I got the Road Report from the California Mission Trip the other day, and I thought I'd share the articles I wrote for it. This is partially because I want to show off my writing (), but also partially because I can't think of anything to write about that would be interesting both to me and to you. And just in case you were wondering, the reason I'm not just giving you all the road reports (they're all good!) is that that's an awful lot of typing!

When he was giving us the guidelines for the road reports, Andrew said we would get extra points for using a Bible verse in the article. I was proud of myself because I got not one, but TWO verses in my first road report! Cha-CHING!

Well, anyway. Here they are. Enjoy!

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Black and Blue

"Hello!" "Hi, what's your name?" "Nice to meet you." Cheerful greetings filled the room as two groups of young people, one group wearing black t-shirts with big yellow crosses, the other sporting bright blue shirts with the same crosses, got acquainted. For some it was a joyful reunion, as Californian students greeted New Englanders they had met on a mission trip to the East Coast. For others it was a time of friendly introductions, as AIM's California Mission Trip team met Faith in ACTION (FIA), the local team in Bakersfield, California, that they would be training over the next two days.

Once the introductions were finished, it was time to get down to business. The blue-shirted young people (the mission trip team) called everyone together, prayed, and began the training. The first mime song that FIA learned was "Be Still," an intricate, elaborately choreographed song that tells the story of humanity from creation to the resurrection of Jesus. The song is not easy, but the students learned quickly, and within an hour or two the song was done. The mission trip team congratulated the students on a song well learned.

The other mime that the mission trip team taught that day was "Does Anybody Hear Her," a moving song depicting God's love, acceptance, and mercy toward a sinful woman. The song includes a modern-day reenactment of the story of the woman caught in adultury (John 8). According to the religious leaders of the day, the woman should have been stoned, but Jesus did not condemn her, instead rebuking her accusers and telling her simply, "Go and sin no more." The students eagerly latched on to this vivid picture of the love and mercy of Christ, and the song was soon finished. And just in time to, because it was time for the students to go home.

Early the next morning, both teams gathered at the church where FIA practiced. Although more training was planned for later in the day, a service project was first on the agenda. The church had several odd jobs that needed to be done, so the teams eagerly set to work. They cleaned toys and furnishings in the nursury, changed fluorescent light bulbs (quite the operation!), painted parking spaces, and helped witha variety of other projects throughout the church grounds.

Once the service project was complete, the second round of training began. FIA learned three songs during this time. The first was a patriotic song giving a Christian response to the tragic events of September 11, 2001. The second was a moving song that challenges Christians to carry the message of Jesus boldly throughout the world. The third song explains that what matters is "not what you take when you leave this world behind you. It's what you leave behind you when you go." Just as they had the previous day, the students learned quickly, and soon the songs - and the training - were complete.

After the training was finished, FIA took the mission trip team out for dinner at a local pizza restaurant. Over pepperoni and pineapple, the two teams laughed and talked, enjoying this final time with their newfound friends. Dinner was over all too quickly, and soon it was time to leave. "Goodbye!" "See you again someday!" The mission trip team left with some sadness, knowing that they would miss their new friends, but also with satisfaction, knowing that they had been a blessing to both the students and the church.

For the mission trip team, this stop gave new meaning to the word "team." FIA and the mission trip team worked together to accomplish things - whether learning songs or changing light bulbs - that neither team would be able to do alone. "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work" (Ecclesiastes 4:9). As the two teams worked alongside each other, they learned that God's work is best done together - black and blue. [Andrew took out the "black and blue" in the final version of the road report, but I like it. So there. ]

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Learning and Growing in Excellence U

"If it were illegal to be a Christian today, would there be enough evidence to prove you really are one?" This thought-provoking question sets the tone for "Check Your Identity," one of five Character Courses in AIM's Excellence University. The Characer Courses are Bible studies based on 1 Timothy 4:12, which instructs young Christians to excel in five areas: speech, life, love, faith, and purity.

The Excellence University curriculum was written several years ago, but we, the new "faculty," carefully studied it and then updated it with new material. During training camp, we spent many long hours editing the curriculum, taking out old Bible verses, adding new ones, and changing discussion questions. Although this process was lengthy and sometimes arduous, in the end it was a rewarding experience for each team member. As we dug deep into God's word, we gained wisdom and insight into key Biblical concepts, while simultaneously learning skills in the areas of preparing and leading Bible studies. The word "learning" is a good summary of the time we spend preparing the Bible studies.

The learning continued thoruhgout the remainder of the trip, as we presented the studies to our peers at workshops throughout California. Through the studies, we challenged young people to strive for excellence in every area of their lives. The students responded to this challenge enthusiastically. One way they showed their enthusiasm was through Scripture memorization. We challenged them to earn "degrees" from Excellence University ranging from Associate to Post-Doctorate by mamorizing different amounts of Scripture. By the end of the trip, dozens of students had earned degrees, including one student who earned a Master's degree by memorizing a total of twenty-four Bible verses. Wow!

For both the faculty and students, Excellence University was a growing experience that challenged each student to aim for a higher level of excellence in speech, life, love faith, and purity. It was also an education experience, as each sutdent learned more about the Biblical standard in each area and how to apply it. Growing and learning: two vital aspects of Christian life, and two of the pillars of Excellence University.