Finding Myself

 Hey All!
I'm so sorry I've taken so long to post and it is long overdue. There is a lot to go over and I'm sorry for how lengthy this post is going to be but soooo much has happened here and there has been so many ups and downs and I feel like I have a lot to say.

CHAPTER I: Home
So I arrived back in the UK with Getwell on the 26th of May and I'm not going to lie, it felt like I was back home and nothing had changed. We went straight into the field as we went back to Galley Hill and got to share a bible story with them. The first year we went to Galley Hill we asked them how many had heard the story of Jonah and only a few kids in the entire school had heard it, which shocked us. This past year we asked them how many of them knew it and all of them raised their hands, this is from many years of Getwell, the Bridge, and YFC putting teams and gap year workers in the school to teach R.E. lessons. We then went to run a Camp of Champions in Westgate Park, where I would meet my teammates for the summer, to use sports as an avenue for the gospel. The youth we took over were great and the kids loved them. We spent the rest of the week sharing our faith at a VBS setting. It was another successful trip where we were able to plant seeds with the younger kids we knew and the older ones we connected with every year. BIG THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN GUISBOROUGH AND GETWELL IS A PART OF THAT.

CHAPTER II: New Friends
I've spent the last month and a half working in a couple of different projects, the main two being axiom and Billingham. With axiom we run sports camps all over the valley where we use sport as an avenue for the Gospel. Our first week as a team in Stockton we saw a girl come to know Christ and it has been a ballin time since then. I've gotten to know so many people and have Great friends like Morgan, Monica, Leah, Iveth, and James, then I have the little sister I never had in Hannah, then I have Flash who is like a brother to me and reminds me in a lot of ways of my brother Ryan. These people mean so much to me and are one of the most amazing groups I have ever been a part of. They encourage me when I need to be encouraged and they pray for me through the hardest times of life, I can't ask for much more than that. In Billingham I get to step in and help three amazing women in ministry they've been doing all year. We hang out with kids at the park, run youth clubs, and do sunday morning kids church. These girls are doing an amazing job out there and it's been so easy to just step in and help in whatever way possible!.

CHAPTER III: Feeling Again
This is the most important chapter. My boss and spiritual father Greg Meek has been telling me for the past two years I don't have the same passion and joy I used to have that made me effective in Youth Ministry. For so long I've been living with a hardened heart after my brother was murdered, then trying to fix it with a relationship and not only hurting myself but my girlfriend at the time, and I remember being at youth hearing my boss Nate Russell talking about living with a hardened heart and feeling so convicted about it but keeping it held in. These past few weeks I've felt that shell come off and it has felt so good, but it came out of nowhere. I told myself when I got here that I was done pretending to be happy just to please people and I've done that, and it has helped me be so much happier than what I have been. The things I'm doing and the people I'm around have collided to help me have a revival in my faith, my love, and my spirit. It started on our first week when we had a sports camp and had a little girl come to know Christ and we celebrated with a dance video. It has gradually escalated all summer but my heart started beating like it used to this past week at the most unexpected thing, people I had never met before. We had 150 students come across from Prestonwood Baptist Church in Prosper, Texas. I got to help an amazing couple lead an amazing group of 11 students in ministry. From day 1 of getting to know Family group 4 they began to have an impact on me. Leading them reminded me of why I love what I do as much as I do. I saw God break their heart for what broke his as there were tears shed for kids who had rough upbringing, for kids who just wanted to be loved, and for a country that is on the rise again. I only knew these people for a week and they've made an everlasting impact on me. This group lead a council woman to Christ and made an impact on so many kids last week. Last week there were 50 kids in this place that came to know Christ. Something is happening here.

I just want to thank everybody. Thanks to the people at Getwell for supporting me even when I didn't deserve support, thanks to the people of Guisborough for always making us feel at home, thanks to the people of YFC and Axiom for letting me come back and serve in the place I'm longing to see God move, thanks to the friends I work with for loving me, dancing with me, praying over me on the night I needed it more than every, and putting up with me even when I go off and work by myself, and thanks to family group 4, or Sweden, for reminding me why I love youth ministry and why I love this country and it's people so much. None of you will ever know how much of an impact you've made on my life.

