Lessons Learned – The Soul Garage

August 13, 2015 thesoulgarage Mission Trip

Lessons From Chicago (Bella Vavra)

In God’s word, we read about all kinds of important things. We learn about fellowship, about discipleship, what it means to be a Christian, and how to show love like one. We learn that through Him we can do anything, and that we cannot depend on ourselves, but on him. On this trip I was lucky enough to see and experience many of these lessons personally, which was not only incredible, but eye opening, and it gave me a deeper understanding of what a Christian life can and should look like.

I got the chance to get to know not only the COSC youth group, but also my own youth group. Going into this trip that was definitely a worry of mine, as none of my friends who I typically talked to at youth group were attending this trip. I was going into this with, for the most part, a group I hardly knew. And yet, this turned out better than I could have ever expected.

Through every struggle we all worked together, critiqued each other when necessary, and held each other up. I believe it brought us together as a youth group, and without it I think I never would’ve gotten to know some amazing people. For example, putting together and running registration turned out to be a much bigger task than I expected, and as a result I was lucky enough to get to know one of our leaders and my partner on this job, Julie, who worked with me and overcame challenge after challenge with me. I found an incredible friend in her, in my roommates Gabby and Josey, and in other members of our team who I had hardly known beyond their names.

Coming together as a youth group also gave me a better understanding of what Christian fellowship looks like, and a huge part of that was the COSC youth group and youth leaders. They were with us every step of the way on this trip, and I can’t thank them enough for everything they did. They had a youth group that almost seemed like a family, they were all so close. I hadn’t realized a youth group could be like that, but it’s something I would love to have in our own youth group.

Throughout the week we all worked to put together and run this VBS, which often meant early mornings and late nights. It was often very tiring, and I think it’s safe to say quite a few of us found a new appreciation for coffee. However, the whole experience was so beyond worth it. Working with the kids was so much fun, and getting to be a part of something like this was something I won’t forget. Every bit of work payed off, and gave us all something to be proud of. It helped me to see what we can be capable of through God.

Huge thanks to all my friends and family who supported me on this trip, both financially and in prayer. And a huge thanks to the leaders who guided us through it all. All in all, it was an amazing trip, and I really hope we get to go back next year 🙂

John 15:12 NIV
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

-Bella Vavra

August 6, 2015August 5, 2015 thesoulgarage Mission Trip

Lessons From Chicago (Josiah Gander)

The training really helped me with my spiritual growth and how you would share the gospel with nonbelievers and people growing with Christ in the real world.

Leading a kid to Christ was an eye-opening experience because it taught me that there are different stages in becoming a Christian.

And it was an amazing experience watching Christ work in the kids. Getting to see a youth group love one another was amazing to see also.

~Josiah Gander

August 4, 2015August 3, 2015 thesoulgarage Mission Trip, Uncategorized

Lessons from Chicago (Michelle Nord)

I was once in a Beth Moore Bible study where Beth talked about two kinds of people. She said some of you are not getting involved in serving your church and you need to step up and get involved. Then, she said others of you need to step back because you are in the way of allowing someone else to step up. Her comment for the second type of person really struck me because I am the kind of person who always steps in and gets involved. I never thought about my over-involvement as preventing someone else from serving. This lesson was lived out during the missions trip to Chicago.

Although the youth had not been very involved in any pre-arrival preparations for the VBS program, the plan was to assign them all to specific roles and have them prepare their own areas. My goal was to entrust the work to the youth, rather than do it myself. Sometimes there was only one way to complete a task and I just had to provide the instructions. Sometimes, there was an end goal, with no specific plan of how to accomplish it. I would talk through ideas with the youth and have them come back to me once they came up with a plan. There were many times when I had to force myself to walk away and allow the youth to take the lead, even if it might mean failure on their part. I had to step back so that I wasn’t preventing the youth from becoming the responsible, mature young people that they are capable of being. This was not an easy thing for me to do!

In some ways, my other challenge was a blessing in disguise because it forced me to step back in many ways. Being 8 months pregnant, there were many times when my physical condition required that I sit down and rest. Not only did I have to step back to allow the youth to step up, but I had to sit down and put my feet up. I couldn’t micromanage them, to make sure they were doing their tasks the way I wanted them done. I had to trust that they were getting the job done. Fortunately, the One who called them to serve on this team is FAITHFUL and it is He who equipped and sustained them through a busy, challenging, and exhausting week!

