We started off our Thursday w/ a group of guys going to help paint the inside of a house that is used as transitional housing for Family Promise. Beth, the director of Family Promise is an awesome lady w/ a heart to see families surrounded by the love and care of God, especially through times of trial! I’m so glad our guys got to meet her and hear from her a bit about what FP is all about.
Our girls spent the morning at Waterford, an assisted living community, visiting and painting nails for the lady residence. Now, we’ve done some visiting before and it’s typically not a big hit. But the common consensus was that they enjoyed their time there and would WANT to go back. Miss Renee, the volunteer coordinator there, was so grateful for our girls and told them how special they are for using their free time to come and get to know the ladies there.
This was a great way to start the day. And our evening was even better! Chappell and his kitchen crew of youth spent a good bit of the afternoon preparing a great meal for the folks at the Friendship Mission. While they were finishing up cooking 1/2 our guys went out to the mission to help sort clothes and shoes in their outdoor clothes closet. We met Robert who oversees volunteers like us. It was obvious that he loves people and enjoys what he does. Several others of our group showed up w/ the food at 4:30 PM. We served and ate and visited, staying for their bible study afterward. The guest preacher was AMAZING and challenged us all to be people who are open to be used by God no matter what circumstances we may find ourselves in. Austin Morgan was exceptional at the Mission! He carried a conversation w/ one man the entire meal and made so many others feel cared for and at ease by his smile and willingness to say hi and introduce himself to everyone he met. He told me that this was the best thing we’ve ever done and that we need to do it again soon.
While we were at the Friendship Mission all our girls and a handful of our guys went to the Family Sunshine Center’s Exodus House for a cook out and game night w/ the children there. The kids there had an impact on our youth. As we shared tonight they said, “We have to go back soon, they invited us to come back soon!” As the youth shared their stories of being witnesses and participants in God’s work today I was so thankful to God for the ways in which he weaves together the people and places of this week and uses them to grow and build up a living and active faith in our youth. And I love to hear their reflections on the day… many are funnies stories, but even more there are stories of seeing the gospel of Jesus come alive in and around the people they met today.
Thanks for your prayers!
Tomorrow morning we leave for Atlanta between 9:3o & 10 AM.
I didn’t get to take many pictures today. But here are a few from the house we painted and our time at the Friendship Mission… I worked only w/ guys today. I’ll get some pictures off Stephanie’s phone tomorrow night, I hope! Enjoy…
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