Last month, February 18 to be exact, was my 3 year anniversary at Alexandria Covenant Church. Not long, I know, but still significant. I’ve grown and learned a lot through my time here so far. Here are some of the learning points for me. Most of them are things we all know already, but it’s one thing to know it, another thing to experience it.

1. Anything that’s instant and fast is rarely as good as something that takes time. That’s certainly true with food and it definitely applies to relationships, as well.

2. I can’t have a relationship with every kid in the youth group. With a group of around 200 active students every week, that’s obviously unrealistic, but I’d like to think I can at least have a casual relationship with most of them. Unfortunately, there are some who won’t even make eye contact with me or, if I try to initiate a conversation, it’s like sitting down to talk with a fire hydrant. Kinda disappointing, even hurts a little, but I guess that’s why it’s so important to have such a great team of adult leaders who can connect with the students who avoid me.

3. Sometimes doing the right thing means doing the very unpopular thing. I cash in chips of credibility in order to do what’s best for people when they don’t even know it or like it.

4. People’s perceptions of me usually translate into their perception of the ministry, both the good and the bad. So I try to just be myself and stay true to my values in ministry and hope that it rubs off.

5. I really need to spend more of my time focusing on what I’m good at and be more intentional about delegating everything else, or be content to let a some things slip by.

6. It’s always great to have open and honest communication with your sr. pastor. I definitely value that about my relationship with John, and the mutual respect and trust we share.

7. Not every good idea someone has is a good idea for our ministry. That’s especially true for all the church companies who are competing for our budget dollars, but it’s also true internally regarding ideas from parents, teens, and youth leaders. Sometimes I must be the guardian of the vision to keep us on course. Saying no to a good thing is often very necessary.

8. The pressure to perform and run growing programs is always there, even when no one puts it on you. It’s self-inflicted, probably based on insecurity. I have to be intentional about reminding myself that the focus should be on growing people, not programs, which is often a much slower process. See #1.

The news has been out for a couple weeks now, but I wanted to officially announce on LISM that Schmoyer baby #2 is on the way! Hannah is only 6 months old right now and with the next baby due in September, the two kids will be about 14 months apart, which is cool. Unlike Hannah, we’ll find out what the gender is with the next ultrasound. It was fun to be surprised the first time, but we’re kinda over that now.

Last year at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference Dana was pregnant with Hannah. This year she’s still pregnant at the conference again, except with a different child. Will she be able to go next year pregnant-free? We shall see. :)

By the way, if you’re going to be at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference this weekend, be sure to say HI. I’m leading a couple seminars, which should be an easy place to find me. Or follow me on Twitter and Foursquare.

[ See my other recent posts about my trip to Haiti ]

I’ve been generating a lot of media content about my trip to Haiti. Here are a couple things I definitely encourage you to check out. Even if you’re not considering a trip there yourself, at least listen to the amazing stories of what God is doing in Haiti. This is unprecedented revival for our lifetime!

Special LIVE YM Talk with the Haiti team

This Wednesday, February 24, most of the “Youth Ministry Advance Team: Haiti” team members will gather together for a special LIVE YM Talk discussion. We’ll share stories, experiences, and what we’ve been processing since the trip. We’ll also talk about implications for your youth group.

– Join us at 2:00 PM eastern time this Wednesday for the YMATH discussion!

All my daily video blogs from Haiti are on YouTube

Here’s the YouTube playlist of all my daily video blogs from while I was in Haiti last week. I basically walked around with my video camera the whole time and tried to capture snapshots throughout the entire trip, including some of my own processing of what I was experiencing each day. There’s about an hour and 45 minutes of footage, making it a good full-length film, eh?

I promise you, the stories you’ll see in my videos are not what the news media is covering here in the US, which blows my mind because I don’t know how they can ignore something like this.

– Watch the YouTube playlist of my daily Haiti video blogs

Haiti trip interview on YouthHacks Podcast

Adam McLane and I were interviewed together by Josh Cook and the YouthHacks Podcast team. It was a really good discussion about our trip. We shared a lot of stories, lessons, and how the trip has affected us. Definitely listen to the recording, even if you just play it in the background while you work.

– Listen to our YouthHacks Podcast interview about Haiti experiences

Pictures from Haiti

I got the rest of my pictures from the trip uploaded to this blog’s Facebook page, too.

– Check out my pictures from Haiti

– Here are Adam McLane’s pictures on Flickr

I talk with Bill Scott briefly about what God taught me in Haiti

Tonight I joined my good friend, Bill Scott, on his first online talk radio show and discussed what I saw in Haiti and what God taught me. I actually called in twice between other callers. You can grab the 11 minute audio clip in iTunes. Or, listen here.

