Be On the Lookout . . .

… For the Evidence of God.  

John 12:26  “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”

We had an early start this morning, to say the least. I want to say thank you to the parents and Coach Horne that got us all to the airport in time to get through the long ‘International Group Check In’ process.  What a blessing you all are. 

We had good flights with some exciting landings. (The wind drifts with turbulent landings aren’t our favorites)  Everyone has done wonderful. 

As we were checking in at our hotel, we realized we had one extra bag.  Oops!   Johnny called the airport and let them know we accidentally left with someone else’s bag.  So he’s on his way back to the airport to return the luggage.  We had three extra bags with all of the supplies for the VBS and play time we’ll be having with the children for the next three days, sp everyone was just helping get all the luggage to the bus and we weren’t paying that close (obviously) of attention to how many bags we had and what the luggage tags said. 

Tomorrow morning we head to Flory’s Day Care.  Flory loves the Lord and this past year God gave her favor with the bank and they gave her a loan to enlarge her school/ministry.  We get to love the kids, worship with them, play with them and share about how God is the greatest friend they could ever have. We have a Texas theme of Friendship with cowboy hats, bandanas and some games to go with our theme –  Friend of Jesus –  “Amigo de Jesus”

God has used Flory and others in the neighborhood to begin changing the ‘atmosphere’ of the area 10 years ago.  It’s not the same kind of area it used to be.  It’s not fancy nor is it perfect, but God loves the families and the children and his desire is for them to know him and love him and serve him and to continue to make it a neighborhood that flourishes! 

Please pray for: 

    Courage to step out of our comfort zone.

    Joy that spreads to the children 

    A real community of friendship

    Little receptive hearts for the truth of God’s love for them 

Pray we’ll all get rest tonight and be ready to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Colonel Mac Leod joins us tomorrow! Please pray for his trip down. It will be fun having him join us.

Each night I’ll be writing in my personal journal here. It will usually be a lot later than this, so checking the following morning is an option as well.

Blessings, 

Mrs. g

I’ll try to upload pics as soon as I can.

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever.

Friday night – journal –  

What a wonderful day we had today.  This morning we started off meeting in our groups doing the final prep for prayer walking embassy.   Every team did a great job, praying God’s heart for the nations.  I was so happy tonight during the debriefing with how many of the students mentioned that they really enjoyed it.  My prayer is that they will continue to take what they learned and not only pray for the nations see that they can be aware of their surroundings and use those same tools and pray without ceasing for the people and things God places on their hearts.

We had lunch at Union Stations and headed to the Museum of the Bible.  I do not know if there is even a way to describe it that would help you understand … you must try to go and experience it!  The students loved it. What joy fills your heart when you see and hear the passion in their voices talking about the experience of ‘Walking through the Old Testament’ seeing the many preserved precious Bibles, the story of God’s word being translated. The struggles of William Tyndale and others to translate the Bible for the comman man, even being martyred for the sake of the gospel. I don’t even think there are words adequate to describe the Museum of the Bible. 

We headed straight to the National Mall to see the war memorials. We started with the Washington Memorial we headed to the World War II, The Nurses Memorial and the Vietnam Wall, Brothers in Arms memorial watching over the fallen whose names are carved into the Vietnam Wall, Korean Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. Our students did a great job sharing the history and information about each of the momuments.

We ended the day back in Rosslyn for dinner and debrief.  It’s always so wonderful to hear what the kids really enjoyed or were impacted by.  (I was told by a couple of students we had walked over 20,000 steps and over 10 miles.  It was a lot I do agree.

Tomorrow morning we head to Mt. Vernon.  It is beautiful. Washington fought for the birth of a new nation. This nation. But here’s where I struggle. George was a national born leader, yet in his fighting for freedom and the birthing of a new nation, he was a man that owned slaves. Even though his experience during the Revolutionary War, conversations with Marquis de Lafayette and Robert Morris began changing his views about slavery, it evolved slowly and the freedom for his slaves did not come until his death. 

Your students have experienced a lot.  They might talk your ear off OR they might still be processing and you’ll get their story in bits and pieces.  Either way, my prayer is that they will allow the Holy Spirit to continue to build on what he deposited in this them week.  They are amazing. I am so delighted at the love so many of them have for God’s Word.  Please join me in prayer that they will continue to pursue God, delight in his Word and live a life of purpose that glorifies God.

Thank you to their amazing Homeroom teacher, Amy Smith.  She is amazing and loves your kids with all her heart. They are in good hands.   What a blessing she is as a friend, coworker and a mentor to your student. 

Thank you to Coach Shack (as we all lovingly call him) who is also amazing and loves your kids.  He doesn’t just know their names, he knows them and cares deeply about their walk with the Lord and being young men and women of integrity.

