This past Friday and Saturday were anointed by God, and began in full the missionary journeys of 16 students. This weekend at Highland Lakes, Northside Baptist church had their missions training weekend under the direction of David Post from AweStar.

Northside has never left their own campus for such a training, and David (who led BJ to Peru twice) has never had reason to visit HLBC before. Both of those things changed (and blessed me significantly).

This summer these students will travel the US by Lightrider bus (a double decker sleeper bus) sharing the same drama that BJ participated in. They will cover many states, and have the opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Chtist, many for the first time. They worked extremely hard to learn their roles. They were very focused.

This group was largely made up of students who at BJ's funeral celebration answered the call to take his place on the mission field! Four of seven guys on this trip were BJ's guys (if I can call them that)! They were his age, and in his Sunday School class. He loved them and poured himself into them. They did likewise.

Please understand that this was a very stretching time for these guys. Learning this drama pushed the envelope of their comfort zones way beyond its borders. Most of these guys were faithful bloggers throughout BJ's ordeal, and beyond. The enormity of this weekend was huge (for me)!

Jonathon will play the Gentle Ruler- or God, Jack and Matt are Good Knights, and Ryan will be the Knightmare- or Satan... BJ's favorite role. I have watched these guys grow up, and am very proud of who they are, and what they are doing for their Lord!

Too many of us never proceed outside the perameters of our "posh" lives to reach out or pour into the lives of those who are lost. It's not that we are not called, it's that we are too comfortable where we are. Sharing on our "home mission field" should be a natural outpouring of who we are in Christ, but comfort and acceptance in our hometowns cause us to recoil at the thought of stepping out in faith.

Posh does not mean wealthy as it is used. It's implication is that many of us literally have no clue how much we have, and how much we take for granted. Once our eyes are opened up to the need of our world, we become Lattany's, Kristin's, Barbara Ann's, DJ's, etc. All of these are student missionaries on journeys who love their Lord more than their comfort, and reach out, and spill out all that the Lord has poured into them. The cool thing is that they get refilled to repeat the process!

I praise God for the hunger of students to be close to Jesus, to grasp his garment but for a moment, to be forever changed. I praise Him for adults who do the same. We must set the example for them. Too many of them are looking at broken families, and parents who don't get it, or if they do, they aren't living it.

The broken vessels that each one of us walk through life as, all have something God wants to use! The students are watching. Let your broken frame be restored, and let your life be an example of Christ for those around you to see. He is worth it!

dad