3rd Down

One thing we can't do is tell time to leave flying to the birds. The truth is, father time probably flies faster than any golden eagle in the sky. It's crazy for me to think that I have now completed 3 years of college. It's been a great ride so far, and I couldn't be more grateful for the relationships I've built, the knowledge I've gained, and the progress I've made these past three years. College always seems keeps me looking forward to the present and to the future. I don't spend enough time reflecting on what I have done, and before I know it, I'm here with only one year left. One goal I have for this summer is to spend time every day reflecting on the day I've had. By doing that, I think I can realize more how blessed I am, and I can appreciate the way God is present in the things I do, and the people I come across. Even though father time is moving at an all-time high of a speed, it is never too fast to take a step back and realize the way God is moving in our lives. In today's day and age, it's harder to step back sometimes than it is to keep up with the speed of life. I hope that this summer I can take some steps back and really reflect on everything that is going on my life, because before I know it, 3 more years will be passed. Just a little while I ago I was entering my dorm room as a freshman, unpacking my suitcase on a 90 degree day in August, with not a clue of what lied ahead of me. I can't believe how fast it's all been going.

New Journey

I've grown up at First United Methodist Church in Murray, KY. That's the place I became a Christian, the church I got baptized through, and so on. It's a big church...or what I considered big. I've been highly involved over the last couple of years, throwing myself into everything I could. I dreamed of growing old in that church. But God called me somewhere else. He called me to a tiny church in Paris, TN. A church COMPLETELY opposite from the church I call home (and love dearly). I got mad. Mad because I didn't want to leave my church. Mad because I loved my pastor and didn't want to stop listening to his wonderful sermons. Mad cause I wanted to worship with my friends and family. But no matter how mad I got, God still told me I needed to go. So here I am, beginning my new journey. A journey with so many unknowns and so many possibilities. A journey with so much hope and few restrictions.

I've been "on the job" as a Children's Minister for about 2 weeks now. The church has welcomed me with open arms.

This Sunday, though, wraps up my life with First United Methodist Church. It's Senior Sunday. A day to recognize all the Seniors. And most importantly, my last day to attend and my last day to perform with the youth praise band. My journey there is over. It's bittersweet. It really is. I am so sad to leave my wonderful church filled with wonderful people that I've grown up with, but I am so grateful that God has put these wonderful opportunities in my life.

I have the opportunity to teach these wonderful children the message of Jesus Christ. I can help them grow into our future. I have the ability to hopefully become the Youth Minister in years to come as well.

The more time I spend at this wonderful new church of mine, the deeper I fall in love. He has great plans for me!

Also, I may be periodically posting my lessons because sometimes the simple children things are things us adults need to learn/remember as well.

Blessings,

Faith

Blessed

Today I am reflecting on just how blessed I am. God has given me so many opportunities. This morning, at my home church, I will be preaching about change (sermon notes to come). And God really has a funny way of doing things because I actually just got offered a job as a children's minister at a church in Paris. I would have to leave my church and the people I love to go somewhere else...to a new church to call home. But I've had to learn how to "practice what I preach" because my sermon is all about how change isn't bad and change helps us grow in Christ. I'm scared and I'm apprehensive...but God tells to be bold, and do not fear. I can't wait to preach today. I remember as a child saying, "I want to do that!" Now, I am. It's so hard to believe. I also cannot wait to begin this new job and see what He has in store for me. I know He has great things ahead.

After my sermon this morning I will post my sermon notes! Stay tuned! :)

Shooting Star

I always love those moments when you witness a beauty that God has presented to us here on earth. Like those amazing sunsets over the water, or a clear star filled sky at night, or a shooting star. This past week has been pretty crazy for me. Last Tuesday morning I got a call from my mom that my Grandpa had gone home. It hit me real hard, I mean my Grandpa was doing so well just two days prior, and just so quickly, he was gone. Today I had the honor to be a pallbearer at the funeral, and it was a great testament to my Grandpa's life.

My Grandpa was one of a kind. He raised 12 kids in a small house on the east side of Detroit. He taught all of them good values and morals. When he passed, his 12 kids were all still living, and he had 28 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. Talk about a great life, and a great legacy he left behind. What I want to talk about is the LIFE Joseph Kramek lead. I believe the biggest impact you have in life is to lead people to Christ. My grandfather raised all his children in the church, and showed what it means to be a follower of Jesus. He was the greatest man I've ever met.

In today's society, being rich in successful is most often-times related to your financial success you've had in your life. My Grandpa though, was one of the richest men who ever walked this earth. Not rich in dollar signs, but rich in the spirit. Raising 12 kids, working 60 hours a week just to make sure everyone is fed. He stayed married to my grandma for almost 70 years, and was just as much in love with her the day he died as he was the day he got married. For me, when my time comes to leave this Earth, I hope I would have had a similar impact on lives that my Grandpa did. Not saying that I am going to have 12 kids, or 30 grandchildren or whatever, I'm hoping that I can be a true follower of Jesus, and leave this world knowing that I let His love shine through me.

