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Haiti Trip Highlights
Check out some Haiti Trip highlights!
Haiti Summer 2010 from Sevier Heights Baptist Church on Vimeo.
Haiti Trip - day 7
Well, we’re up early this morning packing all of our things and preparing to depart Haiti. Some of us are ready to get back to the States to take a warm/clean shower with no running dirty water. Some of us are ready to get back home to drink a huge Diet Coke (water has been the drink of choice all week). But all of us are not ready to leave behind the kids we’ve grown so attached to.
Every day this week, a new side of God’s love was displayed. Whether it through the kids loving us, us loving them, or our group loving/serving the workers, new ways to love were learned this week. God’s love is endless and wider than we can imagine. If we didn’t know this before, we know it now. And if some of us knew this before, we’re more grateful to be reminded and refreshed on this unending love God has for His world.
We arrive in Miami at 3:00pm this afternoon. We depart for Knoxville around 8:10pm. Hopefully during this waiting, we can get some personal testimonies of the week posted from our group. I know we all have a lot to say.
To everyone who has prayed for this trip, given support to an individual on this trip, or anything else, we thank you. God has truly used this trip for His glory and His kingdom.
Haiti Trip - day 6
We started the day by going to the orphanage for one last time. We had a chance to share the rest of our Vacation Bible Studies stories which included Jesus’ death and resurrection. We also gave the kids a chance to respond to the gospel at the end and the amount of information they have about Christ is overwhelming.
Some of us also had the opportunity to help the women at the orphanage cook lunch. These women were so happy and the work they do is so hard. Everything is cooked over charcoal in huge pots. The whole time we were working these women kept offering to serve us and offering us chairs to sit in while we worked. The ladies were always more concerned with our comfort rather than their own. These ladies do this everyday for these children, EVERYDAY, no vacation, no holidays, no weekends and their joy was infectious. It is apparent that there is a joy that carries them through the day.
It was so convicting to be around people that pour so much into their work that is far harder and more uncomfortable than we will deal with. Even though we wanted to bless these ladies by lightening their load, they blessed us by their attitude and spirit of joy.
We wanted to take the kids to the beach to close out our final day here. What made this day different was that many of us wanted to take the time to just watch the kids have fun and really try to soak in what little time we had left with them. Once again the kids displayed a real happiness and laughter despite many of them knowing that after today we would be leaving. God truly blessed our team by allowing us to go to the beach several times this week. Nearly getting drowned by kids who could not swim, having salt water shoved down our throats, and just sharing this experience with them, made the mile walk to the beach with 74 kids worth every exhausting minute. Their smiles made it worth it all.
Without a doubt the most difficult part of this entire trip was our final goodbye to the kids, workers, and translators. Not many of us expected to get so deeply attached to the kids. Tears filled the eyes of our team, the kids, and the workers as we said our goodbyes. None of us predicted to react so deeply to this farewell. Many of us expected to love on these kids, pour into their lives, and then leave unattached to them. Instead we got to know them as separate children of God. We learned individual traits, personalities, characteristics of these kids that made us know they were not orphans but children that needed to be loved; not as a group but for the tremendous kids they are.
Many of our goodbyes were filled with tears and hugs not only from us but from the kids and the workers. They wanted to know when we would be back. All we could tell them is we loved them and God would care for them better than we could. Many of us are already talking about coming back to pour into these kids lives again. We know even if we can not make another trip down to Haiti that through the work of God and One Vision we will one day see many of them in heaven.
Tonight, our group discussed what we were going to take back to America from this trip. We discussed how important it was to seek and know God’s personal vision for our lives. Whether it is coming back to Haiti to visit the orphans again or going into college or our careers with a heart for the widows & orphans, we will attempt to find God’s vision for our lives and live it out. The generations of tomorrow are depending on our following through with the plans God is breathing into us today.
