Sunday - 11:59pm

It's Sunday . . . and we're still kick'n!  In the words of Jonathan, "I have never been this tired in my entire life!"  Parents, plan to let your students sleep for a good 15 hours Monday night . . . they have seriously worked hard!

This morning was our concluding outreach service at Freedom.  Roger, Ethan, Makala, & Jewel did a tremendous job leading worship.  Drew showed a powerpoint with pictures from throughout the week...it was fun!  Then I preached and we attempted to incorporate some drama.  In spite of NUMEROUS technical difficulties in a variety of ways (unlike I've ever experienced during a sermon), I think the message got across.  We challenged Freedom to carry a torch and be the "light of the world."

After service, we spent a couply hours at Wylie for their church picnic.  It's great to get to know the people of Freedom more.  They are a wonderful church.

In the afternoon was a mandatory "quiet time" - aka nap time.  Everyone seriously needed a break.  Tiredness brings crankiness in all of us!

Tonight we wrapped it all up with a fun night at the "Lake House" (as we call it.)  A generous couple from Freedom once again opened up their amazing lake home to us and treated us wonderfully!  The students swam and swam and swam . . . and ate and ate and ate . . . and swam and ate.  The students from Freedom who were faithful on the outreach also joined us . . . and they are a great group of kids.  It was a beautiful night and great way to conclude an amazing week.

We should be arriving home as planned tomorrow.  Check your parent's info sheet for details.

Thanks for all your prayers throughout the week . . . and pray they all sleep on the way home! :()

Much love,

Twyla

Saturday - 9am

Hey Friends --

Sorry I didn't get an update posted last night...I was simply too exhausted!  We had a long, but amazing day.

Thanks to all those who prayed for me.  I was 90% better by yesterday morning and was able to carry on as normal.  Praise Jesus!

Yesterday we completed our children's ministry at two locations.  It went very well and the students hung with it to the end.  It can get to be a long week doing 4 different sites, but I'm proud of them for staying focused on the kids.

After a quick afternoon break we headed to the Civic Arena, the location for our evening event.  We had carnival type games and served free hotdogs and chips.  Many children and parents from our morning locations were there.  For the "program" part, we again weaved together testimonies and drama, then Pastor Drew preached a salvation message and gave an altar call.  There must have been at least 25-30 who came forward.  Thank you, Jesus!  After we prayed with them, we transitioned with another drama and then started the give-a-ways.

On this night with the give-a-ways, the students experienced both the best and worst of humanity.  Several children and adults were very grateful . . . but others were rude and selfish.  It was sad that our students had to see that, and yet the reality is that people without Jesus have no other focus besides themselves!  Sinners sin.  Period.  It was tough to see some ungrateful hearts after the team had worked so hard all week . . . but we know that the impact still outweighed these few problems . . . and it was more than worth it.  We'll chalk it up to another life lesson on the nature of sinful man apart from Christ.  But...ouch...that one kinda hurt! :()

All in all - it was a great day.  And whenever people come to Jesus, our mission has been accomplished!  Freedom is already following up with the people who gave their lives to Christ on Wednesday - so we know our efforts have not been in vain.

Again, it was a very long night, but the team hung strong to the end and kept their energy up, even though they are beyond exhaustion.

This morning they are out on a work project in the city - tearing down some type of garage and doing some painting.  It's a great way to bless the city and show the love of Christ.  I'm back at the hotel preparing my message for Sunday. 

After a late lunch, we have some free time the rest of the day, and we are more than ready for a break!

Tomorrow morning we'll be doing the service at Freedom.  Roger and some students will do worship, we'll have a couple dramas and then I'll preach.  Pray for us.  We really want to leave Freedom with a challenge to continue to "let their light shine" in this community in a powerful way. 

I think most are ready to come home, whether they admit it or not! :()  But we want to finish strong and complete the task the Lord Jesus gave us.  Pray for us. Pray for us.  Pray for us!

On the lighter side, Kristina got peed on last night two times by a child she was holding.  It was hilarious.  I'll try to get the video posted on the main page.  Yeah ministry! :()

Love ya,

Twyla

Well...it proved to be another interesting day...

Shortly after I finished the blog last night, I started getting sick.  It turned into some type of flu and I was out of commission for most of the day.  The leaders and students were on their own, as I was isolated in my hotel room.  I joined the team for a couple hours, but was just too sick to stay standing.  It hit me hard.  I medicated as much as possible, but was curled up in pain.

