August 1, 2010
Dear Family and Friends,
Sometimes in ministry it feels like we can go days and weeks, even months, without anyone we have invested in showing signs of growth. Too often we have to watch with tears and prayers as people we love repeatedly make decisions that can only end in disaster. But then, occasionally, God allows us a glimpse of the work He is doing on the inside of that person and there is great hope in those moments.
Andrew has known James for a long time and has shared some of his story in previous letters. Having been involved with World Impact since he was a young teen, James, now 24, accepted Christ over a year ago. As Andrew’s wife it has been great to be able to participate in their relationship. Many days he will walk up to the Ministry Center and make his first stop at Andrew’s office and then head downstairs to sit in my office and talk about life and writing. We connected over our love of writing and he occasionally brings in pieces he is working on for my feedback. He knows that along with my literary feedback come my opinions about his relationships and life decisions.
Since James accepted Christ he has struggled with giving his life fully to the Lord. Despite our attempts to draw him in to a Christian body, he has spent much of the last year tentatively stepping back and forth between his old life and a life in pursuit of God. Lately, Jason Watson, a Christian rapper who grew up here in North St. Louis and our fellow staff member, has also taken James under his wing. James’ poor opinion of Christian rap began to change when he got to be an extra in one of Jason’s newest music videos and seeing godly men who share his passion for words and music has seemed to spark a deeper interest in James.
One afternoon recently James made his way down to my office to talk. He shared about a possible job opportunity several hours away. This led to a discussion about his future, and about his past, and about the fact that he was tired of the aimless pattern of his life. I asked him what he would like to see himself doing. “Become a lawyer” was his answer; “but no one takes me seriously when I say that.” We talked about what it would take to pursue a degree in law, but mostly I talked to him about a life wasted when it is not in pursuit of the plan God has for us. Two days later he returned for my edits on his latest poem and told us that he had just signed up for Fall classes at a local college (I tried to act proud in a cool and reserved way instead of gushing with excitement like I wanted to do).
We are encouraging him to begin walking out on faith and to prayerfully consider the direction God has for him. My hope is that with each step James will gain confidence in the gifts and talents God has given him and that he will become more and more burdened to use them for God’s Kingdom. Please pray for James. Because of his life experiences it is difficult for him to trust people and to push through the hardest times. Pray that James finds excitement about what his future may hold and that God would give him the wisdom and strength to make each decision along the way. Pray for the financial resources and the educational support that will be needed for him to pursue his education. And most importantly, pray that James will fully commit to living in the encouragement and accountability of Christian community. As always, thank you for your continued support and prayers!
For His Kingdom,
Andrew and Adria Medlen
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
July Update
July 1, 2010
Dear Team,
Hello from St. Louis! This has been a busy time for Adria and me. Summer is always a time where many great things happen. The warmer weather brings some wonderful opportunities but can also bring extra challenges.
Currently we are right in the middle of our Children’s Summer Program. We have five summer staff who have chosen to serve with us at World Impact and are assisting us in running our six-week program with the first-through-eighth-grade students. Their service has been an answer to prayer during a time when our full-time staff is limited. Our Summer Program is full of opportunities to build relationships and present the Gospel. Please continue to pray that we represent Christ in a way that is pure and attractive. We have had many good conversations with children and youth in the program, and we are continuing to develop stronger relationships with our neighbors. Times when we have had them over for a meal or to hang out on our porch to talk have really given us a sense of belonging in our neighborhood. More and more we are no longer considered guests that might leave--we are neighbors!
However, I (Andrew) was recently reminded that it is still important that we live our commitment to these neighbors on a daily basis. During a recent Adult Basketball Outreach, one of our interns made the announcement that his time with us was coming to an end and that he would be leaving. Right away the guy sitting next to me said, “What is the deal? Does everyone leave?” He looked at me to hear my response, waiting to see if I was to be the next to leave. I reassured him that we did not have plans to leave.
