Sometimes life is like Bamboo!!

THE PLOT:
Bamboo takes years to get itself established with a deep enough root system to handle what it will become BUT when it is ready it grows at such a fast rate that you can see the growth daily...

Bamboo has fascinated me for years.  Near the location where I surrendered to God 12+ years ago some Bamboo grew.  Each year in March I have made a pilgrimage back to the area in which this long road began!  On my 10th Anniversary of Surrender I found a 6 foot dead stalk laying near the creek spot so I took it and have it on display at my house.  Since then I have found other decorations and even instruments made of Bamboo that I love.

THE PAST:
How does this relate to me personally?  Well 16+ years ago, September 1996, I was given an amazing opportunity as an emerging Senior at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe HS.  I was approached and asked to be one of 6 "guinea pigs" in a new work program called "Georgia Youth Apprenticeship" which helps students that have a vision and drive towards a professional career to get interviews and possible apprenticeship positions in that field.  For me Mechanical Engineering was my thing and the first week of September 1996 Tennessee Rand Inc. hired me as a Draftsman/Engineering Apprentice!  In fact I was fortunate to make it on the front of the Chattanooga Times Free Press...

Skinny little 17 year old Kyle Hawkins is shown here with, then Mentor, Brent Boxall.  What an amazing opportunity and what an amazing ride it has been since then.  I started at $6 an hour, which at the time was quite a bit more than my friends, and when I graduated the owner Randy Nunley called me in his office and said "Now that you are a man I'm going to pay you like a man and expect you to step up to be a man!"  I then got a several dollar an hour raise.  The company allowed me to continue to work for them while I was attending Tennessee Tech in pursuit of my Mechanical Engineering Machine Design degree.  They allowed me to take a computer and do drafting work from my Apartment, work weekends, holidays, and summers.  A humbling adventure as I was just a kid trying to make it.  This company, whom 16 years later still puts up with me, has literally taken me under their wing as a son and helped groom me into the man that I've become!  For that I am eternally grateful. 

 

In the last 10 years since they hired me back after I left to pursue Bible College and gave up engineering I went from Engineering to Purchasing to Applications Engineer and didn't deserve to do that honestly but again they took care of me.  For the last 10 years I have tried my best at TR while also trying my best to be doing ministry full time on a volunteer basis.  God has used in so many ways in my life such as funding all of my ministry endeavors.  Not literally paying for it but by paying me well I have been able to give to others and follow my heart and dreams of ministry.  I've been able to travel the world, literally to 10 different countries while working at TR, to share Christ and never having to really raise money as so many others do.  All because they took care of me and gave me paid vacation to boot. 

 

I say all this to say I am so thankful and grateful to God for allowing me to work at such a great place and so thankful and grateful to Tennessee Rand for putting up with a 17 year old to now 33 year old, literally 1 year from being half of my life I have spent here!  In fact I had resolved that I would end up retiring here doing part time ministry BUT God stepped in...

 

THE FUTURE:

God directed me to Calvary Chapel on South Broad Street downtown Chattanooga in March of 2010 and I have tried to apply the work ethic that TR built in me as well as the spiritual foundation God has given me through an awesome Godly family and through Bible College.  Like Bamboo it has taken years to build a strong enough root system but as of Monday God has said it is time to start growing.

 

I  have accepted a full time ministry position at Calvary Chapel Chattanooga and turned in my 2 weeks notice at Tennessee Rand Inc.  Do I know what all is in store?  No.  Do I know how it will all take place?  No.  Do I know what the future holds?  No, but as it has been said "I know Who holds the future!"  I am again humbled at this opportunity that I DO NOT deserve but I am going to step out on faith to take this and allow God to work IN me and THRU me.  I cannot wait to see what He has in store and to help CCC to continue to reach the greater Chattanooga area and to the uttermost parts of the world.

 

Though it will be sad to leave this wonderful place, TR, I am excited to join the fight at CCC.  Please pray for me in this transition and that I will remain faithful as I know God will take care of me!

 

Thanks for reading!  Thanks for everything Don & Tennessee Rand!  Thanks for the opportunity Pastor Frank & Calvary Chapel Chattanooga!

 

Thanks to God, Family, Friends, and these places I believe that I have a strong root system and so it is time to grow!!!  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!

 

In Christ,

Kyle

Musically Multiplying...

In an effort to continue in multiplying my musical side I have purchased or am purchasing a few new items and thought I'd share because I'm excited.  I will blog later more of why I am doing this but for now the details...

1st purchase, to be delivered today:  Dual Direct Box!

This will allow me to plug my Guitar and 1 other item 1/4" into this but then run XLR (mic cable) out of it into the sound system directly.  The church has a few when I go there but some are old and this past weekend I had to swap out twice.  Other gigs I've played I haven't had one and had to borrow or just not use it. I got a Dual Direct Box so I could plug in my guitar and maybe this...

