Thursday, Friday

Thursday was a very eventful day for us as we had a couple of different things planned. The first thing we did was walk around downtown Tampa just trying to start conversations. These times were unique for me, as I don't think I've ever just walked around a public area looking for people to start conversations with. I really enjoyed the times we did that though, and I'm glad Perry planned times for us to do it. Jamie and I were able to have a very lengthy conversation with a former USF professor who was selling cigars in a park downtown. He was quite a talker, and we learned a lot about why he believes the things that he does. After this, we went down to Trinity Cafe to help serve them for the rest of the afternoon. We were able to serve lunch to men and women who were very appreciative of our service, and from what I heard, there were some good conversations had while they were eating. As I have worked Room in the Inn several times this semester, it was exciting to be able to hang out with some guys that go through the same struggles that the men go through back in Jackson. We were able to stay after the men left and serve the Cafe more by sealing the floor where the food is eaten, and the workers seemed highly appreciative of our help.

Friday was awesome, we got to enjoy the great Florida weather by going to the beach! We went over to Clearwater for a few hours in the morning, and I think everyone was glad that we got to go. Fortunately, most everyone got their sunburns out of the way earlier in the week. Friday night, we went to a small burger joint with Perry and Drew and both of their families. It was a great time of reflection and laughter for the entire group, and we all had the opportunity to share some thoughts on the week.

I'll be posting a few more times on here, then I'll probably switch back to Straight Talk over at www.coreosblog.blogspot.com.

Wednesday

Wednesday, we did a lot some prayer-walking, some surveys, and handed out some granola bars to promote the church. I was in SoHo walking around trying to start conversations, and I was able to get into a few good ones in just over an hour. We had a few guys that shut us down completely, and all we could do was walk away and pray for them. In the afternoon, we went down to Ybor, and Zach and I walked down 8th Avenue talking to and surveying people. We were able to talk to some Roman Catholics, a Muslim, a couple homeless guys, and a couple wealthier guys. We were really glad that we got this mixture of all types of people, and we got some interesting answers to our questions.

After a few conversations, Zach and I realized that we need to start studying a lot more. First, we saw a need to memorize more Bible verses so that we could use those. But I think for conversations like the ones we were having, there was an even greater need to understand more of the concepts and ideas of Christianity in comparison to those of other religions. For example, one man said that he believes in Jesus wholeheartedly, but he also said that other people can find different ways to get to God and to heaven. Zach asked him about the verse (John 14:6) in which Jesus says, "No one comes to the Father except through me." The man said that that verse must've just been misinterpreted, and he proceeded to give Old Testament examples of things that have somehow been misinterpreted throughout the years. Both of us were kind of stumped, and the conversation was over a lot sooner than I wanted it to be. I think this was a great lesson for both of us on the importance of being properly trained in the gospel and in Christian theology, because those who wish to disprove Christianity in one way or another will always find a way to start arguing with the theological points that we mention.

Just a thought for this morning. I just finished reading through the first 2 chapters of Philippians again, my favorite book of the Bible. There are such amazing reminders in there of what Paul went through, and it gives courage to me as I go out to have conversations with people about Christ. May the Lord go with us today.

Corey

Tuesday

Tuesday was mostly spent at James Madison Middle School helping out the teachers in any way we could.

We greatly enjoyed doing this, and it seemed as though the teachers really appreciated what we were doing for them. I was able to tutor math for most of the day (it was leaked that I was a math major...) along with Jordan and Anne, and we were glad that we could help teach these students. A few worked in the PE classes all day, and the others were in classrooms assisting the taechers. By the end of the day, we could tell that the teachers all truly appreciated our help. We were very glad that we could have an impact on their days even by doing simple tasks for them.

After dinner at a great little sandwich shop over at International, we headed back to the rooms for the night.

Overall, I think we were overwhelmed at how much those teachers experience daily. It seemed like we were all worn out after only one day of helping.

Monday

Today was an awesome day down here in Tampa, and we are so grateful for the opportunities that we had throughout the day to converse with others.

