by Staff Writer Kalli Simmerman
Mark 16:15 ~ He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. (NIV)
Stepping out of the airport into the hot, muggy air was quite a shock to me. First time I’d ever been out of the country. First time I’d ever ridden on a plane. First time I’d ever been on a missions trip.
Jamaica was just how I had imagined it. Hot, humid, surrounded by beautiful waters, and full of friendly people. Now, being thirteen years old my first instinct was to head to the beach but, thanks to a stern word from my mother, I was reminded why we were there. (more…)
“At church they say we should always believe the Bible, but sometimes it seems like it’s contradicting itself. What’s up with that?” ~ Dave
Hey Dave,
You’re right. Sometimes the Bible is confusing. Like, I could open it up and read, “No one living is righteous before you” (Psalm 143:2b) and then flip over to see, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16b).
If that’s all I looked at, I could come to the conclusion that no one alive should pray because no one alive is righteous and only the prayer of a righteous man is effective. (more…)
by Guest Writer Sarah Rupp
In a few weeks, I am going on a service trip to Canada with my youth group. We will be fixing up a camp and getting it ready for the campers. The week’s projects consist of digging a ditch, cleaning up the cabins and the grounds, and building docks for the lake. Now, I’m excited because I’ve never been out of the States before, but when looking at all the work to do, it’s easy to get down about it. (more…)
by Staff Writer Jamin Goecker
Tim Hawkins, an outstanding Christian comedian, once said that when people say you have a servant’s heart, it means they’re calling you a pushover. There’s a job they want you to do (i.e., stacking chairs after church).
But a pushover isn’t what comes to mind when I think about Odis, someone I had the pleasure of meeting on a missions trip to Alaska. (more…)
By RTF Editor BJ Hamrick
Dear BJ,
I hear a lot about people waiting to have sex until they’re married. Seriously? Where’s the fun in that?
- Just Wondering
by Staff Writer Derek Hanisch
We were a well-oiled machine. A scoop of chicken-flavored protein. A scoop of vegetables. A scoop of soy. A scoop of rice. Weigh the bag. Seal it. And there you go: one meal packed for a starving family in a third world country.
As I was packing food with Feed My Starving Children, I risked a glance around me. Surrounding me were 600 people who had given their time to serve. It brought joy to my heart to see all of these people who had willingly become servants for a higher cause.
The 600 people in this community were not only giving up their time for a two hour shift to package food for Haiti. This was a 24 hour event. For 24 hours servants in groups of 600 were able to do something great. They were able to be the hands and feet of Christ, putting their faith into action. (more…)
Happy Retro Day! This week’s piece is a great reminder to all of us to continue pursuing excellence and honoring God in all we do. Enjoy! ~ Halee
by Catey Yuen
It all started with a very good idea. Isn’t that always how it starts? At the beginning of the school year, I told God, “I’m really excited about school this year. I want to learn everything you have to teach me.”
He took me seriously. (more…)
By RTF Editor B.J. Hamrick
See the tall, gorgeous, light-haired, model-looking girls?
I’m not one of them. (more…)