Ten Days of Change; Reverse Missions Trip

Ten days of change.  

That was our slogan as we smashed 7 grown men into a minivan and headed off to Colorado.  This was our very first reverse missions trip. We have hosted many groups over the years coming to serve in the city but this time young men from the city were going to the suburbs of Boulder to serve. Every day of the trip the guys would give up something as a sacrifice and in obedience to the Lord. Drinking, smoking, cussing, attitudes; we were going to serve and be salt and light as best we could. 

As we started the drive it was easy to see they were excited but underneath there was a lot of fear.   Most of them have never been out of LA or seen snow, or more than a handful of white people at one time. The car was full of joking and laughing as we drove through Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. Just  traveling was an adventure for them. We stopped every time there was something new. 

“Hey look at that mountain. Why is it flat on top?” 

“It’s a plateau.”

“Hey look at those animals over there. Why does everyone have those in their back yard?” 

“Those are deer. “ 

“Hey is all that white stuff falling snow? Lets get some and take it with us.” 

"Snow is ice and it will melt if we bring it with us.”

We were going to serve at Discovery church in Broomfield CO. The church had been meeting at a local school and were almost finished with building their own facility. Since the guys have been learning construction skills through our Construction and Discipleship Program (CAD), they asked us to come out and help. We would spend our time building the church playground and acoustic panels for the sanctuary. This trip was full of many firsts for the guys. The first night alone, was overwhelming as we arrived at our liaison's house. One, being in CO this was the most white people they have ever seen. Two, this was the nicest house they have ever been in. Lastly, there were all these white hosts upstairs who were going to take them away in pairs to their homes for the week. At one point my men took me downstairs and were begging me, “Please Bob don't make us go. Let us just stay with you in this basement. We’ll sleep on the floor. Please Bob. “I said no and made them go with their hosts anyway. Later I found out at the same time the hosts were asking our liaison, ”Is it going to be alright taking these men.  They look rough. Are you sure this is a good idea? “By the end of the week the hosts and my guys had become family to each other. It was one of the best relationship building times of their life.  

Besides working, we got to have some fun experiences also. People can purchase a buffalo and they thought it would be fun to take us buffalo hunting. It was the most nasty, exhilarating, fun, male bonding we have ever done. We shot the buffalo, gutted and skinned it.  I thought the guys being from the city would have backed away from this but it was just the opposite. When the pastor said to stick the knife in and start skinning it we did. When he said to pull out all the intestines we did. He showed us the lungs and we passed them around. At the end he had a guy cut the heart out. The whole time we were just screaming and laughing at the next guy whose turn it was to do something. My guys said this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so they were going to try everything they could possibly experience.

We also had a chance to go tubing as well. For a bunch of grown men who have never seen snow before this was the most fun they had ever had in their life. They went down the slope giggling like little kids.    However, one of the most impactful times was the Sunday sermon. I had been invited to give the message and I had two of the men, Reggie and Keith help me. They spoke from Isaiah and shared from their personal life as an ex convict and ex gangbanger. By the end of the sermon people were moved and several people  were crying. My guys have gone from jail and the streets to living by faith and preaching in a church in suburban CO.

This was a life changing trip for us. We met new people and  experienced new things. We focused on letting God change us instead of us trying on our own strength. Tyrone said if we can give something up for 10 days we can give it up for a lifetime. Proverbs says where there is no vision the people perish. Our prayers for the guys is that they would have a vision for their lives and how God can use them.

Click below for an audio file of Bob sermon with Reggie and Keith.

Audio file of Bob and the guys Sermon - Discovery Church Broomfield, CO - 2-2-13

I Just Need an Interview

From Bob Combs, Metro Staff

Our Metro staff in Compton, CA work with Metro Community Development Corp (Metro CDC). Our mission is to be a part of God's work, employing whole-life discipleship, asset-based community development, and "business as mission" (to empower individuals, build families, and strengthen neighborhoods.) Here is just one story of how this is working.

Chris grew up in Compton and faced many challenges as a youngster such as foster care, a gang lifestyle and poor education. After high school, he became involved with our CAD (Construction & Discipleship Program), growing in his relationship with the Lord and earning his contractor's certificate.

On one occasion, Chris bid a job calling for a 20ft beam to be installed in an attic. As they were discussing the job, the client revealed that he was the director of a security organization within a major retail mall. In the end, Chris told the client that he would be willing to install the beam for FREE if the client would interview him for a job with his security firm. The man agreed. After a third-party interview, Chris was hired the following day and has full time employment with benefits! Now he has the dignity of being able to provide for his new wife and daughter.

Driving the security vehicle around the parking lot is one of his functions. To do so, Chris needed to provide proof of having a valid driver's license by the end of the year. Unfortunately, he owed $800 for an outstanding traffic ticket he incurred as a teenager. This amount would not seem horribly overwhelming to you or me, but for Chris, this might as well be millions! His ordinary resources are just too limited and if the fines weren't paid, he'd lose this job.

However, through the extraordinary resources of Metro CDC, another option presented itself. Chris was able to sell one of our donated cars, and not only pay off his debt, but keep his job as well. He is one of our Courageous Leaders, a family man growing in the love and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

To read more about the Metro Compton ministry, visit the website at www.metrocdc.org