Chad and Heather Mustain - Helping build a different kind of tomorrow both locally and globally

Last Posting . . . Check out our new Blog!!

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I just want to thank you for following this blog the past year or so. This should be my last posting at this blog site. However, if you'd like to continue follow our lives, we encourage you to check out our new blog at: www.themustains.wordpress.com.

If you like receiving email updates when we make a new post, you can sign up for email updates on our new blog as well. Just go to www.themustains.wordpress.com and on the right side of the page click the link under "Follow our journey." Follow the simple instructions and you'll be good to go!!

Our personal email addresses are still the same and our cell phone numbers are the same as well. Our new mailing address is:

One Bear Place #85464

Waco, TX 76798

If you have any questions about ending your support at the end of August, please contact me as soon possible by commenting to this post or contacting me directly. I think that is all the info I can think of so this is Chad, signing out. Check out the new blog!! www.themustains.wordpress.com

Blessings,

Chad and Heather

Transitioning to Life in Waco

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well, Heather and I are transitioning to our new season of life here in Waco, TX. We got all moved in this past Friday and on Monday we hit the ground running with training, meeting a seemingly endless number of new people, and putting the final touches on our new apartment. Yesterday Heather began training in Spiritual Life at Baylor as a ministry associate. My training as a resident chaplain is keeping me very busy but is going very well.

Speaking of transitions, we'll soon be transitioning to a new blog. Our new blog is:

http://www.themustains.wordpress.com. If you would like to continue to follow our life and ministry, we encourage you to bookmark that link.

Our new mailing address here at Baylor is:

Chad and Heather Mustain

One Bear Place #85464

Waco, TX 76798

Our cell phone numbers will remain the same, as will our email addresses.

We'd love to hear from you so please feel free to email us, call us, leave us a comment on this blog, or go ahead and leave us a comment on our new blog http://www.themustains.wordpress.com.

Blessings,

Chad and Heather

Packed up and Heading Out

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well, we are all packed and loaded and about to hit the road. We have our apartment check out in about 30 minutes and we'll on the road shortly there after. As our season with AIM comes to a close, we are grateful for all that God has done in us and through us. As we embark on this new adventure, we remain confident in God's faithfulness and goodness, in all things and in all circumstances.

This past week the Lord has been bringing me back to the same passage (and giving me opportunities to put it into practice!!) and I wanted to share it with you. 2 John verses 5 and 6 says:

5 I a writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. 6 Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you have heard from the beginning.

I love the start of verse 6, "Love means doing. . . " That just reminds me that love is an action (Love is a Verb, as DC Talk once sang). Wherever we find ourselves, whatever situation we might be in, we can all practice love, because we know that to love is God's greatest commandments to us; to love him and to love others.

That is our desire as we leave Gainesville and move on to Waco. Our life mission remains the same, "To help build a different kind of tomorrow." And I believe that to help build that different tomorrow, love has to be at the center and it has to point others to God.

We ask for your prayers as we travel these next two days. We have quick stop off for the night in Jackson, Mississippi tonight with some friends and then will drive the rest of the way to Waco on Friday.

Grace and Peace,

Chad, Heather, and Maeby

Celebrating One Year

Sun, 2 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Today Heather and I are celebrating our one year wedding anniversary. We've had a wonderful first year together and we feel so blessed. We have had fun in Savannah and Hilton Head the past few days. We met up with Heather's dad, step-mom, and sisters in Savannah and had a great time with them. Last night we all had dinner with my uncle, aunt, and cousin here in Hilton Head. My aunt can cook a mean lasagna!! A little bit later today Heather and I are headed to a resort celebrate, enjoy the beach, and rest.

Earlier this week we had a great debrief with our two month month teams. The stories that we heard from students and leaders were absolutely amazing. There were stories of entire households accepting Christ, physical healings, hundreds and hundreds of people receiving food, communities encouraged and transformed, and countless smiles due to the love of Christ. This was our last thing with AIM and we feel honored to be leaving on a such a high note celebrating all the good things that God did in and through our teams this summer.

Thursday is moving day and we are really excited for our new season of life. We are making the 900+ mile drive in two days and will be arriving into Waco, TX on Friday.

Blessings,

Chad and Heather

Thank You!!

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Family, Friends and Supporters,

Update
Heather and I would like say a huge THANK YOU for your love, prayers, and financial support over the past year. It is hard to believe that our time with Adventures in Missions is coming to a close at the end of July.

This past year in Gainesville, GA has been invaluable for us on a personal level, as we believe that we've built a strong foundation for our marriage. We celebrate one year together on August 2nd. Just a few of God's many blessings this past year have been a wonderful community of friends, a great church, an incredible small group, awesome serving opportunities with the student ministry, and mentors who have invested in us.

