Externally Focused at Watermark

• Whatever keeps me from the Bible is my enemy, however harmless it may appear to be. – Tozer #
• Asked the kids 4 ideas for 15th anniversary-one said take her 2 a romantic DINER, other said the MALL. Man, do those kids know their mom! #
• Golfing (and "treasure hunting") as Hunter sings me his new song, "this town is for you" http://twitpic.com/1r2li0 #
• Meeting with Dr. Kasali/Congo Initiative and Watermark Justice group. Stirred, convicted, and praying… #
• Looking back through Haiti photos from last week. Portraits are my favorites. Amazing how a single photo can conjure both sadness and hope. #
• Channel 13 is running a story on our school partnership with Sequoyah Elementary tonight at 5:30. Tune in! #
• Boys night out…stuffed crust pizza (yes you heard right), swimming, and a movie! #

Click the link below to view the video that documents “Service Day 2010″.  Enjoy!

Service Day Video-2010

Builders of  Hope

Volunteers went to West Dallas with Builders of Hope to help improve the living condition and value to existing homes.  As you can see, this was done through painting, landscaping, carpentry, and prayer.  A great time was had by all.

• Wake up Watermark! Join us @ 10:30 @ Curtis Park to sing, celebrate, baptize, eat, and bounce! It'll be the best party going this morning! #
• Celebrating with thousands of my closest friends! http://twitpic.com/1od2ex #
• In port-au-prince – tent cities everywhere – http://twitpic.com/1oprgn #
• World Relief's Offices and guest house http://twitpic.com/1opxm9 #
• Ps 104:4 – Elliott wrote about the asbestos of things that prevented him from being "on fire" for God. Lord remove everything that hinders! #
• WR's orphaned and vulnerable children program at Quesqueya Chapel http://twitpic.com/1ovyj4 #
• Just heard stories from the kids about the quake…one mom watched a house fall on 3 kids. Even 4 months out, the wounds are still raw… #
• One guy in our team just talked about snow where he's from in Oregon. Literally they had trouble translating, especially with 95 degree heat #
• Meet Jacky – an orphan, went 2 college/theology, works for WR & helped distribute the tarps we sent 2 families http://twitpic.com/1owgst #
• In the tent city with a lady who has taken in orphans, has a home, but sleeps here http://twitpic.com/1oz7d4 #
• Just sat in a church in a PAP slum with 40 Haitians who could have aired complaints. Instead they spent that hour thanking us and God! #
• Always amazes me. http://twitpic.com/1ozg5a #
• Seeking direction today? Ps 147- "Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit." #
• Took a walk around the building and stopped to listen to a lady staffer working in the kitchen and singing a hymn in creole. Greatness! #
• My friend Ken who's thinking up something cool to Twitter. http://twitpic.com/1p50c9 #
• A pastor stands on the rubble of his church and tells us how God loves them so much. What a faith! http://twitpic.com/1p5k78 #
• A pastor stands on the rubble of his church and tells us that God loves them – what faith! http://twitpic.com/1p5lru #
• The church also runs a school for 95 kids under tarps next to the rubble. http://twitpic.com/1p5spk #
• Mori is 8, lost her arm, but is alive and thankful to God. She loves to sing! http://twitpic.com/1p5tit #
• Met St. Jean, who suffers from polio but knows that he will run again one day b/c he knows Jesus! http://twitpic.com/1p622s #
• An IDP camp with 6,000 folks – tarps and other support from WR. http://twitpic.com/1p6u9q #
• Sarah exporting "duck duck goose" to the tent city kids http://twitpic.com/1p6wge #
• Sweet last couple of hours with the @worldrelief staff. I am challenged by the depth of their faith and desire to serve. 2 Cor. 4:8-11 #
• Attending honorary lunch for outgoing Haiti Director of World Relief, Dr. Morquette – what a legacy of life and leadership! #
• Just had funny and lengthy conversation with a Haitian pastor about wedding ceremonies and donkeys, which apparently are related. #
• At Hope Hospital with Dr. Marquette showing off the new water well. http://twitpic.com/1pi69m #
• At King's Hospital with Dr. Marquette showing off the new water well. http://twitpic.com/1pi69m #
• Here's why it takes an hour to get down the road in Port-au-Prince. http://twitpic.com/1pia3t #
• Here's why it takes an hour to get down the road in Port-au-Prince. http://twitpic.com/1pia3t #

Dallas Life Foundation

Located in South Dallas, Dallas Life Foundation has been meeting the needs of homeless men, women and families for over 50 years. On Service Day, Watermark partnered with Dallas Life and the Cedars Neighborhood Association to do a neighborhood clean up project. Volunteers arrived armed with work gloves and trash bags and combed the streets picking up countless bags of trash.

Cornerstone White House & Cornerstone Crossroads Academy

Volunteers served in South Dallas by cleaning rooms and doing yardwork at the Academy and at the Cornerstone White House, a building nearby, where Bible studies, retreats and other Cornerstone events are held.

Volunteers cleaning the outside of Cornerstone White House.

Cleaning supplies for the classrooms.

Taking a quick break for the camera.

Cleaning and organizing inside.

Enhancing the outer appearance by adding a touch of flowers.

Excitement is hard to contain.

BC Workshop

Project:  Dolphin Heights Healthy Homes, which will repair or replace 90 East Dallas Homes, as well as offer job training in the areas of home construction and green jobs.

