Reflection

I've been opening my laptop, going to my blog and looking at a white, blank text box since Monday morning. In the end, I close the laptop and tell myself I'll write this blog later.

Last weekend, I went to New York and New Jersey in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. I saw a lot of things. My trip to Colorado this summer was just a tiny glimpse of what it's like to be involved in a initial response to a natural disaster when the wildfires terrorized the city of Colorado Springs. I can't compare it to last week's trip at all.

I'm honestly not sure what to say. I could write about the gasoline lines. I could write about moms, dads and children carrying bundles of soaked belongings from their house to the curb. I could write about the woman who teared up, telling us that her teenage daughter was handling the loss of their home very well and that she was proud of her. And then there is the overwhelming response from people who want to help. Tables are set up everywhere offered free food and drinks. People are giving out donated coats from the trunk of their car. Amazing things happen in a community when there is a crisis.

One team from Pennsylvania really touched me last Saturday. I'm pretty sure Cornerstone EFC comes to New Orleans to serve at least once a quarter. You get the picture, they are there a lot and I've had a lot of interaction with them. But they really blew me away last week.

Hoboken EFC is located in New Jersey and the city itself is actually below sea level in most, if not all, parts. So, needless to say, Hoboken had a fair amount of damage after Sandy. Hoboken EFC had knee-deep water in their basement which was not only renovated a couple years ago but also the center for a lot of ministry that happens in the tiny, one square-mile city. The Pastor Paul I met on Friday (Nov. 2) was not the same pastor I saw again, 24 hours later. On Friday, I met a man whose heart was breaking and who was physically and emotionally tired and unsure of what to do next. As the penetrating smell of mold hung heavily in the air we breathed, he was discouraged and quiet. So...we set up a course of action.


Cornerstone's response was immediate and enthusiastic. They embraced the challenge of gutting out a dank, smelly basement and hosting a neighborhood block party. Quite possibly the first block party every in Hoboken! I didn't get to hang around much on Saturday in Hoboken because we were pretty much on the move all day, but for the short time I was able to stop in and visit I was so encouraged! Of course it's always nice to see old friends :) The block part seemed to be a huge success! Never have I seen strangers gather in front of a building just to hang out and eat some hotdogs in the northeast. Wow, what an incredible, practical way to show the love of Christ! These people had been stuck in their dark, powerless houses for days and just seeing another person and having a conversation was a delight for them!

I suppose I should have just started typing a long time ago...I discovered what I wanted to blog about! Again, this disaster just makes support raising more urgent. The ONLY reason I was able to travel last minute to the northeast is because of the generosity of EFCA paying for my plane ticket, food, etc. In order to be able to do this the next time TouchGlobal wants to respond to a crisis, I need to use the support money raised to get there. Please prayerfully consider being a part of the kingdom in this way. If  you are already supporting me and you plan to keep doing it for another year, you are AWESOME. Just shoot me an e-mail to let me know :)

chelsea.buffington@efca.org

Love in Christ,
Chelsea

P.S. - I took a million pictures, but they aren't uploading. Check back for pictures or check out TouchGlobals Facebook.

Hurricane Sandy Created a Mission Field

I am amazed at God's sovereignty. Today, I am completely and utterly amazed by that.

Just the front of a long line of people waiting for gasoline

I had emailed Mark earlier this week about doing whatever he wanted me to do in the wake of Hurricane Sandy to get the news out. I never expected him to ask me to come to the east coast this weekend. Within 19 hours of getting a phone call from him, I bought my plane ticket, packed, finished a presentation due the next day, did various other things I was planning to do this weekend, presented my presentation had one last meal with Dustin and hopped on a plane to Philly. Can I just say right now that I love my job? And air travel.

Today was definitely an experience. I've never seen hurricane damage so soon after the actual disaster. It was eerily similar to New Orleans and the pictures I've seen post-Katrina. People lined up for at least a mile at most gas stations, both standing and in cars. While driving through New Jersey last night, we would hit spots that were completely blacked out.

 I walked up a street today and people wandered past me, unsure of what to do with their soaking wet possessions piled up on the sidewalks. I saw the caution tape slapped onto a house that you could see straight through to the back door. I looked at pictures taken of a woman's house that was completely under water. And I watched a pastor light up at the mention of doing a block party and handing out food tomorrow in front of his church. I listened to the story of a woman who worked in a shelter for the past few days, helping people who had a home one day and nothing the next. I sat around a kitchen table and talked to a family who was excited to have us in their house and wanted to learn more about this ministry.

Photo taken in front of a property on Staten Island.
Things salvaged from the flood.

