Mission Trip Video

Here is a short video of the trip to Costa Rica. It's only a few of the pictures but people have been giving me lots more i.e. Mandalynn who gave me 400. Anyway, i hope you enjoy.
J. Ray

Costa Rica Day 8

Today was a great day! We started early and headed to San Lazaro from our Motel in Santa Cruz. We arrived around 8:30 in the village. This was our visit to where we would spend the remainder of our time in Costa Rica. It didn’t take long to loop through the village and arrive at the church in the southeast corner of the village. We had planned out a service and our group was ready. We walked through the village inviting people to church and some of the village children joined us. The service was supposed to start at 9:30 but only three children and two adults were there. Aby looked a little discouraged. I asked him what was going on? He said the Catholic church in the village only has a Sunday morning service twice a year. However, they heard we were coming and scheduled a service. To top things off the village soccer team had a soccer game the same morning against a neighboring village. Bummer!!! We waited and started the service later. Some of the church members who play for the soccer team came by and said they would not be able to make the service due to the game. Slowly but surely the church began to fill. First with children then with adults. Before long the church was full and most of our group was standing outside looking in through the windows. Some members of our team sang songs in English, did a drama on sin, and Kaitlin Kijawski shared her testimony. All our students did great.

After the service we fed everyone who attended church that morning. We also passed out bags of food that should feed a family for a full week. The people seemed very happy. After, we all headed to the soccer field in the middle of the village to watch the remainder of the game. The San Lazaro team won and it was fun to watch. If you haven’t figured it out, soccer is KING. After the village team played Aby had challenged some of the villagers with a game against the “gringos” – That’s us. We knew this team was going to be good and we would have to play our best if we didn’t want to be embarrassed. We took an early lead scoring 3 points pretty easy. It seemed the opposing team were all good ball handlers but didn’t play well as a team. It was the middle of the day and over 100 degrees. We played hard and ended up winning the game 6 to 5. It was a huge win for the gringos and devastating for the villagers. Oh I almost forgot to mention we were playing the village children. We whooped up on the six and seven year olds. . . and almost managed to lose. They definitely underestimated us. On the way back from the village we stopped by a neighboring village called Guatille. This village is known for its pottery. They did a demonstration for us and let some of us try our hand at making pottery. We made some purchases and headed back to Santa Cruz for the night.

Costa Rica Day 6 pt 2

Wow, what a day,

I think when I last left you we were at an internet café at a small shop. We were able to do some shopping and then headed out to Santa Cruz where we are staying in a small motel/villa set up. It is out a little from town and seems like a safe place. The family that runs the place is extremely nice. We had an awesome time in Santa Cruz. Some may not call it awesome but I would file it under the category of extremely memorable. During supper, Aby received a call and the indoor soccer team that he is a chiropractor for was playing about 100 yards from where we were eating. This team representing San Jose was playing the league champions from Santa Cruz. Now we didn’t know all this. Aby just asked us if we wanted to check out a soccer game. He is friends with many of the players. We all said sure. When we arrived, he told us which to cheer for and we did. We soon found out we were cheering for the visitors, and besides us there were only about five fans cheering for the San Jose team. The game was great and intense. These guys were extremely talented and the game was very close. Both teams played dirty and there were several red and yellow cards. Towards the end of the game Aby turned to me and said “I have to use the restroom, when the game is over head back to the bus and I’ll meet you there.” No problem, sounds easy enough. About the time Aby left the gym the coach for the San Jose team was thrown out of the game and that’s when the real excitement began. There had already been two San Jose players thrown out of the game so tempers were flaring. The coach went to sit in the stands by his wife. Who just happened to be sitting right behind us. When he did a fan from Santa Cruz threw a bottle at him. I looked back to see his wife jump at and go towards him looking for a fight. At that time players started running up in the stands to try to stop a fight from breaking out. Then, before we knew it we found ourselves right in the middle of what was about to be a sure nuff sports center moment. Here were 30 gringos who had been cheering for the wrong team surrounded by a gymnasium full of Costa Ricans and here we are with five adult males. For a moment there, I was excited because I was thinking, “cool, we’re gonna get to see a fight” then I realized we were about to be a part of it, rather we wanted to be or not. We immediately started getting our folks out as fast as we could. We made it out safe but we were definitely skating on some thin ice. Now that may not seem like a funny story and it certainly wasn’t at the time. The funny part came when we were safely on the bus and our guys started talking trash about how they were ready for a fight. Here are some of the lines I heard, “I was just waiting for somebody to swing at me,” “Man I was gonna bust somebody,” “Oh, I was ready for a fight.” I sat in my seat with a huge grin because the guys talking the most trash were the ones who made it out of the gym before some of the girls did. Now I won’t name any names but that was good entertainment. Best part about it – It was all free.

