Thank you!

This morning, nine of our youth and two from Tar Wallet Baptist Church left for Wingate University in North Carolina for PASSways youth camp. Amanda will be blogging live from camp and uploading pictures and updates in this post as the week progresses. So stay tuned for more news from camp!

The campers, their parents and other members prayer before heading off to camp.

This year 6 students and 4 adults went to Passport Kids Camp at Eagle Eyrie Conference center in Lynchburg Virginia. Attending the camp from Farmville Baptist were:Thea Cheuk, Erin Copeland, Christopher Landrum, Breanna Smalley and a guest from Meherrin Baptist Church Amanda Elsaesser. Amanda Johnston, Beth Cheuk, Kathryn Copeland, Janet Moore, and David Landrum all helped to chaperone at least a portion of the week.

The adults get to help out with the international market!

The theme for camp this summer was Trading Spaces. The campers learned all about our international neighbors right here in America. During their mission time they went through the experience “Portal to the United States” they got to see what it is like for people imigrating to America. At the night market on the second night of camp the children were able to explore an international neighborhood. This experience not only taught the children about various different cultures such as Bali and South Africa, but it also showed them that international people live all around us.

Learning about new cultures in our midst.

Learning, however, was not the only thing going on at camp. The students had a blast at the huge “Rec-fest” party olympic games. They participated in the world’s longest slip and slide, crab soccer, mega volleyball, and other incredible events. In fact team recreation was a daily activity for every camper, as well as swimming, Bible study, missions, and the campers choice activity each day.

Recreation Rules!

Each evening was topped off with a thought provoking worship service that fit into the theme and the

Worship is awesome!

challenge for the day. Using the worship reflections and night devotionals the students were given opportunities to review what they had learned that day within their church group. The students also spent time with God individually each day during their morning devotions. Passport was an awesome experience for the students to have fun, get to know other Christian students, learn about internationals within our own country and how to get involved in missions, but most of all they were given a wonderful opportunity to grow spiritually.

Breanna and Amanda during devotions.

Erin Copeland during morning devotions.

Dear friends and family,

I have returned safely back home to Virginia!  Thank you all for your prayers and financial support.  From when I first decided to go to Macau, I didn’t know how I would pay for the whole trip, but God took care of every worry or possible trouble.  Our team was able to teach English to 60 people while we were there, and we were able to hand out to restaurant workers 1,600 gifts inviting them to Macau Baptist Church.  Mainly, though, God used us to show his love simply by creating friendships with the people.  In Chinese, the phrase for “boring” literally translates in English to “talking about Jesus,” so it was a blessing to be able to show the people God’s light in a fun and personal way.

In preparing for the trip, a woman told our team “if you go to China for a week, you can write a novel about China; a month, you can write a paragraph; a year, you can write a sentence and any longer than that, you learn that words just cannot describe China.”  This couldn’t be truer, as China is so vast, complex and different from one province to another that my trying to describe China in generalities simply will not do it justice.  Macau (which became like home to us while we were there) was a friendly, smaller city with a lot of diversity and life.  Going into mainland China was like entering into a different world.  I saw poverty and hopelessness in a way I had never experienced it before, as I have been lucky enough to always know God, and to have grown up with much more than the basic necessities of life.  We were able to spend our last night in Hong Long, which was such a special, beautiful island.  We got to see the city from the peak of a mountain and sit by the ocean during the day.  Regardless of what city we were in, throughout the entire trip, God’s presence was distinctly there.  It is hard to believe that anyone could look at the mountains of Hong Kong or the kind faces of the people of Macau and not believe in Christ, but it is without Christ that thee wonderful places all had darkness about them.  Although it is difficult to explain, physical and spiritual darkness reined the cities, which made the trip sometimes heartbreaking.  It is now, though, that I know specifically who and what I can pray for.  Our team has been able to come back to America and share our stories with you.  In return, we ask you to pray that Christ is made known throughout China, a country so amazing, but so in need of a Savior.

In supporting me financially and sending me on this trip, God also used you all in this mission.  And because of your prayers, no one got sick, and we got the opportunity to share about Christ with people who may never hear it again.  So, thank you!

