A Reason to Sing

On Saturday, we traveled north up to Memphis for the day. After a three hour car ride consisting of snacks and games to keep us entertained, we made our first stop at the Slave Haven, or Jacob Burkle's house. Jacob Burkle left Germany during the German Revolution and moved to Memphis. He bought a huge house so that we he could appear as a slave owner, but he was secretly helping slaves get on the Underground Railroad. The house was filled with secret tunnels and passageways for runaway slaves to enter into the house. We learned about different signs one would find on the Underground Railroad, like quilts hanging from clothes lines or lamps in the windows that would signify whether or not it was safe to travel or not. As we were exploring the house, I started to feel frustrated. Though I am so grateful for people like Jacob Burkle who would put their lives at risk in order to do what's right and just, I started to feel frustrated. Why would God let his children suffer so brutally for so long? If God was just, why did he let oppression, violence, and prejudice plague our world?

When the pieces seem too shattered
To gather off the floor
And all that really matters
Is that I can't feel You anymore
Is that I don't feel You anymore

After our tour at the Slave Haven, we drove down a few blocks to the National Civil Rights History Museum, which was built into the Lorraine Motel, the place where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. I became even more astonished, dishearten, and angry. Why would God allow peaceful people asking for justice, equality, and the guarantee of their rights be beaten, attacked, and killed? Martin Luther King Jr. was a peaceful man, who only responded to hate with love. When I was looking into his hotel room and outside onto the balcony where he died, I was overcome by sadness and became disheartened. I couldn't understand why a man who was doing the Lord's will and seeking to further the Kingdom of God was murdered.

I need a reason to sing
I need a reason to sing
I need to know that You're still holding
The whole world in Your hands

I remember learning a story about Martin Luther King Jr. when I was little about how a group of men threw rocks at his windows in his house.

King's friends said to him, "We need to do something. They can't get away with this." It would have been so easy to seek vengeance. If you, your family, and your ancestors had been enslaved, literally or virtually, why wouldn't you want to seek revenge?

King responded to his friends, "We must show love and care to our white brothers."

King's peaceful response toward violence, harassment, and hate reminds me so much of John Perkins. Every day that we've been here, Dr. Perkins tells us that the only way to bring reconciliation to people is to be reconciled to God. We need the truth of the Gospel that sets us free, then we can come together and enter  into each other's pain. We can show compassion to one another. We can listen to one another. We can suffer with them. We can love them.

Will there be a victory?
Will You sing it over me now?
Your peace is the melody
Will You sing it over me now?

Sin will always be in the world. It's been here since the Garden of Eden, and it will be here until Jesus returns. There will always be hate. There will always be prejudice. There will always be violence. But as Dr. Perkins said to us, we need to make the solution bigger than the problem. If we make love louder than the sound of injustice, we will find shalom and righteousness. When we enter into the pain of our brothers and sisters and suffer with them, redemption can begin.

At the end of our touring and we were sitting at the dinner table, I looked around the table surrounded by my team. We had grown so much closer in the past few days. Laughter and smiles were worn all around the table, and there was a spirit of love and community in the air. After a day of sadness and frustration, it was that simple reminder that brought peace and restoration to my soul. This is how the church is supposed to be. Coming together as one body to support, encourage, and edify each other. If we do this, we will see justice. We will see righteous. We will see shalom. We will see love.

