Made It!

At first glance, the words “Made it!” posted by Emily Cruz on Facebook could just mean her two day car ride to Covington, LA was over.  In Emily’s case, it means much more.  After attending meetings In Louisiana in September, Emily knew God wanted her there working with ReachGlobal Crisis Response. 

With the help of Connie and Drew at EFCA, Emily began the ENGAGE short-term application.  In the beginning, she kept up with deadlines as she plowed through paperwork.  Drew was impressed to see someone so young not procrastinating.  This encouraged her to press on.  Pastor Steve Frykholm, Pastor of Small Groups and Missions at Lebanon Area EFC, sat down with Emily and helped her complete her theological questionnaire in one day!  Emily said, “I got so much Jesus at one time. Through the application process, I learned so much about God and grew so much.  I got to see who I was, what traits God gave me, and flaws I needed to work on.  I discovered myself in a new way.”  It was hard sharing intimate details of her life with strangers as she answered questions.

Then came the waiting.  Drew called over Christmas break.  He reviewed the answer could be yes, not yet, or no.  Emily’s heart beat harder wondering if he was preparing her for refusal.  Then Drew added, “I want to be the first to congratulate you.  You have been accepted for summer internship.”  Emily breathed deeply.  She had made it.  It did not sink in immediately that it was not for a full year as she hoped.  With excitement she shared, “Drew, I was blessed to go through the application process.  I learned so much about God and myself and who I am in the eyes of God.”  It was one of the best experiences of her life.  She knew her internship would enable her to grow more in her relationship with God.

She was a little upset about all that work for only summer approval.  Then, she thought, “Get over yourself.”  They had not said “no”, and she knew God had a plan for her.  Spiritual warfare followed with many obstacles and changes in her life.  She focused on her job, her online class, moving, and church, but she did not know how to proceed to find health insurance or raise support. 

Since Drew had many applications to process, Jen took over hers.  In April, Jen called and asked, “How are you doing with support raising?  How are you doing with support letters?  How are you doing with health insurance?”  Emily answered each question, “I don’t know.”  Jen replied, “What do you know?  You realize you can’t go if you don’t get this done?”  Tears were running down Emily’s face as it all sunk in.  She had not been applying what she had learned.

Emily went to her church family, and they jumped in to help her.  They set up an opportunity for her to speak in church and helped her get support letters into church member’s mailboxes.  A Crisis Response staff member made sure she had a display board, prayer cards, and fresh baked cookies for her church display.  As Emily spoke to her church, she saw so many who she knew cared.  People were praying for her and sharing her prayer card.  Her support need was met in a month’s time.  Katie and Ariealle helped her find health insurance.

Emily with Pastor Steve

 

Emily is finally here.  Her first thought was, “I’m home.”  She reviewed all she had gone through to get here, how her faith had grown, and how she had seen God at work in her life.  She looks forward to what God will do in and through her this summer.

Mallory, Laura-Jean & Emily at Intern House

 

Part of Something to Change the World

When Emily Cruz joined a work team to New Orleans in July 2013, a life changing experience awaited her.  On her first day there, Emily sat transfixed listening to Ariealle’s testimony.  A heaviness filled her heart, and she felt an instant connection to Ariealle.  Tears filled Emily’s eyes, and she knew God wanted her to return to New Orleans.  Fears rushed in at the thought of leaving home and doing something so out of her comfort zone.  As the return trip to Pennsylvania began, Emily stared longingly out the window as Covington passed out of view.  Her heart ached as if she was leaving home.  She heard a voice inside her say, “You’ll be back, don’t worry.”

When Emily emailed Katie Hooks in mid-August, Katie invited her to the September staff meetings to get a better feel for the ministry.  Car problems prevented Jen Jones from driving Emily as planned.  Instead, Emily met Ariealle in Pittsburgh, and they drove together.  The connection between the two women grew, and Ariealle told Emily she was going to be her protégé and replace her someday.  God had again directed circumstances to plant a vision in Emily’s heart.