Keep us in your prayers, J. Ray

Costa Rica Day 6

Today we have traveled to Puntarenas. It is a small coastal city along the Pacific. I am currently at a small internet cafe. They have graciously allowed us to use the net. We ate lunch at the beach at a small cafe and have had about 30 minutes to shop at their souvenir shop. We have been in a bus traveling slowly through the mountains so it is good to stop. We are about 1/2 way to our destination. Sorry no pics for this blog and not much to report, but all is well.
J. Ray

Costa Rica Day 5 part 2

It's 1:00 a.m. Saturday your time and 11:00 p.m. Friday night our time. Here are just a few random pics I threw in for your enjoyment. Thanks for your comments they have been great. If you have a message you need to tell someone, leave a comment and I will pass it along.
Tonight, Kosmos officially ended. This was a great conference. There were right at 500 people in attendance and almost every one of those did ministry each afternoon. There were over 1200 salvations total and 43 students surrendered to full time missions. We even had 6 from Southside on that list. Praise the Lord! This really has been an awesome trip and I can't say enough how awesome these students have been. Every one of them - I love each of them and am proud of each of them. We have a great team.

This may be the last post. We are headed to Guanacaste tomorrow morning and do not know if we have internet access. If so, I will definitely keep you updated. If not we will see you Wednesday. We do miss you but we are definitely where God wants us. We covet your prayers as always and you are in ours.
Josh

Costa Rica Day 5

Wow, God is good. We had a great little Pow Wow last night as we met for an evening debrief after the evening service. God was there as each person shared what God has taught them thus far on this trip. It was great! We also spoke of many students who were not with us who missed and wished were here. Perhaps should have been here but did not listen to God tugging at their heart. We know and understand following God isn't easy. God never said it would be easy. But what follower of Christ would not want to be a part of what God is doing? Make sure and ask your student or friend when they return what God is teaching them. Each of them had extremely profound statements and I am proud of every member of this team.

Today we had another opportunity to return to the orphanage we visited. Today we were prepared. We painted about a 1000 sq. foot area. The orphanage already had the paint and we had the supplies. Only problem they had some really cheap paint. I'm not kidding when I say we put four coats of paint on these walls. We also painted the bars in the front which were in pretty rough shape. We purchased some oil based for that and the area was well ventilated so it wasn't quite as fun as our last painting experience when we were all high from fumes and everything was funny.

As I told you yesterday, we really hooked the children up with lots of toys and games etc. Today was the day we spoiled the teenage moms. We were able to stop at the two stores on the way to the orphanage and purchase items to make gift bags for them. We filled them with nail polish, lip gloss, body soaps, candy, fluffy little bath sponge thingys, and other things I've been told women like. We gave it to them at the very end before we left and their eyes lit up like a six year old on Christmas morning. It was great to see them smile. We were able to share the Gospel with them and show them Christ through our actions.

We were really overstaffed at the orphanage yesterday. I expressed my concerns to Score yesterday and today they added another group with us. This really crammed us in there. Some of that group passed out tracts up and down the road close to the orphanage. Some hung out with the orphans and some painted. It really did work out well and turned out to be a great day. This last shot is from the bus as we were leaving. Totally different from yesterday. Many of the children and moms at the orphanage were waving as we left and tears were shed as we said goodbye. It was hard to leave, especially when we knew we could do so much more.

Please continue to pray for us as we press on. We are getting tired and still have four full days ahead of ministry. Tomorrow we leave for Guanacaste at 6:00 a.m.

in His Love,
Josh

Costa Rica Day 4

I hope everyone is doing well back in the good ol Estados Unidos. We are all still alive and well and only suffering from lack of sleep. Many students accused me of falling asleep in the service last night. Don't worry parents I did not. I always try to be a good example. However, it was extremely hard not too. OK maybe my head bobbed once or twice. Anyway, we visited an orphanage today unlike any we have visited on past trips. It was an orphanage for teens who already have children. The catch is all the teens had been abused by a parent or other relative. It was definitely eye opening. There was one 15 year old girl with two children. It is a christian orphanage but the teens definitely did not seem happy. They were hard to interact with. The young children in the orphanage were a lot of fun.