Haiti Trip - day 5
**Day 5 blog up a day late - sorry everyone, but we were exhausted and went to bed early**
Humbling, eye-opening, life changing. These are only a few of the words that our team has been dwelling on throughout today and this evening. Right now, it is raining or more like down pouring. Our team’s thoughts are immediately drawn to the kids in the open air orphanage who must be scared of the thunder and lightening. Even more so, however, we remember the tent cities we passed yesterday in Port-au-Prince or the families in the stick and mud huts outside of the OneVision property. These people don’t have any shelter or way to be relieved form the storm or running water and we realize that many of them are not getting the peaceful night’s sleep that we are.
This morning, we started the day by visiting a primary school just past the orphanage. As we pulled in, it was evident that the 412 kids attending this school had a very different school experience than any of us did. Their school “building” was an open pavilion area with a thatched roof and no walls. The Kindergarten and First Grade classes were separated by hanging tarps where around 40 kids sat on the ground in a small dirt area. The other 4 grades were under the roof divided by age and all were without books, pencils, and any materials. We were able to share bible stories with them and gathered to sing a few songs before we left.
The team returned to the smiling joyous faces of the children at the orphanage. The afternoon was full of more VBS activities and another exciting trip to the beach. While we began the week focused on the kids, yesterday and today several of our team members have been reaching out to the workers as well. We have helped with piles and piles of laundry, served lunch, change dirty sweaty clothes, and watched the ladies cook a meal for 80 kids over coal ovens. It is amazing the endurance and love these workers show through their service and their joyfulness has been so encouraging to us and what our walk with Christ should be.
As we begin transitioning into thinking about our time after we leave here, its getting really hard for us to envision leaving these orphans and this nation we have grown attached to. We all have picked up on bits of the kids’ individual personalities and God has just allowed us some incredible avenues for communicating His love and ours. To think that tomorrow is our last day with them could be heartbreaking, but we all know this is just the beginning of our role in the lives of these orphans. We are all shedding our own pride and seeking how we can continue to be vessels in sharing the message of God with the people of Haiti. Please pray for us, the orphanage, and OneVision as we do so.
Haiti Trip - day 4
The first stop of the day was visiting the property where One Vision will soon start constructing their new orphanage, complete with a school and team housing to freely house future mission trip attendees. It was such a shock from the culture we had previously seen. We had gone through Port Au Prince and seen shacks stacked on top of each other and seen the tiny houses on the side of the road around the hotel, but the property showed us a different side. Houses were made of sticks and mud. There was no privacy for these people from the outside world because you could see into the one-roomed huts. But we were welcomed with the smiling faces of kids running to us as soon as we stepped out of the bus. While we as Americans can look on these people and wonder how people can live day-to-day in these conditions, all we could see on their faces was joy. After touring the property, we split up into groups to pray over the site of the future orphanage. It was truly amazing to see what would be in store for the kids and how big of a difference it would make to have an area to run and play in. Not only that, but the new facility will have a school the kids can attend, free of charge, so that they will have opportunities to find work and reach others for Christ after they leave the orphanage. After we had prayed over the property, we were about to go out to individually pray over the site when a group of kids came running in their school uniforms to us. But they weren’t running to us because they were happy to get out of school. They had all just been kicked out of school because they couldn’t afford the $6 to attend anymore. It will make such a huge difference when these kids have a chance to attend school and not have to worry about the cost.
After VBS we took the kids to the beach for the second time. While some of us lathered up with some high SPF, the kids were busy stripping down to their birthday suits. The laughter that we experienced was truly amazing and filled our hearts with joy. Just the laughter alone was enough to make the entire trip worth the sweat and sickness. We can’t understand Creole, but laughter is universal. Not being able to clearly communicate with children about Jesus has been frustrating; however, we are learning that showing these kids they are loved IS showing them Jesus.
Tomorrow, the plans are to visit a Haitian school and spend some time, probably being taught by the children. And we are looking forward to going to the beach with the orphanage kids again.