"But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream." - Amos 5:24

A good Good Friday

Mic check 1, 2, 1, 2. So I guess I'm in charge of the blog today!
            So this morning started off as all our days here in Jackson will, with devotions. Dr. Perkins spoke of Reconciliation and what that should actually look like. Our solution to racism so far has been to make peace with each other and let  that should fix everything. But we've done that, for the most part, and there's still racism. So where does the issue lie? We need to make peace with GOD first before we can even attempt to make peace with one another. We have to make the solution BIGGER than the problem. We try to make God small and we forget how much He really can do. God is big enough to solve racism. He only created on race- the human race. Dr. Perkins loves to say that one haha. When we limit God is when we stop finding solutions.
             After devotions, that we all stayed awake for (cough,cough), we headed over to the Antioch House to begin our service project. This year, we’re fixing up the lawns of some local people in Jackson. The houses are owned by the Perkins Foundation, but regular citizens of Jackson live in them. My group got put in the front of the house so I got to see everyone as they drove past and look at all of the other houses in the neighborhood. Even when we drove around yesterday, I was observing how run down the city is. It's so crazy to come to a place like this because I basically live in a bubble. At OC, we’re automatically privileged because we go to a private school. I don't really think any of us have a real reason to complain in comparison to the people that live here. I have so much to be grateful for. I'm not exactly sure what God plans to teach me from this trip, but I don't doubt that gratitude will be included. Dr. Perkins has mentioned several times the true definition of joy. What is it, you ask? GRATITUDE. That statement just makes so much sense to me. Having a grateful attitude means that basically nothing can bring you down. Gratitude changes your perspective on life, and a changed perspective leads to a life of happy days. I don't know if any of that made much sense because it's such a broad topic, but if it did, I hope that you were as impacted as I was.

Thanks for reading and I hope that you'll continue to pray for us as we continue along on our Jackson Journey.

Much Love,
Danielle Houston :)

I'm backkkkkkk! There are too many things going on that I can't just not share them all.

            A couple of minutes ago we finished our Good Friday devotions. Honestly, I had gone through this day only remembering the fact that it was Good Friday maybe once or twice. But while we were reading, I found myself asking myself, “Why die? What could be worth that much?” It's not like Jesus even just died a “normal” death. No. He was crucified. What could be worth that much? Me. Us. All of us. Not just blacks. Not just whites. All of us. We're all worth it. That's so crazy to me and I am so grateful. Today, I am most thankful for Jesus Christ. Honestly, I'm probably not even thankful enough.
              So I encourage you, that on this Good Friday, you take the time to realize what Jesus did for YOU. No greater love is this… The greatest love of all is felt by the Creator of the universe, for you. Just for you.

Day 1 and Day 2

Jackson Team 2016 is a great team. I was not quite sure what to expect coming back again because I have memories from the first time I came, two years ago. But I made sure before I came back that I did not turn those memories into expectations that I had for this trip. My decision to come back to Jackson was not a hard decision because I knew when I left that this place in 2014 that I wanted to come back. Some things have changed since I was here last, some for the good and some not. When we turned on the street to come to the foundation I knew exactly where I was and I was really excited to see the foundation and Dr. Perkins again. Our first day, consisted of traveling and a lot of team bonding. We really got to know each other when we got the time to talk and play games. Last night the team watched “Ghosts of Mississippi,” watching this movie prepared us for our tour of Medgar Evers’ house. The movie portrays the story of Medgar Evers’ life and the trial of his murderer many years later. Seeing the house and the neighborhood was very surreal. The craziest part of the tour of seeing the house was seeing the bullet holes in the wall. The morning before we went to his house we had devotions led by Dr. Perkins. This morning there were a few things that stuck out to me. He said that people doing better when they have a common goal and purpose which is very true in my life. Dr. Perkins brought up Psalm 139 which is a very powerful Psalm because it brings up that God knew us in our mother’s womb and He knows every word we speak before we even speak them. That last part really hit me hard because I have struggled with my mouth in the past and I still struggle with it and I need to work on that but I cannot do it without God. Throughout today I saw my team’s minds spinning as we listened and walked around Evers’ house. I know that God has good things planned for us on our trip.


-Casey Jacob

JACKSON TEAM 2016!