– Download the brief discussion in iTunes

[ See my other recent posts about my trip to Haiti ]

I’m struggling on so many different levels. It’s hard to know where to even start with all the tension I feel about myself, the American church, and the state of spirituality among Christians here. I’m doing my best not to look down on American believers and the church with any sort of arrogance because, honestly, the attitude of my heart is really just brokenness for what I see. Jeremy Zach and I talked about this on a little walk we took before leaving the Dominican Republic: until I can share with more grace, my response right now is to keep my deepest thoughts to myself to avoid becoming overly-critical in a way that shuts down communication.

A couple times before we left Haiti, I actually thought, from a spiritual standpoint, that it would be cool to never return to America and just stay with the Haitians, except I knew that would definitely be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. There’s a lot to be thankful here in America and a lot that is very positive — there’s no doubt that God has blessed us extravagantly and that our response of materialism and consumerism have affected us in ways I never even noticed until I was removed from it for a brief time. Maybe these things are so glaring to me now because I’m still hyper-sensitive having just come off the trip a couple days ago, but I know my heart for my own American people will never be the same as a result of my experiences in Haiti. We are so blessed, yet so poor.

America and Haiti are complete opposites right now. Haiti has such an overwhelming need for basic necessities and we have such an overwhelming need for revival. I want to be used by God to be a catalyst for revival here, but that task seems exponentially more daunting than the physical tasks that lie before Haiti right now. Cleaning up a collapsed city and providing life-sustaining supplies to hundreds of thousands of homeless people sounds much easier.

So, for now, I’m still processing, thinking, and praying with an intensity unlike I’ve never known before.

If you’re even slightly thinking about going to Haiti sometime soon to serve, you must go now! All your excuses are completely invalid: it’s very safe, you can absolutely afford it, you have the time, and you can make a big difference.

Do it. Now. Stop over-thinking it. Get off your butt and go. Seriously. Go.

[ See my other recent posts about my trip to Haiti ]

This morning I read from Psalm 114:7, “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob.” That’s exactly what’s happening here in Haiti. The earth trembled at the presence of the Lord that is so obviously moving here in Haiti. I don’t know if it’s being covered by the media back in the US, but it should be because I’m not sure what else there is to report — everything we see here in Haiti is consumed by praise, worship, preaching, and a massive revival outbreak. Sure, there’s tanks and military people walking around with big guns. And many buildings are flat, but that’s just on the surface. The real news is that the hearts of these people are passionately worshipping God everywhere almost non-stop. It’s incredible.

When I get back to the US and can upload the daily video blogs I’ve been shooting all day every day, you’ll see more of this. I have talked to many, many random Haitians over the past several days and every single one of them talks about Jesus within the first 5 minutes of the conversation, even if you don’t bring Him up. When I ask if they are upset with God or questioning Him for the tragedy, not a single one says yes. In fact, it’s just the opposite — they appear shocked that I could even suggest such a thing. They are all worshipping Him for sparing their lives and for sending the earthquake to soften their hearts and deliver them from Santeria. There is literally dancing in the streets!

This whole experience continues to break my heart for the current state of the American church. We are so apathetic, so self-centered, so lethargic and focusing on all the wrong things. In some ways, I want to see an earthquake to hit our country, totally devastate us, strip us of everything but Jesus, and pray that our churches will pave the way for hope and rival in our nation instead of enabling the spiritual rut.

In America, when I sit in a small group and ask for prayer requests, first there’s silence while people try to think of something, and then 95% of the prayer requests will be for physical needs of themselves or someone they know. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with that, but here in Haiti, the physical needs are overwhelming — they live under bedsheets strung up by sticks and wire, have only the clothes on their back, and struggle to find food and water. Yet as I pray with Haitians, many of them do not ask me to pray for those needs, they ask me to pray for their spiritual needs. Just this morning several Haitians said to me, “Ask God to transform my heart,” and, “Pray God will make me a mighty man of prayer,” and, “I want you to pray that God will teach me the Bible more.” I don’t even know when I’ve ever heard prayer requests like that… or when I’ve even asked of those things for myself. So I pray for them, and they in-turn pray for me with a passion that makes my prayers feel so weak and insignificant.

I can’t wait to show you some of the video footage and stories we’ve been hearing in Haiti. Look for them later this week or early next week when I’m back on my own Internet connection and can upload them. Here in Haiti it takes 50+ hours to upload a mobile version of a video over wifi. 2K upload = fail. That’s why I only have two videos posted: Day 1 and Day 2.

Check out today’s photos

Again, I posted some of today’s Haiti pictures on my Facebook page. Check ‘em out!

Also keep your eye on the official “Youth Ministry Advance Team: Haiti” Facebook page and the official YMATH Twitter account for updates from the rest of the team members.

Today is our last day here in Haiti. Tomorrow we start the long drive back to Santo Domingo before we fly back to the US on Wednesday morning.