Haiti Trip - day 3
Overwhelming. To say the least. Joy, brokenness, peace, helplessness, hope… From the smiling faces of the children at the orphanage to the sight of complete destruction in the heart of Port au Prince, today brought with it a rollercoaster of emotions.
We were greeted this morning once again by joyful faces at the orphanage. The kids were already gathered around tables in their Sunday best when we arrived. It was such a privilege to gather with them and worship through songs. A couple of people from our team shared with the kids and we listened as the pastor shared from Exodus 2. Today was Mother’s Day in Haiti so the message was focused on the importance of a mother’s role in our lives.
We then made a trek to Port au Prince where words cannot even begin to describe the things we saw nor the things we felt. Rubble from houses pancaked on top of each other as our minds raced and we sought to put ourselves in their shoes. We couldn’t help but think about the minutes following the 35 second earthquake that changed the lives of so many people. We can’t imagine the chaos and shock that rung throughout the streets. We stopped to take in a view that was just a small picture of the destruction that had taken place. There was a woman there who told us that the pile of rocks we were standing on used to form her home. She lost everyone in her family, including her husband and children, in those 35 seconds. She was lost and lonely, but she was living. We also went and saw The Palace (our version of The White House) and saw many “tent cites” as we drove through the debris filled streets.
We made our way back to the orphanage and had the incredible opportunity to walk with the children to the beach. Within seconds most of the children were stripped down…completely… and had adventured into the water. Many of us will be sore tomorrow after enduring the tugs of 6 or 7 children at one time hanging onto us for dear life as we went out into the water, but it proved to be completely worth it.
The Lord has already taught us so much on the trip. We have gained sensitivity to the simple form of worship through love. We have gained sensitivity to what our heart is truly focused on. Most of all, we have gained sensitivity to the love of Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray for us as we expend as much energy as we can for the sake of showing the love that has been poured out to us. As we go tomorrow to see the sight of the future orphanage, pray for the vision that the Lord has laid on the heart of John Miller and One Vision International.
Most of us came on this trip expecting to “bring” God to them, but oh how quickly we realized that He was already here in their midst.
Haiti Trip - day 2
Day Two…and none of us have stopped sweating in that many days. It’s a little toasty here. We got up bright and early this morning, seriously. Bright AND early, since the sun rises at 5 a.m. John’s wake-up calls at 6:50 were met with squinty-eyed, disoriented college kids. We loaded up and shipped out at around 8:30 and headed to the orphanage.
Much like last night, the kids charged us before we could step off the bus. It was exciting and vaguely frightening to be stampeded 72 children ready to be held. We did our first day of VBS today. College students shared the stories of Mary being visited by an angel, Jesus gets a family, and Jesus’ birth. The idea is to go through Jesus’ life with each day of VBS. But there’s plenty of room for awkwardness pausing for the translator after each sentence. After the stories, we sang. The kids gathered around and sang Jesus Loves Me, B-I-B-L-E, and other songs in Creole. Every time we thought of a song to teach them, they already knew it! They love to sing.
The language barrier can be a little frustrating. But all these kids want is to be hugged, to be held, to be loved. Much of our day was spent sitting and holding the kids. Many of us were left cradling sweaty, beautiful boys and girls as they slept in our arms. We’re learning to listen to the silences. Their habits, mannerisms, and smiles speak more than words ever could. We’re learning to love without words. God’s teaching us to listen to Him in His silences too. What does that take? Stop talking and pay attention. Love Him by spending time with Him, learning His habits, His mannerisms. Words are unnecessary when love speaks volumes.
Tomorrow we head to church with the kids. Afterwards, John is taking us to the other side of Port Au Prince where the worst damage from the earthquake took place. Pray for our team as we come face-to-face with the devastation. Pray we can look on in silence and allow God to speak. Continue praying for the people here in Haiti, they need it more than ever.