Jesse Monroe- Counter Intuitive Community

Friday

Counter-Intuitive Community

Ears buzzing and sweat dripping, I swung the rusty weed whacker’s whizzing whips towards any green stalks that peeked through the many ragged cracks in the deteriorating asphalt court. These tiny intruders popped up through any open space along the free throw line tracing all the way around the courts and spider webbing all the way through it. Today was the first day that I felt productive and actually useful in the team to help the community. We were finally getting set up for the Easter Bash, where we would tangibly give back to the people of Jackson. I realized, towards the end of the day, that, even without us, this community is thriving. Okay, so not physically, not economically, not in terms of safety, but the heart of the community- the people and their character- remains strong. We split up into small groups to go out into the neighborhood and invite residents to bring their families to this celebration tomorrow. This in itself pushed me outside of my comfort zone. Generally, I’m totally at ease communicating with people I haven’t met, but this was halfway across the country in a neighborhood I haven’t heard the best things about, with people whose culture I’m finding is very different than the one that I’m accustomed to in Southern California. My nervousness was confirmed when a 6 foot 4, bare-chested without regards to his tattooed sleeves man answered my knock on one of the first doors. After semi-stuttering through the information, he smiled, showing his golden-grilled teeth, saying in a kind voice that his kids would love that, that he would bring them. I let out a relieved sigh through a smile. I was amazed at how receptive people were and how open they were to having us there. I feel slightly ashamed that I ever questioned that, but I expected people in this situation who have been hurt so badly to be more closed off to strangers. We did experience this: where some would be noticeably cautious in speaking with us at first through metal screen doors, sometimes sticking their hands through the partially opened doors. However, after talking to us and hearing what we were doing, they moved past this wariness and expressed genuine care. They informed us of where to go, what to do, and how to be safe. They told us if there was a red ant hill, or a wasp nest. They cared about us, even though it would’ve been easy to let the obvious outsiders fend for themselves and learn the hard way. That’s what was most impactful, and what I see as the only way to bettering the situation. People in the community, in every community, need to be invested in each other, and feel that investment from others. I saw that today, and that makes me confident for the future, and present, of Jackson. I see God working in me through this community, and I am so grateful to experience this. I look forward to take His work back to my town.

~Jesse Monroe

Memphis! - thoughts from Sydnee and Emma

         Today, the Jackson Team travelled to Memphis, Tennessee to learn about our nation's dark history of slavery. Before today, I had only known the basic, surface level knowledge of what slavery was truly like. Even though it took a total of six hours in a van to Memphis and back with a needy, restless baby and old man (my father)(…just kidding…ha…ha), I'm very content that we had this opportunity; I don't regret it at all.
          This trip was a huge eye opener for me personally. I'd always known about all of the slaves' struggles and abuse they had to endure but I had never truly understood it on a deep, personal level. I'd acknowledge it and then just shove it to the back of my head, moving on to my daily routine of life, not even giving it a second thought. But now I understand that being a slave must've been tough. Extremely tough. I just keep on thinking to myself that those slaves must've been so strong and persistent. They went through innumerable, oppressing horrors yet they still had the spirit to fight back. I can't help but admire their strength and faith in God.           What truly got to me on this entire trip was God's continual deliverance of His people. He's always there, through thick and thin and I think that's truly amazing. Although times were extremely difficult for the blacks, God continually delivered and cared for them. Now, I understand that there's still some segregation in America today, but honestly, it's not nearly as bad as it was back before the civil rights. 

--Sydnee



Today we drove to Memphis and saw the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum. It was amazing to see how such an ordinary looking house could have such an impact on someone's life. The one painting that portrayed the slaves that were thrown overboard was a personal favorite. It's horrible that they were just thrown overboard when they became ill because of the harsh living conditions, but it never occurred to me that they actually received freedom before all of the others, that they were better off. 

We also visited the National Civil Rights Museum while we were in Memphis. It was amazing because it walked you through the history of the slaves and the civil rights movement. It really impacted me because it was interactive and they had statues of iconic figures throughout the museum along with important events. They allowed us to take pictures with the figurines as well. We were even allowed to see the room that Martin Luther King Jr. was staying in right before his assassination. Overall, it was a great day that really opened my eyes to the oppression that has been going on for centuries and even continues today.