We spent today at the University of Tampa, and it was a time that none of us will soon forget. After some prayer-walking in the morning, we did some spiritual interest surveys with some of the students who were sitting around the campus eating lunch. For this, we teamed up with the Campus Crusade team of UT students, and we greatly appreciated them taking us in and showing us their campus. It was great to see the many differing responses to the same questions throughout the student body, and we learned a lot about the culture of the school through these simple surveys. There is a great need for more students like those in Campus Crusade to step up and be a light for Christ on that campus. We were very grateful that we could support them today.

This afternoon, we helped them as they sponsored a tie-dye event in the park on campus. While this might sound overly simple or childish, it was actually a great way to spark some really good conversations with some of the students. Seeing as this was one of the goals of the day, the event went well.

After some dinner over at International Mall and some ice cream, we headed back to the houses. Everyone was ready to wind the day down by this point, so it was good to have some time to relax and converse tonight.

We are eagerly looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that will present themselves to us tomorrow.

Corey

Saturday and Sunday

Saturday was a good long day of traveling. Our flight left Nashville around 12:30, and we stopped in Raleigh to switch flights. Throughout the day, everyone was pretty wired, but by the time we got to Tampa around 7, everyone seemed pretty tired. It was about 9:30 when Zach, Jordan, and I retired.

Sunday

We had a great first full day down in Tampa!

We attended Perry and Drew's church service this morning at Covenant Life Church. It was a great time of worship as Perry spoke from Ecclesiastes 8. We had lunch at Chipotle, a Moes-type restaurant. We tried to have a vote on which is better, but, of course, it ended in a tie. I preferred Chipotle, the ingredients seemed a lot fresher.

Then the group taped Covenant Life informational cards onto the back of granola bars and went into the community to hand them out. It seemed like there were some great conversations that happened during these few hours. Sam and I were able to talk to a man for about 45 minutes, and we got to know him pretty well. It was great talking to him; I think we were able to at least plant some ideas into his head. As we got into some back-and-forth debates, ideas kept coming into my head like, "What can I say to him that might make him challenge his belief about this?" or even, "What do I need to say for him to realize that our message is true?" But after we finished the conversation, I started realizing the error in this thought. I think so often in conversations like these, we can forget that we have no power to win over somebody for Christ. Rather, there is a freedom in realizing that we can do nothing to change someone's soul. We can only proclaim what we know to be true, and leave the rest up to God. If He wants to bring someone to himself, he can do it in an instant. So I was encouraged by our conversation in this way. Anyways, there's a tangent for the night.

We also heard a bit from Perry and Drew about their church mission and goals here in South Tampa. I'm really glad we can all be here to contribute in any way we can; hopefully the results of our work will continue to be seen after we are gone. I sincerely respect their mission and philosophy in coming down here to plant a church. It's exciting to see the fruits of their labor being displayed as they see more and more people come to Christ as God uses them here in this city. I look forward to everything this week will entail.

It has become extremely clear that God placed each of our members on this trip for a reason. There is a great spirit among everyone here, and I'm excited not only for this week, but also for the new relationships that will continue to be developed back in Jackson. In our meetings before the trip, it was evident that each one of us has unique God-given spiritual gifts. It will be exciting to see the different roles we are able to play throughout the week.

Readers, continue to pray for our safety, but more importantly, be praying for those we will be serving and conversing with throughout the week.

Corey

Introduction

GO Tampa!

Union University annually sends students to different parts of the world to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. These Global Opportunities, shortened GO, are a unique way for Union students to put their faith into action. This year, I will be traveling with 7 other students and 2 Union faculty to Tampa, Florida, for a week during Spring Break. We will be connecting with a church there and working with them for much of the week.

My name is Corey, and I've been deemed the official blogger for this trip. I am very excited about the opportunity that we will have to impact the people of Tampa.

This site will be a unique way for me to keep outsiders updated on what's going on during our trip. It will also be a useful tool in reflecting on the work we've done once we return to Tennessee. It's Wednesday, and we're leaving on Saturday morning, so that's when the posts will likely start appearing.

We appreciate any and all prayers for travel safety throughout the trip. Also, we need prayer for courage and strength as we go out into a new community to spread the gospel.

Corey