As I press on these last 3 weeks of my time here, I just ask that you pray for Teeside and it's people. Pray for the adults and kids who accepted Christ this past week that they will have a solid foundation and will be sharers and doers of the word. Pray for the new team of gap years coming in that they would help grow the seeds that have been planted before them. I love you all and I'm so sorry for the length of this post. You guys are one of the pillars of my ministry.

The Return

Hey Everybody!

           It's been a long time since I've blogged on here but there are a few things coming up I'm pretty excited about. Since I came home from England, I have been finishing my 2-year degree at Northwest Mississippi Community College while working 3 jobs! I've worked at Getwell Road United Methodist, Cherokee Valley Golf Course, and StateFarm and life has been busy. I even had a girlfriend for a little while (believe it or not). I've been trying to figure out what God wants me to do with my life and through that I have begun to see a bigger picture of my time in England and how to get back. With that being said, I recently applied for an internship to work with UK-USA ministries for the summer. I'm excited and can't wait to be back at my other home. I'll be there for the entire summer if I get the internship, and will be doing all sorts of stuff from sports, to going into schools, to many other things. I'll be leaving in May then coming back at the end of July, I'm excited about the opportunity and looking forward to being able to reach out to many people from many backgrounds.

           Another thing has been trying to figure out where I want to go to college and what to do after the summer. As of last night, I took a job working for my sister where I will be living in Hawaii taking care of my 3 nephews while my sister and her husband are working. So after I get back from England, I will be packing up and moving my life to Hawaii. I'm excited and nervous about the opportunity as I will miss my friends and family here, but what an adventure it will be. Obviously this will be tough leaving Getwell where I have worked for almost 4 years now, but they have been supportive and loving throughout this process. The biggest thing for me is having time to spend with my 3 nephews and being a Godly influence in their lives. I'll miss my small group, the JOY group, the parents I've connected with, and the friends I've made. Feel free to come visit me in the 808.

          The biggest challenge in my way right now is raising money for the England trip. I've got to raise around $5000 for the summer trip and that includes Plane tickets, Train tickets, living expenses, and spending money. I'll post a link on Facebook if anyone wishes to donate, and as always if you can't donate and want to help, just share the link. I had so many people donate last year that I didn't even know because somebody else shared my link. I'm excited about this chance I have to serve in England then move on to a great opportunity in a beautiful place. If you ever want to know more, message me on Facebook, text me, or let's go to lunch! Oh and if you ordered a shirt, they will be in next week! I love you all and am thankful to have you all in this wonderful and crazy walk I've had!

Love,

Hunter Brooks (Glen Coco)

I Will Rise

Hey Everybody! I didn't get to blog before I left or since I've gotten back so I just wanted to give one last blog post on my time in England and how it ended.

