Months have passed since we last blogged, because Lifebread has been so busy!
in the past three months, we have:
• completed a nationwide fundraising tour with over $15,000 raised
• led a team of Pepperdine students to Africa
• established a new bakery at the Ft. Portal church of Christ in western Uganda
• visited our bakery project in Nairobi
• got married!
• Conducted a survery trip to Togo
Our summer was crazy, but full of moments were God showed up. Each day, we have been able to share our love for Jesus through service in Africa and inspiring young people in the states. These are the times when we truly believe that working with Lifebread is the best that has ever happened to us.
Lifebread is currently recruiting for our next internship. In 2011, we will lead a team of five interns to Togo, West Africa, to establish a bakery project with the Lassa Tchou people. Working alongside a team of missionaries who have been serving in Togo for over 10 years, Lifebread will set up a microfinance bakery project with the women of the village.
This will also mark the first time that Lifebread has accepted interns from other universities than Pepperdine. We are advertising our internship at many universities, including Lipscomb, Abiliene Christian, and Harding. For more info or to apply, check out the Internship tab on our website, www.lifebread.org.
Dusty
Friday, September 17, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
June 28 (tom)
Eight hours of driving in 12 hours. Complete. By me. I’m tired.
But now we are done. We spoke to a youth group at the Alta Mesa Church of Christ in what was a perfect end to our summer tour. The kids did not buy much, but instead the event went much more like our first event at Hilltop. The just really liked getting to know us as people. We told them about our mission, but then they told us about their mission trip that they will be taking this summer. Pizza and lots of talking followed. Hopefully, I convinced a couple kids to come to Pepperdine. If not, I hope they at least took away some good things from today’s gathering. Either way, though, we are done with what has been a very successful summer tour. Now we drive back to California, return Marv, and await our flights to Africa..
But now we are done. We spoke to a youth group at the Alta Mesa Church of Christ in what was a perfect end to our summer tour. The kids did not buy much, but instead the event went much more like our first event at Hilltop. The just really liked getting to know us as people. We told them about our mission, but then they told us about their mission trip that they will be taking this summer. Pizza and lots of talking followed. Hopefully, I convinced a couple kids to come to Pepperdine. If not, I hope they at least took away some good things from today’s gathering. Either way, though, we are done with what has been a very successful summer tour. Now we drive back to California, return Marv, and await our flights to Africa..
June 27 (tom)
Today was one of the best days of the trip. Russellville, Arkansas, welcomed us with open arms and great senses of humor. We spoke to a very receptive youth group at West Side Church of Christ this morning, had breakfast with one of the members of Lifebread’s board and with the brother of the preacher we met in Teague, Texas (it is such a small world). After some afternoon work cleaning Marv, we went back to the church to present our documentary to anyone that would listen. We had a crowd of maybe 60, all of whom were very eager to hear what we had to say. Finally, we got down to the crux of the day though. Dinner with the same crowd as breakfast was followed by the departure of Katie, Jessica, and myself. Dusty and Cecily decided to go their own way and enjoy a family vacation before they run away to Africa to get married. That leaves Jessica, Katie and me to drive Marv to Fort Worth by 11AM tomorrow morning. Eight hours of driving in 12 hours. Fingers crossed.
June 26 (tom)
Ah, June 26, a day of driving, traffic, a US World Cup loss (watched from the Jackson, TN, YMCA), and a lot of hunger. By a lot of hunger, I do not mean the kind we are trying to fight in Africa – by no means to I mean to complain that much. But a day with only a lunner at KFC leaves much to be desired. At about midnight we stumbled into a very welcoming home and crashed.
It’s amusing how fun the days of travel can be and how difficult that humor is to relay in this blog. Dusty made some inadvertent but very inappropriate comments. Cecily gets hit on in front of her fiancé. Jessica is just misunderstood. Katie still grumpily awaits her chance to drive the Marv. And you’ll have to ask the others about my behavior.
It’s amusing how fun the days of travel can be and how difficult that humor is to relay in this blog. Dusty made some inadvertent but very inappropriate comments. Cecily gets hit on in front of her fiancé. Jessica is just misunderstood. Katie still grumpily awaits her chance to drive the Marv. And you’ll have to ask the others about my behavior.
