Wednesday, September 23, 2009

fresh out of prison!

Sorry for the lack of updates lately! We have been pretty busy with concerts and spending time with our host familys.



Well, this week has definitely been a good one! We just got out of prison a few hours ago. We played music for about 70 inmates. They all seemed to really enjoy it and I think everyone had a really good time. All of the inmates were very welcoming to our team. For some reason I was under the impression that some of the people might not be too encouraging to our ministry. But they all welcomed us in and clapped and sang to the music. It was really amazing. After we played a few of the inmates played our instruments. One of them got on the drums and he played exceptionally well, and another played Jon’s guitar. That guy had some skill. He was playing some awesome solos and had everyone in the gym watching. Tomorrow we are playing in another prison in the evening. We have a few more days on the road before we head back to Willmar for overseas training. I think everyone is getting pretty geared up for that! We fly out on October 5th! I haven’t been taking too many pictures but I had this picture of a windmill or “wind turbine” that I took a few days ago. We’ve been seeing a bunch of them lately. I guess it's pretty normal for some of you to see but I had never seen any before. We don’t have them on the east coast. They look pretty cool.


Thanks for all the prayer and support!

- Team 14:22

Monday, September 14, 2009

The Awesomeness of Host Homes

CTI team 14:22 has been on the road for a little over a week now, and I’ve just been blown away by the love that God has shown us – specifically through our host families. To arrange meals, accommodations, and showers for a team of 8 musicians (plus our awesome CTI staff member, Paul) is quite a burden, yet every place we’ve stayed so far has done so with grace, kindness, and incredible generosity. One specific example that sticks with me is our time last week at the University of Minnesota in Morris, MN. Rachelle and I were hosted by some of the members of the Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) group – four awesome girls named Ellie, JoJo, Katie, and Chelsea, who lived in a tiny 2-bedroom campus apartment. Not only did they make dinner for our entire team (and then got up crazy early to cook everyone pancakes at 6:45am the next day!), they gave up their beds so we could have a good sleep, stayed up late getting to know us, and just blessed us with their enthusiasm and love. I felt like they gave us so much during our brief stay there…they just filled us up so that we could be sent out to continue to minister to others. And this is something that I never would have expected. I know that we are here with CTI to be God’s servants, but I didn’t realize that so many people would be serving us in return with sincere joy.

For the past couple of nights, we’ve been in host homes where there are musical instruments present. And I’m sure you realize, guitars + a piano + a group of musicians = SPONTANEOUS JAM SESSION! Totally unplanned, we’ve ended up leading these awesome acoustic worship sessions with our host families, with everyone singing along and praising God together. And this is what I love so much about CTI – it really isn’t about us being performers on a stage. The important stuff happens off the stage, in our host homes, with the people around is. It’s about the love, the community, and building relationships.


14:22 Singing Chris Tomlin's Unfailing Love in Edgerton, MN

To everyone who has hosted this group of musicians so far, and everyone in the next year who will host us – thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. We know we are here to serve, and not be served. So to have all this love pouring out on us and be so blessed by you…well, I don’t think there are words to express our gratitude.

With love, on behalf of 14:22,
Lesley.

Sunday, September 06, 2009

The Adams Family

Helloo wonderful friends and supporters!

We are two days into our training tour, and we have already played at two churches (Grace Community Church of Bagley, MN and Woodland Bible Church of Warroad, MN). I am currently writing this to you now from the beautiful home of our very own teammate, Matt Adams, here in Warroad, Minnesota (about a stone's throw from Canada). God has already shown us that He is Lord as the past two days have been brought together through a turbulence of confusion and uncertainty. The lyrics, "Oh no, You never let go through the calm and through storm," have rung true, and we look forward to the even greater mysteries God has to reveal to us about himself.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. Please continue to pray that we will trust in His limitless power and remain enveloped with His abundant love.

Team 14:22... over and out

Saturday, September 05, 2009