One thing that Adria and I feel very sure of is the calling that God has given us. We always say that we are here in St. Louis until and unless God calls us elsewhere. It is difficult to see the amount of staff and interns who have come and gone during our time here, and I know that takes its toll on our neighbors; but we also know that God is sovereign. It is pretty amazing to think that I am starting my tenth year with World Impact, and Adria her fourth. It is even more amazing to think that some of you have been partnering with me since the very beginning. You have sent Adria and me to be the hands and feet of Jesus right here in North St. Louis.
Please pray for us. We need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our community. We want the call of salvation to be fleshed out. Please pray for God to send us long-term missionaries. Thank you for your love, your prayers, and your financial support. May the Lord richly encourage you and bless you!
Grace and Peace to you, Andrew and Adria Medlen
Dear Team,
Hello from St. Louis! This has been a busy time for Adria and me. Summer is always a time where many great things happen. The warmer weather brings some wonderful opportunities but can also bring extra challenges.
Currently we are right in the middle of our Children’s Summer Program. We have five summer staff who have chosen to serve with us at World Impact and are assisting us in running our six-week program with the first-through-eighth-grade students. Their service has been an answer to prayer during a time when our full-time staff is limited. Our Summer Program is full of opportunities to build relationships and present the Gospel. Please continue to pray that we represent Christ in a way that is pure and attractive. We have had many good conversations with children and youth in the program, and we are continuing to develop stronger relationships with our neighbors. Times when we have had them over for a meal or to hang out on our porch to talk have really given us a sense of belonging in our neighborhood. More and more we are no longer considered guests that might leave--we are neighbors!
However, I (Andrew) was recently reminded that it is still important that we live our commitment to these neighbors on a daily basis. During a recent Adult Basketball Outreach, one of our interns made the announcement that his time with us was coming to an end and that he would be leaving. Right away the guy sitting next to me said, “What is the deal? Does everyone leave?” He looked at me to hear my response, waiting to see if I was to be the next to leave. I reassured him that we did not have plans to leave.
One thing that Adria and I feel very sure of is the calling that God has given us. We always say that we are here in St. Louis until and unless God calls us elsewhere. It is difficult to see the amount of staff and interns who have come and gone during our time here, and I know that takes its toll on our neighbors; but we also know that God is sovereign. It is pretty amazing to think that I am starting my tenth year with World Impact, and Adria her fourth. It is even more amazing to think that some of you have been partnering with me since the very beginning. You have sent Adria and me to be the hands and feet of Jesus right here in North St. Louis.
Please pray for us. We need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our community. We want the call of salvation to be fleshed out. Please pray for God to send us long-term missionaries. Thank you for your love, your prayers, and your financial support. May the Lord richly encourage you and bless you!
Grace and Peace to you, Andrew and Adria Medlen
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
A Little Way You Can Make a Difference...
I'm excited to announce that we have launched a NEW online store at Cafe Press in an effort to help raise funds for our ministry! We now carry World Impact St. Louis t-shirts, mugs, stickers, buttons, and more with really unique urban designs!
A portion of the purchase price is donated to our ministry! So, in a very real way, when you order "A Heart For The City" t-shirt for you and a friend you are helping us share the love of Christ with people like James, who recently came to know Jesus and is steadily learning to turn away from the drugs and violence that dominated his life and cling to the future that God has for him!
Thank you for impacting our city by visiting our online store at www.cafepress.com/worldimpactstl!
A portion of the purchase price is donated to our ministry! So, in a very real way, when you order "A Heart For The City" t-shirt for you and a friend you are helping us share the love of Christ with people like James, who recently came to know Jesus and is steadily learning to turn away from the drugs and violence that dominated his life and cling to the future that God has for him!
Thank you for impacting our city by visiting our online store at www.cafepress.com/worldimpactstl!
June Update
Dear Family and Friends,
With each year that goes by I (Adria) find myself squinting a little bit more, trying to make the dancing blur of letters sit down on the page. The fine lines around my eyes are becoming not so fine in my strain to make street signs be forthright with their names. It might be time for glasses.