We were able to play games, make T-shirts, color, and hang out with for a few hours. Tomorrow we will return to the same orphanage and half of us will paint and do fix ups while the other half will hang with the children and teens again. We wll share the Gospel with them as well before we leave. (please pray for that) We were definitely able to overwhelm them with gifts. I wish we had known there were going to be teenage mothers there. We were able to really hook up the children but we didn't have much for the teenage moms.

This is a shot of the front of the orphanage. It has bars like everything else in the country. They sell clothing to raise money for the orphanage. I assume it is things people have donated but I didn't ask. Please continue to pray for us. Please pray specifically that God would speak directly to our students and eternally effect their outlook on life and God. I will post again tomorrow if the net is working. It's kind of a hit or miss thing around here. We miss yopu and the team sends their love. Special shout out Danielle Ray - hottest youth pastor's wife in the world. . .but I don't miss my dog! By the way that dog is for sale if you know anyone interested. Just joking the dog isn't for sale. I will pay you ten bucks to take the dog!

Josh

Costa Rica Day 3

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Today was another great day – Good News – Julie finally got her luggage. Huge answer to prayer. The team is doing great. Everyone is getting along and I really believe God is working in each of our lives. The food is good and the weather has been exceptional. Today we had an opportunity to do ministry in Los Guidos. It is a village in San Jose. We went to two different schools. In one school we did a drama and played games in somewhat of a school assembly. Chaley, Josh, and Sam participated in one of the skits with students from Marcus Pointe Baptist in Pensacola. Also, Kalyn shared her testimony in front of the entire group as well. We had many decisions for Christ today and this school has not seen many groups prior to our coming. If you can see in the pictures this is a beautiful place minus the houses. Everything is in pretty rough shape. Crime is rampant and every house is completely barred with most having razor wire on top of the bars. Nonetheless, God is here and moving. Tomorrow we are scheduled to go to an orphanage. We covet your prayers and you are in ours as well.

Josh

Costa Rica Day 2

Today we went on our first day of ministry. We left the Hotel a little after nine and dropped another group off for their ministry. We traveled to s small school in a suburb of San Jose. There were probably about 200 students there from K-4th grade. We were asked to paint a classroom for a kindergarten class of students with mental disabilities. The room wasn't huge, maybe 800 square feet but definitely needed some cleaning and a fresh coat. It was full of stuff so after moving much of it outside we started painting. We had to use oil based paint because it's always somewhat humid here and no climate control in the classrooms. 15 of us in the room was overkill so we split up and some played with the children outside while the rest painted. We had a great time. I'm not sure if it was because serving others in the name of Christ is fun and fulfilling, or because we were in a small room with a lot of oil based paint fumes. Either way, we got the job done and all of us got to hang out with the children as well. We had a blast! We have a service this evening and I will try to keep you up to speed on what's happening in Costa Rice. Still no word on Julie's luggage. Please pray for that asnd the effectiveness of our team.
Thanks and God Bless,
Josh

Day 1 Costa Rica

Well we made it in safely and had a pretty uneventful trip. (Which is a good thing) We only had one person lose their luggage. Julie Coleman - We are praying it comes in today. The Hotel we are staying is extremely nice. We have learned, that when a Costa Rican says it should only be a few more minutes, that could actually mean a few more hours. The Kosmos group has filled up the entire Hotel and I think they double booked a few rooms. Our group is set up pretty nice. We will be painting in a public kindergarten school today for our ministry. We will also be distributing Gospel tracts. I will try to keep you posted as often as I can. So far, everyone is healthy and happy! Please pray for Julie's luggage and pray for effectiveness. God Bless>.
J. Ray

The Amazing Race

Wow do we ever have talent at Southside. Mike Talley and Steven Walls have officially tried out for the next season of the Amazing Race. As promised, here is their tryout video.
Also in the news, Mike brought an awesome message from I Timothy last night.
Good Luck with the tryouts, as always, comments are welcome.

Free I-Tunes Gift Card

Well here is the quiz for this week. I know it's the middle of finals but here is just one more test for you. I hope all of you have a great summer and if anyone wants to go to lunch one day this summer, call me, e-mail, or respond to this post and we'll do it.

Here are the questions for this week.

