Heather Hodges

At the 2nd annual Family Festival we will celebrate our culturally diverse neighborhoods of East Tulsa by throwing a party for our children and families. 

There are many ethnicities and languages represented in East Tulsa and I believe we are a more vibrant community because of our differences.  While it is important that immigrants to our country assimilate into our culture and learn English we want to celebrate our differences and the richness of our respective cultures. 

For centuries  people from all over the world have been coming to America for the same reasons – freedom and hope — and then a Frenchman created a statue that embodied their hopes and dreams and the promise of America, “Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free…” – The Statue of Liberty. 

On Wednesday evening May 14^th, 2008 the Garnett Bilingual Preschool, the Garnett Church of Christ, and the Green Country Event Center will host the 2^nd annual Family Festival.  Admission to the event is free. 

There will be inflatables for the children, pony rides, a clown, a magician, face painting, balloon animals, and family style games such as three legged races, parent-child wheel barrow races, water balloon toss, and a hula hoop contest. 

We will have demonstrations by the Hmong cultural dancers, Karate Shikara by the students of José Munoz, gymnastics by Aim High Academy and the students of the Garnett Bilingual Preschool, Safari’s Interactive Animal Sanctuary, and a Magic Show by Michael Platten.

There will also be food for sale by Hmong’s Café, Wing Stop, barbeque by Chef Roy Victory, Mexican food from Carnicieria la Placita, and of course pop corn and cotton candy.

I hope everyone in the Tulsa area will bring their families by for food, fun, frivolity, and of course a little culture.  See you there!!!!

On Wednesday, March 26, Tulsans and International Soul Winning Workshop participants have a great opportunity to help change the lives of at-risk children in Tulsa . . . and worldwide in places like Ukraine, Ghana, and Denver, Colorado. The Garnett Church and the Green Country Event Center will host a fundraising dinner, live music, and an auction from 6 pm – 8 pm at Garnett, 12000 E. 31st St. Tulsa, Oklahoma 74146. All funds go to Dry Bones Denver, World Wide Youth Camps, Village of Hope Ghana, and at-risk youth programs in Tulsa. The full service, gourmet meal is being provided by Chef Roy Victory, plates are $15 each and tables of 8 can be purchased for a donation of $200. Tickets for the event are still available, please call (918) 663-3000.

I have had the honor of serving on the committee that is hosting this event, and we’ve had a lot of fun putting this evening together for you. I hope you will make plans to join us on Wednesday night. The dinner will be delicious, the music lively, and the auction a blast. Here are a few of the paintings that I’ve donated to the auction (please forgive the poor picture quality, they are much brighter in person.)

This is a 24×30 oil on canvas framed reproduction of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” I have long been a student of Van Gough’s technique and color palate, and this is the eighth time I have reproduced this famous painting.

“Poppies in Provence” 18×24 oil on gallery wrap canvas. This painting can be hung “as-is” or can be framed.

My latest addition to the floral series that has been so popular the last several years, “Summer Garden I & II.” These colorful paintings are 22 x 28 acrylic on gallery wrap canvas. They are intended to be hung without a frame.

I’ll see you Wednesday night at 6pm!

I’m finally home after a very long, but rewarding journey to Novosibirsk, Russia. The reason I went was to help lead the 2008 Mentor Retreat for World Wide Youth Camps. They are an international missions ministry focused on orphans in Russia and Ukraine. They host summer and winter camps for the orphans in which American mission teams will travel to both countries to conduct church camp for the children. During the camps Russian and Ukrainian mentors serve as translators for the Americans but they also form spiritual friendships with the orphans. After the Americans leave, these in-country mentors will continue their relationships with the orphans. It might be compared to our Big Brother/Big Sister program where at-risk kids are mentored and shown love from a caring adult.

