Sunday: Day 6

It was important for us to spend a Sunday in worship with Essential Church. What a labor-intensive task it is for them to set up to make each Sunday service happen. At 8 pm the team meets at the South Bellevue Community Center to begin setting up in an aerobics room.

On this particular Sunday, the plan was to have a taco lunch after church. This means that extra set-up was required for food preparation.

The guys continued to set up the room in preparation for the 10:45 worship service while the band rehearsed.

The service began with a great crowd of interns, mission teams, regular attenders, and visitors.

Warren Mainard, the pastor of Essential, wrapped up a 16-week series on Loving Bellevue, WA. After eating tacos and helping them tear down the equipment (they do this every week!), we said our good-byes and headed back to the hotel.

Before we came, Warren had warned us that Seattle was a place of great lostness. However, the first few days dazzled us because of the area's picturesque beauty. The crisp, mild summer and spectacular views of snow-covered mountains in summer made us wish we lived here. Even the city is relatively clean and green.

Our second trip into downtown Seattle last night tore the blinders off of our eyes. This beautiful place is filled with people who have been deceived. Last November, Washington legalized gay marriage and recreational use of marijuana. We saw sad people wasting their lives away on drug trips. We saw coarseness in discarded people and heard stories of abuse and neglect. In the end, people everywhere need Jesus, and they are lost without him.

I was proud of our team this week as they made themselves available to minister. Whether it was serving food at block parties or knocking on doors of people who spoke another language or encouraging college interns, our team represented Christ and Southside well. Each member of the team took a day to make a report on this blog. You will hear more from them and see more pictures when we give a full report to the church on Sunday, July 28.

We are so thankful for this experience and are glad that Southside has partnered with Essential Church - only the second Southern Baptist Church in Bellevue, a city of 132,000 people.

-Schuyler

Saturday, Day 5

When we go on mission trips, we always hope to bless others with our work and please God with our actions. We hope that has happened on this trip. But down deep we know that the real blessing is from God to us and today He really outdid Himself. The hot dogs were all cooked, doors had been knocked on and prayed for, and block parties had been held. Today we had nothing to do.  

All week, we had been seeing Mt. Rainier in the distance and talking about how great it would be to go to the top. Then Christie found a brochure on just how to do that and we took off early this morning. Blair, an intern from Texas, who had worked so hard for us all week went with us. The trip was all we hoped for and more. Nora was so excited. 

As I said, God outdid Himself. 

I spent a year at the base of Mt. Fujiyama and think this is even more beautiful. It is so amazing to me that He has given this to us just to enjoy looking at. And there's more:

Could anyone but God give us a luncheon view like this?

You can't stay on the mountain top forever, though.  Soon we were back in Seattle and again faced with the reality of why these people need the gospel. 

The people here are friendly. They are very family oriented and very generous with one another. They are very tolerant, so they have been accepting of us Christians. They also have legalized gambling and open homosexuality. At one point, Christie commented that she felt "creepy" spirituality. So, we will never stop praying for them and for Warren and Leah as they minister here. 

We're praying for Southside services--our Sunday School classes and the mission teams who will be sharing tomorrow morning. Tomorrow we worship with Essential church and then back home on Monday. Looking forward to seeing you all. 

Gene

Some fun we've had. 

When you buy fish, a man tosses them to the guy behind the counter, everyone yells out what it is, and they wrap it. Quite a production. 

This man does the guitar, harmonica, and hoopla hoop at the same time. 

Makes us grateful for our gas prices. 

Windy up here. 

Friday, Day 4

Connections.

This morning the team woke up a little bit later than usual. Instead of our 8:30, 9:00, and 9:30 departure times we were able to stay at the hotel and enjoy our continental breakfast until 9:45 this morning. After having our continental breakfast of coffee and bagels we jumped into our van and headed to a nearby coffee shop where students from Bellevue University like to mingle. We had plans to meet Warren at this coffee shop to talk with him about the mission of Essential Church and how they got started. We were also there to talk with him about some experiences we have had since we've been here and to get to know Warren a little bit better. It was nice to have a chance to sit down and talk with him and get a deeper glimpse of Essential Church.

Warren told us his story. He and his wife were called to Bellevue for church planting about a year ago. They are really trying to focus on reaching out to the community of Bellevue. They reach out to children through soccer camps, good news clubs and face painting at local parks, to college students at coffee shops and on-campus relationships, to families in the community with block parties, and by initiating and building relationships with the people they meet. Warren told us two adults accepted Christ last night at the block party.

Warren told us Seattle was the most unchurched city in America. There is only one Baptist Church in Bellevue.

After our meeting with Warren, we headed back to our hotel with contact information from people who had attended soccer camp and the block parties over the past few days. We called everyone who filled out an information card and invited them to come to the Sneak Peek Service at Essential Church on Sunday at 10:40. We made sure to mention there would be a free taco bar following the service. We will be part of the team that will be preparing the meal.

After making the follow-up phone calls we went to Jubilee Reach to see the Youth Symphony Concert.  
The music was wonderful and everyone could tell the students spent a lot of time practicing their pieces and were proud of their accomplishments. The students smiled and played their instruments outside on the lawn of Jubilee Reach at 3 o'clock in the direct sunlight. With a mixture of string, brass, and precussion instruments, they played an assortment of Christmas songs, Classical songs, and 20th Century Songs.

After the concert, Julie from Essential Reach, who is Warren's assistant, showed us where all of items were that we would need for the taco bar on Sunday.

On our way back to the hotel we stopped at the blueberry farm. "Pick Your Own" blueberries were only $1.50/lb. Of course we jumped on that opportunity and came away with two bags of fresh blueberries. We will be enjoying those tomorrow morning along with our continental breakfast.