June 25 (tom)
We did it! We raised $3000 – just enough for one bakery project all thanks to the generous hearts of some southern teens. We’ve made some great friends here at Impact from the huggers, to the staff, to four very interested future missionary hopefuls. Thanks so much Impact. We hope to see you again next summer.
June 24 (tom)
It’s the second to last day of Impact, and things are going our way. We’ve had college and high school kids alike all come up to us and ask how to get on next year’s trip. Lifebread has really found a great place for support, growth, and encouragement in Impact.
Today, though we had a bit of an “us” day. Two of the great people we met in Florence came up to visit us in Nashville and show us around town. We went shopping for a while to please the girls, and then went and checked out the Parthenon replica downtown. Then, after spending a little more time at Impact we took a night out on the town. After a month of grunging around in three day old clothes, a cooped up living space, and periodic showers, we got our night of glory. The girls got all dolled up, and the Dusty and I tried to clean up just enough to be reasonable looking company. Unfortunately, my youthful glow kept us out of many of the dancing bars, but we did find a place to go get our two step on.
Impact total: $1850
Today, though we had a bit of an “us” day. Two of the great people we met in Florence came up to visit us in Nashville and show us around town. We went shopping for a while to please the girls, and then went and checked out the Parthenon replica downtown. Then, after spending a little more time at Impact we took a night out on the town. After a month of grunging around in three day old clothes, a cooped up living space, and periodic showers, we got our night of glory. The girls got all dolled up, and the Dusty and I tried to clean up just enough to be reasonable looking company. Unfortunately, my youthful glow kept us out of many of the dancing bars, but we did find a place to go get our two step on.
Impact total: $1850
June 23 (tom)
Today, I need some rest. I think we all need some rest. The road trip has been great, but travelling around non-stop speaking and trying to tell the country about Lifebread. This week at Impact finally staying in the same place for a few days will be a great break, but I think our team could really just use a night to ourselves.
It’s funny how much the dynamic of our group changes when more than just the five of us are there. Of course it is welcomed and even necessary on the trip, but there is a special kind of chemistry when it is just us on the RV (at least on the rare occasion when some of us are awake). Sometime soon we need some us time.
Impact total up to $1100.
It’s funny how much the dynamic of our group changes when more than just the five of us are there. Of course it is welcomed and even necessary on the trip, but there is a special kind of chemistry when it is just us on the RV (at least on the rare occasion when some of us are awake). Sometime soon we need some us time.
Impact total up to $1100.
June 22 (tom)
Dusty knows some great people. The couple we have been staying with for the last few days are good friends with Dusty and they will actually be coming to Africa with us for the wedding. I could rave about them for hours, but instead I will say they absolutely rock and move on.
We arrived back at Impact, and the Lord is continuing to bless our time here. They have decided to announce as one of their projects trying to raise enough money to cover an oven project or about $3000. Just one day has gone by and we already have $500. Whether or not we make it to our mark, this place has been an incredible blessing.
Plus the weather is beautiful today. What’s not to like?
We arrived back at Impact, and the Lord is continuing to bless our time here. They have decided to announce as one of their projects trying to raise enough money to cover an oven project or about $3000. Just one day has gone by and we already have $500. Whether or not we make it to our mark, this place has been an incredible blessing.
Plus the weather is beautiful today. What’s not to like?
June 21 (tom)
This morning I had breakfast in Florence, Alabama, and found myself sitting at a table surrounded by ten Christian missionaries (I use the word to varying degrees for each of them). This is a place in my life I never could have imagined just three years ago. Somehow, though, I now belong here. I am currently an intern touring around the country trying to raise money for a missions non-profit organization with which I will be travelling to Africa next month to build some ovens for starving people and love them.
WHAT. Sometimes God leads you even when you are determined not to follow.
Tonight though, we hosted our big concert at the Shoals Theatre. “Big” though is a relative term. The theatre was not very full. We ended up doing okay for ourselves. We raised enough money to at least cover our costs, but that is what this tour is about. We are still a sprouting organization and sometimes we have to make some leaps. Our organization isn’t influential enough to pack a theatre with only newspaper and radio advertizing. One day we hope to be, but for now it’s good to see where we are and it’s even better to keep striving to be more.
