Mary Lomma's guest appearances

Mary Lomma

Youth Worker On Fire Podcast

OwlTail

Mary Lomma was one of my student ministry volunteers (Associate Staff as I called them) working with our middle school girls. Mary is one of those volunteers you hope and pray for! She took everything she learned and never stopped telling people about Jesus Christ. Recently, Mary texted me a link to the story written below… _____   "STORY TELLER - MARCH 2023 ISSUE" When I was about 45 years old I felt like there was “more” I could do. Our oldest daughter Tina was just married. Tamarah was in high school and Nicholas had begun kindergarten. First time in over 25 years I wasn’t working or having a preschooler around my legs. So, I volunteered to help our youth pastor Doug Edwards with middle schoolers.  After all, both our girls had been delightful people in middle school, so I was experienced!  So I thought. All the middle school adult helpers were herded over to Daytona Beach for a week-end “discipleship training” class.  My first time at Stavro’s Pizza. The following Christmas break we boarded a huge bus in Eustis Fl.  It had king size bunk beds across the back.  Many kids had earplugs hooked to various electronic devices which helped them to isolate themselves.  Groups of boys practiced fart contests to the squeals of the groups of girls.  Giggles and chatter came from every direction and all this went on nearly all night as we traveled to some mountain in VA – where there was snow.  My buddy Karen Mielke and I huddled together under out blankets. Finally, the buses parked in a public park.  No snow yet. The drivers opened the sides of the buses and produced gas burners and hearty bacon, sausage, eggs, toast and all the good trimmings to a ravenous and tired gang. Soon Doug called out groups of kids and to one gang he said “You all go up that mountain with Mrs. Lomma for a bible study.”  I almost fell over!  I thought I was still in training!  I prayed as we hiked up that hill, feeling very insecure. I will never forget this 1st time. Of course with my handy discipleship leader’s guide I was way ahead of the kids and actually captured their attention.  The lesson was about trust. Later we drove another several hours to the camp where we would stay a few nights doing mostly outdoor things with the kids. Still no snow.  A few more 1st time episodes for me.  And I thought this was a sledding trip and it would be so much easier than the high school skiing trip! Horseback riding – Oh sure I did that a lot as a kid.  Fast forward to age 45, mother of 3, not wanting to die riding a wooded trail up and down steep banks and forging a half frozen creek! I shot a few bullet prayers that day too! But the coup de grace for me was the next day.  Our fearless leader Doug took us way up a hillside to a small raised up building on the edge of a cliff.  I had no idea of the coming test of my faith and bravery in front of the kids as I was led to repel off that cliff backwards from the raised building.  I was carefully strapped into a harness attached to a pulley system of ropes.  A guide instructed me, with much reassurance, on the joys and safety of just falling backwards out of a perfectly safe building and how to push my feet gainst the side of the cliff as I gently bounced and dropped to the bottom of the ridge! WHAT! Was I crazy? My heart was pounding in my chest.  I really loved and trusted Doug and was confident he did not want me to die, but to be an example of trust to these kids.   I cheerfully, although in my heart reluctantly, conceded to this act.  YIKES! All went well, but the amazing part was, I think the greatest lesson was mine.  I really had to trust the harness, the man with the ropes and Doug’s confidence. But in my heart I was praying and trusting God! It is a whole another story where this week-end of 1st time trust events took me over the next 30 years of leading and discipling teens and women in the places Tony and I have been. You never know where trails will lead when you go the 1st time.  Just this trip prepared me for the trips to Hurricane Katrina cleanup, Hurricane Andrew in Homestead, Charlotte, Weddington and Asheville NC, West Virginia, Pass Christian MS, Eleuthera Island, a tornado torn town in Idaho, Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Chattanooga, Savannah and now back here in Mount Dora where my life is quiet for now – until the next 1st time! ____ This episode is packed full of encouragement, laughter, and wisdom! Enjoy our interview with Mary Lomma on the Youth Worker On Fire Podcast. ____ Looking for a new student ministry resource? You can read my book “Burn Up Not Out: A Student Ministry Fire Builder’s Guidebook” here: https://amzn.to/3PtBTIy Listen to more episodes from the Youth Worker On Fire Podcast here: https://bit.ly/3saDyYq _______ EPISODE CREDITS Email us at: youthworkeronfire@gmail.com Hosted by: Doug Edwards Theme Song: "The One and Only" by The 808 (Listen to more at: https://bit.ly/3FTYIAJ ) Intro/Outro Voiceover: Michael Helms ( https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelTheSoundGuy ) Edited by: Secret Roots Music House

