Mission Year

On my trip to Bolivia with Compassion I came across an organization called Mission Year (MissionYear.org). Oreon Trickey was one of the Compassion artists on the trip, and she's on staff with Mission Year.

In a nutshell, Mission Year is, as the name implies, a year of mission work in an inner city. Missionaries raise their own support, with a goal of $12,000 for the year. One of the goals is to live as simply as the poor they are serving, so they only have direct access to $60/month after rent.

I just had lunch with David Malcolm, who is the son of my parents' friends. He's spent his year volunteering (they can't receive an income) at a church and public school in Philadelphia's inner city. He was able to facilitate a Bible study at the school, where he saw God moving through David's efforts.

To contribute to Mission Year go to MissionYear.org. If you'd like you can designate David Malcolm or Oreon Trickey.

In the recording studio

I just laid down the vocal track for a DVD we're putting together to promote some trips to Israel in which I'll be performing biblical sketches where they took place. Watch for details as they unfold.

Adios

Lilli Ramirez blessed us with a Flamenco dance entitled "Adios" as MasterWits held our closing ceremonies. Lilli and her husband, Hector, are artists in residence at Belhaven College in Jackson, MS, but the former YWAMers have a vision to found a performing arts center in Madrid.

Peter Jennings is on the phone

...and CNN is on hold. The Green Grocer is planning on featuring our pears. Amazing what one article on the cover of the New York Times can do.

Dad's pear made front page of the New York Times

Last night my Dad was re-elected as president of Southern Oregon Sales, a pear packing house in my home-town of Medford, OR. This morning one of their pears was featured on page one of the New York Times. Those annoying stickers on fruit are being replaced by tattoos, burned into the outer layer of the skin by a laser: Tattooed Fruit Is on Way. Unfortunately the online article doesn't show the photo. For now, Dad's packing house is the only one set up to use this system for pears.

The unGong Show

Broadway level quality one night, complete craziness (and immense fun) the next.

We're in the country now

The Kavanaughs, who founded and direct the MasterWorks Festival, invited the faculty and families out to their home amid the Indiana corn fields. Their neighbors own shetland ponies. Kathryn Wilder, 11, poses with 2-month old Triple Time.

Oh WOW.

During worship tonight we opened with songs about dancing before the Lord, and the Dance dept. brought them to eloquent life. We prayed over the dancers since their performance is tomorrow night. That led into an enacted prayer in which a dancer led an audience member's spirit to dance. From there, hearts were opened up wide and some very deep requests were covered through enacted prayer. In other words, very real prayer requests were taken and members of the theatre department and some that were from other disciplines took the roles of those being prayed over. One actor plays the role of the Lord in each prayer. God moves in the tableau, and without words, brings his will to bear on the situation. Some of the requests were so deep we were all weeping, but refreshed and (Lord, hear our prayer) healed.

I'm spent.

In Christ alone,
Rich

The World's Greatest Romance

Last night Carol Jaudes, who was on B'way in CATS for five years, blessed the MasterWorks Festival and the Winona Lake community with her 1-woman play, The World's Greatest Romance. It told the stories of Susannah Wesley, Fanny Crosby, and Evangeline Booth. Carol brought her Broadway-level sense of excellence to the piece and moved us all.

We moved right into another hour and a half of continuous praise and prayer. This time there were several with deep needs that came to the surface. We prayed over them, and one girl even experienced a healing. I can hardly wait for the next worship experience!

Welcome Carol Jaudes & Patricia Mauceri!

Carol, who performed in CATS on B'way for five years, performed "You Know Me." Her intro was a reading from Psalm 139, which had been read by one of our students that morning in our worship service.

Patricia Mauceri has already been recognized on campus as Carlotta Vega from One Life to Live.

Good Bye Susie

We bid fare well to Susan Somerville Brown, who was an instructor for the first two weeks. We're striking a pose in honor of her work in CATS.

Now they're really going!

Thank you Lord for our liberty.

An early 4th

The concert tonight, if timed properly, will end with the 1812 Overture as the city's fireworks (moved to match the festival's orchestra schedule) errupt over Winona Lake.