Physically, age makes it more difficult to see things. I am finding, however, that the opposite is true spiritually. And, I am also finding how vital this is to our lives as missionaries. Pastor Rob Bell said that “being a good missionary means having really good eyesight. You see God where others don’t and then you point him out.” Now, before you go thinking that we have super-spiritual missionary eyes I will tell you that often we have to spend time pointing God out to ourselves too! It is not always easy in such a fallen world to see the gentle workings of God—the large and miraculous ones, yeah, but the subtle weaving of the larger tapestry is a lot more difficult to see. Yet each thread purposefully weaved is a stunning victory. It is these victories that carry us through and that draw hearts to God!
Several weeks ago a tall, broad-shouldered young man walked through the doors during our adult basketball program to use the restroom. His face looked more like a man’s than a boy’s but still reassuringly familiar. I could hardly suppress my joy as I asked him, “Is that you, Jamond?”
For several years I have thought of him and prayed for him and worried that he might be in a juvenile detention center or worse. Much like many of the people we work with, Jamond used to live in our neighborhood and occasionally participated in our programs and then one day he was gone. He had moved, but we did not know to where. His story has troubled me for years. Even at thirteen he was mostly on his own, hardened to the world and submitting himself to the company of men who would not mentor him in godly activities. Destructive behavior was chief among his known attributes. Even still, all I could ever see when I looked at him was a scared and scarred boy beating back the terrifying world that threatened to snuff him out. He had held us at arms length and then he was gone.
Yet here he was, standing in the lobby of World Impact! Since that night I have only seen him twice, but he is in the area and had remembered World Impact as a place he could enter and he now knows that we remember him by name. His reappearance is seemingly insignificant, but for those of us who know the loving hand of God weaving together His plans and purposes, there is joy and hope in it. Recently God has sent us several of these reuniting moments with youth and young adults we thought had slipped away from us. I see the Lord reminding me that not all doors I think are closed and bolted shut will remain that way. I think He must lovingly shake His head and say to me, “Do you think that you are the only one who remembers them by name?” And so, I will fervently pray that the Lord give us these young souls and ask the Spirit to sharpen my eyesight so that I may be ready to see God work and to point it out to others!
Prayerfully, with hope and vigilance,
Andrew and Adria Medlen
With each year that goes by I (Adria) find myself squinting a little bit more, trying to make the dancing blur of letters sit down on the page. The fine lines around my eyes are becoming not so fine in my strain to make street signs be forthright with their names. It might be time for glasses.
Physically, age makes it more difficult to see things. I am finding, however, that the opposite is true spiritually. And, I am also finding how vital this is to our lives as missionaries. Pastor Rob Bell said that “being a good missionary means having really good eyesight. You see God where others don’t and then you point him out.” Now, before you go thinking that we have super-spiritual missionary eyes I will tell you that often we have to spend time pointing God out to ourselves too! It is not always easy in such a fallen world to see the gentle workings of God—the large and miraculous ones, yeah, but the subtle weaving of the larger tapestry is a lot more difficult to see. Yet each thread purposefully weaved is a stunning victory. It is these victories that carry us through and that draw hearts to God!
Several weeks ago a tall, broad-shouldered young man walked through the doors during our adult basketball program to use the restroom. His face looked more like a man’s than a boy’s but still reassuringly familiar. I could hardly suppress my joy as I asked him, “Is that you, Jamond?”
For several years I have thought of him and prayed for him and worried that he might be in a juvenile detention center or worse. Much like many of the people we work with, Jamond used to live in our neighborhood and occasionally participated in our programs and then one day he was gone. He had moved, but we did not know to where. His story has troubled me for years. Even at thirteen he was mostly on his own, hardened to the world and submitting himself to the company of men who would not mentor him in godly activities. Destructive behavior was chief among his known attributes. Even still, all I could ever see when I looked at him was a scared and scarred boy beating back the terrifying world that threatened to snuff him out. He had held us at arms length and then he was gone.
Yet here he was, standing in the lobby of World Impact! Since that night I have only seen him twice, but he is in the area and had remembered World Impact as a place he could enter and he now knows that we remember him by name. His reappearance is seemingly insignificant, but for those of us who know the loving hand of God weaving together His plans and purposes, there is joy and hope in it. Recently God has sent us several of these reuniting moments with youth and young adults we thought had slipped away from us. I see the Lord reminding me that not all doors I think are closed and bolted shut will remain that way. I think He must lovingly shake His head and say to me, “Do you think that you are the only one who remembers them by name?” And so, I will fervently pray that the Lord give us these young souls and ask the Spirit to sharpen my eyesight so that I may be ready to see God work and to point it out to others!