Unlike many VBS programs I have been apart of, where the youth were merely junior helpers or assistants, in many ways, the youth were running the program. Sometimes there was an adult helping out, but other times it was solely on the youth to make sure their part of the program ran smoothly. I was so proud to watch them rise to the challenge and become leaders along the way. I am so glad that God enabled me to step back and get out of the way, to allow another generation of His followers to learn how to become leaders in His church.

I want to share two examples of how the youth grew in maturity during the trip. Every day after the VBS program was done, we would gather together for lunch and spend some time debriefing how the morning had gone. This gave the adults an opportunity to guide the youth as they were taking on the responsibilities of running the program. It also gave the youth an opportunity to both affirm and critique one another. Instead of being frustrated or complaining/gossiping about things that didn’t go well, we had a forum where frustrations could be voiced in a constructive way, with the goal of improving the VBS program, not tearing one another down. On top of that, the youth and adults also affirmed one another in what was done well. This was probably one of my favorite times of the day, listening to the youth build each other up with encouragement and praise. You could see in the faces of the youth how much the peer affirmation meant to them.

The second example was one evening while we were debriefing in the van about the day and decided to stop and pray together for some specific requests. I know many of the youth are not comfortable to pray out loud in front of others, but the majority of them not only courageously prayed aloud, but their prayers were a reflection of their maturity and spiritual growth. I was blessed to be apart of that corporate prayer time.

This missions trip to Chicago was a blessing to so many – our team, Christ Our Savior Church, and the children who attended the VBS. Thank you so much to everyone who supported us financially and through prayers!

~Michelle Nord

July 30, 2015July 29, 2015 thesoulgarage Mission Trip

Lessons From Chicago (Nathan Kaus)

I had thought the cost was too much for us to be able to pay and that trying was going to be the worst part, but then Pastor Tony shared many ways in which we could pay down its cost. So we took him up on his suggestions. Later, in one of our final meetings, he passed out updates. When I read my little slip of paper, I was shocked with what came in! That is when I thought about what I have learned about God: He can provide!

Now, I was apprehensive on going because I had no idea what the host families would be like. Would they be nice? Would their kids be disrespectful to us? But, I learned that they were VERY generous and their kids were VERY unique and interesting… in a good way… especially the “tablet kid.” 😉 They listened to their parents and respected them. They loved sharing their ice cream and food with us! They were good examples for me because I myself struggle at that point: in not listening when I have been told to do something right away by my parents and teachers.

When I was in Chicago, one thing that I really had trouble with, and not just while there, is patience. Some example include: when we driving to Chicago in a cramped truck, when we had arguments in the truck, in traffic, etc. But the biggest trial, that really frustrated me, was during game time with my first rotation of kids; for they would get so crazy. They would run all over the place and not follow the instructions. They wouldn’t even play the game, but just go and do their own thing or ruin the course for the other groups who would be doing it after them. It was really hard to calm them them down or get them to listen.

I also learned that prayer is real. I prayed to God during game time and when I went to bed to give me patience for when the kids were acting crazy. Sometimes, in the crazy days, I would always ask God to help me with the kids in how to deal with them and to also give me ideas for filler games because I was the one in charge of leading them all week. As the week went by and as I was doing this, I became more aware that I wasn’t getting as frustrated with them and had begun to have more fun with them. I also see that since I have been home, I have had more patience.

When I got home from the trip, after all the excitement and fun, I realized that none of this would have been possible without everyone’s prayers and financial support for me and my mom. Thank you so much!

Nathan Kaus

July 28, 2015July 29, 2015 thesoulgarage Mission Trip

Lessons From Chicago (Julie Kaus)

Long Days? Late Nights? Early Mornings?........No Problem :) — Long Days? Late Nights? Early Mornings?……..No Problem 🙂

“I’ve never been on a missions trip.” “It’s too much money; I cannot afford it.” “Who would want to give money for me to go?” “I don’t want to disappoint them!” So many doubts raged against my desire once I heard and felt God’s call/nudge for me to join the group going to Chicago. But then came the reassurances from friends, my family, and God’s still, small voice, saying “If God has called you to go, He will provide…” and He did… in abundance! He taught me that truth: if it is His will, He will bring it to pass in my (your) life. (Proverbs 3:5)

