Amanda Wilkinson, NAMB Summer Missionary,
Cleveland Hope, Cleveland, Ohio
Our activities have changed each day. We've worked on community projects with painting & clean-up of elderly and disabled people's homes. We've helped churches with their VBS. We worked at a decathlon as volunteers for the local event in order to build relationships in that area for the Church of the Hills, which is a church plant that will launch next year. We've also been a part of doing door to door surveys in order to help the Bridge Church, which is also a church plant. We helped run and facilitate three block parties. Two were hosted by established churches while the third was to build relationships with the community for Gateway Church, which is a church plant.
Every Saturday my partner & I work with a local church, Cuyahoga Valley Church (CVC) to feed the homeless at the downtown square in Cleveland. We also prepare and clean-up for each Saturday with the ladies in the church. Every night we also go to Trader Joe's (a gourmet grocery store) to pick up the food that has expired in order to use for the homeless ministries on Saturday & Wednesday. I think that pretty well covers our activities thus far. Oh wait, we've also helped with Upward Basketball and Cheerleading camps as well as passed out many, many fliers for various ministry activities. Okay, that's it.
Meaningful Experience: While we were prayer walking, surveying, and building relationships with people in downtown Cleveland, we had an opportunity to pray for a lady working in a parking garage. After we prayed we went to a Chinese restaurant. As we sat down, a man came up beside our table and told us he was paying for our meal because "it's a good thing" what we were doing. I asked him if we could pray for him for anything. He said he had a relationship with God, but just wanted a more intimate one.
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Brandon Ratliff, NAMB Sojourner Missionary,Mission Arlington, Arlington, Texas
During my first two weeks at Mission Arlington, I've done a multitude of activities. I have helped lead 2-3 summer programs a day, taught small groups of children at revivals, worked Rainbow Express (a sort of VBS), moved furniture, handed out food, sorted donations, and worked the front room, which is where people are counseled before they receive material assistance. The days are long, but fulfilling, and the stamina and attitude of the full-time staff is amazing.
The most meaningful experience of these first two weeks had very little to do with me. I was counseling in the front room, where someone comes to the Mission, fills out an application for assistance, and is then met by a counselor to see how we can help them.
Well, I got a woman who seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown. I introduced myself and took her to a counseling room. She was at the Mission seeking help to pay her rent. As it turned out, her husband had recently passed away, and the government check she used to pay her rent had been lost in the mail, so she was facing eviction at midnight.
At the end of the session, I asked if I could pray with her, as we do with everyone who comes through the Mission. She said yes, and then said that the Lord had been faithful for 21 years (she was in her 40's).
It amazed me how a woman who was having such a rough time was still so solid in her faith, which is far greater than mine. Even though I was supposed to encourage her, I came out of the session more inspired than she was. It's easy to believe in the faithfulness of God when there are few trials; so much harder for that woman, yet her faith is so much more established than mine.
Lindsay Stanford, NAMB Summer Missionary (from MS BCM),
Tahoe City Baptist Church, Tahoe City, California
Our group has been in orientation since we arrived in Tahoe City. We had meetings all day for the first week or so. Once we learned how most of the things around here work, we began working the A+ before and after school program.
Before school, we watch the kids and learn a Bible verse before the school bus comes so their parents can go to work. After school, we helped them with their homework, sing songs and teach them a Bible story until their parents get off of work. It has been a great time to get to know the kids and their parents. We have had several opportunities to see the area of Lake Tahoe by taking a tour around the lake and by going on a few hikes. The area is absolutely beautiful!
The people of this area are searching for anything. The New Age stuff is pretty big. One day I was teaching a group of kids grade kindergarten to sixth grade. As we were outside playing, I told the kids that in just a few minutes we would go back inside and do our Bible story. A little girl who just finished the second grade looked at me and said "What's a Bible Story?" It caught me off guard. But I explained to her what is.
A couple of days later, one of my partners told me that the same little girl and her younger brother said that they had never heard about God until they came to our program a couple of weeks ago. Whenever I brought my group inside for the Bible story that day, we made a craft with a Bible reference under a verse on the craft.
Jaylynn, the little girl, asked me what the numbers were for. So, I sat down with her and showed her how to use a Bible. It was a very exciting day for me and an eye opening one as well.
