 |
| From our time on Tiger Mountain- amazing to see God's handiwork. |
 |
| The Ferris wheel in Seattle |
So to pick up where I left off, after an incredible start on
Monday with our first time at the schools, we started off our second Tuesday
with working at a thrift store. At two stories high it is one of the largest,
most diverse thrift stores I have ever been too. Plus, the cool part is the
witness of the people who work there – some go to Essential Church while others
are not reached at all. It is definitely amazing to see how God has worked
through Warren and his staff to reach so many people in the community.
After the thrift store, my team went back to Odle Middle
School and we got to hang out with some new kids and got to know the ones from
yesterday a little more. I started bonding with a kid named Kevin who is about
to be in 7th grade. We bonded after he got me out in Dodgeball, but
hey anything for the kids right? ;) No, but he is such a sweetheart and
definitely desires to be loved on as do most of the kids there. Another cool
thing, was another girl Jaelin came with a friend that day who had to leave pretty
early. The cool part is that by her friend leaving, the door opened for me to
talk with her and really start developing that friendship. So today was another
amazing day with these kids and my team.
That night, we went to the Mariners baseball game (MLB), and
it was Irish Heritage Night so we all got a free baseball cap. After all, who
doesn’t want free stuff? But anyways, the Mariners lost to the Red Sox 8-11, but
it was such an incredible experience because it was my first major league
baseball game and I really bonded with the team from Georgia. I had to ride
over to the game with them for lack of room in our own van, and I’m so glad I
did because they are amazing young men. With only knowing me a day and a half,
they had no fears of belting God Bless America, alongside their leaders, and
very tone deaf I might add. But it’s cool to see how God can bring people
together from across the country and build friendships of a lifetime.
The rest of the week follows in a similar way. In the
mornings we work at the thrift store, followed by hanging out with the kids at
Odle Middle School. One quick comment about the work we do at Odle. Every day
we go in not knowing how many kids we will have or if they will be ones who
have come before or are completely new. It’s an open forum in the sense that
they can come and go as they please, they can play a variety of games alongside
arts and crafts, and they have snacks and water available to them. With that
being said, we have seen new kids almost every day and hope to see more of the
older ones on a more consistent basis. But the Lord is definitely teaching me
to love and always extend to these kids. As a school program we are not allowed
to blatantly say we are a part of Essential Church or even share the Gospel, so
it’s our prayer that the Lord will work in and through us so much so that the
kids ask what it is about us or why we are here. So as you read this, be
praying that the Lord will open up those doors that we might have the
opportunity to share the Gospel so long as the kids ask and that we show them
Christ’s love in all of our actions.
Had our first team bible study on Thursday night and it was
incredible. We are working through 2 Thessalonians and my team is so diverse in
the way we view the same scriptures and we each bring something different to
analyze further or just simply different observations. We have some in
seminary, others who have taken multiple classes in college over the bible, and
then there is me who is soaking up all of their wisdom. I am constantly humbled
but how little I know in my head, but it is such an encouragement to me because
it challenges me and makes me even hungrier for the Word.
I am so excited for what the Lord is teaching me through dependence
on him in everything and in preparing my heart to let him shine through in my
thoughts, words, and actions when I am with others and especially in my
response to them. It’s been a blessing to work with my team and the Georgia
team. I feel the Lord working in a powerful way in all of our hearts. One of
the guys from the Georgia team is coming back to Seattle next summer for the
same internship that my team is on now, and I thought that was cool how the
Lord spoke to him and called him in that way. Next week is our crazy week and
we will see how that goes. Be praying for patience for me, because Jesse and I are
in charge of three block parties back to back. We have bought all of the supplies,
prepared layouts for the three different locations, and have workers in place
for each thing. I am praying that the Lord works in and through it all and reveals
himself in incredible ways to us and to the people of Bellevue and Seattle.
Everyone back home has been in my thoughts and prayers – miss all of you and
praying that you are growing closer to the Lord.
By: Blair Cowden
No comments:
Post a Comment