I don't think people realize how bad it is until they come here and see it for themselves. That's why I'm doing this. People need to know and see pictures and hear stories of real people that we've met that are suffering and struggling. People that are rejoicing because of their hope in Christ, not their hope in things. Today, I heard that 3% of Staten Island (which has a lot of damage) claims to evangelical Christians. That's 3% of over half a million people. We believe that a mission field is created in the wake of every crisis. This is a mission field. We have an opportunity.

Blink

"Show me, Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure." Psalm 39:4-5

Last night, Dustin and I were coming back from the shooting range (our newest, cheap date idea), listening to worship music, when "Blink" by the band Revive played over the speakers. I immediately started to sing along to it and tapped away at my smartphone. For the first time, the lyrics to that song really sank in:

Teach me to number my days
And count every moment
Before it slips away
Take in all the colors
Before they fade to gray

At the exact same moment that I understood those lyrics, Dustin pointed out the gorgeous sunset and suggested we pull over and watch it. Suddenly, watching a sunset was the perfect use of my time.
Follow that up with a class the next day that went through the theology and practical application of the book of Ecclesiastes and I realized even more so how we are just a vapor. All day I've been thinking about how anything apart from Christ is meaningless, just like the author of Ecclesiastes claimed (Ecc. 1:14). How often do I chase after things that never last? It's like chasing the wind. Never really being satisfied because the object you're chasing is always on the move. Sometimes I think I'm so Americanized that the American dream has fooled me into desiring a certain mold, a lifestyle that makes me 'somebody'. But that's an entirely different topic for another day.
Maybe the problem is not even desiring (and acquiring) material things but being so busy that you overlook blessings. Last night's decision was unusual for me. Normally, I would've protested and told Dustin that I had mounds of homework piling up, that we need to pick out wedding music and (finally) finish our website. That sunset was created for appreciation and enjoyment. Who am I to pass up beauty that God places right before my eyes?
The song "Blink" goes on to ask, "What am I doing with my life?" I don't think that's a bad question to ask on a semi-regular basis, just to be certain that I am focused on things that really matter.
This brings me to the topic of TouchGlobal. I'm still raising support and I'm around the 50% mark of being fully supported for another year. I have one more month of raising support until my goal of starting my work back up on December 1st. If you are interested in coming alongside me and offering financial support please comment on this post, Facebook message me, call me, text me, email me (chelsea.buffington@efca.org), tweet me -- doesn't matter to me how it's done :) My goal is to get a newsletter out this week, just a reminder that I have another month left.
If you read all of that you are one amazing person, so a special thanks to YOU!
Love,
Chelsea Buffington

Back to Blogging (And it feels so good!)

Ah, it's been a while since I've blogged. It feels good to be typing in this little text box again.

An update on my life: Bolivar living is a little slower than New Orleans, but I'm certainly enjoying my time here and being closer to my fiance. School is going well (all A's so far :) ) and I've been loving the mail I get from my super friends and family! It's an adjustment, but I'm praising God that He is faithful and always sees me through.

I'm currently raising support for the  next year to be on TouchGlobal's staff as a part-time member. My duties will be:

1.       Writing articles for TouchGlobal's blog and the TouchGlobal Bridge (the newsletter).

2.       Helping to recruit interns and invest in my generation as they are called to be in the mission    field.

3.       Traveling to a response site to assess the damage and write stories.

It is a little less involved than as if I were actually living in Louisiana and working in the Covington office. Because of that, I'm raising less support than I did last year. This support includes the money that I will put back and access when there is a natural disaster or crisis that I must travel to (i.e. - Colorado wildfires this past summer).

Please let me know if you want to receive a letter from me with more details. If you are interested in supporting me, please email me at chelsea.buffington@efca.org.

I'm so excited about this opportunity! I'm praying that God will continue to use me and allow me to spread word of the work of his kingdom!

"He said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'"
Matthew 9:36 
 

One More Day

I've taken a break from staring at boxes and wishing they would pack themselves and now I'm sitting at our kitchen table, eating Skittles and telling Ronnie I can't believe we only have one more day left.

One more day.

This year flew by. It's hard to believe that there were times when my days seemed long.

It's not hard to believe how my God provided for me this year. I looked at my donor report this week and realized that there are people that I've never met, sending me support every month. Wow.  If you are reading this, and I've never met you but  you still faithfully pray for  me and help me do the ministry I'm called to do, THANK YOU. You are an amazing blessing from God!!

