From Wisconsin Dells... to Chicago the adventure continues.
I just finished my mission yesterday in Wisconsin Dells, WI where 49 students and 4 AIM leaders tuned our ears to the Lord and discerning where He was leading us!
Now I am in Chicago with the interns and Ministry Coordinators to love on them and make sure they're doing ok on the field.
Hey all- I'm getting ready to leave on Friday to lead a mission in Wisconsin Dell, WI. Please be praying for me and the other leaders and volunteers on the team as we lead 50 participants on a short term mission which we pray brings long term change!
We are in Rainsville, AL now and will continue sending out mission team throughout the summer but this can't happen without leaders to facilitate these missions. The timing of this natural disaster was out of our hands and there was no way for us to anticipate the leader needs. We are making AL an internship opportunity. Are you available?
This could be you!
May 21-Aug 8th
Ministry Coordinator Couple
Looking to serve alongside your husband/wife? We are looking for a couple
with a passion for missions and strong leadership skills who can staff
for a summer in Alabama. You will not only build
relationships in the local community and be in charge of logistics, but
will disciple into the staff at your base.
4 Summer Interns
The Lord is tugging on your heart as you heard the devastation in Alabama and as the Lord tells you to "go." Don't sit there any longer! Join others in the call and assist the Ministry Coordinator couple in logistics and fasciliatating groups that come through the base in Rainsville weekly this summer. A Summer Intern must be 21 years old or older.
Construction Coordinator
Are you skilled with your hands and want to worship Him through your trade? We need someone who is skilled in organizing teams with varied skills as they go out to be the hands and feet of Jesus through meeting felt needs.
Thank you all for your prayers for the mission that I led this past weekend! I had the opportunity of leading a group of 10 participants from New Life Christian School, West Virginia! This group upon their arrival Friday afternoon was ready to dive in! And... well... we did just that!
They arrived and immediately we unloaded the vehicle and then did a very brief orientation for what the afternoon held. We had the opportunity of serving two families.
Ms. Sylvia and Mr. McAvoy. Half of the group went to help Ms. Sylvia with a shed that needed some much needed organizing! AIM and other mission groups have been helping little by little for over a year now to get her house safe and functioning. While the house is now functional and safe it has many improvements to be done to it! We were able to organize their personal belongings and materials for future groups to come in and continue to bless Ms. Sylvia.
The second group went to the McAvoy's to fill in a large hole in their yard that was created after a water-main had broke. Kristen, the co-leader for this trip went with the group to the McAvoy's. Here's an excerpt from her blog:
"One group went to the home of a woman
named Mrs. Sylvia, where they did manual labor around her home. My group
went to the home of the McAvoys, who needed a trench in their back yard
filled in. Mrs. McAvoy's story is
heart breaking. Her husband has Stage
Four lung/brain cancer. She's had a grandchild die, her father-in-law
has cancer, her mother-in-law is in terrible back pain, her sisters-in
law have cancer, and she has diabetes and gout. She needed the trench in
her backyard filled in so her family could have an Easter Egg hunt for
the little ones next weekend-perhaps the last one with their
grandfather, Mr. McAvoy.
This was my first time interacting with the team, seeing them in
ministry. I settled in taking pictures, helping where I could, and
talking with each person. The students were so great... I really enjoyed
hearing their stories, learning about their lives, and talking about
Jesus with them! We settled into a rhythm, and not too long after, I
noticed one of the students, Tabitha, talking with Mrs. McAvoy. She
later told me that normally she is REALLY shy, but that her father had
Stage 4 cancer and God healed him. She felt like she needed to share
that with Mrs. McAvoy. It really encouraged her. We were able to pray
for Mrs. McAvoy before we left (her husband was asleep) and she thanked
us over and over, telling us how great it was going to be for them to
have the Easter Egg Hunt as a family. She kept saying she would never
forget us."
The first day was an opportunity to be used by God by stepping out of their comfort zone to not only meet felt needs but to be relational and share their stories and experience with the Lord.
I have recently began getting involved in our children's ministry at Revolution Church. It's great! I go into the 2-4 year old classroom for a 10 minute lesson and then the 5 year old- 5th grade class to teach the Bible story. This gives the teachers an opportunity to relax and really pour into the kids while I take ownership of teaching the Bible Story as I see fit.
I want to challenge all of you Sunday School teachers to think outside of the box and integrate activities and story telling skills which include: visuals, audio, and kinesthetic (doing-physical) It's been an exciting challenge figuring out how to pour into this wide variety of kids and present these stories in a way that's understandable and applicable to their life!
One of the biggest successes I've found is including the kids in the story telling by having them dress up and act the parts! Also, by being intentional to state the purpose of why the story was important about 7 times. Yeah that's right 7 times... they'll surely never forget it then...but wait- then you quickly review it when you check in the following week! Also, at the end of the story have the kids pray for one another- for example, this last Sunday we learned about the story of Jesus washing the Disciples feet- the main point we wanted them to learn was "to think of others before themselves" since kids are so self focused. We wanted them to learn to love like Jesus loved. So we asked what are some practical ways they could do that- what are they going to do to love someone before themselves that week and we prayed with one another. The most beautiful part was the kids washing each others feet and then washing the teachers feet- it was beautiful! I don't think I've ever seen 2-4 year olds so involved and captured by a Bible Story!
"If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet"
~John 13:14
Other pictures from the children's ministry while teaching...
Queen Esther and King Xerxes..... 2-4 year olds
Queen Esther and King Xerxes.. with the 5 year olds - 5th grade
This last weekend most of us if not all of us moved our clocks forward. Can you see evidence of Spring coming? If you're from New York it may be difficult I understand that, but here in Georgia the flowers have exploded with joy.
When I think of Spring forward I think of kids busting from their houses to play outside, trees turning greener and reaching their branches in praise, and the squirrels leaping from tree to tree. There's so much energy, happiness, and life. I love that God teaches us in His Word (Ecc. 3:1) that there are seasons for everything and that he confirms and shows us physically through His creation. What is your reaction this season and as the next season comes? What spiritual season are you in right now? My prayer is that you're comforted, confident and assured of the love that God has for you in the season you're in right now!
Another blog to come about how EMT school is going and what I've been up to...
