Joshua Brown-Culp
My Life: Next Year
Hey family, friends, and strangers alike. My name’s Joshua Brown-Culp. I’m an 18 year old kid, I’ve got 2 brothers who I love to death, a mom who’s too touchy feel-y, and a dad who’s practically my best friend. I’m relatively knew to this whole faith thing. I accepted Christ two years ago in the basement of a Church I’d never attended. My life’s never been the same, and I never thought I’d be where I am today.
I’ve been 18 for just a month.
I’m graduating high school in no time.
I’m leaving home.
I’m doing Missionary work.
I’m terrified.
It started a month ago. I’d just turned 18.
I was lost. I didn’t want to go to college. I felt called to do something next year. Something Big. I was referred to join GreaterWorks by the lovely Heather Carufel. They weren’t hiring for next year, but they did refer me to MissionYear. I hit the JackPot.
I read everything I could get my hands on about MissionYear. – New Neighbor: book that compiles journals, and letters, from past MissionYear-goers, (NewNeighbor.org, or I can lend you my personal copy.) It gives a real sense of what MissionYear is like from a personal, and emotional stand point, as opposed to facts. – Missionyear.org: It’s got tons of information, although it doesn’t give a real sense of what’s to be expected, it outlines the program very well. – Blogs: They really helped me get a sense of how others were doing, and dealing with the same hopes and fears about this thing that I am.
So I applied, and before I knew it, I was signed up, and committed to doing this thing.
Which is where we are now, with 5 months until I leave, and $12,000 to raise.
About Mission Year
Mission Year is a year long urban ministry program focused on Christian service and discipleship. We take teams of young people, place them in an area of need, and help them to serve people and create community. We are committed to the command of Jesus to “love God and love people,” by placing the needs of our neighbors first and developing committed disciples of Christ with a heart for the poor. Learn more about our first year program…
Joshua Brown-Culp's Blog
Happy trails, minnesota. / Sep 3, 04:18 PM
Tomorrow I leave for Atlanta, Georgia.
I’ve never been more excited.
Pray that I travel safely, that I bond well with my new housemates, and that I can leave behind anything that might hinder me in Atlanta.
I love all of my friends and family, I’ll miss you a whole buttload.
Thanks for reading,
~BC
Ambassador / Aug 17, 09:46 PM
I’ve just returned from a trip to Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota. It was a week long Mission Trip, and the last thing I’ll ever have the chance do with TreeHouse.
It was a YouthWorks trip. YouthWorks is an organization that let’s teenagers come and have a chance to serve, offering them week long trips to impoverished places in the united states. It’s a good chance to serve and a great introduction into what missionary work is. On these trips you get two days of work projects, normally painting, or light construction; and two days of kids club, where you spend time talking and playing with kids, and teaching them a little bit about who God is. This was my third and final YouthWorks trip.
Us teaching Jonah and the Whale.
I loved the trip, and saw some pretty amazing things. I saw incredible levels of poverty, children who went to the park, not to play, but because their dad was drunk, abused and abandoned dogs, graffiti, violent children, and tons more. This is my passion, where I come alive. Among all the hurt and brokenness, and seeing God their, changing lives.
This trip was a little different though, it was strange, but the highlight of my trip happened on the van ride home.
We’d heard a talk from Marcus the night before about being an ambassador for Christ. About representing him, and sharing with others who God is, and what he means to me. He said that if I hadn’t shared my faith with my close friends and family, that I hadn’t been doing my job. He said that each of us is given relationships with people who only we can reach out to. I believe that’s true.
Thinking about sharing the Gospel, and how scary it is to ‘push your religion on someone’. How I love to love people, but never feel confident to share my faith with them. I was worried that I’d try and fail, that no one would want to hear what I had to say.
Boy was I wrong.
We were talking about that on our van ride home, how uncomfortable I am in sharing Christ, and a boy in the front seat, Ron* confessed that he wasn’t a Christian, and that he was raised Jewish. He said that he’d never felt connected to God through Judaism, that when he sang Jewish worship songs he didn’t feel anything. He said this trip, the worship songs meant something to him. He felt God there. He saw how our faith had changed us, and he said he was confused. He said Christianity made sense. It was incredible to see this guy open up to us, we’d known him for a week. He said that he wanted to know more about Jesus. He called his mom right there on the spot and told her he was seriously thinking about becoming a Christian. This is the kind of thing that gets me excited.