With love, Emily Caviness

A book that I read during my vacation was very helpful in suggesting an answer. The book is called The Reason for God, written by Dr. Timothy Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. While there is much to comment on and commend in the book, one of the things that I want to share in this column is Keller’s take on true freedom. Keller contends that freedom is not simply “doing anything I want to do.” In fact, in many cases, confinement and constraint can actually be liberating. The “restriction” of gravity allows us to move and keeps our atmosphere from floating away so that we can breathe. Even as our country fought and won our independence from England, that did not eliminate our need for government, an authority that limits and constrains certain behaviors. If we had no enforceable laws, we would live in anarchy, imprisoned in our own houses for fear of what others might do to us in their “freedom.” Therefore, freedom is not the absence of limitations and constraints. Human freedom flourishes within the context of the right limitations and constraints, those that fit our nature and liberate us (Keller, p. 49).

According to Keller, love is a great example of how true freedom works. One of the principles of love is that you have to lose some independence to attain greater intimacy. To experience the joy and freedom of love, you must give up some personal autonomy. And in the most radical way, God-in God’s love for us-constrained Himself when He became a limited human being in the person of Jesus Christ who suffered, sacrificed and ultimately died for us human beings. When we truly respond to Christ’s love, then doing what pleases God should not feel oppressive to us at all. Rather, like a person deeply “in love,” you will be motivated to know everything and do everything in your power to bring pleasure to your beloved. You won’t be afraid of giving up some of your “freedoms,” because you are finding your true freedom in your beloved. And when that beloved Person is Jesus Christ, the Truth and Love of God, then we will experience what John 8:32 promises: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

May true freedom be yours as you celebrate Independence Day this year!

- In Christ, Michael

This week, we had our Vacation Bible School using Group Publishing’s “Power Lab” curriculum. Throughout the week, we learned about the power that Jesus gives us to be thankful, to be helpful, to be brave, to live forever and to tell others of the good news. The participants conducted “experiments” that illustrated the “aha!” teaching point of the day. We had about forty children attend every day. Many thanks to Amanda Johnston, who served as VBS Director this year, and for the many volunteers from FBC and Zion Hill Baptist Church for making this VBS a success!

Click on “more” for a gallery of pictures of the week.

In a culture that worships youth, it can be hard to embrace our growing maturity in terms of chronological years. And there is nothing virtuous about growing old in and of itself. As my father-in-law frequently says, “Growing old is not for sissies!” But this proverb reminds us that there is no shame in growing old either, especially when it is accompanied by the wisdom of God.

In his book, The Book of Wisecracks: Windows of Wisdom for Living Well, Gerald Mann reflects on that proverb and contends that gray hair can be a crown of glory . . . if it comes from outliving our sins and flaws. He argues: Hair does not turn gray. It turns clear! The Bible tells us that God knows each of our sins. It also tells us that He has counted our every hair. He knows the number of both. Every time I look at my hoary head in the mirror, I don’t think of my mortality. I think of my morality. Every “clear” hair represents a cleared offense. It is a sign that God “clears” our record, whenever we ask Him to.

Mann then writes this poem about his gray hairs:

When I look at my reflection,
it says, “You’re really getting old!
Your chest has fled to your midsection.
Your hair is silver instead of gold.”

But I reject mirror’s knell of my mortality.
My belly stands for eating well,
and my hair—morality.

No! I haven’t reached the goodness
For which I long have striven,
But every thread in my hoary head
Represents a sin forgiven.

Some of you reading this column are young and don’t have any gray hairs. But they will come! Mann’s reflection reminds us all that there is grace in gray hairs. They can be reminders of God’s continuing work of forgiveness in our lives, if we will only allow it to “take root” and cleanse us “as white as snow.” So Thea, keep counting those gray hairs!

Yours in Christ, Michael

Last Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m., we sponsored a community-wide bike rodeo at the STEPS parking lot here in Farmville. About thirteen children brought their bikes to be inspected and serviced by Rodney Dunning and Jordan Whiley. After a bike safety presentation, the kids enjoyed riding around the course set up on the parking lot. And when they got hot from riding, they also cooled off with snow cones!

During our worship service on April 27, we commissioned and prayed for three Longwood students (pictured L to R), Neena George, Emily Caviness, and Robbie Yancey and  as they prepare to serve as summer missionaries through the Baptist Collegiate Ministries.  Neena will be ministering in India for a month.  Emily and Robbie will spend three weeks in Macau and Hong Kong teaching English.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers!

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Today, our youth group together with the youth group from Tar Wallet Baptist Church hosted a car wash fundraiser for Passways Camp. It was a beautiful day for a car wash! The group washed a lot of cars and raised about $600! And as you can tell from the pictures, a good time was had by all.  Click on “more” to see more pictures.