Thank you to Vance Faulks who joined us on the trip.  Vance is a member of our school board and a dad of one of the students in the Jr. Class. Getting to partner with him leading this trip, was such a real blessing. His deep relationship with God was as evident as his desire for our students to become young men and women who will live their life understanding they were born with a purpse.

I asked each of the leaders to write a few words:  

I love each of your students. Their hearts to serve and honor are beyond words that I can adequately express. I adore their ability to love one another well and fiercely. They have such a willingness to serve one another and love our country. You can be proud of how your students have handled themselves. I am beyond proud of them. The growth and love for Christ is palatable. Your students are amazing, thank you for sharing them with me. I love them.  ~ Amy Smith

This group of young men and women are amazing! They were pushed to their limits, and it was so great to see them press in and respond throughout the trip. To see a group truly excited about the bible and about praying for others has impacted me. Please know that they deposited something special here in our nation’s capital. And I believe they were impacted by this trip and will carry that with them for many years to come. ~ Vance Faulks

This group of students are so close and care for each other so much. I believe this is what impact is all for. Watching them grow into people that can pray for each other and for nations of people they have never met. Walking embassy row today and the preparation in the room to go each one prayed with understanding of the needs for the nations we walked through. The prayers were impactful and this is your student’s voices speaking life into people across the globe. ~ Jake Shackelford

Thank you again, for allowing us to partner with the spiritual growth of your amazing child.  I pray that they will desire to grow in their prayer life.  God hears our prayers and God answers our prayers. We just need to be aware. 

“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:16 “  ESV

Coming Home – Tomorrow Afternoon:

We will depart Ronald Reagan airport SW FLT 1742 at 2:30 pm   – nonstop to Austin

We will arrive at Austin Bergstrom at 5:15pm. 

• Please be at the car park waiting for us so all the students have to do is call you when their luggage is claimed. 
• Please do not ask your student to call you when they land before you leave home to come pick them up.
• Everyone is pretty ‘walked out’ and will be ready to go home and rest.  Including my leaders as we need to make sure everyone is picked up before we leave. 

Freedom Isn’t Free

Freedom Isn’t Free

This class had the honor of laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier this morning. If you have never seen one of these ceremonies they are worth your time.  The changing of the guard happens right in front of the wreath laying ceremony and many people then leave.  Those that walked past me I just took the chance and asked if they had ever seen a wreath laying ceremony.  If they had not I encouraged them to give about 10 more minutes and it would bless them.  Quite a few stayed.  They were so happy someone had told them about it.

Here is the link to the live feed https://fb.watch/q5jwXNzSxw/ 

Our whole class represented well.  All of the leaders were so impressed with our students. 

We got to the cemetery early so we could go and see JFK’s eternal flame, the Arlington House (Lee’s home)  and the memorials for the shuttle explosions, the Iran rescuers, the USS Main mast, and Audie Murphy  (Audie Leon Murphy was an American soldier, actor, and songwriter. He was widely celebrated as the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II, and has been described as the most highly decorated soldier in U.S. history)   Oh… and he’s a Texas boy! 

I always try to take the team into the amphitheater and take a picture of the class with the HR teacher in the big marble throne with the class surrounding.  Well today, there was this small troupe of U.S. Air Force going from place to place and looked like they were telling the history of each place.  They were at the Lee house before our kids and as we came into the amphitheater they were on the upper level, so we quietly sat away from them to not disturb before we went and took the pictures.  As they were leaving I thought, “Why not ask them if we could take a picture with them.”  So I walked over to them as they were leaving and said, “I’m really sad you’re leaving, we were hoping to get a picture with you.”  The Chief Master Sergeant (I think) replied, “You would like for us to be in your picture?”  I told him, “Yes, we would be honored.”  He told his troop to turn around and they went back up and stood behind us.  It.  Was.  Awesome!  The kids were not believing I had asked them. I wasn’t about to miss an opportunity. It was an honor that they would take their time to stand with us on this special day! 

The troops had already passed us on the road earlier and we had thanked them for their service.  Many of them replied, “Thank you!  And thank you for your support!” It was a fun moment for the kids!

After the wreath laying ceremony we headed to the Capitol for lunch and the final tour of the day.  We had one of the best tour guides Summit has ever had!  He asked how ambitious we were, I told him we wanted everything we could get.  Chris (the guide) told us if you can go at a good clip I can show you two rooms none of the other tours will get.  YOU ARE ON!   It was great!  He was so knowledgeable and he asked questions, getting the kids engaged in the tour. 

We ended the day going to Pentagon City Mall for the food court AND some of the kids enjoyed the four floors of shopping! 

