First Week Synopsis

So after I finally made it to Joplin, it's been a blast. Office days are not nearly as tedious as I pictured them. We have been getting a lot of stuff ready for events, such as folding shirts, shooting videos, making trophies, cleaning inflatables, and the like. One of the more exciting parts was walking through what the prayer room is going to look like. I am sooooo pumped and, to be honest, am almost brought to tears just thinking about how God's Spirit will be moving and speaking to students there and how they will be talking to and praising God. It's so exciting I can't contain it!

After work, we've been eating, chilling, and a couple extra tasks. It seems our hang out is the mall food court, home of the area's Chick-fil-A (because we are good Christians and eat there). It's sweet making these new friends, even though I do wish I could see those back home too.

I'm sure plenty of people are wondering about how Joplin is doing, after the tornado. I must admit, I haven't had much time to spend helping out and I haven't been to the most disastrous parts. What I have seen is an awesome response to the need. As we have off Saturday, we got to help out at a local church (http://cornerstonejoplin.org/) unpacking a semi full of supplies that they are handing out there. Not only do they have so many supplies they have to turn down donations in some places, but we were having trouble finding ways to help sometimes today because of the overwhelming response from volunteers. Praise the Lord for such an awesome response from his church. As well, a lot of us got shirts or stickers with proceeds going to the city. You can check them out on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/restorejoplin).

Please continue to pray. First, for the students attending Move events this summer. Ask that God can start working in them now and preparing them for the week they'll be with us and that the leaders and pastors have the wisdom, strength, and love to help them through their journey. Also, please pray for Joplin. Even though they have a lot of help, they still have a lot of need that I predict will outlast the help. Finally, please pray for my strength as I'm finding it harder and harder to be away from home.

I love you all. How can I pray for you?

Finally! Garrett Has Made It To Joplin!

So I'm not as cool as The Rock, but I think people are happy to have me here. That's right, after having flights canceled, sleeping in a hotel one night and the airport another, I have made it. God has remained faithful and got me here. In fact, he even threw me a bone and let me meet one of my heroes, Dan Smith of listener (iamlistener.com). I was waiting for Wesley to pick me up from the Springfield airport and he was walking in. Pretty stellar stuff. I was stoked.

And today was my first full day here. With all the confusion and chaos of the tornado that hit, all the staff have been behind. So we did orientation today, which was pretty simple stuff. Then the customer service managers (my position) got to meet with a couple of ladies from 24/7 prayer about our vision for a prayer room at each event. I don't want to explain too much, in case one of the students from Fox River reads this I wouldn't want to ruin it for them, but it will be awesome and I'm more than happy to be part of it! Then we helped the Station managers fold shirts.

Long story short, I'm having a great time now that I'm actually here! I don't plan on posting again until the weekend, so watch for that. Love you all and I'm praying for you.

Quick Update

Last night a tornado ripped through Joplin, where I was headed. So my flight from Dallas/Fort Worth was cancelled. I got a Super 8 room at a discount and I'll be getting to Joplin today.

Good news is the Spirit is giving me strength and calm and is providing. One was is the waffles the size of Texas... ir at least shape... So I am fine.

Please pray for those in Joplin and other areas affected by the storms.

Today's The Day: Time To Leave And For Transparent And Honest Prayer Requests

Today I get on a plane and leave for Joplin. This is so exciting/nerve racking/sad. I can't wait to start the internship tomorrow, but I feel like I'm not actually prepared to leave and I can definitely wait to leave all my friends for the summer.

I have to be honest, I can already feel homesickness being a problem this summer. Not to say that missing friends and family is bad, but I can tell it may be a distraction from serving where God has me. Please pray that his Spirit will give me the strength to press on, even when home, friends, family are on my mind.

Yesterday, I had to say goodbye to a lot of friends and my sister. It was super tough. I'm a manly man, so I obviously didn't cry, but it was really warm and my eyes sweated. But in all seriousness, I wept. Especially at the thought of leaving my best friends Ashlyn, ChrisKolb, and Abbey and when my friend Zack left, as he's leaving for the Army before I get back. And everytime I think of the students at Driven4Him I get super sad that I won't see them. Again, I must point out specifically Harry, who is going into the Navy before I come back. This man is so on fire for God. It's humbling sometimes. I'm praying for you, brother, and I love you.

So you're making it through a really sappy post. Thank you. We're almost done, I promise. I'd like to leave with some requests for prayer. First, and foremost, pray for the students preparing to go to a Move event this summer. Ask that God will start them down a path towards him and working for his kingdom. Also, pray for my friends and family. This are great people, many of whom fear God and I ask that they can grow in that relationship everyday. Last, pray for my strength. Today my parents and girlfriend, Joelle, are taking me to the airport and I'll have to say goodbye. This will be hard and I pray I can do so and know I am following God's call.

Thanks for reading all this. Love you, brothers and sisters.

P.S. many of you asked for an address you can write me at. Please do, as it will mean more than you know. You can send these letters to

CIY
Garrett DeMeyer
2201 North Main St.
Joplin, MO 64802

The Art Of Losing Myself

We sang that song at Driven4Him. I love that line. Haha funny- my phone autocorrected "love" to "live" at first. I hope I live that line. I hope that I am less and less and God is more and more.

In fact, as people are asking how they can pray for me, I tell them that I need a servant's heart. This summer is about giving up my idea of a summer for God's idea. I need to be humble and have the strength to serve him even when I miss everyone at home.

As you're praying for me, please pray for God's work in and through Driven4Him, Fox River Christian Church's high school ministry. I already miss those students and leaders. I pray God gives them even more and more of his Spirit. They are amazing people and love God so much.

I leave in a week!

Let's Kick It, Kids

Let me start by saying I am super excited for this summer. Let me continue by saying "hey. What's up? Thanks for reading this blog post, btw. You're killer."

So you may be thinking "Garrett, you're so web2.0 with this blogger account. But why are you doing it?"
Good question. To which I say "Friend, I want you to be able to keep track of me this summer while I'm out and about with Move (ciy.com/move) and know everything God is doing in and through me. It'll be a stellar ride, and I wish you could be here with me, but this trendy little blog will have to do." You'll end up noticing that I will post things I learn, things I do, things I see others do, things about God.

To start, I'd like to explain the title of this blog. I was going to do something catchy and witty like "Garrett on the Move." (Get it, because the name of the events I'll be helping with is "Move??") But I just read this passage from a little book named Luke about Jesus' triumphant entry, as the ESV titles put it, in verses 28-40. Jesus responded to some Pharisees' criticism of his followers praising God by saying "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."
That freaked me out a little. That's how awesome God is and how worthy of praise he is. Intimate objects will sing his praise if we don't. But I don't want to let that happen! I want to praise God and not need those stones to speak at all. That's my plan for the summer, folks. I want to give God the glory he deserves with how I live, speak, everything I do, all of it and me.


So let's kick it, kids. Don't let the stones speak.