WHAT. Sometimes God leads you even when you are determined not to follow.
Tonight though, we hosted our big concert at the Shoals Theatre. “Big” though is a relative term. The theatre was not very full. We ended up doing okay for ourselves. We raised enough money to at least cover our costs, but that is what this tour is about. We are still a sprouting organization and sometimes we have to make some leaps. Our organization isn’t influential enough to pack a theatre with only newspaper and radio advertizing. One day we hope to be, but for now it’s good to see where we are and it’s even better to keep striving to be more.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
June 27th - Katie
Sometimes, things are easier for my to explain in verse. Most of my journal entries look something like this... this is just what I was feeling on the way to Tennessee, and it explains my feelings towards this trip better than a paragraph of facts ever could.
I cracked an azure eye open from sleep,
because my dreams were in the room.
They whispered vitals that I had abandoned
In a rush at railway stations,
In quiet sadness on windowsills,
Or simply in the crazy hurricane that left me
spinning, evaluating
This new reflection that I now bare.
My dreams woke me, and reminded me of what I wanted.
To cry out in towering rooms where
My voice echoes to
Spark the obsidian in people’s hearts and eyes
I wanted to be the one to drudge up
The battle cry that has settled to the
Bottom
Of
The
River
Not a call to blood-let, but a call to let blood
Run within the veins that have been stonewalled
In sleep and complacency,
To wage and win the war within ourselves instead of drowning it out.
I once thought I would tip the lantern
That set the world on fire.
I didn’t realize I was a candle, needing to race to light the others
Before I exhaled out
In darkness.
I clasped hands with she who was like me and swore to
Never never
I’m terrified of tasting that promise in my mouth
As I walk into
Meaningless
…Simply because it was easier.
I heard this call to something greater,
As I sat with
Bleached out eyes
Cracks in my skin
So tired of fighting the wind could have blown me away
And here I am,
Feeling iron in my fingers again and
Every time I inhale, I feel
Life
Like a stream,
Run over deep scars,
Secrets at the bottom of my rapids,
healing as they burn closed.
I don’t know how the world has changed since I left it…
But the air tastes of peaches here,
The nights are warm,
And my sun-kissed skin has forgotten
The cold kiss of metal.
I’m not exhaling light because I’ve
Found Something.
I’m breathing deep
Because He
Gave me the strength
To Look.
I cracked an azure eye open from sleep,
because my dreams were in the room.
They whispered vitals that I had abandoned
In a rush at railway stations,
In quiet sadness on windowsills,
Or simply in the crazy hurricane that left me
spinning, evaluating
This new reflection that I now bare.
My dreams woke me, and reminded me of what I wanted.
To cry out in towering rooms where
My voice echoes to
Spark the obsidian in people’s hearts and eyes
I wanted to be the one to drudge up
The battle cry that has settled to the
Bottom
Of
The
River
Not a call to blood-let, but a call to let blood
Run within the veins that have been stonewalled
In sleep and complacency,
To wage and win the war within ourselves instead of drowning it out.
I once thought I would tip the lantern
That set the world on fire.
I didn’t realize I was a candle, needing to race to light the others
Before I exhaled out
In darkness.
I clasped hands with she who was like me and swore to
Never never
I’m terrified of tasting that promise in my mouth
As I walk into
Meaningless
…Simply because it was easier.
I heard this call to something greater,
As I sat with
Bleached out eyes
Cracks in my skin
So tired of fighting the wind could have blown me away
And here I am,
Feeling iron in my fingers again and
Every time I inhale, I feel
Life
Like a stream,
Run over deep scars,
Secrets at the bottom of my rapids,
healing as they burn closed.
I don’t know how the world has changed since I left it…
But the air tastes of peaches here,
The nights are warm,
And my sun-kissed skin has forgotten
The cold kiss of metal.
I’m not exhaling light because I’ve
Found Something.
I’m breathing deep
Because He
Gave me the strength
To Look.
Monday, June 21, 2010
June 20 (tom)
Hello Alabama, the final state of our trip. Both Cross Point COC and Sherod Avenue COC were great. It really has been cool getting to know a lot of Dusty’s friends and see what solid roots he has.