My time in New Orleans is drawing to a close and it's hard. It's hard not knowing when I'll be back. But I understand that there is a different plan for me right now. It's amazing how I've felt the Holy Spirit move me in certain directions this year. Just like I knew for a fact last fall that I needed to be in New Orleans, I know for a fact I'm supposed to be moving on now. I love New Orleans but this is not where I'm supposed to be living during this season of life. Although, I'm so so so so SO excited about this awesome opportunity to continue serving with TouchGlobal!!! I have a lot to look forward to: college, marriage, ministry...and this is only the beginning!

Enjoy some of the pictures from this year!

Thank you, everyone, for all the support you've given me both through prayer and financially this year! I thank God for you every time I think about you! I'm so excited for the next chapter of my life and I'm excited that I'll be able to continue to share it with you!

-Chelsea Buffington

Love is Marching and I'm Following

My eyes and ears were opened last week. I saw and heard Jesus.


Cardboard houses.


Jesus.


Blue, tattered tarps used as roofs.



Jesus.

A cerulean sea.


Jesus.

Tears wetting little faces that peaked around doors and watched me.


Jesus.

Tiny brown hands lifted high, clinging to me.


Jesus.


I learned that the poverty we see on television, the homeless, the orphaned, the widowed are not government 'problems'. They are a mission field for churches. Not churches, The Church. The Body of Christ.

The church sends people. She sends 'the called'.

"I'm not called to go there. I'm not equipped. I have my job, my kids, my parents, my house, my car to worry about. Someone else will go."



No, that someone is you. God commands it . I saw Jesus, I heard Him. He is every person that has ever needed help, love, healing (Matthew 25:40). We are called to action.

"He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing." Deuteronomy 10:18

 "Thus says the LORD, 'Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.'"  Jeremiah 22:3

 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.’ But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry." Zechariah 7:9-12

I learned that compassion is not feeling badly. When Jesus had compassion, he went, he suffered with them, he healed them and raised them up.

I learned that I have this deep, God-given desire in my heart to get down on my hands and knees and love a person exactly where they are at. My heart is breaking -- breaking -- for the orphans that tugged on my clothes in Haiti, for the man on the street with one leg and a crutch -- watching cars race past, for the kids in New Orleans whose parents don't come home until midnight. I learned that this desire won't, can't and should not stop when I 'leave' this harvest in New Orleans. I need people to know that there is suffering all over the world. They need to go. We need to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Which brings me to the next step of my journey and my decision to stay on with TouchGlobal. I am commanded by God to use my talents, abilities and resources for His glory. I am still going to college and moving to Missouri in the fall, but I'll write stories for the ministry from a distance. This is one way I can use words to bring to light the desperate needs of people in crisis and poverty.

Because I am doing this, I need to continue to raise support so that I can travel for the ministry and take pictures and write down what I see.

Thank you for your prayers and support throughout this past year. Please pray about partnering with me, to let God's people know that they also need to step up and take action when they see something that breaks His heart.

"And when our hearts begin to break along with His, this world will change."

-"Love is Marching", Barlowgirl 

-Chelsea Buffington

The Travelling Summary

Hey y'all!!
I'm back from Haiti and Colorado and done with Challenge! Wow, what a crazy two weeks, but I loved every minute of it :) Thank you for the prayers that kept me going. I'm still feeling energized for my last 4 weeks in New Orleans!

Smoke rising out of the canyon. All the trees in front are burnt.

Colorado was a great experience. It was a quick, 14-hour trip but I learned a lot about our ministry and why we do what we do. The people I met there were incredible, the way they trusted God even without knowing if their houses were still standing. I hope I have that kind of faith! Please continue to pray for them and read the story I wrote for EFCA after coming back from CO. I was extremely impacted by my time there.

Jess and Liz and I at Challenge. I met them at our
awesome Haiti experience!

Challenge was just as awesome. I think I thrive on youth, or maybe I'm just subconsciously missing my youth group days as well. But being surrounded by over 5300 teens and lifting high the name of Jesus corporately was something I never experienced at their age. Plus, I was able to meet some of our Haiti staff before I even got to Haiti, practically live at the New Orleans convention center, and spend almost every waking moment with Katie Hooks.

Anika and I. This little girl attached herself to me. So cute!

And last, but not least, Haiti was incredible. At Challenge we set up an entire exhibition hall to look like Haiti. While I think we did a great job, it's nothing like experiencing it in person. If you saw our Love Moves Haiti exhibit and were impacted, go to Haiti. You will fall in love just like I did. What a beautiful country with an ongoing list of problems. Please, pray for Haiti.

Next week, my blog will be about the new direction I'm headed. Sorry for missing a week, but please keep checking back!

Love,
Chelsea :)