We have also had an incredible year with Adventures in Missions. Heather and I were the Coordinators for the Real Life College program, which sends college aged students on 1 to 3 month trips. This summer we sent out about 125 students and leaders to the Amazon Jungle/Peru, Guatemala, Kenya, India, Nicaragua, the Philippines, and Swaziland.

Before sending out these students we saw God do an incredible work in their lives as many found healing and freedom from the hurts of life and mistakes made. These students have been Jesus with skin on in the field and we have seen individuals and families restored, healings, communities encouraged, structures built, and hundreds of people come to know the Lord. Some of the stories and ways our teams have seen God move have been straight out of the book of Acts. Your prayers and financial investment in us have had a direct part in the lives that have been changed for God's kingdom glory.

What's next

As our full-time involvement with Adventures in Missions comes to a close, we are leaving Gainesville, GA with a great relationship. AIM has talked to us about leading worship and helping teach at future training camps. They have also talked to us about leading regional trainings in the Dallas area as well as helping start a new weekend missions experience called "Excursions," which are poverty and homeless simulations that are currently in the developmental stage.

So, as we move to Waco, TX to attend graduate school at Truett Seminary and Baylor University, we are grateful for God's provision and look forward to what is in store in this new season of life. We've both been blessed with jobs at Baylor, a free-living situation, and scholarships that cover much of our tuition and expenses. We are also greatly looking forward to being closer to our family in the Dallas area.

Important financial information
We want to again thank you for your prayers and financial support this past year. For those of you that give to us on a monthly basis, I have some very important information for you, especially for those who have automatic monthly giving set up.

    If you could give your final monthly gift to Adventures in Missions in August 2009, that would be a huge blessing to us as we move and transition to new jobs.

    If you mail in your monthly gift, after the month of August you can stop giving to AIM and you will be all set.

    If you have automatic giving set up on your debit/credit card, I can notify accounting to end your giving after the month of August.

    If you have automatic giving set up to be withdrawn from your checking account, you will need to contact your bank and have this service stopped after the month of August.

If you have any questions about your final financial gift to us or ending your automatic monthly giving, please feel free to leave a comment on the blog with your contact info and I will get back with you asap.

Heather and I would not have been able to do what we have done in our time with Adventures in Missions without your love, prayers, and financial support. So, while our location and jobs are changing, our life mission remains the same: to help build a different kind of tomorrow.

The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2:14 "Now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume."

And may it be with you also.

Helping build a different kind of tomorrow,

Chad and Heather Mustain

Preparing to Move

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This past week has been filled with de-junking, packing, finalizing moving preparations, and spending time with friends. The reality of moving on from Gainesville, GA and our time with AIM has really set in. While we are greatly looking forward to what is next, good-byes or until next-times are never easy.

Last night our good friends the Thompson's and William's hosted a good-bye party for us at church. It was neat to have friends from AIM, our small group, and students and leaders from the student ministry bless us and let us know how much we mean to them. Heather and I felt so honored, loved, and cared for as they wrote us notes, got us gifts, and prayed over us as we prepare to move. Here are a couple of pictures from last night.

Tag, Holly, and Jack Thompson praying with us.

Most of our small group praying with us (joking around in this moment).

The new youth pastor at Lanier Hills Gabe and his fiancee' Bri.

We have seriously been so blessed by the community we have had here in Gainesville. Heather and I are praying for an awesome community and great friends at Baylor and invite you to join with us in that prayer.

Our 2 month teams begin travel today back to the States and get in tomorrow for debrief. Please join us in prayer for safety of travel, that they will make all their connecting flights, and that all their luggage will make it as well. We are looking forward to spending the next 2 days with the teams and hear more stories of all that God has done in them and through them this summer.

Heather and I are also looking forward to spending time with her dad, step mom, and sisters later this week. We'll get to show them around Gainesville and the AIM base and then spend a few days with them in Savannah, GA and Hilton Head, SC. It'll also be fun to spend some time with my mom's brother and his family who live on Hilton Head Island. In the midst of all of that, Heather and I are looking forward to celebrating our one year anniversay on August 2nd.

We'll be pulling out of Gainesville on August 6th with a stop off in Mississippi (roughly the half way point) before arriving into Waco, TX on August 7th. We'll sort of have the weekend to get somewhat settled before starting training for our new jobs on August 10th.

God's provision for us in our transition into this new season of life has been so evident. However, one sad thing is that we are not allowed to have our dog Maeby with us in our dorm/apartment. My parents have graciously "adopted" her for us during this next season of life. My mom is really excited to have a 2nd Boston Terrier and a friend for their dog Bosco.

