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KentSuter
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Name: Kent
Metro:
Interests: 1. My wife
2. Christian Apologetics & Evangelism
3. Video Editing
4. Macintosh computers (PC's = recycle)
5. Flying
6. Youth Ministry
7. Mountain Climbing
Expertise: "How To Not Maintain Muscle After College"
Message: message me
Member Since:
1/13/2005
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| "To everything, turn turn, there is a season..."Those are the words made popluar back in the 60s by the Byrds, yet made even more popular by Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3. Life changes so rapidly, and Solomon knew that well.
Brook and I have been feeling that a lot lately. We finally feel like we've finished the summer and are moving into the Fall. I sure am ready for the weather to get cooler. (The Fall is my favorite season of the year.)
Recapping our summer a bit, we started out in May going to Israel, then in June to North Carolina for a week of class, followed by eleven days in Curacao for our mission trip, then another week in North Carolina for Brook's family reunion, rock climbing with the youth at Crowders Mountain, followed by a week in Myrtle Beach with my family, peppered with the 06 graduates moving off to college. No wonder I've been cross-eyed lately!
Reflecting back on Ecc. 3, I was thinking about how the seasons on earth fluctuate, just as our lives also have different seasons that we go through. To milk this analogy for all its worth, you will also recall that while each season has similarities, there are never two seasons that are exactly the same. We, too, go through seasons of change in our lives where God takes us through various terrains. Sometimes the changes can be extremely difficult, and other times very pleasant. One constant does remain, however, and that is God's faithfulness. When was the last time you thought about just how much God does for you every day?
I'm very excited about the Fall on its way. I also can't wait to see what God is going to do through our youth group this year (or "season"). I see a growing maturity in all of us that shows me God cares about us and will bless us as we seek to honor Him. We're going to Starbucks together tonight, so that should fill us up with the Holy Spirit real quick! Which is why Greg Stier appropriately calls coffee "Christian Crack." :)
If you're willing to share how God has been faithful to you lately, I'd love to hear about it. Meanwhile, I'll be planning my trip for next month to north Georgia to see the leaves change. | | |
| CURACAO TRIP (SUMMARY)Well, we are home now back in Hotlanta. Our trip was truly tremendous. We are so grateful for the countless people who have been praying for us while in Curacao. Since I did not get to finish summarizing the last part of the trip, here is what I can remember:
Sunday (July 2)
-We did the Sunday worship service and Sunday School programs again. This time, our gas tanks were nearly empty. The students sang willingly, but the energy level was substantially lower this time...understandably! However, we all did perk up when Pastor Fred led us in a song titled, "Do You Have A Sunshine Smile?" There was this one part where the words go, "Do you have a sunshine ha-ha-ha-ha-ha?" but everyone did not sing it very loud. So Pastor Fred stopped the song, told us to sing with all our hearts, and we did the HA HA HA HA HA part with a lot of noise, so everyone was laughing and singing. It was hilarious. The joy of the Lord is so good. We'll never forget that.
-Ev spoke in Sunday school to the adults on discipleship. It was excellent.
-Ev put together a slide show of pictures from the week and we showed them between SS and the worship service.
-Each team member was presented a Curacao place mat from the church for all our work. The placemats had a map on them of Curacao, along with some pictures. A great gift.
-I spoke on Heaven...the nature, location, and duration of it from what the Bible tells us. It appeared to be well-received.
-We ate lunch at Ziko's house (son of Pastor Fred). The meal was very good, once again. We are so thankful.
-We attended the Sunday evening service. This time, we did not lead any singing or do any skits. The only one from our team that was involved in the program was Boyden, who spoke on Rom. 1--the just shall live by faith.
-Before bed, I told the students to think about the trip and to try to journal their thoughts once again.
Monday (July 3-travel day)
-Today was our final day of the trip. We spent the first part of the day packing and getting all our loose ends tied up. The group did a great job of cleaning and helping.
-Sid did the devotional for the morning. He challenged the students and leaders to not forget what the Lord has done on this trip. He spoke with great clarity and heart. It was well-received.
-Our travel ended up being uneventful and safe. We did see Jenny Gabrielson from Grace Fellowship in the Miami Airport. Small world. She was on our flight back to ATL, too! She had just been to the Dominican Republic with Young Life. Anyhoo, Anna's parents picked us up in the bus at about 10:45 and the rest is history.
My last comment to the group before we left the island was to remember that Satan will try to steal the seed that God has planted in their hearts. The Bible tells us that he walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8), and then tells us that we must "resist him". The toughest part, if we are not careful, is to know his tactics. They are not noticable, but subtle, often coming in through the back door. Sinking back into our old habits and way of life comes without us noticing. That is why it is imperative that we remain (abide) in God's Word.
