Today we spent the morning serving a local pregnancy resource center by painting one of their homes they use as a half way house. The kids eagerly jumped into scraping and painting. We ended our time with the leaders surprising the kids with water balloons! We ended around 2:30 and headed to the lake for a picnic, swimming and play. We are cleaning and packing up tonight – and are excited for our drive home tomorrow!
This week has been absolutely incredible! God has showed up in many different ways. I believe each of our students realized their purpose in being here, and it has been an amazing blessing to witness. Whether it was to put a smile on an elderly man’s face who hasn’t smiled in weeks, playing with children, painting a house, recognizing the need to forgive, learning to have quiet time, or feeling God’s presence. Seeing each of them light up as they saw God work this week, has been a highlight of all my time in Middle School Ministry.
- Sarah Goodman
Wow what a week. I just want to say thank you Jesus!!! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this week with this amazing group of students. From water fights to cheesy jokes, to sweating together to crying together and intimate worship this week has honestly been the highlight of the past year for me on staff in middle school ministry. I love seeing students step out of their comfort zones and become vulnerable to opening their hearts to God and honestly asking him to show up. To see fear and doubt and concern, rejection and inadequacies be washed away after just a few days of seeking God with limited distraction, has been my happiest moment all year with these students. To see students hearts be poured out in worship and responding with tears of emotion from the Spirit’s conviction without even a teaching, was an incredibly beautiful thing to witness.
Through the nursing home visits, painting and relationship building of serving this community I think God revealed that missions is not only about serving others but allowing him to work in changing OUR hearts!
Months ago when God asked me to encourage these students at our meetings to acknowledge their stories and talents and abilities I think most of them looked at me with a lot of confusion. This week God used those talents, skills and personalities to remind these students who they are in him.
You truly couldn’t look at this week and these students and say God didn’t show up! I think it’s safe to say these students are coming home changed, refreshed and renewed in who their true savior is. Being reminded that they are loved no matter what life throws at them.
I myself am leaving this week a changed person through seeing God at work in your kids this week. We did many things this year in MSM but If this week was the only thing God called me to Middle School Ministry this year for, it would all be so so worth it.
God is real and so so good and he revealed that to all of us this week and changed our hearts and drew us closer to him.
Thank you for entrusting us with your students this week.
Thank you for letting me serve and serve with your students this week.
It’s been an incredible blessing on my life, one that I’ve longed for and that I’ll never forget.
- Austin Stech