Well, I guess that is all for now,

Chad and Heather

The Home Stretch

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well, Heather and I are entering into the home stretch of our time here in Gainesville. This week and this past week we've done a lot of packing in preparation for our move to Waco, TX. Additionally, we have been busy trying to spend time with friends and see the Atlanta sites that we've put off until now. Saturday night we went to Stone Mountain with our good friends Tag, Holly, and their baby Jack to see Stone Mountain and the laser show.

Last night Heather and I went to the Braves game and took one of our students Aaron. I have invested a lot into Aaron and he is one of the best young drummers I have played with.

Me and Aaron outside of Turner Field.

This was Heather's first Braves game. She's now been to 3 stadiums since we've been married. I've been to 7 stadiums (Astros, Braves, Cubs, D-Backs, Rangers, Rockies, and Royals) all together.

Our 2 month teams return from the field in a week. The stories from the field continue to be amazing as God is doing phenomenal things in and through our teams. Please pray that the teams will finish strong and for their travel back to the States.

Blessings,

Chad and Heather

Rebuilding People

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Adventures in Mission's focus and theme for our work in New Orleans is "Rebuilding people, not structures." I was absolutely blown away by the physical devistation of New Orleans. There are block after block of abandon homes. There are abandon community centers, schools, and even churches. So, the question has to be asked, if facilities that are used to invest into people are abandon, who is investing in people? Yes, structures need to rebuilt and there are some amazing groups like Beacon of Hope that are doing just that. Just as structures need time, attention, love, care, investment, and rebuilding so do the people of New Orleans who will soon make those structures come to life.

Our group was able to do just that; to give time, attention, love, care, and investment to help rebuild the people of New Orleans. Our focus was very holistic in nature, helping meet both the spiritual and physical needs of the people we encountered.

A core value of AIM is Listening Prayer and our group learned to practice that together. So often as Christians we do a lot of talking to God and talking at God but rarely take time to LISTEN to God. So, we helped teach our students to begin each day of our trip seeking the Lord, asking for the Lord to reveal where he was working and how we could join in.

It is amazing the things to Lord will reveal and the things he will speak to us if we will just take time to listen. On our first day, we went to our VBS site to pray over it and ask the Lord to prepare the hearts of the people we would encounter that afternoon. We split into three groups and sought the Lord and his leading. I believe the Lord speaks in many ways and often in the American church we are not acustomed to the Lord speaking through words, pictures, names, colors etc. As my group was praying Sara (see below) said the Lord gave her a picture of a man in all black clothing riding a bike.

As we began walking through the community we hadn't even gone a block and a man in all black clothing on a black bike slowly rode by us. My group was dumbfounded because the Lord brought to pass what he had spoken to Sara. We began praying for the man and as we prayed he gave us one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen.

It was incredibly hot and humid during our time in New Orleans. At other times our group prayer walked through the community handing out watermelon and water to anyone who wanted some. It was a very easy way to meet a felt need as we walked and prayed. It also opened up the opportunity to hear the stories of people, to pray with them, and give them bibles.

In many ways the people of New Orleans are sort of forgotten. Many of our students echoed statements like "I knew Katrina was bad but I had no idea . . ." We never saw most of the parents of the kids and youth we worked with. The wandered the streets, played in and around abandoned structures, and hung out at our VBS site which was an abandoned school and play ground.

As our students literally rolled around in the grass with these kids, I can't help but imagine this is what Jesus would have done. Luke 18:16 says, But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Our students were Jesus with skin on to these kids. We laughed with them, sangs songs with them, taught them that our God is "a great big God," and shared God's promises in his word with them. The kids just soaked in the time, attention, love, care, and investment we made in their lives.

On our last evening we had a giant cookout and gave away 160 hamburgers and hotdogs, watermelon, and ice cold water to anyone we wanted to stop by. Through this simple act of again meeting a felt need we were able to hear the stories of many adults, to cry with them as the described how hard things have been since Katrina, to pray with them, and leave them with a bible of God's promises and hope for all mankind.

The challenge we left our students with is that everything we did in New Orleans, we can do right here in Gainesville. We can prayer walk, we can hand out watermelon, we can talk and pray with the people on the public transportation, we can put on a VBS etc. Our students returned fired up and have made plans to do many of the things we did in New Orleans right here in Gainesville. We ask for your prayers for these students that this fire and passion would be sustained and that they will follow God's leading.

Blessings,

Chad and Heather

P.S. Props to one of our students Jennie Dunnett for taking these pictures.

