Hello! I am posting from beautiful Montego Bay, looking out the window into the sunshine and the crystal blue ocean! I could stay here forever!!!!!
Keenan and I have now been here for 3 days getting all of the final loose ends tied up. Things are coming together and I think we are all set! Which is a good thing b/c the students arrive today! Their flight arrives at 2:15 and the week officially begins. And here's the really good news: my wife is on that plane!!!!!!!
We'll have a day to relax before the work begins, since we came down a day earlier this year (we usually come down on Saturday but the flights were about $200 cheaper if we came down on Friday...an extra day in Jamaica for less money??.....We'll take it!!). On Sunday we'll head to a Jamaican church and get a true taste of Jamaican culture. If you've never been to a Jamaican church before, it is quite an experience. Most Jamaican services last almost 3 hours!!! And you thought your service was long! There is lots of worship and singing and dancing, and the preachers get nice and riled up!! No 20 minute sermons here! If they last less than an hour it is a shock.
We have 3 elementary schools we'll be working with Monday-Wednesday in the morning time. We'll get to sing songs, tell Bible stories, and make crafts with the kids. Being with the Jamaican kids is always one of the best experiences of this trip. In the afternoons we'll be working on the work projects. One of the projects is something new this base is starting called Homes of Hope. We will be building a house for a single mom that has 5 kids and currently lives in a rundown, one bedroom house. She is a sweet lady and we look forward to working with her. We'll also be working on a church in Norwood, as well as some work here on the YWAM base.
Thursday we'll be visiting some infirmaries and orphanages, ministering to some of the people there. Often times, simply having a conversation with them and showing them you care has a huge impact on their life. The love of Jesus Christ is a powerful thing! We'll also be meeting in a spot that overlooks the island and spent a few hours praying for the island. There is so much darkness here, so much evil, and we just want to pray that the Lord will shed his light on this island!!!
Please continue praying for our group. This is an amazing experience for our freshmen as well as an amazing opportunity to share the love of Christ with the people of Jamaica. God is so good and it is an honor to serve Him in this way! God bless!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Heading to Jamaica!
Hey everybody! Preparations are coming together as we get ready for our trip to Jamaica. I'm sitting in my living room as it is dumping snow outside my window, dreaming of the beautiful sunshine of Montego Bay. I am ready! I'll be heading down on Tuesday, March 3rd with one of my interns, Keenan Klayman, as we will finalize everything before Christina and the rest of the students come down on Friday.
It looks like we'll be building houses, repairing roofs, fixing fences, meeting Jamaican kids, going to infirmaries, orphanages, and detention homes, and I'm sure lots more. Please pray the Lord's blessings on our team as we travel down there. Pray that the Lord will keep us safe both on the way there as well as on the trip itself. Pray that the Lord will use us to be a blessing to the people of Jamaica and for us to shine His light on them while we are there. Also, pray that the Lord will use this trip to transform the lives of these freshmen as they experience things they probably have not seen here in America.
We will return Saturday, March 14th during the evening. Looking forward to a great trip! God bless and I'll be sure to have an update here once we get back!
Stephen
It looks like we'll be building houses, repairing roofs, fixing fences, meeting Jamaican kids, going to infirmaries, orphanages, and detention homes, and I'm sure lots more. Please pray the Lord's blessings on our team as we travel down there. Pray that the Lord will keep us safe both on the way there as well as on the trip itself. Pray that the Lord will use us to be a blessing to the people of Jamaica and for us to shine His light on them while we are there. Also, pray that the Lord will use this trip to transform the lives of these freshmen as they experience things they probably have not seen here in America.
We will return Saturday, March 14th during the evening. Looking forward to a great trip! God bless and I'll be sure to have an update here once we get back!