Also follow my Haiti updates here:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube

[ See my other recent posts about my trip to Haiti ]

I think I absorbed more today than I ever have before in a single day. The video summary I put together for “day 3″ (and will try to post at YouTube when our slow Internet connection will allow it) explains a bit more, but to summarize:

• Thousands of Haitians are coming to know Christ. The past three days were the country’s first National Day of Prayer. People were praying everywhere — in the streets, on the sidewalks, in buildings, in tent communities, everywhere. Sometimes they were groups of 20, sometimes groups up 30,000! I’ve never seen a country come together to worship and praise God like this. Even in our conversations with people, one of the first things they start telling you about is Jesus and how He saved them. Incredible.
• Everything you’ve seen about the destruction is true. It’s massive. I have no idea how it could ever be cleaned up. It will definitely take years before their old spaces are livable again. In the meantime, their only option is to live in massive tent communities in fields, streets, and anywhere else they can find.
• We talked with several Haitian pastors about how American churches can partner with them and their congregations. It’s a bit tricky because we want to make sure we don’t get set them up for dependency, but yet we want to come behind them, support them, and enable them to be both the heros and spiritual leaders their country needs.
• The way these people pray is amazing. It’s so full of passion, faith, and trust. It’s like, when they pray they believe God hears it and will respond. I know us Americans believe that, too, but I’m not sure we really believe it.
• One of the things that has stood out to me the most is a passage I read this morning in Psalm 104:32, “The earth trembles at his glance.” It seems like the Lord is looking favorably upon Haiti and it literally shook. I don’t want to go too far with that passage, but God is definitely working here and it is such a huge blessing to be able to have a small glimpse into His obvious spiritual transformation of this country.

There’s a lot more going through my mind, but it’s late and I need to get to bed. Can’t wait to get these daily video blogs uploaded for you all sometime soon so you can see what I’m talking about.

Check out today’s photos

Again, I posted some of today’s Haiti pictures on my Facebook page. Check ‘em out!

Also follow my Haiti updates here:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube

Unfortunately, the bandwidth here isn’t allowing me to post my daily video blogs right now, so I’m going to have to add those later. Sorry. I was planning to share most of my thoughts about the trip through video so I could personally show you things like I did in my last update, but after 30+ hours of waiting for my “day 2″ video to upload, it obviously was not going to work. Maybe I can find another wifi spot somewhere in the city that will have a more realistic upload speed.

Yesterday was my second day here with the Youth Ministry Advance Team: Haiti and it’s been both a blast and challenging. Fortunately, I think we’re being eased into the shock I’m sure will ensue tomorrow because we’re gradually making our way to ground zero, making many stops along the way, hearing people’s stories, and gradually seeing buildings that are first shaken, then leaning, then half-way crumbled.

We met a lady who lost her twins in the earthquake when a building collapsed on them. Both 6-month olds were killed instantly, and one of them was stolen from her arms by a man who thought she was holding his child. Furthermore, her left leg is severely broken and she has no more feeling in it. While she and her husband are doing whatever they can just to cope, when we prayed for them her husband cried out in the most agonizing sobs, “Why, Jesus? Why?”

There are stories like this all over Haiti. Some have lost all hope, but the vast majority of Haitians are very hopeful and looking to Jesus to save them.

Tomorrow we head into epicenter of the quake and I’m sure the destruction we’ll witness there will be unbelievable. Hopefully I’m mentally, spiritually and emotionally prepared.

Media to check out

Besides my video blogging above, I posted a little photo album on my Facebook page of day 2 here in Haiti.

Also check out this video of a Haitian named Rudy who sang to us while laid up on a hospital bed. Very moving.

[ See my other recent posts about my trip to Haiti ]

Also follow my updates here:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube

[ See my other recent posts about my trip to Haiti ]

Here’s my first video blog about my trip to Haiti with the Youth Ministry Advance Team: Haiti. All in all, a great day, but super slow internet. It took over two hours to upload the video from the Dominican Republic hotel. Hopefully bandwidth will be more favorable in Haiti tomorrow, but if it’s not, I may be difficult to upload them on a daily basis. Just FYI.

We’re having a great time this first day, but it’s been mostly travel. Tomorrow we head into Port au Prince and prepare for culture shock.

Also follow my Haiti updates here:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube

Last weekend I received this Facebook message from a girl I haven’t been in touch with for about a decade. For the sake of her privacy, I edited out some of the details and have permission to share it with you.

I share this to encourage you as you work with teenagers. Some of you feel like your investment into teens is worthless — you’re seeing absolutely no growth. Some of you are frustrated, tired, struggling, and wondering, “Is all this time, energy and emotion worth it?”

Not every teenager will come back and thank you. In fact, just like the 10 lepers, most won’t, but the ones who do will make it all worth it. You may never know the influence you have on a student just by being present in their life.