New Orlean's Pictures

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Heather and I are back from New Orleans. We had a great week there with the Lanier Hills youth group. I just wanted to quickly share some pictures from our week and I will hopefully be posting more soon. I've got to give props to Gavin Sexton (an up and coming photographer) for these pictures as well as a picture from the cell phone of Josh Gross.

Blessings,

Chad and Heather

Here are the girls from the youth group before church on Sunday.

And here are the guys featuring the new youth pastor Gabe (in the gray shirt slouching) and our AIM project leader Esteban.

Here we are reviewing our songs and actions before VBS.

Me and Heather doing some clean up in a church that is still trying to recover almost 4 years after Katrina.

We did some sweet ministry on the street cars of New Orleans talking to people, praying with them, and giving them bibles.

Each afternoon we did a VBS with the kids in the community outside of an abandoned school. We would do songs, games, a bible story, craft etc.

In the center of the above picture (standing next to me with the orange Nike's) is a boy named Dante. A couple of our students helped Dante ask Jesus to be the leader of his life and I had the pleasure of following up with him. That is just one of the many great things that God did this week.

In New Orleans

Sun, 5 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Heather and I arrived into New Orleans yesterday with our team. We have a group of 18 total which includes the new youth pastor at Lanier Hills and 15 students. Thus far everything is going well and the drive down went fine. Today we are going to a local church, driving around to a few different ministry sites to pray over them, handing out flyers about VBS and a cook-out, and practicing a little bit of relational evangelism. Please be in prayer for our team as this is most of the teams first mission trip and much of what we are doing is going to be a HUGE stretch for them. Please pray for courage, boldness, the desire to step outside of their comfot zone, the right words, and that we would be vessels to be used by God. Please also pray for the health of our team as we have one student who is battling a bit of something. Please pray for her healing so that she can fully engage in all that God desires to do in her and through her this week.

And that is our prayer today, that God would do whatever he needs to do in us so that he can do whatever he wants to do through us.

Blessings,

Chad and Heather

Forward Conference

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This past Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Heather and I helped take a group of students to Forward Conference 2009 that met at the Gwinnett Area. There were over 10,000 people in attendance. Some of the noted people who helped with the conference were David Crowder Band, Chirs Tomlin, Steve Fee, Louie Giglio, Judah Smith, and Reggie Dabbs. Here are a couple of pictures from the weekend:

Our group that went to Forward Conference.

Me and Heather.

Our students had a blast and went deeper in their faith.

Some of the highlights from the weekend were when Steve Fee lead worship at the final session. He was definitely the favorite of the students and they all waited in line so they could be right up on the stage. One of the students I have invested a lot in over the past year is a HUGE fan of Steve Fee. He got to interact with Steve Fee during worship and even got to meet him afterwards and get a picture and autograph. But what is even sweeter was watching this student engage in worship. He is a phenomenal guitarist and I have seen him grow by leaps and bounds in his heart for worship this past year.

Another cool picture was during a talk by Reggie Dabbs on Saturday morning. His theme was "One chance, one choice, one moment" and he was encouraging students to find freedom from the hurts, habits, and hang ups of life. At the end of his talk he invited people to come forward and receive prayer to find freedom. There were students literally running, not walking, not jogging, but RUNNING in an all out sprint as if their life depended on it to find healing and release. Man, it was such a moving experience.

Today our one month teams return from the field. Heather will be headed down to a hotel near the airport today to run the debrief with the leaders. I will join them tomorrow. Our one month team to Swaziland has arrived back in the States safely. Please be in prayer for our one month teams returning from Nicaragua and Kenya later today.

The reports that come in from the other 6 teams that are still in the field continue to be amazing. God is truly doing great things, his love is being shared, and the teams are building up God's Kingdom here on earth. In the midst of all the good, Satan is trying to disrupt and destory what is being done. Please pray for protection for these teams. Praying against the lies and doubts of the evil one and that the teams would have strength as they enter the final month of their trips.

On Saturday Heather and I leave bright and early for New Orleans with 17 students from Lanier Hills. Yesterday the church prayed over our team and commissioned us. The students are so excited to bring the love, message, and hope of the Lord to the people of New Orleans. Please pray for the hearts of both the students, leaders, and the people we encounter and that God would do great things!!

Blessings,

Chad, Heather, and Maeby

Moving Forward

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Heather and I remain very busy with our various roles here in Gainesville. The next two and a half weeks are our final big push and then things will slow down dramatically. We continue to keep up with our 9 teams that are in the field. The stories and reports we get are are amazing. Many of the reports seem to be straight from the book of Acts. Our teams are seeing people come to the Lord, people are being healed, and people are being released from demons and powers of the evil one.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Heather and I are taking a group of students from Lanier Hills to the Forward Conference (http://www.forwardconference.org/) in Atlanta. Some of the noted people who are a part of this conference are Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin, Fee (Steve Fee's band) and my personal favorite the David Crowder Band. Our summer has been so busy for us thus far so Heather and I are both hoping to receive something from the Lord this weekend.