Going on the trip… I felt a strong urgency, not only to pray, but that God would preserve and give me a servant’s heart to step out wherever the need or opportunity. I also wanted to have and practice having intentional spiritual conversations and have the courage to reach out to strangers to share with or show God’s love to them. God does answer our prayers and made that continually evident. “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” (Psalm 50:15) Saturday morning, when we received our “marching orders”on all that had to be done in preparing, creating, setting up, etc. caused panic and the sense of being overwhelmed and pulled in many directions inside of me. All of a sudden, I felt drawn to ask Emma and Beth, two precious COSC women who happened to be there, to pray with me for this endeavor and I confessed my feelings to them. Not only did God’s peace come over me, but a bond was established between the three of us. Those prayers were later answered that afternoon as Bella and I laboriously discussed groupie assignments with the pre-registrations, check-in procedures, and record-keeping. It felt like a huge mountain that she and I were climbing together, but through the struggle, I learned better how to communicate, share in this task, but even more so: to trust in [Bella’s] ability to take the lead and follow her suggestions. I learned how to empower her in successfully handling these tasks. As a result, I was blessed to get to know this special and dear young lady more than just as one who came regularly to youth group.

God gave me opportunities to talk: with a former homeless man, two women on the subway train to/from downtown Chicago, a mother and a grandmother from the neighborhood while VBS was taking place. He broke my heart as I saw beyond the exterior of individuals into the inside where their lost, hurting souls were crying out for love and acceptance. A couple conversations were on a deeper level, a few were simply friendly conversations, but all were with individuals I was drawn to; for whom to specifically pray, and I can still see their faces… Through Pastor Lito (Pastor Paul Guimary), their youth pastor (Josh) and Pastor Tony, I learned how easy it is to slide into a spiritual conversation, whether or not it ends with the person acknowledging their need for a Savior and coming under Jesus Christ’s authority as their Lord. I am eager to continue looking for these opportunities. 🙂

Visiting with a mother from the community.

It’s one thing to talk about God’s power with His strength being given to us and made perfect in our weakness; however, when it happened personally, it took on a much deeper meaning. We were getting pretty tired by Thursday and on Friday afternoon, but we were not done with VBS. I was close to tears from exhaustion with all that I had been doing and was bunchy (with no one around, thankfully!). It was for both of these times that God spoke to me the night and morning prior, as well as when it hit me: “‘Not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord.” (Zechariah 4:6) And,“I can do all things through Christ, Which gives me strength.” (Phil 4:13b). As I cried out to Him softly for help, He turned my focus off myself and onto the team goal of helping others and getting the task done. I love helping others and I have learned earlier this summer that our tests and trials come from within our strengths. I had been telling the youth to keep pushing through their tiredness and here I was in the same boat! I realized that I could not (cannot) rely on my efforts, strength, and abilities, but on the Holy Spirit.

As a follower of Jesus, having a prayerful and submissive heart to God are vital. I experienced that when I was and am in this position. This posture also brings an awareness to what God is doing (opportunities); responding to His invitation results in realizing that THAT is when life is becomes exciting, rewarding, and has meaning. 🙂

Thank you to everyone who supported us through prayers and your financial gifts. Thank you to the parents who supported allowing their children to be a part of the team for each person was a valuable member of the team, whom I enjoyed getting to know beyond youth group on Wednesdays, I am eagerly looking forward to the next opportunity, Lord willing. 🙂 May God abundantly bless each of you!

Sincerely in Christ,

Julie Kaus

Youth Leader and Mother

July 21, 2015 thesoulgarage Mission Trip

Lessons from Chicago

Saturday night at about 10:45pm, we arrived safely (though exhausted) at the Soul Garage. We praise our mighty God for an AMAZING trip and for what he did in our own group and through us in Chicago!

In the coming weeks, I would like to provide the opportunity for the youth and leaders that participated in the 2015 Chicago Mission Trip to each write their own post about what God taught them through this trip. So, for those supporters who have been following the blog for the trip, please stick around and stay tuned for this next series of posts. I think you will be richly blessed to hear what God did and is doing in the lives of our team members.

In the meantime, I will be posting about our Beach & BBQ youth event for tomorrow. I just wanted to give you a heads up so you don’t disconnect 🙂 Thanks again to all who supported us. You made an incredible investment in eternity and in shaping the lives of our team members and shaping the culture of our youth group for the future. Thank YOU!

~ Pastor Tony