My time in England was one of the greatest experiences I've had in my life and it brought me closer to God than I have ever been in my life. I experienced his glory through the country side, the work I did, and the people I connected with. I went to places I never thought I'd go and places I never knew existed, and I was really amazed by it all. I did work this year that was really different from anything I've ever done. From working in schools with elementary kids, to working with kids after school, to serving older people at soup n' roll, to Cafe Churches, the work I did this year was different and I know that there were a lot of times this year where God was glorified. Lastly, the people I met this year will never be forgotten, I will always remember my house group, the people who worked with the bridge and YFC, and mostly the kids I had the pleasure of working with this year, they have all left an imprint on my heart, and it hurt me just as much to say goodbye to them as it did to say bye to my youth group when I left for the year.
I can't wait to return next year and see the people of Guisbrough and see how all the kids have grown, and trust me when I say I WILL return next year.
Even though I was sad to be leaving, I was so happy to return home. I got to see my family as soon as I got home, then I went to the church at the tail end of the first night of our Summer Family Experience and was able to see everybody from the church that I've missed and all of our students, and I can't even explain the joy I felt in seeing all of them again. I was so happy to come back home even though I knew I'd miss my other home.
My time in England was cut short and I didn't really explain it to people why I had to come back early, but my younger brother Ryan was shot and murdered on July 10th, and I had to come back home to say goodbye to someone who is a huge part of who I am. It hurt so bad but I have the greatest healer of all. My brother was very different from me yet we were a lot alike. Being the brother who always had to room with him growing up, when my sister asked us if anybody wanted to speak at his funeral I chose to say something. I didn't get to tell my bro good bye or that I loved him to him so I chose to do so by remembering him with all of his family and friends. I was able to go on one last walk by myself in England to be by myself so I could be one on one with God. I had a moment in the woods where it just hit me like a train. I've been so lucky to have the people of Getwell and the people of Guisbrough during this time, because without God and those he has surrounded me with I don't know how I would have made it out of this situation. My Brothers death also brought my family together, all of us, and on that day when we should have been shedding tears and filled with sorrow, we were able to come together and remember old times, fun times, bad times, and just laugh. It took my brother dying to do that though, and it just made me realize who much I miss my family and the times we used to have, I'll probably never have that back, but for just a day I had it, and I wish Ryan could have been there, but God had him on that day, and every day, and for all of eternity for now on.
Last night came the biggest comfort of all in this whole situation. My brothers BFF Michael told us that a few months ago he baptized Ryan after Ryan told him about his belief in Jesus, and if that's true then I know where my brother is, and last night at enter in the Wenger sisters sang a song that brought me to tears as I was sitting in the back and the words just comforted me and helped me say goodbye to my brother. The song is called I Will Rise By Chris Tomlin

"There's a peace I've come to know 
Though my heart and flesh may fail 
There's an anchor for my soul 
I can say "It is well" 
Jesus has overcome 
And the grave is overwhelmed 
The victory is won 
He is risen from the dead 
And I will rise when He calls my name 
No more sorrow, no more pain 
I will rise on eagles' wings 
Before my God fall on my knees 
And rise 
I will rise 
There's a day that's drawing near 
When this darkness breaks to light 
And the shadows disappear 
And my faith shall be my eyes 
Jesus has overcome 
And the grave is overwhelmed 
The victory is won 
He is risen from the dead 
And I will rise when He calls my name 
No more sorrow, no more pain 
I will rise on eagles' wings 
Before my God fall on my knees 
And rise 
I will rise 
And I hear the voice of many angels sing, 
"Worthy is the Lamb" 
And I hear the cry of every longing heart, 
"Worthy is the Lamb"  
And I will rise when He calls my name 
No more sorrow, no more pain 
I will rise on eagles' wings 
Before my God fall on my knees 
And rise 
I will rise"

and I immediately just had a picture in my head of my brother smiling at me while standing next to a throne, a throne where Jesus sat at the right hand at the throne of God and my brother was no longer in his earthly dwelling but he had been baptized by fire and cleansed, and was in his eternal home where I long to join him.

Many people would look at this situation and say how is it possible a God could exist if something this bad could happen?

I look at this and say how can we blame God for our mistakes when it's always been us making the mistakes and him cleaning up after us. 

Also I say this is why we NEED Jesus, just thinking that some group of people could take someone's life like this just shows me how evil humans are, not just those ones, but all of us, and without Jesus, there is no possible way we'd be able to live with God, and that's why Christ is the ONLY way to heaven.

I'm sorry for the length of this post, but I felt the need to say certain things, and lastly as this will be my last blog for quite a while, I just wanna thank YFC, The Bridge, and Getwell, you have all helped shape me to be who I am.

I cannot wait for the day that I am reunited with my partner in crime, but in stead of causing trouble we will be free of it, and we will be worshipping the king together. So this blog is for Ryan Christopher Brooks, AKA: Baby Elephant, Sparky, Breezy, and many other foolish nicknames, I love you, and I always will.