Mary Lomma was one of my student ministry volunteers (Associate Staff as I called them) working with our middle school girls. Mary is one of those volunteers you hope and pray for! She took everything she learned and never stopped telling people about Jesus Christ. Recently, Mary texted me a link to the story written below… _____ "STORY TELLER - MARCH 2023 ISSUE" When I was about 45 years old I felt like there was “more” I could do. Our oldest daughter Tina was just married. Tamarah was in high school and Nicholas had begun kindergarten. First time in over 25 years I wasn’t working or having a preschooler around my legs. So, I volunteered to help our youth pastor Doug Edwards with middle schoolers.  After all, both our girls had been delightful people in middle school, so I was experienced!  So I thought. All the middle school adult helpers were herded over to Daytona Beach for a week-end “discipleship training” class.  My first time at Stavro’s Pizza. The following Christmas break we boarded a huge bus in Eustis Fl.  It had king size bunk beds across the back.  Many kids had earplugs hooked to various electronic devices which helped them to isolate themselves.  Groups of boys practiced fart contests to the squeals of the groups of girls.  Giggles and chatter came from every direction and all this went on nearly all night as we traveled to some mountain in VA – where there was snow.  My buddy Karen Mielke and I huddled together under out blankets. Finally, the buses parked in a public park.  No snow yet. The drivers opened the sides of the buses and produced gas burners and hearty bacon, sausage, eggs, toast and all the good trimmings to a ravenous and tired gang. Soon Doug called out groups of kids and to one gang he said “You all go up that mountain with Mrs. Lomma for a bible study.”  I almost fell over!  I thought I was still in training!  I prayed as we hiked up that hill, feeling very insecure. I will never forget this 1st time. Of course with my handy discipleship leader’s guide I was way ahead of the kids and actually captured their attention.  The lesson was about trust. Later we drove another several hours to the camp where we would stay a few nights doing mostly outdoor things with the kids. Still no snow.  A few more 1st time episodes for me.  And I thought this was a sledding trip and it would be so much easier than the high school skiing trip! Horseback riding – Oh sure I did that a lot as a kid.  Fast forward to age 45, mother of 3, not wanting to die riding a wooded trail up and down steep banks and forging a half frozen creek! I shot a few bullet prayers that day too! But the coup de grace for me was the next day.  Our fearless leader Doug took us way up a hillside to a small raised up building on the edge of a cliff.  I had no idea of the coming test of my faith and bravery in front of the kids as I was led to repel off that cliff backwards from the raised building.  I was carefully strapped into a harness attached to a pulley system of ropes.  A guide instructed me, with much reassurance, on the joys and safety of just falling backwards out of a perfectly safe building and how to push my feet gainst the side of the cliff as I gently bounced and dropped to the bottom of the ridge! WHAT! Was I crazy? My heart was pounding in my chest.  I really loved and trusted Doug and was confident he did not want me to die, but to be an example of trust to these kids.   I cheerfully, although in my heart reluctantly, conceded to this act.  YIKES! All went well, but the amazing part was, I think the greatest lesson was mine.  I really had to trust the harness, the man with the ropes and Doug’s confidence. But in my heart I was praying and trusting God! It is a whole another story where this week-end of 1st time trust events took me over the next 30 years of leading and discipling teens and women in the places Tony and I have been. You never know where trails will lead when you go the 1st time.  Just this trip prepared me for the trips to Hurricane Katrina cleanup, Hurricane Andrew in Homestead, Charlotte, Weddington and Asheville NC, West Virginia, Pass Christian MS, Eleuthera Island, a tornado torn town in Idaho, Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Chattanooga, Savannah and now back here in Mount Dora where my life is quiet for now – until the next 1st time! ____ This episode is packed full of encouragement, laughter, and wisdom! Enjoy our interview with Mary Lomma on the Youth Worker On Fire Podcast. ____ Looking for a new student ministry resource? You can read my book “<a href="https://amzn.to/3PtBTIy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Burn Up Not Out: A Student Ministry Fire Builder’s Guidebook</a>” here: <a href="https://amzn.to/3PtBTIy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3PtBTIy</a> Listen to more episodes from the Youth Worker On Fire Podcast here: <a href="https://bit.ly/3saDyYq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3saDyYq</a> _______ EPISODE CREDITS Email us at: <a href="mailto:youthworkeronfire@gmail.com">youthworkeronfire@gmail.com</a> Hosted by: Doug Edwards Theme Song: "The One and Only" by The 808 (Listen to more at: <a href="https://bit.ly/3FTYIAJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3FTYIAJ</a> ) Intro/Outro Voiceover: Michael Helms ( <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelTheSoundGuy)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelTheSoundGuy )</a> Edited by: Secret Roots Music House