I know that for one Ben and I where used by God, and second I can't help but feel that she needed to hear what we told her even if she didn't realize  it at that moment.  No matter what the outcome was God was and is amazing because He showed up today and led Ben and I on a adventure.

Kyle Cook (cookboy)

Acts of Obedience

I've had one of the most interesting days that I can remember today. Darren Lindley came today(by the way if you get a chance to ever meet him, do it), and taught on how to hear from God and what and how to do "acts of obedience". So we pray and all of these strange pictures and colors and words come pouring out of us. I had a vision of a white house with green trim. Other people had yellow and a pile of rocks fred meyer and wal-mart. It was pretty strange so we hopped in the van and took off listening to the Holy Spirit to tell us where to go.
First, we passed this street and a few of us had this impression to turn around and go back. Amberlee and Hannah met this brother and sister whose family are having financial struggles and different health issues. The girls prayed for them and then we felt the need to split. One group felt like it needed to go to Wal-mart and we felt we needed to go to Fred Meyer. Once we got going again we wondered around for a while and finally got to Freddy's. On the way there, Sporting Goods popped into my head. As you all know me I'm a but of an outdoors freak and I was wondering if that was in the flesh or if it was God. Well Kyle and I headed towards the SG's dep while James felt he needed to stay behind. We got there and there was no one around. I was wondering what the heck was going on. We kind of looked at each other and asked if the other was hearing from God. Kyle had been reminded of something Amberlee had mentioned earlier about New Life. God showed him that it was going to be a mother and her young baby and that God wanted to tell her that her Husband cares for her. The very second those words had left his mouth I looked over his shoulder and there was this young woman with a baby in her cart. It was so unnerving just because of the situation and now we are going to have to go and talk to this lady and I have never done anything like this before.
So we go over to her and start talking to her. Turns out she is a Christian and that she didnt need any prayer. Kyle told her about God tell her that her husband cares for her. and The conversation ended awkwardly and we went on our way but the thing is that we were obedient and God had a point to telling her that so There maybe something coming up in the future but know she'll be able to stand upon the word that God had given her through us. Past that we really didn't get anything else. The other group had a powerful experience that included the white house that I saw, so that excited me. It was just a really powerful day that showed me I really can hear the voice of God and he guides and directs me everyday.
Benjamin "Buster" Smith

Here We Go. . .

Wow, this is my first ever missions trip anywhere. I am so excited to be here this week, but I am also nervous. It seems all my life I have had this potential to do great things with God, but nothing too astounding has happened. I pray that changes this week. I have no idea what God is going to this week but I know its going to be spectacular. More from me later. God Bless
Benjamin "Buster" Smith

Day One of the Actsidental

Well today was the official start day of our spring break mission trip to Newberg OR. We got on the road shortly after 3 p.m. and drove to Payette which is 1hr outside of Boise.  The van ride went really well and it seems that we are all looking forward to what God has in-store for us this week.  After reaching Payette and having dinner we took 45 minutes and had some worship followed with communion in honor of today being Good Friday.  It never ceases to amaze me that when you set time aside to take communion no matter how me times you have done it, God shows up and its a very powerful moment.  It seemed that we all took a moment to step back and really remember what communion is all about, and what it really means for us today.  There is so much more to describe what went on today but I just cant seem to find a way to put it all into words.  All I really know is that God is up to something this week and I am very excited to find out what it is.

Kyle Cook 

What can we really expect?

I am really excited for this trip and see what happens. I know for one that we will be challenged and get to know each member really well. Our prep assignment was to be praying for each team member and read Acts. In reading Act, the object is to be listening to what God would want to speak to us.

It if funny how sometimes you read something and when it is read again a whole new thing pops out and you think, "Wow. I did not realize that was in there."

I read from Acts 4, and it greatly encouraged me. Basically Peter and John went before the Sanhedrin because they healed a forty year old cripple and the miracle caused a disturbance in the people because the miracle was performed in the name of Jesus. About five-thousand people came to accept Jesus as their savior.

Verse 12 ". . . 'Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be save.' When the [Sadducee's] saw the courage of Peter and John and realized they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took not that these men had been with Jesus."

Anyway, the Sadducee's became very up set at Peter and John and tried to quiet them.

"But Peter and John replied, 'Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey your rather than God. for we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.' " 4:19

As far as what stood out, was that these men encountered God and shared what they new, and peoples lives were changed. It was real. The Sadducee's could not hide the fact that a 40 year old man that everyone in the community knew to be cripples all his life was now up and walking around. It made them upset that some guy that they put to death was apparently responsible for the miracle. Even that so many people came to believe in this one named Jesus of Nazareth after hearing about this one miracle.

How often does that happen? People experience something once and it changes their life forever. I mean it happens, but encountering God? If He is real then it would change a life, if He's not they hype would fade away.

I am looking forward to experience God in a new way, and see people meet God for the first time in a real way. And Hearing His voice and being obedient to what He would want us to do.

If there is a lesson to learn from Peter and John, it's that their faith was real and deep, they told the "schooled" officials that they would not keep silent, because they were going to follow God and not man. That is a great challenge, but I think so worth it. He did give it all, just for us.

Tomorrow the Trip Begins

We will soon be on our way to Newberg, Or. The purpose of this blog is to give those on the mission's trip an opportunity to journal what happens on this trip. My hope is that as you read our blog you will begin praying for us on the trip. Pray that God will direct our steps, that we may intersect the lives of those searching for the One true God.

- James Rich