Tuesday, Aug. 19 - Rock Vision Night
8 p.m., Ellis Aud.
We will be talking about our vision for the upcoming school year and praying about it together.

Wednesday-Friday, Aug. 20-22 - Brady Survey Table
9 a.m. - 5 p.m., outside the bookstore
Hand out Icee Pops and talk to students

Saturday, Aug. 23 - The Rock
7:07 p.m., Johnson/Middlebush Aud.
Our first worship gathering with everyone back to school.

Sunday, Aug. 24 - Rock Concert
6:30ish p.m., Lowry Mall
The Rock’s band will be playing. Freshmen, come by after you are through with Tiger Walk.

Monday, Aug. 25 - Prayer
6:30 a.m., outside Gillett Hall
Pray for campus on the first day of classes.

Tuesday, Aug. 26 - Freshman Leadership Group
10 p.m., Memorial Union
Freshmen, come and meet other freshmen who want to grow in leadership this year.

Thursday, Aug. 28 - Canvas Group
Join one of our small groups that meet all over campus.

Sunday, Sept. 7 - Pig Roast
6 p.m., The Drages’ house (1317 Anthony St.)
Come hang out and enjoy some pig.

Back in mid-spring, a small handful of friends from The Rock were planning how to present a two-week water fast to our church and to the students at Mizzou. Rather than drinking coffee, soda, juice, etc., we challenged ourselves to drink nothing but tap water and saved the money we would have spent. Then at the end of the fast, we collected the money and donated it toward Blood: Water Mission and their “1000 Wells Project” that is taking place across Africa, in hopes to provide clean water to the millions of people who have no access to clean water.

There were two purposes:

1. To break our dependence on our usual convenience of drinking what we want, when we want it.

2. To show God’s love to our brothers and sisters in Africa through our small act of sacrifice, though we may never see them.

The fast went better than we thought. Some folks from RUF, another ministry on the Mizzou campus, jumped on board with us, and together we set up a table in Brady Commons six times during the fast to collect donations and raise awareness. Through the table and money saved through fasting, we raised more than $1,200. At the end of the fast, we threw a “Water Party” to celebrate everyone’s efforts. Breezy Torres displayed an art project that she had made that represented the contaminated water that millions of Africans are forced to drink daily. We also spent some time discussing how the fast went - what was difficult, what we learned, how thinking about the issue messed with our hearts, etc. Finally, we committed the money to prayer, asking that God would use it in powerful ways.

I was greatly challenged and encouraged throughout the fast. I was challenged constantly because every time I was thirsty for something besides water, I thought of my brothers and sisters who would love to have a glass of what I had to “settle” for. I was greatly encouraged because of dozens of friends who got excited about the effort and decided to sacrifice for such a beautiful cause. Thank you very much to all who participated, volunteered and prayed for the effort - lives are changed forever from such a simple project.

INTERSESSION ROCKS
Saturday, May 24 - No Rock
Thursday, May 29 - The Rock, 7 p.m., Ellis Aud.

SUMMER SESSION CALENDAR
The Rock - 7 p.m. Thursdays, Ellis Aud., begins June 5
Canvas Group - 8 p.m. Mondays, place TBA, begins June 9
Sunday dinners - 6 p.m. Sundays, The Drages’, begins June 15

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Melissa Ebberts,

Describe the need in Santa Monica. Why did you feel called to go?
Santa Monica, which is in LA County, is the homeless capital of the country. There is a great disparity between those who have and those who have not. Right alongside movie shoot locations are people who are struggling just to get by. Those with material wealth also have a great need, though theirs can be tucked away behind a glossy set of sunglasses or a shiny luxury car.
There is such diversity of cultures that include different religions, languages, ethnicities. It’s fascinating. People are searching for something great, something that will give them a purpose, but there are so many things in L.A. that can distract them from finding the truth about Jesus. I think that’s why I wanted to live out here.

What are some of the ways you’ve been engaging the neighborhood/community?
I work for a Head Start/State preschool program, which has helped me to get connected with my neighborhood and the families around here. I call a few of my co-workers my close friends, and it has been so neat to have them get to know people from Kairos and vice versa. I also volunteer on Thursday nights at an Adult Education Center with the school district, helping an overworked teacher in the reading lab class that includes ESL, high school diploma/GED students, and adults that are trying to learn how to read. About every three months, I go with a group from USC, called Healing Hearts Across Borders, which does free medical/dental clinics down in Tijuana for a weekend. I translate and help with registration.

What has been difficult?
Not getting distracted by the glitz and the glamour. So much of what people grumble and fuss about is about what they think they should have or what they deserve. I can get caught up in that sometimes. It’s hard not to give in to gossip at work, too. I have to keep my focus and to love others not necessarily as they would do unto me.

What has God taught you in this experience so far?
Take a leap, jump into it and trust Him all the way. That’s really difficult for a control freak like me.

How have you seen God’s faithfulness in this process?
When I truly and honestly trust God with a decision or a particular situation, He provides. God doesn’t let me down. The passage that I’ve meditated on lately is, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ…”

Describe what it has been like doing this with a team of people.
Amazing. Challenging. Funny. Mind-boggling. Uplifting. 

Links:
Kairos L.A.
 

Our two-week series at The Rock called God Exposed continues this week with the talk “God is Pro-Party.”
Join us at 7:07 p.m. Saturday at Walter Johnson/Middlebush Aud.

Click the “more tag” below to watch our God Exposed trailer.

Download or Stream

Also, for more about Samaritan’s Purse and the church reconstruction project in Sudan visit their website and you’ll find multimedia, church stories, prayer requests and more.

We have no more spots left for Habitat for Humanity, so please join us at Harbor House.

Links:
The rest of our volunteering dates.