--Emma 

Easter Reflections from Nicole and Stephanie

Today on this Easter Sunday, I experienced two completely different emotions.

The Jackson team was graciously welcomed for the Easter service that was held at Common Ground. It was an opportunity to worship God in a new way. Although we live in the same country, Mississippi and California have very different cultures. It is even evident in the church services. Personally I enjoyed the openness and the comfortability of the environment in Jackson. I actually felt comfortable enough to sing out loud for my own personal form of worship. The friendliness of the church members filled the atmosphere and I believe everyone was touched at the service.

The second emotions I felt were polar opposites of feeling that I felt early that same day. Anger and ____ were the only things I could feel after watching the film, "The Mississippi Burning". The film retold the story of the three activists that were viciously murdered by the KKK and how their bodies were treated like pieces of trash. Two FBI agents attempted to find the murders in a town filled with ignorance and racism. The town was corrupted in their government and their townspeople. The mayor and the sheriff were even members of the KKK. The movie depicted the time period accurately. It disgusted me how human lives were treated like animals. 

Overall it was a another great day at Jackson, Mississippi.

--Nicole



Today we had the amazing opportunity to celebrate Easter here in Jackson at the Common Ground Church. I really enjoyed the service and it was awesome being able to see how other people worship. I loved how passionate the people are for Jesus and that they are not shy at all to express their love for him, whether it was through dancing or singing. I had never experienced a service like that and I am so glad that I was able too. I also loved the fact that people were so welcoming and friendly at the church. They made us feel very welcome and not at all awkward. They even gave the newcomers t-shirts! Overall I loved the service and I would definitely go back again.

Later tonight we watched Mississippi Burning together. It actually turned out to be a great movie. As I watched the movie, I felt this sadness come over me and anger at the thought that Ana would go and burn down another mans home and then kill him in front of his family! It amazes me at the fact that even the local government officials, the ones that were suppose to make people feel safe, were part of the evil! It also made you realize the power of the mind. The fact that the hate towards the African Americans was something that was taught at such a young age is something that is just beyond me.  The movie made me realize how much more corrupt everything was down here. A positive not is that even though people here have gone through hell and back they have stood strong. Seeing all these things makes me want to become a better person and work harder to ensure that everyone that I need or interact with, feels that they are welcome and accepted No matter what they look like. This has been a huge eye opener for me and I love all the things that I have been able to learn.

-Stephanie 

Saturday

Today we received the chance to fellowship with and love on the community which we have learned so much about in the past couple of days in Jackson and during the past couple of weeks at home. The effort and time put into preparing the Easter Bash paid off today when we had the opportunity to engage with the people in attendance while making it enjoyable for ourselves. From playing basketball to painting faces while also watching Nicole go down in the dunk tank and listening to amazing worship bands we were so blessed to be apart of a day filled with many new joyous faces and friendly familiar ones. Some of the new faces that we had the chance of meeting were a group of neighborhood kids all around our age. Digging deeper in our friendships with these teenagers we realized that there was not a whole lot of difference in our lives even though we live about 1,591 miles away. We all sought a common interest in attending college, playing sports, and creating a enjoyable atmosphere in which we could simply hang out together.

Looking back on this afternoon, we have come to realize that pushing through stressful situations, looking at things differently then we normally would, and taking action when it is most needed are all gifts from God. Most importantly, today has been a growing day for all of us in which we have come to see how it is good for us to let go and let God. God will provide for our needs if we only just give them to him. 

Blessings,
Delaynie Voortman & Lauryn Haringa

Photos of the kids hard at work!

