Am I the only one who is reeling from the fact that the DC trip is over? It's insane how these trips fly by. But what a journey it's been! I've seen kids walk ten miles in one day and still up making their lunch at 6:45 the following morning. The joy of the Lord has certainly been a force behind our students--his strength
never fails to sustain us.
As expected, Friday brought us some great stories. The first of these is more of a lesson, brought to us by Jenna Bartley. Early in the week, she had been sitting next to a woman on the metro who looked like she'd been having a rough day. It quickly became clear that God was telling Jenna to say something to this young woman. Fear of being judged or rejected was a real issue, but obedience won and Jenna ended up having a conversation with the woman. Who, come to find out, was having a rough day and was encouraged by Jenna wanting to talk to her. Then, because God isn't crazy enough, Jenna later saw the woman on our campus. Though the opportunity to talk again never presented itself, it is still apparent that the Lord speaks to us individually and he delivers on his word.The McSims family group got to do the finishing touches on a house the K-Rod group and Blankowski team worked on this week. The house belongs to an 84 year old man--Mr. Skinner--with bone cancer and really needed a lot of work. His home got totally cleaned on the inside and out by these three family groups and really made a significant difference. Nicole Bartley, one of my fellow interns, said that Mackenzie Becker and Claire Gaither scrubbed a dirty bathroom until it shone and Mitchell Apple was the leader of the charge. Everyone wished they could've seen Mr. Skinner return from the hospital to see his renovated house! Half of the family group was at a park known for having drug deals. They were planting flowers and encountered a man who led a small church. He led the group in singing "Amazing Grace" and got several of the people in the park to come by and listen. The preacher encouraged our students to "stay the course", which was an encouraging charge!
Lastly, Los Niños Locos (or Sims/Corley) and Gosser/Walker (Wosser) family groups encountered a woman today on the streets of DC named Tuson who was visiting her aunt and knew virtually no English. Marin Hulme of the Wosser group befriended her and learned that Tuson was out sightseeing but was completely lost. They figured out that she needed to get to a metro station, which was exactly where the two groups were headed. Tuson had no idea how to work the metro station, so the groups figured out where she needed to go and mapped out step-by-step on how to get to her destination, even exchanging phone numbers in the event of an emergency! Jason Walker and Marin wanted to find someone going on the same train as Tuson to help her find her stop. And because God is good, the first person they spoke to was getting off at the exact same stop as Tuson needed to. God takes care of his children.This trip has been unreal. Physically, mentally, and emotionally draining, but by the strength of our loving God, we made it. 86:12 left a wake of the Holy Spirit and I know that despite everything that was changed around and every unexpected turn, the Lord had his hand in everything. We came to DC for a reason. Of that much I am sure. We stood on the ground God had laid out for us. Taken our shoes off on holy land. But the theme of this trip hasn't stopped at reveling in God's power, but knowing when to put our walking shoes back on in the name of Jesus Christ. There's still work to be done.
Note from Photographer - This group you see is the Walker/Perdue group, and they worked in the D.C. Kitchen, and passed out fliers for free home repairs to single parent homes.
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| Taken by Joe Han |
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| Taken by Joe Han |
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| Taken by Joe Han |
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| Taken by Joe Han |
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| Taken by Joe Han |
