Friday, July 15, 2011
We arrived!
We've finally got home at around 4:30pm. It was a long drive back, but the fun and camaraderie didn't stop. I think if you asked anyone of the students if they would want to continue to drive and serve somewhere else the answers would have been all a resounding, "Yes!" It was a great trip. A memorable one. An awesome one. God Bless all of you and thank you for being a part of it.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
"Where are the posts?"
I received a text message today from a parent wondering why there haven't been any posts lately. I want to let you know that my students, your children, have been being transformed in such amazing ways. There has been little time to do much of anything other then serving the people here in the Quad Cities. We have one team serving at the Salvation Army Family Resource Center. We have been meeting and hanging out with children of homeless families allowing their parents to go and look for jobs, housing, and help. These kids come with an amazing amount of baggage. This baggage was being unpacked all week by your children and they didn't take it lightly. They were nothing but serious in trying to help these kids break down their walls and allow us in to love them. The success we've had has been astounding and not only did we impact the children that we watched but the impact on us was incredible.
We also served at a place called Lydia House. This was another place that provided programming for young children who's parents can't afford daycare. It's a place were children are introduced to who Jesus is and it's a place that some of your children served at. The students would come back and just talk about these kids and all that they were doing to reach and impact these young lives.
Day after day we served at these places, pouring our lives into theirs'. Loving them when even some of their parents didn't. Holding them and hugging because they would ask for it. A lot of love is vacant from their lives. We were hear providing the love that Jesus shares with us, with them. We were here loving from the overflow of our hearts. Children's lives where changed. Students lives where changed.
We closed the day, the week, with a passage from John. We talked about how Jesus washed the disciples feet. Then we had the opportunity as leaders to wash your childs feet. This moment was sacred. After serving along side the students all week long, living life with them, sleeping in the same rooms, working hard together, sweating together, eating together, doing life together. We washed their feet. There is something about feet washing, something deep and biblical and sacred. Many students could not control themselves as they cried. As they shed tears of gratitude and joy, sorrow and pain. The students understood what it meant to be a servant this week and by the end of it didn't feel worthy to be served. I asked at the end of this night if students wanted to blog and they laughed at me. It wasn't because they thought it was stupid or a waste of time. It was because they were living in this sacred moment away from some of their so called friends, some of the troubles of school, the pressures of life, the weight of sin. They were and are at this moment truly free. Facebook, Twitter, and blogging is not something they want to do at all. They want to live in this moment free in His Grace and Love and Mercy. I wish all of you could have been here to witness the tears that flowed, the rejoicing that happened, and the loved shared with each other because the students felt the presence of God. They know that He is what is most important and that they truly served others in response to what God has already done for us.
I'm so proud of your child, my students. I'm truly blessed to be able to shepherd them. I wouldn't trade my flock for anything. Thank you for allowing these students to come here. Thank you for being the encouragement you are. And please thank God when you read this. He is doing amazing things in your child's life. God bless you all. I'm exhausted. It's been a long week and we have a long ride home tomorrow. Please pray for safe travels. Thank you!
P. Mike
We also served at a place called Lydia House. This was another place that provided programming for young children who's parents can't afford daycare. It's a place were children are introduced to who Jesus is and it's a place that some of your children served at. The students would come back and just talk about these kids and all that they were doing to reach and impact these young lives.
Day after day we served at these places, pouring our lives into theirs'. Loving them when even some of their parents didn't. Holding them and hugging because they would ask for it. A lot of love is vacant from their lives. We were hear providing the love that Jesus shares with us, with them. We were here loving from the overflow of our hearts. Children's lives where changed. Students lives where changed.
We closed the day, the week, with a passage from John. We talked about how Jesus washed the disciples feet. Then we had the opportunity as leaders to wash your childs feet. This moment was sacred. After serving along side the students all week long, living life with them, sleeping in the same rooms, working hard together, sweating together, eating together, doing life together. We washed their feet. There is something about feet washing, something deep and biblical and sacred. Many students could not control themselves as they cried. As they shed tears of gratitude and joy, sorrow and pain. The students understood what it meant to be a servant this week and by the end of it didn't feel worthy to be served. I asked at the end of this night if students wanted to blog and they laughed at me. It wasn't because they thought it was stupid or a waste of time. It was because they were living in this sacred moment away from some of their so called friends, some of the troubles of school, the pressures of life, the weight of sin. They were and are at this moment truly free. Facebook, Twitter, and blogging is not something they want to do at all. They want to live in this moment free in His Grace and Love and Mercy. I wish all of you could have been here to witness the tears that flowed, the rejoicing that happened, and the loved shared with each other because the students felt the presence of God. They know that He is what is most important and that they truly served others in response to what God has already done for us.
I'm so proud of your child, my students. I'm truly blessed to be able to shepherd them. I wouldn't trade my flock for anything. Thank you for allowing these students to come here. Thank you for being the encouragement you are. And please thank God when you read this. He is doing amazing things in your child's life. God bless you all. I'm exhausted. It's been a long week and we have a long ride home tomorrow. Please pray for safe travels. Thank you!
P. Mike
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
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