It’s really amazing the amount of sweat one person can produce. Add that to what we’ve learned since being here. Don’t worry, there’s enough deodorant to go around. Hopefully.
Haiti Trip - day 1
Well, we made it safe to Haiti! All 34 of us and over 60 bags of personal luggage and supplies for the orphanage and One Vision. Really an answered prayer to have us and all our luggage arrive safe. Ran into some traffic in Port-au Prince that set us back arriving at the hotel. No big deal though. It gave us all a chance to see the city and let everything sink in.
Before arriving at the hotel, we made a surprise stop at the orphanage. Seeing all the kids wave, smile, and go crazy was so awesome. All the kids swarmed us and we swarmed them. We’re gonna have TONS of fun with them this week!
Pray for our Youth Conference we’re organizing with One Vision on Monday. We’ve got 6 of our group members speaking on Evangelism and Abstinence to the youth and young adults in the area. Really looking forward to that.
Getting up bright and early tomorrow to do VBS and party with the kids! Thanks for all the prayers, we’re feeling them. Next update, hopefully tomorrow.
Party at the Walk Photos
Check out some photos from the last Walk.
inside the walk 4.27.2010 from patrick murphy-racey on Vimeo.
Hitched: What a Guy Wants…
For the first night of the new series Hitched, Tim asked all of the guys to write down the one thing they were looking for in a girl. The few of you that left your name and number have been entered into the eHarmony database and should be expecting your matches soon (just kidding). Here are some of the guys’ funny and serious responses…
A voice that is dark…like tinted glass
cook, clean, look good at all times
An untamed passion for Christ
Strong stable relationship with God and compliments me in my weaknesses
net worth after taxes
good taste in men (me)
A sparkling white smile, one that has the cartoon type smile to it
Understanding that I will hurt you and not mean to, that I will get frustrated and take it out on you, that I will try to be there for but I will fail often, that I will get jealous…but…I will always love you
Some “Rooftop Moments” from our students…
Have you ever had a “rooftop moment”? You know, the moment in your mind where you think you have it made, have it all figured out, you are perfectly content with your life, your world, your friends, everything. It’s a dangerous moment to have. Why? Because somehow you think you earned/deserved/worked hard for that rooftop moment. You left God out of your accomplishment, your raise, your promotion, your role as a leader…and did not give Him the credit. It’s not about you…it’s not about us…it’s about God. In Daniel 4: 29-30, King Nebuchadnezzar had a big rooftop moment that eventually cost him. Recently, we asked some of our students what their “rooftop moments” were. Here are their responses.
My rooftop moment was when….....
“I had gotten an internship with something that’s hard to do and I thought it was all because I did the work and I bragged about it to everyone. But then I lost it because that person left. I apologized to God and realized he can take anything away. Two days ago I was told I could probably keep my internship and the first thing I did was thank the Lord and asked for help to be humble about it. I absolutely love the walk and every week it opens my heart more and more to Christ.”
“I tweeted a quote out of a book I’m reading out of pride. The content of the tweet totally pertained to the sin I was committing. I am so foolish.”
“At work when someone told me I’m good at what I do…I have taken credit for it, like I have the talent, that I deserve my salary, and that I have earned my position of leadership. The truth is that it is all a gift of God, not of myself - so that none should boast.”
“My whole life of legalism. I was trapped in thinking that my “good” lifestyle choices were enough to make me holy. But only through Christ’s love and redemption am I anything but wretched, my good works mere ‘rags’.”
“High school popularity and recognition by those above me in the church. Putting my position on my own talent and not on the Lord’s grace and blessings.”
“Recently, I got a new job. The job is great. I got it right out of school and I had been asking God if this is the job for me. Once I figured that this is currently where God wanted me, I got a pretty big head. Like, ‘look at this job and how great it is.’ But really, the job is a gift and now that I realize that, the job got better.”
