Author: Jason Maupin 2/25/2010 11:56:00 PM
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I like super heros! My favorite superhero is Wolverine, I don't know why...maybe because he has knives that come out of his hands and he rides a motorcycle. Im finding out that you don't have to fly, run through walls, or be some freak of nature to be someone's hero, all you have to do is care.
I just finished a two day school tour up here in Wisconsin. I was called up here because a student committed suicide about three weeks ago. I had many thoughts about how this week would go but nothing could prepare me for what happened. This week has been incredible! I Spoke to 1,300 students in five schools and 50 students gave there lives to Christ! Many people were touched by Jesus... words cannot do it justice. So many people are hurting... One girl came up to me at a school and showed me several scars on her arms where she had been cutting herself, she couldn't deal with the pain inside so she would cut herself, the pain on her arm made her forget about the pain in her heart. One girl took me aside after the assembly and told me she was suicidal because a close relative had molested her, another girl said she had been selling herself for sex. One person emailed me anonymously and simply said, "I can identify with your story and I want to thank you for being so real, it helped me understand that if you can make it I can make it." It was addressed: "to my hero" Its amazing what can happen if we open up and allow God to use our pain for someone else's gain.
You don't have to go far to see hurt. I know around the world kids are hurting and we constantly send money over seas to help. I applaud that, but please don't just send money as an excuse to ignore what happening in our own country. Take time to get involved with the people right next to you. There are people that live in our communities that need the love of Jesus. You might think to yourself "I don't have a story." Everyone has a story! Ghandi a spiritual leader once said "If Christians acted as Jesus intended them to act then all of India would be saved! I like your Jesus but I don't like your Christians." Jesus' message was simple, it was four words "LOVE" So many times we pass the obligation to someone else, what if there wasn't someone else? What if there was just you? And Jesus' message of love was dependent upon you. Will you be that love? Will you be someone's hero?
Tragedy
Author: Jason Maupin 2/18/2010 04:54:00 PM
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My heart is heavy today as I listened to a youth pastor from Grantsburg, Wisconsin tell me that another student committed suicide. I was contacted earlier this month by several pastors and principals about speaking to their schools in Grantsburg, WI after the first student ended his life on January 28th http://www.burnettcountysentinel.com/detail/53691.html Im scheduled to leave here on Tuesday and speak to five schools, doing two night rally's where I'll share my personal faith. Pray that good comes out of this and that many students will come to know Christ. Please take time today to pray for the town of Grantsburg, Wisconsin. I can't even imagine the pain and heartache their families and friends are going through.
Committed to a change!
Jason
Ireland School tour conclusion
Author: Jason Maupin 2/09/2010 03:29:00 PM
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Hey everyone! I can't thank all of you enough for you prayers and support while I was in Ireland. I got back last night after a total of 12 hours flying time, Dublin to New York and the New York to Arizona. My ADD and being confined into a plane for that long is pretty hilarious! The last time I wrote I was getting ready to go speak to about 150 students at a night rally. God really moved in so many hearts. One testimony of the night I was praying with a young girl as she was crying. She said, "I've heard about God for years but through your message I finally get it." Thats what its about! On Sunday I spoke to two churches one being St. Marks in Dublin Ireland. This is the same Saint Marks that John Wesley spoke at. God moved mightily in the service and dozens of people flooded the alters for prayer and salvation.
This trip was amazing from several different aspects one being me having to learn how to communicate in a different culture. Even though both cultures speak english, you have to learn what words are acceptable and what words are not. Lets just say don't ever say the word "Fanny Pack" over there cause its not the same meaning to them as it is to us! I was fortunate enough to ask missionary first thing what was acceptable and what wasn't so it saved me from any embarrassment. I hated that I couldn't take pictures of the alter times or the school assemblies but I wanted to respect their laws and get back in one piece! I have pictures up on face book and a video soon to come of one of the school assemblies, Im gonna blur out the faces. Keep checking the website: http://www.stmarks.ie/ they'll be posting the video from the service I spoke on Sunday.
It looks like this trip will open up many doors soon to come. Please continue to keep me in your prayers, God is doing great things! I'll be heading up to Wisconsin February 23rd, a student committed suicide and I'll be speaking at their school. There are a lot of broken people out there. If my story can change one life and detour that life from ending then its worth it. Thank you for your love and support!
Committed to a change!!
