God is definitely moving…
A Broaddus teen makes a new friend.
Everyone’s starting to feel the effects of running 110% for 13 hours a day 4 days straight. Where Mountain Dew fails us, God is seeing us through. Great things are happening at your mission centers – God is definitely moving in Roanoke.
Last night’s sports camp saw five children come and play with the youth from Beulah and Bruington. Pat and I are going to try to offer more evening sports camps later this summer as they seem to be a success. (hint hint youth ministers… a youth group would be great to lead these.)
Broaddus’s team has conducted an amazing Vacation Bible School. Close to 30 children attended today. The children enjoy rotations of craft time, recess, a Bible story, and snack.
Their construction teams are very efficient and generous. The roofers look to be finished while the shed has nicely taken shape. What a blessing they have been to us.
This morning, Beulah and Bruington’s groups ministered to those coming for the food ministry at Baptist Community Center. The teens spoke to the folks waiting in line, helped serve the food and helped carry the food for them back to their vehicles.
During the afternoon they sanded and painted the bench and picnic tables at the Baptist Community Center. After dinner, they came to Baptist Friendship House to conduct a community survey in Old Southwest.
We split them up into two groups. In all, we spoke with about 15 households. Both groups definitively experienced God during their walk. In one example, while my group was finishing a survey with one woman on her porch, another woman walked by on the sidewalk. We spoke with her and one of her nephews. It turns out that she just met her 10 and 12 year old nephews yesterday. She has been estranged from his mother for twenty years, but now her sister is facing a terminal illness.
While trying to get to know her nephews, she has to figure out how to take care of them and her own children on a limited budget. She was nearly overcome when we explained that the Friendship House was just a couple blocks away and could help her family out. In addition to giving her a flyer, we exchanged information so we can follow up with her and find ways to support them.
Another man remarked about Old Southwest that he enjoyed the diversity of the people between their nationalities, races, and economic classes within the neighborhood. He said “that’s what heaven looks like, so shouldn’t we try to copy that?” Amen.
God is here in Roanoke in Old Southwest and in Southeast – we need to be here too. There are so many people here that need to know His love – the staff at the Baptist Mission Centers need help to represent Him to our neighbors.