Over the past few days we have done a variety of things with Essential Church. Going through neighborhoods passing out flyers and praying over houses, setting up/preparing/tearing down the hot dog station at block parties, mingling with people from the community, and making follow up phone calls to anyone who has attended the events this week that filled out contact information. We have seen a lot of people this week. We have talked to a lot of people this week. With the knowledge of 83 languages being spoken in the area of Seattle, there is no big surprise that communication is not always easy. But it is very easy to see the beauty that spreads through the events we have been to this week. When we look at the people we have met and developed relationships with, beauty is one of the first words that comes to mind. God is here.

We have definitely stepped outside of our comfort zone this week. Multiple times. Being put in situations that are uncomfortable help us realize how little (none) control we have and how much (infinite) control God has. This helps us see His hand more clearly because we cannot rely on our own understanding of anything. This is easier for me to see when my judgement is not clouded by my comfortable surroundings that I cushion myself with. We've met people at the threshold of their homes, face-to-face, and spoken with them from the other end of the phone. We were met with smiling faces and people who did not hang up on us.

We are not sure what tomorrow will hold, but we know Who holds tomorrow.

Thursday: Day 3

As I read through the NT, one of the things that impresses me the most about Paul is his "connectedness." Paul knew how to connect with unbelievers and how to stay connected with believers. He used the surrounding culture to build new bridges (ie. Acts 17:23, 28) and was intentional about maintaining old ones (ie. the final greetings in each of his letters). 

This week has been a week of connecting. Our group of six traveled to Bellevue to be the Tychicus link (Eph. 6:21) between Essential Church and Southside. But in the process we have made some significant connections with both Christians and non-Christians from around the globe. 

To that end, one of our primary jobs this week has been to help get Essential's name out into the community. We've spent hours blitzing neighborhoods and inviting the surrounding communities to join the block parties Essential Church has hosted each of the past 3 nights. 

(Want to be impressed? You should see 80-year-old Gene hiking up these hills! He stays ahead of the rest of us.)

("Where's Gene? Has anybody seen Gene? Oh, he's up there...at that house...in that house.")

Now I will admit, I'm not a fan of door-to-door evangelism. Statistically, our southern culture is no longer open to such proselytizing. But to my surprise, I've found it easier than expected to invite people to a party. I mean, who doesn't like free food and games for their kids?

(That me in Schuyler's oversized sweatshirt freezing in July.)

Today's neighborhood, however, offered some unique challenges...starting with this bumper sticker that welcomed us as we parked. 

Hmm. I began to wondered which house I needed to avoid...I mean, pray for, of course!

So I knew we would face some challenges, but I wasn't expecting the hurdle at the first door. Maybe being told that morning that there are 83 languages spoken in Bellevue should have been a warning. Maybe the Chinese writing on the door should have given it away. But I am slow.

A sweet Asian face answered our knock. "Hi, we are with Essential Church and wanted to invite you to a party tonight. " "Oh, I speak no English."  Wait, what? Oh, crud. No English? Well this is awkward. Lyda & I just looked at each other. Sign language maybe? No, she thought we wanted money. We flapped around for a few minutes and I think she finally got something about kids & food, but we walked away feeling slightly defeated. 

Until...

I made an offhanded comment about needing a translator app. 

Wait a minute! Why not??

I whipped out my phone and three minutes later was back at her door. 

She read. She listened. Then she smiled and nodded and said, "Oh, okay. Thank you, thank you." And I felt I had crossed an ocean. 

Once more I was able to share a translator app invitation in the neighborhood. It truly was an incredible feeling to break through a communication barrier, to make a connection with people to whom I otherwise would not have been able. 

After lunch, we took a much needed "hiking" break that included a quicktour of  downtown Bellevue. 

Then we headed to the South Bellevue Community Center to help set up for the evening's event. 

So guess who came to the block party tonight?

Not only did my first Chinese friend come, but she brought others - eight others, in fact. And they stayed the entire night. 

I was able to sit down for one more translator app conversation with them and let them know about a Chinese church in the area. Their gratitude and willingness to "talk" was such a blessing to me. 

Meanwhile, other connections were being made. An African American couple was so appreciative of the free meal and so interested in visiting the church on Sunday that they asked for an Essential t-shirt to wear so they could share. 

Then there was the Anglo tennis player who pulled one of the summer interns aside and began drilling her about the church's stance on homosexuality and race. It was a great opportunity for her to say, "Let me introduce you to the church's pastor."  Warren spent an extended period of time sharing with the woman before challenging her to visit Essential Church to decide for herself whether her perception of biblical Christianity was reality. 

And finally, there was the Asian woman who returned for her 2nd block party for the week and spent nearly the entire two hours talking with the mother of Essential's Children's Minister. She was searching for parenting advice and encouragement and found it among our fellow workers. 

Ministry was happening everywhere. 

Our team continued to serve where we were needed. Schuyler cooked his 500th hotdog, improvising with two plastic spoons until someone could replace the missing tongs. 

The ladies dished out the dogs, chips and cookies under Elizabeth's management. 

And Gene danced to NeedtoBreathe and circulated among the interns, offering them encouragement through his stories. 

Block Party #3 was a success!

I hope you will begin to pray now for Essential's Sunday's service. Pray that those who have expressed an interest in visiting will come. Pray that tennis lady will accept Warren's challenge. Pray that our Chinese friends will become connected with one of the 20 Chinese Baptist church plants in the area. And pray for our team tomorrow as we continue to reach out to the Bellevue community and make follow-up contacts. 

Partnering with you in missions,

Christie