Saturday, July 17, 2010
The Big Day
Good morning!
Today is the big day-- the day of our community outreach party on Chene St.
This party will be taking place in what was, until yesterday, known as "The Drug Park", but has been newly christened (great word...christened....) by Pastor Steve and our Peacemakers hosts as "God's Glorious Community Park". The students will be working with our new friends on the Peacemakers staff to provide an afternoon of uplifting activities for the community on Chene St. and the surrounding areas. This may not seem like much, but we quickly came to realize, after arriving on Chene St., that this neighborhood is too dangerous for children to go outside of their homes, and too desolate for there to be anything to do but to either sit alongside the road watching cars go by, or get in trouble.
*Pray that the Holy Spirit pervades our every activity today, and that we would be blessed to bear fruit in every good work.
*Pray that God's Presence is thick and tangible on Chene St. today, and that all who enter God's Glorious Community Park will have a sense of entrance into the gracious, redeeming presence of God and will make the decision to follow Christ for a lifetime.
*Pray for our students as they endeavor to share the hope of the Jesus story with the lost, bitter, and broken.
*Pray for safety, as it is always a prevalent concern when working with strangers, and in unusual places.
We are grateful for the gift of joyful spirits that the Lord has given us this week, and we have been blessed to see seeds of the Gospel sown among our new friends from the Jesus House and the Mercy House (the men's and women's boarding houses supported by Peacemakers), and prospered among the students and the adult staff. We are going forth in the power of the cross of Jesus today, and are determined not to give back any ground to the enemy, but to continue to charge forward in the hope that we profess, and in the awesome ministry of redemption that God has placed in front of us.
BECAUSE JESUS LIVES!
-Betsy
Today is the big day-- the day of our community outreach party on Chene St.
This party will be taking place in what was, until yesterday, known as "The Drug Park", but has been newly christened (great word...christened....) by Pastor Steve and our Peacemakers hosts as "God's Glorious Community Park". The students will be working with our new friends on the Peacemakers staff to provide an afternoon of uplifting activities for the community on Chene St. and the surrounding areas. This may not seem like much, but we quickly came to realize, after arriving on Chene St., that this neighborhood is too dangerous for children to go outside of their homes, and too desolate for there to be anything to do but to either sit alongside the road watching cars go by, or get in trouble.
*Pray that the Holy Spirit pervades our every activity today, and that we would be blessed to bear fruit in every good work.
*Pray that God's Presence is thick and tangible on Chene St. today, and that all who enter God's Glorious Community Park will have a sense of entrance into the gracious, redeeming presence of God and will make the decision to follow Christ for a lifetime.
*Pray for our students as they endeavor to share the hope of the Jesus story with the lost, bitter, and broken.
*Pray for safety, as it is always a prevalent concern when working with strangers, and in unusual places.
We are grateful for the gift of joyful spirits that the Lord has given us this week, and we have been blessed to see seeds of the Gospel sown among our new friends from the Jesus House and the Mercy House (the men's and women's boarding houses supported by Peacemakers), and prospered among the students and the adult staff. We are going forth in the power of the cross of Jesus today, and are determined not to give back any ground to the enemy, but to continue to charge forward in the hope that we profess, and in the awesome ministry of redemption that God has placed in front of us.
BECAUSE JESUS LIVES!
-Betsy
Friday, July 16, 2010
Concerning Weeds, Christians, and Seeds
Today, we worked on clearing a vacant lot in preparation of an outreach that we'll be having tomorrow. At the beginning of the day, it had been freshly mowed: a good way of showing the garbage filled terrain beneath the foliage. Traditionally, the park is considered a choice place to make deals on pot and other sketchy substances. You can imagine the surrounding neighborhood and its state.
There were weeds coming up out of the sidewalk, from among the glass shards and cigarette lighters, and just about any place where dirt existed. Several team members and I got to take a whack at them (literally).
However, among the thistles and other leafy intruders, we would find treasure. One of my friends talked about finding this kind of treasure as "mistaking it for another piece of glass or other garbage, but finding something beautiful". Others might laugh at us for considering small white flowers as treasure. But if only you could see it! Strong resilient blossoms would poke out from out of the lawn like stars resting among a sky of green: a pleasant treat from seeing a wasteland of thorns.
It reminded me of several things.
For example: how on earth could these blossoms find their way to root in the most littered soil I had ever seen? That made me think of the parable of the sower and the seeds. It wasn't one or two seeds that were thrown at the soil in the hopes of producing fruit: it was handfuls and handfuls of seeds. God has given us countless opportunities to demonstrate His love to others around us.
Also, those blossoms were appreciated a lot more given the circumstances. Would we have enjoyed them as much if we had seen them coming from work or school? This joy times tenfold would be a good way of describing the lot after we were done working with it and the expression on the locals' faces as they passed by.
Please pray for us tomorrow as we are given the blessing of time and more places to spread seeds.
Love,
Kaily
There were weeds coming up out of the sidewalk, from among the glass shards and cigarette lighters, and just about any place where dirt existed. Several team members and I got to take a whack at them (literally).
However, among the thistles and other leafy intruders, we would find treasure. One of my friends talked about finding this kind of treasure as "mistaking it for another piece of glass or other garbage, but finding something beautiful". Others might laugh at us for considering small white flowers as treasure. But if only you could see it! Strong resilient blossoms would poke out from out of the lawn like stars resting among a sky of green: a pleasant treat from seeing a wasteland of thorns.
It reminded me of several things.
For example: how on earth could these blossoms find their way to root in the most littered soil I had ever seen? That made me think of the parable of the sower and the seeds. It wasn't one or two seeds that were thrown at the soil in the hopes of producing fruit: it was handfuls and handfuls of seeds. God has given us countless opportunities to demonstrate His love to others around us.
Also, those blossoms were appreciated a lot more given the circumstances. Would we have enjoyed them as much if we had seen them coming from work or school? This joy times tenfold would be a good way of describing the lot after we were done working with it and the expression on the locals' faces as they passed by.
Please pray for us tomorrow as we are given the blessing of time and more places to spread seeds.
Love,
Kaily
Thursday, July 15, 2010
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