One of the hard lessons I learned from this trip is that orphans in Russia are considered inferior by the culture and have a very small chance of becoming successful after leaving the orphanage. They suffer from “institutional syndrome” and may physically be 16 years old, but are in fact emotionally much younger. As a result, when they leave the orphanage at 17 or 18, they are not ready to face the challenges of living on their own and many fall into drugs, alcoholism, prostitution, and some commit suicide. The Russian mentors working with WWYC want to help the orphans avoid these pitfalls. So they start mentoring the orphans while they are still in the orphanage and build lasting friendships with them. They spend their own time and money taking the orphans to lunch, buying them clothes, and most importantly spending time in conversation with them. The mentors walk along side the orphans helping them make difficult decisions and preparing for life outside the orphanage. One of the goals of WWYC is to create a facility that will serve as a half-way house for the orphans. This sanctuary is several years away, but the need is immediate. It would serve as a respite for the orphans and a safe place for them to go, meet with their mentor, find compassion, have bible studies, gain life skills and rest.

The retreat that I helped lead with my brother Houston Heflin and Rob Browne was very similar to spiritual retreats here. We were led in textual studies by Houston out of Matthew 14 (Jesus walks on the water), and I took the group through team-building activities and helped apply the teaching with games and initiatives. We prayed together, played together, had good food, stayed up late talking, cried together, and made new friends as a result. Our goal for the retreat was to mentor the mentors, build them up through the Word and through our actions. We hoped to not only give them more tools to draw from as they minister to the orphans in Novosibirsk, but also to deepen their faith in Christ. We had very serious times together and very silly times too. But throughout the experience the Lord was present in powerful ways. Most of the mentors are Christians, but several of them have not yet given their lives fully to Him. Please continue to pray not only for the orphans but for these wonderful people who stand beside them and mentor them.

Houston teaching.

Buddy Ropers - a team building game also known as Group Knot

Group Lap Sit - this can be accomplished with a very large group too.

“Super” Olga and Olga “99″ navigating the mine field. They were being verbally guided through by a partner on the other side of the room.

Natalia preparing for the Trust Fall. This may seem familiar to us, but it was very threatening to some of the mentors.

Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers while I was gone. Wade and the boys did fine while I was away and I even came home to a semi-clean house and more food in the fridge than when I left. Some of you have asked about the cold…yes it was VERY cold (minus 10 degrees F). Siberia in February-what was I thinking? It was so cold my teeth hurt when I was outside. But I must say, the cold is not what I will remember most about this trip. I will remember the warmth of my new friends in Russia, late night tea, Super Olga’s tears, Pushcoff’s jokes, Houston trying to stay awake through jet lag, Rob sneaking upstairs to put little gifts on the mentor’s beds, walking arm-in-arm with Anna through the woods, eating new foods, Natalia shouting “make it 12″, the rubber chicken flying through the room, being so tired we were giddy, the joy of meeting new friends, but most of all the pain of saying goodbye.

On Tuesday, February 19th I will be going to Novosibirsk, Russia to help lead a spiritual formation/team building retreat with World Wide Youth Camps. They are “an international missions ministry focused on planting the seed of Christ into the hearts of children of every tongue, tribe, and nation.” They host both summer camps and school-year retreats where children are taught the Bible and create spiritual friendships with mentors. These “in-country” mentors continue the work after the camps are over and offer a consistent presence in the lives of the children. World Wide Youth Camps also partners with orphanages to touch children and help them attend their programs. Finally, they recruit and develop international leaders and teams for short-term mission trips.

My brother, Houston Heflin, who is a minister in the Dallas area, will be leading the retreat next week. I’m very excited about this opportunity for several reasons. (1) I will experience another culture and walk along side Russian Christians on their journey to follow Jesus , (2) I will be able to build relationships with Russians who will be striving to live out their faith by caring for and loving orphans (3) I will spend a week with my brother while teaching about Jesus, (4) I get to see Red Square, the Kremlin, the Russian armory, St. Basil’s, and Siberia in the winter time.

The Lord has blessed me so abundantly and richly to be able to live this kind of adventure for Him. Please pray for my safety while I travel, for my preparation and presentation of the gospel, for Wade and the boys while I’m gone, and that those we work with on this retreat will be inspired to lead others to Christ. Thank you so much for your prayers and support of my ministry. Peace.