2nd purchase, which is en route from Arizona now, so I'll have it early next week:  Stomp Box!

This Stomp Box is pretty self explanatory but I'll elaborate.  It's a box...and you stomp on it... Ok, I'm just messing.  There is a trigger inside of the box that has a 1/4" plug that when you "stomp" on it then it sends a Bass Drum sound like it would if I had a bass drum.  This will allow me to keep a steady bass beat while I play guitar.  I currently have a Tambourine for my foot that I use...I may use both some.  This would be for when I play alone only.  I'm pumped though.  Didn't know they existed and almost bought a bass drum because I saw Avett Brothers or Mumford & Sons do it but then in Ireland I saw a guy with one of these!

3rd purchase, which will take place tomorrow in person:  Acoustic / Electric Ukulele!

What?  Yep!  I didn't even know they made Aucoustic/Electric Ukulele's until a couple weeks ago.  I don't know how to play this but since I've started playing guitar I wanted to learn.  There are a couple soft songs that I think would be awesome with this.  Also could start the song with this and then go to guitar.  Matt knows how to play and is going to teach me.  It is such a good deal that I can't pass it up and it is in Rossville so I get to see it before I buy it.  But as you can tell from pics...it looks great!!

4th purchase, which I'm in a bidding war but have already found a back-up plan:  A/E Bass!

This Acoustic/Electric Bass is soooo sweet!  It's a steal if I can keep the bidding down on Ebay...if Not I've found another like it with a solid price that is still good but it isn't Green Wood Grain.  This caught my eye after going to Ireland.  ha.  Again, I don't know how to bass but was picking up on it pretty good about 4 years ago when Matt tried teaching me.  Now that I can play guitar Matt says this would be much easier.  I would still play guitar mostly but we had a gig last month where I could've had 2 guitar players beside me but no bass.  If I learn, even simple bass and nothing fancy, then I could play it and invite the 2nd guitar player.

I am super stoked about these current and future purchases...not only for increasing my musical awareness but for what it will allow in future situations.  More about that later when I post:  Rubicon Revived!  Check back later!

In Christ,

Kyle

Amendment:

I didn't win the Irish Green Acoustic Electric Bass but I'm not giving up on finding a good deal on one.

Also, the Stomp Box didn't work as well as I had hoped.  So I'm going to sell it and have already purchased it's replacement...the real thing:

An Acoustic 16" diameter x 12" deep Bass Drum and Pedal, made by Pulse!  I will have for real bass sound now when I play.  Will get this stuff possibly by the weekend or first of next week.  I love internet shopping!

Back in the saddle again!

After a full week back at it and now mid way through second week, I can comfortably say that I'm back in the saddle again.  Work has been steady but not overwhelming.  I had the opportunity to book 4 jobs while I was out of the country, which was good.  I have a few more that are pending too, which is great.  If you don't know what I do then the simplest explanation is a Salesman for a company that designs and builds Assembly Lines for mass producing products, usually including Robots.  Ok, maybe that wasn't even simple. I always dread explaining my job.  I just realized though that in 3 weeks I will be celebrating 16 years with this company...whoa!  Next year, if I make it ha, I will be celebrating 17 years here...I was 17 when I was hired.  That is crazy to think of...I will have worked here exactly half of my life.  It has been a roller coaster, changing departments several times, but finally finding my way into Applications which I've loved the most.  Pray for me as there are a few strange things here that need some tweaking and God will have to do it.

Ministry wise it has been good getting back into things.  This past Sunday leading Kids Live was awesome!  I always enjoy it but this week it just went so well that I loved it.  Played Guitar and sang 3 songs before I taught about Zacheus, acting the story out.  Had a great time.  Pray the kiddo's got something out of it!

We are transitioning over the next month into a new curriculum which I'm helping decipher and put together for the Worship/Teaching portion while Joel, my friend, is in charge of the classroom part.  Both of us under Billy & Bethany of course who are in charge of Kids as a whole.  I'm pumped about this new curriculum:  Gospel Project thru Lifeway!  I will be going through the videos and the teaching material and sift / condense / add to / subtract, etc. depending.  There is a 1st and 2nd grade material as well as 3rd thru 5th but we do 1st thru 5th right now together, so I have work to do.  I'm excited about this though.  Pray for me in this!

My mens Small Group was set to meet tonight but Calvary is having a special prayer service (3 Wed in a row actually, tonight being the middle).  The youth pastor, Kenny Engals, wife has cancer and they aren't giving her much hope without a miracle.  So we are praying so!  There are other needs in the church and with people in the church which makes this a necessary wonderful opportunity.  Please pray for Christi and Calvary Chapel Chattanooga!