“My rooftop moment this week was when someone complimented me on my humbleness…what a joke.”
“Reading a UT-wide email that praised my leadership accomplishments.”
“Thinking that because I have a college degree, I deserve a certain salary, benefits, position.”
“I became a nanny for a Hindu family and I thought I would be the one to save them.”
“I took advantage of the fact that my schooling was paid for when really that is a huge priviledge and gift from God.”
“When I was in high school, I went on a mission trip. And on the trip, my “goal” was to bring at least one kid to Christ. At the end of the week, I actually got to lead a kid to Christ and thought it was all because of me. But it was really a priviledge through God.”
“When I was voted on the Homecoming Court in high school, I had a rooftop moment.”
“Going downtown to handout cheeseburgers and feeling like I am doing a “good” work for someone who “needs Jesus.” In reality, I need Jesus just as much and am no better.”
The Walk Staff’s - Make or Break Moments
My make or break moment was deciding to join a group of friends to serve the homeless community in downtown Knoxville. I pray this does not give off the image of self-glory because that is something I never seek. Being able to serve by giving food, water, clothing or any other basic need to that community has changed the way I love and thank God, as well as how I view my blessings. My perspective of the things I “own” has changed, my love for God and the gratitude for His blessings has increased. If I had avoided the furnace by not joining that group of guys my attitude of service would be weaker, my gratitude for everything God has blessed me with would be weaker, I would not be at the level of sanctification I am today…even though it’s a very long way from where I believe God wants us to be.
- Clark Davidson
When I was 19 years old I had to make one of the hardest decisions of my life. I was far from God and a month away from moving to Nashville to pursue music. It had been my dream for most of my life and I was finally going to pursue my greatest desire but there was one problem. I knew that God had called me into the ministry.
It was make or break.
By his grace, God placed me in “Babylon” and during that time he surrounded me with specific people that encouraged me to get in the Word and find my refuge in God. A month away from pursuing my dream yet knowing that I was running from my calling, I made the tough decision to surrender my dream and give my whole life to God. Just a couple of weeks later I had moved from California to Virginia to study the Bible at Liberty University. Best decision of my life!
- Brad Damas
What if you’re right in the middle of a make or break moment? I could say all along what I would do…but now I can’t be so sure. I graduate in May and I have two job opportunities: one is doing what I know God has called me to do and another is accepting a job that will offer all the benefits and pay any recent graduate would get googly-eyed over. On top of it all, this job will pay for my Master’s Degree. Do I go with the choice that requires obedience without a locked in retirement plan, or the cushy comfort of a lifetime of financial and job security? My attempts to dodge the discomfort of not knowing what will happen if I accept the job God is leading me toward, is furnace avoidance…plain and simple. Will I reject His principles and latch on to the ‘blessings,’ or act on His principles and leave the paid-in-full graduate degree behind? The world tells me to play it safe, God is asking me to play with fire. Sound easy? It’s not.
- Callie Dunlap
Baptisms: Testimonies and Pics
The Walk: Baptism 11.09.09 from patrick murphy-racey on Vimeo.
Making a Difference
Check out this article about the trip to Haiti on the news web site of the School of Journalism and Electronic Media | University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Baptisms: November 18, 2009
Baptisms at The Walk from Sevier Heights Baptist Church on Vimeo.
The Walk November 18, 2009
Beautiful Feet: Haiti
Shoes for Haiti from Sevier Heights Baptist Church on Vimeo.