It was incredibly rewarding to be a part of his journey, even that small part, and I can only imagine how much more rewarding it’ll be to share the Gospel with my friends. I can only hope they’ll take to it as well as Ron has.
Thanks for reading,
BC
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Baptized / Aug 3, 11:16 AM
Yesterday, July 29th, 2010 I was baptized with my best friend Brittnie by my good friend and mentor Tim. It was a wonderful experience, and my family and friends were there for me, even though Church isn’t their scene.
I love them, and was so thrilled to have them all their with me.
My gramms even got up and read from Joshua (how fitting, right?).
I’ve never felt so loved and supported.
I’ve never actually owned a bible, I’ve had a family bible that I’d occasional page through. For my baptism I was given my very first bible, and it feels right.
It feels really really right.
Thanks for reading,
~BC
Goodbye TreeHouse. / Aug 3, 11:16 AM
TreeHouse is a non-profit youth outreach for at-risk youth. The staff help mentor kids who struggle with drug addictions, abusive parents, sex addictions, teen pregnancy, self-mutilation, and often times just everyday teenage problems like school, relationships, and family life. TreeHouse is often the only place TreeHouse kids hear the gospel, as most of them don’t attend church. TreeHouse is a wonderful place that’s truly helped shape who I am today. It’s a wonderful place, and I’ve seen it transform lives, and show teens their worth, show them that they matter. Http://www.Treehouseyouth.org/ for more information.
Today is my last day at TreeHouse, after spending 3 years of my life attending regularly. It’ll be a sad goodbye, but I think I’m ready to move on.
I feel so blessed to have been a part of it.
Mi Amigos / Jul 26, 11:06 PM
I’ve just returned from a week stay in Nicaragua. It was the single most incredible experience of my life to date. I went with 60ish people from Plymouth Covenant Church (who we had not known well prior to the trip) and 3 other TreeHouse kids, plus Tim, our staff.
I met some truly incredible people while I was down there. Our translators were amazing. They were very open and willing to share their own experiences, and loved to help in any way they could, from translating, to escorting, to just listening to our experiences in their country.
I was in awe of the hospitality and openness of the people in Nicaragua. We went on a few prayer walks, and each time people would litterally wait outside of their homes for us to arrive, invite us in, and ask for specific prayer. They opened their homes and their lives to us. It was truly incredible.
On the other hand, I’m not sure how much of it was real. People were much more open to prayer and Christianity, but a lot of it seemed very surface level. I wouldn’t be where I am today with Christ if I hadn’t had someone there to talk about Christianity, somewhere to learn about God’s word, and a bible to read God’s word directly. I think that a lot of the missionaries who go to Nicaragua are there for such a short period, that they don’t get a chance to really share who God is, but only get a chance to give a ‘Christmas special’ version of Christianity with nor real follow through. That was hard for me, because there wasn’t much more follow through I could do at the time. I hope to return someday soon, and stay for a prolonged period, where I can build real relationships, and really show the love of Christ, and what He’s done for me. That’s something I’m really looking forward to about MissionYear.
I got to talk with my guys for the last time. It was really hard for me. I watched as one of my guys who I’ve been working with for nearly 3 years, trying to get through to him what God had to offer and what mattered in life, didn’t get it. He was in one of the poorest countries in the world, where God was clearly working in the hearts of people, and he didn’t take in anything.
He came out of the trip with some neat memories and a few souvenirs, and not much else. This was so hard for me. I’ve poured myself into this guy for 3 years, and I thought I’d made some progress… and now I’m not sure I’ve done anything. I can only hope that I planted a seed, and that one day he’ll get it, but only God can make that change, no matter how hard I wish I could.
I fell in love with 3 little girls in Nicaragua. Rosa, Catharine, and Beht.
I met them at the orphanage I visited while in Nicaragua. I spent hours with these kids, and grieved for them when I had to leave like I’d known them for years. They didn’t speak a word of English, and I spoke approximately 6 words of Spanish, and I felt like we shared our whole lives. We played hide and go seek, made bracelets, played ‘Catch-us-while-we-jump-off-of-tall-things” (a game I especially dreaded), and taught each other Spanish/English. They are beautiful, smart, loving girls, and I miss them horribly. I don’t know what lesson God’s trying to teach me with this one yet, but I’m sure it’s going to be a good one.
There’s so much more I could (and plan to) write about Nicaragua, but that’s it for now.
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