A group fast from the evening before through supper Monday started the week.  Emily’ reaction was, “We’re fasting?  What?  Just one meal?”  Ariealle informed her it was a whole day.  With her hypoglycemia, Emily would drink juice to keep her sugar levels up.  “This was a test.  It really got me to connect to the Lord in a different way.  Fasting was not what I thought.  My definition changed.  It was not taking time focused on filling myself with the world, but filling myself with God instead and growing close to Him. … Fasting made me think a lot more, feel a lot more than I ‘ve felt before, and made me vulnerable to God.”

Emily’s hunger kicked in as delightful smells filled the room for the group feast.  As the steam rose from the pig roast pan, she thought, “The Lord provides in His time.  There is a little sacrifice in the beginning, but He provides abundantly in the end.” 

At first, watching people who knew one another made her feel like an outcast and unsure if she could fit in.  This changed quickly as she connected with others. The meetings and tests benefited Emily.  Spiritual gift tests and strength tests reaffirmed direction in her life.  Group member’s tests helped her discover who others were. A visual exercise moved people into groups according to strengths allowing everyone to see similarities in others. 

All parts of the body of Christ work together for a purpose.  God made us the way we are to reach out to certain people who will respond to us.  If everyone was the same, how could we reach the world?  Emily needed this reminder.  It is okay to be different.  As she pointed out, “God knows what works.”

The need for time alone with God beckoned to her.  She impatiently waited to hear from God.  Taking a walk, she watched children in the church play area.  The thought of childhood faith came into her head.  God spoke to her heart, in a way He never had before, telling her to run into His arms like a child seeing her father, and He would hold her close.

Toward the end of the meetings, Mark Lewis called Emily to the front, laid his hand on her shoulder, and prayed over her.  He told her, “We hope you come back.”  As small groups prayed, Emily could hear her name mentioned.  She thought, “They want me here.  I’m not being pushed aside.  They actually see something in me that nobody else does.”

Mark is the director of the ministry, and “He didn’t just see me as someone tagging along.  He made a point to notice me.  A lot of people look over me.  Mark is intentional in the way he cares for people.”

Amid the confusion at so many new ideas, Emily felt peace.  These were principles she could learn.  “They all made me feel like I was part of something great.  This was one of my favorite parts, even from the beginning when I felt like an outcast.  I felt part of something that would change the world.  At the end of the week, I felt part of a family.  ReachGlobal Crisis Response is part of MY story.”

 

 

A Shining Light

 

When life is good, people are not looking for God.  Jeff Jensen pointed out that in the story of Ruth and Naomi, Ruth witnessed how Naomi dealt with tragedy after tragedy.  Ruth saw something different in Naomi’s life.  She was living out the reality of God being God even in tragic situations.  Speaking of the Nebraska tornadoes, he added, “We need to look different when life is bad.  People are living out their faith and helping out their neighbors.”

Jeff Jensen, pastor of Geneva EFC wears many hats.  He works with the Red Cross and is Chaplain for the Fillmore County Sheriff/EMS.  These roles have prepared him to respond to the tornadoes in Nebraska.  The largely farm area cannot run machinery in fields until all debris is removed.  Three nearby high schools released students to help clear debris.  The church has been active through local congregations, teams coming from across the country, and financial donations.

Pastor Jensen said, “It is fun to see God get credit and locals get together. … It is refreshing to see the good side of people.”  He also recognizes the need for a long-term response.  Repairs take time.  He asked a question for ministry focus, “Lord what am I to do in this situation?”  The answer for his long range plan is “Love your neighbor.  Be real in your faith.  People should know they are loved and Jesus cares because of us.  The church is shining and reflecting Christ.”

His prayer request is that the church reach out as neighbors and not grow weary.  He wants people to see who we are and the glory to go to Christ.  His commitment is to do this for the long haul, because it is what God would have him to do.