Our one month teams return back the the States on June 29th and Heather and I will be running their debrief before they head home. And then July 4-10 we will be leading a one week trip to New Orleans through AIM for the youth group of Lanier Hills. Adventures in Missions purpose or theme statement for the trips in New Orleans is "rebuilding people, not structures." Ministries we'll be a part of include VBS, relational evangelism, prayer walks, and some light manual labor. Our students are really excited about this opportunity.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to Dallas and lead worship at Valley Ranch Baptist Church (http://www.vrbc.net). It was nice to see my parents and Joy and Caleb while I was in Dallas. Heather wasn't able to go because she had a girls weekend planned here in Gainesville with a good friend of hers.

We continue to be so grateful for your monthly support. We are amazed by the Lord's faithfulness and provision inspite of the hard economic times. Your monthly gifts to us literally have an impact on people all over the world through the leaders and students Heather and I have had the joy to train and send out. As we fullfill our commitment with Adventures in Missions, we ask and pray that you will be able to fullfill your financial commitment with your final gift being given in August.

Grace and Peace,

Chad, Heather, and Maeby

Trip to Chicago

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This past week Heather and I had the opportunity to go to Chicago for a short vacation. We got a great deal on a hotel right downtown on Michigan Ave and had a great time checking out the sights of Chicago. I was so thrilled that we were able to go to a Cubs game (I bought the tickets in February!!).

"Cloud Gate" commonly known as "The Bean" in Chicago near Millennium Park.

Outside of Wrigley Field before the big game.

And here I am during batting practice. It was seriously so cool being there.

The primary purpose of our time in Chicago was for Drew and Christine's wedding. I spent two years in England with Drew and Christine with AIM.

I was honored to serve as one of Drew's groomsman and to play the song "Be Thou My Vision" during the lighting of the unity candle.

It was also awesome to see Ian Fellows and Henry Martin who I served with in England. Ian was Drew's best man and Henry helped perform the wedding ceremony. I also spent two years in England with Andrea who was Christine's maid of honor.

It was also neat to see our 2007-2008 FYM team who all came in for the wedding. Ian and Heather are pictured as well.

It really was a great trip up to Chicago and so neat to see so many friends. Now that we are back, Heather and I continue to be busy keeping up with our 9 teams who are in the field. Things are going really well overall. There are some awesome stories of people coming to the Lord, the sick being healed, and the blind who now see. God is truly doing great things!!

This weekend I'll actually be in the Dallas area. I'll be leading worship at Valley Ranch and spending a few days with my parents. Heather will be staying here in Gainesville as she had a girls weekend planned before I was given the opportunity to lead at VRBC.

It's crazy to think that Heather and I have just under two months left in our time in Gainesville. We are striving to finish strong in our time with AIM and remain very busy. We are leading a one week to trip to New Orleans July 4-10 with the youth group we have been working with. We've also been busy helping the new student pastor get started and comfortable at our church. Debrief for our 1 month teams is also quickly approaching at the end of June as well.

Please keep us in your prayers as we desire to finish well here in Gainesville. In the midst of all that is going on, we are looking forward to the transition to life and grad school at Baylor University and Truett Seminary in Waco, TX.

Blessings,

Chad, Heather, and Maeby

Photos from Leader Training and Training Camp

Mon, 8 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As promised, here are some photos from the past 10 days of training that Heather and I oversaw. These are just a few of the highlights of worship, prayer, investing in leaders, fun times, and times of rest. These photos are all courtesy of Doyle Wallace, one of my leaders leading the one month Swaziland trip. To see more of his photos, check out: http://wallacephoto.zenfolio.com/swazilandtrainingcamp

Heather and I are now in full swing of keeping in contact with our teams in the field. This involves helping the leaders process the culture shock of the things they are seeing and experiencing, how to balance logistical stuff, team life, ministry, how to deal with problems and issues that arise, and just generally making sure that our leaders are taken care of physically, emotionally, and spiritual. It's already been so cool to hear some of the stories of the ways God is using these teams in their respective countries. We hope to share some stories with you soon.

Heather and I leave on Wednesday for a few days of vacation in downtown Chicago and going to a Cubs game. Over the weekend we'll be involved with all of the wedding festivities of my good friends Drew and Christine who I spent two years serving in England with. I'm excited to serve as a groomsman in their wedding and the play a song for them. It will be fun to see Henry and Ian from England, our England staff that I served with, and several of the participants as well.

