A W E S O M E!!!!!!!!!

I just got back from Nyack's first chapel service. With Kelvin Walker as the new campus pastor and leading worship, this was like NO chapel I ever attended at Nyack. Worship was electric! The response of the students was incredible too. I can't imagine students wanting to cut. Clearly God showed up today and the students KNEW it. Now, if only the faculty would join in...

Trent

A W E S O M E!!!!!!!!!

I just got back from Nyack's first chapel service. With Kelvin Walker as the new campus pastor and leading worship, this was like NO chapel I ever attended at Nyack. Worship was electric! The response of the students was incredible too. I can't imagine students wanting to cut. Clearly God showed up today and the students KNEW it. Now, if only the faculty would join in...

Trent

Lost in NYC

This week the student leaders working in the spiritual formation department here at Nyack came for three days of training. We did a mix of fun things and practical things. One day, we drove from the Rockland campus to Ft. Lee (the Jersey side of the George Washington Bridge). We then took a bus across to the Port Authority and from there took the "A" train to lower Manhattan, where the NYC campus of Nyack is located.

Before sitting through a couple hours of practical training the students had to accomplish several things on the street first. Each group was given $28 and was responsible to buy a dozen roses (for distributing to passers-by), purchase lunch for a homeless person as well as lunch for each team member. With 6 members of our team, we knew this was going to be a challenge.

We also had to interview 6 people from different countries and ask general questions about their country and culture.

One of the students in each group were assigned as leaders. It was partly a training exercise for the leaders and partly for the followers.

What our group got to experience was different from the others...one of the team members got lost! As we were distributing our roses, Sharon, unbeknownst to the rest of us, crossed the street to hand one to a police officer. She then proceeded to a park where we were going to treat a homeless lady to a rose and lunch. However, since the rest of us did not see her cross the street, we spent a long time looking for her. We went back and forth on the street where we were last together, but no Sharon.

Then, on the way back to the park, we came across a different homeless person and offered him the lunch. He gratefully received the lunch and the words of blessing we had for him. We slowly walked back to NCMC, keeping our eyes open for Sharon.

She was not at the campus. Several of the students wondered if this was part of the training, to teach the group to stick together. We then splurged and got hot dogs with our remaining money. Not everyone ate!

At the appointed time to meet at NCMC, Sharon came sauntering up Broadway. The last she heard was that we were going to the park to give the lunch to the lady we saw sleeping on a park bench. So that's where she went, and waited!

Many lessons were learned during our debrief, that's for sure. The group wanted to find her in a definite way but were helpless to do so. This reminds me of how it is with our unsaved friends too. We can look for them, but only God can find them.

Once I was lost, but, thank God, now I am found!

Trent

Sacrifice = ???

The most I know about sacrifice relates to when a batter lays down a perfect bunt to advance the runner on first, or second, to the next base, while at the same time getting thrown out himself at first. I suppose we could thrown in the sacrifice fly too, but let's not quibble.

What do I really know of sacrifice? I have been a missionary for 21 years and am PERHAPS viewed by some as having made the ultimate sacrifice. Those who know me well will realize that it has not been terribly sacrificial. Without doubt, the closest thing I know of sacrifice is when we sent all three boys off to MK school in Germany while we stumbled through Russian language in Rostov on Don.

But day in and day out, what do I really know of sacrifice? Not much. When we equate sacrifice to doing without things, it seems to pale in comparison to the life that God is calling me to. To "sacrifice" a cup of coffeee a week and then give the cost of that cup to missions is not really a sacrifice at all. Is it? Hmm. Or foregoing a tv program to spend a few minutes praying for our church, that's not sacrifice. Is it? Or downsizing from a 4,500 square foot home to a 3,500 square foot home. Surely that's not sacrifice. Is it?

I am telling you, I do not think I would recognize sacrifice if it came up and bit me on the bottom. Help me out here...what SHOULD sacrifice look like? What DOES it look like to you, to our generation, to the millenials, etc. Can anybody help me here? I sense a longing to live a sacrificial life, but think I need to define my terms first.

Any thoughts?

Trent

Lobsters, Lizards and Lettuce

My oldest brother had a surprise birthday party for his wife tonight. Unbeknownst to her, he had invited many of her relatives and friends to their cabin on Lake George in the Adirondaks of upstate NY. Around 40-50 people crammed into the small living room of the main cottage and yelled, "Surprise." Seeing her jaw drop to the floor and tears well up in her eyes was priceless.

My brother spared no expense for this event (60th b'day), serving fresh lobster to everyone. IT was spetacular. I confess that I ate a bit too much, but how often does a missionary ge to eat lobster? Fresh corn on the cob and lettuce complemented the lobster very nicely. We all had a wonderful evening.

The grand chldren, not terribly interested in lobster, occupied themselves outside by finding lizards. When I suggested that we cook up the lizards too, they were horrified at the thought. :-)

Part of me was thinking about the cost for such an event. But the bigger (and better) part of me was reminded of the joyous celebrations Israel experienced in the Old Testament. I think God created us to celebrate. It was wonderful to see so many family and friends enjoy themselves by helping my sister-in-law celebrate her birthday. I think God wants us to celebrate too. Not just our birthdays. I think God wants us to celebrate victories in our lives. Victories over sin. Victories over temptaion. Small victories of being consistent in time spent with Him. Large victories of sacrificing our wills daily on His altar.

