Hey everybody. As most of you know, I will be spending the
summer traveling around to the four sites that I’m supervising to check up on
my staff and make sure that everything is going well. Each time I hit a
new site, I thought I would write a blog to introduce you to our staff team and
tell you how you can be praying for them. Here’s part 4, detailing our Western
Pennsylvania site, Johnstown, PA.
Johnstown has an incredible story.
Most famous for the terrible flood of 1889 that took the lives of over
2200 people, it has actually suffered through 7 other major floods over the
years. In the post World War II years,
Johnstown was a thriving community driven by an impressive industrial base that
boasted the U.S.’s largest steel corporation.
Yet, tragically, another severe flood struck in 1977, delivering the
coup de grace to an already struggling steel industry. In many ways, the community has never
recovered and walking through the streets of downtown Johnstown today, one can
see a city stuck in the past. Extremely
high unemployment, elevated poverty rates, and a very high number of single
parent households remain. Yet, God has
good plans for this community and I believe that he has placed four incredible
young men and women there for the summer to help accomplish them.
Steve Benson – Project Leader
It is nearly impossible to have a conversation with Steve and not
come out of it excited, inspired, smiling, or all three. He has an unbelievable gift of passion and
enthusiasm. Problems are opportunities
and challenges, potential growth points.
His perspective is contagious and inspiring. Steve also has an amazing pastoral
heart. I have seen him grow so much in
his leadership ability just in the last month or so and I know that I’ve only
glimpsed the beginning. He is humble,
teachable, and his heart for the Lord is absolutely evident. Steve goes out of his way to make others feel
special and valued. God definitely knew
what He was doing when he entrusted our Western Pennsylvania site to Steve.
Rae Bruckmann – Adventure Camp Leader
Rae is one of those staff members that every teen is going to want
to be like. She is just plain cool. Very approachable, intelligent, fun, and
easygoing, Rae can win over just about anybody she wants to. Rae also has a deep strength of character
that is uncommon among people that typically don’t have to fight to get people
to like them. She is actively seeking
the Lord’s will for her life even though she might prefer to do something
else. She absolutely knocked it out of
the park in the first teaching that she did on site – and it was her FIRST
ONE! Her wisdom and leadership are
blooming rapidly and I’m so excited to see the truths that God speaks into her
life this summer.
Beka Hardy – Service Coordinator
To call Beka sweet would be completely accurate, but would also
disguise the fact that she possesses a fierceness in her conviction below the
surface. Beka is passionate and ready to
do whatever it takes to make things happen.
She is a wonderful example of a servant leader and is always willing to
jump in and help make a vision a reality.
She also has an incredible ability to connect with high school girls
that is truly inspiring to behold. Beka
is just one of those people that you can trust right away. She is living her faith out loud and going
for it with abandon. It’s going to be
fun to see where God takes her this summer and beyond.
Larry Spradley – Head Coach
Larry is one of the youngest staff members in our whole department,
but you wouldn’t know it from how he carries himself. Larry is absolutely a leader and it exudes
from him. He has an incredible natural
understanding of how and when to give direction and is able to strike the very
difficult balance between directing and empowering. It is incredible to see how well and how
quickly he has stepped into mature leadership.
Similar to Beka, he is also a servant.
He sees what needs to be done and accomplishes it for the
team. When good things happen in WPA,
you can bet that Larry was involved in some crucial capacity. He is also a very snappy dresser and a future
fashion mogul (see the photo below featuring the new fall croquet-inspired fashion line)
So there you have it, my last team of world changers. I am so proud of these guys and happy to be
able to walk out this incredible journey with them. Here’s how you can pray for them:
Physical health – there have been a couple of minor health issues on
the staff. Pray for physical wholeness
and rest.
The community – as mentioned above, the community of Johnstown is
hurting. Pray for revival in Jesus’
name!
Consistency – Our WPA team
is hosting a couple of projects that are significantly different in content from
our traditional AY program. Pray that
our staff would still be able to facilitate incredible missions trips and
encounters with the Lord!
Thanks so much for your
support, everybody, and please continue to pray for me as I leave later this
week to travel to my sites one more time before the end of the summer.