But tonight, around 7pm, my fever broke suddenly and within 15mn I was at least 70% better!  I found out that the team, who was in a prayer meeting at the time, had been praying for me just minutes before...as well as my mom...and one of my pastor friends, who knew nothing that was going on, had text me to let me know she was praying for me today.  That all happened within minutes of my fever breaking - so praise Jesus! 

The team seemed to carry on flawlessly without me, though, which is a great joy!  They did children's ministry at two sites, had a powerful prayer meeting this evening (the students say it was "the best ever") and then took a couple hour break.  I'm so proud of them for continuing to work so hard, despite their raw emotions, tinge of homesickness, and exhaustion. 

Tonight we're attempting to get to bed a full hour earlier - since we have our biggest day of the outreach tomorrow.  We'll go back to the two sites we were at today for children's ministry, and then have our largest event in the evening.  So we could use more prayer tomorrow!

Jewel says, "Hi.  I miss home.  I love you mom and dad...and Samuel...and Cuddles."  (I've gotten to know her left elbow very well this week...as she tends to hit me with it throughout the night.  We even named it "Eddie".)

Christy Ann says, "Hey.  Ya'all rule my world."

Kristina says, "Mom, if you're reading this blog, then I'm glad that you're finally putting your technology degree to use...and I hope you find your tarp thing."

What great roomates I have!

G'nite.

P.S.  For some reason, the times that are posting with my blog are way off.  So if you're confused as to why I'm talking about going to bed and the time stamp says "3pm" - that's why.  I generally write these around 11pm.  FYI

Busy - busy - busy.  Those words best describe our day.  We started off with kids ministry in the morning and afternoon.  We had a great turnout - about double at our first site - which is a huge blessing because Freedom wants to do more outreach their.  Many of these kids are from poor, single parent homes, so it was a joy to watch them win new bikes!

After a quick afternoon break, we headed out to Wylie to set up for our evening event.  We had kids carnival games and free food, and then a "program" with drama, testimonies and a short message from Pastor Drew.  Many adults and kids responded and recieved Jesus!  It was amazing.  Several from our morning sites were their this evening.  We closed the night giving a way a couple dozen bikes and other prizes.  It is such a joy to watch the faces of the kids (and their parents!) as they ride off.  What a privilege it is to partner with Freedom to bring hope to their community.

After the event, we headed to the Twist Cone, which is like a walk up ice cream stand.  Several from the Freedom team joined us.  As our team was in line, a teenage boy in a yellow sports car decided he would show off - he pulled out of the parking lot and squeeled his tires - but he lost control of the vehicle, fish-tailed and did a 180.  A black car was coming from the other direction and they crashed.  All of this happened right in front of us!

Thankfully, everyone is both vehicles was okay.  My first reaction was to stand and declare to the parking lot, "If that doesn't prove that pride comes before a fall, I don't know what does!"

I had no compassion for that young man - I consider consequences like these the grace of God leading us to repentance.  It is God's mercy that would allow him to be humbled now so He doesn't make an even more stupid decision that would prove fatal to himself or someone else.  To be humiliated in front of some 75 people is a merciful consequence for such a bad choice.

Every parent in the parking lot was using this as a teachable moment and I was as well.  in the picture you'll see our boys fascinated by the scene.  Our team watched the whole event play out - from police to firetrucks to ambulences - and I was glad to let them.  The lessons they walked away with tonight are priceless and will not soon be forgotten.

We also consider ourselves highly protected - because a couple adults pointed out that if that black car hadn't come at that exact moment and taken the impact, then the yellow car, which was completely out of control, would have certainly jumped the curb and run straight into the crowd - which was filled with team members from Freedom and Beulah.  Psalm 91 proved itself true!

We are all happy and safe tonight - and thankful for that.  Thanks for all your prayers - obviously they're working!

Tomorrow we being to new sites for children's ministry and then door to door at night.

Today we were able to start our neighborhood vbs.  We were a little rough at the first site . . . the team did great with all of the details in the dramas and such, but our enthusiasm and attitudes struggled a bit.  I think the summer heat (which we truly experienced for the first time!) took it's toll . . . we weren't quite used to that yet. 

But after lunch we took some time to talk and pray and Pastor Drew challenged the team to increase the energy level by about 20 times.  The good news is . . . they did!  Our afternoon site was amazing.  There are tons of preschool kids at that one, so it keeps us on our toes.  But the team stepped it up and responded to the challenge.

After a quick afternoon break, we headed back to the school (aka church) for dinner, and then set out door to door.  We canvased the sites where we will be doing VBS on Thursday and Friday.  There didn't seem to be many people home tonight, but a couple teams had some open doors to pray with people.