Stephen
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Update on the byerlys
I'm sorry! I'm the worst blogger ever! New resolution: 3 blog postings a month! I can do it! Here are the latest happenings from life in Athens:
-We had a wonderful christmas, getting to spend a few days with each of our families while also having some time to relax in Athens. Christina had to work most of the break but we were still able to have some down time to relax and be together. The highlight of the Christmas season for me (other than Jesus of course!) was my new eyeballs. All I asked for for Christmas this year was money to contribute towards Lasik surgery. I was able to have the procedure done on January 8th and it was the best decision I've ever made! I now have 20/15 vision and haven't had any complications whatsoever. I highly recommend Dr. Blue here in Athens. It was great!
-Christina has continued to keep busy with the coffeehouse. They have started having more events as a way for the community to come be a part of Two Story. They have had a couple of live performances from singer/song writers, as well as a Valentine's Day Murder Mystery Theater they put on this past Saturday. It was a blast! Students continue to pour into the coffee house and rave about the "homey"atmosphere it provides. Praise God for the wonderful things He has done and is doing through the coffee house!
-Freshley continues to move along well. We have had a great semester thus far and look forward to all the Lord has in store for us the next few months. We are taking 94 students to Jamaica from March 7-14. I can't believe how quickly it is sneaking up on us! The freshmen are super pumped and so are we. The trip got so big that we actually had to split it in half. So we're now taking around 50 students to Montego Bay and around 40 to Mandeville.
Thanks for all your prayers and support and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
-We had a wonderful christmas, getting to spend a few days with each of our families while also having some time to relax in Athens. Christina had to work most of the break but we were still able to have some down time to relax and be together. The highlight of the Christmas season for me (other than Jesus of course!) was my new eyeballs. All I asked for for Christmas this year was money to contribute towards Lasik surgery. I was able to have the procedure done on January 8th and it was the best decision I've ever made! I now have 20/15 vision and haven't had any complications whatsoever. I highly recommend Dr. Blue here in Athens. It was great!
-Christina has continued to keep busy with the coffeehouse. They have started having more events as a way for the community to come be a part of Two Story. They have had a couple of live performances from singer/song writers, as well as a Valentine's Day Murder Mystery Theater they put on this past Saturday. It was a blast! Students continue to pour into the coffee house and rave about the "homey"atmosphere it provides. Praise God for the wonderful things He has done and is doing through the coffee house!
-Freshley continues to move along well. We have had a great semester thus far and look forward to all the Lord has in store for us the next few months. We are taking 94 students to Jamaica from March 7-14. I can't believe how quickly it is sneaking up on us! The freshmen are super pumped and so are we. The trip got so big that we actually had to split it in half. So we're now taking around 50 students to Montego Bay and around 40 to Mandeville.
Thanks for all your prayers and support and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Two Story Coffee House is up and running!
As many of you know, Christina's latest venture is officially under way. Christina accepted a job at the beginning of August to be the manager of a new coffeehouse in Athens. The coffeehouse was to be opened by Rob and Deandra Bailey, Rob being Christina's former youth pastor. Rob and Deandra felt a calling to plant a church in Athens about a year ago. After driving around Athens a few times, they thought it would be really cool to start a coffee house before planting the church. They thought it would be a great way to meet some people in Athens while also getting their foot into the culture here.
So, the project started in August and was lots of work for the first few months. Rob, who had recently sold a construction business, did all of the renovations on the house himself. After just a couple of months, they had transformed a 100 year old house into a beautiful coffee house! I wish you could have seen the house before the renovations! It was old, dirty, and falling apart. Rob worked incredibly hard, knocking down walls, building a deck, fixing the floors, fixing the ceilings, painting, hammering, drilling, and the list goes on!
After many long conversations, we came up with the name Two Story Coffee House. First, there are two stories to the house- a first story where people will order coffee, hang out, talk, listen to music, etc. And a second story, designed to be a quiet zone for students to study. However, there are also two stories to the house- the first story is that this is a place that sells coffee, the second story, however, is that this is a place where people can talk and relationships can be built. Get it....Two Story Coffee house! There are two stories AND there are two stories!
Finally, on Halloween night, Two Story Coffee House officially opened for business. The first few weeks have been better than we ever could have imagined! The coffee house has been packed out with customers and everyone seems to love it. It has become a very popular hang out place as well as a great place to study. In a college town, coffee houses are always popular!
Christina has worked A LOT of hours! But she seems to be enjoying the challenge. For someone who didn't even like coffee a few months ago, she has become quite the coffee expert! She has a wonderful staff who have been a huge help to the process, especially her two supervisors, Ellen Matthews and Chris Barr. They have all put in countless hours to make this place a success, and have had a blast doing it!
What has been really exciting is that the true vision for the coffee house has really been happening. Christina and the Baileys never intended for this to simply be a place where coffee was sold. All along, the true vision for this place was to create an environment where relationships and community could be built. While never intended to outwardly be a "Christian" coffeehouse, it was certainly intended to be a light unto the people of Athens. We have seen and been a part of numerous conversations with different people, and watched as it has truly become a place where community is being built.
We praise the Lord for all He has done so far through the coffee house and pray that it will continue to be a light unto the darkness here in Athens!
So, the project started in August and was lots of work for the first few months. Rob, who had recently sold a construction business, did all of the renovations on the house himself. After just a couple of months, they had transformed a 100 year old house into a beautiful coffee house! I wish you could have seen the house before the renovations! It was old, dirty, and falling apart. Rob worked incredibly hard, knocking down walls, building a deck, fixing the floors, fixing the ceilings, painting, hammering, drilling, and the list goes on!
After many long conversations, we came up with the name Two Story Coffee House. First, there are two stories to the house- a first story where people will order coffee, hang out, talk, listen to music, etc. And a second story, designed to be a quiet zone for students to study. However, there are also two stories to the house- the first story is that this is a place that sells coffee, the second story, however, is that this is a place where people can talk and relationships can be built. Get it....Two Story Coffee house! There are two stories AND there are two stories!
Finally, on Halloween night, Two Story Coffee House officially opened for business. The first few weeks have been better than we ever could have imagined! The coffee house has been packed out with customers and everyone seems to love it. It has become a very popular hang out place as well as a great place to study. In a college town, coffee houses are always popular!
Christina has worked A LOT of hours! But she seems to be enjoying the challenge. For someone who didn't even like coffee a few months ago, she has become quite the coffee expert! She has a wonderful staff who have been a huge help to the process, especially her two supervisors, Ellen Matthews and Chris Barr. They have all put in countless hours to make this place a success, and have had a blast doing it!
What has been really exciting is that the true vision for the coffee house has really been happening. Christina and the Baileys never intended for this to simply be a place where coffee was sold. All along, the true vision for this place was to create an environment where relationships and community could be built. While never intended to outwardly be a "Christian" coffeehouse, it was certainly intended to be a light unto the people of Athens. We have seen and been a part of numerous conversations with different people, and watched as it has truly become a place where community is being built.
We praise the Lord for all He has done so far through the coffee house and pray that it will continue to be a light unto the darkness here in Athens!
Where's Waldo event
We had our second "Where's Waldo" event last week. This is an event where we have a staff member dress up as Waldo and walk around the mall in Athens. The freshmen then go to the mall in teams and walk around the mall trying to find Waldo. They get points every time they find him.
Along the way, "Waldo's friends" are also walking around the mall. These are staff members dressed up in random costumes. We had a mummy, an explorer, a lost river rafter, a wizard, and many more!
The night didn't start off so well, as the mall vendors were a little freaked out by the random people walking around in costumes. So, the security guard made us leave before we had even gotten started. It was a pretty rough start as we had just had 60 freshmen arrive at the mall!
However, after some quick decision making, we decided to head to the SLC (Student Learning Center) on campus. We had Waldo and friends walk around the bottom floor of the SLC and outside in the surrounding areas. Thankfully, it all ended up working out really well, and we ended up having a great time and the freshmen had loads of fun!
Along the way, "Waldo's friends" are also walking around the mall. These are staff members dressed up in random costumes. We had a mummy, an explorer, a lost river rafter, a wizard, and many more!
The night didn't start off so well, as the mall vendors were a little freaked out by the random people walking around in costumes. So, the security guard made us leave before we had even gotten started. It was a pretty rough start as we had just had 60 freshmen arrive at the mall!
However, after some quick decision making, we decided to head to the SLC (Student Learning Center) on campus. We had Waldo and friends walk around the bottom floor of the SLC and outside in the surrounding areas. Thankfully, it all ended up working out really well, and we ended up having a great time and the freshmen had loads of fun!
Candy Casino!
We hosted our annual Candy Casino a few weeks ago and it was a huge success! Every year, we gather together to play lots of card games and eat LOTS of candy! Each of the freshmen received a bag of candy that they could go around and barter with. They played poker, blackjack, spades, and even go fish.
We then had a monster game of No Limit Texas Hold 'Em to finish the night. The entry fee was one king-sized candy bar, and we had 72 people enter the tournament! That's right, the winner would receive 72 king sized candy bars. The tournament ended up being a blast, and our very own Philip Klayman came out victorious. He was, of course, very gracious in sharing his candy with all that made it till the end.
Much thanks to our INCREDIBLE fellowship team who put all of the decorations together and helped the night run as smoothly as it possibly could have. They have been amazing all year and have made our fellowship events incredible!
As always, our vision for nights like tonight is two-fold. First, we love to give our freshmen opportunities outside of Monday nights to hang out, have a good time, get to know people better, and to build community with others. It's amazing what happens when you can just hang out with people while playing cards and eating candy!
Second, we love to give our freshmen opportunities to invite their friends who might not be walking with the Lord to a non-threatening place where their friends can get plugged in to the community here at Freshley. It's often nights like these where people get plugged in and really begin walking with the Lord!
It was an amazing night of fun and fellowship and I praise God for all that He continues to do in the lives of these freshmen!
We then had a monster game of No Limit Texas Hold 'Em to finish the night. The entry fee was one king-sized candy bar, and we had 72 people enter the tournament! That's right, the winner would receive 72 king sized candy bars. The tournament ended up being a blast, and our very own Philip Klayman came out victorious. He was, of course, very gracious in sharing his candy with all that made it till the end.
Much thanks to our INCREDIBLE fellowship team who put all of the decorations together and helped the night run as smoothly as it possibly could have. They have been amazing all year and have made our fellowship events incredible!
As always, our vision for nights like tonight is two-fold. First, we love to give our freshmen opportunities outside of Monday nights to hang out, have a good time, get to know people better, and to build community with others. It's amazing what happens when you can just hang out with people while playing cards and eating candy!
Second, we love to give our freshmen opportunities to invite their friends who might not be walking with the Lord to a non-threatening place where their friends can get plugged in to the community here at Freshley. It's often nights like these where people get plugged in and really begin walking with the Lord!
It was an amazing night of fun and fellowship and I praise God for all that He continues to do in the lives of these freshmen!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Freshley Retreat
We held our annual Freshley Retreat last weekend, October 3-5, and had an amazing time! This is one of the most critical events we host every year, as it is the most significant opportunity for students to build relationships and develop community within the body. We took 137 students to the Wahsega 4H center in Dahlonega, GA, and had a weekend of worship, fellowship, teaching, and, of course, fun! Our speaker was a youth pastor from Akin, SC who is also a stand up comedian- and he was hilarious! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! But what was equally important was the powerful message he delivered to the students about experiencing a true relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Aside from our worship and teaching sessions, we played capture the flag, a giant game of 5 way dodgeball, frisbee, volleyball, took a hike, grilled some hamburgers, and so much more! It was a wonderful weekend!
It's always great watching the Lord stir a passion in these young people's lives, and he did that in such a mighty and powerful way this weekend. Praise the Lord for all He is doing in these student's lives!
It's always great watching the Lord stir a passion in these young people's lives, and he did that in such a mighty and powerful way this weekend. Praise the Lord for all He is doing in these student's lives!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