Just Some Old Hymns

Had the chance to share my testimony at the Salvation Army this morning. Before that we sang a hymn that just hit home with me. I'm not usually the biggest fan of singing hymns but this one was great. It's called kneeling in penitence.

Kneeling in penitence I make my prayer,
Owning my weaknesses and my despair;
Failure I cannot hide,
Broken my selfish pride,
Pardon thou dost provide,
Pardon declare.

Nothing can I achieve, nothing attain;
He that without thee builds, labors in vain;
Shatter my own design,
Shaping a plan divine,
Come to this heart of mine,
Saviour, again.

Though few the gifts I have that thou canst use,
Make thy demands on me; I'll not refuse;
Take all there is of me,
Take what I hope to be;
Thy way at last I see,
Thy way I choose.

Loved that last bit, and the whole thing in general really, where it says take all there is of me, take what i hope to be...That's really tough to ask God to do because we have our own selfish desires and all of our own goals in life..but to say to God "I don't want it...you take it and make it yours" is just stunning to me. So I do ask God to break my selfish pride and shatter my own designs, I only want what he wants for me, because it seems like everything I want is just the stuff that gets me into trouble.

Last thing, the other day I was reading an argument between some Christians and one of them was talking about how he was a "proud (specific sin) christian who doesn't care what society says to him because Jesus loves him." I'm not gonna say the sin because that's not the point of my argument. I was a bit caught of guard because my opinion is that of Romans 8 which says that you can only live for the spirit or the flesh, but not both. What I believe is that if you are pursuing Christ, then you are fighting sin and fighting temptation. Yet, this man was saying he was embracing sin in his life and embracing Jesus. Others had the same mindset as me and they posted them telling him what scripture says, and he kept saying "well I don't believe that verse or that part of the bible" and I was reminded of a lesson from Tim Fritson on a fall retreat at Windermere a few years back when Tim started ripping out pages of the bible then when his product was finished he held it up and said "now this is the bible i want to believe in," but the point of his talk was that we can't do that..we don't make the bible what we want it to be so it will fit in with our lifestyle. In fact we should do the opposite, match our lifestyles to that of Jesus (Ephesians 5:1) and that only happens through observing his word (ALL OF IT) so please don't underestimate the power of scripture. It has transformed my life and I know it can do it to anybody if it can do it to me.

My Sword I Leave For Another

So yeah...just got back from traveling to Barcelona, Rome, Venice, and Paris..and felt compelled to write about some things that just got me thinking in Barcelona.

One of the main things we have been talking about in YFC this year is the potential of not seeing any fruit and wondering if we would be able to handle that, and on this trip I got to see some stories of that.
The guy who designed the Sagrada Familia Basilica knew he wouldn't be able to see his finished work(as it's been being worked on for nearly 100 years now) yet decided to pursue it anyways, and at first that just sounded crazy to me. Then, I thought about how he was leaving his work for men behind him to finish, and I was reminded of 2 Tim 2:2 and how we may never see all the people we will impact and we may never see somebody fully grow but being used by God to set the foundation can sometimes be the plan that was made for us. We find faithful men who will be able to continue teaching others after we have taught them and in the same way, Gaudi designed and worked on the Basilica knowing that he would have to entrust his work to someone else later on, and i can only imagine how tough that was. It reminded me of a question that was asked during one of our intern bible studies last summer by BC.." Who is my Timothy" asking who am I pouring into that will carry God's work after me, it's quite convicting when you realize you might not have a Timothy yet and even more so when you realize how poor my attempts have been to find one.

I also loved that the main attractions weren't on the inside of the building but Gaudi shared the Gospel with the outside of his building. There are 3 main sides of the basilica. One is the Nativity, the birth of Christ. The 2nd is the death, the betrayal, and crucifixion of Jesus. The last is the Glory, the future we have through Jesus and only him. I love that Gaudi put these sculptures on the outside of his building and not on the inside so that all could see them. The Gospel is for everyone and Gaudi made it possible that through his architecture, anybody could see the gospel just by looking at it.