The Kremlin

Red Square

St. Basil’s

I heard a sermon preached yesterday that I have been waiting many years to hear. I am very proud of the courage and conviction it took to be able to teach on such a delicate topic. My hopes and prayers are that women in the church will be encouraged to use their spiritual gifts to the fullest. Yet, I know that many people will hear and interpret something different from what was actually said. My deepest desire is that a healthy and Godly conversation will grow from this.  May grace and love abound.

“Women in Leadership at Garnett”

It has been a pleasure reading your feedback to my previous post. I am humbled that so many of you took the time to weigh in on this very important subject. I invite you now to brain storm with me what the next actions could be for a congregation that believes women should use their gifts fully in service to God. Where do we go from here? How do a group of believers proceed down a path that will inevitably cause pain or discomfort to others? Is it possible to change church culture? Should we attempt to change church culture? Do you know of examples from other congregations who have navigated these waters already? Is there anything we can learn from their triumphs or failures?

I have long been an advocate of women exercising their spiritual gifts in the church. I noticed the discrepancy between how males and females served the Lord in public when I was about 5 years old. “Singing Night” was every first Wednesday of the month at the church where I grew up in Azle, Texas. The congregation would meet together in the auditorium for an hour of worship. During this time Odell Bramlett, the song leader, would invite the little boys to come down front with him for a few songs as his song-leaders-in-training. My brothers would eagerly rush to the front to join Brother Odell. When I tried to follow them, a gentle hand pulled me back down on the pew. When I asked my dad why I couldn’t help lead worship like my brothers, his answer was grossly insufficient for both of us. He and my mom didn’t always agree with the traditions and heritage of the Church of Christ. At home a different truth was taught. I was brought up to believe that I was worthy in the sight of God and was gifted by Him for His service.

I was taught about the courage and faithfulness of the women of the Bible, and how the Lord moved in their lives and was glorified by their talents and service. From the time I was a child I heard the names of Sarah, Rachael, Leah, Jochebed, Miriam, Abigail, Tamar, Deborah, Jael, Rahab, Esther, Ruth, Hannah, Elizabeth, Anna, Mary, Martha, Dorcas (Tabitha), Lydia, Phoebe, Chloe, Priscilla, Junias, Lois, and Eunice. These women served in every roll imaginable in the kingdom. There was a mother of nations, a song leader, a ruler, a warrior, a hero, a determined convert, a rescuer, a faithful mom, a loyal wife, a prophetess, a hostess, a church planter, a teacher, an apostle, a philanthropist, a business woman, a devout Christian, and a woman honored above all other woman as the mother of Christ.

Throughout Scripture we read story after story of these great women who had distinct roles in the kingdom of God. Whether they were pious or not, they were used for the glory of the Lord. Unfortunately, many Christian churches today have let two culturally restrictive Scriptures (1 Co 14:34 and 1 Tim 2:12) over shadow the rich history of women in the Bible. Scholars agree that these two Scriptures were cultural directions that dealt with specific situations and are not to be directives to all churches for all times. However, many churches have applied these two restrictions to all women for all times. Other churches have softened their stance for women’s roles but have kept women in the background because of “heritage values.”

It is time for a better understanding of Scripture and a better understanding of how the Lord has used and plans to use women in his kingdom. So, where are the women in churches today? They are where they have always been. They are behind the scenes planning, coordinating, and organizing. They are in the kitchen, nursery, and classrooms. They are on their knees in prayer. They are battling the enemy head-on in their homes, at work, the community and the mission field. They are raising-up generations of faithful believers.

Women have been functioning in the role of a supporter, nurturer, hostess, care-giver, or children’s teacher. Many women have been able to fully exercise their spiritual gifts within the boundaries of these roles. These women have served their church family in completeness and have felt little restriction or confinement in these roles. However, there are a large number of women who have felt that their spiritual gifts have been unusable to the church. These women are gifted in administration, business, scholarship, public speaking, and leadership. These women are entrepreneurs, doctors, professors, mothers, politicians, bankers, administrators, social workers, and business women. They have occupied roles in the world that have best suited their interests, talents, and areas of giftedness. Women are presidents of universities, prime ministers of countries, and CEOs of top 10 companies. In the world they have had the freedom to excel and be effective.

