post four - the book

along with obvious investment in studying scripture leading up to june 9th when i start with hartford city missions, we are required to read a book by kevin blue called "practical justice: living off center in a self-centered world"

the basic premise of the book is to open our minds and hearts to the call Jesus gave us to care for the poor. and what it looks like. and how to get out of the rut of not knowing what to do when we feel convicted to help another in their circumstance. it really is a practical approach.

anyways, i'd recommend checking out the amazon page for the book and reading the excerpts they have.

peace.

-steve

post three - the packing list (with added commentary in parenthesis)

+ towels
+ sheets for twin bed
+ pillow
+ jacket/sweaters (i can't wait to bust out my 80's track jacket and old man sweaters)
+ shoes to walk and run in (chuck taylors)

+ lots of clothes to run around in
+ some nicer clothes for church
+ some everyday clothes for evenings off and days off together
+ clothes or bathing suits to get wet in
(what this all basically means is: jeans, chords, and threadless tshirts, and a few button-ups... basically my everyday wardrobe)

+ bible
+ journal

+ camera if desired
+ alarm clock
+ daytimer or calendar (what's a daytimer? and do they make calendars anymore?)

+ any favorite kids ministry props, music, etc.
+ any favorite games we might want to play together
+ good cheap recipes that you would want to cook (they assume i know how... mmm pancakes for dinner every night i cook... but if you know of any good vegetarian-friendly recipes that are easy to do, i'd love to have your comments)

they asked us to not bring anything that would either distract us from relationships with others (like privatized electronic devices) or anything too expensive. i'll have access to an office and a few shared computers as needed, which means i'll be able to post here at least a few times during the summer, to share my experiences with you of course.

housing will be provided for me in the first floor apartment of the vine, which is hcm's ministry house. which means that while i should bring sheets and towels, anything else i'll need will already be there (dishes, beds, furniture, pots, pans, etc, etc).

post two - the letter

Dear Friend,

I would love to partner in ministry with you this summer.

My friend Chris Bannon sent me an email urging me to look into a nine-week summer internship with an organization called Hartford City Mission. Open to the plans God would have for me for the summer, I prayed, and asked my friends at school and my family to pray as well. As we continued to pray through the course of the month, I felt a heavy weight on my heart to be involved in the work that God is doing through Hartford City Mission (HCM) this summer. I can’t wait to begin working with them.

I will be arriving in Hartford on June 9th, spending the first week orienting myself with the city, HCM, and my team of four other people for the summer. The next seven weeks will be focused around planning and facilitating their new children’s camp during the day, and hosting community activities in the evenings.

There are a few ways you and I can partner this summer: if you would pray for me, the team I am serving with, HCM, the people we will interact with, and the city of Hartford, CT… that would be fantastic. Additionally, with any ministry there are physical needs as well. For me to be able to serve Hartford this summer, I need to raise at least 800 dollars.

I am asking you to pray for me, and if you feel led to give financially, please write a check to Hartford City Mission with my name (Steve Carroll), in the memo li ne. Please send it to HCM, PO Box 320397, Hartford, CT 06132.

Thanks,

Steve Carroll

www.hartfordcitymission.com

first post - an intro

so in case you had trouble associating my name with my face... this is me: steve carroll. what these postings will serve to do is give you a little more information about my summer mission trip to hartford connecticut and the time leading up to it. to be honest, i'm not exactly sure of the specifics of what i'm doing, but that i'll be working with a group called hartford city mission (hcm). they sent me a packet about a month ago with some basic information, a packing list, some paperwork to fill out, and a book i'm supposed to read.

but first, how did i get involved with this? well, my friend chris sent me an email about hcm sometime around the beginning of the semester, when summer plans were fresh on my mind. no really, they were, i had actually been praying, asking God how he wanted me to serve him this summer. so i talked to some friends about the idea of doing something in the city, instead of being in a camp environment like i did last summer (which was awesome, and God worked in marvelous ways) and i asked them to pray for me to be able to discern what would be the best environment. i asked my parents to do the same. so we prayed... for awhile.

...and as time went on i still wasn't sure what to do, and the application deadline was fast approaching. so i took a step forward and told God that i was excited about doing something in Hartford this summer, and if it was where i would be able to serve him best, that i would be accepted into the program.

i got a call a few weeks later when i was at my friend jeff and lisa's house. i got in, and that's why you're here reading this. :)