It’s weird that we are already three weeks into the tour, and that we are almost ready to start heading home. Of course we still have lots more to do (come to our concert tomorrow night at the Shoals Community Theatre!), but it’s nearly time to wrap it up. With how skewed time has felt to me over the last few weeks I’d like to close simply by saying I have a song on my mind, and it is one that has always been a very meaningful one to me. “Hanging By A Moment” – Lifehouse.
Also, Happy Father’s Day, Dad. I love you.
It’s weird that we are already three weeks into the tour, and that we are almost ready to start heading home. Of course we still have lots more to do (come to our concert tomorrow night at the Shoals Community Theatre!), but it’s nearly time to wrap it up. With how skewed time has felt to me over the last few weeks I’d like to close simply by saying I have a song on my mind, and it is one that has always been a very meaningful one to me. “Hanging By A Moment” – Lifehouse.
Also, Happy Father’s Day, Dad. I love you.
June 19 (tom)
Our last day in Nashville before we move down to Florence, Alabama, for a few days brought some much needed support. Today, we were actually able to show our video to about 2000 screaming 13 year olds and tell them about our mission. It really is amazing how far some youthful passion can go. They raised $4500 for flood relief in Nashville and still found enough generosity in their hearts to donate to our cause as well. The enthusiasm was a joy to see and I can’t wait to get back and see what kind of response we get from the Sr. High kids.
June 18 (tom)
God is Good. Our arrival at Impact at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee for one of the highlights of our tour was glorious. The program they are running there is incredibly enthusiastic, and I would say we couldn’t be more excited to be there, except we all saw how amped all the middle schoolers were to be there…
Given our age, we could not be more excited to be there.
Given our age, we could not be more excited to be there.
June 17 (tom)
As I look back at this I see how disjointed my thoughts are day to day. I was preparing to write about how solid I felt like our performance was last night, and just looking back to yesterday’s entry is almost laughable. This trip is so odd. We go from one day to the next and while there is routine to each day, every minute seems so separate and independent from the last. If I didn’t have such a rigid calendar outlined for our activities and travel plans for every single day of the trip, there is no way I would be able to say how long we had been on the road.
I can tell you though, that we spoke to a small group in Paragould, Arkansas, tonight. The people were fantastic, open minded, and very typically southern. Offering us all the fried food, cheesecake, queso, and hearty Southern cholesterol we could ask for, there is no doubt they kept our stomachs full. It’s funny. I’ve never been to the South before, but everything is just like I thought it would be.
I can tell you though, that we spoke to a small group in Paragould, Arkansas, tonight. The people were fantastic, open minded, and very typically southern. Offering us all the fried food, cheesecake, queso, and hearty Southern cholesterol we could ask for, there is no doubt they kept our stomachs full. It’s funny. I’ve never been to the South before, but everything is just like I thought it would be.
June 16 (tom)
Arkansas, the Natural State, welcomes Lifebread. We spoke to the Central Church of Christ in Little Rock, and we have finally fallen into a rhythm. The driving rotation is smooth. The speaking orders and topics are firm. One of the things I liked best about the idea of living in an RV for the month was being in a different place every day, and somehow I equated that to every day being different – without routine. No matter where you go, though, routine will find you.
I don’t mean to say routine is a bad thing, but it is certainly something I try to avoid as much as I can. Having a routine is just such an easy way to suck the meaning out of anything. I’m not totally sure where I stand on the phrase “good habits.” If you just get in the habit of saying “I love you” to your spouse or going to church every Sunday, either way, you aren’t actively making the choice to do it anymore. Such meaningful things should be done actively and with passion. I want to have passion for the message I bring to these churches. I want to be passionate about this summer. Keep me as free as I can be from living this month by habit.
I don’t mean to say routine is a bad thing, but it is certainly something I try to avoid as much as I can. Having a routine is just such an easy way to suck the meaning out of anything. I’m not totally sure where I stand on the phrase “good habits.” If you just get in the habit of saying “I love you” to your spouse or going to church every Sunday, either way, you aren’t actively making the choice to do it anymore. Such meaningful things should be done actively and with passion. I want to have passion for the message I bring to these churches. I want to be passionate about this summer. Keep me as free as I can be from living this month by habit.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
June 15 (tom)
This morning, I woke up on the couch of some people that I don’t even know. Oddly enough, that is how the last four nights have been since the Wal Mart parking lot in Amarillo. It’s funny how weird that sounds in the common life of people in the U.S. but how easy it is to share life like that with other people. The life of the hitchhiker is readily scrutinized and seemingly rarely picked up. Really though, we have been spending much of the last month as hitchsleepers, and it is with those people that we have spent the most time with, had the best conversations with, and forged the deepest connections with.