Today, on this beautiful March day in Detroit, my Grandpa was buried. As all of us who were at the funeral watched as the casket was shut, and taken away, we all had that same feeling you get when you see a shooting star. What do you do when you are lucky enough to get a glimpse a shooting star? Witnessing a shooting star is a moment where you just feel so grateful and blessed to get to see something so beautiful. Then you usually look around at the people who are with you, and instantly you know they saw it too, and you get to share this wonderful moment with them.

Today when we saw his casket close, we all looked around, and were so grateful to be blessed with knowing, and loving a shooting star which was my Grandpa. I love you Grandpa! Thank you for showing me what it truly means to be a man.

Humbled Heart

I'm currently in ENG 105 at Murray State. We were forced to write a personal narrative. I want to share that with you because I want you to get a deeper look into my trip. Also, I wanted you to see just how much Misael means to me and how much I think of him.



I stepped off the old school bus onto the dirt. After being greeted by a dozen kids, we walked up the steep hill to the large concrete building that I would be calling home for the next week. To be frank, lurid thoughts crept into my mind: What was I thinking? I left air conditioning and the comfort of home for dirt, long skirts, and sultry heat? My shameful thoughts were interrupted by children tugging at my skirt, grabbing at my hands, and speaking at a rate my overwhelmed brain could not comprehend. My trip to Nicaragua proved to be a life-altering event that reinforced my desire and passion for missions.
As the leader was relaying information in that concrete building atop the hill, my mind could not help but wander. Listening became almost impossible. My camera immediately came out of my purse, and I began snapping pictures of everything I saw; I didn’t want to forget this moment. The second I took the first photo, I was bombarded with children. They wanted to see the picture. Then, they wanted me to take pictures of them. Most of the children didn’t have mirrors at home; some didn’t even know what they looked like. My mind was engulfed in taking photos of the children. Soon, Kyser, another member of the group, came to inform me it was time for lunch.

Lunch was a sack lunch of a sandwich, chips, fruit, Cheez-its, and a Rice Krispy treat. At this point, lunch was the farthest from my mind. Instead, I wanted to explore and play with the children. I knew though, that I needed this food for energy. As I sat down to eat, the kids played around me. I finished my sandwich and chips, but I began to give away the rest of my lunch to the frail children who surrounded us. Unbeknownst to me, this would not be the first time I would be giving away food!

The group I traveled with is called Baptist Medical & Dental Missions International (BMDMI). Our purpose was to provide the community with medical and dental needs, as well as provide them with basic needs like food, clothes, and shoes. After lunch, the group, as well as many of the local Nicaraguans, unpacked all the boxes and moved them to their designated station. As I was setting up the photo station outside the building, I noticed the kids had momentarily disappeared. I soon heard giggling and went to the back of the building in hopes of finding the source. What I witnessed stopped my heart. I saw the children digging through the trash, our trash, eating our leftover scraps of food. In that moment of complete dismay, I began to realize how wasteful we Americans are. Those dozen kids made a meal from what we had thrown in the trash. I began to tear up, feeling sure that this trip would show me how blessed I was.

Nighttime was filled with a powerful night worship with the Nicaraguans, a cold shower, and a night’s sleep on a hard cot that attracted various bugs and spiders. Typical mornings began with coffee, breakfast, morning devotional, and dismissal to our stations. Each station was prepared for seeing 200-300 people per day. We had a system set up in order for the days to run smoothly and to be able to see as many people as possible. First, they would go to a church service and be provided with a Bible. Then, they would travel to the medical station, on to the dental station, on to the optometrist, then to the photo booth, the snack station, then finally, the clothing/shoes station. My responsibilities for the week were divided between the photo booth and the vet group. With the photo group, I snapped family photos and printed them almost instantly on the portable camera printer we had. The vet group partnered with the local veterinarian, and we went door-to-door vaccinating any animals we could: pigs, dogs, cats, horses, and cows.

Each day at the photo booth was full of fun. Most families had never had a family photo, and some didn’t even know what they looked like. They would cherish that picture; some even fought over who got to hold it. My heart was heavy as I realized just how much we take a simple photo for granted. On my first day of manning the photo booth, I met Misael, a little 8-year-old boy who would soon capture my heart. His father was the local preacher, so he was always at the community center helping us. He went to school in the morning and then came to help around noon each day. Misael was one of the sweetest children there. He was constantly asking to help, picking up trash, and desperately wanted to be included in conversation. He would sit in my lap and read books, talk, and play with toys. He just wanted the love that I gave. By day 3, Misael began taking on more prominent roles in the photo booth. He began taking over! He would do pretty much everything except actually take the picture for us. He soon began asking if he could take the pictures. After much effort, he finally learned how to take an acceptable picture. By that point, all we had to do was sit and watch!

It didn’t take long for me to get attached to Misael. We soon became inseparable. Misael never acted like a child; instead, he was similar to an adult. Through worship and other activities, I saw his faith grow. He was one of those children who didn’t have much in the way of material goods, but he was filled with joy and faith. That alone inspired me more that he could ever know. One day, after school, he came to me with a huge smile on his face and handed me a note. I had no idea just how much of an impact that note would continue to make in my life far after the trip had ended. Translated, the note read: “I thank God for bringing you here to me. I thank you for loving me, and I love you too….I hope we meet again someday in this beautiful place.” To this day, that note remains in my wallet. I carry a little part of Misael with me wherever I go.