Amanda-

So Day 1 already and I have been feeling God move within me so much. I thought it was really cool to have the opportunity to tour and travel all around Jackson today. Throughout today I remember having many conversations with my teammates about some of the things that we saw. West Jackson is completely different than my hometown and the two look nothing alike. The  time spent as a team in discussion these past few months mentioned the current state of west Jackson a few times but seeing it here in front of me made it all become real for the first time. While going throughout the town I saw the people in their current state of need for a rebuilding of their community. Old shops were abandoned and sometimes whole neighborhoods were boarded up and grown over. It seemed as if time in Jackson had almost stood still since it’s hayday. A lot of our discussions throughout the day left me with the idea of this hurt being systemic. It started as this oppressive environment to a people who had no means to change the situation and continues today with a similar vicious cycle, though the blatant racism and segregation has left. But not everyone in the community of Jackson chooses to simply accept this. This morning after breakfast we were able to go to Koinonia Coffee shop and listen to a woman tell her story as to why she decided to open a coffee shop in a run-down place like west Jackson whose demographics wouldn't usually support a business venture like this. As a senior looking to study business in college, I found that God used Lee Harper’s story to speak to me. I see it was definitely God working through her that allows her to run a successful business in Jackson, a community where no business thrives and no business wants to go. Though it’s going to take a little more than a coffee shop to encourage business back into the town and more than just business to fix the economy of west Jackson, they are small steps that are taken with God in the right direction. God is working through the people here and he is now working in me in this new way.

Railroad Crossing: Breaking the Barriers.

Hi friends and family! I am so happy to say that our first day out in Jackson was great, perfect, amazing, moving, and successful. This morning we were blessed to have our morning devotions lead by Big John. We dove into the word together and read through Leviticus 19. Leviticus talks about the ways in which The Lord calls us to live. It covers honesty, integrity, generosity, justice, and love. Justice is headed by the Lord calling us to love our neighbors. The phrase “love your neighbor as yourself” is short, but I learned that it is much more than 5 words. The first part is ‘love.’ To do justice and to show love require action. The second part is ‘neighbor.’ I know that sometimes a neighbor is only defined as the people next door or even our friends in church.

Friday Reflections - from Jessica

Today was a great day for the Jackson team. We started the day off with an amazing devotion about the joy of Christ, by Mr. John Perkins himself. To be completely honest I was kind of nervous to meet him, because I thought he would be intimidating, but he was actually one of the sweetest kind-hearted man I've ever met. You could really see his passion for Christ in the way he spoke. His words were full of wisdom and a true excitement. I took a lot from what he said. 

After devotions we went to the Perkins Center across the street and began to set up for the Easter Bash. We started by building three huge tents, which turned out to be pretty hard work. Then we went to make posters and we were later joined by the local boys who lived in the neighborhood, who gave a helping hand. It was quite a great experience to work with these kids and learn more about them. We had a lot of fun working with them and we actually became friends with these boys. I think it really changed some of our perspectives on the people living around here and the community as a whole.

--Jessica

JACKSON TEAM 2015

Abounding Love

Happy Easter! Blessings to you and your family!

Today, our team was welcomed into the hands of Common Ground Church, where we had our Easter service. I immediately felt a great peace come over me as I walked into the church. There was a love that radiated from the people that was practically overwhelming (in the best way possible). Our preacher, Big John, called everyone who entered the church "friends" and never strangers. I felt very safe and accepted, sharing fellowship with the entire congregation. The church service was held in a smaller sized area, with no more than 25 people in the room. I had such a wonderful experience meeting with everyone. They treated us like we belonged there, something that's very hard to replicate. We went in a different order of matters throughout the service: worship, poetry, worship, announcements, small groups, message, communion, and worship. The entire service was about two and a half hours, which flew by quickly. I did not see one frown or bored look on anyone's face that was there. Everyone was really personal and loving towards one another, almost like a family. Worship was wonderful. Music from the service was stuck in our heads the entire day, causing us to dance and sing in His name! During our time to break off with small groups, I was in a prayer circle with a man on my left side. He had requested for us to pray for his family, for he was soon to be a new father. He told us the desire of his heart: to keep his family humble and to bless everyone within it. As I took his hand, it shook while his eyes watered. I saw some fear behind his eyes, but his nerves were instantly calmed while a worship leader, filled with the Spirit, spoke amazing words into his life that left all of us in awe. Wow! God is doing amazing things within this community, and we are witnessing it everyday. Every one of us left that church with a big smile on our faces. I am blessed to share this trip with a team that has such open hearts with everything it encounters. Day by day, we are seeking His face, learning and growing more to fulfill our purpose here in Jackson, Mississippi.