Prayerfully, with hope and vigilance,
Andrew and Adria Medlen
Thursday, May 20, 2010
May Update...
May 1, 2010
Dear Team,
Greetings! I hope this letter finds you each doing very well! During our spring break program, we had the opportunity to work with 40 1st-8th grade children and youth. Yes, there is a reason I am getting a head of gray hair rather quickly these days!
We had a great time. 23 college students from Denton Texas partnered with us to run the program that week. They were such a blessing, as our small staff could not have run the excellent program we did without their help. A big shout out and thanks to you if you helped us out that week!
One of the highlights of that week for me was that each day we learned more about the life of Peter from the Bible. Many times I think Christians look at Peter and only remember the time that he denied Christ. It was really good to look at him as the man of God that he was through Christ—the first church planter who helped win thousands to Christ.
Last year we averaged 25 youth during our spring break program. This year we averaged about 40 youth and had a high of 45 one day! Many old families and some new joined us and were already asking when our summer program would be starting. This year we have six summer staff coming for the entire summer; we usually have one or two. I believe that we may have more families than usual involved in our program and we are excited to see what God will do as a result of the extra help this summer. God always gives us exactly what we need.
Please be praying for Adria and I as we help lead the summer staff and the summer program. Since the spring break program, we have been building so many good and new relationships with our neighbors. There is hardly a day that goes by when we do not hang out on our porch with kids from our block. We are requesting you to intercede daily for us this summer. We ask that you would pray for His strength to keep us going strong. Pray that our neighbors would see the reflection of Christ in us. Pray that salvation would be accepted by the youth and their families during our program. Pray for safety in all that we do. And last, pray for our marriage that we would strive to keep Him first and continue to grow as a Godly couple.
We would love to hear from you. If you are ever in town, please let us know as we would love to show you around and catch a bite to eat. If you have not been to our blog lately, check it out at www.themedlens.blogspot.com. Thank you for partnering with us and may Christ be glorified in a mighty way!
Grace & Peace,
Andrew & Adria Medlen
Dear Team,
Greetings! I hope this letter finds you each doing very well! During our spring break program, we had the opportunity to work with 40 1st-8th grade children and youth. Yes, there is a reason I am getting a head of gray hair rather quickly these days!
We had a great time. 23 college students from Denton Texas partnered with us to run the program that week. They were such a blessing, as our small staff could not have run the excellent program we did without their help. A big shout out and thanks to you if you helped us out that week!
One of the highlights of that week for me was that each day we learned more about the life of Peter from the Bible. Many times I think Christians look at Peter and only remember the time that he denied Christ. It was really good to look at him as the man of God that he was through Christ—the first church planter who helped win thousands to Christ.
Last year we averaged 25 youth during our spring break program. This year we averaged about 40 youth and had a high of 45 one day! Many old families and some new joined us and were already asking when our summer program would be starting. This year we have six summer staff coming for the entire summer; we usually have one or two. I believe that we may have more families than usual involved in our program and we are excited to see what God will do as a result of the extra help this summer. God always gives us exactly what we need.
Please be praying for Adria and I as we help lead the summer staff and the summer program. Since the spring break program, we have been building so many good and new relationships with our neighbors. There is hardly a day that goes by when we do not hang out on our porch with kids from our block. We are requesting you to intercede daily for us this summer. We ask that you would pray for His strength to keep us going strong. Pray that our neighbors would see the reflection of Christ in us. Pray that salvation would be accepted by the youth and their families during our program. Pray for safety in all that we do. And last, pray for our marriage that we would strive to keep Him first and continue to grow as a Godly couple.
We would love to hear from you. If you are ever in town, please let us know as we would love to show you around and catch a bite to eat. If you have not been to our blog lately, check it out at www.themedlens.blogspot.com. Thank you for partnering with us and may Christ be glorified in a mighty way!