The life of the hitchsleeper: not the kind of book to be judged by the cover.
The life of the hitchsleeper: not the kind of book to be judged by the cover.
June 14 (tom)
Hey Houston, you’re hot.
Tonight we finally broke out the entire Lifebread Summer Tour booth. In an event with the Aggies for Christ at a park, we got to break out everything we prepared for the month. Our shirts and necklaces booth, tables, projector, PA system, and even our XXXL screen. The event itself was very low key, as college groups during the summer are bound to be, but seeing everything go up was just a cool picture. Through all the ups and downs of the tour, we’ve really been able to see our work pay off.
Tonight we finally broke out the entire Lifebread Summer Tour booth. In an event with the Aggies for Christ at a park, we got to break out everything we prepared for the month. Our shirts and necklaces booth, tables, projector, PA system, and even our XXXL screen. The event itself was very low key, as college groups during the summer are bound to be, but seeing everything go up was just a cool picture. Through all the ups and downs of the tour, we’ve really been able to see our work pay off.
June 15th - Katie
The Lifebread team has reached a conclusion about the Great State of Texas.
The heat is so intense that the only people able to withstand it are, in turn, the nicest people you will ever meet.
Case in point? Katy Keith and the rest of the Aggies for Christ we met last night. We casually mentioned that we needed a Wal Mart Parking lot to sleep in and, within seconds, Katy had offered her place to us for the night.
Which is awesome, because... if you haven’t been in the Texas heat, take my word for it – we’d probably have to sleep sans clothing to avoid heat stroke.
That is something I have noticed about the road thus far… the people are amazing and unique. I thank God for the opportunity to have met them… because each one, linked together, makes a wonderful story… one that has helped restore my faith in people.
The heat is so intense that the only people able to withstand it are, in turn, the nicest people you will ever meet.
Case in point? Katy Keith and the rest of the Aggies for Christ we met last night. We casually mentioned that we needed a Wal Mart Parking lot to sleep in and, within seconds, Katy had offered her place to us for the night.
Which is awesome, because... if you haven’t been in the Texas heat, take my word for it – we’d probably have to sleep sans clothing to avoid heat stroke.
That is something I have noticed about the road thus far… the people are amazing and unique. I thank God for the opportunity to have met them… because each one, linked together, makes a wonderful story… one that has helped restore my faith in people.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
June 13th (Katie)
Yesterday, I heard the words I had been afraid of this entire tour, and they were uttered by Dusty Breeding himself: “Katie, we’re going to have a little meeting to discuss the internship thus far. We’ll start with Tom, and then we’ll call you in afterwards.” The word “meeting” was only made worse by the proceeding “little”, which, I know, was designed to make me feel better about the situation. Nothing bad can happen in a “little” meeting, right?
That sounded like the equivalent of “we need to talk”, which, in my 21 years of life experience, equals something very, very bad.
I sat outside by the pool and dipped my feet in, contemplating what this “meeting” could mean. I was quickly joined by the charming and wonderful Stephens family – Callee, Connor, Cooper, and their beautiful mother, Cassaundra. She is going to Africa with us and her husband, Chad, is on the Lifebread Board of Directors. I was so excited to meet her, and she was everything I expected and more. We talked whilst I awaited my fate.
“Cassaundra, is it silly that I am legitimately nervous about this meeting?”
She stopped cleaning the pool and looked at me.
“Sweetie, you really have nothing to worry about. If my husband is in there, you have no reason to be nervous. It is more than likely just one of those check-up kind of meetings.”
I tried to believe her, but there was still a knot in my stomach.
It is terrible, but I know why I felt that way. I have this constant feeling of inadequacy gnawing at my stomach, and I can’t help but feel like I am always a day late and a dollar short. I know these feelings are not of God, and I don’t want them to be a part of my inner dialogue anymore… but it’s been hard. So when I was sitting in on the meeting, and they asked me how I was feeling – I told them the truth.