I get feelings of joy, followed closely by tears and hurt for the 130+ kids that changed my view on what I thought living on nothing was. Seeing the orphanage and the kids the first night broke my heart. A place called home for them could fit into a classroom at UT, which by the way was a major step up from the nightclub they were in before. It showed me all the things I take for granted; food, clean water, changes of clothes, a place to sleep, people who believe and show me they love me, the list is endless. But these kids are orphans. They literally have almost nothing. Most of them don’t have or know their parents. You know the people who embarrass and annoy us, but love us unconditionally. Yeah these kids don’t get that opportunity. Children are made for families, they shouldn’t have to do life on their own. But One Vision has a plan to change all that. And I am so pumped that God gave me the opportunity to be apart of it. Just the small chance to hold a little girl until she finally falls asleep, or watch a blind boy get to play duck-duck goose with a million dollar smile on his face while he is running. Or to see kids get so excited for a chance just to cling onto you even though neither of you understand a word each other is saying. Or even getting challenged to a soccer match by the #1 and #2 teams of Haiti. Whatever it was, I know that in two days I experienced enough to know that Gods plan for me involves Haiti, and I can’t wait.
- Taylor Hobbs
This trip has changed my life forever. I jumped on at the last minute knowing God had something huge in store for me but I never could have imagined how much he would change me in just a weekend. The first night we stopped by the orphanage for about 15 minutes and in that amount of time I knew I would never be the same. I was overwhelmed by the conditions that these kids were living in. It’s not right. Children should not have to grow up this way. One moment that I will never forget is getting to see the little boy whose picture we used for the post-it note project. All I could do was scoop him into my arms and hold him. It was a surreal moment. I was so overwhelmed with love for this little boy and he didn’t even know me. When we showed him his picture made out of post-its, his face was priceless. I will never forget it. It’s so hard to come back here and explain the trip to those who haven’t experienced it. Words cannot really describe. All I know is that I will never be the same.
- Rachel Landrith
I literally can’t explain the trips to you in words. It was incredible. I feel like the biggest thing God showed me through Haiti was how much the kids don’t have any love. As soon as we got there, all the kids would flock to you and hang on you and if they couldn’t grab your hand they would cling to your clothes or at least touch your arm. They simply couldn’t get enough love. They couldn’t even really understand our love for them because they haven’t ever been loved. What breaks my heart the most is, if they can’t understand our love, how are they going to see how great the love of God is?
- Gillian Gaskins
I will have to say that this trip to Haiti was life-changing. The whole trip was a great experience in itself, but there was definitely a moment that I will always remember. I was sitting down holding a little boy named Palo and he wrapped his arms around my neck and put his head on my chest. Honestly, my first thought hoped the boy would get off of me because the stench was so bad and we were both dripping in sweat. It was in that moment when the Lord really spoke to me. I felt like he was saying, “Brad, who do you think you are? Even though this little boy is dirty and smelly, I love him just as much as I love you. He is my child, just as you are. Love on him like he was your own.” The coolest thing is that there is a picture that one of the girls took on the trip that captures the moment! It’s so neat to be apart of something so much bigger than myself. I pray that The Walk can continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus in Haiti in years to come.
- Brad Damas
You know, this seems to be the million dollar question, “Lacey, how was your trip to Haiti?” If words could describe how my heart aches and yet is joyful when the question is asked, it would make my life easier. Unfortunately, words don’t cut it. When I thought about this trip prior to actually going, the fact that these kids were orphans did not hit me. Orphans… no family. No love. No one saying I believe in you. When we got there this concept that my heart could not take hold of was made real. All these kids wanted from me was to be held. They wanted to be loved. They didn’t want words. There was a moment that will never escape my heart, and I thank God that it won’t. We were at church and it was about 110 degrees. I was sitting in the back of the room, unable to understand anything they were saying, holding a tiny baby boy. He was too feeble to hold his head up, too weak to cry. As I stared into his face for nearly 2 hours, I imagined starring straight into the face of my Jesus. My heart broke. There is no one who makes this child their priority, no one who has hopes and dreams for him. I felt the Lord saying to me “Lacey, this right here is the reason I need you. I need you to hope and dream and love my people as I love you.” As I prayed over him, and as my tears wet his face, I knew my life would never be the same.