The kids are so curious about everything. They are at a very teachable age which is definitely a great opportunity for us as summer missionaries.
Justin, one of our preschool kids, has attached himself to me for some reason. He comes from a good family. Every time I see him, he runs and gives me a hug. As I was babysitting him and his older brother Alex, I realized for the first time how hard it is going to be for me to leave these kids on August 4th. The children of Tahoe City, CA have stolen my heart. They are truly a gift from God!
Kendal Frazier, NAMB Summer Missionary,
High Country Church, Colorado
Since I have arrived, I have felt God's guidance in two particular ways.
The first and foremost thing God has been teaching me and reminding me is that my own resources, energy, and lover for these people is insufficient. God continually has been showing me the Christian's obligation to rely on the LORD for His divine power to provide all that we need. I am seeing more and more when I am tire and have little steam left in - God is my strength and my victory.
Another thing God has been showing me is how very important it is for one to practice interceding on others' behalf. Our pastor had to make a decision to forego working with another local ministry because of "integrity issues." Sarah & I hit our knees. After praying really hard for brokenness and reconciliation, God broke down barriers. He is continuing to bring our ministries to a point of renewal and righteousness.
Angie McDonald, NAMB Sojourner Missionary,
Baptist Mission Centers, Houston, Texas
My first week of ministry was absolutely incredible. Joy Mission Center has food and clothing ministry, teen, pre-teen, Kid's club and a senior adult ministry. Because I teach preschoolers on Sunday mornings at my home church, a friend and I were put in charge of teaching the preschoolers at Kids club the Bible lesson.
Kids club runs from Monday to Thursday, and by club time on Thursday, I was worn out. I went into the prayer room and asked God to reveal to me the real need of the preschoolers and that they are not "just preschoolers." Well, God showed me just that.
That day, we had close to 30 preschoolers in a room about the size of my bedroom, and I was overwhelmed. I found out that these kids did not know what the Bible was or how it was important, exactly who Jesus is and what He did for us, or exactly what prayer is and how to do it.
When God revealed this to me, my heart broke in two pieces. These preschoolers are one of the main missions God had has now given me for the summer. I am going to begin incorporating these truths about the Bible, Jesus and prayer into the daily Bible stories that I get to share with these kids. Without the basics of Christianity, these kids are not going to fully understand salvation, and I believe God has placed me here in Houston in order to teach truths to the preschoolers!!
Ashley Fish, NAMB Summer Missionary,
The Haven Fellowship, Pen Yan, New York
Most of my time here so far has been spent planning VBS and a five week summer program to follow that. Both of these ministries are being viewed as outreach projects because so much of the area is unchurched and a lot of the families are single parent. So, quality activities for the children to do while mom and/or dad are at work is a huge need. This will be a way to reach the parents as well as the kids with the message that Jesus loves them.
A meaningful experience has been the reminders from God that it all means nothing if I'm not listening to Him and doing what He wants to have done this summer. It's been really hard being out of school and not having a very set schedule to keep up with prayer and devotional times.
Once again I have come to a place in my Christian walk where I have to go all the way to obedience and surrender or give up and go home. There is too much at stake to be half hearted.
Pray for me that I would find encouragement to stay in the Word and stay strong. I am very excited to see what God will do with the summer program!
Joy Doriety, NAMB Sojourner Missionary,
Mission Arlington, Arlington, Texas
I am completely blown away by the perspective that everyone carries here at Mission Arlington. Bringing the church to the people is something that I had never considered before. I feel a call in my heart and soul here. I feel that God has given me a taste of his will and of his plans for me. Living solely for the purpose of winning people to Christ (when I say solely, I mean every detail, every moment, 24-7) has been made very real to me.
I was working in the front room one day and a Spanish-speaking lady came in. She knew about the same amount of English as I did Spanish, which is not very much at all. She began to speak in English. Suddenly, she started to speak rapidly in Spanish as tears streamed down her face. It is amazing that I understood everything that she was saying. There is absolutely no way that happened based on my own abilities. God allowed me to hear what she told me. When she stopped talking, we held hands as we prayed, she in her language and I in my own.
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