“I am… not good at this,” I confessed.
Normally, when I start a project, a map appears in my head. I can see the way things should go, and I am able to get it done. With this internship, I’ve seen nothing of the sort. All I see is a destination and a sea of fog… with no way to get there.
But this internship has been nothing but good for me, because I have been learning to do things I am not comfortable with normally. I have never been good at taking constructive criticism. No matter how nice people have tried to phrase things, I only walk away with the part of the sentence that started with “But…” If I feel like I’ve failed or let someone down, I tend to shut down and shove out. The great thing about this internship is that I can’t. Quite literally… what am I going to do, call a cab from Houston?
However, when Dusty gave me constructive criticism, I listened and realized that everything he was saying was right. I knew that ignoring what he was saying or being offended by it would not help anyone – least of all me. I know that eventually, my destructive tendencies would manifest themselves into things that are impossible to walk away from.
Try as I might to resist, I know that I’m growing. Stretching uncomfortably and pulling back as much as I can…
But I’m growing.
That sounded like the equivalent of “we need to talk”, which, in my 21 years of life experience, equals something very, very bad.
I sat outside by the pool and dipped my feet in, contemplating what this “meeting” could mean. I was quickly joined by the charming and wonderful Stephens family – Callee, Connor, Cooper, and their beautiful mother, Cassaundra. She is going to Africa with us and her husband, Chad, is on the Lifebread Board of Directors. I was so excited to meet her, and she was everything I expected and more. We talked whilst I awaited my fate.
“Cassaundra, is it silly that I am legitimately nervous about this meeting?”
She stopped cleaning the pool and looked at me.
“Sweetie, you really have nothing to worry about. If my husband is in there, you have no reason to be nervous. It is more than likely just one of those check-up kind of meetings.”
I tried to believe her, but there was still a knot in my stomach.
It is terrible, but I know why I felt that way. I have this constant feeling of inadequacy gnawing at my stomach, and I can’t help but feel like I am always a day late and a dollar short. I know these feelings are not of God, and I don’t want them to be a part of my inner dialogue anymore… but it’s been hard. So when I was sitting in on the meeting, and they asked me how I was feeling – I told them the truth.
“I am… not good at this,” I confessed.
Normally, when I start a project, a map appears in my head. I can see the way things should go, and I am able to get it done. With this internship, I’ve seen nothing of the sort. All I see is a destination and a sea of fog… with no way to get there.
But this internship has been nothing but good for me, because I have been learning to do things I am not comfortable with normally. I have never been good at taking constructive criticism. No matter how nice people have tried to phrase things, I only walk away with the part of the sentence that started with “But…” If I feel like I’ve failed or let someone down, I tend to shut down and shove out. The great thing about this internship is that I can’t. Quite literally… what am I going to do, call a cab from Houston?
However, when Dusty gave me constructive criticism, I listened and realized that everything he was saying was right. I knew that ignoring what he was saying or being offended by it would not help anyone – least of all me. I know that eventually, my destructive tendencies would manifest themselves into things that are impossible to walk away from.
Try as I might to resist, I know that I’m growing. Stretching uncomfortably and pulling back as much as I can…
But I’m growing.
June 13 (tom)
This morning was a blessed morning. West Houston Church of Christ opened their service up to us this morning, and we had an incredible time getting to know many members of their congregation. Everyone there also seemed genuinely interested in our work and in helping support our cause. It’s interesting to see how accurate some of the regional stereotypes of the U.S. are…
On a more person note, the RV is now my home. It has been my place of residence for a while now, but it has finally become my, our, home. The five of us in the apartment on wheels are something of a family at this point, and I am more than happy to move back into the RV after every event that we have. Home is a very loose term sometimes. It’s difficult to define but easy to know when you’ve found it, and no matter how long it lasts, a home is a great place to have.
On a more person note, the RV is now my home. It has been my place of residence for a while now, but it has finally become my, our, home. The five of us in the apartment on wheels are something of a family at this point, and I am more than happy to move back into the RV after every event that we have. Home is a very loose term sometimes. It’s difficult to define but easy to know when you’ve found it, and no matter how long it lasts, a home is a great place to have.
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