1. How high was the jump at Jack's River Falls Mike jumped off of in his opening illustration?

2. What was the name of the teenage boy who jumped first before Mike would jump?

3. What two things are we supposed to devote ourselves to according to point number two of the lesson. This came from verse 13.

4. What is something we are not to neglect according to verse 14.

5. What state is James moving to?

Remember, leave a comment for this blog and be sure to add your name in the comment.
See you Sunday - Have a great week.
J. Ray

SUMMER CAMP

School is almost out! For students that's awesome . . .For parents you may have mixed emotions. For Student Ministry it means summer camp. We will be attending Chattanooga, TN again this year for Youth Alive. The dates are July 31-25. The early bird registration price $225. You must have your deposit paid by June 25 to receive this price. If you register after June 25 the cost will be $250. As a special one time offer, the first ten parents of High School students that respond to this blog will receive a $10 discount to the total of the price. Here is how you do it. Just click the "post comment" button and put your name and your student's name. We have a great line up of speakers and bands this year as well as a white water rafting option. You can pick up a registration packet in the foyer on Sunday

Thanks and have a great day,
Josh

Storm Watch Week 3

Hi there all my peeps, hope all is well with everyone. Well, if you happened to hang with us tonight, you would know we polished off our third week in the Storm Watch series, which as the name suggests, talks about the rough times in life we experience as Christians. This week, we focused on the aftermath of the storm, and how we should approach it with our attitudes and actions. As promised, I have included the questions that could earn you a glorious prize. Remember, You MUST answer them correctly in order to have a shot at the prize. In order to participate, reply to this post with the answers to your questions and make sure and leave your name in the post. The first guy and first girl to respond correctly will receive a $10 I-Tunes gift card next Wednesday night. (You must be present to win) Hope you paid attention and have a great week.

Here are the questions:

1. Which family member died in the intro video to the lesson?

2. Where is Paul headed when his ship encounters a massive storm?

3. Is J-Ray balding, or just trying to fit in with his fellow pastor buddies?

4. What does J-Ray say when he is surprised by something?
A. Gnarly!
B. Dag!
C. Woah!

5. According to the lesson, Where is God in the storms of our lives?

6. According to J.Ray, what is a very true and applicable verse that you probably shouldn't quote someone when they are going through a storm (such as the death of a close friend or relative)?

Give serving a try!!!!

Too often, I think we get caught up in our busy lives, and we forget how much a kind word or action can really turn someone's day around. This past Saturday, seventeen people from the high school student ministry spent a day at the Miracle League in Macon. As its name suggests, the Miracle League adds a miraculous twist to Little League. Unlike typical baseball games, spectator interference is encouraged. Each volunteer's mission is simple: make sure your player has a great time. Through the game of baseball, and with the help of volunteers, participants get to forget about mental and physical challenges and just have fun.
So what's the point. . . our group found out serving is a blast. Not only did they have a great time, they gave up half a Saturday to help someone else have a good time and realized the rewards of service. It's not about receiving money for doing a job, or "I'll help you out if you help me out." Instead, when we serve , it's a great feeling. More fulfilling than winning a big game, receiving the paycheck, or accolades form others. The book of Matthew tells us when we go out of our way to help others in need (least of these) we have done also unto Christ. What a great way to spend a Saturday.

Well if you made it to Renovate last night you already know we started a new series called Storm Watch. The gist of last nights message was God is in control. All of us are either heading into a storm and we don't know it - In a storm - Or just got out of a storm. No matter where you are, God is truly in control. We may not be able to see or understand all that is going on, but we can be assured He hasn't forgotten about us.
I like this series because it applies to everyone. Most of us have experienced some type of storm in our life. For me, looking back I see God's hand. Sure there were times in the storm I felt like God was no where to be found - but I guess hindsight is 20/20. God never left and He knew exactly what was going on all along. Bottom line is my faith wasn't as real to me as the circumstances around me. But hey - that is how our faith grows.
Have a blessed week and no matter what happens, God is in control.
J. Ray

Student Ministry Name?