Mobilized in God's Timing

 

Mobilize Training in Moline, IL

 

Imagine a flood hits your hometown.  75% of your congregation’s homes, including yours, are flooded with water, mud, or sewage.  Roads collapse and all the surrounding neighborhoods are affected.  What would you do?  What are you feeling, thinking, and struggling with now?

You may feel there is no hope.  You need help.  Where do you even start?

“We work better together than alone,” stated Kevin Watterson as he laid out this scenario to a volunteer team serving in Staten Island from First Free in Moline, IL as he introduced the Mobilize initiative.  “What we’re trying to build here is a network of churches that can respond in this type of disaster and can be mobilized so we can help those churches get back on their feet again, get back into ministry, do what God has called them to do in their community, and be able to help people who have been affected by this disaster as well.”

When the team returned to Illinois, they incorporated Mobilize slides into their church missions’ presentation.  It fit well into the mission of First Free.  The church budgeted money for Crisis Response involvement.  This cleared the way for people to go quickly when needed.  The next step was their 10 hour training for Mobilize on April 25-26.  Little did anyone know how quickly mock responses in the training would become a reality.  Tornadoes in Alabama motivated a call to First Free for help a few days later. Three men cleared their schedules and responded the following Monday.  Team leader Rick Mills commented, “It was rewarding to be on the front side of things.”  Around 48 downed trees covered the property of the Schrock family from Hope Church.  They had responded three years earlier to help others impacted by tornadoes in their area.  Rick found it different working with a family who understood why they were there to help.

Rick and team member Tony Loete struggled attempting to pull a tree out of the creek using the Schrock’s small tractor.  It was humbling when the tractor got stuck, and they had to find help.  They traveled down the road until they found someone with bigger equipment who came and pulled the tractor free and removed the tree in minutes.  Tony remarked, “In our weakness, God’s strength was revealed.”  Later in the week, the willingness of the Schrock’s to have their tractor and volunteers used to help another homeowner their family did not even know impressed Tony.

God used First Free’s involvement serving on a volunteer team to plant a desire to partner with Mobilize and to train and be available just when they were needed to impact lives in a crisis.  The goal of Mobilize is to have enough churches and people to sustain a response for up to 6 months with volunteers who would be willing to deploy on a rotating basis.  Many types of people are needed such as people to assess needs, an administrator to process paperwork, people to gut houses and clean-up, a construction manager to manage projects, and a volunteer coordinator to contact team members.  Different skills are needed at different times.  Rick pointed out that you do not have to do construction for God to use you.  “Everyone can pick up sticks.” A commitment is requested for 2 weeks each year to come and serve and additional time to meet with their team locally serving in their own community.  For more information on Mobilize, contact crisisresponsenetwork@efca.org.



Finding His Way

David sat the week after the tornado holding a shotgun.  His daughter had taken her life two years earlier in this same spot, and he was contemplating ending his own life.  The tornado had taken all his material possessions.  Besides his home, he owned a rental house and 29 trailers.  He had canceled the insurance on the trailer park in January.  Unemployed renters, a mother with a disabled son, and others facing hardships paid David by the week when they could.  It was impossible to keep up with both utility payments and insurance.  He sat with is gun 20 minutes wondering if there was any hope. He felt God telling him to put the gun down and take care of his family.  David is raising his 17 year old grandson and caring for his wife with fibromyalgia.

He had survived the Alabama tornado in a small storm shelter with 30 people.  The tornado ripped at the door as those taking shelter clung to the door to keep it shut.  His arm bruised from the effort, but two people in the neighboring trailer park were less fortunate.  They lost their lives.

