Today was a break from any "heavy lifting" but we were working our brains this morning by attending a "Face Hunger" workshop put on by Amanda, a representative of Capital Area Food Bank.  She did an amazing job of presenting facts and dispeling myths about the face of hunger in America, giving us insights into the challenges people in Lakeland must feel, especially as the economy worsens.  The vast majority (85%) of the hungry in the US have jobs and places to live.  But most of their income is used up paying the rent or mortgage, payments on transportation, childcare costs, and medical costs.  People feel they can scrimp and save its in food costs, thought its a terrible choice to have to make.  It's an incredibly complex issue in terms of the problem and potential solutions...but we learned a ton and we'll be telling you more about it when we get back.  We even were put through a role play simulating the challenges of different types of people trying to work in the system to obtain food.  I was an elderly Russian immigrant named Boris.

We're pretty stoked to be here, and grateful for Vine Community working so hard to send us here and praying for us while we're here.  Thanks people. It has been everything we hoped for and more, truly.  We are all getting an education about how to be a missional community for Christ, bringing justice and compassion to those he dearly loves.

By the way, have any of you read a book called "The Shack?"  I'm reading it while we're here.  It's amazing.

Derek & I visited the Jefferson Memorial and I thought you might like his quote engraved on the wall by his statue.

Derek's Notes

Today we listened to a seminar based on people who are hungry all over America and we got to pretend that we were in these people’s shoes.  All the adults pretended like they were the people who were hungry, and I played a case worker who acted mean to everybody that wanted food stamps.  That was fun!  After that, my Dad and I saw the Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Monument.  Plus, as a bonus, we got a good look at the White House with the President taking a picture in front for a T-Ball tournament on the South Lawn.  Then we went for ice cream while Jimbo & Lori hung out at Lori’s best friend’s house.

Not quite so hot today. Amazing day, and our final day, working at the DC Central Kitchen.  We again helped the staff prepare meals for over 4000 people throughout the city..and we really humped it today cutting up fruit and beef, making up sandwiches, cooking hot dogs and french fries, even counting out little catsup and mustard packets.   We met the dude, Jordan, who administers the campus food program - getting college administrations and students working to help meet the needs of the poor and hungry in their communities.  Turns out they provide grants to similar programs throughout the country.  We had a great talk with him.  We also got to talk to some of the people who work full-time at the kitchen...each has a redemption story to tell.  They have been brought from a world of drugs and homelessness to a life of purpose and pride in what they do.  It was inspiring to talk to them...and we have some video footage to bring home and show to Vine as we tell their stories.  We are learning first hand the power of God through missional Jesus followers in the lives of others.  Chez cool.

The afternoon sightseeing DC experience was a big moment for me & Derek.  I took a family trip when I was about his age to DC and my favorite place by far was the Air & Space Museum at the Smithsonian on the Mall.  We went today and he was just as enthralled as I remember being back then...seeing real pieces of history: the first airplane, first rocket, fastest plane, Lindberg's plane, even the cool balloon gondola which was the first to circle the earth.  We had a great father-son time and made some memories.

Jimbo & Lori made shepherds pie for dinner and I ate way too much, but man, too good.  We also ate freeze-dried ice cream Lori bought at the Air & Space Museum like the astronauts eat in space.  It tasted like those little Lucky Charms marshmallows...so it's good to know breakfast cereal contributes to meaningful celestial exploration.

Tomorrow we take a break from manual labor to go to a seminar called "Face Hunger," taught be policy makers trying to find creative way to face the growing reality that many of our neighbors don't know where their next meal is coming from.  I'm looking forward to listening and asking some questions.

Today's message from Derek

Well today was our last day at the DC Central Kitchen.  Everybody working at the kitchen called me their “baby boy”.  Then we went to the Air & Space Museum in the afternoon.  It was so cool.  My favorite exhibits were the Wright Brothers exhibit and the Apollo 11 exhibit.  I think so far we’ve had a very productive trip.  I think that of all the people we’re going to meet on mission trips like us, we will probably be the only ones with showers in our room!  A very interesting day today.

So this is the first day here in DC where our missional team got engaged with people here, though we've had a great time so far getting connected with each other.  This is such a cool group to be with.  We started off with John F. leading a devotion time, talking about God's promises to and for us and how we place ourselves in a position to have those promises fulfilled in our moments/daily lives.  We prayed through out belief that God's promise is that we are here for a reason - and that reason probably has mainly to do with his people - and our promise to ready to be and do what he wants.

We went to the Central DC Kitchen, an amazing place that prepares meals which get delivered to shelters and soup kitchens all over the city.  We helped the full-time staff, summer staff, and other volunteers (a really kooky group of Catholic kids from Cincinnatti who are jealous of us because we have showers where we stay and they have to bus somewhere else to take one), prepare almost 4,500 dinners.  While cutting up tomatoes, peppers and onions (that was me - I learned it doesn't make you cry if you breathe through your mouth) and mixing up salads, we learned that CDCK has an aggressive program of "recycling" or "claiming" unused food and produce wherever in the city and surrounding areas they can get their hands on it, including a college program which claims unused food from university cafeterias AND recruits volunteers to work in the kitchens and shelters.  It even gets permission to glean surplus produce directly from the fields in rural areas (very biblical, as it turns out).  Another big dimension of the program is employing homeless people in the kitchen - the expectations are huge and half drop out before completing the 12 week training program, but those are do become part of the full-time team.  Another good idea is they use vans to deliver breakfasts (rolls & coffee) to areas where homeless congregate, but also have workers there who give out information on drug rehab and other programs while they hand out coffee.  We wonder if some of these ideas would work in Lakeland, where the populations of homeless and poverty-bound are growing daily.

