Whew, I am so thankful Week 3 is finally done. This week was
craziness. In fact, our team called it the Crazy Week for that reason. We had
two people added to our team from South Carolina which was a huge blessing.
Then we also had a team from Southeastern (Seminary class), a team from
Lakeview (high school youth group from SC), and then a group of adults from
Southside (Also east coast). Plus we worked with the Prestonwood Choir on a
couple of events, which was cool for me because they are a massive high school
choir from Dallas, Texas. Anyways, the Lord definitely blessed this week by
providing so many teams to work alongside us because without them, I do not
know how smoothly this week would have gone. The Southeastern team was
incredible with working with kids, outreach, and stepping in wherever I needed
them. Further, the Southside team was essential to the success of the hotdog
grilling and maintenance of other food items. The Lakeview team helped us
primarily with working game stations and I was so thankful for them and how
they would engage the kids.
Southside Team
To give a quick understanding, there were three different
block parties on Tuesday (10am – 2pm), Wednesday (6pm – 8pm), and Thursday
(6:30pm – 9pm) at three different locations. We had a bounce house, an inflatable
obstacle course and slide, a snow cone and popcorn machine, music, various
smaller games, and then hotdogs, chips, cookies, and drinks. Now we planned for
about 200 for each block party which ended up working out pretty well when you
include the workers and those who ate more than one hot dog. But anyways, it
pretty intense in that sense because we had so much going on, we needed people
to work stations, but we needed to give the workers breaks plus have people
walking around talking to the families who came. It was definitely my prayer
that the control aspect of my flesh would fade and the Lord would be present
throughout it all.
There were definitely stressful times but I am so thankful
to have had the opportunity to work with Jesse because he thought of things
that I didn’t and vice versa. We balanced each other nicely and I appreciated
the way he encouraged me, especially as being the youngest, and always checked
in on me to see if I was doing okay.
Me, Alyssa, and Jesse on the van ride home
Another cool thing came from the fact that the times when I
did get to really talk with people at the block parties, rather than
evangelizing, the Lord used them to provide encouragement to me in what they
said and how they live their lives out every day for him. One man I met had two
sons with Asperger’s who had been a part of the soccer camp that half of our
team was working. He had such a positive outlook on life and doesn’t see any
point in being negative towards people since it benefits no one – which I thought
was such a cool way to approach life on a day to day basis. Another woman I met
near the end, and she actually wasn’t even a part of the block party, she just
happened to be at the building in which we were right outside of. Talking to
her was such a blessing because she and I think very similarly and to hear her
talk about God was so incredible. At the end, when I asked how I could pray for
her, she reciprocated the question. Well I asked her to pray that God’s light
would just shine in and through me and that he would use me to do His will. She
said that He already is because I came to talk to her and answered her prayer
which was such a God-thing.
Mt. Rainier
Last thing, after crazy week was over, the Southside team invited
me to join them on a day trip to visit Mt. Rainier. The invitation alone
blessed my heart because out of my entire team, I was the only one they
invited. Moreover, they paid my entire way – the ticket for the gondola ride up
and then for my lunch. I am such an old soul anyways and being around them was
such a blessing and I was so thankful for all that they had done throughout the
week. And seeing God’s creation and how
he can still make something so incredible even through the destruction of the
flood and his wrath from so long ago. It makes me that much more excited for
the beauty he will create in the new heaven and new earth through his love.
Mt. Rainier from our seats at the outdoor café on top of Crystal Mountain.
There were gorgeous flowers right before we went up on the gondola.
In summation, this week (while tough) has been such a
blessing to my heart. We were blessed with adding a couple to the kingdom of
God through their salvation on the last block party. I got to come into contact
with people who I look forward to the day we are reunited at the gates of
heaven. God works in such incredible ways. I have officially reached my halfway
point too and so it’s humbling to see how far I’ve come and yet how much more
the Lord still has planned. Be praying for my obedience to him and to my
leaders. As we get further along, I feel myself getting really comfortable, and
when that happens I find myself blurring the boundary lines. So just be praying
that I will constantly humble myself before God and the cross and I know
everything will follow suit as it should. My love to those at home!
By: Blair Cowden
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