Tuesday, May 15, 2007

MEMORIES OF MICHIGAN (EXCERPTS FROM MY ANNUAL REPORT)


Leaving CWC was a hard decision but one that has been confirmed by God in both my and my wife’s spirit. I will never forget the love and kindness shown to our family from the first day I came to Michigan. I have learned and grown in my walk with God as both a follower and a leader.

I’ve been reflecting on what I’ve learned here. Being on staff here for five years has felt like getting a Doctorate in ministry! I feel that I have been the one who has been developed. My heart goes out to the staff and the church people for their investment in me and allowing me to invest in them.

I will miss the teens the most! Memories of smelly teens, weird hair, attitudes, yearning for love and understanding, looking for someone who cares, bumming a dollar for a pop, complaining, wild worship, did I say teens are smelly! Overnighters, Jason losing a kid in Indiana, young adults playing with my kids in my home, Delbert trying to rap, trying to talk to Steven McCoy after an all niter, crying with kids when their parents divorce, being the heavy (not the fat guy) the disciplinarian, speaking with parents/police, wishing parents would love and pay attention to their kids, Rita fixing Brianna’s room as she cried, telling teens the truth, messing up and asking for forgiveness, WHITE CASTLES double cheeseburgers, praying with Rod, the look in a teens eyes when they get it, the look in their eyes when they don’t get it, pure excitement to know God, getting Ordained, praying in nursing home with a 75 year old man to accept Jesus for the first time, the way teens want and need adults to mentor them and give them boundaries, teens embracing holiness and being with God, teens yelling “Pastor Ed…Dude” in the school hallway, having science teachers mad at me about creation questions, worship on the Romeo Peach Parade float, watching Janise standing on the counter aka “The Evangelism Linebacker”, Baptisms at Stony Creek, watching Dan and Riley play video games during a message, knowing Kristy will be fashionably late due to Belizean time, swimming in the mud at Wesleyan Woods, seeing Jason Fullum and Peter healed before our eyes, doing the Hokie Pokie in the office, feeding the homeless in Detroit, prayer and fasting, thanking God that Ruth finally will change her last name, working alongside teens in Pontiac and hanging with the Discipleship group! Having Cheri yell at me, that sweet feeling when you connect spiritually and musically with Larry Whitcomb on the Guitar, seeing Kris Johnson serve and worship, seeing friends rise above the hurt, GRACE, how I hate country music (thanks Jason Bailey), slapping Jacob Haupt and Austin Stulz in the back of the head, seeing close to 400 people accept Christ in five years, dodge ball, Kylasaurus and Cubasaurus (enough said), meeting Jon in the emergency room (over and over again), getting thrown out of the hospital, Gibbie’s broken arm…ouch, Peter’s ability to remind me what God saved me from, Brianna’s innocent heart, Matthew’s slick smile, Doreen’s strength and watching God show up and save the day over and over again! I pray God never takes these out of my memory.

In all, I pray that CWC continues to obey God!

“But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by His decrees and commands…”1 Kings 8:61


God wants our Obedience…Not our Opinion!
ET rambalings...

3 comments:

Larry Whitcomb said...

What a ramble! I mean in a good way of course. It's pretty heavy when you look at life that concisely. I've been avoiding the thought of you leaving but inevitably it will come...as it is right now.

Edward Torres said...

I have been avoiding it too! and kind of seperating myself from the issue but it will come to roost. This is hard bro! Thanks for loving me.

Anonymous said...

wow ET that was amazing and it is funny that for only the last few yrs that I was there I learned so many different things and tried and experienced so many different things and every memorie I have from that chruch has to do with you and your family and I am going to miss you guys so so much but GOD is doing amazing things in yours and your families lives and when I come down to see you guys you will see GODS works in what I am doing I have my faith back and I am going to do my calling and I learned a lot from you guys