Last thing i'll mention is my friend Candi has asked me to assemble Rubicon for a Youth Conference her church in Tunnel Hill GA is having next Friday night.  I'm pumped about this and am praying God is exalted!  Some of the ole Rubicon guys aren't available but God is working on who He wants.  As of right now I will be playing acoustic and singing lead, Chris Morrow playing lead guitar and singing BGV's, Candi will play keys and sing lead/BGV's, and my brother Kevin will be playing drums.  Looking for a Bass player.  Also Paige will be going with us to perform one of her Sign Dramas!  We are pumped and pray God opens more doors like this.  We'd like to maybe do this type of meeting once a month until God brings who He wants together and then see where He takes it from there.  So pray for us!  I'll let you know how it turns out!

Thanks for all the prayers past, present, and future.  Feel free to email me with prayer requests or if you need some encouraging words.  Let me know you are reading these or praying for us!

In Christ,
Kyle
preacherhawk@gmail.com

European Adventure Re-Cap!

So as I've been back in the states and now finished 2 days of work, I've had time to reflect on the Adventure that just took place.  It was a very interesting, very fun, very productive trip.  Though the productivity wasn't exactly what I expected I feel that it was good.  Let me explain!

At one point while in Dublin the girls expressed a little bit of disappointment in the trip to that point.  I understood their point and agreed to an extent.  Their disappointment was because we weren't getting to do as much "Ministry" as we thought we would be able to.  I was encouraged by their disappointment as it shows their heart was truly about serving God and not just a vacation!

The original intention of the trip to Ireland was to take 3 musicians and 3 drama people and to get involved in ministries and churches there as well as do street ministry.  This had to change some as 3 of the 6 of us couldn't go at the last minute.  So since I'm so new at the guitar our musical opportunities were limited.  Mainly just one day did I play the guitar around the city.  Since we couldn't do much street ministry due to limited resources and due to weather it made it nearly impossible to pull off any kind of dramas with the girls.  Thus their disappointment in one sense.  We also planned to get involved in a church and in at least one ministry Dublin Christian Mission.  In this we saw opportunities for both Music and Drama.  Well once we were there we realized that DCM had actually taken kids from Dublin a good ways off for a camp, so they weren't even in Dublin in order for us to help.  This was a bit of a let down but we were able to contact them and establish at least the interest and find out how we might be able to help them next summer, as God leads.  The same thing with the church.  We had a 2 hour long meeting with Paddy, from Core Church.  He let us know what the church was doing in the community and what his ideas were.  At the end of the conversation I was able to share my heart and burden and in turn we discussed leading a Youth Camp with them next summer.  Now what God does with this, I don't know but these two conversations meant more than I had even realized.  Let me explain.

After having this discussion with the girls, we sat down with Jim and Laura (the missionaries living there) and they enlightened us even more on Ireland in general and this conversation tied everything together.  They let us know that ministry in Dublin is very different then some places.  There has to be relationships built before ministry can be done.  If we just showed up and stood in the streets and forced Jesus in their faces then we would've probably done more harm than good and it would've even hurt the Pettit's ministry there as they are trying to build relationships and will continue after we are gone.  They assured us that what they had envisioned for us is what we did and that we even exceeded it by building the relationships with CORE and DCM that we did.

So this trip, originally thought to be a hardcore evangelistic mission, turned out to be a Scout Trip with us getting to know the culture and build relationships for future trips.  Not that God will allow us to come back but because we were willing to sit back and let God guide our steps we were asked to come back and do things that we were not going to be allowed to do otherwise.  So I'm very excited to see what God does through this "mission" trip!

I know now how to pray for Ireland, the people there, the missionaries, the missions, the church (CORE and others).  I met lots of people and got email addresses of people who aren't Christians that God may use me to lead to Him via email and conversations.  I even met a wonderful couple from Paris France who invited us to come stay with them which is yet another beautiful opportunity to share Christ and maybe a door for future ministry in Paris, that was never there before.

So to re-cap and to be honest:  The Mission and Ministry that we intended on doing there did not happen but what God wanted to happen and what needed to happen did.  We all were taken out of our comfort zone, we all learned to live among other cultures, we all built relationships which may blossom into something more, we all learned that God's ways are not our ways and that He takes care of His own.

So was this a Mission trip?  Yes it was!  Was it what I had envisioned?  No, but it is only the beginning!

We thank you for your prayers and how you stuck with us through the trip.  Now go to my Facebook page and begin seeing the pictures of these beautiful places that God allowed us to see!  Pray for Ireland!  Pray for Jim and Laura Pettit, as they serve God in Dublin!  Pray for CORE Church as they serve God in Dublin! Pray God does amazing things in Rubicon now that we are back and are fired up about serving God in Chattanooga!  Pray about maybe going next year to Dublin yourself, with or without me!

In Christ,

Kyle Hawkins
Team Rubicon

London to Munich... belated too!