When Katrina and the team from Lakewood met David, he sat slumped in a salvaged recliner chair devoid of hope.  Darlena, part of the Lakewood Evangelical Free Church team, described him as “a shell of a man with no light in him”.  The team gutted his house and got rid of the barn where his daughter’s belongings were stored.  On Wednesday, when the team gathered with David in a prayer circle, David fell to his knees on the concrete sobbing and asking God to forgive him.  He had taught Sunday school and led youth group years ago, but he had fallen away from the Lord.  He told God he needed Him back in his life.

David felt a little like Job.  He had lost family, home, and possessions.  His loss brought him back to God. He kept asking God to forgive him.  The team assured him that God heard his prayer for forgiveness. David is planning to go back to church, and he said that people like those working with ReachGlobal Crisis Response had restored his faith in humanity.

Steve, another member of the Lakewood team, noted how changed David was by the end of the week.  David was springing out of his chair, smiling, and happy.  There will still be hard days ahead for David, but He knows God cares about him, and God sent people into his life who genuinely care.  Keep David and his family in your prayers.  Others need a touch of love in their lives and restored hope.  Maybe God is calling you to bring hope and love to those whose world has crumbled.

Team Work

Katrina and Miss Lily

 

Miss Lily, horrified by the deep water flowing down her Staten Island street, called Crisis Response in tears.  She has been watching our progress on her home eagerly awaiting when she and her family can move back home.  Now, she feared more damage.  When the team arrived, she requested that they go in first.  There was not a drop of water in her home!  Lily felt so blessed.  She wanted to bless others, so she went with the team to help others.  One volunteer, Marty, said at the end of the day, “I think God has been preparing me my whole life for the conversation I had with Lily.”

It was great to see Lily looking past her own needs to help meet the needs of others.  That is not easy to do.  Lily grew close to the Park City team working with her.  She remarked, “You guys are my family.”

Katrina Welsh, a staff member, noted, “My faith grows every day, because I see Him at work every day.  You can miss it because of the busyness of life.  Here, you’re just able to live it and see it every day.  My faith grows seeing the details.”

An inspired team member from Virginia said, “Watching you, it’s where I want to be, to be able to let go.  This week brought me a lot closer.”

One volunteer paid for repairs on Katrina’s car.  God sends some to serve in other places as missionaries, and He provides others to send out missionaries.  It is a partnership.  They are both an equally important part of the team.

 

 

Compelled

Tammy enjoyed spending weekends with her family at a lakeside cabin in Minnesota.  Katrina Welsh, a cabin neighbor, would grill with them and share her exciting stories of what God was doing through Crisis Response.  Katrina is a staff member for Crisis Response in Staten Island.  Tammy felt compelled to drive with Katrina back to Staten Island, so she and her son Jeremy returned with Katrina to see firsthand what Crisis Response was doing.

Although raised Catholic, Tammy, turned off by the church, no longer attended services at any church.  When torrential rains hit Staten Island that Wednesday, streams of deep water flooded streets, the roof and some windows at Salem Church leaked water, basements flooded, and many needed help.  Tammy and Jeremy were happy to volunteer to join our teams responding to help.  Jeremy spent his day helping Pastor Ed Cole of Salem Church.  Tammy worked alongside a team.  Jeremy rejoined his mom and questioned, “Mom, we’re going to church Sunday, right?”

On Sunday, Pastor Ed Cole’s words stirred Tammy’s heart.  She felt like he was speaking to her alone.  He spoke of growing up with tradition but lacking a relationship with God, with not knowing God as father.  As Pastor Ed offered the chance to know God personally, Tammy felt he was looking directly at her.  God moved her heart and she found her hand raising in response to the invitation to give her life to God.

Katrina, eyes closed during the invitation, did not realize what Tammy had done until they toured Battery Park later that day.  Tammy shared her decision, and Katrina, overwhelmed by joy and excitement, hugged Tammy.  Jeremy, curious about why they hugged, ran to them.  Katrina explained her excitement, and he joined in the hug.  Katrina knows a good church in their home area where Tammy can continue to grow in her faith.

Covering the roof at Salem Church to prevent more leaks