Our Young SHEro

If ever the world was desperate for a super hero, today is ripe. And, I know one. A super SHEro named Haven! 

Even her name sounds like she'd fit into Marvel Comics' band of X-Men! When I tell you what feat this one accomplished, you'll agree Tennessee is home to our own heroine.

Christmas 2012, my hubby and I were asked to present Calcutta Mercy Ministries during a missions fair at Hope Assembly of God in Fayetteville, where Haven's parents, Ben and Tammy Johnson pastor. Ethnic foods were prepared and missionaries from around the globe were featured. Financial commitments were prayed about to support these missions. Such a great night for adults! 

me. Ben. Terry. & Tammy!

Quietly in the room, a young heart was moved by what was heard and seen on the video. Children of all ages in Calcutta, India, receiving a meal each day, 6 days a week, each month of each year. Hundreds of babies born, sometimes abandoned due to social and religious superstition, with cleft palates and cleft lips. Quietly in the room, the heart of a SHEro was beating in rhythm with the Father's heart.

But what can a young girl do?

Mariah had us celebrating
with dessert before dinner! (as it should be)

Haven decided to raise funds by asking people to match each basket she scored during eleven games with $1. One basket = One dollar or whatever a person could donate. She gathered sponsors and created a poster tracking her progress. By the end of the season, Haven had scored more than 100 points!

We met the Johnson Family for GiGi's Cupcakes and a celebration dinner (in that order)! Then, it was the check presentation time. Haven had raised $646! 

She raised enough money to pay for one child to have cleft palate/lip surgery and speech therapy rescuing and sheltering that child from a life of misery and alienation. Additionally, this preacher's kid had raised enough money providing approximately 1,800 meals! 

Haven Johnson is a SHEro to people she may never meet in Calcutta. Haven Johnson is my SHEro. 

Next time, you're overwhelmed with the desperate needs of the world, think of young Haven and her willingness to align her abilities with the mission of the Creator of the universe.

Humility

-Dwennimmen-
West African Symbol for Humility

The room was dim with the exception of stage lights illuminating a modest chair with a basin of water placed directly in front. The young minister knelt beside the basin. Waiting.

“God, we need a breakthrough. We gotta have You. Use us to be Your hands and may these students see You. Holy Spirit, do Your thing.”

The worship music softly playing in the background helped little to lighten the weight of the atmosphere. Finally, a student slid into the chair and quickly removed his shoes and socks and rolled up his jeans. Wide-eyed he watched as the young minister guided his bare feet into the water and began washing them.

This student had done just about everything he could to cause misery during the young minister’s first year. As if there were no memories of the past, the young minister spoke words loud enough for only the student to hear the prayer. Blessing not cursing. Clearly the student was not prepared for this encounter. After a towel was used to dry his feet, the student rejoined the group and sat with his head in his hands weeping.

Sniffles heard from around the room revealed the tenderness of the moment was not unnoticed. One by one, students and leaders, sat in the chair. That night their pride and resentment and pain were disarmed by the power of humility.

How would one simple act cause such emotion?

Humility is overlooked by the inconsiderate and scorned by the powerful. But, is adored by common man and rewarded by God.  

While Impatience stands with hands on hips tapping her foot, Humility sweetly smiles offering a hand to accomplish the task together. 

With her mouth agape, Demanding is shamed by the very presence of Humility quietly walking through the room. 

When Humility asks the question, “What can I do for you, today,” Stinginess harumphs and crosses her arms in realization she has been exposed. 

As Cruelty and Ignorance point their fingers and hurl insults, Humility drapes her arm around slumped shoulders soothing the wounds with her words. 

All the while Arrogance proudly toasts herself, Humility serves all a cup of refreshment.

An act of the will selflessly seeking to benefit others is the quiet strength Jesus fleshed-out as He served the broken, the spent and the dirty. This powerful substance brings piety to its knees and promotes servants to leadership. It is love in action. A verb. A trait that cannot be faked. Humility is not just a posture, it is the very nature of our Saviour. 

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” Philippians 2:5

"Calcutta Village Feeding" in Decaturville, TN!

In 1954, Mark & Huldah Buntain and one year old baby, Bonnie, steamshipped to India, thinking they would give one year of their lives until the real missionaries would show up allowing them to pursue a post in China. Soon after arriving in Calcutta, they discovered the deplorable conditions and severe poverty which forces millions of men, women and children to pick through dumps and slums for their next bite of food. Mark knew he must start a feeding ministry. 

Today, Calcutta Mercy Ministries feeds 25,000 people six days of every week! I have a feeling that number receiving one modest meal of rice and Dal is conservative. 

Last Wednesday, Scottie & Stephanie Adams - Youth Pastors of Trinity AG in Decaturville, Tennessee, hosted a simulated village feeding in their student ministry service! I prepared a huge pot of basic Dahl to be dished out to each student with special instructions to eat using only their right hand. Terry shared stories and videos of Calcutta. At the conclusion, Scottie challenged those 30 students to fast for 1 day while raising $1650 which will feed 25,000 people in Calcutta for 1 day.

For 24 hours starting Wednesday, November 14, at 7pm, the students, their youth pastor and leaders have chosen to refrain from eating and raise $3300 to cover 2 days of feeding 25,000+ adults and children in villages, schools, dumps and clinics! 