- Lacey Jenkins
Beautiful Feet
“The Walk” 10.28.09 from patrick murphy-racey on Vimeo.
Poverty. Do you know what it is? I thought I did. I’ve learned fast that I don’t. How could I? I’m comfortable. I have all the food I need, clothes to wear, family to take care of me, a warm bed to sleep in at night. I lay my head down every night with a full stomach, not ever thinking about where my next meal will come from. I take for granted breakfast will be waiting for me in the morning. But why do I deserve all of this when 30,000 children die every day because of poverty related reasons? 30,000. Kids. My reflex is to offer money. You know, the usual thing. The easy thing. That’s enough…isn’t it? In Luke 6 we learned that what’s easy isn’t always what God’s asking us to do. Even those who don’t know Christ will blindly throw money at the problem. Give and forget. But God has asked us to do something bigger, something that may sting a little. As college students, we don’t have a lot of money to give up. What we do have are the shoes on our feet. Do we care enough to literally give up our own shoes? I gave not for myself and not so other people could see me doing it. I gave my shoes because sacrificing something, anything was better than staying comfortable. When I gave, I looked in God’s direction. When I’m focused on reflecting Him, sacrifice loses its sting. Bare feet became beautiful. Men, women, kids in Haiti won’t have the ache of a sharp rock jabbing their heel or a splinter stabbing at a toe anymore. You decided giving up a pair of shoes and being a little uncomfortable for one night was okay because it meant someone else would be more comfortable for months if not years to come. Our shoes are going to an orphanage in Haiti, an orphanage without a back wall. We can rebuild that wall. Not with our hands, but with our attention. These kids living in this orphanage have been ignored most their lives, where’s the justice? Justice for these kids is a safe place to live, a home with four walls. Remember the statement from Bishop John? “It’s possible to do justice without worshipping God, but it’s impossible to worship God without doing justice.” So I’ll give my three dollars. But I’m not giving to some blind cause just to make myself feel better. No. I’m giving for justice. Justice for those 30,000 kids. It has to stop and it starts with us. Is the message sticking yet?
A Note from Tyler
From August 2003 until the summer of 2009 I had the opportunity to serve as the worship leader for The WALK. Over those years Tim and I constantly talked about what a revival would look like and prayed that it would begin with the College Ministry at Sevier Heights. The only word Tim and I could come up with to describe revival is “unexplainable”. On September 16th, 2009 I believe I caught a glimpse of the unexplainable and will remember that moment for the rest of my life. I was attending the WALK one last time before my family and I moved to Morristown, Tennessee to be on staff at Arrowhead Church. As I was standing there, watching hundreds of college students worship God, I was reminded of where the WALK began. It all started with the vision of a leader who had the desire to change the way people view church. Thank you, Tim Miller and College Staff, for being a picture of Jesus Christ to so many.
Tyler Rhoton
“Dear God” by Calvin
Dear God from Sevier Heights Baptist Church on Vimeo.
Calvin’s Poem on prayer, “Dear God.”
This poem is about my realization of how important prayer is to my daily life. I have come to think that perhaps God does not want us repeating the same generic prayers over and over because they become so stagnant and don’t come from the heart. They end up being empty words that mean absolutely nothing. The Lord deserves our best so where better place to start than honesty in prayer?!
The Prodigal’s Song
“The Prodigal’s Song” from Sevier Heights Baptist Church on Vimeo.
“The Prodigal’s Song” written by Brad Damas.
The story behind “The Prodigal’s Song”…
As a worship leader and songwriter, my natural form of communication and expressing myself is through music. Yours might be through art, design, dancing, etc. In fact, some of my greatest times with the Lord have been with my guitar in hand. That is just the way I was wired, and I’m okay with that.