Without that, our trip is meaningless. Lord, protect us as we re-enter the toughest missionary field of all--our own home. | | |
| CURACAO UPDATE 4Well, we are on our last leg of this trip. We've been here ten days now and are leaving in the morning. Since my last update, much has happened. Without further ado, here's the synopsis:
Friday
-In the AM, we went to an elementary school for children who come from troubled homes. It's like a day care, only they are there for a longer time period than what Americans are used to. We did our similar routines with them and it turned out great once again. Lots of fun!
-We also saw Andruw Jones' old house he grew up in, as well as the one he lives in now. Big change!
-In the evening, we did a "last call" invitation in the neighborhood near the church and invited people to come and enjoy the music, games, food, and Bible lesson at the church. After that, we played basketball and soccer with the locals. We won in basketball big time, so they quickly wanted to play soccer. We held our own, but eventually lost. Lots of fun, though! And we invited a lot of them to the church, where many came and accepted Christ as Savior! Praise the Lord!
-Our service started at 7 pm and finished around 9 pm. Again, many came to Christ. One person in particular, who did not accept Christ (yet) was there who is noteworthy. He is a friend we met at out hotel. His name is Tico and is from Holland. He and I have spent a total of about 2 hours in discussion about eternal matters. Read further to hear the rest of the story.
Saturday
-In the AM we went with the church to a kids farm where they had billy goats, chickens, and a playground. It was kinda like the Yellow River Game Ranch, for those who know what I'm talking about, only it wasn't nearly as big. Lots of fun.
-In the lunch hour, we went to downtown Willemstad and shopped for a few hours. I had lunch on the bay and a HUGE oil tanker was pulled in by tug boats. Very cool. Portugal also won against England, so we saw a lot of cars drive by honking their horns. I had just bought a Portugal jersey for a friend and so I held it out while they honked. It was hilarious! They got a kick out of it. Seriously, no pun was intended there.
-In the evening we came back and had a great experience. We played softball with the Curacao people! And guess what...we beat 'em! There was a dinner on the line for the winning team...they owe us one! We had a blast.
-After that, and after dinner, I took the graduates on our team out to Baskin Robbins with Everett and Brook. A little something to honor them.
Sunday (today)
I'll have to update you later on today b/c I've gotta go to church now. More to come later. Thanks! | | |
| CURACAO UPDATE 3Day 8 (June 30)
As you might expect, I have been unable to update this blog for quite some time simply b/c of the pace of this mission trip. We have been going non-stop the whole time, with a few breaks here and there, but I've needed those breaks to re-fill my own tank to say the least. Since my last post (Monday), many things have happened...wonderful things. Here is the summary:
Tuesday
-We helped Pastor Fred do some much needed housekeeping at the church. We moved the projector screen (the church just got a powerpoint projector for the first time), cleaned the church kitchen, cleaned the lights, and a couple of students tackled the hardest job of all, which was putting anti-termite paint on the ceiling of the back hallway. The smell is enough to give you a long term headache...Sean got nausea, but later felt better after about 4 hours.
-At 5 pm we went to our first orphanage visit, which was tremendous! There were about 50 kids ranging from age 5 to 16, both boys and girls. The workers at that orphanage sure impressed us all with how clean, orderly, and well-behaved the children were. Our presentation, which included music, skits, Noah's ark color books and story (Caleb read it), went very well. We had a few bumps in trying to get it all together, but it REALLY worked out well. God is so good. Afterwards, the orphanage headmaster was so glad to have us that she gave us a tour of the entire facility. Words cannot express how much we were impressed. You'll just have to ask us when we get home!
-After the orphanage, we went out for dinner to downtown Willemstad and ate at Subway, which was nice. We then went up the street a bit to this AMAZING Dutch hotel, which is totally unlike anything I've ever seen. The hotel is made up of about 5 acres of Dutch cottages (remember, this is in the city) which have palm trees and swimming pools with waterfalls meandering all in between the cottages. We were walking around with our jaws on the ground b/c it was so beautiful. Interestingly, it had once been the worst part of town, but a rich man from Holland, I think, bought the land and build the hotel. What a treat!
Wednesday
-Today was our day off. We spent the day at an all-inclusive resort called Breezes, which is like a Sandals, or a Beaches chain. They gave us a significant discount, which I believe was b/c of prayer. Anyway, we had all three meals included, and as many smoothies as your stomach could muster as often as you like. Oh, and all this with a beach, lagoon, ping pong, trapeez, inflatable boxing ring, three swimming pools, volleyball, sauna, snorkeling, sea kayak--you name it they have it! Needless to say, I got burned, as did a lot of others, especially Ev's bald head.