We found out tonight than a couple from one of the homes we visited last year on door to door has been faithfully coming to church for the last year.  So we know that door to door is important!

Tomorrow will be a long day  . . . we have our first "Family Night" big outreach event at Wylie Pavillion tomorrow night, plus all the kids ministry in the morning and afternoon.  Pray that many people comes to Jesus tomorrow night!

Also pray for strength, energy, peace and patience.  We're entering that mid-point of the outreach where emotions wear a little thin . . . and the hotel rooms are a little too close for comfort. :()  So pray for unity. 

My favorite quote of the day was from Jon Langeliers, in response to some students quarreling in the van, "Come on guys.  Why so much hostility?  We don't need to embrace hostility, we need to embrace love.  We need love . . . and liberty . . . and disco . . . "  He then broke out into the Newsboys song, "Love, liberty, disco."  It was perhaps the best response to an argument I've ever heard! :()

Well...it's past my bedtime and everyone else is out...so I should be as well.  G'nite all.

Love-Liberty-Disco!

Hi Friends.

It was quite the long day.  We traveled to Aber, got settled in our hotel, and then did some training with the students from Freedom Worship Center who will be joining us in ministry this week.  After dinner, Freedom had a couple church softball games, so we went and cheered our guts out! :()  They won the first game 24 to 2 - or something like that - but lost the 2nd.  Oh well!

We're quite tired tonight . . . and it wasn't our best day in regards to attitude and effort . . . but we got that straightened out and we're gonna get a good night's rest so we have energy to give it our all tomorrow. 

The next four days will be our most intense times.  Please pray - pray - pray for us!

Love ya,

Twyla

Our Sunday went something like this . . .

Breakfast.

Devos & Prayer Time.

Practice.

Snack.

Practice.  Practice.

Lunch.

Practice.  Practice.  Practice.

Snack.

Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice.

Supper.

Practice.

Walmart.

Happy Father Day phone calls.

Bedtime.

As you can see . . . we had quite the long day packed with training . . . and food!  It takes a lot of calories to keep the students going through their physically challenging practices!  But, they worked hard and we accomplished all we needed to, and now they are ready to go!  It was quite a job to get together 10 drama's, 5 skits, plus puppets, object lessons, testimonies and more!  But they fought through the exhaustion and frustration and learned their parts.  I'm so proud of them!

We're off to Aber in the morning.  Thanks for all your prayers. 

Happy father's day! :()

g'nite.

Hey Homefries -

Our day started out bright and early.  We had to get a quick start to the day, since our first service was tonight.  The students practiced intensely for several hours, then we came back to our hotel, got cleaned up, and headed to New Life Church for the service.

The only glich of the day was that I discovered that I had reserved our hotel rooms for the wrong weekend!  What a blonde!  Thankfully they had rooms available . . . God's got my back. :()

The service went very well.  We did a variety of drama's, dance and testimonies.  People responded to the Gospel as well . . . and nothing is better than that . . . that is why we do what we do!  I've never attempted a full service on the first day of an outreach before...but the students gave it their all and I'm really proud of them. 

I guess I never realized how physically exhausting many of our drama's are, until several people from the church commented, "They must be in good shape!"  Maybe I should start doing them . . . :()

We stayed afterward for some tasty nacho's . . . though that produced several cheese stains on our new shirts . . . well, for the 8th grade boys at least. :()

We're getting a good night's rest tonight, as we'll be training for kids ministry all day tomorrow.

Thanks for your prayers, love and support. 

In the words Kyle Hillerud left us with tonight, "Peace, love, and miracles!"

- Twyla

Hey Homefries --

Here is a sample blog entry you can use to show your parents how to stay updated while we're on the outreach.  I'm confident they'll be able to get it!

As time permits, I hope to keep some pics on a slideshow on the main page as well. 

Just think how cool your parents will feel to not only know what a blog is, but to actually have read one. :() 

Happy teaching.

Love ya,

Twyla

The Crew families' ONE TRUTH :: CHALLENGE :: is to read through the entire New Testament or all four Gospels by the end of summer.  This blog will allow you to post questions or comments on what you are reading.  I'll try to chime in with my own thoughts from time to time as well. 

If you have a myspace account, simply post a blog comment below.  If you don't have an account, you won't be able to post a comment, but you can still email or text me with any thoughts.  The info is on your challenge card.

Let's seek the ONE TRUTH together!

:: PSALM 119:30-32 ::

I have chosen the way of truth;

I have set my heart on Your [God's] laws.

I hold fast to Your statutes, O Lord;

do not let me be put to shame.

I run in the path of Your commands,

for You have set my heart free.