Organization:  BCWorkshop, a community design center that brings design thinking to areas of our city where resources are scarce.

Ashley and Alejandra, seniors at a high school in Plano, climb aboard Bus 9 and tentatively take in the scene around them – happy faces, parents lifting their children onto the bus, name tags being passed around. A teacher at their school, Anne Rogers, who attends Watermark, told them about Service Day, and they woke up bright and early on May 2, to drive down from Plano to participate in it. Thirty minutes later, wielding paint brushes and rollers, they joined in a labor of love to paint a fence that will border a new playground for children in Dolphin Heights. “This seems like a really great church,” said Ashley, who does not currently attend any church. Alejandra chimes in, “It’s nice that there are opportunities to help people.”

On the other side of the fence, Cami Mackey checked in on some friends who came with her and her husband to participate in Service Day. “They were visiting from Rockwall,” Cami explained enthusiastically, “so we just said, ‘Hey, come check out our church!’” Cami shared that she and her husband have only been attending Watermark since December, after hearing about the church through her husband’s business partner. “Since we came to Watermark, we’ve been looking forward to getting to participate in a service project. So when the announcement was made about Service Day, I was so excited!”

Another hour went by and the little patch of land on Dolphin Street was transformed. One fence neatly dismantled to provide a wide-enough entryway for the playground equipment that will be arriving soon; another fence freshly painted, standing stark against the backdrop of a once-forgotten community that is being now offered hope and love through the service of God’s people. Lily, a first time visitor to Watermark, turned around and took a look at the fence one more time before she climbed onto the bus. “It’s great to do something that will have an impact on people for a long time,” she said with a smile on her face. – written by Simi Lawoyin

Birdie Alexander Elementary

A bus full of families from Watermark descended on Birdie Alexander Elementary School in South Dallas to meet some of its needs and share the love of Christ through painting, scrubbing hall bathrooms, and cleaning classrooms. Together, with Windex and ‘Fabuloso!’ in hand, families washed windows and chairs, organized teaching materials, and wrote notes of encouragement to the school’s teachers.

“I think it’s a great experience for us to get outside our bubble and serve others…to see them how God sees them,” said Maisie Chan. She and Mark Wampler helped repaint the faded letters above the school’s entrance.

In order to help the school, Watermark partnered with Services of Hope, a Dallas-based ministry that seeks to transform the lives of at-risk youth. Outreach Coordinator Donna Patterson said that she can’t wait to see the faces of the kids and teachers on Monday.

“For Watermark to be a part of Services of Hope and serve the local schools in this way is a big blessing.”

            And the blessing goes both ways, said Roseana Smith. “It’s fun to see parents serving alongside their kids in this community. You don’t have to go on a mission trip abroad to make a difference.”     – written by Marcus Toussaint

• Breakfast tomorrow with Texas Instruments' community relations director. I'm amazed at all they're doing for the community. #
• Proverbs 31 defines Kristie! So thankful… #
• Mark 4:1-20 – ever feel like we're living in the age of "thorns"? Praying for some thorn pulling and fertilizing! #
• Come join us @ Curtis Park on Sunday – baptizing over 200! Come hungry – cooking up 5000 pieces of meat! #
• Swimming with the kids – crazy cold! #
• Great time today celebrating Dallas churches' Go and Be collaboration! I think God smiles when His church works together! #
• Great time today celebrating Dallas churches' first Go and Be collaboration! I think God smiles when His church works together! #
• Friend told me today to drop any other books I was reading and read "Radical" by David Platt. Done! #
• Headed to Haiti Monday with World Relief to asses situation, develop relationships, and work on plans for church engagement. #
• At staff prayer, talked about Jesus' temp disconnect with the Father while on the cross – but love how Psalm 22 ends in sweet victory! #
• Looking forward to time on the plane..will catch up with sermons, read Radical, Cross-Cultural Servanthood, and Mountains Beyond Mountains. #
• Just watched a documentary "Ghosts of Cite Soleil" – two brothers/slum lords in PAP – called the "most dangerous place on earth" in PAP. #

• Wake up Watermark! On your mark…get set… #
• Service on…at bcWorkshop! http://twitpic.com/1kc1fg #
• Serve on at TRAC w Central Dallas Ministries! http://twitpic.com/1kc97d #
• Serve on…Cornerstone Academy! http://twitpic.com/1kcezy #
• Serve on…at Cornerstone White House! http://twitpic.com/1kch9t #
• Serve on…at Edison Middle School! http://twitpic.com/1kcmes #
• Serve on…at Carr Elementary! http://twitpic.com/1kcq3e #
• Serve on…at a Builders of Hope home! http://twitpic.com/1kcr2y #
• Serve on…at another BOH site! http://twitpic.com/1kcrum #
• And another… http://twitpic.com/1kcsef #
• Service Day 2010…over and out! http://twitpic.com/1kdr64 thanks all you captains and teams! #
• Watermark is hiring a Communications Director. Please spread the word! #
• Just got done hanging with 100 folks to be baptized a week from Sunday. It's like spiritual Redbull! #
• Service Day "by the numbers" – 5 years worth of volunteer hours & value to city over $250K, not to mention far greater spiritual results! #
• Gstroope@watermark.org #
• Reading "The Best of AW Tozer, Book 1". It's good stuff! "our voluntary thoughts not only reveal what we are but predict what we will become #
• "How different today…Men think of the world, not as a battleground but as a playground. We are not in a foreign land, we are home." Tozer #