The students are all settled into their 6 week long internships.  Spread out in different locations throughout the U.S., they will get a taste of the “real world” while still having the accountability with RAD.  Feel free to check out the students’ updates in the “Student” section of the site. 

Wes is staying in New Jersey shadowing a pastor of a small church.  He is leaning how to be a leader both in a church and within his community.

Matthew (Yogi) is in Asheville, North Carolina working with youth and youth ministries.  He is excited to build relationships with those around him and get involved in many different aspects. 

Yvette is working in the Adventures In Missions headquarters learning more about the ins and outs of running a discipleship program. 

Josh is living inTownsend, Tennessee.  He is involved with Church of the Cove shadowing the pastors, building relationships, and more.

Katie is staying in St. Augustine, Florida where she has begun to teach Spanish classes, substitute teach, and hopes to help with ESL classes. 

Back at the office, graduation is at the back of everyone’s mind.  Graduation will be held on Saturday, May 31, at the Waypoint Center in Dahlonega.  Dinner will begin at 6pm (subject to change).  If you are interested in attending or need directions, please contact the RAD Office at 770-532-8346. 

Course Two has quickly come to a close but not without first leaving its mark on the lives of each RAD student.  This course was filled with growth and memories as the students “lived life on a prayer” during their month long road trip.  The RAD class of ’08 ministered to youth groups and churches as they traveled through Ashville,North Carolina and through Townsend, Tennessee.  God opened many doors for ministry with each location the team passed through. 

The last week of the trip was spent closer to home as the students, staff, and interns served with many others in Atlanta, Georgia.  Serving “midnight meals” to the homeless, speaking in churches, serving breakfasts, throwing parties for poverty kids, and making many new friends are just a few of the blessings the team was able to participate in while staying in Atlanta. 

Everyone is back from Spring/Easter Break and ready for the radical life of RAD.  The students, Rob, and Katie are headed back to Ashville, NC this weekend (March 28-30) to help with Catapult, an in-depth, Christian youth retreat being held by friends met on the road trip.  The students are very excited to see what God has in store for them! 

Please pray that the Lord will prepare the students and staff for the upcoming internships scheduled to begin next week (physically, spiritually, and logistically!). 

Spirits remain high as the students have completed their first week of their road trip.  They began their trip on Friday, February 15 in Ashville, North Carolina where they helped lead a weekend youth conference for 200+ kids. From there they were able to speak in a school in Hendersonville, before heading to Townsend, Tennessee.  I wonder what this week will hold! 

Please continue to pray for each person on the trip as sickness is being passed back and forth.  Wes was sick early in the week, but is feeling much better now.   Yvette is still recovering from a fever.  Check out other road trip prayer requests on our Prayer and Praise page. 

Tremendous progress has been in so many areas in just a short week.  The students spent the beginning of this past week in training on spiritual warfare.  Realizing you are in a constant spiritual battle is the first step to learning how to fight in the Lord’s army.  The Lord has given us HIS authority with which to fight.  Will you pick up your sword?

In preparation for the road trip, the students continued to practice their dramas and skits as well as pray and fast for upcoming opportunities.  They were able to practice their drama in front of the Lanier Hills Youth Group this past Wednesday.  The drama was a powerful and effective ministry tool that we pray will continue to touch the lives of all who see it.

Rob, Katie, and all five students pulled out this afternoon (Friday) in the 30 foot RAD RV packed with food, equipment, clothes, and much more.  They are ready for and expectant of a powerful trip lead by the Holy Spirit.  Please pray for the group as they travel to Ashville, North Carolina to help with a weekend youth retreat.  Pray that the Father will use each individual to impact HIS kingdom and shine for HIS glory.

Check radministries.com often as the students will be keeping it updated with pictures and blogs as often as they can.  Also, please be checking in on the praise and prayer section as we hope to have it updated soon as well.  Until then, please pray for the following areas:

Please Pray

• That the Lord will lead this Road Trip and that HIS agenda will be supreme
• For boldness for each student as they speak and interact with many new people
• For the finances that are still very needed to continue this road trip

o   “Divine Appointments” with people who could be potential RAD students, staff, contacts, and/or supporters

• For the Finney Family who will be missing their father and husband while Rob is on the road
• Good health for everyone

 
The true heart of our Father in Heaven is often misunderstood by the uncomprehending minds of his children here on Earth.  Often we see God as a harsh father whom we must strive to please instead of a tender, loving, and merciful father who wants the best for his children. The RAD students spent this week laying aside all prior misconceptions about their Heavenly Father to understand what the Father Heart of God REALLY looks like.  And what a difference it has made!  Through this week’s training we learned that if past authority figures have distorted our image of God, we can begin to tear down the walls of our own understanding and allow the Holy Spirit to take root and begin to draw a new picture of who God really is.  With a new and more accurate picture in place, our emotions and reactions to God can be significantly different if we allow them to be.  Please pray that each student will cling to the truth that he or she has heard and allow it to be lived out each day. 