Here I am sitting in the London Airport awaiting our flight to Munich.  Had a wonderful experience in London the last 3 days.  Didn't really have Wifi in order to update blog, therefore I'm writing now.  We stayed in a hotel in Paddington area of London.  It is next to Hyde Park, their Central Park of NYC, which is beautiful.  We stayed there because it was one of the only hotels in London that had vacancy.  It was more expensive than a Hostel as originally considered but well worth it for the accommodations.  Also we stayed there as one of my best friends, Dan & Marcy, were staying there too.  They currently live in Oxford but were down to see some Olympic events and Apartment search as they are moving to London soon while Dan finishes his PHD at a school in Geneva Switzerland.  He just finished his 3rd Masters Degree at Oxford.  Clearly the smart one in the friendship.  Ha.  

Funny God story about them.  He emailed me and said meet him in the lobby at 5pm but we didn't get there until almost 6.  Once we got in room I decided to go outside while the girls freshened up.  We were on the Basement level so I had to go up to Ground.  Almost took the stairs but last second pushed Lift button.  The Lift was going up from ground but for some reason came down first.  When the doors opened it was Dan & Marcy who had left but came back for a jacket in their 4th floor place.  Such a provident meeting it was insane.  We then walked around with them until after midnight.  Got to see some awesome night life spots and ate at a BBQ restaurant which is the only one in London and it was good.

Tuesday we bought an all day Underground pass which allows us all day access to the Tube or Subway which saves a lot of walking time, though we still walked miles and miles still (or it seemed).  We got to see the tail end of the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, The Eye, London Bridge, A Huge Military Ship, A Tall Ship (Pirate Style), Towers Bridge, and St. Paul's Cathedral.  We used the Underground to cross some of the ground between places.  We then walked to the British Museum, which is free to public, and stayed there for a while touring all of the awesome stuff they have...such as the actual Rosetta Stone, Parthenon Statues, Egyptian Ruins, and much more.  We then slowly made our way back to the hotel, which was miles away.  We stumbled upon a free Olympic event in Hyde Park.  They had 4 huge theater style screens with seats and tables in front of them for people to watch different events.  It was so awesome and a great way to experience because you're in a huge crowd of passionate sports people.  One had Boxing, Two had Girls Soccer (which was Great Britain beating Brazil...we stayed til the end and got to experience the eruption of the crowd), Three had swimming (which we got to see Phelps get his magic Medal), and the fourth had Badminton (which we stopped and watched cuz it is intense).  Met a lot of awesome people along the way too. What an amazing day!!

We had a slight change of plans to save travel time which actually may not but it did save some money.  We were to take a train to Paris and then to Munich which ended up being more than twice the price of this plane ticket.  The train would've taken about 10 hours straight where the flight is only 2 hours.  Why we aren't saving much time is we had to check out of the hotel at 12 and the flight isn't until 6pm and is a 2 hour flight.  So technically this travel is 8 hours but at least we saved money.  HaHa.

So now on to Munich to see what we can see and what God might do.  Thanks for praying for us.

In Christ,

Kyle

Dublin to London...belated!

Here we are on the train, viewing the beautiful country side of Wales.  After having a most glorious week in Dublin and surrounding areas we are on to the next part of the adventure...London.  
Our week in Ireland did not end up looking exactly like we had anticipated but realize God is in control and He allowed what He wanted and not one thing more or less.  I wasn't sure how much actually ministry (or mission work) that we would be able to do but was hopeful to be able to stay covered up with opportunities.  We quickly realized after arriving in Dublin that in order to do ministry there has to be some relationships established, for many reasons.  That is exactly what God ended up doing with our visit.  I cannot say that I had the opportunity to lead someone to the Lord or even get to that depth of a conversation but I can say that I was able to invest some time in some people I met there, 3 different occasions throughout the week specifically, that only God knows where He will take it as we exchanged email addresses.  I'll describe the occasions in more detail later.  We were definitely able to see and actually live in the Irish culture and see where they are and how we could pray for them and those that will stay behind, like the Pettit's, who will be able to better minister to the Irish than we could in 1 week.  Prayer can do so much more than we could ever.  Also a time to really get to know the wonderful Pettit's better was amazing.  Their hospitality and heart was very awesome and such a blessing to get to see first hand.We were also able to have a meeting with Paddy from CORE Church in Dublin.  This was an amazing talk that not only let us know where the Church was in the fight, how they are ministering to the community, but also how we could participate in this in the future.  Paddy talked about wanting for years now to have a Children/Youth Camp through CORE Church but he hasn't been able to yet.  After we talked about our passions we discovered an opportunity for bringing a team next summer to help lead their first Camp.  This would involve Drama, Music, and Teaching minded people.  Honestly this 1 hour conversation was worth the whole trip.  I don't know if God will allow me to come back or the girls but this was a pivotal moment for American Mission work.  So we are super excited to get this news back and see where God takes it.So as you can see, though we had thoughts of tons of Drama and Music opportunities we didn't have many to any but still had a very fruitful Scout trip.  A much needed rest and relaxing time for me was definitely had and I am very thankful God allowed that.  The opportunity to get to know Dublin City Streets and even forms of transportation intimately and to see some of the most beautiful places God created was amazing.  Even now as I type this I am amazed by the sights:  Huge Hills with beautiful colorful houses in the green valleys to my right and the Sea to my left...just passed a Castle...what??  Gorgeous!!God is so good and gracious and knows exactly what we need way more than we do.  Continue to pray for us as we walk in The Way in London for next few days.  We may be stopping in Paris next on the way to Munich Germany, our final destination before retuning to America this Saturday.  Please continue to pray for us!