The talents of these women have lain dormant in the church because of a poor interpretation of Scripture. Women have been told to “remain silent” and to “be in submission” when a less gifted (or less willing) man was an elder, preacher, youth minister, church administrator, served on committees, lead worship, read Scripture, or prayed in public.

The spiritual gifts of millions of women has been stifled and hushed through the years. This has damaged many women, it has hurt marriages and families. It has hindered the church and I believe saddened the Lord. A better reading of Scripture is now being realized among many churches and can emancipate women in the church. It is time to give women the freedom to fully use their gifts in the service of God. The harvest is ripe and there have been women waiting to be allowed to serve. Where are the women? They are here and they are ready.

No, this was not a debriefing exercise, just a rub for good luck.

On the balcony of my room. The Americans, commissioned and showered the Ukrainian mentors with affirmation, blessings, and gifts.

The entire Donelson Team on the last day of debriefing.

Arusik, Heather & Joel.

The Ukrainian mentors, lead by my new friend and sister Arusik.

Missionary Debriefing is a time of Rest, Renewal, Reflection, Re-Affirmation, and to prepare for Re-Entry back into their home country and culture. These fourteen people dedicated three weeks to serving children in Ukraine. They had been preparing for almost a year to go on this journey. But once they arrived in Ukraine and began the work with the children they realized how difficult the time was going to be. Several of the Americans had never been on an airplane before much less visited another country. They experienced culture shock and wrestled with the language barrier. They ate food that they did not recognize and were exposed to unusual and sometimes unpleasant odors. But this did not divert them from their mission to show unconditional love to the children and orphans of Ukraine.  After three weeks, the missionary team wept to see the children leave.  Their hearts had been touched and they had fallen in love .

The team processed their experiences. In what ways had it been the “Best of Times” and the “Worst of Times?”

“Remembering the Children”  The team created a collage or drawing to reflect on their time with the children.  For most this was one of the most emotionally difficult exercises to complete.

Joel and Dima.  Dima is a Ukrainian university student who is majoring in languages and will be an English translator. 

“Balloon Trolly” This team work exercise helps illustrate team dynamics. We used it to explore ways they functioned well together and also highlights areas where improvement is needed.   Besides all that it’s just plain fun.

The missionaries arrived mid-morning on Monday road weary and physically and mentally exhausted. As they each stepped off the bus I saw face after face wearing an expression of fatigue. But then there was Arusik and Elizabeth, smiling at me. Arusik is an Armenian woman who had to leave her country because of a devastating earth quake and now lives in Ukraine. She is the lead mentor for the missionary team, a language expert, and a woman of deep faith. Elizabeth bounded off the bus wearing an enormous smile and grasped my hand in greeting. I knew then I had just met a friend for life. She is a South Dakota girl living in Moscow, teaching English. She joined the Ukraine missionary team not only because of her passionate love for Christ, but also her love for children.

There were 5 Ukrainian mentors who worked along side the 14 American missionaries in the camps. They served as language and cultural translators. Three of the mentors were believers when the mission began and over the course of three weeks, the other two saw examples of Christ’s love poured out on the orphans and children of Ukraine. They joined the team in order to practice English, but came away with much, much more. They also made an indelible impression on the missionaries themselves, and lasting friendships were formed.

The nine Americans came from a variety of places but were led by Joel Butts of Donelson, Tennesee and his niece, Jessi from Georgia. The three weeks working with the children of Ukraine presented many challenges and obstacles including injuries, spider bites, government inspectors, a duplicitous camp director, culture shock, and extremely adverse living conditions. Only the team themselves know the full extent of these challenges. But they will also tell you in the same breath about the intensity with which they fell in love with the children. They taught the children about Jesus not only from the bible stories, crafts and skits they did every day, but also by the unconditional love they gave to the kids all day long. And in turn the children and their stories touched their hearts more deeply than they had anticipated.

These fourteen people had just experienced an incredible three weeks serving the Lord together side by side under extreme conditions. Many of them were strangers when the journey began, but they were united by their love of Jesus and their love for children.