Well, we made it to Charm City! The building above is Charm City Church and this is where we are staying. The people here are very hospitable and we instantly felt welcome and wanted! We got here around 1:00 yesterday and instantly began getting our first day of VBS underway. It was awesome! We had about 20 kids from the community come and our students were able to love on them and play with them. Alexa did an amazing job not only teaching God's word but keeping the kids engaged. Tim led the worship team with energy and great enthusiasm that provided a contagious energy throughout the crowd. Eric and the rest of the group had a great time leading the kids in a variety of games and activities during the rec time! The craft team helped the children make colorful key chains and start their gospel necklaces. It was so fun seeing the students interact with the high energy kids from the community. It was very apparent that the kids we served loved all of VBS. We are excited about Day Two! :)I'm not going to label all of these pictures, but they are from the different parts of VBS. The outside pictures are from the rec time. Everything else is just big group time or craft time or just our students loving on the Charm City kids!
After dinner we headed to a park downtown(appropriately called Tent City for the tents the people make as shelter) to serve ice cream (and left over rice from dinner!) to a group of homeless people that live in the park. It was very eye opening for our team to see the conditions that these people live. We were able to spend time getting to know the people and praying for them. They loved the ice cream! Be sure to ask your students about their conversations with the people in the park. The pictures below capture our night at the park...
We are having an amazing trip and are so excited to see how God will continue to use us as the week progresses!
Love love love the pictures! Remember when mom used to make everyone we know write you letters at camp when you were little because you would be so rediculously homesick? This kinda reminds me of that - but hopfully going much better, and I am writting of my own free will. Love you Baby Lex!!!
ReplyDeleteAll those pictures brought tears to my eyes. I am sure it means the world to those kids to have you all there to play with them and love on them and that the people you all spoke with in the park are thankful for your ears and hearts.
ReplyDelete"I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy."--Psalm 140:12
I can't express how awesome it is to know all of you are WILLING examples of such truth. Love you all.
I ditto the above statement.........tears in my eyes also. What a special blessing you are to those kids. Seeing you pray in the park, very moving. The Lord is pleased.
ReplyDeleteSammy D. we miss you. How's the jamming @ the VBS going? Austin looked good on the bass.
Love you! Mom,Dad,Chris and Oliver.
PS Shane says Hi......we saw him on the boat. :)