There were multiple times I got to just sit and be with God this past week, and I realized how important that is and how I can look over that sometimes. I went to a few services that were in different languages so I couldn't really pay attention to what they were saying, but instead I was able to just go pray and sit still, and it helped a lot. I think I've completely overlooked prayer in my life really. I pray, but it's always been me telling God what my problems are when he already knows them, when in stead, i should just be listening to what he wants me to do.

I can't believe that in 2 weeks I'll be seeing people from GRUMC serving in England and i look forward to it so much. Please pray that their time here would be fruitful and would help ministry in Guisborough even after they go back. It's even harder to believe that my time here is quickly ending. Over the summer I've been thinking about starting a discipleship group with our students and I've been trying to think about where to start with that and it's just been tough, so please pray for that as well.
I miss you all and can't wait to tell everybody in person about my experiences in Barcelona, Rome, Venice, and Paris, but most importantly about my time here in England.

as always, thanks to everybody who made all of this possible, and most importantly, glory to God.
Love,
Hunter Brooks--formerly known as Glen Coco

Feeling 22!

Hey everybody! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted, let's get everybody caught up on what God's been doing in the Tees Valley! Shall we?

These past few months have flown by but they've been so good. We've started a new Thursday night group and some new guys have been coming to it and Wednesday night group as well. So it's been a great opportunity to just hang out with some guys and build relationships with them! They're quite easy to lure in, just soda and pizza and boom, they're there.

We've also been doing the Easter story lately at Galley Hill Primary School (Holds no candle to Greenbrook Elementary lol) and the kids have been great. Before that we got to do a lot of the Old Testament with them and I got to lead a session on the story of Jacob and Esau in which we blindfolded the kids and had them try and guess which classmate was which just by hearing their voice and feeling their hair and face...they surprisingly knew most of their classmates! Many of these kids love just talking to Lindsey and myself and playing with us on the playground. Most of these 10 year old kids are miles better than me at football (or soccer if you're a lame american)

I've had so many people who ask why I've come all the way to the Tees Valley from America and through that I get to share my faith through my testimony, and it's been so great. Then they think I'm crazy when I say I actually like it here. We've got a lot of new outsiders coming to youth groups though just because they meet Lindsey and myself out on the streets after school and they have continued coming back.

A few weeks ago our house group of 8 went on a retreat near the Lake District. I had a lovely time, everybody got to lead a bible study, prayer walk, or worship session during the weekend and it was so great to just go away with people my age or older than me for a change. The theme for the weekend was God's love, or Agape. I did my session on 2 Tim 2, and just talked about having a world view. While planning it, I thought of how Getwell does the thing where we pray for the persecuted church in a different country each month and I really started to miss everybody at Getwell. The weekend was full of Glorifying God then going and exploring God's glory, overall a great weekend, and it snowed!

As Easter approaches I've been going through all the prophecies that described the Messiah in the OT, and I just love how everything that they said would happen did with Jesus. He was and is the only one who could ever defeat death and wash our sin away.

I'd like to thank everybody on the church staff as well! Received your birthday cards yesterday and they were great! (Especially the picture Michelle sent me!) Just to let everybody who was wondering back at home know I have not gotten married and I haven't seen Prince George or One Direction (Sorry Getwell Girls)

PRAYER REQUESTS!
1. I've gotten to know so many kids and teenagers over here and build relationships with them and I would love to start seeing some fruit grow from these relationships before I leave so just please pray that my time with them would be glorifying to God and that I would take the backseat to him.
2. We had a Wednesday night group that has been cancelled temporarily until we find a new venue and these are with kids that desperately need people hanging out with them that will show them love. They live about 30 minutes away and we used to drive out and have a club with them but it stopped a few weeks ago because the people who owned the place we went to couldn't afford to keep it open.
3. Just general prayer for Guisborough, we've had a few meetings about where the Methodist church is heading as far as Family and Youth ministry go and we just need \God's help and direction. Then prayer for Lindsey as she decides whether or not to stay in Guisborough for a 3rd year.
4. Prayer for Energy, I've got just under 4 months left and I want to make sure I give it my all while I'm here and I'll be needing a lot of energy to keep up with these kids.