In Christ,

Kyle

I hear music in the streets of Dublin...

Yesterday was a most amazing day here in Dublin City! It started off with a great morning or Devo and prayer before the others awakened. We enjoyed a beautiful breakfast, thanks to Laura, filled Crepes, sausage, toast, and fruit (I filled mine with Banana's and Nutella). We then walked to St. Catherine's Cathedral, which is now the site of CORE Church where the Pettit's attend here in dublin. A beautiful old building (AD 1769) but modernized a bit too. I love it. We met with a member of the staff, Paddy, who has been involved in ministry in Dublin (where he has lived all his life). He told us all about the church and what all they are doing in the church as well as outreach to Dublin as a whole. We talked about Rubicon and what we are about as well. It was a very encouraging conversation as we encouraged each other for Christ. After we left there some big things took place. It was a beautiful day of partly cloudy/partly blue skies with the sun shining through (nearly 180 from day before, filled with rain). As we walked from the Church, heading towards a huge park where loads of people are, I decided instead of carrying the guitar that I would just play as we walked. We had a blast, as did others around us. I was making up songs about our environment or people that we were around. I know what you are thinking "Oh, Lord Kyle" which you know could be dangerous for me but it was received unbelievably. One guy was sitting on some stairs drinking coffee and eating a Snickers so I made up a song about him and how I was jealous of his Snickers bar. He and his friend loved it. While standing at a stop light a guy stood next to me with headphones in. I told him that if he would play his music then he wouldn't have to worry about batteries. We laughed and talked for a while. God kept opening doors thru this random act, more than I could've ever thought or have done just walking up to them. People were engaging with us as a result too. As we got close to the Park there was 2 young guys playing traditional Irish music: 1 with a guitar and 1 with a Ullian Pipes (Elbow small version of bag pipes) but sitting on a Cajon (a box drum which I use at home). As they saw me with the guitar they called me over and asked me to Jam with them. I told them I couldnt hold my own on guitar but would love to play the Cajon. 30 minutes or more later we had played some Irish & some American music building quite a quick friendship/bond. We exchanged email addresses and encouraging words (though his had some words I won't repeat) and we moved on. We later saw them 2 more times and they made me come play drums with them. Such a God thing, as these places were so far removed from each other and random that we even passed. We finally made it to the park, after seeing such wonderful acts throughout this Creative Arts city: Accordians, Banjo, Violin, Australian Juggler on a 9 foot tall unicycle, and amazing guitarists. There was a large fountain in the center of the park where we made our home. I began to just play simple chords, no singing, and some people came and sat near to listen. One woman and what was probably a 1 year old boy walked by but the boy stopped, stared, and then began to dance. It was probably the cutest thing ever...we have video! They are from Dublin, she later said it was the first time they have been in the park that the boy had sat still (technically he was standing and dancing) but she thanked us and we had a good talk. Several others began to come around until a pretty decent crowd gathered...which of course brought the police to break it up and ask us to leave. They were very nice about it though, I'll give them that. More of the same on the way back to the Apt and even later in the evening. It was such a beautiful day but seeing God use us made it the most beautiful day yet on this trip. Thanks for your prayers! We are taking a train to the coast this morning to see what God will do in us and to see some amazing sights. Sorry for the long note but as you might be able to tell, I'm on cloud nine! In Christ, Rubicon!!

Day 1 and 2 Dublin!