On our final day, after the final flood of Nicaraguans came through, we began to pack up our stations. Misael, yet again, was a great helper. After our stations were all cleaned up, Misael casually mentioned something about “tomorrow.” I reluctantly reminded him that I would be leaving the next day. The look on his face was one I would never forget. Tears began to stream down his face because apparently, he had forgotten that I would have to leave him at some point. The remainder of the night was spent with him holding on to me, his face wet with tears. I ate dinner with him sitting on my lap and spent the worship service with him sitting on my lap. His head rested on my shoulder.

The following morning we woke, ate breakfast, and loaded up our bus to leave. We walked across town to have a send-off in the community church in which Misael’s father was the pastor. After our send-off ceremony, we all put our hands over Misael’s father to pray. Halfway through the prayer, I felt someone grab onto my waist from behind. I just knew it had to be Misael. After the prayer I turned around; there he was with a giant smile on his face. It was what I had been dreading all week: I had to walk to the bus to leave.
I walked on the dirt road from the church back to the bus with Misael wrapped around my waist. His tears soaked my shirt. I heard his voice repeating in Spanish, “Please don’t go. I love you.” Knowing there was nothing else I could do, I held his hand and sobbed. We finally reached the old school bus and began saying our goodbyes. Misael refused to speak further; he just held on to me with all his might. Everyone began to pile onto the bus…everyone except me. I could not muster up the courage to say my last goodbye. Knowing I had no choice, I gave him one last hug, told him I loved him, and spoke one final goodbye. At that moment he began to wail and hold on tighter. As I stepped onto the bus, his mom came to pry his hands from my waist. I slowly made my way to my seat. I heard him wail one last time, “Don’t go! I love you!” as the bus pulled away from the church.
Misael forever changed my life and my faith. I know that I changed lives while I was there, and I am humbled by the joy and faith that the people of Nicaragua possess. I am so blessed to have been able to meet each of the children, especially Misael. I cherish our time we spent together and continue to miss him to this day. I am actually in the process of planning a surprise trip to visit him. This trip was life-changing and has made my passion for missions clear.

New Kid on the Block

I remember when I was in elementary school and word got out that there was a new student, it was like crazy big news. Everyone was excited to see who this “new kid” might be. The more and more I think about it, everyone I knew got excited when a they heard there was a new kid at school even when I was in high school. I think we all just fell in love with the mystery of who that person might be. It seemed that once a week or so went by and everyone met the new kid, the anomaly wore off, and they were just a normal student like all of us. If you were a new student, you had all the pressure in the world to give off a strong first impression.

As Faith said, I will be I guess you can say “contributing” to this great blog every now and then. Faith and I met back two summers ago in Chicago. I was working for YouthWorks! mission trips, and she came to our site for a mission trip with her church. It's crazy to think that months after we met, we reconnected and have been friends since. It's amazing, I met over 500 students that summer, and some how we are still friends now and share our faith stories (God made sure of it!). I personally never get tired of hearing her stories from Nicaragua, they're like super awesome. So about me, first off I'm not usually one to talk about myself so I'll keep my introduction brief. My name's Andrew (obviously), I'm 21 years old and a junior at Western Michigan University. I'm in the School of Social Work here with a minor in Alcohol and Drug Addiction Studies. I love football, basketball, music, you know the usual. I love to write too but I've gotten away from it recently (being a college student can be so freaking busy I'm telling ya). So when Faith said that I should start contributing to her great blog, it was like a perfect opportunity. I now have motivation to start writing again; at least creative writing.

In a way, I'm kind of like the new kid in town at least to this blog. I somehow tried to describe myself in a few sentences so you guys would be familiar with who I am, and want to keep reading. Are first impressions over rated? I can tend to see both sides of an argument to that one. I know I catch myself putting so much stock into first impressions and then later I realize that person is nothing like I thought they were. Anyone ever have that? What I'm getting at is that if you were the new kid at the school, how would you want everyone to see you? Would you change anything about your current self, and why? I often times think to myself and ask would I like me if I met me. I know its crazy, but it's a great way to examine yourself and see if there are some things you really need to work on (I know I've got plenty to improve on). Also, would people know right away that you were a Christian, or is it something you'd hide for a little bit? You only get one first impression, and while they may be a little over-rated there is no doubt people put stock in them. So when you give off your first impression are you 100% you?

I look forward to being a part of this blog, and I'd like to thank Faith for letting this new kid sit at the cool table at lunch.

Lame & Welcome

I'm lame, I know. I haven't posted in forever. Luckily, I have good news! First, I have some ideas for new posts that will be up by Wednesday of next week. Second, I have added an Admin, Andrew, to the blog! Andrew is a friend of mine that I met during a mission trip 2 years ago and we have been sharing about our faith ever since. I've heard his devotionals...they are great! So, he will be posting on here too!! That way, when I'm lame and don't post, he will :)
Anyway, I can't wait to see what good stuff he comes up with!