to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable...

wah! what a week we had a Mission iNDY....it was probably the most tiring, challenging, stressful, and fun week we have had yet.

the coolest thing: our theme for the summer is Live to Love, all about community. after the first few hours we were there...youth groups we mingling. so COOL. the previous weeks we were talking about how we would have a night where kids had to sit with people from other youth groups. last MI week we had to challenge the kids to break out of their youth group...but after the first few hours they were already breaking out. this week was such an amazing display of community...displaying our devotionals (carrying burdens, accepting one another, honoring others, sharing with others, and serving). it was such an encouragement...it seems like this group "got it" this week.

monday: got up and ran 2+miles. at 5:30AM. vbs planning went really well and the pastor of the church took us on a neighborhood tour so we could see the community that the kids come from. this was the first time we have done it, and i loved it.
the first day of VBS (tuesday) was great. we had 100+ kids each day, which was a total change from the previous 2 weeks,, only having 25-30max. i actually really enjoyed the busy change of pace. i was running around like crazy...sitting for at most 5 minutes, but i was able to see each age group (k-teen club) and getting to know some of them. the worksite was great too. we weeded a jungle of a yard the whole week. our youth group was AMAZING! after tuesday though, i brought up my struggle with whether or not i needed to ask certain questions to the groups in order to bring up a discussion on poverty....the response was wait for God. so i did.

the next day (wednesday-- stressfull VBS day, but still great) ron suggested we take a neighborhood tour/walk-around by our worksite and discuss what the kids saw and such. WOW. did God show up. i took 3 gals...maybe not the ones you would think would know alot about poverty...but ah. it was so good. we talked about the difference between homeownership and renting...why people would want to stay in prision...do you give money to homeless people on the street and if not, what could you do instead...what it means to love your neighbor as yourself --not giving away your old shoes to go buy new ones, but buying new ones for your neighbor. ah. kelsey had said the night before that we sometimes underestimate what jr. high kids know, and i had done that too. but i asked the question and they responded and it was an amazing conversation. one of the highlights of the week.

after i got back there was a man riding his bike and he came over and asked what we were doing...did we fix up old houses and sell them because he needed a house by the 1st. we got to talking and found out he had a wife and 2 kids, had moved in with a couple but got kicked out and his fam. was able to stay at the house but he slept on the street riding his bike looking for a house. i was able to tell him about some places we worked with and he didn't want to go to a shelter. i asked him if i could pray for him...he said he wouldn't say yes, but he wouldn't say no....he also said he never stopped to talk to people either. it was so cool to know that God had made him stop for a reason, even if it was just to have someone to talk too for a bit. he came by the next day to say hello as well...

wednesday was just an emotionally draining day. we found out that one of the girls in one of the VBS youth groups mom had died suddenly. another God thing that we were able to be there for them and pray together and be a comfort to the youth group. it was so hard to hear and see the kids sobbing...but so encouraging to hear what some kids had to say about the mother and as a comfort to their friends...
the cool thing about what happened with the death is how God brought everyone together. two youth groups did VBS this week and they also shared rooms. when the interns walked around to sing the groups goodnight, we walked into that room and ALL the girls were bawling. the group had shared what happened with the other groups and all the girls lost it. the cool thing is that the girls were able to carry each others burdens, accept one other, share together, they had an opportunity to honor one other and in doing that, serve one another. AAAHHH. SO COOL. visible display of community, of our theme...God's hand was in everything this week....

thursday morning was hard. girls were still torn up, which got all the VBS interns not feeling so great, thursdays are usually a rough day too. so i just went off by myself to read my Psalm. God again...i read Psalm 46 which was God speaking words of comfort to us all...and i was reading, joe left the room and said, the God of peace will soon crush satan (from Spring Up, O Well). bah. i about lost it. so i drove OLGA that day...or at least i tried, because the brakes and power steering went out. i barely made it to a parking lot, and the one i pull into. STARBUCKS. God was watching over me because i ordered a tall and the guy made extra so i got a grande. :]
VBS ended up going well...as did the worksite! speaker for the night. AH. so great. such great urban ministry that he is part of. such encouragement.
...
every drug dealer, prostitute, and gang member knows about Jesus and could tell you how you can know Him...but do they know Him?
...

friday was another 5:30 morning...we had a surprise of 25 teen club kids that we had not had all week. it ended up working out perfect...and nick rocked out the lesson. the lesson for the day was the Good Samaritan and God used him in such a cool way. he has worked with the Hawthorne kids all summer and was able to make the story relevant to them, but also keep the message. i was SO glad when VBS was over. the pastor at the church brought in a speaker/neighborhood resident thursday/friday which was so cool.
the worksite. i was really tired and having a bad attitude. but God worked it again and we had a little competition and were able to get 90% of the project done!

looking back on the week...man, it was hard. but good. it seemed every bad/stressfull thing that came up, God brought something to make it better, to show why the bad/stressfull stuff happened. looking back, i can see His hand in everything!

so. my days at the Care Center are over and i have lots of prep and clean-up for next week at DAMAR...which i do not have the best attitude about. But i know God has something sweet planned. just a week and a half left of MI. :'(

the florida.

another long novel... :]
psalm 46:
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble....