OK, you have been asking for it.  Here it is, in al of it’s wrong-ness.  This was the video we used to intro Pastor Wayne’s video, Make us Wise (part of the One Prayer series).

I feel a restraining order coming on.

I am not invisible.  You don’t know me, but I do have a name.  We live worlds apart.  Today you complained about the price of gas going into your car.  Today I wondered if my kids and I would have anything to eat (again).  I work hard and survive on $1 a day.  You spend $5.00 on fancy coffee.  80% of what I make every day is going toward food.  I thought it was bad before, but it just keeps getting worse. 

You and I are not so much different.  We are of the same race; human.  We laugh and cry.  We have ambitions and dreams.  Yet, we are world’s apart.  We believe in the same God.  You pray that your retirement account will do better in the economy.  I am praying for food.  I believe in God.  I just find it hard to believe in people who would let other people go hungry.  I work hard.  I’m not blaming you.  I might do the same thing in your shoes.  But I do wonder, could you at least pray for me?  I am not invisible.  

There is a crisis that we hear little about.  The Global Food Crisis Fund is set up with Compassion International.  The short story is that people are starving like never before.  In this global community, we must do something.  Maybe you can make a financial contribution.  Maybe you can sponsor a child through Compassion.  Maybe you can fast and pray on June 25.  Maybe you can do SOMETHING.  I am. 

What will you do?

I just got an email from Jason Condon at Artisan Church in Rochester, NY.  Jason and the crew are part of One Prayer and used our One Prayer submission, Make us Dead.

So while I was eating breakfast with my girls on Sunday, the Dead video was preaching to some fine folks in New York.  I’m stunned.  Thanks Jason!

If you didn’t catch it the first time around.  Here is the video.  Settle in for a 25 minute ride.

Set list from Mike Jones, Creative Arts Director at The Orchard in Aurora, IL.

This last weekend (6.15), Mike used Craig Groeschel’s video, Make Us One.
Here’s Mike’s music set list from this last weekend:

Majestic - Lincoln Brewster
Kingdom Come - Hillsong United
You Are The One - Lincoln Brewster
One - U2 (prior to the video)
(followed the video with a creative piece to engage our church community with the Make Us One concept)
Make Us One - Jason Morant
Great weekend for us and good connection with the crowds.

As far as exchange, we used Wayne Cordeiro’s video, Make us Wise.  We also shot a video of me introducing Wayne (I’ll post that later).  I was just getting back from New Orleans, and Shawn was the worship leader for the gathering.

iPod pre-gathering
Countdown Video
Let God Arise
Welcome and Announcements - Jack
video introducing Pastor Wayne
Teaching - One Prayer 02 - Make us Wise - Cordeiro
Your Grace is Enough
Wonderful Maker
Came To My Rescue
Everlasting God
Awesome Is the Lord Most High
Baptisms??
All We Need
Your Grace is Enough
Dismissal - Shawn
Band instrumental
iPod post-gathering

Send me your One Prayer Worship set and I will post it here.

Today my family and I stopped by Kevin and Kelly Fallon’s house.  It was in one of the flooded areas of Terre Haute.  Their basement filled with water and came within 1/2″ of the main floor.  They evacuated.  They returned to a mess and started the cleaning process.

As we were in their house today, they kept saying “the church is just awesome.”  They had crews of people all week cooking food, tearing out carpet, hauling out trash, and supporting them in a hundred ways.

Community.  It is awesome.

Here is our Crash team.  We have crammed in vehicles, become sweaty and filthy, and have made the name of Christ a bit more famous in New Orleans.

Saturday is a travel day.  Hope to arrive in TH early Sunday morning.  Thanks for the prayers and great support. 

Would you love an experience like this?  We have another trip in July.  For more information, email Jeanette Souder at vjsouder@yahoo.com.

A final video bonus for ya.  Live from Bourbon Street

As we were returning to camp Thursday night I heard the grinding of front brakes.  Friday morning Jay “McGuiver” Mosteller and I tore into the brakes.  Pads were shot and one rotor was needing replaced.  If taken to a shop, this repair would have set us back $400 plus.  How good is God?  Check this:  My Pops (who owns said van) had purchased lifetime pads at Autozone.  A quick trip and we had new pads, for free.  Shawn Foster was with us on the trip.  Shawn is an assistant manager with O’Riley Auto parts in the Haute.  A quick call and Shawn hooked us up with his discount.  Total bill for new brake pads, rotors, seals, and labor?  About 75 bones.  Cha-ching. 

The crew worked another hot and hard day.  The entire week, we were split into 3 teams.  Two teams on separate rebuilds and one team on gutting.  Everyone worked hard.  A great team making God famous with some dirty work.

The evening was full of extremes.  We toured the 9th Ward.  The 10 passenger van was crammed with 12 adults.  The ride through the 9th ward was silent.

Check it out.

After the 9th ward, we went from one extreme to the other, hitting dinner in the French quarter.   For a taste of Cajun, check out the video below.  Oh, I forgot to mention that we had fried alligator as an appetizer.  Yes, it tastes like chicken.

Above: Jessica and Karen in front of Elvira’s house. They were involved in rebuilding this house in a previous trip. It’s hard to describe the feeling of knowing that you helped a homeowner re-establish their home.

Above: Over 200K on this rig and she still runs like a champ.

Above: Camp at Mercy Response, Vineyard. Kenner, LA.

Above: Jessica Bush and I break on the back deck.

Above: Instructions from Mitchell, Mercy Response team leader.

Above: Jess takes a lift in “Gertie,” an ancient cherry picker. Gertie decided not to run on Thursday. I prayed a fantastic Pastoral prayer. Layed my hands on her. She refused. Bad Gertie.

Video update from the 9th Ward