Grace & Peace,
Andrew & Adria Medlen
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Yet, Hope Remains
Sometimes the weight of it presses down on me and I seem not able to move. I want to cry, to rage, to beat back the hands that have wrapped deceiving fingers around vulnerable necks. Anger, sadness, and confusion tie knots in my mind as I watch what would seem to be another’s demise. Slipping, ever tripping, they do not see the one hard after them, haunting their souls and bloodying their knees.
No matter how hard I run I cannot take hold of them or drag them back to safety. I feel helpless, standing here ringing my hands, wide-eyed and heavy-hearted. I open my mouth to persuade their return but the words are swallowed in the clamor around me.
“O, God. Do something. DO something.”
I cannot reason with this kind of deception. They have embraced a hideous, snarling thing but stroke it with a smile that sees a charming face.
“O, God; O, God. Do something.”
And yet I know something has already been done. THE something has been accomplished so that truth might bring freedom and love might reconcile the lost. And with that thought I become angry—angry at the deceiver, angry at the deceived, angry at the Healer. Why must this cycle repeat? Why must I stand and watch as these beloved come in thirst to the Living Water and drink, only to be lured away by the hand that binds them?
“O, God, where are You?”
My anger is merely a diverting flare meant to absorb the impact of this missile instead of my hurt and wondering heart. I feel rejection like Samuel when the Israelites refused his prophesies and demanded their own king. The Lord whispers in my ear the same response, “It is not you they are rejecting. It is me they refuse.”
The anger recedes and is replaced with a solemn burden. My heart feels broken. Again I hear the Lord, “How much more does their Father care for them than you?” In this is my only solace.
I am at the end of myself and I do not understand, yet the promises of God remain. He has begun the good work of redeeming their wounded hearts and He will carry it on to glorious completion. He will. I must believe that He will. In this is my only hope.
Tempted to pick myself up and endlessly run back into the fray, I think it best that I sit awhile under His grace and find rest in place of weariness and hope rather than despair. Earnestly I will lay this worrisome battle at the feet of our Rescuer, for in Him and not in myself there is certain hope for healing, redemption, love.
O, Heart, victory is coming!
Remedy
by the David Crowder Band
Here we are/ Here we are/ The broken and used/ Mistreated, abused/ Here we are
Here You are/ Here You are / The beautiful one/ Who came like a Son/ Here You are
So we lift up our voices/ We open our hands/ To cling to the love/ That we can’t comprehend
Oh, lift up your voices/ And lift up your heads/ To sing of the love/ That has freed us from sin
He is the one/ Who has saved us/ He is the one/ Who embraced us/ He is the one who has come / And is coming again/ He’s the remedy
Here we are/ Here we are/ Bandaged and bruised/ Awaiting a cure/ Here we are
Here You are / Here You are/ Our beautiful King/ Bringing relief/ Here You are with us
So we lift up our voices/ And open our hands/ Let go of the things/ That have kept us from Him
He is the one/ Who has saved us/ He is the one/ Who forgave us/ He is the one who has come/ And is coming again/ He’s the remedy
Oh, I can’t comprehend/ I can’t take it all in/ Never understand/ Such perfect love come For the broken and beat/ For the wounded and weak/ Oh, come fall at His feet/ He’s the remedy/ He’s the remedy
He is the one who has saved us/ He is the one who forgave us/ He is the one who has come/ and is coming again
He's the remedy/ he's the remedy/ He's the remedy/ He's the remedy/ So sing, sing
You are the one/ Who has saved us/ You are the one/ Who forgave us/ You are the one who has come/ And is coming again/ To make it alright/ Oh, to make it alright/ You’re the remedy/ Oh, in us/ You’re the remedy/ Oh, You're in us/ Your the remedy
Let us be the remedy/ Let us be the remedy/ Let us bring the remedy.
No matter how hard I run I cannot take hold of them or drag them back to safety. I feel helpless, standing here ringing my hands, wide-eyed and heavy-hearted. I open my mouth to persuade their return but the words are swallowed in the clamor around me.
“O, God. Do something. DO something.”
I cannot reason with this kind of deception. They have embraced a hideous, snarling thing but stroke it with a smile that sees a charming face.