During a quiet time about six months ago, the Lord led me to Luke 15:11-31 and brought to my attention how my life resembled The Prodigal Son. In my high school and early college years, I ran away from God and tried to live life on my own. Just like the Prodigal Son, I was tired, completely broken, and in need of my Father. As I began to look at my past, I was (and still am) amazed that the same God, who I completely disowned and ran from, felt compassion toward me and that his arms were opened wide when I decided to come back home to him. I was so overwhelmed by the thought that God would still offer his love and redemption to me after all the pain that I put him through, that I quickly grabbed a pen and piece of paper and picked up my guitar. And this is the song that poured out.
Every time I perform this song, I am reminded of how much God truly loves me. My prayer is that this song will speak that same message to each and every person who may listen to this.
Brad Damas | Matthew 16:25
Check out the lyrics
Dirty Laundry
The Walk 9.02.09 “Dirty Laundry” from patrick murphy-racey on Vimeo.
Come as you are… but don’t stay the same!!
We had another phenomenal week at The Walk. Great worship, awesome message, fun times of fellowship, and delicious food… it couldn’t get much better!! Join us next week at 9pm at Sevier Heights as Brad and the band lead us in worship and Tim continues the “Dirty Laundry” series.
Our Podcast
If you subscribe to our podcast via iTunes, you may have noticed it’s bit frazzled (er, outdated). That’s because, due to some technical issues, we had to start from scratch and create a new podcast. So if you’d like the most up-to-date downloads from The Walk, you’ll need to resubscribe. No worries. The easiest way to do that is to click on the “Podcast” link anywhere on our website.
Sin Smothered in Cheese
Sin Smothered in Cheese from Sevier Heights Baptist Church on Vimeo.
Poem by Calvin
As Tim mentioned at the first Walk, our goal as a ministry is to reflect Jesus Christ in everything we do by changing the way you view church. Through all the lights, cameras, music, free food, and fellowship, we always want the ultimate focus to be on Jesus. As a ministry team, we wanted to come up with creative ways to reflect Jesus from different perspectives throughout the semester.
Calvin Smith, a theatre major from Memphis at UT, wrote Sin Smothered in Cheese. Many of you heard his piece performed a little differently by Tracey Halter at the first Walk of the semester at the amphitheater. Calvin was originally going to perform but had other obligations so Tracey graciously stepped in and totally rocked out. Calvin is full of talent and he is writing another poem to perform at the end of the month during Tim’s series on Prayer. We are looking forward to him being involved in the ministry and can’t wait to see what he comes up with next! You won’t want to miss it!!
Check Out the First Walk
The Walk 8.26.09 from patrick murphy-racey on Vimeo.
On Wednesday August 26, The Walk kicked off the fall semester. The first Walk met at World’s Fair Park at the Amphitheater in downtown Knoxville, where they fed 1000+ college students free Chick-Fil-A and Rita’s Italian Ice. As you can tell the turnout was amazing with a majority of students packing the area around the Ampitheater well before the festivities began.
Beginning a week before, the University of Tennessee campus was filled with posters inviting everyone to the first Walk of the semester. Then starting two days before the Walk many volunteers helped with a campus blitz, handing out 2000 cookies. In addition to the cookies the student volunteers wore shirts to follow the countdown theme of the posters and cookies. All of this spurred great curiosity and many of the curious ones showed up to the Ampitheater to see what all this was about…mission accomplished!
This being the third time The Walk has been at the Ampitheater, Tim, the college pastor, wanted to spice things up to keep in line with his motto for The Walk, “Changing the way you view church.” After the worship and message, Tracey Halter came to the stage and presented a dramatic monologue written by UT theater student, Calvin Smith. The monologue copied Tim’s picture of presenting Jesus as love, but in a dramatic fashion. The audience stood motionless, obviously moved by Tracey’s words.
A quick thanks goes out to all of the volunteers that helped whether you are a student or not. All of the staff with The Walk greatly appreciated your help and we look forward to a great semester with all of you and with those that attend The Walk as well. God did amazing work Wednesday and we are anticipating even greater work to come.
