Welcome our Illinois team! The top photos show some of the "after hours" activities going on! They deserve the fun as they worked really hard today and found out just how much they can really sweat! And how important water is!
This group is painting and learning how to finish sheetrock. Diane had the team of "would be" finishers with her today and they did quite well. They will return tomorrow and by then will be professionals!
The bottom photos are some of our long term volunteers. The guys on the left are the ones who keep us laughing. They are from Minnesota and are here for different lengths of time but while they are here God is truly working through them.
Jess is holding one of our neighbor children in the other photo. There are atleast 5 children in this household and most evenings they are here with us. It's an amazing sight, seeing those guys in the photo holding the smaller children on their laps and reading Bible stories to them. The kids are so hungry for the stories and soak them up like a sponge. There are some older kids and they think the sun rises and sets in these guys. To see guys the ages of these, all single and yet such a heart for children is definitely a God thing! These childrens' lives have been touched in ways they will never forget. And to think there are literally thousands more children out in these neighborhoods just like them!
This evening we had a big cookout here in our new porch area. Leaders from the School of Urban Ministries joined us. This is where our director, Joel, came from and it was a joy to meet them and listen as they shared why they are here. Once again, sitting in a large group of people who all have hearts of service, who all have a heart for the Lord. What a blessing!
As Monty and I made our way back from Mobile, Alabama today we reflected on just how much we have learned in our missions training classes and that it seems strange to realize they are complete and all we wait for now is our degree. God has taught us so much, showed us the depths of missions and prepared us for even deeper service to Him. We don't know what the future holds for us but God knows. He just chooses to let us know little bits at a time. Good thing or we would come in with our own ideas and mess things up for sure! I just know God has called us both into lives dedicated to serving Him in disaster situations, whenever and wherever! The rest is just "fine print".
We look forward to our team from New Jersey returning to work with us tomorrow. Pastor Mike and team have been here many times and are always such a blessing to not only the homeowners where they serve but to us also. They are family and having them back lifts us up and re-energizes us! We will also be welcoming a team from Kentucky. Both will be here all next week so it will be another week of blessings and miracles!
I must tell you that Monty and I will be out most of next week. We will be attending a conference and at the end will receive our ordinations into the ministry. When I think about the direction the Lord has led us over the past year and a half it blows even my mind. I will do the best I can to keep you informed on everything, just bear with me if we have a couple of days "off the air".
Special note, we did get the internet hooked up here where we live! Praise the Lord for technology returning to the area!
Until tomorrow. . . Susan and Monty
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