In the afternoon, it was a little sightseeing.  We went to the Archives and saw our nation's charter documents. We also walked across the National Mall for the first time.  Very cool.  We also learned Metro etiquette: stand on the right side of the escalators, enter the train after people exit, go all the way in and don't stop at the door, put on your iPod and talk to no one.

Oh yeah.  Still HOT.

A message from Derek...who is less wordy...obviously

Well today we worked in the D.C central kitchen. The night before was chilly and hard to sleep but we got used to it. Today I got  to see the Archives which was so awesome! It was a great day!

OK so we're here in DC at the Washington Seminar Center, connected to the Capital Hill Presbyterian Church (about 2 blocks away from the Capitol building in a cool part of town filled with old townhouses smushed all together).  Good news is there's a Starbucks across the street so it's all good.  I'll survive now.

I've been up since 4:45 a.m. because Derek & I took Lynn & Brynna to Tampa to fly to Colorado to visit my folks, then met the team at FPC to be driven to Orlando to catch our flight to DC.  Then we got here by taking the Metro and walking "a couple" of blocks to the church, or so we were told.  Turns out blocks in DC are as long as a couple of wheat and corn fields I used to see back in Nebraska.  And it's HOT here.  It's Florida hot inside a greenhouse in Madagascar hot.  Then we went to the grocery store to get some provisions and the checkout person gets all bent out of shape because I wanted paper instead of plastic.  I'm an environmentalist and willing to take a stand in the face of persecution.  But then I put the ground beef in a plastic bag to keep it from leaking and she looked at me like I was the biggest hypocrite in the world.  "So NOW it's plastic, Mr. green boy?huh?"

Anyway, we had a lovely spaghetti dinner with salad and garlic bread Derek made all by himself.  I was so proud...  Now it's off to bed for an early day tomorrow.  We'll be at the DC Central Kitchen facility helping them prepare for their big noon meal for the homeless.  We've already gotten a taste of how big the homeless issue is here in DC - every park bench or entryway has someone with all their belongings hanging out there.  So it will be interesting to see how Jesus Followers here in DC are responding to a problem/opportunity to serve people which is growing daily in Lakeland.  I'll have info and pics tomorrow so tune in.

Message from Derek...

We made it to D.C thank goodness. Tomorrow we will begin our work at the kitchen. Praise God that we made it!

So we're off to DC for Vine's first missional team trip beyond our Lakeland community next week.  In case you're new or haven't been paying attention over the last few months, we're going to serve the poor of the inner city there in downtown Washington, visiting and working into a network of shelters, centers and food kitchens.  But we're also trying to observe, learn and be taught about the unique challenges of working with the poor in this economy. We're attending a workshop called "Face Hunger" and also focusing on immigration issues.  Our prayer is to take some insights and practical ideas back to Lakeland so that Vine can be smarter-er about serving the people of our community and working for God's justice.

A nice perk is we have time each day to do some sightseeing.  So I'm looking forward to checking out the Smithsonian, Archives, WWII & Vietnam memorials, and saying hi to George, Tom and Abe at their big marble houses.  We'll also be going to an evening service one night at the National Cathedral.  Very cool.

The bestest thing is my son Derek (left) is coming along with me - I'm totally stoked about spending the whole week hanging out, serving and seeing the nation's capital with him.  He's an amazing kid with a huge heart and a great sense of humor, so it will be cool to make a memory with him and spend time getting to know him better. 

Pray for my energy (I run out of that quick, particularly if I don't get enough sleep), my connecting with people, and our safe travels.  Thanks to Emily, our team leader and the person who's been putting this together.  Thank YOU, Vine, for so generously supporting us and helping us with support raising.  We'll be telling you what we learn and experienced very soon.

I'll be doing a daily journal here in this space next week while we're there.  Log on, and I'll try to make it worth your time.

Last night's Boiler Room brought an over-a-monthlong journey to a nice close - thinking about the reality of faith beyond potentiality and being brought into "in-this-moment" "HERE I am, Lord" actuality as Abraham did in Genesis 22.  Last night we spent time reflecting, praying and journaling about the phrase "falling into the arms of God."  It's "falling" as another way of understanding "standing on the spot" before God in complete faith and trust.

But my faith seeking understanding wanted to know more about "into the arms of God."  Is there a universal, commonly-experienced reality of being "falling into the arms?"  I know what I want them to be..rescue, peace, provision, wisdom, understanding.  Is my experience of falling "into the arms" different than yours... mine based on my spiritual needs, yours based on yours?

I remembered a story from the gospels about Jesus, and his refusal to fall into the arms of God when Satan brought him to the top of the temple and told him to jump off, forcing God to come to his rescue.  Jesus faced Satan with "don't put the Lord your God to the test."  The arms of God aren't 911, subject to my needs.

As we reflected, prayed and journaled together I found meaning in an almost zen like statement about falling into the arms of God - falling away from everything which is ultimately nothing, falling into what could be anything and is ultimately everything.

I've prayed with people for healing, thanking God that they are in "his hands" because I believe that's always the best place to be...knowing that they may have a future of anything: healing, declining, suffering.  But being in God's "arms/hands" is ultimately a "catch-all."

I was asked to do the prayer of thanksgiving last night, and the words which spilled out of me where, "Thank you, Lord, that we can learn to fall into your arms before, yet also including, the times we are actually falling."

How about you?  Are you falling into the arms?  Are you falling into... you don't really know?  Are you playing it safe/self?  I'd really like to hear about your experience, email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

By the way, thanks, Jordan for an awesome Boiler Room last night.