Special thanks to the work team from Johnson Ferry Baptist Church who spent three days working on the RAD campus this weekend.  It would be an understatement to say that there were many projects in the works.  Many projects were started and others were completed including decks on the girls and boys cabins, electrical work, pathways between cabins, landscaping, plumbing, painting and interior Tongue and Groove paneling.  There is a noticeable difference in the development of the RAD campus.  Thank you everyone!

It’s finally here!  We have our big generator!  Rob was able to make the long trip to Macon, Georgia yesterday to pick up the hefty power-house for the cabins.  We are still praying for the funds to buy the necessary adapters and parts to hook up this generator, but, with some prayer, we will soon have everything in line to supply power to all four of our campus’s cabins.  Please pray with us on this issue.  Also, we are very excited to have a work team scheduled to come next week!  We hope this will be a productive time as we will be working on both the cabins and on the walkways to the cabins!  If you are interested donating time or finances to the cabin project, please contact the RAD Office. 

This week, the students have spent the majority of their time at the cabins practicing their skits, dramas, and testimonies.  While we all know that “practice makes perfect,” we ask that you would pray with us that the small amount of time that we have will be well utilized and that each student will be able to practice with passion and drive.

Coming up next week: Training on spiritual warfare, Work team

This week has been filled to the brim with new life lessons for both the RAD staff and students. Monday morning began a week of training on drama and ministry. Each student began writing and practicing their testimonies and life stories in front of the group. Later, the students began skimming through videos and skits to pick out materials for their upcoming road trip. Professional actress and dancer Emily Barnes came to give the students some pointers in presentation and skit writing. With the necessary information in hand, the students continue to prepare for their potential ministry opportunities on the road. While RAD was at work writing, presenting, and practicing, God was at work in the hearts of each RAD student. The Lord used our teambuilding day at Niyélo on Wednesday to spark vital changes in the hearts of His willing vessels. Some began to confront old fears, attitudes, and patterns, while others took steps to accept the Father’s loving grace, mercy, and freedom. Change is often hard to accept, so we ask for your continued prayers as the battle to ‘take back ground’ rages in the hearts and minds of His children. Although breakthroughs are clearly evident, the students are reminded that freedom and healing are a daily choice. As the week pressed on, we were able to see God’s majestic hand at work in the nature around us. Bitter cold engulfed North Georgia and with it came the pure and perfect snow. Yogi and Yvette could hardly contain their excitement as we drove to Rob’s house Wednesday evening. Before any objections could be made, everyone was engaged in snowball fight. Rob’s kids came outside bringing with them the perfect snow toy, a sledding disk! Moments later a plump snowman stood in the yard complete with long stick arms and lop-sided head. What a night. But to our dismay, the two or so inches of snow quickly melted away leaving only mud and a lump of mangled ice where our snowman once stood. We all anxiously await the next snowfall (and snow day!). Until then, please continue to lift RAD up in your prayers. Pray for the Lord to raise up the necessary support that the students need for tuition. Also, pray that the Lord will continue to grow, stretch and mold us all into HIS image. Thanks!

RAD is back in action! The students returned from their Christmas break late on Sunday, January 6th. Although excited to be back, it took everyone a while to get back into a regular schedule. RAD students entering into Course Two have earned a less intense accounability schedule. From this point forward, students will begin to take a more proactive role in leadership, slowly begin to regain privileges, and be given more free time. Last week was spent sawing, plowing, hammering, plumbing, and weeding the new RAD campus. Fourteen truck loads of gravel were bought, brought in, and grated into roads for the campus. The campus looks completely different than it did just one week ago! Although far from complete, the cabins are now a livable home for this year’s students who were very excited to move out of the woods and into premade structures. Despite a broken pipe and flooded cabin earlier this week, the cabins now have running water as well as gas heaters. Bathrooms will be up and running soon, but for now, the Lanier Hills Church facilities are working wonderfully. Although a kitchen is set up on campus (complete with gas stove and oven), the refrigerator and freezer must be kept at the church making meal preparations slightly more involved. Hopefully we will have electricity at the cabins soon. If you are interested in donating your time or resourses to the cabin project, please contact the RAD Office. Coming up this week: Ministry using mime, dance, and drama.

The students are all back from their Thanksgiving vacations and readjusting to life in the outdoors. This has proven to be much colder than before break. New upgrades are helping with this drastic climate change. Flushing toilets, warm showers, new common tent, heaters, and cots have all added to the “luxurious” life in the woods. Christmas break is approaching rapidly, so pray for increased focus and willingness in the weeks to come.