Be encouraged — it’s worth it!

Tim, you knew me 10 years ago by my maiden name. I’m not sure if you remember me. I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for being my friend! Most of all, thank you for striving to truly live your faith and not being ashamed to do so. You lived your life in a distinctly different manner from all my other friends, and it made an impression on me. Adolescence was a rough season of my life. There were a couple of people in my life during that time who were “Jesus with skin on,” and you were one of them. I’m sure you’ve continued to be a blessing to teens through your ministry and life. Now I’m a pastor’s wife (whoa!); my husband was ordained last year and we are blessed with two little boys, ages 2 years and 4 months. Anyhow, when I stumbled upon your website a few months ago while helping my husband look up info on youth groups, I realized how God had blessed me through you, and I wanted you to know.

[ Catch up with previous posts about my trip to Haiti ]

Wow. I leave for Haiti in only one and a half weeks! And I’m starting to freak out a bit!

As the time continues to draw closer, my mind has almost become totally consumed with the trip:

• What will I see? How will I feel when I see it?
• Will I be able to handle my emotions or will I default to “tough guy” mode? Will I be the only one on the team who will struggle with that?
• Why does the government put an expiration date on my passport that’s dated for 6 months after when it really expires?
• How will my worldview be shattered? How will that impact my theology? My ministry?
• I’ve never felt called nor prompted to adopt, but what if that changes once I’m there? Will I come back with some Haitian children? Is that even possible?
• Will I really be able to make a difference there in only one week?
• Will I feel called to return to Haiti on a regular basis, taking others with me to serve the people there?
• How will I respond if I pull a body from the rubble or see dead people laying around?
• Do I have all of the equipment I’ll need?
• What if I say or do something stupid that offends their culture? What if I make matters worse?
• Will the Haitians perceive me to be just another tourist or as someone who truly wants to help make things better?

Compared to the amount of pressure I feel when taking a group of teenagers overseas, this is about 10x more than that. Seriously. And I’m not even in charge of the trip! For once I’m able to just go along and let someone else take care of the details, yet I’m still freakin’ out a bit.

The organization

Thankfully, the organization I’m going with, Adventures In Missions, has been amazing so far. They don’t know it, but their detailed reporting about the plans and environment for the trip have done a lot to ease my tensions. They are so thorough, so considerate, and so obviously experienced. Despite my breif relationship with them so far, I honestly trust them so much and am confident that our time in Haiti will be maximized to its fullest potential.

The team

Another thing that contributes to my sense of security is the rock-solid team of people I’ll be with. Not only will Seth Barnes be traveling with us, the founder of Adventures In Missions, but so will a few other people:

• Anne Jackson: blog | twitter | facebook
• Tim Schmoyer: blog | twitter | facebook | youtube
• Adam McLane: blog | twitter | facebook
• Mark Oestreicher: blog
• Seth Barnes: blog | twitter
• Jeremy Zach: blog | twitter
• Lars Rood: blog | twitter
• Ian Robertson: video guy
• Rhett Smith: blog | twitter
• Clint Bokelman: blog

We’ll all be using our social media accounts to share what’s happening on the trip, so be sure to check them all out if you want to hear all sides of the stories. I, too, will be blogging during the trip, as well as using my Twitter account, Facebook page, and YouTube channel to post updates, pictures, and videos while we’re there, so be sure to subscribe to each of them.

Official team Twitter list
Perhaps the easiest way to follow the “Youth Ministry Advance Team: Haiti” on Twitter is to subscribe to the YMATH Twitter List.

Officially on Facebook and Twitter
In addition to using our own social media channels, Adam McLane set up a unique twitter account and Facebook page specificly for this trip. The big highlights of the trip, including videos, pictures, blog post links, and updates will be posted at those places throughout the trip.

Donate and win a $50 gift certificate to C28.com

In my last blog post about Haiti I mentioned I have several big expenses to cover, about $660 worth of shots, passport renewal, and equipment. Several of you responded with generous donations. Thank you!

C28 Christian Shirts stepped up, as well, and donated a $50 gift certificate for me to give away to a random donor, which is amazing! It doesn’t matter how much you give, whether it’s $1 or $100, use the ChipIn widget to donate securely via PayPal. Any funds that are donated beyond my needs for the trip will be donated to Adventures In Missions and their Haiti relief efforts.

Next Tuesday, February 9, I’ll randomly select a donor to receive the $50 gift certificate for C28 Christian Shirts. In the meantime, check out their website because they have some of the most unique and non-cheesy Christian appearal I’ve seen in a long time.

[ Donate here ]

How 30 seconds could drastically change your life

Adventures In Missions put together a great video about the relief work that’s needed in Haiti. I’m so honored I get to be part of a team that actually goes to serve. February 11 to 17, baby! (Yikes!)