Jordan

Fun and Fellowship

Wow! I can't even begin to explain how amazing our time in Jackson has been so far. One thing that really resonated with me was meeting a girl around my age at the Easter Bash who also likes horses. For those of you who don't know I LOVE HORSES, so one of the jobs I was assigned was helping with the horseback riding. It made me realize how blessed I am for the many opportunities I've been given to grow as a rider and develop this gift that God blessed me with. I thought about how beneficial a riding program around here could be for kids like the girl I met, who don't have those same opportunities. I think God placed this on my heart as a potential difference I can make in the future. Yesterday night we shared about our experiences at the Easter Bash during team devotion. We all were struck by how welcoming the people in the community are here. We were once again reminded of this at church this morning. The gospel music was crazy awesome, especially when Alex and Tyler started dancing during one of the songs! It was amazing to see the congregation so on fire for the Lord, letting it out through their singing and dancing regardless of who watched them. Big John delivered a great sermon titled "It's Never Too Late". My favorite part of the service was when the congregation broke into small groups for prayer. We then shared a personal prayer request and a request for the world around us. During this time, we had the opportunity to meet different members of the congregation and pray with them. Today was also our last day with Dr. Perkins. He came for breakfast, accompanied by his great-grandson, Thad and Evan (staff of the foundation). It was an incredible time of fellowship and learning. Dr. Perkins discussed his vision that spending time with groups like us will help create a greater generation of leaders. The greatest thing about Dr. Perkins is how loving he is. On the first day of devotions, he started crying when talking about how much we mean to him and the hope that we give him for the future. His words have been such a blessing and have truly given me a different outlook on many aspects of life and faith.

Today, I saw the beautiful fruits of all of our labors yesterday. Yesterday we spent all day working on the grounds, cleaning it up, making it look nice, and setting everything up for the Easter Bash. This morning after another fantastic time with Dr. Perkins, we quickly got to putting the finishing touches on the grounds and getting all the booths set up. I had the blessing of receiving the job of parking everyone in the fields, which generally would be an extremely boring job. Instead, Tyler, Adam, Mr. Rivera and I made it more than enjoyable by parking everyone with enthusiasm in the form of dancing. You should have seen all the smiles and laughs of the people who saw us! Then, when I got a break to eat lunch (a very delicious one!), I was able to look around and see everyone working hard and using their gifts in many different ways. It was such a beautiful picture of what can be accomplished when a group of people set their minds to a common goal and work hard towards it. There were so many things going on at once, yet it ran smoothly because of good teamwork and hard work. The best example of this was when we put on a ton of relay races, with no prior rules or planning, and some people just jumped into control and organized things, successfully getting the kids pumped and giving them a good time. At the end of the day, we successfully worked together to put on a huge operation, and I think blessed the community. However, I believe that we were the ones that were really blessed, I know I was!

I’m looking forward to the rest of the week!

~Alex


 

One thing that had an impact on me today was my trip to the supermarket. I joined Tyler, Chris, and one of the staff, Evan, on a trip to the market to get ice tonight. Tyler asked me to join last minute and I thought they may need the extra help. Entering the truck I was not exactly enthusiastic about leaving house. I now know I am extremely grateful for Tyler inviting me on the quick trip. As we drove down the street, I saw people sitting on corners of streets, outside of homes, and in parks along the road. The trucks windows were down giving me a better look at each situation. Kids walked the streets of West Jackson at 7:30 unsupervised. Men sat in the streets looking as if they have been drained of all hope and determination. The supermarket was unlike any market I have ever seen. The shelves looked stripped of its products and the store appeared run down. Produce was nonexistent in the store. The people in the area are being deprived of the quality produce that we take for granted. While we drove back to the house I felt there was so much inequality in the city. I prayed to God asking if there will ever be true equality in these types of cities nation wide. Looking back, I am grateful that Tyler invited me along. I saw the reality that some may refuse to accept. This experience has made me want to find ways to improve communities that are in our own home towns. I was fortunate enough to meet Lee Harper who owned her own coffee shop in West Jackson. She told us her goal was to establish a place where people of all backgrounds can come to be together. After hearing the goal of Lee Harper, I realized that I can make the same change in my own community and her goal was similar to mine. Those experiences have laid a foundation for goals I hope to accomplish when I get home.