As I’m writing this a few of our kids are playing Uno with a group of Japanese students, laughing and having a great time in the reception area!  I love that! 

Tomorrow morning we prayer walk Embassy Row, head to the Museum of the Bible, and end the day going to the war monuments and the Lincoln Memorial.  It’s a wonderful full day. 

Please pray for good rest, strength, focus and hearts open to partner with God’s heart for the nations and gratitude for people that we do not know that were willing to lay down their lives for the freedom of others.

Have I told you, you have GREAT KIDS! 

Mrs. G

Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak to for me.

The poignant words of Martin Niemöller are the last quote you see as you leave the Holocaust exhibit and enter into the rest of the museum.  Niemöller was a Lutheran minister and early Nazi supporter who was later imprisoned for opposing Hitler’s regime.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

—Martin Niemöller

We started the morning as the first group entering into the National Holocaust Museum.  As you go through each floor you experience so many different emotions; horror, anger, sadness, shock and hopelessness. As you continue on to the next floor you finally come to the stories of heroic people that fought back and helped saved a few to 100’s of lives.  Then your heart feels relief that you can find hope in such horrible hopeless situation.  The last room is a small theatre with recorded videos of survivors telling their story.  One of the men sharing saw his fellow tortured friend praying and thanking God.  He challenged his friend, what do you have to praise and thank God for?  We are living in hell.  His friend answered. I am thanking God that when He made me he didn’t make me like them. 

During the debrief each student share something from the Holocaust Museum and the Smithsonian they visited. 

One of the student shared, “I was shocked at the amount of people that they would go after, not just the Jews but the physically and mentally ill. They pushed the limited really far saying the disabled were a genetic threat.  .  .

Another student shared about the videos of men and children with the Nazi flags just living life. How easily they were manipulated into believing what they believed. How they could blindly do what they did?  Now, even today, a lot of sin is normalized. It made me think, how could they have gone so far to that extreme?   

It is a lot to take in and as they continue to process what they saw, please pray that they will allow the Holy Spirit to challenge their hearts to never forget that people can easily be swayed. People will turn their heards because they are afraid. People can be your friend one day and then turn you in the next. But we have an opportunity to learn from the facts of history and from the truth of God’s word. We can be a person that will stand up, speak out and do hard things. We can be truth bearers.

We all went to the American History Museum and saw ‘Old Glory’ the flag – huge and amazing.  Had lunch and then divided into groups for the Museums. Air and Space – American History – Natural History

Everyone enjoyed their time at the museums. 

We had dinner at Cheesecake Factory. Your kids are amazing and they were complimented on how kind and polite they are. After dinner we headed over to the White House just 2 blocks away and took team pictures! It’s beautiful at night!

We’ve put a lot of miles on our shoes and there’s many more miles to go.

In the morning we head to Arlington National Cemetery for the Wreath Laying Ceremony. We’ll be filming it.  I’m going to try to do a live from my own FB page and then share it to the school FB page.We’ll have a couple of people recording it and have Melanie post it on social media as well.   

I’ll have the students text you what we’re doing. 

We lay the wreath at 11:15 EST. 

What an honor they have been given.  We’ll then head to the Capitol for lunch and the tour.

Please pray for continued health and that our students will set their hearts to receive everything God has already set in place for them.

Mrs. g

The Eagles Have Landed

It was a nice flight with a little bit of turbulence. We got checked in and then headed to dinner a couple of streets over. Our hotel is so nice and our kids are amazing!

We had a brief meeting in my room and then went over the plan for tomorrow.

Holocaust Museum first up:

1. Please pray that the students will take their time and truly take in what they see and hear, even though it is hard to see and understand that atrocities like the holocaust were commited.
2. Pray that they will see the importance of standing for right even if you’re the only one standing
3. Pray that they will learn from the resilience and strength demonstrated by those that spoke out or resisted against the evil and from the resilience and strength of the survivors.
4. How will this experience change my prayer life, my awareness of others and my desire to be an agent of grace, truth and mercy. What can I do everyday to be an example of Micah 6:8 ”He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. “
5. What would it look like if I truly lived Luke 10:27 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your sould and with all your strength and with all your mind; and Love your neighbor as yourself. “

FIRST THEY CAME
By Martin Niemöller
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.

After lunch we will head to the other Smithsonians. We will all go to the American History Museum and see ‘Old Glory’ and a few other amazing exhibits and then we’ll divide and go to other museums. Leaders will take the groups. 

Tomorrow evening is Cheesecake Factory! 

Have a great night! 

Mrs. g

Pics from school – the 4 that will be Laying the Wreath – Savannah, Marcus, JP, Josh. They did a great job!
Sharing why they desire the honor of representing Summit. We made it on the metro. The long escalator at Rosslyn Station