“O, God; O, God. Do something.”
And yet I know something has already been done. THE something has been accomplished so that truth might bring freedom and love might reconcile the lost. And with that thought I become angry—angry at the deceiver, angry at the deceived, angry at the Healer. Why must this cycle repeat? Why must I stand and watch as these beloved come in thirst to the Living Water and drink, only to be lured away by the hand that binds them?
“O, God, where are You?”
My anger is merely a diverting flare meant to absorb the impact of this missile instead of my hurt and wondering heart. I feel rejection like Samuel when the Israelites refused his prophesies and demanded their own king. The Lord whispers in my ear the same response, “It is not you they are rejecting. It is me they refuse.”
The anger recedes and is replaced with a solemn burden. My heart feels broken. Again I hear the Lord, “How much more does their Father care for them than you?” In this is my only solace.
I am at the end of myself and I do not understand, yet the promises of God remain. He has begun the good work of redeeming their wounded hearts and He will carry it on to glorious completion. He will. I must believe that He will. In this is my only hope.
Tempted to pick myself up and endlessly run back into the fray, I think it best that I sit awhile under His grace and find rest in place of weariness and hope rather than despair. Earnestly I will lay this worrisome battle at the feet of our Rescuer, for in Him and not in myself there is certain hope for healing, redemption, love.
O, Heart, victory is coming!
Remedy
by the David Crowder Band
Here we are/ Here we are/ The broken and used/ Mistreated, abused/ Here we are
Here You are/ Here You are / The beautiful one/ Who came like a Son/ Here You are
So we lift up our voices/ We open our hands/ To cling to the love/ That we can’t comprehend
Oh, lift up your voices/ And lift up your heads/ To sing of the love/ That has freed us from sin
He is the one/ Who has saved us/ He is the one/ Who embraced us/ He is the one who has come / And is coming again/ He’s the remedy
Here we are/ Here we are/ Bandaged and bruised/ Awaiting a cure/ Here we are
Here You are / Here You are/ Our beautiful King/ Bringing relief/ Here You are with us
So we lift up our voices/ And open our hands/ Let go of the things/ That have kept us from Him
He is the one/ Who has saved us/ He is the one/ Who forgave us/ He is the one who has come/ And is coming again/ He’s the remedy
Oh, I can’t comprehend/ I can’t take it all in/ Never understand/ Such perfect love come For the broken and beat/ For the wounded and weak/ Oh, come fall at His feet/ He’s the remedy/ He’s the remedy
He is the one who has saved us/ He is the one who forgave us/ He is the one who has come/ and is coming again
He's the remedy/ he's the remedy/ He's the remedy/ He's the remedy/ So sing, sing
You are the one/ Who has saved us/ You are the one/ Who forgave us/ You are the one who has come/ And is coming again/ To make it alright/ Oh, to make it alright/ You’re the remedy/ Oh, in us/ You’re the remedy/ Oh, You're in us/ Your the remedy
Let us be the remedy/ Let us be the remedy/ Let us bring the remedy.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
It's Been Awhile
I always have great intentions to blog regularly and then two months goes by. We have been swept up in a whirlwind of activity these past few months, but some great things have been happening. The weather is getting warmer and our neighborhood looks alive again. With so many people back out on thier porches we are loving the opportunities to build relationships on our block (which still feels new even though we've been here since October).
We had our annual Spring Break Program March 15-19 and it exceeded our expectations. I (Adria) was coordinating the week and had bought only 50 t-shirts for the kids attending, because we rarely get over 30 kdis on average. I was a little nervous come Thursday when we did our group picture because we had averaged over 40 each day! On picture day we had 45 students and 23 volunteers!! Here are a few photos from the week.
Then, right after Spring Break Mom and I (Adria) took off for Indiana to see Amber and my little 2 week old "nephew" Blake! He is a cutie, but by the time we got home late the following Wednesday I needed a 24hr nap!
But the activities were far from over...I found out that Laniecha was getting baptized and so Andrew and I got to go see Laniecha make this important step in her walk with Christ. I pray that it is something she is serious about pursuing.
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