Jonathan

Koinonia Coffee House, West Jackson

This coffee house, owned and operated by Lee Harper, is a beautiful picture of a business that seeks to impact its community for good.  As we enjoyed our lattes and smoothies, Lee shared her story and her vision for the community of West Jackson - a community that many other businesses avoid.  Yet, she seeks to provide a place where both the wealthy seeking out good coffee and the poor or homeless looking for a place to read the newspaper can sit at the same table, share the same space, and find themselves as equals.  

Psalm 23

Today we started our morning off with devotions with John Perkins. I have heard what an amazing man of God he is and I was so excited to meet him. The minute he walked in I could just see his passion for the Lord and his love for other people. Our devotion this morning was based off of Psalm 23. We broke down each verse and really focused on the message and intentions of God's words. I have heard Psalm 23 repeated my whole life, but today my perspective was changed. The words in this verse are so powerful and are so encouraging. As we read through this passage, different points came to my realization. Christ is our Good Shepherd and we are his sheep. God will hold us tight and never let us out of his site. Christ brings peace into our lives when we face adversity. God puts circumstances and situations in our life to shape us and mold us into the Christian influences he wants us to be. When we go through those times of distress, God restores our soul. His love and power are bigger than our biggest problems in life. Our God has the power to move mountains and perform miracles in our lives. God will always be our constant companion as we pass through the rough waters. With Christ's strength he will help us to keep our eyes above the waves, and will catch us before we crash. With him by our side, we can face any circumstance life throws at us. Each day is a journey, and even though sometimes we don't know what our day with entail, we can affirm and trust in God's plan for us, as he is our ultimate navigator. 

Finish the race with perseverance.

Riley Ruiz

Love and Holiness

My theme and goal for this trip is love. Love is what I want to show, to do, to be, it is everything. Jesus is the most perfect example of true and pure love.  I believe that love is a way that I can connect to people the most and that is the way that you can relate to because that is what anyone could ever need. Most people are looking, yearning, searching for someone to love them or someone to fill their life and I honestly believe that the love of Jesus is the key to that. What better way to relate to the people who are hurting here in Jackson. This morning in our devotions, Big John - the guy who led us in devotions today - did a wonderful job at really digging into the scripture and seeing the message that God was trying to say to us. We were in Leviticus 19 looking at how God wants us to see be Holy because He is HOLY. That really spoke to me because he is so perfect in every way and the amount of awesomeness He has is just mind blowing! I love how beautiful His word is, the way that these words are put just make me want to be more in depth with Him. I want to understand what He wants and what He went through when He came down on earth.  Honoring your father and mother, treating people how you want to be treated, living in harmony with people, being honest and trusting, respectful, not oppressing anyone are all things that we are required to do. Sometimes it is difficult but Jesus was put under even worse circumstances than any of us could ever encounter and I really believe that in the midst of all our troubles and heart ache or anger, that we should pause and think about what happened on that cross and what it means to us. This trip is such a blessing to me already and I am so grateful for getting a chance to be here with all these beautiful people!