Scottie explains why he and the students will fast:

God's word tells us in Isaiah 58:6-7 that a fast that God accepts is one that loosens the yoke of wickedness and shares bread with the hungry. I read in a John Piper book that if you ate 1 meal today and own a car you are one of the richest people on the planet. We eat 3 meals and have 2 cars so we are already blessed beyond measure. God has dealt with my heart to show me that as an American there is not much reason for me to ever ask for more materially, but it is my goal to MAKE MORE GOSPEL in the world with what God has given me. If we love mercy then we will make more of it, and that is what this fast is about. In Calcutta, people are like the slave girl in Acts 16. Her future is lead by other evil people and she is tormented by demons. Our fast can break those bonds through prayer and giving of the money that we all have so much of already. My prayer in life is becoming more and more not that I will be leader of this or executive that (which is where my heart was a few years ago) but that when I die there will be more mercy in the world and less lost people. I get my students on board with this by reminding them of 3 things. 3 reasons why we fast: 1.) Jesus loves Calcutta, and His blood is for them. 2.) Jesus deserves worshippers all over the world. He emptied himself for us (Philippians 2) so the only proper response is that we do it back. The Moravians said as they sold themselves into slavery to reach people "Let the lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering". The very lifeblood of the Christian life Jesus! 3.) Jesus suffers to identify with and reach those who suffer. We are like Jesus when we sacrifice to bless others. On the cross, Jesus is in darkness in the middle of the day for 3 hours. This is a powerful way of showing that He enters our darkness, our isolation, our hopelessness to have us. We want the people of Calcutta to find Jesus in a dark place, because those are places where Jesus goes. We know it because of the cross. I don't drive them with condemnation (you spoiled brats!), I pray that they are compelled by grace (look at Jesus!). 

Terry and I believe in you and plan to join your fast!

If this sounds like something you'd like to be part of, please contact me for additional info. Your group could host a village feeding night, too!

~"Sam"

HIGH-LOW

During one rough season of my childhood, my mom was married to a man who did not like table conversation during meals. This was difficult for me for two reasons: (1) Prior to him our family gatherings had always involved laughter and talk of daily life and (2) I was a "chatty-patty."  While living in Scotland, my step-father worked a 30-days-on/off schedule in the North Sea as First Mate on a tugboat taking men and supplies back and forth from the oil rigs. It was while he was away, Momma, my little brother and I would have fun meal-time exchanges, once again. After we returned stateside and the marriage dissolved, laughter and conversation were welcomed back to the family dinner table! 

It is my opinion food does not digest well, when you are nervous, sad or feel intimidated. Your appetite is better when life is happy and relaxed. It is for this very reason, our family started "High-Low" at dinner time when Dane was in elementary school. 

High-Low is when each member of the family shares a high experience and a low experience for that day. The rules are simple: Everyone participates, poop-talk is not banned (unless someone has a weak stomach) and family members are not to interrupt -- except for laughter. It's a way for family members to engage.

During our summers as Tennessee Youth/Student Directors at Camp Jackson, our staff, known as the Crunk Crew, would participate in High-Low after "Devo" (devotion) usually after the campers had gone to bed and the facility prepared for the next day. Twelve staffers would pile into our bedroom located in the lower level directly under the wooden dining hall floor. Sometimes, they found it easy to come up with a low, but many times they would substitute it with two highs! If I would forget to do High-Low, they would remind me or wait until after the Thursday evening S'mores Bonfire when the campers were in the cabins. It was always a favorite and intimate time for each of us. 

Create memories. Start a tradition. All ages can participate. It can happen around a table, at bedtime devo, in a car, or anywhere the "family" gathers to get conversation going! 

~"Sam"

Spoken Word from I-40

Earlier this year, Terry and I resigned as District Youth/Student Directors  for our state to change ministry direction and work with Calcutta Mercy Ministries & Huldah Buntain. Driving down the interstate toward our yearly ministers' meeting where a new student director would be appointed, the sense of closure was wrapping around me. I can't really say why I decided to tackle writing a Spoken Word nor why I went with an analogy of student ministry to horse racing. Regardless, I offer to you my very first --and unstudied-- attempt at this creative writing form which informally captures my take on redirecting our ministry focus.

Terry and I are (Destination)-bound

Laden down with gear and Gospel to be spread around

Like race horses pawing the ground

Waiting for the sound to release us.

Oh, please don't think we've forgotten our roots

Ready to shoot out the gate to some so-called better fate

Or high-paying plan

When man does not understand

It is God's hand

Which grips the reins, changes lanes

And spurs something inside us.

We've run in other stake races

And steeplechases in domestic and foreign places

Demanding much of our bit and bridle

And will intentionally set the pace

That ends this race with no arrival...still, glorious.

No doubt at times the grass will look greener

That old opponent, "Slewfoot," look meaner

And our purse seem leaner

As our hooves burn down the track

With sweat down our back.

No! We'll not turn back!

But, always remember

The beat of our heart

When first we did start

Youth Ministry

As we part

Will endearingly

And forever be

A cherished odyssey of

Never Never Land

to us.

It's 2-on-Tuesday! Be sure to stop back by at 2pm for a recipe I made each week during our summer youth & kids camps at Camp Jackson, where I was known as "Momma Sam."

~"Sam"