Blessings,

Chad, Heather, and Maeby

Me leading worship at one of our evening sessions.

Our leaders praying over their students at the commissioning service.

You've got to have some fun at training as well. The guy on the right is Kenny, one of my leaders in India. This was a one on one dance off.

Heather just hanging out with and investing in Brittany, who is one of our leaders in Nicaragua. The guy on the right is Chad Small who is leading in the Philippines.

Maeby got to hang out with us some at leader training. This was when we brought her with us to the lake as we wrapped up leader training with some lake fun.

Trained, Sent, and Now Catching our Breath

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Wow, what an amazing past 8 days it has been with leader training and then training camp!! All of our teams went through an intense 5 day training camp and yesterday we sent them out to join in God's Kingdom work. It all began bright an early at 4am as the 1 month Nicaragua team and the 2 month Peru Amazon Jungle team headed out for the airport. Next was the 1 and 2 month Kenya teams, the 2 month India team, the 2 Month Nicaragua/Guatemala team, and the 2 month Philippines team. The final airport run was for our 1 and 2 month Swaziland teams.

God seriously showed up in some mighty and powerful ways over the course of the past 8 days. This was the largest training camp ever for the Real Life College program and Heather and I had an absolutely amazing team of people who played such a huge role in helping us pull that thing off.

Thus far I have heard that the Nicaragua team and the Expedition (Nicaragua/Guatemala) have a arrived safely. In the next few hours the rest of the teams should be arriving. Please continue to pray for God's provision and blessing over these teams as they arrive, rest, and begin to catch a vision for what God is doing in their communities.

Heather and I are sort of resting and recuperating today. We hope to get pictures up from training camp and share some stories of God's goodness and faithfulness through the past 8 days of training. We'll also be posting updates on what God is doing around the world through the teams that have gone out.

Blessings,

Chad, Heather, and Maeby

And So It Begins . . . .

Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well, later today I will be headed to the airport to pick up our leaders and the madness of training season official begins for Heather and me. Please keep us in prayer as we help train and prepare our leaders for the incredible joy but also the difficulties they will experience leading teams this summer. The 120 or so participants arrive on Friday and that is when it will get truly crazy. In everything that is going on, it is our desire and prayer that we will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading and that God will accomplish what he needs to accomplish in our leaders and students lives to prepare them for the amazing experience they are about to embark on.

May God do whatever he needs to do in us so that he can do whatever he desires to do through us,

Chad and Heather

Training Camp Season

Sun, 24 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well, it is officially that season at AIM. Over the next month or so there will be 4 different training camps and several leader trainings that will be going on. World Race kicked things off on Friday with their largest training camp ever with around 90 participants. On Tuesday our leaders arrive for our nine different one and two month college trips. On Friday around 120 college age students will be arriving for Real Life training camp that Heather and I are over-seeing. This is the largest training camp for the Real Life program as well. In additional to the 120 participants there are 18 leaders for these teams and 30+ AIM staff and friends who will be helping out. We have an AWESOME team of people working with us on this training camp and we are so grateful for all of their help, knowledge, and wisdom.

So, needless to say, these are extremely exciting times yet extremely busy times. There are so many details that go into a training camp this size from how to get 120 people and luggage from the Atlanta airport up to Gainesville, where everyone will sleep, how to efficiently feed and clean up after 170 or so people 3 times a day, and most importantly the emotional and spiritual preparation for the participants and leaders. There are countless other details and we ask for your prayers for all of our training camps but specifically the Real Life training camp that begins on Tuesday with our leaders and Friday with the participants. Please pray for safety of travel, all the details, health and safety at training camp and in the field, against the attacks of the evil one, and that God will truly do what he needs to do at this training camp to prepare our students and leaders for an amazing God experience.

Heather and I also ask for your prayers for our health, strength, rest, and for our marriage as we'll be going from about 6am to 11pm or later for about the next week and a half. You can also pray for little Maeby during this busy time as well.

I hope to give you an update at some point during training camp but I'm sure you'll understand if I don't post again until after everything wraps up for us on June 3rd.

May love be the reflex,

Chad, Heather, and Maeby

Prayer Needs Update

Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I just wanted to give a bit of an update on our prayer needs from our last blog; one of our most pressing needs was to find two more leaders, a guy and girl, for our our summer trips. I am happy to report that the Lord provided those leaders!! The female leader is for sure going and we have just a few details to work out for the male leader to lead for us this summer. This is a huge answer to prayer so thank you for all of you that joined with us.

In addition to continuing to pray for our upcoming training camp May 29-June 3, I have one other prayer need I would love for your to join with us in. As I mentioned above, we now have all of our leaders for the summer, however, the leaders now need to raise their support for the trip that they are going to be leading. Like most staff with AIM, our summer leaders are supported through the gifts and donations of friends, family, churches etc. Please pray that the leaders support will come in quickly as they arrive for leader training in two weeks.