-After Breezes, we went to the hotel and changed and then went to the church for a Wed night service. Ev spoke to them about the Kingdom of Heaven. It was tremendous. He got into specifics of how the Kingdom of Heaven is right now, not just when you die. He challenged us all to action, and Pastor Fred was almost in tears after the service b/c Ev spoke on the exact thing he's been trying to accomplish for quite some time now. Pastor Fred feels a lot like a lone ranger. We all wonder what would happen if the Lord took him home soon. Would the leaders be up to the challenge? We think they're not there yet, and Pastor Fred agrees. Pray for the leaders and congregation to step up to the task.
Thursday
-Today we shuffled 1/2 of our Saturday to this day b/c of scheduling. We ended up going to a lagoon on the west end of the island for the first part of the day. Rarely, if ever, have I seen such a turquoise color in the ocean. Talk about glorious! While there we were able to swim, sunbathe, and jump off a 20 foot cliff into the ocean. Tons of fun! Kurt got stung by a jellyfish on his leg, and has also sprained his middle toe. If there's an accident waiting to happen, Kurt will surely be there! He handles it great, though.
-For lunch we ate at Margarita's house. She is a doctor who goes to the church and fixed us all an INCREDIBLE meal. We were all stuffed to the brim. What a spread of food!
-At 5 pm we went to another orphanage, which was an all boys orphanage for ages 10-16 more or less. Similar presentation was given as the last one. The tennis balls were a hit. They each got one. I did a game with them outside where I held up my sandals and they had to try to hit one from about 25 feet away. I'm fortunate to still be standing here, b/c they almost got me in the face on a bunch of occasions! It was fun, though.
-At 7:30 we went to the women's care center. This is for women who have had a baby recently, or will be having one soon, who cannot take care of themselves or who are married to abusive husbands. The guys all stepped outside to pray for a while while the girls led most of the presentation. Lizzy, Callae, Rose, and Lauren all gave their testimonies. There was much weeping. When the guys were in the room, we helped to sing and play with the toddlers who were there. The mothers really appreciated it. I think the girls on our team wanted to bring some of the children home in their suitcases. They were so cute!
Friday
-As it is only half way through the day, and our biggest event is still to come tonight, I will refrain from journaling on this day until another time. Please pray for us as we are doing our big outreach event tonight at 7:00 pm, lasing until around 9 pm. Pray also for the students on our team to see God's hand in ways they have never seen before and that they will work as one body in all our efforts.
To God Be the Glory! | | |
| CURACAO TRIP UPDATE 2Curacao Youth Mission Trip (update 2)
Day 4 (Monday June 26)
Wow! What an amazing thing it is to see the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of these students, and the adults as well! I say that because we witnessed ELEVEN people accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior today! Meghan Wright was the first to lead someone to Jesus--the woman she talked to was very happy about it all.
Callae Waller shared her testimony with some people this evening, which was instrumental in helping bring someone to the Lord. Caleb Tucker was able to witness to people using his knowledge of the Spanish language, which proved to be very helpful. Kaitlin Ahlenius seemed very moved during the whole experience today. She has such a burden for the lost. It truly has been fantastic to see God's hand at work!
Here is a synopsis of our events from the day:
-Kurt and Sean made us all pancakes this morning
-Lauren Chappell did devotions for us this morning after breakfast. She talked about how faithful God has been to her this past year, especially concerning her college plans and how He has provided for her.
-we went to the capitol city of Willemstad, where we did most of our witnessing for today. Very pretty city. The wind is always blowing quite hard, which is very nice considering how hot it is down here.
-Came back to the hotel apartments around 2 pm, let the students go swim and rest, while I went back out with Brook and Linda to get some groceries and gasoline
-went to the church to meet pastor Fred and his family, who helped us go witnessing around the church neighborhood. It was there that the Lord used me to lead a man named Ramon to Christ. Yeah!
-came back to the hotel for dinner (prepared by Rose and Linda, who stayed back) at around 8:00 pm. We had chicken and rice, with green beans. Very good meal.
We've all been thoroughly enjoying Pastor Fred's family, especially Damaris, who has a lot of knowledge of life in the U.S. b/c her husband lives there! He works for Focus on the Family, but she is still waiting for her Green Card...which she applied for FOUR YEARS ago! She gets to visit for three months at a time, then she has to come back to Curacao and wait for a few more months, then she can go back. What a hard time that must be! She said she plans to go back this next time (which is July 5) and instead of coming back to Curacao to wait more, she'll just go down to Mexico and walk back to the U.S.! She's a very funny gal. Everyone likes her. She reminds me of Brook in the way she is an instigator...always up to no good when in group settings.
For all who are praying, THANK YOU and please continue! There is still much work to be done. Tomorrow we plan to help clean the church some, and do a little painting, too. Then, at 5:00 we go to the orphanage to serve the children and tell them about Jesus. Please pray also for us as we adjust to the "living by the moment" scheduling. We are learning to be flexible, that's for sure. A dose of this is probably what we need, though. Our American culture is going at such a break-neck speed that we miss so much, especially in relationships. I truly hope we can learn from them in that respect. | | |
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