Day three and four in Ireland
Author: Jason Maupin 2/06/2010 12:17:00 PM
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Last night I didn't blog because we got home around midnight and I was exhausted. You never really think about how many hours you put in when you're doing what you love to do but when I added it up, when this week is all said and done we will have worked 90 hours. Yesterday I spoke in 3 schools a total of about 350 students. All but one I was able to share my personal faith. Even when I can't talk about Jesus it has its way of coming across. This one particular school was called Westland Row located in the center of Dublin. They held the assembly in a 200 year old church called St. Marks. The history behind this thing is unbelievable! John Wesley spoke on the same stage that I spoke on (if you don't know who John Wesley is click on this link to read about him http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wesley). Ironically enough even though we were meeting in one of the most famous churches in Ireland this was the school that I couldn't speak about Jesus. This particular school wanted me to leave room for questions at the end. I have to be honest Im not used to taking questions at the end of my assembly presentations. At the end of the assembly, this one kid asked "how are you so confident." I said, "My confidence doesn't come from me, it comes from something inside of me." In my presentation I always tell the students that I love them, and the second question this kid asked was "How much do you love me?" I told him I loved him enough to give him a hug, he stood up and I gave him a big hug. I thought about that question after I sat down how that one question seems to be the question that all students are asking, "how much do you love me?" In doing what I do, I hear a lot of painful stories...the world just needs a big hug.
After the assembly the missionary here took us outside and said he wanted to show us something. We came to this huge metal cellar door that went down into the ground. It was a crypt that had been there just as long as the church. This thing was awesome! We went down into the crypt and there were caskets inside these tombs. Some of the caskets were open and there was still the skeletons of whomever resided there. One of the caskets had two adult skeletons and a small child one. The missionary said that some of them had died from typhoid or some other disease. I'll be posting pictures up on Facebook so stay posted.
The last school I spoke at was called Mount Anville, a private ritzy all girls school. I was told that I could talk about my faith. I shared my story and then talked about the Rich Young Ruler. They responded very well. In my message of the rich young ruler I made it relate to them my saying "Basically if the Rich Young Ruler was a girl, Jesus would of asked her to give up all her expensive shoes!" As I said that I heard girls in the audience gasp as if someone had just told them they had cancer! It was pretty funny!
Today I spoke at a leaders meeting, all the Ireland Assembly of God leaders came together and Derrick the missionary, Kevin Norwood and I spoke. I am so encouraged with the leaders of Ireland! The Ireland people are in good hands! Right now as Im typing this blog Im sitting upstairs watching dozens of youth file into this youth center as the dj is playing Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z. Its definetly a cool experience! Pray that God moves once again! Im so humbled to be able to be used by him. Please keep my wife Jessica in your prayers as she is in Florida doing worship for a women's conference. Until next time! Much love!!
Day two/Ireland School Tour
Author: Jason Maupin 2/04/2010 06:39:00 PM
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Hey everyone! Hope all is well! Thank you for all your prayers while Im here in Ireland, I can certainly feel them! Today went absolutely incredible! It started at 6am this morning as myself, Kevin, Derrick, Johnny, and Jude crammed into a Volkswagon Passat and headed to a town called Bailieborough, a little country town in mid Eastern Ireland. I have to say it wasn't the most comfortable ride but definitely worth it. I spoke to about 150 students. God moved incredibly! The Irish people are so hospitable as the chaplain insisted on us staying for lunch and tea. Everyone was extremely attentive as I shared my love for Christ and how He changed me. I saw their faces as I spoke about how Jesus was my friend, they looked as if they wanted the same relationship but couldn't see how Jesus would want that same relationship with him. Most Irish students view God as someone who is far off too busy for them. They haven't had the best examples in some of their spiritual leaders because some of them recently were brought up on child molestation charges. I feel for the Irish youth, their view of Jesus must be so skewed. Thats why we're here to show them that Jesus wants a personal relationship with them. Later that day we visited Trim Castle most famous for Mel Gibson's 1995 movie Braveheart. As I looked at this castle I couldn't help but hear the word FREEDOM that Mel Gibson's character yelled out at the end of that movie. Im believing for freedom for the land of Ireland! Im looking to tomorrow! Im speaking 5 times, 4 schools and a night rally. Continue to pray that more doors open for future ministry in this country, and that the barriers of religion would fall and that the Irish people would find a love and relationship with God. Please feel free to look at some pictures I posted on Facebook. Because of child safety laws put in place we are not allowed to post pictures or videos with the students faces. Until next time! Much love!
Ireland Update!
Author: Jason Maupin 2/03/2010 12:11:00 PM
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First day in Ireland went great! Spoke to an all girls catholic school. God really moved! One girl left with tear filled eyes and simply looked up at me and said "thank you" I'll never know what that thank you really meant, but I praise God for it! Speaking at a youth group tonight. Thank you for your prayers! Much love! Looking forward to tomorrow!