We may not be able to celebrate with lobsters, but I think God is pleased when we celebrate His faithfulness to us in every way.

What can you celebrate today? How are you going to celebrate?

Trent

Before We Can Ask Or Think

This is one of those God-things. A serendipity. A gracious intervention of the positive kind.

Ever since my laptop crashed in Germany right before going on Home Assignment, I have been looking to replace it with a new one. However, new laptops are not that cheap. Especially a new Mac. So, I delayed making any decision. I would go online and choose one and get all the way to the point of clicking to pay for it and then back all the way out. This happened multiple times.

Then, ths week, I knew I needed to get one before Nyack's semester started, so I bit the bullet and ordered one, unsure of where the money was going to come from. Right after I clicked "Buy," and breathed a nervous sigh, I checked my email. One of the messages was from the NAtional Office indicating that a church had given a large sum of money to our Work Specials that would just cover the amount of the laptop!

In the grand scheme of things, this is a small matter. But to me, at this time, it was huge. God is so faithful. He is calling to us to cross our Red Seas. He is willing to part the seas if we will take the first step. I was so pumped! Still am.

How about you? Is God waiting for you to take a first step of faith in some area? Let me tell you, He can be trusted.

Trent

Spiritual Deformation

Sharon and I are the Missionaries In Residence here at Nyack College. We consider it an honor to be working at our alma mater. We met here, courted here and even got married here!

The role of MIR is now under the Spiritual Formation department of the college. That's good. But as I consider the awesome responsibility of shaping the lives of impressionable teens and twenty-somethings, I am forced to ask myself this question, "How can I form students without being formed myself?" The answer is that I can't. Before I can ever expect to be forming the lives of others, I must be in process of being formed myself. And as I look into myself I believe there needs some "de-forming" that needs to take place before some forming can take place.

To put it another way, I need to go through God's refining fire, to melt away those attitudes that are not appropriate. In particular I need to let God burn away some critical tendencies I have noticed lately. It is so easy to criticize and so much harder to appreciate what has been done in the name of Jesus.

Pray that I allow myself to undergo the refiner's fire in this area. Pray also for me to connect with a small group with whom I can be accountable during the year.

Thanks.

Trent

Does Insanity Run In Your Family?

After a beautiful wedding in MT, Sharon and I had to high-tail it to Pittsburgh, where the Allegheny Center Alliance Church was giving us a van to use for the year. Driving through the night, we arrived in Spokane, WA for our early morning flight to Pittsburgh, via LAs Vegas.

After spending the night in Pittsburgh, we managed to get the vehicle all set to drive to NY with temporary PA plates. We were not able to get to DMV until yesterday, and hence the question in the title. Now, I am normally a pretty nice guy, if I do say so myself. But interfacing with DMV workers is a lot like trying to talk to catatonics.

Well after producing every personal document I own: driver's license, car title, SS Card, passport, marriage certificate, birth certificate and BlockBuster Video card, I was met with the stare of death.

"Sir, this title is not acceptable." I pointed out to her how everyone had signed for the transfer, etc. She was unrelenting in her position. Unacceptable. Need one more signature. So, I gathered up my treasure trove of documents and huffed myself to the door.

Now, I have to send this to Pittsburgh for the signature. I only hope that person is a) still alive, b) able to write her name c) willing to help quickly.

I sure would appreciate a prayer for us. Our temp PA plates run out on the 29th of Aug. So, that's the deadline.

I sure do appreciate your prayers this summer. They have been prevailing, to be sure.

Thanks.

Trent

James is Married

It was a perfect evening for a July wedding. The day before was hot, but July 30th in Polson, MT on Flathead Lake was exceptional. The day before we hosted a rehearsal dinner for around 50 people from the families as well as the out of towners.

The C&MA church in Ronan allowed us to use their fellowship hall where we had lasagna, salads, bread and fruit. Ron and Jessie Merwin were incredibly helpful to us. THANKS! Their hospitality was demonstrated in many ways and wound up saving us a ton of money.

Back to the wedding. The beautiful redwood deck was finished just days before on which the wedding party was to stand. People sat at tables while the bridesmaids sauntered up the aisles and up the log stairs to the deck of the log cabin.

Jonathan and David were groomsmen and came from behind the log cabin. The ceremony was short, with Bethany's long-time pastor doing the honors. I was able to give them a blessing and offer prayer for them. It was so very special.

Now they are in the mountains of Colorado enjoying the condo that Sharon's sister and brother-in-law are graciously providing for them. Then, drive back to Wheaton where James will work on his MA and Bethany hopes to find work. Pray for her to do so!

I knew for months that they were getting married. I saw them get married and knew the reality of it. But itwasn't until I saw the ring on James' hand that it clinched the reality of it all for me.

My little James is a married man.

Thanks for the prayers.

Trent