Can't believe we are already finishing day 2 of Dublin. Yesterday was a gorgeous day here. Very warm and sunny. We toured a huge part of the city, just walking everywhere of course. The missionaries have not driven here since they moved over a year ago. No need everything is within walking distance or they have good public transportation. So we walked around getting familiar with the city and seeing where the places of ministry could take place. After hours of walking around the girls headed back with Laura, the missionaries wife, to the Apt via public transporation while Jim and I slowly made our way back on foot seeing more places and event he church they are attending/helping at: CORE Church. The CORE Church was St. Catherine's Church said to have been built in 1769. Very beautiful old building. After we got home the Pettit's had a previous engagement so as the girls rested I practiced up on the guitar. We later strolled around close to Apt, ate dinner, and went to the Market (like GreenLife) for some groceries. The Pettit's have a beautiful Apt and have been so accommodating to let us stay here. The girls have their own room with a nice large bed and bath. I am staying in the living room on a palet of cushions I made from the couches but am more than satisfied considering the arrangements I've had on other trips like this. Ha. Today we got up and after devo, practice on guitar, and breakfast we took off with Guitar in hand and ready to see what God had in store and did we... It was a thick mist almost to the point of rain but really wet regardless. We looked and it was 80% chance of the same all day, so I brought back the guitar and decided to just chance it on foot. Well other than maybe an hour, 12 hours later, it is still raining steady. So we braved it on foot and tried to seek out opportunites for conversations along the way. Got to see some wonderful sights and meet some cool people along the way. Went to St. Patrick's Cathedral (AD 1192), Christ Church Cathedral (AD 1030), Dublin Castle (AD 1204), Jonathan Swift's place (Author of Gulliver Travels and Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral at one time), and finished in Temple Bar (which is a Bar but they call a 4-square block of the city Temple Bar for some reason). We only saw one street musician the whole time, the one hour it didn't rain. We had dinner at a place that had authentic Irish music played live. They noticed "we weren't from around here" and we had fun with that. They ended with "Country Road Take Me Home", not sure if that was for our benefit or not. Haha. I had a good conversation with them after their set, offered to help them carry out their stuff. They thanked me 3 different times for the kindness and talk. I pray God shines on them in the days to come. They are playing again Thursday so I'm going to try and stop by, if just for a second to follow up with the talk. Pray for us. The weather tomorrow seems promising comparitively, 20% chance of rain. So the plan is to get up and do some ministry around town until we meet with someone from the CORE church to discuss ministry in general and how we could help each other this week and in the future. Don't know what God has after that. Will let you know. In Christ, KYLE

Belgium Waffles...in Newark?

As our original plans, to have Belgium Waffles for breakfast in Brussels Belgium, changed we were still able to have waffles here in Newark, NJ. Not quite the same but we are leaning on God for every step of this trip and will make the best of any situation He allows us to be in. Like having to wear the same clothes the next day and have to get toothbrush and stuff from the Hotel because our bags are in holding at the airport waiting for tonights flight to Brussels. Ok, I'm sure by now you are wondering what happened. Let me just give you the quick version: Some unforeseen issues at the ATL airport got us to Newark late so we missed our flight. i will write more later. heading into NYC now! Making the best of it. In Christ

Bumpy Road to Ireland...

It has definitely been a bumpy road since I first confirmed the Ireland trip and put together the Team that I felt was from God.  From Team Changes to Last minute Itinerary Changes we have had to definitely lean on God for this trip to come together.  With some details still not completely ironed out 2 days from leaving we have trusted this trip in God’s hands and know that He will allow what He wants to happen!

Team Rubicon Changes:  First, Woody Viveros was not able to go due to several issues.  Second, Brandolyn found out that she had to be here in Chattanooga those weeks as she is a teacher changing schools.  Third, Chris found out that he would not be able to go for issues with school.  So what was 6 has now turned into 3 but originally I was going by myself so I look at it as 3 times the manpower.  I use the term “manpower” loosely as it turns out to be my two closest sisters in Christ and I now going.  Meet Paige and Stacy!

Paige Daniels:  I have known this 21 year old literally since she was born.  I used to carry her around when she was in diapers.  I was working with the youth when she first came into the you group and was only 48 pounds and almost didn’t get to go WhiteWater Rafting because of it (her first trip).  I have had the privilege of seeing her grow up as I’m very close to her family.  In fact I spent Thanksgiving with her family after my parents moved to Chicago.  We refer to each other as brother and sister, even when we introduce the other to friends.  Paige was in the Sign Worship Drama Team “RUSH: Rising Up Serving Him!” that we had during my Youth Pastor Years.  She led the team of between 4 and 8 people, at different points, to learn or even direct original choreographed movements to songs.  This brings life to songs and led to them performing for other churches and even some larger Youth Events.  After I resigned as Youth Pastor they stayed together and we traveled for 8 months until God moved one member and another got married.  Ever since then Paige has had a desire to start over and this will be the fire that will ignite great things, I believe.  She has been practicing and will be performing (2) different Sign Worship Dramas at various points on this trip along with skits that we will do different places.  She is very excited for this opportunity but is already excited about coming back to Chattanooga and starting RUSH back up with new people from around Chattanooga.  Please pray that God uses Paige Daniels and her heart for Drama across Europe.