As many of you know, Heather and I are serving as the interim student pastors at our church. We are happy to report that yesterday Lanier Hills introduced the new youth pastor who will start the 1st of June. Heather and I care so deeply for the students and we think Gabe is going to be a great fit as their student pastor. He is passionate for investing in students and helping them realize God's best for their lives. We will stay on in a staff capacity through the first part of July to help him transition in to his new job. Additionally, we'll still be heading up many of the summer activities including the missions trip through AIM to New Orleans July 4-10. And of course, we'll continue to volunteer and hang out with the students until we move to Texas in August.

Last night, we had a sweet time with the high school students at the small group we host each week. We took some time as a group to remember the many ways God has blessed us and what he has done in our lives. We also took some time to dream about what we want God to do in our lives and who we want to become. Heather and I are so proud of the students as they are earnestly seeking God's best for their lives and are trying to live out the "I am 3rd" challenge. We closed out time sharing communion and worshipping together. It was truly one of my favorite memories of the past several months.

And finally, our good friends Tag and Holly Thompson had their first child on Friday. Here is a picture of Holly, Heather, and little Jack Peyton Thompson.

Living and Loving, Life and God!!

Chad and Heather

Prayer Needs

Tue, 5 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This past weekend Heather and I helped coordinate and pull of a "Gym Sale" at our church as a fundraiser for the youth group mission trip to New Orleans that Heather and I are leading. On Friday we spent most of the day picking up stuff that church members had donated and worked with the youth and other volunteers to set up, price etc. On Saturday we had a great turn out and we are thrilled to have raised about $1,360 at the gym sale which will cover our van rentals for the trip.

We are really seeing some excitement and momentum build for all of our summer activities and service projects. Our summer theme is "I am 3rd" as we try to shift our focus from ourselves and realign our lives so that it is God, others, and then self. I've also heard it said that JOY is a great way to describe this (and to experience true joy) as it is all about Jesus, others, and you. Please pray for our students and leaders and that we would all really embrace and live out this "I am 3rd" lifestyle.

On Thursday we'll be just 3 weeks out from when over 125 college age students and their leaders will be arriving for their one and two month trips to Guatemala, India, Kenya, Nicaragua, the Peru Amazon Jungle, the Philippines, and Swaziland. This is crunch time for both our students and leaders as they raise funds, prepare to leave the country for one or two months, and try to focus and prepare themselves spiritual. Satan always tries to bring an assortment of attacks so please pray for protection over our students and leaders as they prepare for an amazing God experience.

In closing, I'd like to ask for your prayers for a HUGE need. We are actually still in need of a male leader for our one month Nicaragua trip and a female leader for our two month trip to Nicaragua and Guatemala. We seriously need your prayers for these two leaders as we are just three weeks out from when the students arrive. If you know of someone that might be interested, please pass along my email address to them. We trust that God will be faithful and provide the final two leaders we need.

And, I guess that is where we are at the moment.

Finishing Strong,

Chad and Heather

A Moment to Pause

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Whew!! We have been busy these past two weeks. Heather and I hit the ground running when we returned home from England jumping right back into work with AIM, our work with the student ministry at Lanier Hills, and our small group. It seems like we've hardly had a moment to pause and reflect.

On Friday April 18th I was offered and accepted a position as one of Baylor's resident chaplains for the upcoming 2009-2010 school year. Heather and I believe fully that this is yet another sign of God's provision and that attending Baylor/Truett Seminary is clearly what he has next for us. As a resident chaplain Heather and I will be living in a small apartment in one of the freshman dorm halls at Baylor. In short, I am a pastoral figure to the 500+ students who will be living in the dorm as they go about their freshman year of college. In addition to a small salary, Heather and I will live for free and both receive partial meal plans. While it will be an adjustment living in a small apartment surrounded by freshman guys, we do view this as a blessing and a continued sign of God's faithfulness in our lives. Heather and I feel so fortunate to both have jobs (Heather has a job as a missions assistant in the office of spirtual life) upon our arrival to Waco, TX in early August and a free living situation.

Last Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I co-lead a team debrief and celebration time for our 3 month Real Life teams that were in Kenya and Swaziland. It was a jam packed 3 days with lots of emotion, processing, and celebration of all that had occured in these students lives over the past three months. It was a very challenging yet rewarding thing to be part of.

We are just under a month out from when our leaders arrive for our 1 and 2 month trips to Nicaragua, Guatemala, Kenya, India, Peru, the Philippines, and Swaziland this summer. The students arrive for those trips on May 29th. We welcome your prayers for both our students, leaders, and training camp as we prepare for their life changing experiences that await them.