I miss everybody a lot and can't wait to see you all again, and I really want to thank everybody who has been supporting me, you guys have kept my ministry going in so many different ways. There is no way I would ever be able to explain to you guys what this year has meant to me and it wouldn't be possible if it weren't for everybody back at home supporting me through prayer and finance as well.

Lastly, if any of my friends from back at home are reading this and have a passion for working with youth and young people, the bridge will need somebody to replace me when I leave at the end of the summer. TVYFC needs gap year students to put into Guisborough. If you're at all interested message me on Facebook and let's talk about it! I can connect you with Mike Taylor and he can tell you even more than I can but the kids and teens here are great and they've impacted me just as much as I hope I've impacted them!

Love you guys and gals, miss ya!

Christmas Time!!

Hey All! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted (Nearly 3 months) but I've been quite busy. Constantly going into schools, working bridge events, and helping out at youth have been keeping me at work.
I'll start off by thanking all of you who have continued to support me so far through prayers, letters of encouragement, and money. You guys have been such a blessing to me and I can't thank you enough for helping me on this journey.
I hate that I missed the Christmas prom last Sunday but I know that it was a blast after seeing pictures and videos. I hope youth is going well for all you leaders and students and I hope you guys have a great Christmas break.

Lately the biggest thing going on in my life spiritually is that I have stopped trying to simply just beat sin as a whole by myself and I've started to take it one battle at a time while leaning completely on Christ. I've also begun being honest about when I was struggling with some of the guys around me which has been a huge help because I don't like being vulnerable but that's my own pride getting in the way. I still struggle with not wanting to be vulnerable and not being open when I need advice, but I'm getting much better at it. The biggest lesson I've learned so far is that in order to win the war, you have to win the battles. Before, I would just take something as a whole and try and take it all on at once, I've learned it's much more effective and helpful to just do it one task at a time.

 The biggest struggle so far is that I think I could be putting myself out there more, but I'm hesitant to do so. I have my small group back at home (10th grade guys) who I've poured myself out to for 3 years and I miss them a lot, and part of me is hesitant to just completely devote myself to all of the kids here because I'm worried that if I connect with them the way I have with my guys back at home that when I leave and have to say goodbye it will hurt. When I get attached to something I hate saying goodbye, and I just know if I put myself out there and completely devote myself to everybody here, it'll hurt when I have to leave. I hate having that mindset because I know why I came here and I know what needs to be done, I'm just struggling at times to do it. It feels like the only thing holding me back right now is myself. So please pray for me in that area.

I've also started to realize how much stuff I have back at home that I waste my time and money on that I don't need. Fast food, in particular the biggest. I've never physically felt better in my life just because I eat vegetables, fruit, and healthier food. I know, who would have though vegetables were the good guys??

I do dearly miss my church as well, Sunday morning church here is different. It's probably the biggest adjustment other that the time (it gets dark at 4 here).

Lately we've been going in to schools talking about the birth of Jesus and I love that we can do that here and it's just a huge blessing to get to go hang out with all of these kids. Last night I get to speak at Costa and I shared three verses about Jesus in the old testament: Genesis 3:14-15, Isaiah 61:1-3, and Isaiah 9:6-7. I love seeing where prophecies were made then knowing how they fulfilled through Christ. I've also been singing Christmas Carols..new experience.. which allows me to use my Elvis Voice and add a little bit of flavor to it, loving it. I keep meeting new people and that's awesome. I especially love meeting new Christians, and hearing their stories. Things are completely different here from America.

I hope all of you reading this have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.
                                                                                               Grace be with ya,
                                                                                                                      Hunter