Stacy Rosenbaum:  I have known this 23 year old for over a decade.  She grew up around the church where I was Youth Pastor.  One of my earliest memories of Stacy was when she was barely old enough to be in the Youth and she went to a Lock-In that I put on at the downtown YMCA.  Though I didn’t know her well we totally hit it off and she quickly became like a little sister even that night.  She was so outgoing and participated in everything without question.  She actually won the MVP award which was a Cross Necklace, that she still has today 10 years later.  My most fond memory though of Stacy was in 2007 when 28 of us from the Youth went to Myrtle Beach, SC for a Student Life Camp featuring Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio.  One of the nights Louie Giglio was preaching about sin and the penalty of it, which is death.  Louie did not leave it there though, he offered Hope!  Hope that Stacy had heard of before but had never considered before that point.  That night she gave her heart to Jesus and was from that day to this, Radically changed.  Stacy wanted to be involved in any and every aspect but found her place in ministry with Drama.  Quickly she became my go-to Drama star and even helped come up with Dramas over the years.  For the last year plus she has had the opportunity to get out of her comfort zone and live in Hawaii but this week moved back to Chattanooga just in time to fulfill her dream for years now of serving God as a missionary but even moreso as she will be using her gifts to do so.

I am very proud to know both of these women and their hearts for God and His work.  Their gifts and talents but more their willingness to use them for Christ is what makes me most proud.  It has been my pleasure to have been a part of their lives as Big Brother, Mentor, Pastor, and Friend. 

Together the three of us make up Team Rubicon and together we have submitted to God our time, talents, and treasures as we embark on this glorious journey across Europe in an effort to use Creative Arts to share Christ with whomever He brings into our path.  Please pray that God will protect us and provide for us in the 2 weeks to come!  We look forward to sharing with you all the wonderful stories and pictures upon our arrival back in the US on August 5^th.   Pray4us!

In Christ,

Kyle Hawkins

Team Rubicon

Ireland 2012

Ireland in One Month...Whoa!

Only One Month from today…

Lord willing, Four crazy people will board a plane and head to the great Dublin, Ireland.  I had the awesome, unexpected, opportunity to actually sit down and fellowship with the missionary we are going to visit, assist, encourage, etc.  He had to come back to the states for a short time to take care of some business, so I was able to meet him at an awesome local Chattanooga Coffee Shop & more, The Camp House.  We discussed a myriad of amazing ministry options that we are going to prepare for here and he is going to try and help line up as he can there when he gets back.

One reason that I sought the awesome people that I have on Team Rubicon is for their youthfulness, eagerness, versatility, and flexibility.  I say this because though we will be trying to work out specific events throughout the week, there will be a lot of “All right let’s stop here and play some music because there are a lot of people.”  There may even be some “I know it is bed time for normal people but the night life is hopping, so let’s go play some music!”  I am going to list a few of the ministry options that we discussed so you can help us pray that God’s will be done in them and for Him to only open the doors for the ones that He wants us to get involved with.

1. Dublin Christian Mission!  Kids and street ministry within the less economic areas of Dublin.  Possibly a VBS type of ministry or just go to different parks and do Improv ministry!
2. CORE Church!  CORE stands for City Outreach thru Renewal & Evangelism, which speaks to my heart instantly.  They have recently opened up their balcony area for an Arts area.  We may be able to play there each day.  Possibly have a Coffee Shop midweek at the church as well, open to the public.
3. The Pettit’s Apt!  It has recently opened a small coffee shop on the ground floor and the owner has talked about incorporating live music. 
4. Downtown Dublin!  We will do some Improv ministry throughout the city, wherever the people are, day and night.  Wherever the Lord impresses our hearts to stop, whenever He does so!

These are just a few that we discussed which if nothing else comes up will easily keep us hopping!  We are very much looking forward to using our passions in Creative Arts to reach the Creative Artists, possibly to only stir an interest in Christ but hopefully to do much more!

I really appreciate all the interest and prayerful support that we have already received and I know we will receive in the days to come! 

Check out Jim and Laura’s site if you want to know what they have been up to and are about:
JimandLaura.org

Here is Team Rubicon for those of you that don't know these awesome people:

Chris Morrow:  At age 22, he helped in our old youth ministry, in the band as guitar player, and is currently assisting in leading worship at Brainerd Baptist (BX).  He is in school but teaches guitar to pay the bills.  He has a heart for missions and passion for all music.  He plays the guitar and drums, and loves to act as well.

Paige Daniels:  At age 21, she helped in our old youth ministry at Memorial Baptist, leading the Interpretive Sign & Drama Team (RUSH).  She is currently in school and attends Silverdale Baptist.  She has a heart for missions, passion for all dance & drama, and sharing Christ.  She loves to dance, sign worship or interpretive drama, and loves to act as well.

Stacy Rosenbaum:  At age 22, she also helped in our old youth ministry, as one of our main drama leaders.  She just celebrated her 5 year anniversary of walking with the Lord and has dreamed of serving God in the Mission field since.  She currently resides in Hawaii but will be moving home before the trip.  She will be helping in dramas.