The name of your student ministry says a lot about you. (Or at least it should) Anyway, it's time for a change. We have used RENOVATE for almost two years. It came with some cool wall graffiti that I will probably miss more than anything. Renovate means to make new again. That is exactly what Christ does in our lives. He makes us new again. The old is thrown out and we are restored and forgiven.
That brings us to a new era. With the desire to keep things fresh and not wait for something to get old, we need a new name. So here is your chance to make suggestions. We will most likely make the transition at the end of the summer. However, a lot goes into a name change of a ministry. So we need to begin the process now.
No idea is bad. All I ask is leave an explanation of your suggested name. We take funny or serious names. If you want to leave a suggestion you can do it anonymously or publicly. Reply to this blog or e-mail me at JRay@ssbcfamily.com

Have a Great Weekend,
J. Ray

Monday Night Life Groups

This blog is a tribute to the Monday night Life Group. This group does sometime claim to be more spiritual because they meet on Monday nights. (But they do skip out on Sunday nights but who's counting) I like this group. They seem to be a pretty tight knit group. There are some in the group who may be a little more strange than others, but that is what's so cool about Life Groups. You accept folks for who they are and you can grow past the superficial and really get to know folks. Here is a shot from one of the young ladies in the group. I won't mention the name because this is the World Wide Web.

That's a pretty gutsy move to release this photo, but when you have a group of friends who love you for who you are, who cares what everyone else thinks. Props to the Monday night group. I have no doubt you actually enjoy each others company.
Life groups is not only about growing in relationships with one another for a couple of hours a week, it's also doing life together. The Monday night group recently went on a fishing expedition. I'm sure there were a few antics during the day but the word is fish were actually caught but there are no photos to prove it.

I call this picture "no Fish" just poles - I don't even see water in this photo. I'm not entirely sure they were even fishing. But they did get together and that what's counts. Doing life together. Growing in Christ together. Holding one another accountable and knowing someones got your back. . . PRICELESS! I love you guys and I know you have a great group.

If you are not in a life group and want to join one. Please contact me at the church office or email me. It's a great way to meet other students, grow in your walk with God, and have a good time doing it. Have a great day and see you at Life Groups this week. We meet Sunday nights or Monday nights. You choose. Have a great weekend and God Bless!
Josh
478.953.9388
JRay@ssbcfamily.com

Upcoming Stuff

April 18-19 Pure Freedom Weekend - High School Girls Only
April 25 Spaghetti Dinner Fund Raiser for Mission Trip to Costa Rica 5:30 or 7:00 p.m. meals - to go plates also available
April 25 Moment Later Concert at Andrews UM Church - $7
May 17 Service Project - Miracle League of Macon - 11a. - 3p.
May 16-17 Married Life Live - Wait tables and work in Nursery - and GET PAID!
May 18 Family Luncheon for all graduating Seniors
June 4 School's Out Cookout - (Show Up and Eat)
June 23-July 2 Costa Rica Mission Trip
July 21-25 Summer Camp - Chattanooga, TN -

Call the church for info on any of these events -
Have a great Day,
Josh

New Wednesday Night Series

Well the High School Ministry kicked off a new series entitled Forward Motion. It was a good start to a great series. The general gist of last nights message was The Christian life is about steps not huge leaps. All too often we try to make great leaps that end in failure which lead to discouragement and guilt. These lead to a false sense of "I can't do this Christian thing." Bottom Line - God wants us to take steps toward him. Always moving in His direction. The Christian Life is a process. Sure I would have loved to jump from sinner bound for hell to SUPER-CHRISTIAN overnight. We all know it just doesn't work that way. Following Christ is about taking steps. What steps can you begin to take today to be a better follower of Christ?

Peace,
J. Ray

The Ol' Father Son Campout

I like breakfast. I love breakfast cooked over a camp stove. I like camping primarily because of eggs, bacon, and potato's cooked outdoor, over a flame.

The Father / Son camp-out went great except for the last hour. A handful of us were stuck out in the middle of a lake trying to fish when the rain set in. By the time we loaded up the boats and made it back to camp, we,were soaked and most everyone had packed up and were on the way home. All in all, the weekend went great and the overnight rain came at a time when we were sleeping anyway.

We did figure out that camping is just not for some people. There is one student in particular who voiced his displeasure in camping by making this statement. . . "My children will never know what it's like to go camping." Way to come on out and take one for the team, Jacob.
Thanks, for all who participated, and we will definitely do this again. I'll take all your suggestions on locations and menus.

Have a good one,
J. Ray

First Time For Everything

Hi Everyone - This is our very first post. Welcome to the blog of the Southside Baptist Church High School Student Ministry. Hope You Enjoy and I hope we can post regularly and responsibly like every good blogger should.