Heather and I are also preparing for a busy summer with our students at Lanier Hills. We had a mission trip meeting yesterday for the trip we will be taking them on July 4-10 to New Orleans. Our theme for the summer is "I am third" and we are really trying to encourage the students choose into making their summer about God, others, and then self. I am beginning a teaching series this Wednesday that will be based on Romans 12. We are really hoping that this series will help prepare their hearts for selfless living and a desire to fully give of themselves this summer.

Well, I think that's about all at the moment. We remain so grateful for your continued love, prayers, and financial support as we continue to give our all and finish strong here in Gainesville.

Peace,

Chad, Heather, and Maeby

Back in Georgia

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I'd like to start by apologizing if you received numerous update emails from me on April 12th. I was getting an error message saying that the blog had not posted only to find out that I had posted the blog (and thus sent an update email each time) nine times.

Heather and I arrived back into Atlanta with no problems at about 3pm yesterday. We are right back in the swing of things and busyness of life here Gainesville and at AIM. Our leaders arrive for their 2nd leader training on May 26th and all of the college students arrive for their one and two month trips on May 29th. Please continue to pray that our last few leadership spots will be filled with the right leaders and that the students hearts will be in the right place as they arrive.

Before leaving England Heather and I went to York with our good friend Alan. We had great weather as we explored the beautiful city that was originally founded by the Romans sometime around 71 A.D. In addition to ancient Roman ruins, city walls, and remains of castles York is probably most well known for the York Minster which is home to the Archbishop of York.

Heather and I on the ancient Roman city walls with the York Minster in the background.

Can you imagine looking out your front window to that every day?

Me and Alan by the statue of Constantine outside of the York Minster.

Heather and I have about 4 months or so remaining here in Gainesville. Please be praying for us as we try to balance all that needs to be done with AIM, our work with the Lanier Hills students, our marriage, and preparing to move to Waco, TX to begin grad school. Additionally we are trying to sort out our living arrangements and I am trying to get a job nailed down in Waco. We are blessed that Heather has already found a job as she has been hired as an associate in the Office of Spirtual Life at Baylor.

We welcome your prayers as we finish strong and prepare for our next season of life.

Blessings,

Chad, Heather, and Maeby

England Update Two

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well, our trip to England is nearly over. Heather and I had a wonderful trip down to London on Saturday. The rain held off for the most part and we had a great time together taking in the sights and sounds of London. Here are a few pictures from our day in London:

Heather and I in front of Big Ben.

Here we are in front of Buckingham Palace.

The Easter Sunday service today at St. James was so beautiful. It was so neat to see Dean help lead in worship.

Dean helping lead worship.

And here we are after the service with Dean.

Henry is still leading St. James Church as their vicar. Simon is also serving at St. James to complete his training to become a fully licensed vicar. Here we are with them:

After dinner with Dean and his family for Dean's birthday this evening we went to the evening service St. Andrew's Church where Ian is the vicar. Here we are with my good friend Madeline who went with us in Ian's home after the service having a cup of tea.

We wrap up our time in England tomorrow with a day trip to York with Alan and then just having a nice night in with Henry. While our visit has been jam packed, it's been so much fun and such a blessing to catch up with good friends and see how God is continuing to move here in England.

We'll be back in the States around 3pm eastern time on Tuesday.

He is risen indeed!!

Chad and Heather

England Update

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey there, I just wanted to give a quick England update and share with you a few photos. Heather and I arrived with no problems and right on time Wednesday morning. It has been a whirl wind catching up with friends, taking in a few sights around Manchester, and participating in the beautiful Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services. I absolutely love the way the Church of England helps us remember the importance, beauty, sacrifice, and hope that Holy Week brings.

Here are just a few photos of our time thus far:

Here we are with our good friend Alan after eating delicious home-made meat pies. Alan has a servants heart and the gift of hospitality. He's even taking us to the bus station at 4:30 in the morning so we can go to London for the day Saturday!

Here we are in Manchester in a Cafe' Nero (great coffee!) with the Manchester Wheel in the background.

And here we are with the lovely Fraser family. Stu, Amy, Jenny, and Dave.

Today Heather and I attended two very different but equally moving Good Friday services. At the Good Friday service this evening they showed the video of still photos where I portrayed Jesus. It was neat to see a project I was a part of with our FYM team two years ago is still being used and impacting lives.

At a service of reflection this afternoon, we prayed this wonderful prayer together and I wanted to share it with you all as I close. The bold words are the ones the congregation prays together:

I believe that Christ died on the cross