As you can see we have a great group.  It is going to be a great blessing and we all cannot wait to get there.  I bet a part of you wishes that you could go and help.  Sorry that you can’t go, but you can help us in raising the money to go.  God has blessed our situation and it is only going to be approximately $1,600.00 each for the 14-day trip.  We will be going July 21^st thru August 4^th of 2012.  You can get in on the blessing of seeing souls saved and encouraged all the way in Europe.  A donation of any amount will help.  We are not doing this for any reason but to serve God and believe that God will take care of us and supply our needs.  Will you consider helping us to go to Europe and win souls?

In Christ,
Kyle, Chris, Paige, & Stacy!
Team Rubicon

Dream Coming True...

Have you ever dreamed of something that slowly looked as though it could come true?  It is hard to know where the dream ends and reality begins sometimes...

For me this is what I feel as the Lord allows me to travel the world and tell others about Him through music, drama, and the spoken Word.  This time it is an almost exponential feeling though as I've dreamed of Ireland for years!  I wanted to go badly in 2003 when I was in Wales leading a Youth Camp, as one of my teammates went after we finished the Camp.  It became a major thought and point of prayer in Daytona Beach 2008 when I sat in front of Louie Giglio as he spoke to all the Youth Pastors at a Student Life Camp that I had the privilege of taking 40.  He mentioned his travels with Passion and made this statement that has stuck with me, it was something like this:  "over 50% of the people in Dublin are below the age of 25, are creative, they love music and drama but need Jesus!"  In so many words he described the burden God laid upon my heart some 12 years ago.  Fast forward to 2010, while sitting in Calvary Chapel Chattanooga, Jim and Laura Pettit stood on stage with Pastor Frank and delivered their burden for reaching the lost of Dublin, Ireland through creative means.  I talked to them afterwards and have NOT stopped dreaming about joining their efforts ever since. 

So almost 10 years later a dream is in the process of coming true!  Jim, Laura, and team said that we could come and help minister with them and on our own the time in which we asked.  Jim sent me an email last week with tons of helpful information, including lodging options.  A friend of mine confirmed that he is going to be able to get me unbelievable plane ticket prices just yesterday.  The details are coming together!  I have the team I feel God has put together for such a task as well.  Some were with me in 2008 and some are new.  We are going to meet this week and once I’ve talked with them with more details then I will blog again with whom it is so that you can pray specifically.  Until then please pray for Ireland 2012 and that the Lord will work out all of the details, taking it out of my hands and placing it in His, as He is the only one that can make this happen. 

Another point of prayer and consideration is supporting out team financially.  God has blessed me with a great job and even some money that was greatly unexpected, so I am covered but my Team as a whole will need some help.  As I mentioned above the Lord is using people to bless us to keep the cost down but there is still costs that are over and above the everyday bills that we have, so any help would be greatly appreciated and used to further the Kingdom of God.  I will give you more details later but prayerfully consider partnering with TEAM RUBICON, as we are only 7 weeks away!!

More to come soon…

In Christ,

Kyle Hawkins
Team Rubicon
preacherhawk@gmail.com
Chattanooga, TN

Ireland 2012

Well I haven't posted anything in months... Not that I haven't had anything happen of noteworthiness but really was waiting to be able to post this, which trumps all other little things that has gone on in my life since the new year.

Quick recap:  God led me to Calvary Chapel in March of 2010, allowed me to go to Israel with them in October 2010, which led to helping with Kids Ministry as a fill-in November 2010 during which time we had a Missions Emphasis, which all of you know I love.  A unique awesome couple shared their heart and where they were going.  As they spoke my heart automatically knit with theirs and I believe you will see why when I poorly recap their talk:

Jim and Laura Pettit spoke about their burden for Dublin, Ireland.  Not just any burden but a heart to use their creative talents to reach the creative community of Dublin.  Jim plays Guitar, sings, and more.  Laura draws, paints, and more.  They want to use these God given gifts/talents and build relationships within the Creative Arts community and thus share Christ through this.  After the service I introduced myself to them which led to several lunches and dinners sharing our burdens for sharing Jesus through our talents in a practical & creative way!

My excitement began to grow for sharing in their ministry.  I was so eager that I wanted to go last year but they needed to get settled in and I wasn't ready myself.  God allowed me to go to Kenya instead and used me to do what was on my heart anyway, just in a different country.  Now that they have been there for a year we have talked and it is on for late this summer...which is quickly approaching.

I have assembled an A-Team of creatives:  Musicians and Actors.  With this team we plan to travel late July to Ireland and do whatever God wants us to do, wherever, whenever, to whomever, however!  We want to be open to the Holy Spirit as we assist The Pettit's in their great mission to reach the lost through Creative Arts.

Please pray for the team, which I will reveal in the next message as I'm meeting with the last one this weekend.
Please pray for the details, finances, and people we will come into contact with on this amazing trip.

I will give more details as to our agenda and itinerary as time progresses.  I mainly wanted to get out the word on what God is doing in my heart and where I'm going!

Thank you for taking the time to read this and praying for me!

In Christ,
PREACHER HAWK
Kyle