Aree

A Second Time Around

Last year I had the opportunity to be a part of the Jackson team, and I remember walking away from that experience with a completely different outlook on how I was living my life and almost felt as if I was ignorant and unaware of what was going on outside of the little bubble I put myself in. In history class we all learn of the civil rights movement and the means people went through in order to bring about a change to their society. But it’s only the words and testimonies of people that experienced it firsthand that we get our information from. I remember walking through the places where boycotts were held and seeing historical sites of famous civil rights activists and thinking it was so surreal to be standing in the same place where these events took place. You gain a different attitude towards these events while physically being there rather than in a classroom reading what a text book has to say about it. This year I feel so blessed to be able to partake in this trip again. While going on the tour of Jackson and Mendenhall, even though I had a general grasp at what we would see, I gained a lot more insight and I have taken away different things than I did last year. Throughout the tour the main focus is how African Americans fought to make differences and how they felt, which lead me to question how the whites in this area feel about their history. The city is still very segregated and many people living outside of West Jackson have this distorted view of the community. People are scared to even drive through this side of town due to the poverty and high crime. This community won’t be able to change if the majority of people won’t even come close to the community, thus sparking the Spencer Perkins Foundation. Seeing how the foundation works in the community and really having the heart to better the people and environment around them is so inspiring. As I go through this week I hope to be open minded to what God has in store for me and how this trip, and the people I meet, will influence the rest of my life.

-Morgan

Jackson Team #7

We are HERE!  And we couldn't be more excited! 

Jackson Team #7.  Spring Break 2014.  

It's that time of year again... Recruiting Jackson Team 2014!

Our Final Few Days

Our last days in Jackson were spent studying together, serving together, learning and growing together, and (of course) laughing together.  Check it out :)

The first thing that Dr. Perkins did the second he walked in the door was push us out of our comfort zones. He pushed us to be bold and step up. I was so unbelievable amazed at the love that Dr. P has showed us! He walks around so proud of his story and difficult past. He tells me that when we sob and complain about our problems, we don’t leave any room for God to work in us. He tells me to turn every negative in my past into a positive. I was so blessed that I shared with Mr. Perkins a little bit about my past and for the rest of the night he took me around the center and showed me off. Me, a sinner of a difficult, dark past. Yet, he put me on this pedestal that I do not deserve to be on. He makes everyone feel so special and he will never forget to tell us that, Yellow, brown, black or white, we are ALL precious in HIS sight. This trip was one of the most impactful things I’ve ever done! I am so blessed by the beautiful testimonies behind every face and I thank God for them. I am forever blessed by the fellowship I was a part of here and I pray that the flame that God has ignited within me wouldn’t go out. Thank you God for the opportunity and thank you for your son. Thank you all who supported me through this trip. You have made such an impact on my life and I thank you.

In Christ Service,

Chelsea Trujillo

Mendenhall

On Tuesday we were able to take a trip to Mendenhall, where Dr. John Perkins began his faithful journey as a civil rights activist and started living his life for God. We entered the area beginning with the poverty filled side where the majority of the people living there were colored. The houses were beat up and torn apart. We were fortunate enough to take a tour of the Mendenhall Ministries foundation where John Perkins and his wife started their ministries. Going into the gym they have there gave us a sense of what the kids take part in everyday after school. There were murals all over the walls expressing unity and the love God has for us. The pictures were so inspiring and you were really able to get insight on how they live. On one mural, it was a picture of a railroad and then children of every color playing with each other and holding hands. This was significant because in the town of Mendenhall, a railroad literally splits the two extremes and separates them. On one side you see the poverty and the hurt, but the second you cross over the railroad you begin to see nice buildings and stores and big properties with beautiful homes. The majority of people switch to whites and it’s almost like you entered a completely different city. When I was reflecting on the drive back, I started to wonder what the whites thought about the poverty that was walking distance from them. I wanted to know how they felt about the separation and if any of them considered helping them. Walking up and down the main street where most of the boycotts and parades took place during the civil rights movement was like walking back in time and just taking on the burden that the black people took on in that time. And the thing that strikes me the most is that all of this wasn’t even that long ago. I hope to take this experience back with me and just love on others and accept them for everything that they are. This trip has truly been life changing and has given so many more perspectives on life.

                                                                                -Morgan Gillam